6 to 4

time to catch you up on some inventory that's been on the move. here are six sets of four coasters that made the trip to seattle...some never to return.

ballston by hand

there is no rest for the weary crafter as this chickadee and dandelion blu bring their west coast jet lag and an assortment of well-traveled wares to a sunny square in arlington, va on saturday. yes, friends, the september edition of the ballston arts + craft market is upon us! come on out for a walk in the park and hear some live music while perusing the persuasive selection of craft.

thanks to baltimore blogger christy zuccarini of baltimore by hand for promoting us in a recent post. check it out below, and check out her blog to stay informed of handmade happenings in charm city.

we've been made

handmade, that is. this time the craft team of dandelion blu and this chickadee travel to steel city to share our wares with the lovely citizens of pittsburgh, pa. it should be a fantastic show, as plenty of colorful vendors plan on pouring into the city that bleeds black and gold. this chickadee will be sailing into three rivers with a team of crafters from charm city. several members of the baltimore etsy street team (b.e.s.t.), which includes dandelion blu, are in on this event and are bringing with them an array of hand-crafted delights. check them out below:

jenny jenn 42



the littlest bean by jen menkhaus



sweet pepita



tigerlilyshop

bumbershot

we did it! dandelion blu and this chickadee survived the bumberbeast...three 11-hour days in one 10' x 10' booth. we were set up in a quiet corner of the festival, but that was a good thing as neither of us were prepared for the HOARDS of people that bumbershoot attracted. our sales may have suffered because of our location, but our spirits remained high. we were so pleased that we managed to transfer coasts and maintain the cozy atmosphere of the booth. no luggage was lost or package mishandled along the way. our little hut felt like home, which was a plus as we spent plenty of time there.

would we do it all again? most likely...but next time we'd bring warmer clothing. and we'd also know that the atmosphere is much different at a show that isn't specifically for craft. shoppers were numerous, but not really in the market to buy much more than a tee shirt and something fried on a stick. and who can blame them? bumbershoot is a total sensory experience with something to see and hear around every corner. we do thank seattle for its warm reception of two little crafters from the east coast. we loved the city and hope to come back some day soon.

also, a huge heaping helping of thanks to our friends out there who assisted us with everything from package patrol and tent pick-up to room and board. we couldn't have done it without you! nor could we have done it without the help of our ever-supportive husbands who were there to help us set-up on the first day and wrap it all up on the third. for one brief moment in time, they were even left to man the booth by themselves. there's a special category for the two of you.

golden flower

it is the one gilded, glittering bud that makes these placemats a gem.

lawn and garden

thar she blows!

shiver me timbers, it is the great red whale riding above not so stormy seas.

trivia (that you probably already know)! starbucks the coffee company is named after starbuck, the first mate of the pequod in melville's moby dick.

midnight in the garden...

this set of six placemats is all good and no evil.

take a load off

you deserve a break today. you've been working like a dog.

sea-line women!

dandelion blu and i are making final preparations for our seattle launch bright and early tomorrow morning! we are expecting bumbershoot to be a blast...a craftacular blowout set on a stage of music and arts mayhem. we're sticking around seattle for a few days after the show so you'll have to wait about a week for the low-down. but don't despair! while we are away laboring the little blog elves will be busy posting photos of placemats, coasters and aprons that jumped in the suitcase at the last minute. hope you get a chance to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labors this labor day. happy three day weekend!

p.s. the photo above is courtesy of dripstick, "a small art-based company in brooklyn ny." just giving credit where the credit is due.