handmade hangover

phew! finally back from pittsburgh. last weekend's handmade arcade exceeded expectations. the crowds were huge both days and the assembled group of vendors was impressive. the handmade arcade support staff was also super helpful, setting up coffee and donuts in the morning and walking around during the day to offer breaks for vendors braving the show alone. while the location was spacious and seemed centrally located, it is the only negative factor of the entire operation. the floor was caked and coated with an accumulation of who knows what...grease, dust, diesel fuel, whatever the armored tanks dragged in...and when something happened to fall if for just a second, it was doomed to wear a coat of black.



other than that, no complaints from this little chickadee. the people of pittsburgh were wonderful and welcoming, and full of enthusiasm for craft and crafters. my home away from home was happily situated among some familiar faces from the baltimore etsy street team (b.e.s.t.), including shadyside suite-mates dandelion blu, sweet pepita and the littlest bean. thanks to that trio for all of their help and humor, and for making me an honorary b.e.s.t. member!

sherry (dandelion blu) gets set up

jen (the littlest bean) and shannon (sweet pepita)

you can check out their work at the holiday heap this saturday in beautiful baltimore, md. when you are there, swing by the hello craft! table to say hello and share the pretty stuff that you picked up from the show. yours truly will be sitting in for a spell in the afternoon.

hot diggity handmade

Handmade Arcade Logo, originally uploaded by handmade.arcade.

the weekend we've been waiting is finally here! all that stands between this chickadee and a cold can of iron city light is the major mountain of stuff that still needs to be done for the show. so no dillys or dallys today on the blog, best get to work and get the wagon packed with wares. this chickadee and constant craft companion dandelion blu are pulling in to a new town, looking forward to meeting lots of new people, and eating sandwiches with coleslaw and french fries on top.

for those of you who are local to the land that loves the steelers, we'd like to see your smiling faces saturday and/or sunday. the show is scheduled to run from 11am-7pm saturday and 11am-5pm sunday and is being held at the hunt armory in the shadyside neighborhood. stop by! say hi! for more information, visit the handmade arcade website.

hello urbanknit!

yummy, delicious big knits and bright bags straight from london!

you can learn more about them and their creator by reading my interview with dolapo of urbanknit over at hello craft!

the shape of things to come

ovals!

welcome these slightly stretched out circles to the growing bowl/basket bonanza. with a similar coiled construction as their circular counterparts, these elongated bins can't wait to brighten your holidays. they come in a dizzying array of colors and several different sizes. and they'll be hoofing it on up to the handmade arcade this weekend!

if you are around steel city saturday or sunday, come by and snatch one up!

oh yes we did

obama cross-stitch by monaxmonax
from the obama craft project pool on flickr

jingle bowls

may your days be merry and bright, and may all of your christmas bowls be red, white and green...like this set of coiled cuties!

there's santa and snowmen, rudolph the reindeer, trees that are trimmed and a collection of candies. cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels! doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles! no...wait, i'm getting a little carried away. but these are a few of my favorite things right now. bowl making is at times challenging and totally time consuming, but the finished product is well worth the carpal tunnel inducing clothesline wrapping. hope you think so too!

don't forget!

the long lines haven't deterred these flamingos. be like your feathered friends, get out and vote!

(placido flamingo approaches the voting booth)

(the queue for ballot casting is so long that the flamingos have chosen to stand on two feet)

(pretty little pink birds all in a row)

no flamingos were harmed during this photo shoot. in fact, they seemed to be enjoying the opportunity to participate in the democratic process. early polls show senator shrimp leading congressman krill by a beak, but it is much too early to call. thanks to the people up the street who set this up and (unknowingly) allowed me to photograph it.

mood indigo

as promised, here's the rest of the craft apron assemblage. these handy helpers are accented with dark blue denim. they're sturdy and sure and they're ready to go to work for you! they are making the trip to pittsburgh along with their pals...placemats, coasters, aprons and some new members of the chickadee line-up that you'll meet tomorrow.

she's a natural

the countdown to the handmade arcade is underway! just four short days of preparation remain, then it is time to get the show on the road and head up north to the steel city. luckily these craft aprons have decided that they want in on the action.

the same design that you know and love has been modified just a tad to allow for a bit more room in the pencil pockets. overall they still measure 10" x 20" and feature a sturdy construction that will stand up to the sharpest scissors. this first set is backed with natural denim, tomorrow you'll meet the indigo counterparts.

this way for the fronts and backs:

tonight!

if you are in the capitol town tonight, mosey on over to the transformer gallery for a truly fantastic art experience. my super talented friend nilay lawson will be celebrating her first solo show! this is so very exciting not only for nilay, but also for friends and fans of her work. she's been working hard for years now and, up to this point, has not had the opportunity to display the scope of her skills and the brilliance of her brush strokes.

her paintings are bold and brightly colored and they capture unique moments that most of us would miss. the show will also feature other work in many different mediums. here's what the gallery has to say about the show:

nilay's show opens tonight with a reception from 7pm-9pm. if you miss out on the opening, be sure to stop by some time over the next month. it will run until december 6th. for more information, see the transformer website. see you there!