Brand Spankin' New Stitch Lab Web Site

One of my latest creative endeavors isn't of a crafty nature.

Well, it kind of is.

I'm thrilled to announce the launch of the brand new Stitch Lab web site, designed and built by ... me! For the last six months or so, we've gone through countless versions, gathered massive amounts of content, edited hundreds of photos and built a ginormo-awesome web site for my favorite crafty spot on the planet. It was a huge undertaking, but even in its most stressful moments, was a true labor of love and a joy to work on.


It's so exciting to know how much incredible growth the Stitch Lab has had in the last few years. From a few classes a week in Leslie's backyard studio a few years ago, to dozens of classes a week (and more than 90 different classes on the roster) with almost 10 instructors and a bustling retail shop, I'm simply blown away by what Leslie has inspired and created.


The new web site is built to handle the high volume of enrollments, to share resources for students and to convey the spirit and fun of the Stitch Lab. I can't tell you how satisfying it is to see it up and running.

And it's still growing! More resources will be added, and a fully-functioning blog will be integrated so Leslie and Carol can share their favorite crafty tidbits and what's new in the shop. (mmmmm .... fabric .....)

I hope that even if you aren't in Austin, you'll pop by and check it out and let us know what you think. I feel really lucky to be a part of the Stitch Lab gang, and honestly quite honored to be tasked with creating the Stitch Lab online presence. I'm excited to see what growth the next few years have in store for us!

Seriously Awesome Space Shuttle Cuff

A few weeks ago, I received the most awesome gift in the mail from Austin jewelry designer, Christine Terrell of Adaptive Reuse. I first met Christine a couple of years ago, and love her cool tin creations. She has a fantastic way of turning everyday tins into super cool adornments.

It's hard for my friends to ignore my space obsession. Folks who read my blog, follow me on Twitter or are friends on Facebook are pretty much inundated with my space-y blathering. I'm thankful that, rather than being annoyed (I hope) they seem to be very responsive. And it's so sweet that they would not only get excited about space, but also help fuel my love of the subject by generously sharing space-related objects with me.

Christine made this rad tin cuff and sent it to me. It arrived on the afternoon of a particularly grueling day, and brought the biggest smile to my face. I love that. Thank you so much, Christine!
Be sure to check out Christine's web site and shop. Here are a few of my favorite pieces of hers:

Get Your Glee On!

It's finally here! The Official Grand Opening Soiree for the Stitch Lab! Leslie and Carol have put together an amazing weekend of the most awesome indie crafters in Austin, and the Lab is all decked out for a glee-filled event. Saturday and Sunday, noon to 8PM, guests can peruse the goods of more than 20 of Austin's best-loved artisans, munch on seriously tasty vittles and sip festive bevvies. Best yet, all of the yummy fabrics and wool felt at the Stitch Lab are a whopping 20% off. I was just in the Lab this week, teaching a class, and saw some of the newest fabrics Leslie has stocked. Oh. My. Goodness. I wanted to lick every last bit of it! It was all so dreamy!

You can read all about the event and all the vendors over on the event page. I can't wait to get over there and splurge on some fabric and felt and other goodies as a little Christmas gift to myself. ;) Hope to see you there!

And in case you missed it, my good pal, Misty, did a beautiful write up and house tour of the Stitch Lab for Apartment Therapy. The pictures are divine! Enjoy!

Embroidery, art and vodka

I've been lucky to have some fun opportunities for a little freelance stitching in the last year, and even luckier to have those jobs involve some of my favorite things: vodka, art and Sublime Stitching.

First up: Sublime Stitching. I'll be writing more on this soon over at Craftzine, but last summer, I was one of four women who helped stitch the projects that were photographed for Jenny's newest embroidery book, Embroidered Effects. It was a thrill and a pleasure, and just down right fun. I'll have more on that stitching adventure in a later post, and even more over at Craftzine next week. (A little birdie would like me to tell you that we'll even have a free pattern from the book, so be sure to check out Craftzine next Friday, October 2)


Next: Tito's Vodka. When it comes to adult beverages, I'm a vodka gal, and when it comes to vodka, I'm a Tito's gal. So when my pal, Jennifer Perkins, passed my name on to the Tito's folks when they were looking for someone to embroider their bottle label for an ad, you can bet I jumped all over that opportunity. The ad was planned for the SXSW edition of BUST magazine, and I love that the folks at Tito's thought to incorporate hand embroidery.

The job was to completely stitch the Tito's label, but just as the job started (and it had a very quick turnaround) I became deathly ill. I was sicker than I had been in years - fever, chills, the works. I remember laying in my bed, surrounded by crumpled tissues, just stitching-stitching-stitching. I was able to complete the massive amount of satin stitch on the word Tito's, and began stitching the middle portion of the image when the deadline hit.

Fortunately, the Tito's folks were very nice and flexible and decided to work the "in progress" piece into the ad, complete with my needle still attached to the floss as it came from the fabric. I think it actually turned out even better this way! The ad ran in at least two issues of BUST last spring, and someone told me they've also seen it in a beer and wine magazine. If you happen to spot it in another magazine, let me know, and wave "hello" to the embroidery that reminds me of a time I was so sick, I wished I could just drown myself in .... vodka.

Finally: art! Austin's coolness never ceases to amaze me. We've lived here five years, and every single day I find new inspiring people and places. I feel very lucky to live here. Back in August, I had the opportunity to stitch for one of these inspiring people (and places!): Randy Franklin of Yard Dog Art Gallery on S. Congress. Randy was looking for someone to stitch his logo and a skull design on a cool, vintage-style western shirt. Jenny Hart referred him to me (thanks, Jenny!) and the stitching took off.


I was really pleased with how it turned out, and Randy seemed to be as well. One of the best parts about the project was getting to deliver the shirt to Randy at the Yard Dog gallery. This intimate gallery on Austin's well-know S. Congress strip is my kind of art gallery. From the Yard Dog web site:

The gallery's roots are in folk and outsider art from North America, especially the Deep South, but we show art by many contemporary artists who work in a folky, funky vernacular. The art we show is maximalist: colorful, edgy, representational.

Like I said ... my kinda art.

What's even better is that, starting November 6, there will be an embroidered art show at Yard Dog. Jenny Hart is curating the exhibit, called Over and Under, and it will run through December 6. You can follow more information about the exhibit here.

I'm incredibly grateful for these opportunities to stitch this last year, and will continue to thank my lucky stars for any future fun freelance embroidery jobs that involve some of my favorite things. Who knows, maybe NASA will come knocking next ....

A weekend filled with craft & community

Lace up yer craftin' shoes, 'cause this weekend, Austin is chock full of seriously awesome crafty events. Let's get right to it, shall we!?

Handmade Nation Austin Premiere
I've heard a lot of "Finally!"s with the announcement of the Austin Premiere of the documentary, Handmade Nation. Austin is home to at least four of the folks featured in the film, so it's hugely satisfying to see it finally making its premiere here. Jessica and Mary of Sublime Stitching (and their own production company) have been working tirelessly to put together a great series of events around the two screenings of Handmade Nation. There will be a book signing party, and craft bazaar, two film screenings with Q&A sessions with director, Faythe Levine, and a post screening shindig. You can get full details on all the events over at the Sublime Stitching Web site.

I'll be there all day on Sunday, representing Craftzine and doing embroidery demos and a couple of demos on the Yudu with Jennifer Perkins! Stop by and say, "Hi!"

I attended the Handmade Nation premiere in Portland back in April, and it was a fantastic opportunity to connect with other crafters and celebrate the craft community. The film is great, and having the opportunity to see it and have a Q&A with Faythe is awesome!

Swap and Sew + Sweeets
The Austin Craft Mafia, Space 12 and Communicrafting are hosting a clothing and craft supply swap and bake sale on Saturday from noon to 6PM at Space 12 in East Austin. From their event page on Facebook:

Clean out your closets and your craft supply drawers and come participate in a community swap! Bring any unwanted clothes - both adult and kids clothes welcome, and crafting supplies like fabric, thread, yarn, notions, buttons, etc. etc. Get rid of stuff you don't want and go home with new stuff that you love. Any suits or professional clothing and accessories left over at the end of the day will be donated to Dress for Success, a non-profit organization that helps disadvantaged women get dressed up for job interviews. Any crafty supplies left over will be donated to "Sew What?", a free after-school sewing program. Everything else will be donated to a local charity shop. Bring your sewing machine or knitting needles or embroidery hoops or whatever and spend the afternoon hanging out with other crafty types fixing up your swap finds, having fun and sharing ideas.

This sounds like a total blast! It combines all my favorite things: crafting, community, charity and ... BROWNIES!

Creative Spark Gathering - Mini Lego Movies

This is a picture I took at the massive Lego display at Maker Faire.

This is at the same time as the Book Signing party, but it looks like it would be worth shuttling between events. My son is obsessed with Lego, and I've caught his obsession. I'm hoping to be able to go so I can make a mini-Lego-movie for him!

From the event's Facebook event page:

Think flip books, think clay-mation, think spaceships and adventure! Please join our special guest, Creative Spark Stephen Bohls for the low-tech magic of stop-motion animation--and some serious fun! Bring your camera and make your own mini movie—or just come and play with one of the best Lego collections in Austin. The Creative Spark Gathering is a FREE opportunity to have fun, learn, and meet other creative Austinites.

Whew! That's 36 hours of insanely rad, crafty, creative, community events. Rest up and get ready to have some fun!

Spreading the Stitch Addiction

The pictures you see here (aside from Kat's stamp carving one ;) are pictures of projects done by some of my embroidery students after they've left class. Enjoy!)

Jessica made this sweet owl bandanna for her pup, who is looking quite dashing, no?

I've said it before: teaching hand embroidery classes is one of my very favorite things to do. And one of my favorite parts of teaching is seeing all the cool stuff people make after they leave my class. I love seeing people get as inspired and excited as I am about embroidery, and leaves class ready to take on more projects.

I've been incredibly fortunate to have the nicest, most enthusiastic students at the Stitch Lab here in Austin. And I love to be able to brag on them when they send pictures of some of the things they've been making.

Jean used one of my very favorite embroidery books to inspire the stitches in this gorgeous embroidered handbag. Lovely!

So as you peruse the fine work of my students in this post, I'd like to let you know that there are a few opportunities to get in on the embroidery class action coming up. If you'd like a tiny taste of the class, head on over to Parts & Labour on Thursday, August 27 from 6-9 PM. My pals, Leslie Bonnell and Anne Marie Beard will be hosting a fan-freaking-tastic trunk show called Dueling Glamazons. These ladies make some insanely awesome jewelry and handbags, and they'll be rocking out at P&L on Thursday.

Kat's skillful hands carve a stamp in our Surface Design class.

As part of the event, there will be a handful of crafty demos going on. The amazing Kat McTee (whom I've fawned over again and again) will be on hand to show how to carve simple stamps. Carol, Stitch Lab Studio Assistant Extraordinaire, will be getting folks hooked on crochet (puns, FTW!). Finally, little ole me will be there showing some basic hand embroidery stitches and sharing my general love for the craft.

It'll kinda be like a drug deal, huh? First little taste for free .....

After mastering her dog's dapper wear, Jessica went on to stitch these adorable tea towels for a friend!

But here's the thing: embroidery has genuinely changed my life. No jokin'! And if I can send some of that happiness and fun creative time out to other folks, then honey - step outta the way, 'cause I'm gonna do it.

So! If I've convinced you to take a class, skedattle on over to the Stitch Lab site and sign up. I'll be promoting upcoming classes at the event on Thursday, so they'll be filling up soon. Grab a spot before they're gone!

Believe it or not, this sweet tote was stitched by an eight-year-old girl! She took my mother/child embroidery class back in May, and her mom reports that she's been stitching like crazy ever since. She made this totebag as a birthday gift for a friend.

And perhaps your work will be the work I'm bragging on here on AJC next ......

Craft for Good!

The gals at the Stitch Lab here in Austin are teaming up with Ann Randall of The Stitching Studio to craft for charity. Ann heads up the Charity Craft Volunteer Network, and coordinates dozens of different ways that folks can lend a helping hand with their craftiness. Leslie and Carol at the Stitch Lab are coordinating a series of crafternoons where folks will tackle projects assembly-line style. The first session will be this Sunday, July 26 from 3:30 - 8:00 PM with the goal of setting up twice monthly sewing sessions to follow.
This weekend, they'll be making "cloth medical play dolls for children in the hospital. Medical play dolls are used in hospital as a communication tool for explaining an invasive procedure to a child or for diagnosing a child's discomfort. If a child is facing an IV for the first time, medical staff in the emergency room insert an IV on a doll's arm as they explain the procedure to the child. The child is then given the doll to keep and hold for comfort and security."

They need people to trace, stitch, cut, turn, stuff and close by hand. It's a great chance to spend time crafting with friends (and even learning some new techniques!) and helping others. I'm so glad to see the Stitch Lab offering this opportunity.


If you are interested in helping out, just RSVP to Leslie and Carol at beez[at]glitzkrieg[dot]biz and let them know what time you can make it. The event will take place at The Stitch Lab. If you haven't been there before, you'll directions to the location when you RSVP. If you aren't here in Austin, or can't make it, you can give a quick cash donation through the Craft For Charity web site.

Communicrafting Wrap-Up!

Me gettin' chatty with awesome embroidery visitors! Picture from Jenny Hart.

Thanks to all the Austin folks who came out to the Communicrafting event at AMOA last week. We had an incredible turnout (200-300 people!) I had such a blast doing quickie embroidery demos and seeing loads of people get that little twinkle in their eyes when they saw that embroidery was something fun and simple and totally within their reach.

These two kiddos didn't want to stop stitching! They closed the place down!

There was an adorable mother/daughter pair who picked up hoops and sat down and started stitching together, and left with extra floss and their designs so they could continue stitching at home. There were also two adorable kiddos who came up close to the end of the evening and took to stitching like nobody's business. They closed the event down and didn't want to give up their needles! They went home with enough floss to finish their projects, and an excitement for embroidery that made me positively giddy.

It was her first time to pick up a needle and stitch, and she did a fantastic job! She made the most perfect tiny lazy daisies on the flower!

I also got to see some of my awesome embroidery students from my classes at the Stitch Lab sewing studio. I was tickled to hear that they were all stitching or dreaming up new projects to stitch. One student has already emailed pictures of projects she completed within a week of taking the class, and another - who was in the mother/child class on Mother's Day weekend - told me that her daughter has been stitching bookmarks as gifts for her friends. How fun is that!?

If you've been itchin' to get in to one of my embroidery classes, now is your chance. The new Stitch Lab schedule will go out tomorrow to the Stitch Lab email list (more than 1,000 people). For my oh-so-special blog readers, I'll give you a sneak peek at the dates and will get priority enrollment for you so you can be sure to grab a spot. Just email me at averagejanecrafter at gmail dot com with "I wanna stitch!" in the subject line, and I'll get you all fixed up.

This is Jordan from Sublime Stitching. When you order from the Sublime Stitching Web site, Jordan's the pro who packs up your order and ships it out & handles all the order info. Plus, he's super nice! (picture from Jenny Hart)

Teaching embroidery is truly one of my all-time favorite things to do. I love sharing all the tips and tricks on everything from various ways to transfer images to fabric to where to find the best linens on which to stitch. The classes aren't just about learning stitches, but give you all the fundamental information and confidence you need to leave and keep stitching right after class is over. I get such joy hearing from so many students who reveal that they've been bitten by the embroidery bug in my classes and can't stop stitching. That's the kind of habit I love spreading! Join in on the fun!

Community and Crafting - My two favorite things!

Austin folks - come see me and a great group of very cool Austin crafty folks this Thursday at the Austin Museum of Art for the first-ever Communicrafting event. The event is hosted by Jenny Hart and the Sublime Stitching crew to celebrate the two new Sublime Stitching releases from Chronicle Books (The Bib Kit and the Stitchable Stationery Kit)

Along with Jenny and the Sublime crew, I'll be there doing small embroidery demos. Also doing her craft thing will be Kathie Sever of Future Craft Collective with cool projects for kids. Leslie Bonnell from the Stitch Lab will also be on hand, sharing her infinite wisdom. And more!

I love events like this because it's a great chance to get out and mingle, meet knew folks, learn new things and celebrate the thriving craft community here in Austin. You need to be there! Please come by and say hi, take a few stitches and learn great stuff from some really special folks.

Check out the Facebook event page for more information to and RSVP to show that you'll be there with all the cool, fun kids. See you there!

Stitch me happy!

One of my best creative pals here in Austin is an amazing artist named Curlin Reed Sullivan. I first met Curlin several years ago through a mom-entrepreneur group here in Austin, and was instantly smitten. You know when you meet those folks who just spark your insides and you know in a second that you connect and you hope to find anyway you can to work together? That's how it was with Curlin. She just makes me smile.

After semi-stalking Curlin from a distance, I finally got to spend time with her back in Septemeber during Kat's Surface Design Crash Course. It was one of those random twists of events that landed us both in the class together, and it was a fabulous week of fun times that left us inspired and ready to make fun stuff.

Curlin's work is whimsical and fresh ... literally. Most of her work consists of using gorgeous botanicals combined with her simple illustrations. I've always loved her style, and top that with her hilarious, witty writing and you've got some seriously good stuff going on.

So when Curlin pulled her first screen print back in September of one of her illustrated ladies with a hat exploding with flowers, the first thing that came to mind was "I MUST EMBROIDER THAT!" We started talking about how great her designs would be for incorporating embroidery, and as you can imagine - with a room full of creative minds - a new collaborative project was born.

Laurie Wisbrun of Scarlet Fig, Leslie Bonnell of the Stich Lab, Kat McTee of Studio 1408 and myslef all contributed in some small way to Curlin's latest project: Hand Embroidery Kits! You can imagine how giddy this makes me. Of course, anything relating to embroidery makes me happy, but seeing so many great creative women sharing ideas to bring the project to fruition was the best part of all of it.

Curlin was the supreme force behind making all this happen. She was kind enough to let the rest of us join along in the fun. She created the images and lovingly hand screen printed them on to yummy linen blend fabric (in a gorgeous chartreuse color) and packaged them up with all the things someone would need to be able to sit down and get to stitchin'. She's got a glorious lady whose hat literally explodes with flowers, and a dapper gentleman whose flower hat is under a wee bit more control. They make a divine pair.

That's a 10" hoop there, folks!

The greatest thing about the prints is that they stitch beautifully, and there is room for all kinds of variation. You can stitch solid directly on all the designs, leave some unstitched, leave just the leaves/vines showing, or stitch extra bits in between the printed designs. The options are endless. Once you're done stitching, you can frame the piece or make it in to something gorgeous like a pillow or center piece to a quilt.

Curlin's pair, stitched by Laurie of Scarlet Fig and sewn into pillows!

I couldn't be more proud to have had just a teeny part in all this, and I hope that Curlin's work inspires you as much as it has inspired me. She's the kinda lady who just makes you happy hearing her name. :) Spread the love!

Kickin' it on the East Side this weekend

Over the next several weeks, there are some awesome events happening in Austin: East Austin Studio Tour, Bouldin Creek Studio Tour, Cherrywood Art Fair, and Blue Genie Art Bazaar (and more, I'm sure - leave 'em in the comments if you want)

First up is the East Austin Studio Tour this weekend. I love studio tours, because you get the chance to visit several artists in one day and get a taste of what they do. This Saturday, I'll be volunteering for a few hours at Studio 1408 (I'd ramble on about how much I love this place, but I think I'm bordering on stalker with them) and reading the schedule of stuff the gals are going to be doing at the studio makes me wish I could stay there all day ... both days. I'm posting the Studio 1408 schedule below (including a repeat of their crazy popular Obamarama screen printing...) , but first I want to mention some other hot spots you'll want to hit - or check out virtually if you aren't in Austin.

Jenifer Nakatsu Arntson - Jen's vinyl bags and wallets are uber cool and crazy kinds of sturdy. I treated myself to one of her wristlets several months ago and freaking love it.

Amy Barber | Sweettooth Bags with special guests Vanessa Crook, Felice House, Hope Perkins and Jennifer Perkins - That's a whole buncha cool for one stop on the tour. Dang!

Arthur Simone - Adrienne clued me in to this artist's work, and it's very cool - layered and all kinds of abstract - interesting stuff.

Adaptive Reuse | Christine Terrell - Christine's stuff is awesome, and she is super sweet. She'll be at Studio 1408 and will have a jewlery demo/project for visitors.

Aly Winningham - Terra Firma Studios - Wow - these mosaics/stain glass are making my mouth water ....

The Amazing Hancock Brothers - I raved about these guys during Maker Faire. I have *got* to find a way to go by their studio this weekend .....

And a few others that look cool (I haven't even been able to go through the whole list yet!)
Bleep Labs
Catherine Hart
Co-Lab A New Media Project Space
Domy Gallery / Bookstore
East End Craft Gallery
Vertallee Letterpress - Mmmm .... letterpress ....

OK - way too many. I've just spent an hour browsing the E.A.S.T. website and I'm only down to the Es .... ack! Be sure to head out this weekend, and if you aren't here in Austin, browse the list of participants and their web sites - there's some amazing stuff in there. Makes me very happy to live in Austin.

Studio 1408 Schedule and Information: (read it all, there is an abundance of rad stuff going on all weekend at Studio 1408)

STUDIO 1408 (#143 on the EAST map) is excited to be part of this year's East Austin Studio Tour.

Kathleen McTee is an artist working with textiles. Her current series incorporates upcycled cloth patterned with screenprinting, dye and obsessive hand stitching, with imagery inspired by the lost roadside landscapes of the American West. During E.A.S.T., she'll demonstrate some of the techniques she teaches in classes at Studio 1408, including screenprinting, stitching and dyeing.

Theresa Noyes is a mixed media artist currently experimenting in 3D. She employs unrefined, raw materials such as seeds, hand-dyed jute, and buckwheat for small sculptures and installation. She will have several example of works in progress at Studio 1408, and an installation at Fisterra Studios (Stop 16).

Christine Terrell makes jewelry and accessories using upcycled decorative tins. www.adaptivereuser.com

In addition to showcasing our work, we have several dye, print and stitch demos scheduled (see below), as well as D.I.Y. opportunities ongoing throughout the weekend.

To top it all off, OBAMARAMA is BARACK on! Bring a shirt (or skirt, pillowcase, sheet, whatever) to the studio any time before 2pm on Sunday, and have our future president's face printed on it. The screening rodeo starts at 2 sharp, so no stragglers. Pick up your Obama'ed item at the studio by 5 on Sunday. Cost is just $10.

Of course we'll have food and wine so please plan to stop by. Linger if you can, but we understand the desire to see as many studios as possible. (We all decided this morning that the huge downside to being in the show is that you can't go to the other studios. Bummer.)

DEMONSTRATION SCHEDULE

S A T U R D A Y

11:00 am Stamp Making: Learn how to make stamps out of found objects and unusual materials, then create patterns on paper and fabric. Simple techniques, complex results!

2:00 pm Low Water Immersion Dyeing: Fiber-reactive procion dyes are vibrant, colorfast and safe to use. We'll demonstrate how to conserve water while creating brilliant (and subtle) multicolored effects on natural fibers.

3:00 pm Dye Printing: Silkscreens are fabulous for printing with paint on fabric and paper, but even more versatile when used with thickened dyes. Learn how to build layers of transparent color to create complex, sensuous surface designs.


S U N D A Y

11:00 am Artistic Embroidery: Go beyond the pattern by combining simple image transfer techniques and hand stitching. Easy methods, intricate original works of art.

2:00 pm OBAMARAMA: Change has come to your wardrobe. Bring your own shirt (or pillowcase, banner, tuxedo jacket, onesie, tea cosy) and have it printed with a cool image of the 44th president! Drop off items by Sunday at 2pm, pick them up after 4pm. Watch the printathon in action at 2pm! $10 donation.


D.I.Y ACTIVITIES BOTH DAYS:

Stitch Niche: Pour some wine, sit on a comfy couch and try your hand at embroidery. We'll have fabric, some instructions, design ideas and plenty of needles loaded up and ready to go.

Stamp Making: One time-honored design device is the humble stamp. This hands-on demo will allow you to not only make your own stamps using various materials and techniques, but will get you thinking about mark-making and the nature of pattern and texture.
Design Your Own Earrings: Or just play around with hundreds (thousands?) of punched metal circles that will be spread out on a table. All the circles are 1" or smaller and have been punched from decorative containers, so there will be lots of color and even some recognizable images. Design your own earrings (to be assembled and mailed to you later) or just sit and be awed by the sheer craziness of it all.

Such a lovely way to spend a Saturday

I've been busy lately (what, the lack of blog posts hadn't clued you in already?) so I was very happy to have the opportunity to take a break this weekend and get my craft on with the lovely Future Craft Collective gals. I signed up for their Advent Calendar class as soon as I saw the new schedule, and was very excited to join in. I have a wee obsession with Advent calendars. We have several, and I'm always on the look out for more. I've also always wanted to make one, but have never taken the plunge. That's right, among all the Advent calendars we have, not a single one was made by me. Insanity!

I had to leave the class a little early on Saturday, so my calendar isn't complete yet. I'll share pictures when it is, but until then, check out these pics from the class (perhaps if I hadn't been so chatty and snappy with my camera I would have gotten closer to finishing the project .... )

Bernadette and Kathie were awesome teachers - just the right amount of guidance and room for a free-for-all.
The students were fantastic. I couldn't believe so many of us could fit in the space and make stuff so easily. It was supremely harmonious! I also got to spend some much-needed time with my pal, Jamie, whom I hadn't seen in waaaay too long.

It was great to see the different forms each person's calendar took. Some were beautifully traditional, and others were perfectly unique (complete with a He-Man Father Christmas!) It was so much fun to watch us all start with piles of scraps and pieces of burlap and transform them into special family heirlooms.

Aside from the crafting, there was also loads of fabulous conversation. Bernadette and Kathie asked all kinds of thoughtful questions about making the holidays a time of family togetherness and of simple pleasures. There was discussion on how - if at all - we discuss things like Santa Clause with our kids. Having these great conversations made working on the projects so much more enjoyable and meaningful.

If you're in Austin, you *must* get yourself over to the Future Craft Collective headquarters and get in on one of their classes. I can't recommend them enough!

A Call for Austin Crafters for SHOP AUSTIN

Some Austin crafters may be still dusting their boots off from Bazaar Bizarre, but in the busy holiday season you can't rest for long. If you're looking to go ahead and get a Spring show on your calendar, you might want to check out SHOP AUSTIN presented by The Bearded Ladies Production Company. They've just opened up applications, and here's some information from one of The Bearded Ladies, Anne Marie Beard.


The Bearded Ladies Present: SHOP AUSTIN
Independent Designer, Craft & Fine Art Show Case

Date: Saturday April 18, 2009
Time: 11:00am to 5:00pm
Location: Saengerrunde Hall, 1607 San Jacinto Blvd, Austin, TX 78701
Tickets: in advance $8, at the door $10.
Website: www.TheBeardedLadiesPresent.com
Contact: info [at] TheBeardedLadiesPresent.com

Event Info:
The Bearded Ladies Present is set to produce their first show in Austin, Texas. The 2009 event will be a craft fair, fine arts festival, and independent designer showcase all wrapped up into one. By featuring the best vendors in Austin, The Bearded Ladies Present: Shop Austin will provide shoppers an opportunity to find one of-a-kind gifts, unique accessories, fashionable attire, home decor and more.

Shoppers can browse the work of talented artisans who buck the trend of mass-production by offering handcrafted goods that are finely constructed and very unique. These independent entrepreneurs are locally based, but also come from surrounding areas to participate in what is sure to be a fun family event filled with items you can’t find anywhere else. The first thirty shoppers to arrive at the event will receive a goodie bag stuffed with great giveaway items from vendors and local businesses. Shopping begins at 11:00 a.m., and admission is $8 in advance, $10 at the door; parking is available near Saengerrunde Hall.

The Bearded Ladies Present: Shop Austin is currently accepting applications for vendors. All local crafters, independent designers, and fine artists that want to broaden their customer base are invited to apply. Let all of Austin know what you have to offer and join The Bearded Ladies Present: Shop Austin!
To apply go to: http://www.TheBeardedLadiesPresent.com/apply_here.html

Austinites: Grab a spot in Kat's screen printing class!

Just got an email from Kat that there is an opening in her Guerrilla Screen Printing class that starts this Thursday from 6-9 pm and runs for five weeks. If you've followed my blog at all, you know how much my screen printing class with Kat changed my life! (for real!) Grab a spot while you can. Here's the low down:

I've got a spot open in my Guerrilla Screenprinting class at Studio 1408, which starts this Thursday night, 6-9pm, and runs for five weeks.

In this class, you'll learn to build and tape screens, and get to make up to six screens to take home (including one photo emulsion), using methods ranging from soy way to screen filler to photo emulsion. It's fun, empowering, and gives you the skill and tools you need to take your work to new levels of originality and artfulness!

(beware, though, once you start printing, you won't want to stop...)

tuition for the five weeks, $150. plan to spend $50-60 on supplies.

for more info or to reserve this spot, e-mail me: kat@artcloth.com