It's Going To Be A "Bazaar" Weekend!

FYI: I'll be at Rochester Brainery's June "Brainery Bazaar" tomorrow! (10am - 6pm)

(By the way, I love this logo! So clever!)

"Brainery Bazaar is a monthly arts & crafts show held at Rochester Brainery the 2nd Saturday of each month from 10am-6pm. Join us in June as we welcome back some of our May vendors and welcome new vendors, too! As always, the first 25 people through the door will receive a FREE Brainery Bazaar tote bag filled with free swag from some of our vendors!"

"Help up spread the word by sharing the event on your FB wall, please! Also, if you stop by tomorrow, remember to use the hashtag #BraineryBazaar if you snap a photo and please tag us at @rocbrainery."


The next day (Sunday) I am going to another craft show called the "Dichotomy Art Bazaar", but I will be there as a shopper, not a vendor.

As disappointed as I am that I didn't get into this show, I am kind of excited to go to a show as a shopper. So now I can actually check out the booths without worrying about getting back to my own booth to relieve whoever is helping me (usually either my mom or my husband).

Make-It-Monday: Rubber-Stamped Fabric Keychain

Here was my process for printing the fabric for my keychain...

I was going to use Staz-On ink for this, but I couldn't find my black inkpad.  But I did remember that I had bought some black fabric paint awhile back. (I must have bought it for some project, but I can't remember what that project was).

So, you can do this with your own rubber stamp. All you need is... 

• A Rubber Stamp (mine is a custom hand-carved stamp from Jackbear Stamps, but you can use any rubber stamp)
• Fabric Paint
• Foam paintbrush (you could also use a cheap foam sponge)
• Small artist's paintbrush
• Fabric you want to print on (I used both a cotton muslin and canvas)
• Small piece of scrap wood (optional)
• Iron & pressing cloth (I used a scrap piece of my cotton muslin)

Squirt a bit of the fabric paint onto the foam brush.  Use the artist brush to spread the paint around and into the foam.  The foam will be like a stamp pad. 

My stamp was a bit larger than the foam brush, so instead of pressing the stamp down onto the foam, I held the stamp in one hand and used the foam brush to dab the paint evenly onto the stamp. (I tried doing this earlier with a regular paintbrush before I decided to use the foam brush, but the paint went on gloopy and uneven, which made for a uneven, gloopy-looking print. So I definitely recommend using the foam instead.)

Press the stamp down evenly onto your chosen fabric.

I used a piece of scrap wood to help make sure the stamp was pressed evenly.

Lift up the stamp, and Voila!  Stamped fabric!

My bottle of fabric paint said to let the paint dry for 24 hours and then heat set it with an iron...but I have to confess, I only waited maybe 1-2 hours, since it seemed plenty dry, and I was anxious to make my keychain!

I cut out the design and zig-zag stitched it onto a piece of printed cotton, then made a simple, tiny pillow, stitching in a bias tape loop for the split ring to attach to.

I got this orange & white polka dot cotton fabric from a box of fabric scraps a friend gave me.  I don't work with quilter's weight cotton a lot, but I have lots of scraps with different prints that I've accumulated from friends, so I am looking forward to making more of these in different patterns!

What's-On-My-Worktable Wednesday: Rubber-Stamped Fabric Keychain

Guess what?  I made a keychain!

I had the idea for this when I was trying to come up with something to make for the RNEST Challenge for June. The theme is "Inspired By" and we are supposed to make something that is inspired by the work of another RNEST member.

I was actually inspired by two different RNEST members for this.  First, I was inspired by John of Jackbear Stamps, who was the one who hand-carved my custom monster stamp.  Secondly, I was inspired by Heather Vitticore's adorable printed animal pillows.

I submitted my entry early for once (I'm usually submitting my challenge item at the last minute!), but voting will start on June 6th on the RNEST blog.  (I'll post again when the poll is up to remind you!  By the way...thanks for voting for me and helping my Grumpy Cat Nubbin win last month's "Internet Meme" challenge!)

I am planning a tutorial for rubber-stamping fabric for a "Make-It Monday" post this Monday...so stay tuned!

Etsy Favorite Friday: The Knotty Owl

Presenting my new favorite necklace by my friend Ashley of The Knotty Owl!

A cool thing about the craft show/Etsy artist culture is doing trades with other artists when you each admire each other's work.  I traded a big sweater owl for this necklace.  We coordinated the trade a couple months ago, but finally were able to meet up to make the trade when we were both vendors at Mayday Underground.

I've received a few compliments of it.  But i need to ask Ashley for some of her super-cool business cards to give out, because when people have complimented me on the necklace and I try and tell them the Etsy shop name, it kind of sounds like I'm saying The Naughty Owl instead of The Knotty Owl! (oh dear!).  I always try and make sure they get the right name, but I sound a bit like a blathering idiot in my attempt to clarify.

Anyway, go check out her shop!  She has some awesome work!

Make It Monday: Apple Ginger Carrot Juice!

We recently got a juicer (for free!) through a rewards program at my husband's job.  I remembered that there was a juice recipe I wanted to try awhile back that involved apple and ginger, but we'd had no juicer at the time. I couldn't find the exact blog (apparently I hadn't pinned it to any of my Pinterest boards) But I searched Pinterest and found a recipe for Apple Ginger Carrot juice.  

2 apples... 7 carrots... 1 piece of ginger "the size of your thumb". (although make sure it's the size of your own thumb and don't round it up to the size of your husband's big ol' thumb...because the juice turns out a bit too spicy then!)

Grumpy Cat Nubbin for "Internet Meme" RNEST Team Challenge!

I made a "Grumpy Cat' Nubbin for this month's RNEST Team Challenge!

The theme for May's Challenge was "Internet Memes".  (I actually chose the theme because I wanted to make this!)  If you like my Grumpy Cat and want to vote for me in the challenge, go to the RNEST blog and vote in the poll in the upper-right of the page. (no registration required!) There's only 2 other submissions in the challenge, but I think they are some pretty stiff competition!  So I'll need your help to win!

(a look at my competition)

 The Etsy listing wasn't even up for 12 hours before it sold!

A comparison with the Grumpy Cat herself.

Pictures from Mayday Underground!

Here are some pictures from Mayday Underground this past Saturday...

I was pretty busy most of the day (which is a good thing!) so I didn't have much time to take as many pictures as I would have liked.  You can go to the photo album on the Mayday Underground Facebook page to see photos of the other vendors. (a friend of mine took a bunch of photos of me & my booth, I'm just waiting for her to post them).  Check out the Mayday posts on the RNEST blog and the Jackbear Stamps blog as well.

(blurry selfie)

Mayday was the craft show debut of the Fox Nubbins and the Plaid-ypus Nubbins.  The foxes and barn owls were my best sellers of the day.

Before every show, I'm afraid I don't have enough product... then when I set up, I find I have too much to fit into the display!  My sweater monster trunk was PACKED!  I actually had to keep some monsters back behind the table until I sold some.

One of my biggest fans, Tree, bought one of my favorite recent monsters, Rigby.  I had to take a picture of him, since I never had the chance to before the show!

 And friends of mine, Holli and Ben, bought big Tobias, the super tall sweater monster who was over 2 foot tall.  He was my favorite monster I had at the show (you know, the one you secretly hope no one buys?).  It seems silly, but I'm glad he was bought by someone I know!

I made lots of sales, and I considered the day a great success!...as every Mayday Underground show is for me!  But it was exceptionally good for a spring craft show!  Thank you so much to everyone who came and everyone who bought something from me!  It couldn't have been a successful day without you!

MAYDAY!

The spring Mayday Underground Art & Craft Show is THIS Saturday!  My monsters are getting excited at the prospect of finding new homes!

I'm so bad about promoting my shows online the week before the show...because I am usually sewing like a mad woman trying to get ready and make sure I have enough. You know how people say "only x more shopping days until Christmas"?...well, there are only 4 more sewing days until Mayday Underground!

Will you be near Rochester, NY on Saturday? Do you like cool, unique, quality art & craft items? Come on down to the Village Gate on Goodman St to see me and all the other awesome artists who will be there! If you're one of the first 50 shoppers at 10am, you get a free swag bag! If you can't get there that early, they'll have a photo booth from 2pm-4pm!

RSVP to the Facebook Event!

Okay, I gotta go get back to sewing and stuffing monsters!

Monsters Have Invaded My Couch!

A mountain of monsters is threatening to overrun my couch. 

They are awaiting their hand-sewn details (eyes, lips, & hearts). 

(please forgive the not-so-great-quality cell phone photo!)

I am in full pre-craft show production mode to make sure I have enough for Mayday Underground in 2 weeks (Saturday, April 27th).  My goal this week was to machine-sew at least 3 sweater monsters a day.  A few days I only got 2 done (due to those annoying little distractions like laundry, grocery shopping, and cooking dinner)... other days I got 5 done...so it evened out.  One day this week, my husband came home from work and said "Oh my! Monsters are invading our house!" LOL!

Between this pile and the pile of finished monsters that have settled into a chair in the other room, I have just under 50 sweater monsters (more than enough I think!).  This upcoming week, I am planning on focusing on making Nubbins during the day and then paring down this mountain and hand-sewing in the evening when I watch TV with my husband.  I've already reduced the mountain by 5 monsters this weekend.  I'll have to remember to take photos of them before the show!

I couldn't resist taking a picture of Hal amongst the unfinished monster pile and uploading it to Instagram with the caption, "They'll never find me here!"

(you can find pictures of Hal on Instagram by searching for the hashtag #adventuresoffhalthesweatermonster)

Vote For Wellington in the RNEST Team Challenge for April!

It's time for the RNEST Team Challenge again!  And my Sweater Monster,"Wellington", is in the running!  

This month's theme is "Pantone Color Of The Year: Emerald".  Go to the RNEST blog and click your choice in the poll at the upper right of the blog! (as usual, there is no registration required!  Just click!)

(If you find yourself wishing to purchase him, he is available in my Etsy shop!)
Wellington - Upcycled Sweater Monster