Design Build Complete followed by a Fun Fiber Filled Weekend!

Here is the finished project installed at OCAC temporarily

Design Build is complete! 
It was fun, tiring, frustrating, silly, labor intensive, talkative, difficult, and full of learning.  I think we all came out of it feeling pretty good about the finished product but really good about the friendships we made and the comradery we developed after only knowing each other for 3 or 4 weeks.  I had a great time learning new things and working with materials I had never worked with before, and definitely loved getting to know everyone better!  Job well done:)

Fun Fiber Filled Weekend!

Now that the Design Build is complete I am ready to get to work dying, spinning, sewing, quilting and embroidering.  And what better way to get a "mega jolt of inspiration" than to visit the Northwest Quilting Expo here in Portland!  It was filled with all kinds of inspiring art quilts that had me ooohhhing and aaaahhhhing all over the place.  And I discovered an incredible quitling artist Ann Johnston, whos work I absolutely adore!

"Sand on the Wind" Art Quilt by Ann Johnston

"Sand on the Wind" Detail shot of Art Quilt by Ann Johnston

I am absolutely in love with her use of color, bright, bright beautiful color!  And the stitch detail is just perfect, adding texture from a distance and subtle color details up close.

I loved this quilt of birch trees and leaves.  I really like that its part literal and part abstract, and of course the colors are brilliant.  I like that she has mixed warm and cool colors to convey a feeling of Fall.

And continuing on with the tree theme, I also found this quilt captivating.  I would love for that to be my backyard, who wouldn't love pink grass!?

And following the Quilt Expo, I explored the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival to complete my Fun Fiber Filled weekend. 

There were Llamas

 and Alpacas

and Goats

and Sheep

and Bunnies

Oh My!

How cute is this face!

 I'll take one of each please:)  I love the idea of having a farm one day where I can harvest my animals fibers, ahhhh one day, one day.

Do you have a dream of living on a farm one day?  Did you grow up on a farm?  Or are you currently living on a farm?  I would love to hear what you think, feel free to share your comments below:)

And now this week I am ready to work work work! 
Stay tuned as I will be sharing some of my fabric painting experiments soon.
Thanks for reading!

Welcome to Portland!

So I've been a bit busy between moving to Portland and starting school, that I have neglected my poor little bloggy blog:(  But worry no more for I will be continually documenting my journey through school, and my new life here in Portland!

For those of you that dont know I moved to Portland at the end of August to go back to school to earn my Masters of Fine Arts in Applied Craft and Design, (a joint program between PNCA and OCAC)... You may say what the heck does that mean?  Well to be honest we are all learning the history of the terms right now in our classes so none of us are really sure the literal translation.  But basically we are getting an MFA in Designing and Making our own work/products.  Its an incredible opportunity as this is a one-of-a-kind degree that is unlike any other out there, and I must say I am proud and excited to be a part of a new revolution in higher education!  Still confused?  Dont worry I will be describing the program in further detail as I go along in future posts.

For now I will share some photos of our first group project that we are working on called the Design Build.  This is a two week (10 day) intensive project where we as classmates design and BUILD a space for a revolutionary condo complex called Eco-Flats.  This is designed into the curriculum as a team building exercise for the class as a way for us to become closer and really get to know one another and our skills.  And a chance to learn some new techniques that we might never have been exposed to.

Here is the layout of the complex.  We are building on the area labeled Stormwater Basin

Site visit to hear from the Developers Jean-Pierre Veillet and Doug Shapiro

A view of the site from the second story of the complex

After the site visit it was back to the studio to brainstorm and build models of our ideas to present to the Developers.

Brainstorming and Building models

Near the end of the Design process we broke up into 2 groups to build on our ideas and presented 2 options to the Developers.

Group 1 - living green wall with a secret garden canopy

Group 1 model side view

Group 2 model top view - a beautiful corner deck with mobile green wall panels

Group 2 model side view

So a decision was reached and we are now building a Living Green Wall and a wooden walkway over the 580 sqft storm water basin.

We just finished our 7th day in the process and are well on our way to completing the project by Wed 9/22:)

I think that is a good introduction so far, stay tuned for more photos of the process and more insight to this brand new program!

Happy Fourth of July Weekend & Birthday Wish List!

Fourth of July weekend means a lot of things to me, but one of the things I am usually pretty giddy about is my birthday being right around the corner:)  I am an August Baby, a Leo tried and true some would say.  So the Fourth of July is usually when I start thinking about my birthday...and this one is significant, not only will I be turning the big ## (hehe, ok heres a hint it ends in a zero) but I will also be moving to Portland OR to start my journey in attaining my MFA in Applied Craft and Design.

So needless to say this is call for quite the celebration...and what better way to celebrate than gifts!
I don't normally want big gifts for my birthday, but this year I am dying to get my hands on a digital SLR camera.  For one it would really improve my shops photographs, and I have been enamored with photography ever since high school, but never thought I was good enough so that dream just sat up there on the "pipe dream" shelf.  Until now, its time to take that dream down dust it off and give it the good 'ol college try!

So I have been doing a bit of research on digital SLRs and shopping around Amazon for one that will suit me. 

Here are few digital SLRs that I have been eying on Amazon:)

The Canon EOS Rebel so sleek and sexy...but I believe the Rebel line is their starter line and I would really like something that I will love using for years to come.

Ohh and the Nikon D3000 shes awful sexy too!  I actually got to play with a Nikon in Canada that a friend brought with them, it took some amazing photos.

  Then there's the Nikon D90, and she's pretty pro, I mean she gets 4.5 stars for 298 reviews, people like this camera:)

Do you have a digital SLR camera?  If so what camera do you have?  I would love to hear some feedback on what digital SLR cameras you like and why.  Are there any you can recommend?  Leave me a note in the comments:)

Last but not least I would like to wish everyone a safe and Happy Fourth of July weekend where ever you may be celebrating!!

Oh Canada and Patchwork

Well hello there:)  Since its been a while figure I'll give a little update on what I have been up to.

OH CANADA:
I had my first vacation of the summer a couple weeks ago up in good 'ol Canada, which by the way Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian peeps!  This was my 3rd trip to the Great White North and I must say I fall more and more in love with Canada every visit.

This time my fiancee and I went to visit his best friend who was getting married, as he had the honored duty to be his best man:)
This wedding was not only beautiful, fun and love-filled but was also quite DIY (which I of course admire).  And the best part was the entire wedding was a complete no-fuss, hassle-free celebration!  Both the Bride and the Groom were extremely laid back, relaxed and care-free the entire time which was palpable to everyone there making for a truly beautiful day.  I can only hope for the same for my wedding:)

The ceremony was set in the Grooms Aunt Lilly's back yard garden which was absolutely breathtaking, I cant even imagine the upkeep!

 Here are just a few close ups of some of the beautiful flowers that fill Aunt Lilly's garden

The Bridal bouquet was handmade by the bride with gorgeous Peonies freshly cut from Aunt Lilly's garden!  They had the most wonderful scent, and were some of the largest Peonies I have ever seen!

I had the honor of making the boutonnieres and corsages which although I had never done was thrilled and excited that the bride trusted my mad skills.  

Here is a shot of the handsome best man wearing one of the boutonnieres I crafted:)

And of course following the ceremony there was good food and some boogies on the dance floor!  Overall the week was a lot of fun and I truly enjoyed hanging out with the bride and groom and all of their friends and family.  It really was a memorable week and I felt honored to be a part of it.

PATCHWORK INDY ARTS AND CRAFTS FESTIVAL:

After a relaxing trip to Canada I returned home with only 5 days until the big Patchwork Long Beach Indy Craft and Design Festival, where I would be displaying my wares.  This meant a lot of craft show cramming!  I have been working hard on some new designs for my shop to premiere at the Patchwork show, and I am happy to say I got everything accomplished and cant wait to share my new designs with you.  They will be premiering in my Etsy shop early next week.

Although I was much happier with my table set up this time, I definitely feel that it is always a work in progress! 

As a shopper myself I always try to keep that perspective in mind when setting up my booth, and attending a craft show.  I know I definitely have some pet peeves and do's and dont's for craft shows like;

#1. Dont ignore people who walk up to your booth!  I really think this is the most important for me, I find it a real turn off when I walk into someones booth or up to their table and they dont even acknowledge my existence...they loose a sale from me for sure!

#2. Have all of your prices marked on your items or on signs.  It just makes it easier to shop.

Do you have any Craft Show tips?  Pet Peeves, or Do's and Dont's?  I would love to hear them in the comments section below.  Its always great to get other people perspectives especially the shoppers:)

Well finally the sun has really come out today so that means no more playing on the computer, its time to go outside and play...aka knit:)
Hope you all have a wonderful day, and stay tuned for my B-day wish list tomorrow!

Featured Artist: Plemon Studios

Today I would like to introduce you to a good friend and extremely talented artist Jeremy Plemon of Plemon Studios.

I first had the pleasure of spending time with Jeremy during a week long sailing trip up the Pacific Northwest with a group of friends, where I was first introduced to his talent.  Everyone on the trip of course had their cameras and were all happily shooting pics of all the gorgeous scenery and shenanigans that come along with cramming 10 people on a boat.  Jeremy could always be found with either his camera or sketch book (sign of a true artist) in hand quietly and skillfully documenting the journey. After returning back from the sailing trip and sharing our pictures with one another, we came to realize that we were fools to be taking any photos in the first place, as Jeremy's photography blew us out of the park!  I mean really here is a comparison shot below.  On the left a rookie photo and on the right one of Jeremy's photos, see...see what I mean!

Jeremy is by far one of the most talented artists I know, and one of my favorites.  Which is why he will be the photographer at our wedding:)  (Yes that is the one thing I have planned for my wedding, the photographer!)  And I am so excited that Jeremy and his wife Erin (a beautiful and talented lady herself) finally decided to open an Etsy shop {Plemon Studios} and share Jeremy's artwork with the world!  They are incredibly nice and helpful and I am sure that Plemon Studios will be a big success.

One of my favorite things about Jeremy's work, is that it's not only well detailed and original, but has his terrific sense of humor layered in!  Currently, Jeremy's favorite mediums are Digital Photography, Digital Painting, and Ball Point Pen on Paper.

Check out these amazing Hand Drawn Mug Shots available at Plemon Studios on Etsy. 

These would make a great gift for that mobster loving man in your life!

And look at the detail in this ball point pen illustration!  

I dont know about you but I have never been able to get this out of a ball point pen.

And if that leaves you wanting more, check out his AMAZING Flickr page...I mean it!  Its full of some really interesting and original photography (like below), and isn't his wife just a doll!

So go check out his Etsy Shop and give it some love!  And be sure to heart it and check back often as he will be debuting some new paintings this month.
Plemon Studios on Etsy at http://www.plemonstudios.etsy.com
Plemon Studios on Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeremyplemon/

Friday Tips and Tricks!

I have come across some great tutorials this week and thought I would share them with you here:)
They are all across the board (as I was doing a bit of everything this week) but in general are all helpful to an online business or just for fun.

First on the list is creating your own fabric Labels, have you ever wondered if there was a fast and easy way to make a few labels for yourself?  Well there is!  All you need is some twill tape, easily found at your local fabric store, and some t-shirt transfers, found at your local office supply store.
Check out Patchwork Pottery's Blog for a great tutorial! CLICK HERE

Next on the list is Google Analytics.  For all you other bloggers out there, did you know you can easily add your blog to your Google Analytics?  (this tutorial assumes you already have GA profile set up)  Check out Andy Wibbles Blog for a super easy tutorial on how to set it up! CLICK HERE


Now for all you readers out there who are familiar with photoshop and are wondering how to create one of those really cool flash adds for your shop, this is the tutorial for you!
Check out Creative Tech Tips Blog for well made easy tutorial on how to create a Flash Add with Photoshop. CLICK HERE


And last but certainly not least I will direct you to Handmade Spark for an interesting article I read this week about creating a banner for your Paypal page.  I have always wondered how people do this!  I think it looks great and can clear up any confusion for some first time buyers in your shop:)
Check out this great tutorial on Handmade Spark to get your banner set up!  CLICK HERE


And really did you think I would leave you without any pictures!?  So just for fun I will share with you some recent "for fun" projects I completed:)

Felt Flower - Wet Felting

Super Cute Hat with Fabric Buttons made by me:)

Thanks everyone and have a Great Weekend!!

One Trick Pony

So with the unusual slowness of my Etsy shop this past month it has left me to ponder my tactics and strategies as far as my shop goes.   So many questions are running through my mind, and I thought, "hey maybe you can help me answer some of them" :)
I have never been a planner, always a "Fly by the seat of my pants kinda girl".  I love learning new techniques and making new products, and have found that reproducing tons of the exact same product tends to bore me.  So it brought up the question...Am I a One Trick Pony?  And if so, is it a bad thing?
For me its the thrill and excitement of creating something new and finding ways to make it different or unique to my shop that really gets my creative juices flowing!  Like creating some fun fabric or crocheted flowers and finding a way to incorporate them into a headband...and then making the flower removable so that it can be placed on a hair clip:) Viola!

The funny thing is, I have been taught all the right ways to create a "successful line"on and off of Etsy; create several variations on one theme, have a signature product/image that is recognizable to the customer, stick with one product and offer a lot of variety within that product,  all things that seem to contradict my strategy of making for the LOVE of making!  Do I compromise the way I want to create to make more money?

My Button Earrings (like the ones below) have always been my best seller.  Are they my best seller simply because there are so many to choose from in my shop?

 

Second on the best seller list would be my Hand Knit Cup Cozys, although I have slowed on these since its getting warmer and I am not sure there is much demand for Knit Cup Cozys. (but I could be totally wrong:)

 And then there is one of my favorites, my Hand Knit Mobius Cowls  in a 100% Merino Wool that is hand dyed by a womans Co-Op in Uruguay!
These seem to do well at shows but I have only sold one from my shop....hmmmmm? 



And then there are my other Hand Knit or Crocheted jewelry pieces.  Like the Bow Tie Necklaces and Button Bracelets and Cuffs I have a few of these in my shop that seem to just be hanging out.

Do I need to create more Hand Knit Button Bracelets and Necklaces for them to do well?


This leads me to my last question. 
What would you like to see more of in my shop?
-Button Earrings
-Hand Knit Cup Cozys
-Headbands
-Unique hand knit jewelry like the Bow Tie Necklace and Button Bracelets/Cuffs
-Or would you like to continually see more new items like Fiber Flower Headbands, and maybe some Aprons..?

And please do not take this as a 'feel sorry for me post' that is not my intention and am not looking for pitty:)
I am simply looking for advice from others that view my shop from a different pair of eyes...a customers eyes.
So go ahead check out my shop AmyMayDesign and leave your feedback in the comments, or feel free to email me with your thoughts, either way I would love to hear your opinions!

Oh and if anyone can tell me what Movie the quote from above is ("Fly by the seat of my pants kinda girl"), wins Free Shipping on their next purchase!
Hint: its an oldie but a goooooodie:)

And be sure to stay tuned next week as I will be revealing a brand spankin' new Etsy Artist who is just amazing!