I also adopted a stray kitten last week. His name is Charlie. Or Peanut. Or Charlie Peanut.
Monthly Archive for November, 2008
Photo by Baltimore City Paper
It’s taken me a while to find myself creatively since I’ve moved back to Baltimore. While I do have days where I miss Philadelphia with all my heart, I think this fall I have finally been able to find my little niche here. I’m proud and happy to be a part of some smaller talented co-ops and community groups, and it means so much to me to be able to make things and bounce ideas off other people who love making things.
That said, one of my favorite collectives, The Charm City Craft Mafia, has a big feature in this week’s City Paper, which is also the annual Holiday Guide. Martin Johnson did a great writeup about our group, what we do, and the madness that comes with being a crafter around the holidays.
Look at all of my books! *grin* I hadn’t ever seen Baltimore’s version of a citypaper holiday guide, so I just assumed it would be some other inky black and white photo, in a corner, with my other colleagues on the spread, so imagine my surprise while half asleep on the train, I opened up the CP and there I was… I can’t help feeling a bit self-conscious, but hey, I’m thrilled that the Craft Mafia (and hopefully my Etsy shop, hint hint nudge nudge) will have some good hits as a result of the article. Here’s to digging in my heels and gettin’ comfortable in Baltimore.
You can complete that sentence.
Thank you SO SO SO much to everyone who was able to make it out for the Charm City Craft Mafia’s Holiday Heap! I had a ton of fun and was thrilled at the great response to my books. I’m working on lots more in order to re-stock my inventory and to bring you more goodies. check out our flickr pool to see just a few shots of the crazy fun day. I am also pleased to announce that I finally have my Etsy shop up and in running order.
Last season I did a few sales over email/this website, but I decided to hop over to Etsy for a number of reasons: 1) It’s been difficult for me to keep this website updated regularly, and I didn’t want to send potential customers to an inactive blog 2) Etsy streamlines their templates with paypal and other invoice functions so well and 3) I’m happy to be a part of a great crafter network. I love having a personal site, but it’s hard to get exposure from here when you can barely manage to update the blog, you know?
So, if you’re on Etsy, check out my shop, favorite me (and I’ll get you back, of course), refer your friends to me, etc. Stay tuned for more news, and if things ever calm down, I’ll work on keeping the other pages of this website updated too. imagine that!
So. I have a confession to make. I seem to only update this thing when I have something big in the works… mostly because I get so busy preparing for said Big Things that my website goes by the wayside. so sad.
I’ll try my darndest to turn over a new blogging leaf, though. I find inspiration in so many places, it’s a shame that it goes unshared. For now, I share with you the billions of things keeping me busy… I’ve been trying as hard as I can to get involved in my new community. It hasn’t been the easiest to do with the move, with the new job, with the less than ideal commute, but it’s working.
I’m a proud new member of the Charm City Craft Mafia, Baltimore’s own renegade craft collective. I and 12 other members hawk our awesome handmade goods around town and in craft shows across the nation. The Craft Mafia will be having its second annual Holiday Heap NEXT Saturday, November 15th, at St. John’s Church in Charles Village. The show will feature crafts and handmade goods from 50+ of the best crafters in Baltimore and beyond. Please check us out, and come by my table and say Hey!
That said, Phampersand Press is slowly getting off the ground. I decided to take advantage of the scarcity of bookmakers in Baltimore and am now focusing my crafty efforts on binding binding binding and not so much printing. It’s also important to note that my “studio” is still my living room, and the lack of equipment and access to solvents and washout (I don’t even have a proper bathtub or garden hose, unfortunately) are less of a hindrance and even more incentive to keep making books. I’m still trying to get the hang of the business side of things (tax paperwork, resale ID’s, I don’t know!) so for now, I’ve set up shop at Etsy. Won’t you come have a look?
Other projects in the background include getting to know people at The Hexagon, a collective gallery/music space located near the “Station North” neighborhood and Locus Magazine, a semi-annual art publication based here in Baltimore. Never a shortage of things to do, not at all.
Today finds me 1) moping around home, nursing a cold and 2) TOTALLY PUMPED ABOUT VOTING. DID YOU VOTE YET? PLEASE DO!
Mind that election coverage. I’m shakin’ in my boots, y’all! Well, no boots at home for me today. I’m shakin’ in my hoodie! More life updates to come soon, I promise.