I loved it here. I really did. You all came here and read my blog and commented on my posts and made me feel good and watched me grow. And grow I have… I’m finally moving out on my own.
Now I’ve got my own website. All these same great blog posts are over there, and new posts will only be posted on the new website, so please, visit sundayafternoonhousewife.com and thanks for all the support you gave me here. I’ll look forward to seeing you over there!
Thanks so much to Cheryl Andrey for designing the new logo for the Handmade Promenade. As always, we love her work and can’t wait to start seeing this splashed all around the town!
Exciting things are transpiring on the Handmade Promenade front. We have added several new artists to our July 27th event including Vanessa Monfreda, The String Theories, Fanfare and Foofaraw, Cassandra Foxx Designs and Cordial Kitten! This great list of ladies joins the list of Handmade Promenade veterans EleanorMac, Bebito, Mother Tucker Sews, and Sunday Afternoon Housewife. Yippee!
There are still a few vendor spots left. Please email at mellenlatta@gmail.com if you are interested in getting in on the crafty fun!
The July 27th event is going to be a great day. Not only will you be able to do all your normal veggie buying at the Stadium Village Farmers’ Market, but you’ll also be able to get some great specialty foods like marshmallows, bloody mary maker, artisan oils and vinegars… and the of course there will many fantastic crafts from all the Handmade Promenade artists! We look forward to seeing you July 27th!
More info to come on music, give-aways, and contests, so stay tuned!
Sunday Afternoon Housewife at the Waterloo Arts Fest, Cleveland, Ohio
This past weekend I participated in my first craft fair in Ohio and spent my first night in Cleveland! It was a lot of fun visiting a part of Ohio I had never been to before. My husband went with me on this trip (thank goodness because we blew a tire on the way home-don’t worry we are a-ok!) and we met up with our friend Cheryl Andrey. She’s the wonderful person responsible for the Sunday Afternoon Housewife logo, and she and her new husband Andrew took us to a delish restaurant called Melt Bar and Grilled. This place was just featured on Food Network, and so you maybe have heard of it! It was simply amazing food.
On Saturday my husband and I headed over to set up at the Waterloo Arts Fest, which was a really great festival celebrating a wonderful little neighborhood. I met so many new people, and made some great connections with lots of awfully crafty folks! Some of the best news of all to come out of the trip is that the awesome handmade goods store Salty Not Sweet will begin carrying Sunday Afternoon Housewife goods in about 1 week! I’ll update you more about this soon, but now onto the fun photos from the Waterloo Arts Fest!
One of my fave things is the truck that you see that looks all black. This truck was painted entirely in chalkboard paint, and all the kids loved writing all over the truck with chalk. If I ever have the time (and money!), my truckie better watch out because this is about the coolest idea ever. Another thing I enjoyed very much were the stilt creatures. I really enjoyed watching them walk by my booth and battle it out in the middle of Waterloo. What fun!
Squeaky Queen Soap
Of course there were all sorts of awesome vendors at the fair. I highly suggest you check out Squeaky Queen Soaps for some awesome soap with fantastic packaging. I scored a bar of Beer Soap made with Guinness Stout and a tube of peppermint lip balm. Both items are just fantastic!
If you’d rather your art last a little longer than a few weeks in the shower, you should check out Susan Cross Pots. Her pottery was just fantastic, and I picked up an adorable salt cellar as a bridal shower gift for a friend.
Oceanne
The lovely work of Oceanne made it’s way to Indy for the INDIEana Handicraft Exchange a couple of weeks ago, and thankfully, Anne came down and said hello. It’s always nice to see a familiar face when you are traveling and I can’t wait to see her again next weekend at Bazaar Bizarre! This time I might get a chance to chat a little longer and pick up some of her jewelry!
For a full list of vendors who were at the fair, you can click here. I really enjoyed getting to see some new stuff and meet new artists. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to see me. I’ll be back in Cleveland again this Saturday, July 3rd for the Bazaar Bizarre. I look forward to spending even more time in Cleveland, eating more awesome food, and meeting even more awesome artists.
Hey Lovelies! Well, I haven’t posted anything for a couple of days because 1. I have been really busy getting ready for the Waterloo Arts Fest this weekend and Bazaar Bizarre next weekend (yes, for some reason Fate has decided to send me to Cleveland, OH two weekends in a row!) and 2. I have been putting it off because I knew my next post (er, this post) would be post #100 and I felt I should have some kind of super special post for post #100, but I didn’t know what to write!
I suppose what it comes down to is that I just want to say thank you (yes, to you!). It seems like I’ve come an awful long way in a year, and I’m pretty darn happy to admit it. I know I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for encouragement and support from some very great people. I would love to say thank you to my wonderful husband, Mark, and the support he gives me personally and from Standard Recording Company; to Amanda Mauer-Tafflinger, owner of the INDIEana Handicraft Exchange and Homespun, for all her encouragement in the beginning as well as for her continued support; to my best-ever booth mate and friend, Jen of EleanorMac, without whom I might not be able to get to some of these awesome fairs, and also without whom I certainly would have much fewer bathroom breaks; and to my newly found extended Texas-sized family including Jessica of Funky Finds, Tania of The Curious Cake Shoppe, and Jennifer of Blueskysunburn Creations– all three of you great ladies have been great support whether you know it not! Of course most importantly I would love to thank my customers. Each and every person who has bought a scrabble tile pendant over the last year, became a fan on Facebook, or given me a #FollowFriday shout on Twitter has been an important part in helping me grow as a person and a business.
The next few months hold lots of exciting things for Sunday Afternoon Housewife. Most exciting is that very soon I will have a new website. Also exciting is that I am going to be spending the rest of my summer traveling all over the place meeting lots of new people and visiting with some old pals. I’m really looking forward to it.
Now, some icing this pseudo-anniversary cake is that today I was featured on VenusZine.com. The fantastic Sarah Richcreek of The Hot Cookie wrote a fantastic article on the INDIEana Handicraft Exchange, and there she included a bit of my work, a bowl full of moustache pendants (top right corner). Thanks so much for including me Sarah! As a regular reader of VZ, I have to say I am pretty excited about being on Venus Zine!
Well, tomorrow morning I’ll be hustlin’ round like crazy, trying to get out the door and on the road at a reasonable hour in hopes of reaching Cleveland, also at a reasonable hour. I’m really looking forward to meeting lots of new people and seeing lots of new artists. You can bet I’ll be writing about them when I get home, so stay tuned for post #101!
Oh by the way Steph Mineart is the lucky winner of this last week’s blog contest! Congrats on your win Steph! Let me know where I can deliver your treat!
The Handmade Market Place: How to Sell Your Crafts Locally, Globally, and Online by Kari Chapin is not a book for under-achievers. Kari Chapin has taken into account nearly every possible thing that exists which you can do to have a successful craft business, and she writes with a sense that makes you feel required to do all of these things to be successful. I feel like I do an awful lot, but I sure am feeling the need now to do a whole lot more! It’s a motivating book and an informative book, and if you only care to do the very least you can to have a craft business, then don’t bother with this book. This book is written for those of you who want to become craft selling powerhouses.
Kari begins the book with a great introduction to what she calls her “creative collective.” These are some of the biggest crafty men and women on the scene, people like Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge, Leah Kramer of Craftster, and Megan Reardon of Not Martha, and they provide many tips and words of experience throughout the book. She utilizes their minds all for your benefit, and probably will introduce you to some people in the craft community you may have never heard of.
The remainder of the book is split into 12 very informative chapters in 3 parts. Part 1 covers goal setting, branding, and pricing, among other topics. Most of the information covered in Part 1 is similar to information you might have already read if you have read Craft, Inc. or Crafty Superstar. One idea Kari covers in Part 1 is something fairly new to me, an “inspiration wire” as she calls it, and how you can use it to get “unstuck” when you are feeling a little uncreative. When it comes to branding, she writes a lot about really developing you name and your brand to represent who you are. This may be a very beneficial chapter if you have a hard time making people remember who you are and what you do. When discussing basic business practices, Kari provides pretty detailed explanations of setting up businesses (are you a sole proprietor, in a partnership, or a LLC?), as well as the always helpful details about pricing your own products.
Part 2 covers all you need to know about how to market yourself online and face-to-face. Part 2 is certainly the part of the book that is going to open your eyes to all the marketing possibilities out there that you may not be utilizing to the fullest. Kari discusses photography, making online connections, blogging, online newsletters, advertising (including creating press kits and press releases), as well as podcasting and social media, and much more. I have to say that this is probably the first book of its kind that really spends time focusing on how beneficial Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites can be to your business, as well as how to use it to make connections with other crafters. As far as the section on podcasting goes, I have to say that to me it was really inspiring, and really does make me want to make a crafty podcast (though don’t hold your breath– I only have so many hours in my day!).
Part 3 is probably the most important chapter of all because here is where Kari discusses getting ready for craft fairs- including filling out applications correctly, and also how to start your own fair (fun!). She also covers every other sale making opportunity like selling in online stores, brick and mortar stores, trunk shows, house parties, and more.
I can promise that taking the time to read this book means that when you are done you are going to come out on the other end as a better crafty business person. It might make you moan at all there is to do that you don’t have the time for, but in the end it is going to make you consider all the options out there and give the motivation to sit down and make the most of yourself.
If you have read The Handmade Market Place already, what were your impressions of the book? If you haven’t read it, do you plan to now? Please let me know what you think now, or after you read. I always welcome your comments!
Here’s a little extra special edition Saturday post for you! If you are lucky like me and have a black raspberry patch in your back yard, go pick some! We’re going to make Black Raspberry Mojitos today!
Black Raspberries from my backyard patch
If you are really lucky, then you also have a small mint patch. Or maybe you’re more like me and you have a huge mint patch:
My mint patch
Maybe you have neither and before you head out to the farmers’ market or grocery this morning, you need to jot down this ingredient list:
1 or 2 pints black raspberries
1 bunch mint
limes
sugar
rum (preferably the clear kind)
club soda
Your Mojito ingredients
Now, when you get home from the market or grocery, you are going to make yourself the most awesome drink ever: a Black Raspberry Mojito.
Step one is to make your black raspberry simple syrup, so add your berries, about a cup of sugar, and about a quarter cup of water in a small sauce pan and set it on medium heat. Stir it and mash it to break up all the berries, and after all the sugar dissolves, you should have something that looks like this:
Black Raspberry Simple Syrup
You’ll want to let it cool back down to room temperature before you use it, otherwise it will just melt all your ice. Once your syrup is cooled and ready, it’s time to start making your drink!
First, juice half of a lime into your favorite mojito glass and add about 12-15 mint leaves. Don’t cut them with a knife at all, just tear them off the stem. You can also rip them in half once as you toss them in the glass on top of the lime juice. Now it is time to muddle your mint. Basically you are just bruising it with some type of wooden implement to release its essentail oils into the lime juice.
Mint muddled with lime juice
Next, fill your glass with ice and then add two big spoonfuls of your berry syrup mixture, about 1 1/2 ounces rum (or as much as you see fit!) and top of the glass with a splash of club soda. Stick a straw in the glass and give your drink a good stir. Add a mint sprig for garnish and…
Black Raspberry Mint Mojito
…there you have it: Black Raspberry Mojitos. Now, sit back, enjoy and forget what ever else you had to do for the day because once you start sipping on this, it’ll be the only thing you want to do!
Last Saturday was the most awesome ever INDIEana Handicraft Exchange. If you didn’t get to make it to the event, you’re probably regretting it already. With over 100 booths and vendors from all across the continent, the biggest problem I had all day was trying not to spend every last cent of my own hard earned money!
I was happy to be set up again in Gallery #2. I played a little with my booth space this time around, trying something a bit different, and I really like the way it worked for me. In case you didn’t get to see my booth, it looked a little something like this:
My Booth at the IHE
Sunday Afternoon Housewife Booth!
This was the first time I did any type of “L” shape table display, and it really did work out for me! I’d love to hear what you thought of the new display- was it easier for you on the other side of the table?
Of course, all the time I show you what my stuff looks like, so I won’t share anymore about my stuf today. Let’s talk about all the awesome that I bought and loved at the IHE instead! With so many new vendors this summer, I wanted to make checking them out a major priority, and I’m way glad I did!
One booth that had me at first glance was 16 Sparrows. I went back to the booth twice after the initial visit trying to decide because I have always, as long as I can remember, been a sucker for cool stationary, and the ladies at 16 Sparrows have everything one needs to write beautiful letters, keep addresses, label goodies, and all while showing a bit of tounge-in-cheek humor. I couldn’t decide exactly what I wanted most, but I ended up with this (P.S. dear husband don’t look if you are reading, I’m trying to hide this from you until September):
One Bad Ass Card from 16 Sparrows
Down in the Underground, which on second thought really seemed kind of appropriate for this vendor, was Spellbound Soapworks. Much like stationary, I love a good soap. Sometimes I like my soap for the smell or ingredients, but this may be the first time I have ever bought a soap based solely on the fact that it made me laugh out loud with joy and giggle all the way back to my booth, and then made me decide I had to go back for another. While most of the Spellbound Soapworks soap was more sci-fi than anything, this was my two bar purchase (yes, I got the one pictured and one purple with sparkles for my neighbors ):
Gay Bar
While I still have a lovely bar of moustache soap from GEEKSOAP in my guest bathroom, as soon as it is gone, I’ll be putting out the Gay Bar!
No explanation required
I think you would be hard pressed to call RAR RAR Press, anything but pretty fucking awesome. A table full of fun prints and postcards, all made using hand set type left me standing there for eternity trying to decide what I couldn’t live without. I settled on the above post card. I’ll be saving it for a very special occasion.
Uncommon: Things for the Home was yet another booth that really caught my eye. Lots of lovely things all handmade of wood and awesomeness. I had a hard time deciding (and I’m sure the guy thought I was nuts asking so many questions about coasters) but I ended up with a set of gorgeous wooden coasters. I’m glad I finally took this picture so I can put them to use:
Wooden doily coasters from Uncommon
Really cute buttons will get me every time, and at the booth of The Sweetie Pie Press grabbed and wouldn’t let go. When I saw these buttons with 1″ stories, I knew I had to dig through the bowl until I found every single story there was to have.
1" stories by Sweetie Pie Press
One of my last purchases was from a vendor I have written about before: Get Lathered. This solid shampoo and conditioner (yes, solid- like bar soap) I first encountered at the Bloomington Handmade Market. I was a bit leery back then, but since then I have expressed pretty strongly to everyone who will listen about how much I LOVE this product.
shampoo and conditioner that Rocks n Rolls
If you haven’t tried this yet, then your hair isn’t as happy as it could be. Trust me, you need to get some shampoo and conditioner from Get Lathered.
There were several other vendors whose stuff I totally adored. If these awesome goods aren’t blowing your mind enough, you also should really check out So Silly for great silk-screened shirts for kids, Foxglove Accessories for very unique jewelry all made from postage stamps, and Crimson Tate for handmade quilts and other awesome hand sewn accessories.
So tell me, if you made it to the INDIEana Handicraft Exchange, who was your favorite (or favorites!). Don’t just sit there and be a blog lurker, post and tell me what you love! I’ve got a special something for you if you do:
Comment on today's blog and win this sample of Shampoo that Rocks from Get Lathered!
I’ll wait a week for you to realize how bad you want this, and then I will choose a comment at random and give that lucky person this fantastic sample of Shampoo That Rocks from Get Lathered. And you know I want this really bad for myself, so maybe you can just keep your comments to yourself. (j/k!!!)
This last week I have spent an enormous amount of time getting ready for my favorite craft show of the year: the INDIEana Handicraft Exchange! The summer show will be held this Saturday, June 12, from 12pm-8pm at the Harrison Center for the Arts at 16th and Delaware in conjunction with the Independant Music and Arts Festival. Over 100 vendors will be on hand to showcase their handmade jewlery, clothing, plush toys, soaps, cross-stitches, and there will even be delicious edibles from vendors such as the Hot Cookie, who was recently featured in Ready Made Magazine!
Before I head to the IHE, I thought I’d take a moment to share with you some of the new goodies I’ll be bringing along. There’s a lot, so I hope you like pretty pictures, and I really can’t wait to see you this weekend! Also, don’t forget, that the first 50 people in line at the IHE table in the gym when the show opens at noon will get awesome reusable tote bags filled with IHE vendor swag. If you happen to be one of the lucky 50, bring your Sunday Afternoon Housewife postcard to my booth (Booth #63 in the Gallery#2) and claim your free goodie! I’ll see ya Saturday!
Glass Tile Pendants by Sunday Afternoon Housewife
One of my favorite things to make next to my Scrabble Tile pendants are glass tile pendants. They are fun, easy, and always look great when finished. A couple of weeks ago I taught a class at Mass Ave Wine Shop on how to make glass tile pendants, and there was lots of interest in where to supplies came from because everyone wanted to make more than just one! I thought about it and decided that I would write this tutorial as a reminder for those who were in the class, as well as those who could not make it, and also start offering glass tile pendant kits (more on that below!). So, if you are interested in making a nice glass tile pendant for yourself, it’s a really simple process and the all you need to know for how to do it is right below!
Supplies needed:
A variety of glass tiles are available from shops on Etsy.
Glass tiles: There are lots of options here- I mainly use 1″ glass or circle tiles, but there are also rectangles, ovals, and many different sizes available. One good source for glass tile pendants is Etsy, search under supplies for glass tiles, and many options will come up.
Aanraku Bails
Bails: The most common type of bail is an Aanraku bail. These are widely available on Etsy. There have also been lots of new bails introduced on the market recently, and these types of glue-on bails are even now readily available at Hobby Lobby.
Glue: You have two options here for adhering the image to the tile, you can use either Mod Podge or Judikins Diamond Glaze. Mod Podge is easily purchased at any craft or hobby store, while I have only been able to find Judikins Diamond Glaze online. Again, Etsy is a great place to purchase both.
Adhesive: Also a glue, but this type you will need for adhering the bail to the glass tile. I have only every used and highly suggest E-6000. This type of adhesive provides a very strong bond between the bail and the glass tile.
Images: What are really fun about glass tiles is that you can put anything on it! You can use a favorite photograph, a found image, or you can easily purchase fun images from Etsy by searching for “digital images” under supplies.
Paint Brush: You’ll just need one to paint the glue on. It doesn’t have to be any fancy kind.
Chain: Of course most pendants are going to need a chain. I provide a ball chain necklace with my glass tile pendants, but you can use any kind of chain that you have already, or you can purchase a chain off Etsy or at stores like Hobby Lobby or Michaels.
Ok, so now that you have all your supplies in order, it’s time to make your pendant.
Step one is to cut the image you have selected to the right size to fit on the tile. Once your image is cut, you will be ready to glue it onto the tile. The tile normally will have two distinct sides- one will be smooth and the other will be slightly bumpy.
Apply the Judikins glaze to the back, or bumpy side of the glass tile in a thin coat
You will use the Judikins or Mod Podge to glue the image onto the the bumpy side face up so it is viewable through the clear clear side. Act quickly when gluing on the image, and don’t skimp on the glue. If a little bit squishes out the side, you can wipe it off right away, or easily scrape it off when it dries. Make sure you press the image very hard up against the glue and glass so that it makes a tight bond and to ensure there are no air bubbles. Allow the glue to dry.
Apply two layers of diamond glaze to the back side, allowing each to dry before moving onto the next step.
After it drys, you’ll want to put two coats of glue on the back side of the image. Make sure you are careful to get it on all the edges really well and put good coats over the back (though do make sure you are letting it dry between coats!).
Apply a generous amount of E-6000 to the bail...
Once the glue has dried, it’s time to attach the bail. Use the E-6000 to adhere the bail to the back center of the tile and allow it to dry. It will take a bit longer than you expect, so let it dry throughly.
Press bail firmly to the center back of the tile. Excess glue can be easily peeled off after it is dry.
Once it is dry, any excess E-6000 that oozed out can be easily peeled off. If you got any excess glue anywhere on the tile, you can use your fingernail (or I guess like a nail file or something more official!) to scrape off the dried glue. Put it on your chain, and that’s it! You’ve made yourself a glass tile necklace!
Your finished tile is now ready to be put on a chain and around your neck!
Now that your necklace is finished, you can wear the heck out of it and brag to all your friends about the awesome necklace you made for yourself! Disclaimer: Remember to take it off before you go swimming, get in a hot tub, or take a shower, or else you will totally ruin it.
So, now you know how to make the necklace, but you still need the goods? I know if you only want to make one, you could spend upwards of $30 on supplies and shipping, so I’m making it really easy by offering you the brand new Sunday Afternoon Housewife Glass Tile Pendant Kit!
The Sunday Afternoon Housewife Glass Tile Pendant Kit
This kit includes everything you need to make your own glass tile pendant. It comes with 1 glass tile, 1 bail, 1 chain, 1 tube of Judikins Diamond Glaze, 1 tube of E-6000, 5 pre-cut and hand selected images, and a sheet of directions. It comes packaged in a super cute take-out style box which makes it great for gift giving as well as keeping for yourself and all for the great price of $10! It saves you the hassle of having to shop around, and it also comes with my personal supplier list, so if you decide you want to make more, you’ll know where to get the best deals! Click on over to my Etsy and get your kit today, or come see me at any of my upcoming fairs to pick up a kit for yourself or a friend!
Well, It’s not too very often at all that I take time to write about food on my blog, though it is one thing that I enjoy probably as much as, if not more, than crafting. Good local food is a total weakness for me. From fresh grown vegetables and fruits, to locally owned restaurants, if it’s local, I’m game to try it. Raw food in general is great, but throw in the time it takes to hand-craft a delicious artisan creation, and I’m head over heels in love.
Just recently I took a trip to fabulous Nashville, TN, and I was at the local coffee shop, Bongo Java, in East Nashville (for breakfast mind you) and there on the counter sat the most gorgeously wrapped chocolate bars I may have ever seen. Further inspection proved what I suspected to be true: it was LOCAL chocolate! This chocolate is small batch, stone ground, slow-roasted, and hand-crafted right in Nashville, Tennessee! Olive and Sinclair Chocolate Company boasts chocolate bars in 67% and 75% dark chocolate, as well as NIBS in 67%, coffee in 75%, salt and pepper in 67%, and sea salt in 75% dark chocolate. They also have a seasonal Mexican style Cinn-chili bar. I had to settle for only one sea salt dark chocolate bar (it was breakfast after all) and leave the others behind because I knew they wouldn’t be able to beat the Nashville heat while I sat outside for my craft fair. I was sad to leave the rest of this chocolate on the counter, but the one bar I had was oh so delicious.
After I got home (still have the wrapper, of course) I looked up the website hoping to learn how to order some more, and found the Facebook page with an awesome photo shoot showing how the chocolate is made. While I may have to wait for the direct mail services to start, right now I can just look at these pictures every once in a while and dream about the day I get to have another one of these Southern Artisan chocolate bars.
Back much closer to home, the awesomest Erin Edds has been whipping up gallons of something super delish: Hoosier Momma’s Brand Bloody Mary Maker. Just yesterday I was lucky enough to finally get my hands on a jar of this locally sourced, secret recipe awesomeness. Now, I must admit that even a year ago, I wouldn’t have touched a Bloody Mary with a ten foot pole, but my silly grown up taste buds keep changing all the time, and I’m finally able to enjoy this tomato based, wholesome goodness. Hoosier Momma’s mix is made from Indiana tomatoes, and as anyone who has ever lived or eaten a tomato in Indiana will tell you, there’s no other taste like that of an Indiana tomato. This mix is good enough to drink on it’s own. If you like V8, this is a much better, MUCH yummier, slightly spicy substitute.
A match made in heaven
Last night I whipped up a Bloody Mary with my new jar of Hoosier Momma and my favorite vodka, Indiana Vodka, which is also made right here in good old Indianapolis, Indiana by Heartland Distillers. I mixed up 6 ounces of Hoosier Momma’s to 2 ounces of Indiana vodka, poured it over some ice, and added the juice of half a lime (that’s just how I like mine!). Two drinks later, I also decided it would be a great idea to cook with this deliciousness, so I took the chicken I was making for my husband and marinated it in the Hoosier Momma, and then made a foil pouch with more Hoosier Momma in the pouch with the chicken, and cooked it on the grill. Now, I don’t eat the land animal meat, but my husband, and 2 neighbors who had joined us for dinner loved the flavor. So, not only is Hoosier Momma’s good for drinking with or without the vodka, you can also use it to make show-stopping awesomeness in the kitchen.
So, here’s enough local awesomeness to make me hungry for drinks and dessert (who needs dinner anyway?). I hope you’ll check out these great local companies and tell me what you think. And oh yes, Happy Memorial Day!
Sunday Afternoon Housewife 