c r a f t r a b b i t

craft show wrap up

2009-12-10T18:35:00.001-08:00

I participated in only 2 craft shows this year, which is a good thing because now that they are both over, I can focus on my holiday to-do list. Both shows went well, but I'd have to say, the After Hours Talent Mixed Media Sale was off the charts! There was an amazing turn out and I saw so many of my former colleagues - it was great to catch up. Plus, it was great to see what other local designers and architects do in there spare time. I was so busy that I didn't get a chance to take decent photos from that last sale but the photos here are from my table at the Super Rad Craft Show last month. I hope you are enjoying your holiday season so far!

After Hours Mixed Media Holiday Sale

2009-12-03T14:58:00.001-08:00

I will be participating in the After Hours Talent Mixed Media Sale next Tuesday, December 8, 4-9pm at Urban Studio [corner of 10th and NW Davis, PDX]. I will be selling pillows, zipper pouches, tote bags, garden aprons and other accessories. There will be some light munchies and drinks served. I hope to you can stop by and introduce yourself! Buy handmade and shop local!

super rad pdx craft show

2009-11-10T18:37:00.000-08:00

hey portland peeps! i will be at portland nursery on saturday, november 21st for the super rad pdx craft show. hope you can stop by to support local handmade artists, have some beverages (wink, wink) and get a jump on your holiday gift shopping!

back from the...

2009-11-05T12:48:00.001-08:00

[you fill in the blank] hi all. so it's pretty embarassing that i haven't blogged in almost a year although i have some pretty good excuses. since my last post i have lost my job, started a new company and have seen my parents go in and out of hospitals. i wish i have had more time to craft this past year. but i have committed to two craft shows this holiday season so that will force me to get my act together! stay tuned for details!

3 down, one more to go

2008-12-05T23:17:00.000-08:00

last night, was the 3rd of 4 craft shows that i am participating in this season. this show was held at my office during one of our 'friday @ 4:30' (aka 'beer-thirty) events. i had the privilege of organizing the first craft show (at least since i've been working there) that we have held at the office and i believe it was a wonderful success, if i don't say so myself. it was great to see what my co-workers create in their spare time. although i was too busy (with selling my own wares + shopping) and too distracted to take photos of the event, i will leave you with a photo of a beautiful felted flower pin created by loree, who works in the marketing department at my office.

my next and (thank goodness) my last show of the season will be at p:ear. i will be joining my friends next sunday, december 14. please stop by and introduce yourself!

hi from harvest moon bazaar

2008-11-14T13:49:00.000-08:00

my friend, yuwen and i are here on location in boring, oregon at the harvest moon bazaar. so far everyone is super nice (volunteers insist on helping you unload your car) and there has been a fair amount of customer traffic. below are a few photos of our booth. if the photos look dark, well that is because it is dark in our cave, i mean, booth.

here are yuwen's bags...

and here are my pillows and zipper bags.

if you just happen to be in boring, oregon (don't worry we're not holding our breath) stop by and say hi - we are here until saturday at 1pm. happy friday!

makin' pil-lows

2008-10-29T22:28:00.000-07:00

it's craft rabbit central at my home because i signed up for my first two craft shows next month. the first on november 9 is crafty wonderland. i am actually sharing a table a few of my co-worker/crafty peeps. we formed a group called the limbo collective and there will be 5 of us selling our wares. if you are able to attend crafty wonderland, please say hi and introduce yourself, we will be the 3'x3' table with a mountain full of merchandise! we haven't figured out how we are going to fit everyone's goods in the limited space that we have, but we'll make it work!

the second show is the harvest moon bazaar on november 13-15. i will be sharing a space with another one of my co-workers, yuwen. our space will be twice the size of crafty wonderland and it's a 3-day long bazaar so i need to make alot of inventory! below are a few photos of my process and a preview of some of the things that will be at the show(s). well, back to work for me!

work in progress

2008-09-29T21:53:00.000-07:00

next month my youngest niece will be turning one. we agreed to host the party at our house to give my sister a break from her on going entertaining. but secretly, [ok not much of a secret anymore] i just wanted an excuse to craft up some girly decorations for my sweet little niece, colette.
i have seen everyone and their dog make these cute fabric flags and now i finally have an excuse to make them! the fabric is vintage amy butler from her gypsy caravan collection.

i also made 54 feet of garland with paper circles and picot ribbon...it doesn't get any girly-er than that! the paper is also from amy butler.
also on the party to-do list are these pom poms or these cute paper flowers. i'm just getting started...

rabbit travels.

2008-09-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

my husband, shawn has recently been doing quite a bit of business travel to dubai. although i have not been to dubai (and i am in no hurry to get there), we had the opportunity to go to rome and florence, italy this past july after he had been in dubai for 3.5 weeks. i am always blown away at the history and culture in europe. this was shawn's first trip to italy but was my first trip to rome (i went to florence and venice back in '91). it was great to see a visit a new city for the first time together. below are some photos from our trip.

our hotel room at hotel condotti...

via del condotti from the spanish steps...

lunch at canova tadolini...

short rabbit at piazza navonna...

we came across this modern floral arrangement in a hotel lobby during one of our evening strolls...

a cool quilling window display at fabriano ...

colosseo...
food on display at mercato centrale in florence...

campanile di giotto...

beautiful stone floors inside the duomo...
crowds walking along ponte vecchio...
sprial stairway as you exit the vatican museo... proscuitto and melon appetizer at ao roma...

and the pantheon.

project swing bag

2008-09-14T20:29:00.000-07:00

i made the insane offer to make 11 bags from amy butler's swing bag pattern for a dear co-worker of mine, carrie. she gave these bags as gifts to her 'sista friends' as she called them. i committed to this project months prior, but little did i know i would have a huge deadline at work and be traveling the day prior to the weddding. there is never just one deadline at a time, they always seem to be grouped in threes...hmm. i guess that's life for you.

carrie got married july 26th at the chinese garden here in portland - she was the most beautiful bride. i am sad that i missed it but i was en route to rome (more on that later) to meet my hubby, shawn, who had been in dubai for 3.5 weeks prior.

photography by evirm icoz

how much fabric does a rabbit need?

2008-09-14T20:19:00.001-07:00

seriously...[from purlsoho]
...i...[from fabric depot]
...need...[also from fabric depot]
...therapy. [from poppy and ivy - only five dollars]

yeah, yeah it's really been awhile...

2008-09-14T18:40:00.000-07:00

i wish posting wasn't such a chore for me, but it just is. however, i have some good excuses. for instance, other than the obvious excuses, like work, i have at least been traveling to some great places (stay tuned for following posts), entertaining friends, getting projects started and finished and finding time to spend with family. fall is coming (although with the weather today, you wouldn't think so) and i can't wait. i love sweaters, coats, warm drinks and the smell of cool crisp air that is so undeniably fall. fall will always remind me of when i met my husband, starting a new school year, my birthday which just happens to be this month. good times...i hope i will find myself posting more and interacting with the rest of the blog world (vs. just silent blog stalking).

i met a couple of new people from the craft blog world this weekend. on friday after work, i stopped by the lower fremont sidewalk sale and met alyson and amy. they were so nice and friendly. alyson is a graphic designer and i scored these note cards...

and from amy, who is a photographer, i purchased this set of fun prints.

also, when i am out and about, i am always keeping an eye out for new artists to place in my interior projects. i came across sarah kamsler's work and since i was on buying spree i just had to pick up a print.

on sunday i continued to indgulge myself with craftiness and ventured to crafty wonderland and bought some note cards and this print from elizabeth. i have been coveting this print for sometime now. as some of you may have already guessed, i like rabbits.

been busy

2008-04-28T19:37:00.000-07:00

i haven't posted in a while, but i have had alot on my plate lately. we've been working on finishing/furnishing our basement, working on some design projects and just trying to keep up with life in general. but, in between all of that work i have been able to get a few moments of joy such as purchasing these pretty cards at the egg press sample sale...

...making a pillow for my friend/co-worker Katie's baby room...
...and wrapping it and other baby necessities in colorful bags to match...
...scoring some great buys from bolt and fabric depot. did anyone go this past weekend? all cotton prints were $5.99/yard! note: the red polka dot fabric i bought from chelsea. what a lovely person with a great blog to boot!
also portland peeps...paper source is coming to nw 23rd avenue in august 2008! for those of you who are not familiar with this awesome store, they carry a huge selection of paper and envelopes in many hard to find sizes and are available in the the most beautiful saturated colors. they also have a nice selection of japanese papers and diy kits. i designed wedding invitations and programs for my friend/co-worker alissa and we bought all of the paper + envelopes online from paper source. i'm so happy that they are coming to pdx!

zipper madness + other crafting

2008-04-02T23:50:00.000-07:00

in the past, i have avoided any crafting that involved zippers. like the plague. i can be an impatient crafter and need instant gratification. zippers rarely provided that for me. zippers made me swear and yell. however lately i have been obsessed with facinng my zipper avoidance with a vengance. now i can't seem to stop making these bags. i have tons, i repeat tons of fabric samples that i have horded over the years (i know i am not alone, fellow interior designers). therefore: fabric samples + no zipper hate = bags pictured below...

feeling confident in my zipper war, i made good luck pencil cases for elizabeth + michelle, two of my 'pod mates' from work both of who are taking the NCIDQ exam (interior design board exam) this friday/saturday. i filled the case with no. 2 pencils, an eraser and a snack bar. they have been studying so hard. they have read the study guide mulitple times which blows my mind since i never finished reading it when it took it 2 years ago. that's because the study guide brings on narcolepsy like no other.

yet another zipper bag that i made...

...for my workout essentials: iTouch, identification, inhaler.

other crafting includes a pillow that i made for a co-worker/friend samantha for her birthday last week.

oh and i bought a new sewing machine!

happy easter

2008-03-23T20:20:00.001-07:00

we just got back from a day of easter festivities. we went to church, then to a delicious + decadent brunch at fenouil, then off to my sister's house to spoil our nieces + nephew. my sister has 4 little ones, vanessa, jack, josie + colette. shawn + i take our aunt + uncle duties seriously + enjoy giving them gifts whenever possible. this year i included a hand made gift in each of their easter baskets.

for colette, a onesie with an applique...

for josie, a pretty floral tote...

for jack, a sturdy denim bag to transport a select few of his favorite trains...

+ for vanessa, a horse themed bag for our favorite little cowgirl.
i hope your easter was filled with love + family!

getting ready for spring

2008-03-09T12:02:00.000-07:00

lately, i have been in cleaning + purging mode. i have been trying to tackle one area of my home each night. so far i have got to the home office, the dumping, i mean, guest room and the kitchen. i have also made a couple of trips to goodwill. it feels great to clean + purge.

as i was cleaning my kitchen, i realized that i was pretty sick of the art on the walls and my kitchen towels. i changed up the art on the walls, thanks to some freebee fabric/wall covering samples from work and added a few photos that we took from our last trip to paris.
i brought out my lotta table runner and some kitchen towels made by portland artist elizabeth bentz that i purchased at a craft fair back in december. they compliment each other quite nicely. [although someone needs to whip out the iron...]
in my cleaning frenzy, i decided my poor plants need to be repotted. i love white pots and they look so nice when they are grouped together...i especially like these ones that i recently purchased from IKEA.

well there is still lots to do...happy spring [cleaning]!

new treats + new connections

2008-02-24T20:05:00.000-08:00

today we went to the dwr modern craft event and i finally met sally! i have been reading her blog for sometime now and have purchased quite a few items from her. it was great to meet her in person...we chatted up a storm like we knew each other for years. of course, i purchased a few treats: a couple of lovely glass tealight holders and a new pencil cup. i could have bought more, but i was with the hubby...so i behaved.

i also met melissa and tess. two super nice local portland ladies who design. i am looking forward to attending yet another dwr event this tuesday, the design sponge ladies biz meetup. i hope to make more connections with the local craft + design world.

oh another treat i acquired is the eames hang-it-all. i won it in a raffle last thursday at the iida annual fundraising bowling event! score!

...he loves me...

2008-02-19T21:05:00.000-08:00

okay so this post is late, but i finally had the time to take a snap shot of my valentine's gift from my sweet husband. i LOVE this bag! i sent my husband a weblink indicating that 'i really wanted this' and he hunted it down! he called and visited the local store and they didn't have it. however, a salesperson overheard that he was looking for this bag and said that one was supposed to go to another store and was accidentally transfered to their store instead. it turns out that this bag is backordered indefinitely on the website and it was not available at their other portland location. he was just going to buy me a gift certificate so i could order it myself, but the salesperson said that she would sell it to him! it was fate! anyhoo it's MINE. my husband's shopping tenacity makes me so proud...thank you sweetheart, i love you!

lotta: first born + adopted

2008-01-28T22:23:00.000-08:00

Lotta, lotta, lotta! I am partially moved into my studio and I had to make something or was going to explode. So here is my first born project out of my studio. It's Lotta Jansdotter's All Day Tote from her Simple Sewing book. I modified it slightly from Lotta's specs, I made the handles longer [it has to hang on my shoulder] and I didn't add the key strap.

As if I didn't get enough Lotta, I recently adopted [purchased] one of her linen table runners that I have been eying for sometime. Perhaps I was motivated by the free tote offer...like I need another tote. But it's so cute...

Hopefully soon I will produce some creations of my own design, but since I haven't crafted in awhile I just have to scratch the craft itch.

weekend loot

2008-01-20T21:40:00.000-08:00

This weekend, I was finally able to spend the Bolt gift certificate that my friend Alissa gave me back in August. Here are my goodies:

New Amy Butler purse patterns...
...and some pretty fabrics from Alexander Henry. Thanks Alissa!

Also, this weekend I picked up some great jewelry from Patty Lehner. She is a Portland designer I heard of from my co-worker Stacey. Stacey is Patty's niece and Stacey has done a great job of getting a majority of the girls I work with addicted to her jewelry. Patty sells her pieces in various boutiques in the Portland area but I always get my pieces at her annual jewelry sale which is held in January at her home. I love her work because her pieces are simple, very versatile and usually have a hint of luxury. Here are my purchases in all of their pretty glory...

From left to right: freshwater pearls, faceted smokey topaz, faceted glass beads, sterling silver/moonstone and freshwater pearl bracelet.

From left to right: charm necklace with smokey topaz, moonstone, champagne and sterling w/diamond charms, faceted sodalite and a hammered sterling pendant.

What a great shopping weekend!

christmas donations to the craft studio

2008-01-07T22:29:00.000-08:00

I tell you the 2007 holidays kicked my butt. Issues at work had me thinking about quitting my profession altogether, both Shawn and I got sick days before we left town, we didn't get a tree or send out holiday cards and we made absolutely no progress on the basement. However, I was able to get a lot of sleep, eat mom cooked meals and spend some quality time with my family. Plus I received a bunch of great gifts from those who love me the most.

Here are the highlights... ...from my co-worker Samantha, a Hadley Hutton print, purchased from Noun

...to add to my growing Hadley Hutton collection...

...from my mother-in-law, Sew U from Built by Wendy

...from my sister, Martha Stewart Crafts Paper Storage Box, Binder and T-Square Clipboard

...and from my hubby, Shawn...a Lotta Jansdotter pouch and other goodies from Flora...

...AND my favorite of all...a Model One Radio from Canoe!

I have wanted one of these for quite some time, but I must admit that Sally Shim's post made me ask my husband for one of these for Christmas and it worked! I love it when he listens to me! Thank you, sweetheart!

I was hoping by now I would have the carpet tile installed in my craft studio, but life got in the way. Oh well.

little step

2007-11-27T22:28:00.000-08:00

Today I completed my big bulletin board which was inspired by shim+sons. I love her blog. I read it every day. I love all of the products that she creates and her packaging is to die for. I was meant to make this bulletin board because when I called up the building supplier yesterday to ask if they still carried homosote board, they said, 'Yes, but we only have one sheet left'. You know what that means...it means that it was meant to be.

I have TONS of fabric samples that I have hoarded from work over the years. I thought I would put them to good use on this bulletin board. It took me hours to decide on which fabric samples to use because I have way too many fabric samples. Also, instead of using linen as the main fabric, I used a grey wool coating fabric. I didn't attach my fabric strips to the grey wool because that's way more of a commitment I am willing to make. Plus, I'm a girl and we do change our minds from time to time :) so I can just make another fabric strip when I feel I need a change.

Our basement remodel is going sloooow. We are still waiting for the carpet tile. I can't wait until I can move all of my craft stuff to my studio. Until then, I will continue crafting in three separate rooms. Needless to say, making my bulletin board makes me feel like I took a little step towards having my studio. At least I will be satisfied for 5 minutes.

a new craft beginning

2007-11-15T18:26:00.000-08:00

So after reading just about every craft blog known to mankind, I decided to enter the craft blog world myself. I have been inspired by many and now that I will have a new studio soon, I hope to create some crafty goodness. Here are some photos of my studio in the making. We are waiting for carpet tile to arrive, but until then I really don't want to move all of my craft supplies (I have lots of craft supplies) into this room just to have to move it out again. The desks and chair are from IKEA. The lamp is from Target. And the cords and electrical panel will be out of sight when I am finished...