back and ready to work...

I'm ever so slowly recovering from my weekend. But I am getting there, and turning my focus onto my gallery show in late November. I'm really, really excited about this, and am so thankful to finally have some quality time to focus on it. Indie Emporium was fun, and was certainly a learning experience. The turnout was, oh, a little less than I expected, but I was so thankful for those that did turn out for it. I met some amazing people (including my extremely adorable booth neighbor), learned a lot, and sold a few things as well.

I've been trying for the last couple of days to upload some pics for you to see, but am having serious problems doing so. So something to look forward to? My sister posted some on her blog, so check that out in the meantime if you'd like.

I am hoping to list a few new items in both shops over the next few days. Some banners and tags for amelia mae and a new batch of cards for Project 8256. And, I may very well be alone in this, but I am all of a sudden REALLY excited for Christmas. I realize that it's not yet even Halloween, and we still have Thanksgiving, but the thought of searching for the perfect gifts for those on my list, and then tediously wrapping them up, and getting together with family, and the decorating and the music and the lights and the rejoicing...yeah, I'm ready.

Hope you are having a lovely week.

xo,
Amy

indie emporium

Wow. Sorry I've been so lousy in the blogging department. BUT I have been mighty productive in the gift tag and banner-making department. I've been toiling away in the factory that is my house and that is my hands. And I'm really sleepy. And I'm really hoping that when next week arrives I have more to show for it than the knobby, arthritic bones that I'm fairly certain my hands are (too quickly) destined for. But I'm also really excited. Tremendously.

So here's the scoop, should you need a refresher:

I'll be at Indie Emporium in downtown Tulsa this weekend (Friday the 26th & Saturday the 27th). Loads of fun from 8 to midnight on Friday and from noon to 11 pm on Saturday. So I hope to see you there, if you're in the area. There will be goodies from both Project 8256 and amelia mae.

Hope you are having a lovely week.

xo,
Amy

a weekend off

Sorry for the delay in posting. It was a tremendously full (and extended) weekend, which left little time for things such as blogging. But I had a wonderful time with Beth. I am so thankful that she was able to visit when she did. And although I'm in this sort of frenzied mode right now, I know the time off was just what I needed. Here's a bit of a recap:



1. We went to the Girlie Show on Saturday. There were lots of amazing artists and crafters, yet somehow Beth and I ended up buying very similar items from the same girl -- Amity Treasures by Jackie Porter. She has an etsy shop as well. This is the necklace I purchased. I love it. A lot.

2. Beth's dyed vintage slip peaking out from her skirt. She's so L.A.

3. Stuffed French Toast -- delicious. Walnut raisin bread stuffed with loads of strawberries and cream cheese from Cafe 501.

4. Beth's necklace purchased at the Girlie show. An airplane, a brass heart, and a Rocky Mountain National Park charm.

5. The pin I got from the same booth--a white cowboy boot, a black enamel charm and a little sparkle.

6. I am so smitten with my new moccasins. So comfortable and perfect for fall. Just like these, only in chocolate brown (and much less at Shoetopia in Norman).

7. We, of course, made a trip to Blue 7 -- where I couldn't resist buying this bag by Loop. Mostly because I loved it--but a little because the vendor tag is a paper crane. Love.

8. While I was still admiring the paper crane tag, Beth was falling head over heals for this repurposed vintage shirt by Shanna Banana. It's pretty adorable on her, and I gave her much praise for supporting so many local artists and establishments while in Oklahoma.

9. Beth's pin from Amity Treasures. The white square says "Tim" and has a pink astronaut charm and a brass horseshoe. So, an easy sell.


There are so many other wonderful things (things other than purchases) that I wished I had photographed and could include--like all of the wonderful friends we were able to catch up with, and all of the new memories that were made. However, it is some sort of rule, I've decided, that we seem to be completely incapable of taking photographs while visiting each other. I know we'll regret that one day. But for now, we will, I suppose, have to enjoy each other's company undocumented.

The next couple of weeks will be a flurry of activity in preparation for Indie Emporium. So, posting might be a little light. But, I do hope to see you there if you're in the area!

xo,
Amy

between the sneezes...

I'm a little under the weather. Or, actually, significantly under the weather. I don't really think it's anything more than allergies, but I certainly wish I could turn out all of the lights and curl up in bed and stay there for a while. No such luck. There's no time for such things.

This past week has been focused solely on preparing for Indie Emporium. I did allow myself a little bit fun last Sunday, and accompanied some friends to Blue 7 for the Tom's Shoes trunk show. Do you know about Tom's Shoes? Click here if you want to learn more. Basically, it is an amazing company that gives a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair sold. Amazing. They were sold out of my size in the style I wanted, so I didn't end up purchasing a pair that night. But, oh, I will. I did end up buying this ring, though:



I couldn't resist. It's actually really similar to a ring that I had been eyeing at Anthropologie a while ago. Only this ring (the one from Blue 7) was only SEVEN DOLLARS. And the one from Anthropologie was--surprise!--at least 20 times more than that. Which is ridiculous, really (unless, of course, it came from a tree that grew in a magical forest. Then I totally understand.).

I am also now in the possession of new business cards! They arrived a few days ago, and I am quite pleased with the results.



They are double sided--one side for Project 8256 and one side for amelia mae. I went for a new look with Project 8256 -- away from the orange and turquoise. I found it extraordinarily difficult to get the look I wanted for the amelia mae side and still somehow coordinate with the original color scheme. And I do love graph paper.

But the best, BEST news is that in exactly one week from tomorrow my best friend Beth is flying out from Los Angeles for a visit. This will be the first time in several years that we have been able to visit each other more than once a year. I can't wait. As busy as I am, and as much as I have to do, I know that taking a few days to talk and shop and eat great food is just what I need. I'm hoping that I will be, and that my work will be, the better for it.

Hope all is well with you.

xo,
Amy

Live! And In Person!

So here's the exciting news. There are a couple of big events that I will be participating in within the next couple of months. And if you are in the area, I would love to see you there! The first is Indie Emporium, which is a craft extravaganza in downtown Tulsa. It's October 26-27, and will include crafting stations, a fashion show of handmade clothes and accessories, and craft vendors. I'll be there with both Project 8256 and amelia mae goodies, so there will be pah-lenty of gift tags, banners, prints, greeting cards and a few originals as well.



The second event is a gallery show at Dreamer Concepts Studio and Foundation in Norman. Some of the details are still being worked out, but what I do know is that it opens November 30 (which coincides with Norman's downtown art walk) and will also feature Amy Baldwin (of Curly Q Mosaics) who does amazing, amazing mosaic work. I think it will be such a fun show (and certainly colorful), and am, honestly, still a little floored that I am being included in this.

So, certainly, the next few weeks will be...busy. But in a really good, exciting way. If you happen to attend either event, please find me and say hello! I'll be posting a coupon of some sorts for my Indie Emporium booth that will just be for blog readers, so be on the look out for that. If you want.

xo,
amy

I just finished reading Craft Inc. by Meg Mateo Ilasco, and it honestly couldn't have been published at a better time. Unless, perhaps, that time was, oh, three months ago. I know that if you read the same crafty/design blogs as I do, you have certainly stumbled across this book, as it has been popping up all over the place. On the off chance that you have not yet heard of it, and you are, like me, trying to "turn your creative hobby into a business", then let me assure you that this is a MUST READ. It was really so, so helpful and I am sure I will refer back to it many times.



Completely unrelated to books and such, but equally important: I was updating my blog profile (i.e. adding an email link should you need/want to contact me without having to set up an etsy account to do so. whoops!), and noticed that it had my "industry" listed as ACCOUNTING. Now, you probably don't know me well enough yet to know how absolutely ridiculous that is. I don't think there are many other professions that I could be less suited for. So my apologizes if you had been visualizing me crunching numbers day in and day out. That vision is untrue.

If you feel the need to visualize me doing something, you can picture me making hundreds of little sets of gift tags, because that is all I have been doing lately. Why, you ask? Well, keep your eyes peeled for an update later this week with one, maybe two really exciting announcements. But definitely one.

xo,
Amy

sometimes i miss this city

( "millennium park chicago" from kellyhafermann on flickr)

I do. And sometimes I miss it tremendously. It's been just over a year since I moved back to Oklahoma after living in Chicago for two. And as much as I thought I grew as a person while living in Chicago, I really feel like this year back in Oklahoma has been such a season of change, and of enormous growth. I am doing things now that I never dreamed would even enter my vocabulary. And I'm loving it. But sometimes I still miss Chicago. I loved living there--especially this time of year. And late Spring. I miss the great restaurants and beautiful storefronts. The architecture. I miss the solitude of walking to the train each morning--just me with some great music. (This, of course, was only enjoyable when the weather was nice. Walking back from the train at 1:00 in the morning in the snow is not missed. Not at all.) I miss going to art museums and to the theatre. I miss my friends.

And, of course, it must be said that while I have a very long list of things that I miss, I probably have an equally long list of things that I don't miss at all. And a list of things that I missed so much while I was in Chicago that I don't have to miss now. My family, being the most important of those. And so it's worth it, certainly. And I am especially thankful that I can experience this time alongside my sister. I know that we will look back on this with warmth and joy and gratitude. And that we will have such an amazing story to share with their child--of how so many people wanted them to finally be together.

I'm really quite excited about what this next year will bring. I'm not quite sure what's in store, exactly. And I'm surprisingly okay with that. I am not someone who likes having things up in the air. I'm not that patient. And I like to feel like I have at least some amount of control. But I'm slowly beginning to realize that if I just sit back, and let it unfold as it is intended to, it's really so much better, so much more exciting.

.........................................................................

My (very Swedish) neighborhood in Chicago. The great thing about living in an exciting place is that you get a lot of friends and family who come for a weekend visit. I would always take them to Ann Sather for brunch. Unbelievably delicious.

( "andersonville" from mroczknj on flickr.)

My favorite storefront. The entire window reads, " For the person who has everything, say it with concrete." They sold concrete lawn decorations like cherubs and ladies. It's so completely ridiculous. But I loved so much the pride they took in their work.

( "chicago-andersonville" from like, totally on flickr.)

I hope you had a lovely weekend. All the best.

xo,
Amy