Craftland!

So as many of you know, I've been telling you that I'm applying to craft fairs and the like, but the reality is I've chickened out a little. It just seems so... intimidating. I mean, you need so much stuff - tables, chairs, canopies, and a way to transport all of it from A to B. Just thinking about it makes me anxious and my head starts to hurt.But I've heard from other artists and crafters that it's a must for growing one's business. So I branched out in August and applied to a place called Craftland! Why this one? Baby steps, people. Bear with me. It's a consignment craft fair in Providence. I send them stuff, they sell it for me, and for their troubles they get a portion of the profits. What a glorious thing.The application process was relatively easy and luckily I got in! I was super thrilled when I heard. Since it's so big (160 crafters) they asked for specific items and in this case my e-readers. So I streamlined what I would offer (which was a headache in itself) and sent them off last week. Even if I don't sell any, I figure it's great exposure! The show opens November 23rd, 2012 and if you're in the Providence area, check it out!

Rorschach Tests?

For some reason, I've been sitting on posting these. No reason, must have gotten distracted.

The felt is not very thick, but since it takes a while for the dye to absorb, the front side doesn't look like the back.

This one is my favorite. For the boyf, he said it reminds him of the mold lines in the houses after Katrina. I wasn't sure how to take that. 

See what I turned them into here.

Rusty nuts

While at home for Thanksgiving, I decided to raid my dad's workbench for some rusty fasteners. Needless to say there was no shortage of such things. He looked at me suspiciously, trying to figure out why I would want to take such things off his hand, although happy to unload these random objects he had kept.

The goal? To dye fiber with rust. I used felt as my first trial, because I had leftovers from the dye fest I had, and the next trial will definitely be cotton.

So I formed a solution of vinegar and water, doused the felt with it and placed it on a plastic tray.

Then added steel wool and some nuts and added more of the solution and covered it in plastic wrap to keep in the smell. Oxygen is very important for the reaction, so it should not be perfectly sealed.

The next day, I took off the plastic wrap and rinsed everything off in a bucket of water and salt to neutralize the solution.

Amazon, wha?

I'm a little obsessed with my Kindle. It has turned me into a voracious reader. Or at least more so than before. My boyfriend likes to joke about how he didn't think I read at all before I got my Kindle.

Either way, I'm excited about the introduction to their new Lending Library. Why, it was only just a month or so ago when the NYPL added Kindle to their list of approved lending/reading devices which turned mine and everyone else's world upside down as could be seen from the amazingly long wait lists. But the addition of this just makes me giddy. Granted you need a prime membership, but I'm pretty sure between my boyfriend and I we either have one or should have one the way we order from Amazon.

With this new introduction, it makes me want to make Kindle cases! I've started a few prototypes, to get the feel for construction and materials....

And in the mean time, check out my Goodreads list!