The Love Monkeys: 2012

Friday Feature - Kendra, from Copper Tree Art

This week, I'm thrilled to introduce you to Kendra, from Copper Tree Art.

If you're a fan of the bohemian, you'll love her jewelry. If you love earthy jewelry, you'll love the pieces that she makes. From rings to bracelets to necklaces to earrings, the items that she hand crafts are both unique and lovely.

And she's been kind enough to answer some questions. :)

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I currently live in Southern California. I am a dolphin trainer and have a huge heart for animals!

When did you first begin creating?

I have always had a creative side to me. From a young age I enjoyed arts and crafts and often made my own clothes and jewelry so that I could tailor it to my style.

What led you to open a shop for your art/craft?

I started taking metalsmith jewelry classes a few years ago and fell in love with it. I began making jewelry for myself, but often got asked if I sold my jewelry by friends and family. That led me to start selling my jewelry at a local farmers market and then open my etsy page.

What is a typical work day like for you?

I've very fortunate to train dolphins for a living. It is a dream job for me that allows me to swim with these animals everyday!

How do you juggle the many tasks of running a creative business?

My jewelry making has become a passion of mine. When I have free time, I love to go down stairs to my studio and create new pieces. Some weeks I get a lot of jewelry made, and other weeks I don't have time to work on it at all.

What is your favorite item that you’ve created, ever?

I love patinas, they are unpredictable and result in beautiful and colorful pieces. My favorite pieces to wear are my patina necklaces.

What is your favorite item in your shop, now?

Currently, my blue moonstone ring is my favorite item in my shop!

Is there anything that you would like to learn or do to expand on or improve what you create now?

I take a metalsmith class every week which helps me constantly learn new techniques and have a group of women to bounce design ideas off of.

What advice would you share with other artists/crafters who sell their items?

Promote your work, and create what you love! I wear all of my jewelry which helps me promote it!

Aside from creating, what do you enjoy doing?

I'm an avid animal lover and enjoy listening to music and going to concerts.

If you could do anything at all, what would it be? Why?

I would love to travel more. I recently got the opportunity to travel to India, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore. It was an incredible experience and has given me the itch to travel more!

Where would you travel if time and money were no object? Why?

Australia, I want to dive on the great barrier reef.

Where can we find you online?

My Etsy shop is www.coppertreeart.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Copper-Tree-art-jewelry/232523256821023

Thank you for sharing your art and your time, Kendra!

It's Giveaway Day!

***The Giveaway Day post is now CLOSED. I'll announce the winner soooooon! Thank you and good luck to everyone who stopped by and decided to enter!***

I'm so excited...today kicks of May Giveaway Day, hosted by Sew, Mama, Sew! (If you've come over from there, hello and welcome! If you've just stopped by, I encourage you to check out the rest of the blogs, here. You won't be disappointed!)

Now, on to the good stuff...

For Giveaway Day, I'm offering up one of the popular frog loves monkey medallion pillow covers. The winner will be able to specify their preferences (12, 14, 16, or 18 inch cover, and bird, butterfly or flower medallion) and I'll make a pillow to suit their decorating desires. Some examples:

What do you have to do to enter the giveaway? Not much. Just reply to this post and let me know your favorite color, because I'm curious about that sort of thing. :) If you'd like, you can follow the blog or like our facebook page for extra entries, just leave a new post here for each to let me know which you've done. Just make sure that I have a way to contact you, and that's it!

Entries are open from right now through May 25. (In all honesty, until I can get to the computer on the 26th.) I'll choose a winner at random and make an announcement on May 26 or 27, and get the pillow cover made as soon as the winner and I figure out the design.

Good luck and thanks for stopping by! Now, go enter more giveaways! (And be sure to visit my personal blog and enter the giveaway there, too!)

The Inevitable Lull

I keep catching myself thinking "I should write a blog post"...but there just hasn't been a whole lot going on to post about. We've been busy around here, so there's not a whole lot of "new" to talk about.

Mother's Day was nice. My aunt has been in town and it's been lovely to get to visit with her. My step-dad just got back into town today, and we're all VERY excited about that! (He's been in Texas for awhile!) My husband got an infection in a tooth last week and then it shattered a few days ago, so he's been down since then. With trying to make sure he's okay and juggling little ones and getting some behind-the-scenes computer stuff done for the shop...blah. not much else to talk about. ;)

I'm excited about some of the stuff we have coming up, though. The Craft Hope aprons are still coming along, there are a few special orders in process, and some really great artist features coming up. So, it might be quiet for a few more days, but there's good stuff coming. :)

May Giveaway Day Announced!

YAY! Sew, Mama, Sew has announced the start date for May Giveaway Day! Everything kicks off on May 21st, and it looks to be an even bigger event this time round than it has before. The categories have been revamped a bit (now there are five!) and the event runs for five full days.

If you've never taken part in Giveaway Day...DO! If you're an artist or crafter with a blog, I can't recommend enough that you get involved. It's a whole heck of a lot of fun. And if you just want to find new artists and blogs that will blow your mind, then I highly suggest that you clear your calender for the week and enter as many of the giveaways as strike your fancy! Even if you don't win anything, I can almost guarantee that you'll have a good time. Your head might also explode from all of the amazing things that you're likely to see, but it's a chance worth taking. ;)

frog loves monkey will be taking part here, and I'll be doing something over on my personal blog as well, though I'm still ironing out the details.

Keep an eye out and be sure to check out all the goodies on May 21st!

Friday Feature - Marnie, from ReWoolables

For our very first Friday Feature, I'd like to introduce...Marnie, from ReWoolables!

Marnie creates items that are both beautiful and extremely useful (eyeglass cases or wallets, anyone?) out of wool that she's reclaimed and felted herself. She's answered some questions to give us an in depth look at who she is and what she does.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m currently a SAHM, but used to teach mathematics at the local high school. I met my husband on an archaeological field school (aka – ‘learn how to dig’) while at college. He is an archaeologist. Yes, I live in Indiana and thus, I’m married to Indiana Jones.

When did you first begin creating?

I’ve always been ‘crafty’. For my bedroom as a kid, my dorm room at college, at home, for my classroom...

What led you to open a shop for your art/craft?

Long story short – holding a load of wool sweaters, struggling to keep my 1st felted wool purse I made on my arm, and wearing a sweater I made from 4 other discarded sweaters while standing in line at Goodwill, a woman figured out that I must be purchasing these things to make stuff. (What tipped her off, I wonder? Ha-ha) She asked if I would be willing to sell some items in her shop. And I was off and sewing!

What is a typical work day like for you?

Get the kid to school, come back to the house and tidy up the least I can without still being disgusted, check email / do the social media thing, run errands, sew. Or…now that weather is nice, I try to get out and tend to my gardens. Some days I have more time to sew than others.

How do you juggle the many tasks of running a creative business?

Fortunately, hubby likes to do the website stuff. I can’t stand it. Second, I’m not looking to make a million dollars, so I just do what I can when I can and have to be happy with that. I feel that I could do better and more…but at what cost? Something would suffer. The house already does! (Ha!)

What is your favorite item that you’ve created, ever?

A funky scrap patchwork pillow from wool sweaters.

What is your favorite item in your shop, now?

Honestly, I think my polka dotted book mark because it is so simple and an excellent way to use up my scraps.

Is there anything that you would like to learn or do to expand on or improve what you create now?

I just purchased a serge or over lock machine. I haven’t a clue how to use it. Egad.

What advice would you share with other artists/crafters who sell their items?

When the thread keeps breaking, you snap a needle, you sewed it the wrong way…all in the same day…take a break. The universe is trying to tell you to recharge.

Aside from creating, what do you enjoy doing?

Gardening. Reading. Playing with herbs for home remedies.

If you could do anything at all, what would it be? Why?

This is going to sound so mundane. I would hire a personal chef and maid. I detest grocery shopping, planning meals, and cleaning the house.

Where would you travel if time and money were no object? Why?

Ireland. Germany. Scotland. Britain. I am fascinated with the Medieval Ages. I would like to visit old castles, ruins, and villages that are standing after 700 years. The lush green of Ireland with all the stone walls, little cottages just soothes my soul when I look at the pictures. I love folklore and mystique. I want to see a fairy! So, I better go to Ireland.

Where can we find you online?

On Twitter: @ReWoolables
On Facebook: facebook.com/ReWoolables
My website which is just a “here I am” kinda thing right now…ReWoolables.com
I am soon to launch a blog on that site!
And on Etsy – Etsy.com/ReWoolables.

Thank you, Marnie, for being our very first featured artist!

Friday Features

Recently I've been flattered to have been featured on a handful of blogs. I've met some great people, had a lot of fun, found some awesome new blogs to follow and inspiring new artists to watch.

To spread the love, we'll be doing Friday artist features here, too. Watch for the first feature post tomorrow morning. :)

Taking Pictures With Toddlers, In Photos

Craft Hope: Project 17 (Part II)

The first of the aprons is done!

I've made aprons before, but I'm kind of letting the fabrics speak to me on these, so they're each coming along at their own pace and in their own way. I'm pleased with how the first turned out. :)

It's kind of a "craft" style apron, with the bottom owl fabric divided into three deep pockets across the front. I figure that will allow the wearer plenty of room for cooking gear, craft supplies (because those are being carried over, too), or whatever she might need to get out of her hands in a moments notice. Pockets are lined, and the body of the apron is lined, too. Everything is double stitched. I wanted this puppy to be *sturdy*, so it can provide lots of use.

Want to see what other people are sending in? There are even tutorials, to get you inspired. ;)

Jenn at Things That Make...Life Worth Living is going great guns on her aprons. She's even making them reversible!

Kristin posted a great picture of her apron on the Craft Hope facebook page, and linked to the tutorial she used, here.

Amber at Obsessive Compulsive Randomosity made a super cute apron out of a fat quarter (!!) and gives a tutorial on it, too.

Craft Hope is collecting aprons until the end of the month (though Haiti by Hand, who is delivering the aprons, will be collecting through June), so I'm sure there will be more great aprons and tutorials posted!

Craft Hope: Project 17 (Part I)

About a year or so ago (maybe it was closer to two?), I stumbled over Craft Hope. I don't remember how anymore, but I was terribly impressed with the work that they do, and how their movement seems to be growing by leaps and bounds with each new project that they take on.

I haven't been able to take part in every project, but the kids and I did some work on Project 12. (Blogged about that on my personal blog, here and here.)

The best reason that I can give for taking part in outreach projects like this is still how I stated it originally: "There are many days that I'm reminded that, as little as it feels like we have some times, as tight as our budget might be, we are SO SO SO very lucky to have the lives that we have here. And I like the idea of being able to share...something...with someone else who might need it. I can't donate large funds, but I can make stuff with my hands and my heart."

With Project 17: Aprons for Haiti, I felt called to jump in, again. I'm considering this a frog loves monkey outreach opportunity because, when I mentioned it to Mom (somewhat apologetically, because we have so many plans for things we haven't gotten to yet), she was totally, 100% on board.

So, we're making aprons! And lots of them, hopefully.

I picked up two fabric bundles yesterday, specifically for the project.

I LOVE the colors in this bundle. They're so bright and happy!

And this set really called out to me. I think the owls are adorable, and I absolutely adore the plaid. One thing that's interesting about this set is that it's a tiny bit metallic, which I didn't originally notice. The green fabric is printed with slightly metallic butterflies (almost impossible to see in the photo, even though there was great natural light), and the blue feathers in the feather fabric is slightly silver. It's kind of neat. Not glaringly metallic at all.

I've already started cutting fabric and hope to start cranking out aprons pretty much immediately.

Want to get involved? Check out the Craft Hope facebook page (their main site was often-hacked and is being reconstructed at the moment), and look for the info on the Events page. I believe the mailing deadline is the last day of May, so there's still time to get an apron stitched up and in the mail!

Featured at Kindred Images and Creations!

Lookie! Another feature! (I'm starting to feel super flattered by all of the attention!)

We were given the Friday Feature spot over at Kindred Images and Creations today.

I love her blog. Not only does she do beautiful work (go check out her shop!), but she also puts a lot of focus on other artists, which is really awesome both because it's terribly kind and because it's great to stumble across awesome things that I might not find via my normal routes.

Special Order Nursery, Part II

Remember the nursery order that I talked about here? Everything is all wrapped up now and was delivered today, so I thought I'd show the rest of the goodies.

In addition to the car seat cover and the first two swaddling blankets, there were four more blankets...

a nursing cover...

and two Boppy covers...

I'm still so in love with that robot print.

Not pictured - because I forgot them, d'oh! - are the burp cloths.

Featured at Tailor Made!

How in the world did I not post this link?!

Rebekah from Tailor Made featured me over on her blog the other day.

Go, check it out, read her other posts. She's been posting some awesome photos for a photo chllenge, nd I've enjoyed reading her crafting and life posts, too. :)

Thank you for the feature, Rebekah!

Roadrunner Elementary Spring Fling

This past weekend, we were able to go out and do a live event - always a lot of fun! Mom and I packed everything up, including Richard and the kids, and we headed to north Phoenix for a show at Roadrunner Elementary school. It was our first school show and I didn't really have a great idea of what it was going to be like, but it was really pretty cool! The vendor fair part was set up in the cafeteria where everyone entered, and then the food and games were farther back inside the school yard. They had a bouncy house and tons of games and food vendors like Jamba Juice came in for the event.

We were supposed to have one table but, luckily!, when we got there to set up, the coordinator said there was some extra space and asked if we'd like to use a second table. REALLY glad she did! I have no idea how we'd have fit everything onto one!

We made sure we had a little bit of everything out, even the brand new stuff that hasn't hit the website yet.

Our newest shirts:

Bean bags, wooden toys (eggs, acorns, and scooping sets), quilts, potholders, tissue holders, and soaps - including the new Honey Almond Oatmeal scent: