Overwhelmed. Just a little.

OH! I’ve been so busy! I haven't forgotten about my lovely little blog; on the contrary, I think about it frequently. Besides, the type of work I’ve been doing lately hasn't been extremely interesting. I've trashed more than a few entries for being too yawn-inducing. I’ve been preparing for the AVC show which is barreling toward me at a fast pace. I never realized all that goes into preparing oneself for a craft fair and creating a small business. I’m feeling more than a bit overwhelmed. I am currently working on a new business card design, new hang tags, display options, six clutches (simultaneously), my website, setting up a mailing list (which is proving to be a bit more involved than I was hoping), and planning/placing orders for supplies all while working a 9-5 and attempting to maintain some sort of social life. *Phew!*

Also, my metals class starts tomorrow. I almost didn’t make it in. I called the day after summer registration began to find the class had already filled up! At least I was quick enough to be the first one on the waiting list. Three agonizing weeks later I got word that I made it into the class! This isn't your typical class with instruction and assigned projects. This is open studio time, twice a week, for three hours each session. The class only lasts 6 weeks. If I'm not well prepared I will find myself twiddling my thumbs wondering what I should work on next and wasting all my precious studio time. I got really inspired last week and drew up some ideas for the first few classes. I also carry around a small notebook that is pretty full of random ideas I’ve gotten over the last few years that I can fall back on in a pinch. I can’t wait to be back in the studio with my hands covered in polishing compound, blisters, and cuts. Ahhh.

Etsy pick: Tadworks

I've been trying to avoid posting Etsy picks directly from my Etsy favorites list in an effort to find new designers but I just can't hold back any longer! I'm in love with everything in Tadworks' Etsy Shop.



She hand makes these little characters, named Po, out of polymer clay. There is so much detail in such a small space. YAY! How could you ever be sad with one of these little guys sitting next to you? They are so adorable! And they all have cute little companions or props that give them each a distinct personality. Someday I hope to have a little Po friend for my desktop.

SOLD!

P.S. I'd like to mention that at least half of my inventory at Fashion Ninja has sold already!
It sold much quicker than I had anticipated, truthfully. I was a little nervous at first so I let an entire month go by before checking up on my wares. Finally I bit the bullet and got the response I wanted!

Etsy pick: Cecilia Jane

I love these! More than that, I think she has some pretty original elements in her designs. She seems to have a knack for detail which is something I can appreciate.



Here's another great example of her exceptional attention to detail:



Her original designs can be found on Etsy @ Cecilia Jane.

AVC!

My friend and I found out yesterday that we were accepted into the Art vs Craft show in July! There were tons of great tables there last year so we're very flattered and excited. I didn't participate last year; I just went along to help out and get a feel for the environment. There were about 80 tables with a huge variety of seemingly random hand made items; most of them extremely well made. I think four of us are sharing a table this year so I feel we will be able to offer a lot of diversity. All of us sell (or will sell) items at Niche Milwaukee, which is co-owned by one of the people sharing my table. I don't have too much specific information on what we'll be offering at this point since the show is still pretty far away. However, I believe an element of surprise is beneficial so I'll limit the posting to my items for now.

Copy-cats pt. 2

I've been on the subject of copying for the past few weeks (pt. 1). I think it's time to take a look at it in a different light. Here's a link to a crafter who is copying the big guys (in this case, YakPak). The person who posted these pictures actually put up a tutorial on how to copy this bag yourself.

Is it any different when it's a crafter doing the copying? Perhaps. Maybe I feel differently since these items, most likely, aren't being resold as a copy of the original...or is it because I'm a crafter too? YakPak certainly isn't seeing much, if any, of a reduction in sales due to the tutorial post. The poster, pfeffermint_ish, credits the original so at least (s)he's not trying to pass it off as his/her own design. I do, however, think (s)he could have added more of a personal spin to the actual design of the bag. Nobody is exactly reinventing the handbag these days; it's all in the details...

*pfeffermint_ish is not, by any means, the only one out there deconstructing and reproducing a mass produced item for personal use/resell; That tutorial just happened to be the first one I stumbled upon with the copy-cat theme in mind.

RIP Mighty Flirt

One of my favorite shops to peruse for talent, Mighty Flirt, recently closed its doors without warning (as far as I know). I always wonder about the behind the scenes when a shop closes its doors. I hope they closed shop to pursue other interests and not due to lack of interest.

Vacation is over.

Ok, so, my vacation is over. Back to work. ATL was really fun; my friends and I did a lot of dancing at various clubs around the city. My birthday was the following week (last week) so my excuses for not working were valid but have been used up. I haven't been sewing, hence, the lack of sewing related posts. However, I did complete the yellow/black version of the clutch shown below in pink for my trip to ATL. I think the yellow/black combo looks really hot. I may have to make a few more versions of that colorway before retiring that design.

Random observation: Is it just me or has Etsy been loading very slowly in recent weeks? I wanted to find something new to post today but the load times were testing my patience and making me not want to hunt for new stuff.

Speaking of hunting for new stuff, I scored about 5 different cuts of vintage fabric today! I'm really excited to use them in an upcoming project I've mentally been working through. I've been collecting vintage fabrics for most of my life but the difference recently is that I actually have a game plan for my new purchases. Of course, it's hush-hush until the plan has been fully worked through; I hate to disappoint.

I have an update to my last post. Here's a blog I recently discovered that focuses on posting and discussing copied clothing/art/music/etc: http://youthoughtwewouldntnotice.com/blog3/. Good job guys!

I'm planning on doing a bit of sewing this week; I hope to complete a new design soon (well, a revamp on an old design) for AVC. I will post any mishaps.

*A little note on AVC: my crew and I have not exactly been accepted yet. This announcement is a bit premature. If, for some reason, we're turned away, I'll have to find another place to send the finished piece. My Etsy shop is rather empty and lonely looking...hopefully not for long!

Please don't flatter me.

Some people say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I say, if that's true, don't flatter me.

A newly opened museum in Germany puts on display something that strikes fear into every artist and designer's heart: blatant rip-off. The museum, Plagiarius, opened on April 1st, 2007. They host about 300 original items and their rip-off twins. Take a look at a slide show of some of the more famous rip-offs shown at the Plagiarius.

Scary! I can't imagine having something like that happen to me. A lot of the time the companies guilty of copying are large corporations with a lot of money and power so it's difficult for the little guys (independent designers) to fight back. We all remember the now infamous (in the right circles) rip-off by Urban Outfitters of Johnny Cupcakes' design of the plane dropping cupcake bombs. There's even a site documenting the never ending rip-offs UO is guilty of committing. Read about them here http://urbncounterfeiters.blogspot.com/ then boycott Urban Outfitters. (Ok, maybe you don't have to boycott them. After all, I buy my colored beaters there. But that's where I draw the line.)

Here's a thread on craftster.org concerning artist rip off.

This topic is widely discussed throughout the nets. A simple search will turn up a lot of distinct stories.

On that note, I am going to pack for my trip.

Ciao!

Raspberry Lipgloss

Here it is!

Awww, I love that little guy! I whipped that one up yesterday. Wow. It was hard to do it all in one day. I tend to get a little looney after sewing for 5 straight hours. I made that exact bag in black/electric blue last week. Both clutches are now at their new (hopefully temporary) home @ Fashion Ninja. I am thinking of doing one in black/yellow for my Atlanta trip. You know, for promotional purposes...