White Cottage Design

Coolest Car Ever!

2010-05-25T10:05:00.003-05:00

WOW! This past weekend was so exciting. I was at the 1st East Nashville Art Fest and had a wonderful show. Thanks to all the brave souls that came out in record breaking heat to support the festival. It was good to see some old friends and make a few new ones. My booth neighbor was without doubt the most interesting family I have ever met. Here is the link to their site.
Their Art Car was parked right beside my booth and if I had a dollar for each picture taken I could take a really nice vacation.

The sweet deer have all found new homes and I'll try to make a few more for the Festival this week end. So if you missed this one you have another opportunity to see me before the Tomato Festival this August 14th. This Saturday May 29th I'll be at the Hands together in Flatrock Music & Arts Festival in Coleman Park 10am-4pm. Here is the info.

Oh deer!

2010-05-17T16:51:00.009-05:00

I have been working on some things for the up coming events. The little deer are one of the new
items I will be showing this weekend. If you are in the area come on out to the first East Nashville Arts Fest happening this Saturday and Sunday 11am-7pm. . Not only will you see your local favs but a lot of new faces never before seen in Nashville. GO check out the facebook page here.
We will have over 50 vendors!

If you have other plans and just cannot make it this weekend then next weekend May 29th I will be at the Hands together in Flatrock Music & Atrs Festival in Coleman Park 10am-4pm. This is the 3rd year for this festival with over 50 artist participating. Here is where you will find more information as well as the music line up.

I am soooo excited! Stop by and say hello, I'd love to meet you.

Mark your calenders!!

2010-04-18T09:57:00.003-05:00

I have a couple of new events coming up and would love to see you there, so mark your calendars!
The first event is May 22nd & 23rd here in East Nashville, it's the first East Nashville Arts Fest.
This will not be your usual East Nashville Fest, artists and crafters from all over will be there. If you go to the facebook link you can get a feel of the event. I am super excited to be a part of this awesome event.

The second event is Hands Together in Flatrock Music and Art Festival , in Coleman Park Nashville Tennessee on May 29th. I believe this is the third year for this event. It should be a great day of music, fun and art. I can tell you right away you will see some very talented artists.

For the upcoming events I do have some new items and I am going to share a few with you now.
The Woodland girls are finally getting the way I want them, these two are the first attempts.
Remember the hand painted faces? The finally version is a combination of the two. The tattoo man is almost finished, he still needs shoes and maybe a little more detail. I'm thinking of bar bells or a swing for him? Not sure yet.

Faces

2010-02-19T14:04:00.002-06:00

Look at the faces I have finished painting. As I've said before painting does not come easy for me, I must have painted 20+ eyes yesterday. But the practice has definitely paid off, these look so much better than the first faces I did. This is a sneak peek of a work in progress that I hope to have done over the week end. I'll make sure to keep you posted on the progress.

Does anyone have any eye painting tips to share? I can get one eye okay but the second one always is a little off, they are never the same. But I think they are passable for now. I'll keep practicing in the meantime.

New Handbag

2010-02-17T12:42:00.006-06:00

Here is a custom order handbag that I've been working on. I really like the peacock with the cool feathers. I used a linen for the front with Amy Butler fabrics for the feathers, the peacock body is a woolen felt. The applique is my on design and was a lot of fun to create. Of course as always I get nervous doing custom orders. I always worry that it isn't what they had in mind. It's so much easier selling things already made. Do any of you feel the same or is it just me?

I have been featured on my peeps Jodi Reeves blog The Creative Jar, it's her 1000th blog post so hop over and say hi and congratulations.

I have a lot of ideas in my head right now and hope to share more with you soon.

Woodland Shadowboxes

2009-11-11T14:49:00.002-06:00

I am loving the woodland theme right now as you can see. So I took a tiny break from making owls for the shadowboxes and have created some silhouettes similar to my woodland pillows. I am only doing these three and they will be at the next Handmade in the Arcade event December 5th.

I wish (okay maybe not) I was doing a nursery, I think this could be the cutest nursery ever!
The woodland shadowboxes and woodland pillows, paint a huge tree in the corner that was home to some little tweets or you know me an OWL!

The event last week end was amazing...not so much as in $$$ but FUN! The weather was intoxicating and the moon was breathtaking. If you have never been to the Art Crawl in downtown Nashville let me tell you you have missed a treat. Tons of art, lots of interesting beautiful people, music plus wine and it all free! How can you go wrong?

Woodland pillows

2009-10-28T14:49:00.004-05:00

Here are the fruits of my labor (for the last 2 days) for a few of the upcoming shows. I wanted to do a "Woodland" series and right now I'm happy with the way they have turned out. Of course I do look now and think I should have done this or next time I will do that. But as far as I know I can make more, right?

I was getting all hyped up and excited about the show ( October 31st the East Academy Fall Fest & Craft Fair at Eastwood Christian Church on Eastland Ave.)
this Saturday but it looks like rain :(
It isn't a huge event but one of the fun ones here in my neighborhood. I always enjoy neighborhood shows, they are so much easier and I usually see my peeps. I'll keep my fingers crossed we still have a few more days for the weather to change. The other bummer is I just found out one of the December events I do each year is now a one day event instead of 3 days. So I will be looking to add a couple of more events. If you know of something that's local and good let me know.

Peek a boo

2009-10-26T09:23:00.003-05:00

Here is a work in progress...cutie hooties for the show this week end. I always like to see others
WIP so thought I'd share these cuties with you. Did you know a group of owls are called a "stare of owls"? Now you know! Anyone else hearing that Geico commercial song in their head right now?

A few other new things

2009-10-23T10:04:00.004-05:00

I don't think I have shown you the Babushka doll or the embroidery tea cups. This year I have been stretching some of my creative muscles and challenged myself to do "something different".
Ta da....embroidery! My grandmother was a champ at anything that involved needle and thread
(hand sewn not machine). Now I wish I'd paid more attention, I think I was just too impatient.
I have enjoyed hand stitching more than I would have ever thought. The nicest thing about it is that it is a portable craft. It gives me something besides my pad and pencils to take along. I have purchased this adorable pattern from Follow the White Bunny. The bed holds so many possibilities!
I encourage you to visit her flickr site as well. Of course Sublime Stitching has an awesome selection of patterns too. For the lessons and video stitch guide go here.

The babushka doll has already sold, but I do plan to do some more. I need to tweak her a little more. I also have another shadowbox idea that I hope to do soon. So many ideas and only 24 hours to each day.

Shadowboxes

2009-10-21T14:53:00.005-05:00

Here for your viewing pleasure are the new owl shadowboxes. If anyone has any tips on photographing shadowboxes please let me know. I tried taking the pictures in the living room bookcase, on the front porch, on the kitchen cabinet and the dining room window seat. I'm really not happy with any of the shots but here are the best ones. Believe me when I say the pictures do not do them any justice.

However if you would like to see them in person, you will have your chance and the first opportunity to buy this Halloween. Yes, I do have an event October 31st the East Academy Fall Fest & Craft Fair. The Fair will be held here in the hood at Eastwood Christian Church on Eastland Ave.

I did get some great news yesterday...I was accepted as a vendor for the upcoming 1st annual Handmade in the Arcade Craft Fair! More on that later. Right now I have a pile of stuffing and a mountain of pillows calling me to create.

German town Street Festival

2009-10-14T10:07:00.006-05:00

Last week end was the German town Street Festival and here are some pictures of all the crafty goodness. The photos are courtesy of my favorite artist and friend Jodi Reeves. Jodi was attending as a patron not a vendor! However she did assist in setting up my booth and did some interviews with other crafters as well as taking over 100 photos. I'm sure you will be seeing more of the festival on her blog.

The pillows are something new for me and I have been having a lot if fun with them. The pillows are like little pieces of art with so many possibilities. It's easy to get carried away, for example the flower power pillow. I'm not sure I will ever make another, it was so tedious. That flower has 50 hand cut, hand sewn petals! I'd keep it myself but alas I have Boris (destructor of pillows) and Thomas the cat...the pillow would never last in my home. However the "Woodland" series is pulling me into the world of forest creatures, mushrooms, trees and flowers. I'm loving the burlap and suede combination.

Hopefully I will have another event soon, I'll know by next week end. Meanwhile you may find me locally at Art & Invention here in the hood...East Nashville on Woodland across from the post office near 5 points.

Fresh in the Shop

2009-04-24T16:49:00.003-05:00

These cutie hooties are in the shop now. Next weekend I do have a show here in the hood, so get them while you can. More creations are coming, hope you're not sick of the hooties. Let me know what you think....

Hooties are flying out the door!

2009-04-17T10:07:00.003-05:00

I have packaged the hooties and they are on the way to their new homes. Tonight I will see Jodi at her opening in Riverside Village and will not need to mail, but wanted her to get a pretty package as well. I wrapped them in old unused pattern sheets, tied with tulle and stamped tag.

Yesterday I visited Great Stuff here in East Nashville as the owner Elizabeth had contacted me after seeing my wares in Art & Invention. Elizabeth also has a store in Franklin so now another place to buy White Cottage locally. Both Art & Invention and Great Stuff will carry cutie hooties, sweet tweets and shadowboxes.

If you are local come on out to the show tonight, find details here. If you haven't seen The Creative Jar's new stuff you are really missing out, go check it out NOW! A very hippie chick vibe happening! LOVE IT!

Music, wine, fruit and cheese

2009-04-16T15:53:00.004-05:00

Yesterday my hubby came home early from a rough day at work. But I managed to get him into a better mood, thank goodness. Before dinner I made a snack of fruit and cheese then decided to open a bottle of wine to get celebrate hump day (no I don't celebrate every Wednesday). Then I hear soft guitar strumming....my own personal serenade. I loved it, however as you can see Boris was not impressed. Maybe Boris needed some wine as well? Kidding!

Thanks for the comments yesterday and congratulations to the winners Natalie, Carolyn and Jodi. Next time I do a give away I will do a random drawing and stretch it out, it ended way too soon.

Free Owls

2009-04-15T12:49:00.002-05:00

I thought I'd get your attention with the post title. Actually it's a "pay it forward" game.
The rules are simple....

1. Be one of the first THREE bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade owl from me.

2. If you are one of the first three to make a comment, you are a winner! And you then agree to post this challenge on your own blog, meaning that you will pay it forward, creating a handmade gift -anything!- for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!

3. The gift that you send to your 3 friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember it’s the spirit and the thought that count!

4. When you receive your gift, blog about it! If you are not one of the first three to comment on this post, you can still play along. Go ahead and start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same! It's all about paying it forward.

I got this from Jodi Reeves of The Creative Jar and I think she still has an opening last time I checked.

Good luck!

Puppy Pop Art Project

2009-03-24T09:46:00.006-05:00

It's done! Yippee! The Puppy Pop Art piece is complete, I would like to do this again. That isn't something I say every time I finish a project. In hindsight I will make a few changes next time.
I knew I wanted to include Bailey's name into the piece but didn't leave enough room once said and done. However if there's a will there's a way and I think it works. I have included the Bailey inspiration picture for you to compare as well. The last post I included a link for instruction for those interested.

The bird pillow is the same birdie applique I used on my toaster cover. I just added a bit more of a branch. The birdie is black ultra suede fused on Amy Butler fabric. Thanks again Leah of Sew Spoiled for the free applique. I'm sure I will use this sweetie for awhile. Get your free applique here.

Some new hooties have hatched, now I want a basket or a tree or something for them to hang out. They look kind of sleepy don't you think? Note the awesome tree behind them from my peep Jodi Reeves.

Head on over to The Creative Jar and post a comment to win something from Jodi.

I'm loving all the freebies!

Puppy Pop Art

2009-03-20T10:45:00.004-05:00

I have been busy with some catch up work before I head down to FLA to visit two of my girls and two of the grand kids. You know I must bring something for each of them, so I am working on some super cute things. I'll be there for a week to babysit while they are out for spring break.

Here is something for my youngest daughter, it's a picture of her beloved Boston Terrier Bailey Boo. Bailey is even more spoiled than my dogs, of course Bailey is the only canine in the house (I have three).
I was inspired by Lori Marie of Pretty Little Things when she was on Martha Stewart. You may find the directions on the left sidebar of her site. I just love everything she does. I wonder if I could move into her "little house"?

I'm ready to do some embroidery touches before it is stapled to the frame but was so excited I had to share. So far I'm pleased and already have ideas to do my own four legged friends in Pop Art.
I will post the final project once complete.

Forgive me readers, it's been over 2 months since my last blog post

2009-03-05T14:27:00.004-06:00

WOW! Has it really been that long? What can I say? December was a blur; 3 shows, 3 out of town trips and not to mention finishing holiday gifts. When January hit I just shut down completely.
Then when I was ready to join the world again I came down with a sinus and bronchial infection, and you guessed it my husband was hit with the same thing about a week later. Now it's almost spring!

Enough of that, let's move forward. This Sunday I'm meeting a few of my creative peeps and wanted to have something for show and tell. So I'm racking my brain trying to come up with a quick project and in keeping with "I'm making more things for myself/home this year. Ta Da ...
a cover for my not so pretty toaster. This was a simple project that clearly has endless possibilities.
I'm not completely satisfied, it needs a little tweaking but will do for now. The fit is a little too loose and it seems wonky? Here's the cool part the awesome birdie applique is a free download from the talented Leah of Sew Spoiled, link here. I want to make another for my mixer :)

One more thing on my mind and I don't want to get too heavy on you but ... the recent economic situation has affected most of us in one way or another. I believe it's important to reach out with support, understanding and encouragement for one another in these tough times. The biggest impact could be a kind word or smile and last time I checked they're still free.

And speaking of free, go check out my friend Jodi Reeves blog she has a fabric give a way!

I live in my jammies somedays

2008-11-24T15:16:00.006-06:00

Whew, what a weekend! I am actually kind of glad for the cold rainy day today as I have an excuse to stay in my jammies. I thought I could be real low key and no one would ever be the wiser to this fact....hmmm WRONG! First my pal Jodi dropped by, that is no biggie as she is more like family than company. But while we sat on the porch (again it's 1:00 pm and I'm in jammies and a polar bear robe) the mailman came and my next door neighbor pulled up. I was so busted! Now you know and a few of the neighbors know that I may or may not get dressed by noon. I consider that one of the perks of the stay at home creator.

The Centennial Holiday Show was a great success for me being the highest $$$ event of the year. If you are considering this event I must say it is very very organized and everyone was extremely polite. Some of the perks were the teachers lounge that provided snacks and a quite place for the vendors, also the students and volunteers came around several times each hour to check to see if we needed anything from the concession booth or would watch the booth if we needed a break. They also provide unloading/loading assistance (for a fee).
I would give this event 4 out of 5 stars. Several returning vendors did say they did about half of what they did last year. The economy is effecting businesses at all levels, which makes it hard to judge events. This is a show I would probably do again next year. I do plan on cutting back on the events next year and be selective, and put focus on local shops and etsy.

Here are some pictures of the "indoor" set up. Note the fixture behind the tables with the aprons hanging? That's the result of several emails and pics from Erika of Kitsch Designs. It was a life saver and now I see many possibilities with this fixture. Erika did stop by the show and gave the thumbs up on the fixture and adopted a owl to take home. Thanks so much Erika!

I have three more times to show this year and then I will be done! A big part of me wishes it was over, I can't go to the shows in my jammies you know.

Centennial Holiday Show

2008-11-20T10:35:00.005-06:00

The last big show of the year is this Saturday and Sunday. Whew! I have made a few new goodies....sweet tweets, peeps, aprons and owl shadow boxes. Here is a little preview.
As said in last post I am nervous about this event so send all your good vibes my way this week end. I did get some support from Erika of Kitsch Designs about indoor set up, thanks so much! If you don't know Erika I urge you to check out her sites, she uses vintage fabric to create the coolest things. Plus she is a super duper nice person.

Several of you have inquired about the owl shadow boxes and want to know when they will be available in the store. At this time I'm holding off on until after the events. My last show will be December 19th at Cummins Station downtown Nashville. I did this event last year and really enjoyed it. It is a little different from most events as it is held the first three Fridays in December from 11:00-4:00 in the afternoon. Mostly the employees of the various businesses and the lunch crowd are the customers, but they are very supportive.

Hope to see you this weekend :)

Happy Birthday to me...

2008-11-16T15:33:00.004-06:00

Yes, it's my birthday today! Actually we are pretty low key on adult birthdays around here, all relatives are out of town. But I did met my friend Jodi for a afternoon birthday tea celebration. One of the other perks of sharing a booth space is that the other person knows what you like and "gets you". So...I got all kinds of goodies from her! First all the goodies were placed in one of her famous "Trash totes" and let me tell you they hold a ton of stuff. I also received the matching pouch. Inside where two of my favorite Creative Jar pieces, personal art card and look at the all time best ever....the birdie tree! The little birdies are old French dictionary pages, I was with Jodi when she purchased the dictionary. I wish you could see the detail, it's stunning!

My husband got me the Wii Fit on my request. I have dropped a few pounds this year nothing major but at least going in the right direction. I know I need to get moving and active so we'll see. I'll have to update you later.

It's my birthday so I'm going to take it easy today and relax, because the other gift is that my wonderful husband is doing the cleaning this week end, bliss.

Tweets and peeps

2008-11-11T12:47:00.005-06:00

See the flock of birdies? I wish I could keep them all...they do look happy in the window don't you think? I know if I left the room they would be in the floor, in Boris mouth or the cat would do a snatch and run, certain disaster for the sweet tweets.

I have ten new additions in the tweets and four new peeps. They will be at the Centennial Holiday Show next week end. I will share with you that I am a little nervous about this up coming event (more than usual). I heard it was "impossible" to get in, I sent my and Jodi's application in at the last minute and we were selected! Then I get this humongous vendor pack in the mail, I mean it was seriously six pages of very detailed information. The main thing was the "Jury Sheet", they come around and judge your booth on six categories. The categories range from craftsmanship to crowd appeal to display. Based on the resulting scores you may or may not be invited back. The main concern for me is the booth display.
With this being an inside event and no tent I have my challenges. I cannot hang my aprons on the clothesline as I normally do. It also seems like a 10x10 area shrinks inside. I know it's the same space but outside it seems larger? Does anyone have any ideas?

Jodi and I have shared booth space for most of the events this year and we are bursting at the seams. It's somewhat bitter sweet for both of us. On one hand out growing the space means we are building our inventory and have more to offer than ever. Sharing also helps with the booth fee costs, but mostly it's the companionship and time spent with a friend.
We both know next year we may not be able to share a booth. As I said bitter sweet.

More Hoots!

2008-10-31T10:09:00.003-05:00

The final two hoots have been completed before the show. Again sorry for the glare in the picture, but I think you can still see.
I am working on the free standing hoot as well...see? Not where I want to be right now but getting closer :)

Don't forget I'll be at McGavock High School here in Nashville tomorrow from 9-4!
Handbags, aprons, kids art books, tweets, peeps and hoots will all be there too!

HOOT of a time!

2008-10-29T15:31:00.005-05:00

Here is a quick post...just so you can see the hoots. The owls are filled fabric, the branch is from my neighborhood (no trees were harmed, fallen branches), paper background with paper flowers.
The orange one you have seen before but this is a somewhat better picture and I added some new flowers (I may be pushing the limit here). The blue one is a new addition, I am working on 2 more today. Boy are these hard to get a decent picture with the glass glare. Last event I only brought one back home, so hope this new hoots will find homes this weekend. I know I said I would post them in the shop but I am concerned about mailing them. Next trip to the post office I'll take one and see what type of shipping options we have. If you are interested in a hoot just email me and we'll work it out.

Babushka and owls

2008-10-28T09:47:00.005-05:00

I have been creating for another you guessed it upcoming event. Actually this week I learned of acceptance to two events this month. The first one is this Saturday at McGavock High School from 9:00-4:00, more info here. The second event will be November 22 & 23 at Centennial High School, more info here. I have never participated in either of these events but have heard nice things about both. At this time indoor events are particularly appealing.
Last year I was doing weekly events at the Nashville Farmers Market...it got very cold and rained more than not. YUCK!

Here are some of the things I've been working on, the owls are hand painted on a full canvas apron. I only have three of these aprons and am tempted to keep one. I still have to paint the other two and am not certain of what I will paint. I really want to do more owls, as I am comfortable painting them at this point. But I will try something different maybe trees or birds?

The babushka move from room to room, I think they miss Amber playing with them. They settled on the dining room table to be my muse.I was inspired by the babushka fabric from etsy and made as much as I could with the four fat eights that I ordered. I have a ton of hair bobby pins, three eye masks and four cup cuffs. I hope these sell...I could never use all those babushka hair pins!

Well I need to start cranking out some more goodies for the shows. Check back I'm sure I'll have more craftiness to share soon.

Artist or Creator

2008-10-21T15:02:00.005-05:00

Here are some of the new things I have brewing in the cottage. The owl shadowbox is not exactly new but I have upgraded to a larger size. This is an 8x10 frame and the owl is larger than the last bunch. I was a little overwhelmed at the response to the owl shadowboxes and sold all but one at their debut event. FYI I do plan to list some in the store this week. The blackbird is something I've had in my head for awhile and the bird was drawn about a year ago. As soon as I sketched him out I thought of the song "Blackbird" by Paul McCartney, I love that song.Not sure the bird is complete, I need to change the ribbon for sure and I was thinking of adding some tags to the key. You'll see soon. I thought of putting the bird onto a hand painted Nashville bag and still may do so yet.

I do need to thank my friend and booth partner Jodi Reeves for giving me the encouragement to "branch out". My stash contains paint, brushes, mod podge, wire and a whole lot more. A year ago you would find mostly fabric, thread and buttons. Which brings me back to the title "Artist or Creator"? I have never considered myself an artist, although I know art is not exclusive to a painted canvas. I have been comfortable with creator and think I will stick to that. As women we have the ability to create life! It doesn't get any better than that. I know for myself after I became a mom my creative button clicked and life has never been the same since.

So now that I am putting paint to canvas and "branching out" I think I'll stick to the creator label.

I do have to put a word in about the Webb School of Design event in Bell Buckle......
I helped Jodi the first day (I did not show) and she was interviewed by the Shelbyville paper!
Then she won a ribbon ! Her art was purchased to hang in Webb School! Jodi was the Diva of the Day! Go check her out and get the scoop here.

A GREAT EVENT!

2008-10-15T09:29:00.006-05:00

Germantown turned out to be the best $$$ event I have ever participated in. And I must say that they really had their stuff together. As you know I usually share a booth with creator Jodi of The Creative Jar, what you may not know is that Jodi is the founder of CRAFT a creative community and has coordinated many many events. Even she was impressed! Everything was a smooth process from the letter indicating they had received our application to the vendor information letter to the clearly marked set up. I would give it a 4 of 5 star rating. The only feedback is in regard to the separation of events Germantown vs Octoberfest. I believe everyone was not aware of the the event right next door? As usual I think the artist/crafters should have been promoted more....I always feel like that.

Now I find that I must produce to be ready for the next event. A good problem :)
Several tweets and peeps found new homes.
I am out of ruffled aprons and only have one owl shadowbox left. So you will be seeing some more new stuff soon.

Germantown Street Festival

2008-10-09T10:07:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I forgot to tell you how to find me at the German town Street Festival this Saturday.
Per my vendor confirmation sheet; we will be located on 5th Ave North between Madison and Monroe. I can hardly wait! I am so excited about this event, I know it will be a blast!

I have been creating like crazy trying to prepare for this and now that I'm a few days away I feel so nervous. So sure I don't have enough inventory....I know that I do but I still have all these ideas in my head that will not be ready Saturday. I am happy that I have the owls, butterflies, new apron style, new Vandie bag, Memphis bag, the Sweet Tweets and now some cool composition book covers! I made some owls and trees last year and wanted to do some again. I always have the composition book covers and they are popular but wanted something special. I like the trees the best.....

Give a Hoot.....Get a Hoot!

2008-10-08T12:46:00.004-05:00

Okay a little corny, but owls seem to put me into that mood. Here are three new owls and the last of these shadowboxes (hope I will be able to find more). These little hoots and new butterflies will be available at the German town Festival this Saturday.

CRAFT a creative community event

2008-10-02T15:24:00.005-05:00

I have had an awful week of no production! I thought today would be "the day",but my hubby had a list of errands that must be taken care of today. So I am now just getting home and thinking that I'll have to start dinner in an hour so no time to start something :(

I do have a new owl shadowbox to share...the butterflies will still be available but wanted to try something different. The stuffed owl is based on a Japanese Craft book pattern. You can find more owl inspiration here.

During my errands today I found myself at Joann's fabrics and found a brand new line by Heidi Grace Designs. Yes of course I had to have some, it's has a very vintage, retro 60's vibe to it. I may need to go back and get some more...it is on sale!! I'm seeing aprons with this combo, just too cute.

Lastly a shameless plug for the CRAFT a creative community event this Sunday in East Nashville. After this month we will only have one more event this year. So don't miss out and come on to support local artisans/creators.

Edgefield Uncorked Event in East Nashville

2008-09-24T13:37:00.006-05:00

I have a last minute opportunity to show my wares at the Edgefield Uncorked Event this Saturday!
It looks like it more of a chance to have fun and not really work at all. You can find out all about the event here...
http://www.edgefielduncorked.org/

I took this picture last week end before I was aware of the event, I think it was meant to be.

So come on out have a glass of wine, grab a plate, listen to some live music and shop!
A recipe for a perfect evening! Hope to see you there

A glimpse into my home

2008-09-22T18:35:00.003-05:00

Here are some pictures taken in the dining room. This is the real deal here...no staging or cleaning just moments in life. You probably recognize this room, it's the room most pictures are taken in as it receives the most natural sunlight.

It was Saturday afternoon and as I was sitting in the window seat looking into the room listening to my husband play the guitar. I realized how comfortable this room is and we do spend a lot of time in here. We haven't done much to this area since we moved in except paint, make cushions for the window seat and make the window treatments. The window seat is a favorite napping place for both Sir Thomas and Boris. And I have been known to curl up with a book here as well. Overall I'm pleased with the room. I do however want/need a new/old dining room table. Notice I didn't take any pictures of the table. I would like an old empire style round one.
One day....

Erin McMorris Park Slope Patchwork Apron

2008-09-18T10:58:00.005-05:00

As promised here is the new apron style....
She features a large pocket, a towel loop and is fun and flirty.
I wanted another apron style besides the ruffled one that people would be more comfortable wearing in the kitchen. But at the same time I wanted it to have my traditional style with a twist!
I think like the ruffled apron this too could/should be worn as a fashion accessory, but is totally at home baking cookies as well.

What do you think? The only suggestion for change was to do a shorter version???
This one measures about 24" long from the waist. Do I need to add another patchwork row?
I'm sure I'll mix it up a little, you never know.

As you know I name everything...cars, sewing machines, handbags
Any suggestions for this apron or ruffled apron is appreciated.
I think this one has a very casual French Country feel and the ruffled style is more uptown sophisticated. HELP!

I have to go now and whip up some more of these for the Berry Hill event this Saturday in Azalea Park.

Sweet Peeps have landed

2008-09-16T09:50:00.005-05:00

Here is a sneak preview of one of the new items that may be found in our booth this weekend at the Berry Hill event in Azalea Park. Last show several fell in love with the Sweet Tweets but said they had no place to hang them. So here is a free standing version that I'm calling Sweet Peeps that may be placed next to your computer, sewing machine on any tabletop surface. It's funny how they all start the same but develop a unique personality as they are created. They are a lot of fun to have around, I think Thomas (our cat) is their biggest fan right now.

So if you can stop by Azalea Park in Berry Hill this Saturday and get your very own Sweet Peep.
I've got to find good homes for these guys! The Sweet Peeps will not be posted in the shop until after the show: but if you have fallen in love with a particular Peep let me know and I'm sure we can work something out.

I'm also working on a new apron style for this week end as well. Hope to have another blog update in the next couple of days. Meanwhile hope over to my crafty creative booth partners blog and check out all the new things she has been working on.

Owl bag done!

2008-09-12T14:25:00.004-05:00

Here is the finished owl bag. A lot is going on with this bag...hand painted, applique, free motion stitching, vintage buttons, WOW! I love it! I hope the customer likes it, it's a gift for her sister.
I really really want to make one for myself now.
It is so funny how we creators never seem to create for ourselves, always for others.
People that know I sew assume I have made all these awesome handmade things in my home...not so.
Most of the handmade items in my home are from other creators and that is just fine with me:)
One day, yes one day I will have all the time in the world to create just for me. I just hope I can still see well enough to thread the sewing machine.

More goodies coming so check back, enjoy your week end!

Hand painted Owl Bag

2008-09-10T11:28:00.004-05:00

Here is a WIP involving paints, an owl and some free motion stitching. So far so good....I still am a little uncomfortable painting and always think I've ruined it as soon as I start painting. Then the free motion stitching is a whole other story. I know with time and practice it'll get better. But it does have that wonky style, don't you think? Part of the charm? Actually I am having fun but wish the stitches were a little more consistent.....any tips?

I know once it all goes together no one will notice the stitching. It's funny I'm always telling a friend of mine don't worry about the stitches, it's your style. I guess this may be my style as well???

I'll post more when the bag is complete. You can see the back and interior fabrics that will be used for the lining in the overall picture. I want to do a beaded handle for this one, it's just telling me that right now.

Yet another new handbag style....

2008-09-02T21:04:00.007-05:00

As promised here is the other new handbag style....what do you think? I haven't named her yet but am thinking of continuing with the Tennessee theme, maybe the "Memphis Bag"? It's sort of funky and hip, just like the Memphis scene. Especially the patchwork one.I used Michael Miller's Bohemian patchwork, Michael Miller's Groovey, and the patchwork is Erin Michael ZA ZA. Put it over your shoulder grab some lipsmacking barbecue and then settle in for some grooving blues. My kind of day!

I am feeling the pressure of upcoming events as I am extremely low in inventory. I guess that's what happens when production is shut down for a few months. But it's also satisfying in a whacked sort of way. When I first started selling my goods (less than a year ago) and looked at all the inventory it was scary. What if I did not sell anything? What would I do with all this stuff? Well that's the least of my worries now. The only thing fully stocked is handbags, I have been in a bag making mood lately. But need to move on.

I have considered tweaking my shop to fewer items and narrow my focus. However I like to try new ideas and offer a selection to my shoppers. So I'm sure I'll always have a mish mosh of this and that. Being a one woman show does take it's toll at times though. I work best under pressure and it will all come out in the end.

The last two pictures are of two more Vandie bags, I used a Japanese Alice in Wonderland and Tula Pink Flutterby prints.

Hope some of you will make it to the show this week end and check out the new stuff. If you do and decide to purchase a new bag "Vandie" or "Memphis"? tell me you saw them on my blog and get $5.00 off the bag! Hey that will pay for the gas to get there....

Ooops forgot to mention new bags are in the shop for those out of towners.
Memphis bag willpost tomorrow.

New Bag Design

2008-08-28T18:06:00.005-05:00

Here is the new handbag style. It's something that I worked on for awhile, I know it looks simple enough but it took me awhile to get it just right. After doing 5 of these babes the bias is looking much better. not that it was terrible before. But the process is much smoother and less time consuming then at first.

Now I am on to some comp book covers. They are fun and easy, I need a brain break before I start another "new" project. I do have another handbag style coming soon. It's actually a draft from the new Vandie bag that didn't work out. I wanted a bag with a pleated top and I think this is the one!

Hopefully more aprons are on the way as well! Lots of ideas in my head that need to be created!

If you are in the East Nashville area next Sunday Sept 7th stop by the Lipstick Lounge on Woodland for the CRAFT event and say HI. You will be able to see the new Vandie bag as well as the new Sweet Tweets.

For those not in the area I am listing in my etsy shop as well.

What I did on my summer vacation

2008-08-25T12:16:00.004-05:00

My few weeks off turned into a couple of months! I feel like I need to start the blog post with
"What I did on my summer vacation". Well I've had visits from both my girls that live in FLA. and an extended visit from Amber my beautiful grand daughter. I went to visit my other daughter in MO and see the new grand baby! That was the highlight of the summer :) The rest of the time has been spent enjoying the last lazy days of summer. It seems like several other creators I caught a bad case of the nothingness. However now I am back with all these ideas and random thoughts in my head and a need to create. I guess it may have something to do with 2 shows in September and another 2 scheduled for October????

The new bag has finally came into being so to say...let me know your thoughts. I wanted to offer another style besides the every popular Nashville bag or Tote bag. I'm pretty pleased with the result, it has been tweaked many times. Any special suggestions on sewing the bias strap? Mine is okay but far from stellar. DO you guys buy the ready made or make your own? I did my own but wonder if it's truly worth the effort unless I use "special" fabric?

The birdies are something I've had in my head for awhile another project that came into being! You may find a similar bird pattern to download here http://www.spoolsewing.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/birdpattern1-1.pdf
I used 20 gauge wire for the frame, a branch for the perch and added scrape book paper for the flowers. The orange one has fabric flowers from this site http://boutiquenutmegdesigns.blogspot.com/2008/07/fabric-flower-tutorial.html
plus a felt leaf! I'm calling them "Sweet Tweets".
I think one of the reasons I love them so (besides the fact I love everything birds) is that I now can have a bird. With the other animals (Boris, Dixie, Gracie and Sir Thomas) in the house a bird is not an option right now.

Okay you're caught up for the moment now I need to get in gear and make some more of the bags. Pictures forth coming.....

Special House Guest

2008-07-17T21:21:00.004-05:00

Wow...it's been awhile since my last post but I have a very good reason. I have a special house guest this month, my beautiful granddaughter Amber is visiting me from Florida. Since she has been here we have been creating together and having the best time ever. Time has slipped away from me, how do you mommies do it? Everything has been put on hold while I relish the days with her, soon she will be gone :(

Amber has enjoyed her time in Nashville as well, it seems she has been bitten by the Nashvegas bug! Check out the cowboy hat and guitar. Yes she paints, she sings, plays the guitar and sews! A girl after my heart...oops she already has it!

I just wanted to do a quick post to let you all know that I am alive and well. I am getting ready to go visit my new grandson Joshua in Missouri for awhile so the next post will be in another week or so. Hang in there more crafty goodness coming!

Backyard visitor

2008-07-01T09:24:00.004-05:00

We had a special visitor in the back yard recently. Luck for Mr Hoppy Boris and Dixie Bell were inside. Gracie was in the yard and gave a half hearted chase but was no obvious threat to Mr Hoppy. This summer the rabbit population has been very healthy. There are two tribes of rabbits here in our neighborhood....the normal wild rabbit tribe (WRT) and then we have the escaped Easter Bunny tribe (EEBT).

The visitor is from the escaped Easter bunny tribe, we did give chase ourselves trying to get him/her to the back into the alley. I'm sure you would be more entertained with pictures of us chasing this bunny. We finally ensured Mr Hoppy was safely out of the yard before Boris and Dixie Belle were allowed back into the yard.

Long live Escaped Easter Bunny Tribe!!!

The Price of Creating

2008-06-24T12:57:00.003-05:00

As you all know I had an event in beautiful Bell Buckle Tennessee this past weekend, and as always I do an after show follow up post. I must say Bell Buckle Tennessee is beautiful and a very scenic drive after you leave I24. I was listening to some Irish tunes and felt like I was driving through the country side in Ireland. The citizens of Bell Buckle are just as pleasant, unbelievable nice. I realize I have been in the city too long, don't get me wrong we have nice people here in Nashville but overall we aren't completely trusting of strangers. The nicest lady I met was my first sale and her name is Martha. Martha is a rare soul that will steal your heart before you know it. She is a giving person that would give the shirt off her back. (Without going into a lot of details let me tell you she offered me her car to drive back to Nashville saying I trust you and know you will return it, as I had some car problems). I love Martha!

The other highlight and I do mean highlight was meeting a flickr friend in person. After months of email communication I finally met Stitchin Sista! She is just as sweet as I imagined. I enjoyed the brief time I spent with her and her daughter. Stitchin Sista is an extremely talented creator that creates the most awesome wallets, bags and she quilts....I really want to pick her brains for tips. Go check her out!

The other positive outcome of the RC Cola/Moon Pie event was my friend Jodi was selected by Webb School to return to Bell Buckle in October. This is huge! Jodi's shemics were a hit, she finally had an audience that appreciates her talent. Recently Jodi had taken a different direction with her art and was questioning her decision and she deserved/needed the affirmation. i've been telling her all along....but will she listen to me? NO! I takes total strangers in Bell Buckle Tennessee to get her to see it. Yep Jodi had a ROCK STAR day and I'm so happy for her.
You Go Girl!

Before I started writing this post I had to go back and read my "Crafter's Conversations"post.
I did not have a good event. It was the worst event financially I have ever done. I keep telling myself I broke even, but I'm not so sure. The bad news that I really don't want to talk about is the fact that my car is still in Bell Buckle, under the watchful eye of Martha. Here is the short version of the story. When I left Nashville it was dark and I had my lights on. When I arrived in Bell Buckle it was light....I forgot to turn my lights off, the battery died. Normally this would be a matter of getting a jump and be on my way, but I drive a very ahead of its time 1991 525I BMW. The problem with this car is when the battery dies the car doesn't allow you to open the doors, hood or anything. After messing with the car for a couple of hours my husband called it quits and said we will go back. So that's another 100 round trip of gas besides the first two trips.

As beautiful and nice as Bell Buckle was I think the event was more of a flea market type of event. Even Stitchin Sista said we were out of place. I did have more people than ever touch and comment about my creations but only sold one handbag, several kids books, a tissue holder, comp book covers and two of my new art pieces. I passed out a ton of cards and let people know where to find me. So we'll see....

The Price of Creating
Booth fee $135 (however this was split)
Gas $100 (remember I had an extra trip)
Sales $140
Taxes $14

Meeting Stitchin Sista priceless
Meeting Martha priceless
Jodi acceptance into Webb School priceless
Beautiful drive priceless

Thank you Stitchin Sista and Martha and congratulations Jodi, you all made the event worth it.
I'd do it all again for you....

Tagged! I'm it!

2008-06-17T18:45:00.003-05:00

Today I was tagged by the fabulously talented Leah of Sew Spoiled. If you haven't had a chance to see her patterns and creations you need to go check out her site. So here it goes.....
What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was a district manager for a fashion retailer with stores in 5 states, I was on the road a lot!
What are 5 (non-work) things on my to do list today?
Unfortunately I have a big show in a few days so not much on my list today that doesn't involve working. However I did take a mini break from the machine this morning and created some happiness in the form of butterflies. The pictures were hard to take as the glass glared...that measure about 5x5.
What are 5 snacks I enjoy?
Hazelnut spread on anything! Chocolate! Ice cream! Strawberries! Pecans! Ok now I'm hungry
Things I would do if I were a billionaire?
Travel, take care of my family, help others, open my own boutique (my money wouldn't last long)
Places I've lived?
GA, SC, VA, FLA, TN
I'm tagging
The Creative Jar
Wicked Moxie
Dark Horse Designs
Sweet Pea Totes
A Patchwork World

Almost there!

2008-06-16T16:53:00.003-05:00

Here is a quick update of the works in progress. Hope you like what you see. As you can see the bags that were supposed to be finished are not yet ready, a 48 bug put me down over the week end. Now I must kick into gear and reach the finish line, at least with these bags. The last show I realized my bag inventory was way low and I have a big show this week end! YIKES! As usual there are so many things I want to create and I find myself in the position of picking and choosing. It's a hard choice as I never know what patrons will desire. Some shows it's all about the bags and aprons another show I won't sell any bags or aprons???

I also need advice....this show requires us to set up the day before the event, I have never had to do that before. The event is also 50 miles outside of Nashville. I am concerned about leaving my things out overnight. The promoter said they have never had any problems in the past 12 years of the event and they provide security as well. The bigger issue is the weather, as you know we recently had a terrible experience. They are calling for isolated thunder storms this week end.
The plan is to drop everything, leave it in the bins, cover and weight down, only put the tent up partially. I do not have a tent with sides so we hope this will be enough. If you have any tips or suggestions please leave a comment.

Shameless plug for the event.....this Saturday in Bell Buckle TN the RC Cola-Moon Pie festival
the event runs from 7:00am-5:00pm. Hope to see you there!

Works In Progress

2008-06-10T19:18:00.003-05:00

I really really should be sitting at my sewing machine right now, but I wanted to give you a sneak peek of things to come. The pictures are of ten Nashville bags in progress....yes that's the basic beginnings of the Nashville bag. I still need to cut the interfacing's to sew and iron in, then the real sewing starts! I hope to have them finished in the next few days (fingers crossed and Boris behaves). Speaking of the King of the house, today he ate the remote! He was in the same room and I heard a cracking sound, I thought okay I need to get that bone/toy from him now. When I reached down it was the remote! Believe me it will affect my husband more than I.

The last two events have been tornado free but still on the breezy side. I am gearing up for another event...The World Famous RC Cola Moon Pie Festival in Bell Buckle Tennessee. YEAH! I love Moon Pies but prefer Diet Coke, do you think I will have to bring my own diet coke? I am looking forward to this event as it is the biggest event I have participated in. I have been wanting to break out of the box and do some bigger shows so this is the test. Hence I am trying to work like a mad woman and have everything good to go. If you veterans have any tips please please advise, I am totally open to your suggestions. Keep watching, I'm sure to have plenty of new creations.

In the eye of the storm

2008-05-29T10:44:00.004-05:00

It has taken me several days to post about the Memorial Day Blues Festival, I needed to recoup.
The day started out overcast and a little rain but nothing we haven't all seen before. Plus there was some sort of mix up about the tent placement, apparently the Fire Marshall drove by and said all tents must be 10 feet apart. As you can imagine this caused a bit of a stir as everyone had set up exactly as directed. This news meant half of the group had to move! One vendor was asked to move twice?!? With the gloom in the air and now the news of the migration there was a bit of a bad vibe happening now.

By the time our booth was set up it was actually sunny and pleasant. Just a little wind here and there but we had everything staked good and tight. Thankfully I had an early bird shopper and had a decent first sale of the day an hour before the event! As usual Jodi and I are finessing our tables and area but there seemed to be nasty skies in the distance. So we decide to be pro active and go ahead and put the sides on the tent, plus Jodi's husband aka "the weather man" has called and warned of a storm coming our way. Looking back I remember "the weather man's" advice to me as he was assessing the weather conditions and the layout of the land, he told me if anything happens our best bet is to jump in the lake. OK! If it gets that bad I'm thinking to myself...I'll just be a goner.

The next few minutes were something like in the Wizard of Oz ! Here's the deal...Jodi and I have the plastic on one side and are doing the other side of the tent, on the outside. It's raining (hard) and the wind is blowing (hard). Oh by the way the band is playing not missing a beat. I see several tents blowing across the lot and miscellaneous bags, signs, art .....you get the picture.
Jodi and I are using our weight to hold the tent, honestly for a second I felt the tent pulling me up. I am not a small person so my thoughts were if my feet leave the ground I've missed my go jump in the lake opportunity! Next came the really bad part....a straight line gust (that's what Jodi called it, I say mini tornado) blew both tables opposite us and everything was on the ground and blowing away. All Jodi's art! Remember we are still OUTSIDE the tent.....then it was over.
No more wind, no more rain just a group of soaking wet people surrounded by rubble. And the band played on.......

Thank goodness no one was hurt. The losses were all material, some more than others. After the shock we began picking up the pieces and thinking how it could have been worse. At least I didn't jump in the lake but I sure looked like I did.

Memorial Day Event

2008-05-24T13:43:00.005-05:00

A quick reminder that White Cottage Design, The Creative Jar and Par Deux Meres will be showing this Monday 5/26 in Centennial Park at the Blues Festival Event. Come on out for a day in the park to enjoy the music, food and festivities. Oh and don't forget to check out the artist/crafters as well.

LEGENDS of the BLUES & Arts FESTIVAL

BLUES & Arts FESTIVAL

MEMORIAL DAY

May26th, 12:00-7:00pm

Centennial Park, Nashville

On another quick note I have been featured in the spotlight
Artsy Mamas blog
http://artsymamas.blogspot.com/2008/05/white-cottage-design-in-spotlight.html

The pictures are random shots taken at night...not very good lighting but I like it anyway and you can't post a blog without a picture now can you?
Hope everyone has an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend!

I LOVE LUCY

2008-05-19T15:12:00.004-05:00

A big part of the events and shows is the booth set up. I am always changing and on the look out for that "perfect" object that will highlight my creations and bring attention to the booth. And sometimes I find the "perfect" object but will it fit into my car? Yes I put everything into my 1991 525I BMW. I know I need a larger vehicle but it's got to be the right one if you know what I mean.That may be a whole other blog as I have been on the look out.

We have a local retail fixture store that is a hit or miss sort of deal, and the prices are usually more than I want to pay. But if you dare venture into the back and look real hard sometimes you will find that diamond in the rough. This was the case several weeks ago shopping for a replacement for Matilda (shh, don't let her know). For those that do not know Matilda she is an iron female stand that models the aprons for pictures and events. Matilda has several issues...for one she is hard to get into my car, I have her on the front passengers side sort of sideways. If she had a head it would be on my shoulder as I drive. Number two issue is that she has fell several times and broken her neck, hence the decorative flower arrangement on top. So I was really in the market for a half form that was flexible for table top or free standing. Have you priced these things recently? Whew, they are not cheap! But way in the back I found Lucy, at first glance she doesn't seem like much. I actually passed on the deal at first, she has more issues than Matilda. But my friend Jodi Reeves of The Creative Jar was inspired and convinced me to go back and get Lucy. Jodi promised a play date to fix her up....she is a woman of vision!

Armed with Jodi's collection of vintage magazines, letters, sheet music, mod podge and other goodies we began the Lucy makeover. Well what can I say? I LOVE LUCY!!! And big huge thanks to Jodi for her vision and contribution of vintage papers. The whole process was so much fun...even the sticky fingers. The best part was finding these words, sayings and ads and choosing careful placement. Lucy is a good read, if you know where to look :)

I will take some action shots of Lucy and the booth next week at the Blues Festival. If you have any booth ideas or tricks please share and I always look forward to comments.

Antique and Thrift store shopping

2008-05-16T13:44:00.004-05:00

I really am not much a mall shopper but it's hard to drive pass an Antique or Thrift store. It's like a treasure hunt and you never know what you may find, for me it's the thrill of the hunt.

It's interesting to see what people throw out or put up for sale. Sometimes I look at something and think about the story that's behind the piece. I think about who might have cherished it and how it wound up on a shelf in a store. I send out hope that it will be bought by someone else that will cherish it. If you have never seen the movie "The Red Violin" I strongly recommend it, it's the story of a violin spanning several centuries.

The above pictures are of recent finds...the silver bowl is a $6.00 thrift store find. I really should have taken a before picture, believe me it did not look anything like the picture. It was almost completely black and I couldn't see any marks but I fell in love with the shape and intricate top. Plus I didn't have a silver bowl a lot of silver trays and a couple of tea sets. After round one cleaning (not finished yet) I found a mark! After some research I found the silver bowl was manufactured in the states somewhere between 1870-1879. WOW! It's not perfect but in great shape given it's age. The cutie pie birds are a find from a local Antique Mall, my husband bought them as a present. Lucky me! They do not have any markings and I know nothing about them other than they make me smile. So I promise to take care of my treasures and cherish them.
Hmm, wonder where they will be in 100 years from now?

The handpainted owl bag

2008-05-09T13:19:00.004-05:00

If you have been reading the blog you may remember the play date post. My very talented artist friend Jodi Reeves came over and "encouraged" me to do a hand painted handbag. I have been wanting to do some other type medium and branch out a little. So what the heck I'll give it a shot. I do okay with sketching but putting down paint is another story....it's harder than it looks.

Recently Jodi did a post about her bags and comparing styles said she was "Green Acres" and I was "Manhattan". Well if that is the case my art is "refrigerator art" and she is "gallery art". I feared my bag would just sit there until a family member took pity and asked to purchase it. However I finished the bag Friday night before the show (didn't take a picture) and sold it Saturday!!! WOW never in a million years would I have thought. The even stranger thing is the customer paid me more than the asking price, was I being "PUNKED"?

Knowing I didn't even take a picture my friend Michelle aka Wicked Moxie came to the rescue with her camera. Note always take pictures of your creations!! So here is my first hand painted with first attempt at free motion machine stitching handbag. I did enjoy doing it and plan to do more, so keep checking back.

Crafter Conversations

2008-05-06T09:47:00.007-05:00

Hello all! Whew, what a week! I had a show Saturday before last, Mamamade event in Franklin then this past Saturday at the Lockland School of Design and Sunday CRAFT a creative community. So I have been a busy girl :) Thanks to all who came out to support local crafters and artist we wouldn't/couldn't do it without you. Which brings me to the title topic.....

Honestly it was sloooow and not the gang buster business any of us crafters/artist expected/wanted so "why do we do it"? Usually we are all busy with patrons or straighting our booths but the past 2 weekends it seemed like more down time to visit and chat with one another.
The conversations were something like this..."no one wants to pay the prices", "no one has extra money to spend", "I'm making below minimum wage doing this", "the event wasn't promoted", "other artist are marking items too low to compete, and the big one "why do I do this"?

I admit I'm not a perfect person and can be drawn into the "drama". But I really did have to think about it, you know there's some good points to consider. A lot of these issues go hand in hand like "no one wants to pay the price" and "no one has extra money to spend".
I believe a lot of us are in the same boat with the rising cost of gas, food, etc. and feel the money crunch. But consider your product? Is it priced fairly? Have you as an crafter/artist created the value in the piece? I can only speak of my experience, but I know I value my goods and hope I convey the passion and quality of my goods. I like the shows and the interaction with the customer, it is actually what I like best. Is your product something that may be used in a practical way? For example I think people are buying things that may be used everyday, they seem to be able to justify a handbag that they carry everyday or a boo boo bag that they use.

"The event wasn't promoted", well what did you do? As creators and sole proprietors it's up to us! Did you post on your sites? Do you carry handouts to give as people notice and comment on your goods? Do you promote the next event at the event you're at? Do you hang posters in your community? We can make a difference if we all pitch in.

"Other crafters/artist are pricing too low to compete". That's a hard one, we really don't know for sure the price of the materials and the time involved in a piece. I do think a lot of crafters/artist cut themselves short and we are our own worst enemy/critic. Remember we are creators and my items are created one at a time all handmade. I put a lot of thought and let the fabric speak to me and sometimes just the time spent on creating the pattern and layout is very time consuming. I remind myself that my items are usually one of a kind that cannot be bought anywhere else. It goes back to creating the value again.

I saved the big ones for last "I'm not even making minimum wage" and "why do I do this?"
That's a personal one, for me I do it because I LOVE IT! I am fortunate and am grateful that I am able to create. I enjoy the company of the other crafters/artist, setting up shop, meeting people that read my blog and creating something someone will appreciate. Although I do okay, if I added the gas, mileage, cost of materials, booth fee and then time creating the product, time in the car buying materials, time loading the car, time setting up the booth and time at the event....I don't want to think about my hourly wage!

Here's the good news...I can work in my comfortable clothes at home, I can take a break or day off whenever, no one is criticizing my work (except me), the only deadlines are self imposed, I can be as creative as I want and I'm doing what I want. I have met some wonderful people and have friendships that never would have happened. I would pay to have a job like that!

The pictures are of mine and Jodi's booth set up. Another post will be forthcoming about set up, I need options. The woman is Jodi's new endeavor of shemics, like comics for women (get it?). They are wonderful, I actually bought one myself this weekend. Go check out her site for more!

If you have read this far thank you. I truly appreciate you and your comments, I wouldn't be here without you. This is a different type of post for me and I promise not to whine too often.
So smile, give yourself a pat on the back...better yet give yourself a big hug :)

Ginger Blossom Love

2008-04-29T10:35:00.005-05:00

If you haven't had the privilege of working with Sandi Henderson's new line of fabric "Ginger Blossom" well you need to run out and get some as soon as you finish reading this post!
The colors, the print, the movement....it's just plain fun to work with! It's perfect if you are like me and love to mix things up a little, you just can't go wrong. I let the fabric "speak" to me and it was telling me it wanted to be this (tote, apron) and it wanted to be that (office set, boo boo bag set, note taker), so as you see it turned into many things.
The only problem I had was that I didn't buy enough! I NEED MORE!

As for me as soon as I finish this post I'll be placing another order with Hancock's of Paducah.

2008-04-25T18:38:00.003-05:00

I wanted to pop in to say "hi" and invite anyone the Nashville/Franklin area to the show tomorrow.
I will be showing with the Mamamade group at Lillie Belle's Teahouse in Franklin Saturday April 26th starting at 9:00 am until at least 2:00 pm. The area is about a block form the Main Street event and I have some new goods to offer! White Cottage, The Creative Jar and Par Deux Meres will be under one roof....and if you sign up for our mailing list you will get 10% off your entire purchase!

For our Par Deux Meres launch we are offering the one of a kind "arm art" for the price of $100! Not only is this a substantial savings but you have the chance to get one of the first in the series.

Come by and say hello and check out some of the cool new items.

New sitter for Boris

2008-04-10T09:46:00.003-05:00

If you have been reading my blog then you already know Boris. If not I will catch you up...Boris is our 125 lb. baby, actually he's a 16 month old American Bulldog. Well Boris has been the "problem child" unlike his other 3 siblings that are almost perfect. He doesn't mean to be a problem it's just that he is big (125 lbs) and he thinks he is small and he is still in the puppy phase (it's all about him). Some days he drives me crazy!!! It seems like when I schedule creating time Boris has other plans....pillow fight, pull out the rugs, empty all the trash cans and pull all the towels off the racks in the bathroom and kitchen oh and just for good measure attack mom's feet.

Yesterday as I was preparing lunch I turned on the TV to catch up on what I had recorded, suddenly Boris runs in the living room jumps on the ottoman and plants himself a foot from the TV.
Boris has discovered "The Dog Whisperer"! He sat there watching TV! He looked so cute turning his head and intently involved. He sat there until about 10 minutes after the show and then started following me again with the foot attack game, it was nice while it lasted. Just in case you're wondering, yes I did record the show :) As a matter of fact "The Dog Whisperer" is going to be recored a lot!

My only question....is it okay to let Boris watch TV? What should be the limit? Do I use "The Dog Whisperer" as punishment if he doesn't behave? Let me know your thoughts on this.

CRAFT a creative community this Sunday

2008-04-02T18:20:00.001-05:00

CRAFT: A Creative Community will hold its monthly "Sunday CRAFT Fair" on Sunday, April 6, from 11 am to 5 pm in the rear parking lot of the Lipstick Lounge in East Nashville. Local artisans will present and sell original hand-crafted items and artwork at affordable prices. In the advent of rain, the fair will be held the following Sunday, April 13, at the same time and location (11 am - 5 pm, 1400 Woodland Street).

For 2008, CRAFT has begun a new feature on its weblog, http://craftacreativecommunity. blogspot. com/.

Each month, featured artisans explain their craft in their own words, giving insight into what, how, and why they create. This month's featured artists, Salithia Buchanan of Crystal Garden, Sarah Tams of Route Thirteen, and Stephanie Powers of Higher Vibes, all create jewelry, each with a distinct style and perspective.

Crystal Garden's Salithia Buchanan began her journey as a wire jewelry artist in 2005. Her fluid, organic designs meld semi-precious stones, crystals and wire to create one-of-a-kind pieces that are at once ethereal and earthy. Buchanan finds inspiration for her wire-wrapped crystal and stone pieces everywhere -- organic shapes, tribal art, nature. Many times her inspiration comes from within, motivated in part by the realization that we are all made from the same earth -- the same elements and minerals -- that make up the stones, crystals, and metals she works with.

Sarah Tams, of Route Thirteen, sees jewelry making as the final destination along a long road of creativity that has led her through drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics, and graphic design. Her graphic background is evident in the classic, clean-lined sterling silver, copper, and gold designs she forms, hammers, and molds by hand in her studio. Tams' work, simple and elegant, is versatile enough to be worn night or day.

Stephanie Powers is sometimes known as "The Rock Lady" – a nickname that has roots as early as her kindergarten years, when, as she remembers, she searched for eye-catching stones instead of playing games. Her love of stones and crystals, and her desire to help heal others and herself, led to her creation of Higher Vibe, an online store featuring jewelry handcrafted with healing stones.

In addition to jewelry, CRAFT's April event will showcase functional pottery, fiber art, clothing, and home furnishings, soaps and candles, and much more.

CRAFT's website, http://craftacreativecommunity. com/, provides more information about upcoming events and their ever-growing roster of participating artisans.

CRAFT is a network of artists and crafts people in the Middle Tennessee area who have banded together to show and sell their work in an atmosphere of fun and friendship, celebrating creativity. Drawing their operating ethic from the simple maxim "Life is too short for ugly stuff", the artisans of CRAFT: A Creative Community have established the monthly Sunday Fair in order to promote and support local craft, local artisans, and the spirit of community that nurtures such creativity. With its Sunday Fair, CRAFT aims to establish craft events that become part of the fabric of the community and that serve as a "home base" for artisans to share original, handcrafted things of beauty and functionality with the general public.

For additional information on the Sunday Fair, or on CRAFT: A Creative Community, please visit http://craftacreativecommunity. com/.

Working and playdate

2008-04-01T10:21:00.004-05:00

Have you ever planned a day and the weather just had other plans? Yesterday we (Jodi and I) had big plans to do our craft set up before the show this weekend. We have obtained some new displays and such and wanted to do a test run. The big plan was to set up in the front yard but it was raining and nasty so on to plan "B". What no plan "B"? We have been looking forward to this and very excited so we never thought of anything else. Well we're not ones to let a day spent together go to waste....so PLAY DATE! What do two grown women do on a play date? Let me tell you...HAVE FUN! So we painted (more on that later), played with the dogs (Jodi couldn't stop laughing), cut out Par Deux Meres sacs, ate caramel kisses and drank Chi tea. The only thing we didn't squeeze in was a thrift store visit. But we were having so much fun at the house.

Okay back to the painting. I am the designer, fabric, needle and thread behind the scenes. Jodi is the incredible artist. Yesterday Jodi made me sketch and paint a bag, no excuses she brought the paints and tricked me into cutting the panels. So there we were....well I doodle...the kind of thing kids do. So soon I will premier the first Par Deux Meres sac hand painted by me?!?
I'm so sure you will be able to get it for a very good price, maybe one of my family members will save me the embarrassment of the sac sitting there and purchase it. Before I can finish I need to get some paint and note I did enjoy it! You guys will be the first to see I promise. Just remember to be kind.

I'll leave you with some of the pictures of our play date, note Boris was not in the crate the whole time just when Jodi was taking the pictures. Gracie is the Boston Terrier, Dixie Bell is the Jack Russell (very hard to get a shot, she keeps moving) and Sir Thomas is the fat cat.

Come on out to the show this Sunday, we will be in East Nashville on Woodland street behind the Lipstick Lounge in the parking lot.

Note all pictures taken by Jodi Reeves of The Creative Jar.

Fabric Love

2008-03-26T12:16:00.005-05:00

Don't you just love it when the Fed Ex truck stops in front of your house? I know I do especially after I've been shopping on line at Hancock's of Paducah. Yep my package came today and I wanted to share my fabric love with you guys. Take a look at some old friends Anna Marie Horners Chocolate Lollipop fabric to be used for my sister's ruffled apron and some other craft aprons.Then some new friends Michael Miller's Ginger Blossom, I've seen some beautiful creations on flickr recently. Then we have Tula Pink's Flutterby....hmmm the possibilities.

I just love new fabric! Holding it, looking at it and letting it tell me what it wants to become.....a handbag, an apron or maybe something else. I'm still finishing the Par Deux Meres bags and need to make table cloths before I can cut into these, but come back and see what this pile of loveliness becomes.

New Camera and Fun

2008-03-22T15:42:00.007-05:00

My wonderful husband Todd brought me a present, I have a new camera! It's a Canon Rebel XT.
I have never had a "nice" camera before and it has more bells and whistles than I know what to do with. But I have a friend that had a similar camera and since she was coming over to work on the Par Deux Meres bags....well. Jodi (my bud) tested my new baby and worked her magic. Here are some of the random pictures she took around my house, please ignore the dust and such.

Oh and go over to our Par Deux Meres site and take a peek at the works in progress.

First Spring Show

2008-03-07T19:59:00.004-06:00

Hello to all, so sorry for the delay in between posts. As most of you know I have been busy creating for the first show of the year with very little computer time. But the creating certainly paid off with one of the best shows ever! The best part was meeting several wonderful ladies that knew my work and had visited the blog. Ann and Betty if you're reading this yes I'm talking about you, you guys really made my day. The Nashville bag is a big hit and will be a large part of Spring/Summer events, yep more to come. The weather was also a plus bringing the community out to visit, it was a mini festival.

I'm happy that I can now share a secret, I have been in collaboration with my good friend Jodi Reeves of The Creative Jar and together we have created Par Deux Meres hand painted handbags for you. We are in the baby stages right now but already sold our first bag "The Woman bag". We are currently working on our site but let me assure you that more is to come. We will have more Par Deux Meres bags at the April 6th CRAFT event in East Nashville. You must see these works of art in person, so come out and take a peek and say "hi".

Day of the Dead bag

2008-02-16T13:41:00.003-06:00

I realize I haven't posted in a few days and want to give you a little sneak peek of the spring line.
I really love this bag, I think it's the bright happy colors. It was snowing the day I was cutting out the bags so it helped me feel a little warmer inside. The lining was purchased separately and I feel like it was the perfect match. Most of the time I pick the lining after the bag is made and I hit the big score with this one. I have posted the bag in the shop if you are interested. Remember all White Cottage Design creations are stitched one at a time and I do not mass produce, so if it's calling your name you better nab it up. Feel free to comment, I want to hear from you!!

Pay it Forward

2008-02-12T09:44:00.000-06:00

Yippee! I have my three comments and am ready to let the games begin.
Thanks to.....
Tiffany @ blask designs
Jodi @ the creative jar
Zenzhetty @ flickr

Go check out these amazing talented women, I am very excited that I will be creating something special for each of them. I'll be in contact when the goodies are ready to go, now go spread the goodness.

My Favorite Room

2008-02-09T11:16:00.000-06:00

This is my favorite room in the house. When we first moved in we had to use this room as our bedroom. The main bedroom was not usable at the time, so we just threw the bed in there and had to put things on hold while we fixed up the real bedroom. This room would be considered the front parlor, it has 2 pocket doors. One set opens to the foyer (our TV room) and the other set opens to the dining room. The room was painted an off white with a hideous light fixture, the only saving grace was the hardwood floors and the huge front window.

Well the room is painted, curtains and shades made and I made a slipcover for the thrift store sofa. The slipcover took me over a month to complete. Our old sofa which was fairly new was not a good fit for the house it was big and more of a southwestern feel to it. But mostly big! So I found this sofa with horrid fabric but could see that it was the perfect size and shape. I think I paid $75 for it. The white (I know WHITE!) fabric is a canvas that may be washed and bleached as needed. The end tables are also a thrift store find. I really really want to paint them white, what do you think? Or maybe a robins egg blue? Any suggestions on this project would be appreciated. I still need art and odds and ends but overall I'm happy. Oh I do have a couple of thrifted chairs to show later. One of which has fell into a battle with Boris. I'll save for another post.

If you didn't comment yesterday go read previous post and comment if you want to play!!! Still have a place for one more.

Pay it Forward

2008-02-08T13:00:00.000-06:00

As I was flickr browsing yesterday I came across Tiffany from "sew you think" and read her pay it forward topic posted in "I made it myself. This is so fun! Here's the deal....sometime in the next 365 days Tiffany will be sending me a surprise (and oh how I love surprises). Then in return I will send a surprise to the first three people to comment on this post, who will promise to pay it forward as well. Okay time for all you lurkers to come out and play!!

Isn't this Exciting!

The rules? You will get something handmade from me, maybe not anytime soon, but sometime with in the next 365 days. If you decide to participate, you must do the same on your blog, and make something for the first three people who comment to your PIF post.You never know what you will get....

Thanks Tiffany, go check out her blog blask kid s.

Boo boo Bag

2008-02-06T20:34:00.000-06:00

I wanted to show the Boo-boo bag I made for my daughters friend. The bag is inspired from Sew Mama Sew rice heat therapy bag tutorial. The Boo-boo bag includes a vanilla scented rice bag for heat, a mint scented buckwheat bag for the freezer, a lavender scented eye pillow and a cool bag to store it all in. The rice and buckwheat has a removable cover so you may remove for the microwave or freezer. I made several for Christmas gifts and they are wonderful! Just the ticket to get you feeling better and looking stylish at the same time.

I am still working on the Babushka messenger bag and it is going to be soooo cute. I hope by posting this I will get into gear to finish it. I really want to keep it but alas it will be posted in the shop.

Spring inspiration

2008-02-04T16:20:00.000-06:00

We had our first CRAFT:a creative community meeting yesterday and it was a blast. It was so nice to see old friends and meet some new soon to be friends. Well the first spring show is scheduled the first Sunday in March and I really need to get my butt in gear. I purchased some cute Russian nesting dolls fabric (remember the $40 spool of thread?) and made a new bag. But the fabric has inspired me to do something else. Go take a look at the "New" picture album and let me know what you think. Real art is not my forte, so please be kind. Not that I think this is real art but you know what I mean, I prefer fabric and thread. I think she will be on a messenger bag of some sort . I am also working on a full apron, not the half apron I usually do. I have found a great pattern (I know, I'm breaking down and will "try" to use one), and will see how it works. The pattern may be found at www.montessoribyhand.blogspot.com if you care to peek. I contacted her and have permission to sell goods using her patterns. I don't know if you realize how nice that is most goods made from patterns may not be sold. But as long as she gets the kudos she is cool with it. And by now you know about the Boo boo bags that will be available for spring. Of course I will have the usual suspects...handbags, wristlets, aprons, comp book covers, kid art books, water bottle holders.

Mama's got a new bag

2008-01-30T09:56:00.000-06:00

I wanted to share this new bag I created last week. I really do like the size as I am more of a bigger bag kind of girl. I wish I could do a one strap on this bag instead of the two. I have tried one strap with this design but the center will fold in and it messes up the shape. My favorite part is the center panel with the Russian nesting dolls, too cute! I do have more of this fabric and am listening very closely to what it wants to be turned into??? I'm so sure it will be a bag, but not sure of what kind?? I have been wanting to try a messenger bag, this very well may be the inspiration.

Boris is a 120 pound baby

2008-01-29T10:31:00.000-06:00

I don't know if you have any pets in your home, but we have 3 dogs, 1 cat and a small fish tank. Right now I am having behavior issues with the baby Boris. Boris is a 13 month old American Bulldog that currently weights about 120 (weight is unsure as when we weight him he tends to lean against the side of the wall). Anywho, recently Boris has taken to biting my feet, ankles, legs etc especially in the morning when I am on the phone. He also has begun to go into the bathroom and open the trash can pulling out the trash to chew on. While I am cleaning the trash mess (which thankfully isn't much) he will pull out the bathroom rug to chew/play with then the towels. Okay I'll just close the bathroom door...problem solved (when I remember to do so). Well then Boris will find amusement in the laundry room, again with the small trash can (mostly discarded fabric sheets and lint) and pulling towels and clothes out to chew/play with. Alright then lets keep the laundry room door closed. Then Boris is off to the kitchen...he can't get into the trash can but will pull any towels down and chew the corner of the dining room rug,pillows in the living room and living room rug. This has been my routine for several weeks now! Oh I almost forgot about the chair arm that now is destroyed. What gives?? He has an abundance of toys, he goes outside whenever he wants. This is driving me crazy and to top it all off when daddy gets home Boris ever so innocent will park his big butt on the living room ottoman and just lay there! What can I do? Any comments and suggestions are appreciated. Just for the record I will not hit Boris I only tell him "wrong", "drop it" and give him something he may chew on. I have to laugh as I type this but it's getting old and I'm tired of this game. HELP!

2008-01-27T21:55:00.001-06:00

Nashville Etsy Street Team

2008-01-27T21:35:00.000-06:00

We have just had our first Nashville Etsy Street Team meeting this past Saturday with about 15 members present. This is very exciting! I have been on etsy since about November 2007 and honestly haven't had a lot of luck. So I am all eyes and ears to learn "how to" create a better shop and help some of my crafters along the way. Whats etsy you say? What? You have never been to the land of all things created by hand? As soon as you finish reading this go to the etsy side bar and shop! Be sure to go to the Nashville my space @ www.myspace.com/nashvegasstreetteam. We also have a flickr account @ /flickr.com/groups/nashvegashandmade/

Be prepared for some major eye candy from this talented group. I'm thinking we all are looking for that special valentine gift for that special somebody. What could be better than a one of a kind item handmade item? I know I have seem several things I would like for myself. Let's go shopping!

My place in cyper space

2008-01-17T21:07:00.001-06:00

Thanks to all of you with those beautiful, witty and informative blogs I have joined the club. Yes, this is my attempt at blogging. I design and create mostly one of a kind handbags, aprons and other little accessories. After 20+ years in retail (former District Manager) I have taken the plunge to jump full time into the crafting world. My very first show was last September and it was love at first sight. Since then I have done another 8 shows, so I had been bit by the crafty bug. The support and inspiration of other talented artisans motivated me to start a myspace page myspace.com/whitecottagedesign and an etsy shop whitecottagedesign.etsy.com.

I'm not sure where this blog will go or if it will be read by anyone outside of friends and family, just bear with me and we'll grow together.