California Crafters Club of Etsy: craft

Showing posts with label craft. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

How To Relax During Holiday Rush

Aquamarine & Lapis Lazuli Sterling Silver Stacking Rings. Rings & Photo by Emily Wiser

Worried and frazzled during Etsy's holiday rush? Here are some tips to help you relax and enjoy the ride. 1) Make a work schedule and stick to it. It will stop you from worrying about what comes next. 2) Keep an online calendar of important events. Need to reorder boxes regularly? You can schedule your reminders on Google's online calendar, and have it email reminders. 3) Take a break. Get a massage. Walk around the block. Drink some Tension Tamer Tea by Celestial Seasonings. 4) Exercise. It's been proven to help you with stress. And you'll get to use different muscles from the ones you normally use for crafting. 5) Make your friends and family help you. Sure, they can't help you make your items. They don't know how to knit or sew, but they can run packages to the post office, cook you dinner, and help clean up your studio.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Renegade Craft Fair

Call for Applications in LA and San Francisco. Deadline is May 1st. Go to the site for more info and the application.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

CCCOE Member Studio Tour: Featured Artist: HideABook

Japanese Plum Blossom Book Cover Tell us a little about yourself and how it all began. My name is Shanna Vaughn and my shop is HideABook (http://hideabook.etsy.com). I make vinyl book covers with attached ribbon bookmarks to hide and protect paperback books. I love to read romance novels but I find many of the covers to be goofy or embarrassing. I also like to take a book with me pretty much everywhere I go so that I can have something to read while waiting in line at the Post Office, doctor's office, etc. I wanted something pretty to cover up my books and to keep them nice while bumping around in my giant purse. I couldn't find anything stylish out there so I decided to make my own covers. Other friends who are readers loved my idea so I figured that random strangers might too. I've been a shopper on Etsy for a few years and I knew that it would be the perfect place to set up my online store. Where do you work? Show us your space please!

I share an office in my apartment with my husband who is an IT professional. I'm working on annexing his space :) My dream (and goal) is to eventually have a nice big work space where I can have some elbow room and plenty of space to lay my delicate papers flat. What is your favorite tool? My favorite tool would have to be my super sharp guillotine I use for paper cutting. What time of the day are you the most productive/inspired? Definitely evening, my brain doesn't start cranking until at least noon. What inspires you? I get inspired by gorgeous handmade papers. The Paper Source store is my favorite place; I could spend hours browsing their amazing Japanese and Indian papers. How do you promote yourself and your shop? I have two book blogs that I use to run promotions and ads for Hide-a-Book and I stay involved with communities of romance readers online. They're my peeps but also my customers. How long have you been on Etsy? Since May of 2008 What else do you enjoy doing other than creating? Whenever I get some free time I love to read. Just give me a comfy chair and I can lose myself for hours in the fantasy world of a book. What would you like to see happen/change with CCCOE? I recently got to meet some other OC/LA area Etsy sellers which was really cool. I would love to regularly get together with people who share the same goals, joys and frustrations that I do. I'd like to get advice from sellers who have been doing this for a while and have wisdom to share. What is your favorite thing about CCCOE? Everyone is really friendly and helpful. I couldn't have asked for a better group to join. What is your favorite food? Mexican food for sure. I could eat it every single day. Favorite book or movie? I think my favorite book would change depending on what day you ask me, but right now I'd have to say Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. One thing you absolutely cannot live without? My iPhone. It allows me to compulsively check my sales when I'm away from my computer and to read ebooks. Lastly what piece that you have created is your favorite and why? I love my Japanese bunnies book cover in gold. The bunnies are just so cute and the contrast of the pink and the vintage gold is so pretty. The ribbon I used for the bookmark matches just perfectly.

Thanks to Shanna for taking the time out to share her studio and work with us. Be sure to check out her shop on Etsy. And if you are are a CCCOE member and want to be featured simply copy these questions and send your answers along to Heather or I.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

CCCOE Member Studio Tour: Featured Artist-MyFriendRoze

Tell us a little about yourself and how it all began.

You want me to tell you where babies come from? When a man and woman love each other.... I'm originally from Buffalo, NY but I went to Parsons School of Design in NYC for sculpture. While I was there I learned some jewelry making techniques from my Aunt Marge who lives in Philadelphia. After school somehow I got sucked into the music industry for several years and had no time for jewelry (well I made it as often as I could in my "spare" time). So about a year ago I quit and started traveling around the world and when I came back I began making jewelry in earnest. Wish me luck!

Where do you work? Show us your space please!

I work in a crowded bedroom.

What is your favorite tool?

Ball Peen hammer... I want a new smaller one though my dapping block is a close second and now disc cutter. oh wait that's three...

What time of the day are you the most productive/inspired? I work early in the morning/late at night (which sometimes overlap) but I think I might be the most PRODUCTIVE in the midafternoon.

What inspires you?

Everything... I can't focus, I see bubblewrap and I think I want to make pendants out of that, and then I see a tool I like and I want to try that, I look in a book and I want to try that, a friend comes over and tells me about something and I want to try THAT, I go to a store and I want to use the color I see on the wall, I buy a vintage magazine and I want to have a retro feel... blah blah blah,

How do you promote yourself and your shop?

Through CCCOE mostly- on other peoples blogs, on facebook and myspace, through my family and friends...now I started doing craft fair

How long have you been on Etsy?

Since April 29th, 2008

What else do you enjoy doing other than creating?

Wine tasting, and eating.

What would you like to see happen/change with CCCOE?

More meet ups

What is your favorite thing about CCCOE?

Meeting all the new people and making new friends

What is your favorite food?

Food in general

Favorite book or movie?

I love movies and books how can I pick a favorite?

I love the 1981 french film Diva and I am presently reading "when you are engulfed in flames" by David Sedaris

One thing you absolutely cannot live without?

Food and water, my dog, my credit card wait that's four...

Lastly what piece that you have created is your favorite and why?

I don't have an all time favorite- because everytime I make something that actually comes out right I love that one- right now I li

ke one of the bubblewrap pendants. You can see more of MyFriendRoze's unique jewelry at her Etsy shop.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

CALL FOR ENTRIES: Article Submissions

We need your help! We would like to start featuring art/craft related articles on the blog that have been submitted by our members. We are looking for a variety of submissions that cover almost any topic in the arts and crafts fields. Reviews about art exhibits or concerts, "how-to" articles, medium specific discussions, product reviews that are useful to our members... just about anything. Please submit your articles to Heather or Amanda. We are really excited about these new changes that are taking place. However, we need everyone's cooperation to make them work. Quite a few of the new ideas being implemented have been requested by you our members. So, that means we would like YOU to help in making these new changes be something positive for our CCCOE family.

Monday, June 23, 2008

CCCOE July Happenings

CCCOE is a very active and diverse group. Here is some of what is going on for this
vibrant and fabulous group for the month of July.

*CCCOE July Challenge: Christmas in July. Entries need to be posted on the thread
(which will start July 1) no later than midnight July 18, since voting will begin
on July 19 and run through the 26th.

*Lauren of The ChainMaille Lady sells her gorgeously intricate designs weekly
at the Covina Craft Fair & Farmers Market, every Friday night from 5-9pm at
Civic Center Park 400 N. Citrus Ave www.covinafarmersmarket.com

*July 12-13: Wrenay of Shopwhimsy and Wrenphoto will be selling at the fabulous
RenegadeCraft Fair in San Francisco.

*July 12: Handmade Brigade in Cerritos, CA at TallMouse. Jen of Porterness
Miriam of MiriamDema and Amanda of AmandaKLockrowJewels will be there with 20 vendors
selling their wares.

*July 19:Elena of ElenaMary is participating in the GLOW Festival in Santa Monica
from 7pm to 7am. Visit the website:http://www.smgov.net/smarts/glow/

Dave Quick and Elena have created 7 assemblage structures mounted
on backpacks with huge glowing koi fish floating from each assemblage. They
will have a parade from Palisades Park to the end of Santa Monica Pier at
10:30 and at 11pm there will be a concert by Arthur Nakane a one man
band, who they have hired to perform for our project which is called SOLAR
KOI. Hope to see some of you there!

*July 19 & 20: Nina of PrettyCheap Jewelry will be at Pirate Days at the Ventura Harbor on behalf of the Buenaventura Art Assoc

for more info on BAA go to http://buenaventuragallery.org for more info on the Harbor and events go to http://www.venturaharborvillage.com/html/About.html

*July 26: Nine of PrettyCheap Jewelry will be at theVentura Mini Fair (next to the Farmer's Market) http://www.mainstreetminifair.com/

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

The SoCal Bench Project - August 9th

The SoCal Bench Project (Created by CCCOE Los Angeles members) Benefiting New Directions Inc. Saturday, August 9, 2008 9:30am-3:00pm (these are NEW TIMES PLEASE TAKE NOTE!) The Veterans' Memorial Complex Garden Room 4117 Overland Avenue Culver City, CA 90230 Contemporary Craft Fine Art Gifts Home & Garden Jewelry Photography Fund Raiser: Raffle (would love if each vendor participating would donate ONE item - if other non-participating CCCOE members want to donate an item that is fine too) Vendors reserve the right to donate 10% of sales to the non-profit if desired If you are not a participating California CCCOE vendor but are interested in providing promotional items please contact one of our event co-chairs. 2008 VENDORS

Abyssal Gems

Amanda K Lockrow Jewels*

Birds Soy Candles

Deirdre Ryan Photography

FlakyFriends

Glass Action Studios

H. Palleiko Designs*