All about Etsy: A tutorial (of sorts)

Sine of my readers have asked me about Etsy. So here's the scoop:
Etsy is an virtual craft fair, open 24/7. Sign up when you land in the site with a user name and password. If you think you may be selling there someday, use your name or your business's name.

You can search the site with tags (like "books, craft" or "blue, jewelry"). An easier way to get started is to use their searches: you'll see them on the left-hand side of the home page.

What can you buy? Handmade crafts: jewelry, books, tee shirts, clothing, bags. There is a range of beautiful items here. You can also buy crafting supplies (I've done some damage in the fabric and Japanese paper shops). If you find a shop that sells things you love, such as DianaTrout.etsy.com :-), look at that seller's favorite shops.

I confess, it took me a little while to get comfortable ordering from Etsy. I can highly recommend it. It's been really great to give a handmade gift for holidays, etc.

Environmentally friendly, supports artists and the recipients are always thrilled with a one-of-a-kind gift.

(Above picture is one of my rescued and rebound blank journals.)

OoLaLa Fabric!

So here's what happened: I was chatting with a couple of fellow Mamacita artists recently and we decided to make a field trip to Fabric Row in Philly with a side trip to Spool Sewing and their sister store Loop Yarn. I said "well, I'm not buying any fabric but I'll bring my camera to take pictures for the blog." Ahem ... not buying fabric.at the fabric mecca.yep.kidding myself.

(Fabric Row is along 4th Street south of South Street, by the way).
There I was merrily snapping (digitally) away and not buying any fabric. I was perfectly fine. No problem.

Then we got to Maxie's Daughter, 724 So. 4th Street.

I found some nice (great bargain) lightweight suit fabric (1/2 yard) and was content with kidding around with the owner about his lack of a remnant box ("This whole store is a remnant box"). I pawed the trims, sifting buttons through my fingers like gold dust and ran my hands lasciviously over silks and linens. But I was satisfied with looking and the lovely tactile experience. Until ...

Owner: "Would you like to see the basement?"
Us: "The basement?"
(me: "NOOOOOOOO")
Owner: "Yeah, we've got a basement full of old fabric. Good prices."

We follow the guy to the back of the store. A metal gate is unlocked and ratcheted up (we exchange creeped-out glances). The wooden door is unlocked. Twice. We gaze down a set of very rickety steps. Is there really a floor full of old fabrics down there? We carefully descend.

Yes, there are treasures down here: barkcloth, silks, slubbed silks, prints, retro stuff. There was fabric down there from the 40's. You'd have to be a goat to have gotten to some of it but we did our best.

And yes, I caved. The prices were not quite as fabulous as they could have been. In retrospect, we should have done a bit of bargaining. If you are in town, check it out. (You know I love you 'cause I'm sharing this, right?)
Here's a shot of a couple of bolts (the lighting wasn't great down there).

More from Fabric Row soon.

Pillow Making

I've been making a few new pillows to perk things up in the livingroom. (What the livingroom really needs is a paint job but this will do for the time). Spool, in Philadelphia, was selling small packets of handmade Thai silk (the staff at Spool advised me to use iron-on interfacing to give the silk more body.) I did some simple embroidery using Kaffe Fasset's shot cotton fabric which is gorgeous stuff: cotton constructed like dupioni silk. It comes out of the wash/dry looking as wrinkled as an old rag though and I don't like to iron. I love the simple log cabin pattern for pillows because it can be expanded, exploited and endlessly played with until it reaches the right size for the pillow form. I also discovered that there is no way you can fit a 20" pillow form into a 16" case, no matter how long you sit on it.

A Freebie For You: Quote Gathering

There are moments in my life that are completely uninspired. I'm too darn tired to be inspired. These moments usually come, thankfully, after a period of intense creativity. During those times, the ideas come charging in and inspiration, like a drug, is inescapable. So eventually, collapse is inevitable and welcome. Sometimes after a highly stressed time, I emerge from whatever the situation was having dealt well with it but in complete burn-out. Does that happen to you?

Thank you, yes, I will collapse and read Jennifer Cruisie books and watch NCIS.

There are so many mindless things to do during these fallow times. Quotation gathering is a good one right now. It's like restocking the shelves at the grocery store.

I decided to put together a list of quotes to include in my Journal Packs for my journaling classes and for Vendors Night at Art & Soul Hampton. I'm sharing them with you here. It's A FREEBIE!.

Cruising through quotations websites and books of quotes, I'll collect quotes in a word document and print out on sticker paper, cut them out and stick them into an envelope to keep with my journaling supplies. One of my favorite sites is Painter's Keys.

Use and enjoy these quotes however you would like.

smiling and other simple joys

It has come to my attention that there is an economic crisis and it is, apparently, global. Have you heard about it? What's that you say? You've heard nothing else but about "it"? It may be time to hunt down some simple joy in your life. Most of the time you can get truly joyful for $0.00.

I have a little glass shelf in my kitchen window for things that make me happy. These things are always small - a metaphor, perhaps? Anywho, I love my Momiji Dolls. Someday I will add to the collection (not today, what with the econ. crisis), the 4 little glass owls, my friend found in a thrift shop, the vase is hand-knit and the flowers made with origami paper. That's a lotta joy.

The Grid (again)

Between the grids and the moss, these pictures are happy-making. I'm bewitched by the grid of late.

Just wanted to let you know that Mamacita has a show up in Manayunk.
The opening is this Sunday, March 15 from 1-4
It's an unusual venue. Here is a Map of Manyunk
Look at Greene Lane (big yellow street that runs into Main) and Silverwood Street. Walking up Green Lane, make a left on Silverwood and it is the second door in the first building. Come on up and join us.
Sunday's weather looks fine 46 degrees. Plan on stopping in after brunch or before an early dinner in Manyunk. Perhaps a walk by the river? It's time to start shakin' off those winter doldrums.
You can see some pre-views here

Flowers and a snowstorm

Buon Giorno!

As the perfect foil for a March snowstorm, Jon and I hopped on down to the Philadelphia Flower Show yesterday. The theme this year was Italy and most of the gardens were very formal. I've uploaded more pictures onto Flickr. Imagine how you would feel wearing those shoes? Strutting and posing. You'd have to be smiling at least, if not in an all-out roar.

This is where I would go in those peacock shoes. An evening alfresco meal with fairy lights and wine. Crusty italian bread with olive oil. Roasted peppers and mozzerella, dates, figs and prociutto. And wine. Deep red wine interspersed with Pellagrino (so that you can drink more wine). Sitting on a moss covered bench, feeling the warm breeze off the Mediterranean as it drifts and filters through the ancient ruins of Rome.