Why I Buy Handmade

I have always enjoyed making gifts for others - so it was an easy move to starting a business in making handmade items. I love the idea of buying and selling handmade - you get a handcrafted piece that typically is one of a kind, and was made with love.

The Buy Handmade website has a great list on the importance of supporting the handmade movement - check it out and take the handmade pledge yourself!

EtsyCREST Meets with Maria!

Today I got to meet my fellow etsyCREST team - well some of them. We were able to have a meeting locally with Maria Thomas, CEO to discuss street teams as well as our favorite selling venue - etsy! It was a great meeting with plenty of discussion - plus, we all got to see the faces behind the shop names of the people who attended the meeting.

Of course I got home and Ken was a bit miffed he didn't get an invite - he is still acting a bit like Naomi Campbell on a bad day (see pics below from the dog collar photo shoot) - modeling has gone to his head!

Upcoming Show in Philly!

My next show I have planned (aside from a few local venues) is in Philly at Theater 941 - The Philadelphia Independent Craft Market. There are bands and beer so it should be a fun day! I will be there on December 6th - check it out if you are in the area.

Facebook - finally!

Okay - so I think I have finally got the hang of facebook - I set up my regular page and now have a shop page to 'show off' my goodies! I like facebook's cleaner format (vs. myspace) but all those little applications still confuse me - like when people send you veggies and other things..oh well....at least its up and running! My cat Dahlia like to help out as well:

oblinaknit's facebook page

Funky Utopia Opens!

I am extremely excited to have some of my handbags in this cool new shop in Bradenton, Florida:

Shop Funky Utopia!

The grand opening was this past weekend and I wish I could have been there - Bradenton sounds like a great town! Perhaps a visit is in order once I save up some vacation time at work!

Blue Replaces Kenneth the Model - Part 2

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Last week I wrote about my little man Ken who helped model the test collar for Blue - a very friendly greyhound.

This week, you get to meet Blue and see him model his very own collar - he is quite handsome and loves the camera! Blue is a lovely fellow with lots of energy and he is really enjoying his new life with the couple who adopted him from Greyhound Pets of America- Northern Virginia - now he gets treats and has his own toys! His parents wanted a 2" Martingale collar for him so after they choose some very cool Japanese kawaii fabric with little hippos on black canvas, I set out to make a collar for them.

First stop, Creative Designworks - they offer a great selection of hardware and instructions for dog collars. I was able to get a set of instructions to explain the Martingale construction as well as some extra hardware in the size I needed for Blue.

The pattern I got was very straightforward and has pictures to help with the adjuster buckle and d-ring placement. I had to change some of the pattern pieces sizes to accomodate the wider collar -plus this particular fabric is a cotton canvas and has a nubby texture...so a few additional tweaks and the collar was complete!

You can see Blue modeling his new collar at The Reston Market at Lake Anne in northern Virginia. This is a great farmer's and crafter's market occurring every Saturday thru November - it is worth the short trip if you are in the DC metro area.

Kenneth the Model (Part 1)

Well, as most of you know, my cat Kenneth loves modeling hats and other accessories, but I think success has gone to his head. I found him napping when I had asked him to be ready for a photo shoot.

You see, I am making a Martingale collar for a lovely fellow - his name is Blue and he is a greyhound who was recently adopted/rescued by two wonderful people. You will meet Blue and see him try his hand at modeling in Part II, but for now, let me tell you about Ken the Diva. As you can see from the pics, he has picked up some bad modeling tips from watching those reality model shows on tv and has decided to become a diva - we are going to have to work on that...more to come......

Allium is Open!

Hi all - I have been out of touch for a bit and busy making new goodies for my etsy shop and shows...but I couldn't resist telling you all about a great new shop in Beacon, NY.

The name of the shop is Allium and it is a wonderful new boutique that carries a bit of everything (including some of my goodies) along with a plethora of other handmade items. The shop owner, Lauren Whyte is quite the hostess - I have yet to meet her, but I love chatting with her about the shop through email - I can't wait for my next NYC visit so I can pop in to meet this absolutely fabulous person and see the shop!

I am including some pics so you can check it out if you aren't close enough to visit - Allium is located at 442 Main Street in Beacon NY - a short trip from the city on the Metro North Blue line - a great day trip for the summer!

Spring Blooms!

Wow - my brilliant red Amaryllis looked to be growing as the days went by, and all of a sudden, this lovely bloom appears (well actually 2). I love getting up in the mornings to be greeted by these two marvy blooms - Enjoy everyone!

Featured!

Hi everyone - I have been busy making some new goodies for my shop! Hope everyone is gearing up for spring - there are a lot of great fabrics out there for handbags and clothing this season.

My local DC etsy street team has a feature on me in the the blog today - so check it out!

http://etsycrest.blogspot.com/

Ginger Blossom is Here!!!

I got another box of fabrics from my coop this week and was sooooo excited to see the new line by Sandi Henderson - Ginger Blossom - in my box. These are so fresh and colorful, I just had to start making stuff - here is my newest tote and zipper pouch - I can't wait to create more!

Face of Wisdom

I took this picture of my silly friend Miss Dahlia - she is so curious about everything and is constantly learning new tricks around my apartment. She finds the little toys I hide from her when I want to go to bed at night (undisturbed) and has recently been practicing at opening the cupboards - I am pretty sure I will need to install child locks on them as she can almost open the doors herself and knows exactly where the treats are hiding. This photo definitley displays all of her wondrous wisdom!

woohoo - more fabric arrived!

I came home in a crappy mood today - but not for long - I had a box of new fabrics waiting for me! Yay! I already have a bag cut out, and if I can get Miss Dilly out of my chair - I may be able to sew tonight. I love new stacks of fabric - so much to do!

Laminated!

I love, love, love this new laminated fabric! It's fab for market totes, beach bags, knitting projects, or just about anything you want to put in it!

I have several new bags (big and small) listed in my etsy shop and had a custom order as well - Yay! The patterns are great and I have more on the way!!!

Dilly in a bag - The New Tote by oblinaknit

Miss Dilly is up to her silly tricks again - this time I found her in one of my store-bought handbags, and so when I started to sew last week, I designed a little market tote in honor of Dilly Dahlia's love of bags and name it after her! These little beauties will add some style to your outfit and help you tote your groceries or whatever you want!

Here is a new set I knit form one of my fav MCY yarns - hand-dyed wool and silk blend in beautiful jewel tone rusts and browns - I love the skullcap/flapper look of these hats I designed...I always try and add a different element but keep the same basic style - this one has a little flower at the brim - tres chic!

Ascocentrum Pumilum Blooms!

woohoo! I was watering my pants this morning (to which I have been a bit neglectful) and look what I found - my little guy has blooms!

I got him from the lovely sapphirechild of etsy as just a little green guy on his piece of bark...and now he looks exactly like her pic of the bloom! I am so excited to see the little flowers - can you tell?

here are some specifics on him from her etsy listing:

"Ascocentrum pumilum is a miniature species in the vandaceous group that can be grown in intermediate-warm conditions in Phalaenopsis level light (East or West facing window)."

Here are my two sillies - acting very nice for the camera, of course!

I did it!

Well, I finally did it- I started a blog. It has been a busy holiday show season following a great summer at the outdoor market- I can't wait to start the market again this spring!

I have been adding new stuff to etsy daily (or trying to!) And, I am drooling over a ton of new fabrics ...and more on the way - yippee! And now, here is a bit more about me...

Creating stuff is my passion - I am a self-professed fabric whore (I think my fabric stash is going to take over the apartment any minute now). I love to sew and knit, and also do hand-created jewelry. I have 2 adorable cats who think they are people - Ken and Dahlia.

Ken (the one in the hat) wants to have his own column- being the diva that he is - so once a week, I may start an 'Ask Ken" column, of course now, he is going to want a new hat! So send in your questions to Ken....