Hello and happy Monday! I’m trying to be very peppy today in an effort to pump myself up for a very busy week of fun and exciting magazine work. Yippee! I think it’s working.

First off, I want to thank all the blog readers who posted kind words of support in response to the post I wrote last week about the latest round of cuts at the newspaper where my husband works and I freelance a weekly column. We’re still in limbo, but feeling optimistic about the future. You folks are great and your comments are inspiring and helpful. Thank you!

Saturday’s Recycled Art Market in Grand Rapids proved to be a very successful sale for CraftSanity. Thanks so much to all the lovely people who visited my booth and expressed support for my craft column. It means a lot to me to have such great readers support. I was happy to pass on my love of weaving to many new CraftSanity loom owners. I talked so much during the show (big surprise!) that my voice was started to get raspy by the end of the day. What exhausting fun that was!

Saturday’s sale was a milestone in that it was the first show during which my daughters were able to last through the whole thing. We bribed them with the promise of a handmade shopping spree and we were all happy in the end. (I will post photos of their purchases in another post.)

Abby sold six of her upcycled magnets for 50 cents each and Amelia sat in the booth drawing pictures that she taped to the front of my both when I wasn’t looking. I was quite surprised to see them all labeled with 10-cent hang tags that she scavenged from my sale supplies when I was busy showing people how to weave. When I stepped away, my husband witnessed little Amelia, who just turned 6 last week, aggressively sell her drawing of a birthday cake to an unsuspecting and very kind woman who gave her 15 cents more than her asking price. While I’m very proud of my girls and their comfort with selling the handmade things they make, we will be having some thoughtful discussions about dialing back the sales pitch just a tad. : )

And now I’m winding up to my sales pitch… I just listed some crayon holders made of beautiful reclaimed maple wood in my shop. My daughters are hoping they don’t sell because they love them and want to keep them all in our house. I have to admit I understand where they’re coming from as I’m quite taken with them, too, and have already snagged one for myself. I LOVE coloring with my Crayolas and enjoy being able to neatly display my crayons when not in use.

The crayon holders I listed today are approximately 8″x5″x1″ and hold 24 crayons with the holes spaced nicely for little artists. If there’s interest, I will be add some more crayon blocks that hold more crayons to the shop. (My daughters have already requested blocks that hold 96 crayons.) Just let me know what you guys think we’ll get to work.

In the meantime, I better get to work on the winter issue of CraftSanity Magazine.

Have a great day!

When I saw a pile of unfinished oak blocks over at my friend Dan’s house I thought it would be great to turn them into lovely crayon holders. So Dan fired up his drill press and got to work. Then he passed a box of drilled out blocks to me. That was my cue to fire up my disk sander and get going on the finishing work. (I still haven’t broke down and invested in a fancier belt sander because I’m a very frugal woman when it comes to buying noisy tools.)

When the blocks were sanded smooth as a baby’s behind, they were ready to be oiled. This is my favorite part because the oil brings out the natural markings of the wood and it’s always such a cool surprise to see how the wood looks after the finish is applied. And, wow, did these blocks turn out lovely. High five, Dan!

My children and I have already set aside blocks for ourselves, but I will be bringing the rest to the Recycled Art Market  at City High/Middle School, 1400 Fuller Ave. NE in Grand Rapids, where I’ll also be selling looms, weaving supplies and copies of CraftSanity Magazine today from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

I still have a bit of show prep to do, so I better get off the internet. :  ) If you’re in town, stop by the show and tell me about what you like to make.

On this episode of CraftSanity you’ll hear from Kristen Rask, owner of Schmancy, a Seattle shop featuring fun and quirky handmade toys. Just a few minutes into the interview you’ll probably begin to wonder when Kristen finds time to sleep because operating a cool shop is only one of her many creative projects.

Kristen is also the creator of the wildly successful Plush You! show that features over a hundred plush artists from around the globe, planner of Urban Craft Uprising (Seattle’s largest indie craft show) and the upcoming Conference of Creative Entrepreneurs. She’s a committee member for the Grassroots Business Association and just curated the Lost at Sea Show in New York City, too. 

In her spare time, Kristen has also written three books: “Plush You! Loveable Misfits to sew and stuff” (based on the annual Plush You! show she has at her store), “Creature Crochet” and “Button and Stitch.”

If you’re looking for some motivation to get cracking on some of your own projects, something tells me that hearing from Kristen will give you a helpful kick in the Schmancy pants to get out there and take a crafty risk or two.

If you want a chance to meet Kristen and soak up some crafty business tips, head out to the Conference of Creative Entrepreneurs, Aug. 13-15 in Seattle. Register by June 1 and save money. I’m heading to the conference to be on a panel about podcasting and do a live recording of my show and I’d love to see you there. (Email me if you’re interested in a CraftSanity meet-up.)

Thanks to our sponsor!
Libby Dibby stuff and style is all about being inspired by the joy of color and pattern – and things that are both vintage and new. Check out skirts, hand-stamped charms, baby slings and bags at libertyworth.com, and one-of-a-kind items at the Etsy store. Be sure to follow the Libby Dibby blog for inspiration and fun giveaways.

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Taking Names
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I can’t believe it’s Saturday already. This week has been a complete blur. Here’s a recap:

* I sold more looms this week than I expected to, so I’ve been busy making more. (A special thank you to my lovely customers. You folks rock!) This uptick in sales comes at a good time because layoff notices have started to go out at the newspaper where my husband works and I remain a freelance columnist. These are some very sad and challenging times for journalists, so I’m so very grateful to have small, alternative revenue streams to help keep things going here at the CraftSanity Headquarters. Even though the decline of the newspaper industry is devastating to watch, I believe that good things will happen for all of us print journalism veterans who are pushing hard to reinvent ourselves and pursue our dreams with a renewed sense of urgency.

On a happier note, I’m also working on introducing some looms in cherry and maple woods very soon. So pretty, I can’t wait!

* My Fifth Third River Bank Run 25K training is going well except for the fact that I’m still drinking Pepsi. I’m telling you that “black juice” (as Abby used to call it) has a hold on me. In the good news category, I pushed my long run mileage up to 8 miles and it felt good. (I’m adding a mile each week.) And I’m spending quality time in the lap pool two to three days a week. LOVE that YMCA lap pool! I’m a better mama after I swim. Very hungry, too.

* This week I did some bead embroidery on my latest Posted Stitches quilt. (An early progress shot is at the top of this post.) Bev and I are doing are best to get back on track with our art quilt challenges after an extended hiatus. Expect to see some evidence of that soon.

* Speaking of evidence… Allison Rosen kindly invited me to be a guest on her quilting podcast called “Within a Quarter Inch” and let me set a record for most consecutive minutes of rambling about oneself. This is all the evidence you need to know that if there was a gold medal given for marathon jibber jabber, I’m qualified to represent the U.S. My word. The podcast is super long and feels like one of my extended after shows, the part of my podcast where I wax poetic (ramble) about whatever is going on in my life. Allison is entertaining and funny, so we had a great time.

It was both humbling and flattering to get to be a guest on another craft podcast, but I’m definitely more comfortable hosting a show as opposed to starring in one. Of course, it’s good to reverse those roles every now and then to fully appreciate what I put my guests through. : ) You can hear my chat with Allison here and you can subscribe to her podcast via iTunes to learn more about Allison’s adventures in quilting. (Thanks for your hospitality, Allison!)

* I neglected to mention this before, but Hannah B., the crafty southern belle over at B’s Wig Shoppe interviewed me a while back and posted a Q&A on her cool blog. You can read it here. (Thanks Miss. B!)  Make sure you check out her other posts, too, because her blog is super fun. I especially love the interview she did with her mom. What a great idea, now I want to interview my mom.

*Which reminds me that I’ve taken way too long to show you what my dad has been crafting to pass the time since losing his job in the auto industry. (It’s amazing how much journalists and auto workers have in common these days.) Anyway, my dad started out making shovel people and has moved into making lovely jewelry out of vintage silverware. (My sister, Jacquie, helps him sell his pieces on Etsy.) I want to support his creative venture and thought I had stumbled upon a major score at Goodwill last week. I spotted a boatload of forks and spoons in a bin and greedily loaded them all into my cart as I speed-dialed my dad. About the time he answered I realized that I had just pounced on a pile of stainless steal, not the classic silver utensils he uses to make jewelry. Darn. Back in the bin it all went.

* Podcast update: I’m working on a podcast featuring multi-talented designer, Rebecca Yaker. I plan to release the show next week so stay tuned. There are sponsorship opportunities still available for this show, so let me know if you’re interested. (Click for sponsorship rates.)

Okay, now that I overloaded you with this potpourri blog post, I will stop and get back to making looms. Feel free to leave a comment below and tell me what’s on your mind. After reading all this, it’s only fair that you get a chance to share something, too. Thanks for reading, folks.

Once outside my workplace, I put on my shades and took my first breath of air as a free woman. I was immediately overwhelmed by all the possibility and creative opportunities that I now had time to pursue while being a more attentive mother to my 3- and 5-year-old daughters. One glance at my beautiful family waiting for me in the parking lot that day and I knew this next phase was going to be awesome.

Nearly two months later I’m happy to report that I’m having a blast and ready to announce my latest creative venture: I’m making oak potholder looms. Remember those looms we used to make looper potholders? Yeah, well, I never outgrew my loom and that’s what I’m making… in every size imaginable.

Surprised? Yeah, well that makes two of us. This was not part of my long-term plan. I mean, I’ve always loved weaving and have fashioned quite a few looms out of cardboard and scrap wood, but I never imagined I would be loading up on non-toxic wood glue, sand paper and spending hours pounding pegs into oak frames.

I decided to start making looms last month after I did a TV craft segment about making potholders out of recycled T-shirts. I was getting a lot of requests for wooden looms like the one I used in the segment and I couldn’t find a place to buy more in all the sizes I wanted. After deciding not to invest in a bunch of expensive tools to do it all myself, I contacted a local wood worker who agreed to make loom frames for me in all the sizes I requested. From there I take the frames home and glue in all the pegs and sand them down before rubbing on the oil finish.

So basically the last month has been a whirlwind of loom-making and branding with my new “CraftSanity.com” brand. I’ve ordered boxes for shipping and fumbled through the Etsy store setup and junked up the dining room in a most historic way.

I’ve been selling the looms at the local art market for the last couple weeks and teaching people to weave on them with recycled fabric. (Thanks to all of you have purchased looms and humored me when I’ve insisted that we set it up to weave before you leave the booth.) Reminding people how to weave on these looms has been a wonderful experience. Saturday at the farmer’s market  I met a little girl named Sam who made my day. She was so excited about the looms that she was giddy. Watching her weave was like stepping back in time. I was that excited about weaving when I was a kid. Heck, I’m still giddy about it and love to introduce the skill to others.

So anyway, I just wanted to let you folks know what I’ve been up to. Don’t worry, I’m not going to abandon my podcast or stop blogging about great new books and talented crafters. I’ve just decided to make looms to help fund those activities. (Check back here tomorrow for episode 103 of the podcast.)

If you want to check out the first loom size I’m offering online, please check out my Etsy shop. I’m starting with the potholder size loom and will be adding coaster and mini-Christmas ornament sizes in the coming days.

Even if you’re not a fan of potholder looms and think I’m a little nuts for starting up a wooden loom business, I hope this post inspires you to try out that crazy idea you’ve had bouncing around in your head for a while. It’s fun to go where the wind blows you every now and then. Maybe it’s time to DO that thing you’ve been wanting to do for years.

An old boss walked by when I was selling looms on Saturday and the look he gave me could have been interpreted as though he thought it was amusing that my station in life has changed from professional journalist with a steady income to crazy freelance-writing, craft girl hawking wooden looms at a farmer’s market. But I couldn’t help but smile big at him because I’m so much happier than I ever was working for The Man. This is exactly what I’m supposed to be doing right now and I’ve never felt more certain.

Above you’ll see the massive amount of business cards I collected from the vendors I met. It was exhausting fun to chat briefly with more artists and crafters than I’ve ever attempted to talk to in a single day. (I’ll be posting more about some of the individuals I met in the coming days.)

I put on my apron and worked this show, folks. I worked it for you because I want to find the most interesting people I can to feature on upcoming episodes of CraftSanity. And let me tell you this show was a major jackpot of talent. By the time it got dark, I was very ready to stop saying: “Hi, my name is Jennifer…. and I’m the producer of the CraftSanity podcast… blah, blah, blah,” but so very glad I made the effort to meet so many creative people.

I even met some CraftSanity listeners and that was a real kick. Even though I’ve been producing the show for going on three years, I still feel like I’m talking to five people when I sit down at the microphone and that’s probably for the best. My nerves might not be able to handle the truth.

I started a Flickr gallery for you to check out because I have too many photos to post in this entry. I will be tagging the photos with IDs in the coming days to help you find the source if something catches your eye, but go ahead and check it out now.

A special thanks to Gary, Tammie and Julie for making the trip to Chicago with me. I really appreciate your willingness to spend a day in the rain all in the name of craft. And, when I started to fade, thank you, Gary, for helping me spread the word about CraftSanity and scout for talented people to interview on upcoming shows.We didn’t make it to every booth before dark, but we get an “A” for effort.

If any of the talented artists I met Saturday found their way to this site, I’d like to say: Welcome! It was an absolute pleasure to meet you. Thanks to all of you for indulging my exuberance about what I do and answering my questions about what you do.

Part of me wishes I could have stayed in town for Day 2 of the fair, but my schedule didn’t allow for that this year. Perhaps next year the road trip will last a little longer, we won’t need umbrellas and I’ll get to meet every single vendor. I also hope to meet the fair organizer, Sue Daly, too. I looked for her, but didn’t get to meet her this time. She puts on an impressive craft fair, even in the rain.

Now for your moment of Zen… get ready…

Heather Baris, of Girl With a Hook fame, was kind enough to let me try on one of her free form crochet hats. It was toasty warm, but not really suitable for a flitting about in an apron during heavy rain. So this will remain the hat that got away. I hope it found a good home. Check back tomorrow for more about the people I met at Renegade.

She’s a crafty med student at Northwestern University who loves to sew. He’s a graduate of the Art Institute of Chicago, oil painter and designer. And Miss Bettie Lou Sweet Waters is their sleepy dog. Together they are the force behind Sew Bettie, the growing craft business they launched in the summer of 2007 in Chicago.

Inspired by Bettie, Cara Angelotta and Mark Cesarik have teamed up to bring the world a new line of limited edition fabric designs, sewing patterns and craft project tutorials.

Tune in this week for a chat with Cara and find out how she juggles med school with her after-hours life as a craft business c0-owner. She also shares some business tips and gives us the scoop on all that great limited-edition fabric Mark is designing for their shop. (They print their fabric through Spoonflower.) Each design is limited to 100 yards and each order comes with an official certificate of authenticity with the edition number of the fabric.

Enter to Win a Limited Fat Quarter from Sew Bettie Fabric. Cara and Mark would like to start printing upholstery fabric. Think big, funky couches and suggest an image you’d to see them print on fabric to cover a cozy piece of furniture. Post your selection below. The randomly selected winner will get to pick a Sew Bettie print of his or her choice. The deadline to enter is Saturday, Sept. 27. Good luck!

This week’s Sponsors:

A special thanks to jewelry artist Catherine Hodge for sponsoring this episode of CraftSanity. Shop her original line of jewelry and check out her blog.

This episode is also sponsored by Posted Stitches, my monthly art challenge Web site.

Want to promote your craft business? Visit the sponsors section if you’re interested in sponsoring an upcoming CraftSanity episode.

Support the show! Buy a CraftSanity T-shirt or button. Or leave a comment about the show on iTunes.

Taking Names: Who do you want to hear from next? Send your comments, guest and show topic suggestions to jennifer@craftsanity.com

My goal every time is to get through as quickly as I can before reaching the point where the girls lose patience. However, the clock ran out on me last Sunday. By the time we were headed back to the car, the girls had lost interest in the art show and whining quite a bit, and I was feeling frazzled.

Then we got to Karin’s “A Window Into Whimsy” booth and the girls perked right up. I thought wow, my girls have great taste and appreciate the lovely handbags displayed beautifully in the booth. How fantastic is that?! I know, sometimes I just let myself go with these crazy notions. Then, I finally clued into the candy dish that had captivated my daughters. Ah, yes, candy. Those suckers worked like a charm to revive Amelia from her wilted flower state and Abby seemed more agreeable with a sucker in her mouth.

I don’t normally use candy to revive my children at art sales, but this happenstance occasion made the car ride home a little more pleasant and probably helped Karin make a sale – which brings me to the point of this post.

I had been meaning to make myself a key fob for some time, but hadn’t gotten around to sourcing the little metal piece that makes the fob complete. I’m busier than ever, so I realized that I’d probably never get a key fob if I didn’t buy one from someone else.

Karin had a great selection in her booth. However, I probably would have had to pass if she wouldn’t have had that candy dish. Without that candy distraction, my kids would have continued to melt down, making me want to continue my rush to the car. While I know candy bribes are a clear violation of perfect parenting rules – and not something I recommend on a regular basis – the candy bought me enough time to buy a $5 key fob.

In the end we all won. Karin made a sale. My girls were happy to get a treat. And I finally got a key fob. (It works great, by the way. I used it all week and didn’t misplace my keys once. I’m beginning to thing this little fob is magic or something. : )

So, I’ve been thinking about this “free candy” thing all week and wondering if having something free for the taking in your booth actually increases sales. Or, does this tactic only work on desperate moms? What do you think? Have you had success luring people into your booth with chocolate and doubled your sales? Or, do you find that people take the free stuff and keep on going? You’re invited to weigh in on the discussion and share your tips below.

This week my craft column is about Joleen Rumsey, a musician and fashion designer. She’s a hipster seamstress who sings, plays keyboard and sews outfits for The Icicles, a super cool band with an international following. (Icicle songs have been used in commercials for Target and Motorola.)

I had to write about Joleen after my friend Hilary helped me make the connection between the band and Flutter Fashion, the fashion design business Joleen runs with fellow local designer, Rachel Six. Together these women make some rockin’ knit tops.

Our internet has been on the fritz, so I’m late posting this. (Shame on you Comcast!) But I wanted to encourage you all to read Joleen’s story and check out her shop.

It all started with an American montessori teacher living in Mexico and her blog, “Montessori by Hand.”

The blog was to be a place where other montessori teachers could post tutorials and craft projects useful in the classroom. But as time went on and Meg McElwee quickly realized that she was the one doing all the work. It was her blog, so she began to treat it as such. She began posting tidbits about her life and her crafting. Soon she began offering original patterns for sale including the beloved Emmeline apron that I adore.

I caught up with Meg, 27, just a few weeks ago as she was beginning to wind down her last year of teaching in Mexico. Next month she and her husband will be moving back to the United States to settle into a new life, with Meg staying home to work on a fantastic book project and her booming craft business that she recently cleverly renamed Sew Liberated. She even has a new blog, too, that you’ll enjoy.

Tune into this episode of CraftSanity to hear Meg’s story and cheer her on as she transitions to a crafty life back in the U.S.

Win a Lola Apron Pattern! I’m very pleased to announce that Meg has a new fantastic vintage reproduction apron pattern out called the “Lola,” which includes a kid-sized version called the “Lolita.”

And here’s the best part, we’re giving away FOUR patterns!

Post your best apron story below by June 29 to enter. Good luck everyone!

If you just can’t wait to get your mitts on this pattern, you can buy it today.

Thanks to our Sponsor! This episode of CraftSanity was sponsored by the Montreal Craft Mafia and they’re inviting you to their Fringe Bazaar June 21 and 22 where you’ll find more than 60 artists and crafters waiting to show you their beautiful handmade items and savoir-faire. (Thanks ladies!)

Want to promote your craft business? Visit the sponsors section if you’re interested in sponsoring an upcoming CraftSanity episode.

Support the show! Buy a CraftSanity T-shirt or button.

Taking Names: Who do you want to hear from next? Send your comments, guest and show topic suggestions to jennifer@craftsanity.com