A DIY Kind of Blog

We're Off to the Market!

2011-09-30T09:30:00.000-06:00

Today is going to be a flurry of activity as Jeremy and I work on getting things finished and packed for The Horseshoe Fall Market. I've already checked several things off my list, so I'm hoping the rest of the day goes as smoothly.

We've had a fantastic season with the Horseshoe Craft & Flea Market and I'm really excited for tomorrow's show. Several of our good friends will be at the show as well, so come by and say hello to {anne franklin designs}, Donna Diddit, Hot Butter, La Samara Studios, & Olde Crone's Bewitching Bath Soap, just to mention a few. It's going to be a fun day filled with amazing handmade & vintage finds by some extraordinary artists & vendors.

Horseshoe Craft & Flea Fall Market

2011-09-20T07:08:00.001-06:00

This week we're making final preparations for the Fall Horseshoe Craft & Flea Market. We'll have all the favorites, some brand new items, and even a few things for the holidays. We're looking forward for a fun day filled with friends, local handmade goodies, & unique vintage finds.

It's Time for Craftstravaganza

2011-09-12T09:43:00.001-06:00

Craftstravaganza is back for the third and final show of the 2011 season! Please join us for a fun filled day of handmade accessories, gifts, jewelry, and other surprises!

For more info please visit the Craftstravaganza website.

The Heat Has Melted My Brain

2011-08-10T10:21:00.000-06:00

When I was in college I worked for a large real estate company. The president of the company would have an all hands staff meeting every month where he would address the usual items like marketing and sales, but he would also address subjects that affected sales, but weren't necessarily sales related. One of my favorites was the topic he would bring up each year beginning in May..."Hot weather makes people crazy."

I personally heard that talk six times, and while we are experiencing one of the hottest summers we've had in this country I hope that Mr. Real Estate President is still giving that talk.

He would stand in front of a room full of serious real estate professionals (all wearing suits of course) and talk about cutting everyone a little bit of slack. "It is hot outside," he would say, "people are cranky and want cold beers and air conditioning. They don't want to think about serious business, they want to be swimming."

I was thinking about that yesterday when I was uncomfortably warm and very short of temper. I was agitated and uninterested in anything except being somewhere with a/c. It was an excellent opportunity to consider my reactions to the people around me, both people I know and the strangers I encounter throughout my day.

So today, when I go out into the world I'm going to take the words of Mr. Real Estate President with me and remember that I should cut people some slack, because it's hot outside and hot weather makes people crazy.

Lucky You at the Horseshoe

2011-08-02T08:06:00.000-06:00

We're going to be super busy in the studio this week as we make final preparations to return for the Summer edition of the Horseshoe Craft & Flea Market! We love the Horseshoe and we're looking forward to seeing you there on Saturday!

The Studio Wasn't the Only Move

2011-07-28T07:10:00.000-06:00

We had a fantastic time at Craftstravaganza this weekend. Our second event of the season was a complete success...which got us thinking...

The goal of Craftstravaganza was to provide a quality show for vendors by providing a show that was well organized and to provide a quality show for our guests by offering an exciting selection of handmade goods in a quaint and personal setting. It has become apparent to everyone involved that we are certainly on that path, and because of that Jeremy and I made the decision to keep that momentum and move the Craftstravaganza content from the Siouxsiequeue's website, blog, and Facebook pages to an Internet home of its own!

Beginning today Craftstravaganza has its own room at craftstravaganza.indiemade.com and a shiny new Facebook page too! The new site features all the information you could want about Craftstravaganza! A blog, photo galleries, events calendar, vendor information, the whole enchilada!

Everyone here at Siouxsiequeue's is excited about the new sites and we hope you drop by to check them out soon.

Happy Craftstravaganza!

2011-07-23T07:01:00.000-06:00

Today's the big day! See you at Stash later this morning for all kinds of handmade goodies!

Craftstravaganza Featured Vendor: Creative Blessings

2011-07-18T08:59:00.000-06:00

live in Falcon, CO with my husband and our 4 children. I have been sewing for nearly 30 years, & have a passion for designing new and unique inspirations. You will not find any two like items; there is something different about everything I make. I love sharing my God given talent with others.

Creative Blessings Blog

Creative Blessings on Etsy

Creative Blessings on Facebook

We've Moved!

2011-07-13T11:30:00.000-06:00

With the exception of one piece of furniture that is too big for me to lift by myself, the Siouxsiequeue's studio is officially moved into to our new location! I've even managed to get some work done in the new space this week. We're super excited to be starting a new leg of the Siouxsiequeue's journey. So excited in fact, that I feel the need to celebrate with a sale. From now through Friday, July 15th enter code "MOVINGSALE" at check out to receive 20% off your order from our Etsy shop.

Craftstravaganza Featured Vendor: La Samara Studios

2011-07-11T12:40:00.002-06:00

With our second Craftstravaganza event right around the corner we wanted to introduce our featured vendors. Today we're going to start with our friends at La Samara Studios.

My childhood spirit sought quiet beauty…the unfurling of the fern leaf, or watching a vine delicately seek a nearby limb. Although individual sprigs of life…we are inherently connected and need each other. The name Samara speaks of the winged seedling that floats along the wind to start life anew. I am eternally enchanted with Victorian gardens, artisanal ironwork, songbirds, fossils, and the plethora of gemstones that inspire my jewelry design that is then lovingly wrought with my little olive hued hands.

Materials I adore…

Drusy*Garnet*Emerald*Amber*Tibetan Quartz*

La Samara Studios on Etsy

La Samara Studios on Facebook

We're so excited to welcome La Samara Studios to Craftstravaganza and we're really looking forward to the show! Don't forget to visit our Facebook page and website for more Craftstravaganza updates and information.

July at Siouxsiequeue's

2011-07-05T09:56:00.000-06:00

We've got a ton of stuff going on right now. As you have seen here on the blog, in our newsletter, and on our Facebook page, we're moving the studio; and everything is in total chaos. Actually, it isn't that bad, but we've been doing show prep, packing, and organizing the next installment of Craftstravaganza during the move. I didn't think we had that much stuff, but 10,000 boxes later....

Besides the move, we're also getting ready for Craftstravaganza! We've got 10 exciting vendors joining us for the July show. Check back here for sneak peeks of the show and of course our Featured Vendors!

And if moving and planning a show weren't enough we decided to have a fundraiser too! Last summer our book club, Epic Lit, held a fund raiser to benefit the local food bank. Last year's sale was so successful we decided to do it again! This year we're raising funds for Kids Need to Read, a children's literacy program co-founded by Nathan Fillion (of "Castle" and "Firefly" fame). Siouxsiequeue's & Stash are sponsoring the event and if you would like information on donating money, time, baked goods, or if you are interested in being a sponsor please email me at siouxsiequeue@me.com

Moving on up...

2011-06-27T07:35:00.000-06:00

There has been so much going on around the studio lately. In the last few weeks we ran the "Three Shows in Three Weeks" marathon, hosted Craftstravaganza, started planning another Craftstravaganza event, taught some classes, and now we're working on moving!

That's right, I said moving! Beginning in July the Siouxsiequeue's studio will be moving out of our house and into a new studio space! Jeremy and I have been running Siouxsiequeue's out of our home studio since we first started in 2006. I have really enjoyed working at home, but I think everyone is going to enjoy reclaiming the house from Siouxsiequeue's.

Siouxsiequeue's has grown a lot since we first started, but especially in the last two years. We've started doing more shows, our Etsy shop has been thriving, and we've been fortunate enough to find homes with some amazing retailers here in the Denver area.

I'm so excited to be moving into a new workspace, and I'm looking forward to seeing where Siouxsiequeue's goes from here.

All Quiet on the Blogger Front

2011-06-05T18:59:00.000-06:00

We had so many posts leading up to Craftstravagnaza I thought I'd take a little blog break, too much of a good thing and all that...

Since Craftstravaganza was a great success and we're already planning a second event for July. To see photos from our May event or to apply to be a vendor for our July event please stop by the Siouxsiequeue's website.

We've been busy around the shop as we've been preparing for the next round of shows, working on some top secret projects, and taking field trips. We're expecting to post some new listings in our Etsy shop this week, and I'll be visiting both Stash and The Mac Spa to update the Siouxsiequeue's displays, but in the mean time you can get a peek at one of our new collections over at our Facebook page.

Craftstravaganza Vendors & Friends Part 3

2011-05-20T10:16:00.000-06:00

With only hours to go I would be remiss if I didn't introduce our friend Megan of The Peacock Bead Shop.

Raised by a family of Magpies, and having honed her shiny-finding skills as the Manager of Beadlush in Charlotte, NC, Megan Savors has amassed an impressive array of treasures over the years. When she moved to Denver in 2007, she used her procured baubles to create limited edition and one of a kind jewelry and accessories for other magpies. Two years of fervent creation left barely a dent in her hoard....something had to be done. The Peacock Shop began in March 2009 as an Etsy store meant to be an outlet for Megan to share her collection of pretty things with the world. Over the next year, it grew from a desk in her bead room, to a seasonal kiosk, to its first shop front location, then a larger storefront, where it's becoming well-known for its unusual selection, and inspiring surroundings.

More from the Craftstravaganza front

2011-05-19T11:23:00.000-06:00

Can you believe that Craftstravaganza is day after tomorrow! All of our planning is finally coming together, and today we're featuring Mountain Mud Babies, a local Castle Rock artist.

I am a mother of a six year old boy, an art teacher, an artist, a potter, an avid gardener and a big time animal lover.
Last year, with the help of my wonderful husband, I finally got around to setting up my home studio. It's almost complete with kilns, lots of light, storage and two pottery wheels and a slab roller. Now, thoughts of making things with clay consumes me. If I'm not working with clay, I'm reading about working with clay or doing sketches of future projects.
All of my work is one of a kind Art Pottery and is lovingly hand made by me from start to finish. Each piece that I make truly is one of my "Mud Babies". A name I borrowed from my favorite famous potter, George Ohr.

5 Days and Counting...

2011-05-16T07:17:00.000-06:00

We've got 5 days before Craftstravaganza kicks off the 2011 season! I'm really glad we're back for a second season, and I'm really looking forward to this first show. We have some really amazing vendors, like Lexisworks, who is bringing stunning original works of art, art prints and handmade greeting cards to the Craftstravaganza stage.

Art has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Growing up my mom was always coming up with new art projects for us to complete at home. This translated into a degree in Graphic Design when I attended college. Since then, I have traveled abroad, working in a cupcake shop in London, and visiting Scotland, Amsterdam, Paris, Italy and Spain. I currently live in Denver, CO.

I love to surround myself with items that inspire me. My studio has become a storehouse for scraps of paper I could not bear to part with-there might be a use for them in a future collage or design project. I have an obsession with collecting anything made of paper or covered in typography that catches my eye. My right brain’s creativity is balanced by my left brain’s attention to detail, desire for organization and ability to produce work for deadlines. Above all, I take pride in a job well done, and enjoy finding creative solutions to problems.

Craftstravaganza Vendors & Friends

2011-05-11T07:52:00.000-06:00

Today we'd like to present another wonderful Craftstravaganza vendor, Creative Blessings.

Creative Blessings features lovingly crafted quilts & patch work gifts. The Creative Blessings blog showcases items for sale as well as inspiration for quilters. Each quilt or gift is completely unique to provide a one of a kind treasure.

We're so happy to be back at Stash for this season's Craftstravaganza events. Crystal and the rest of the gang at Stash have been really supportive of our endeavor and have been outstanding friends.

On your mark....Get set...Go!

2011-05-09T06:39:00.001-06:00

On Saturday morning when we arrived at the Horseshoe Craft & Flea Market we started running a three week long craft show marathon. First we had Horseshoe, (which was so much fun!), this weekend we're going to be at the Castle Rock Ducky Derby, and the following weekend we'll be at our own Craftstravaganza!

Speaking of Craftstravaganza, check out another one of our awesome local vendors, ADWoodcraft!

Are you looking for custom furniture at affordable prices that will last? Then you've found

the right place! ADWoodcraft specializes in custom furniture for the patio, mud room, game room, or any other room in your home. All of the items are made to order, with the highest quality materials and finished with paints and stains.

We're really excited for Craftstravaganza and we're looking forward to seeing everyone at the show!

4 Days to Go...

2011-05-03T18:03:00.001-06:00

I can't wait!!!!! The Spring edition of The Horseshoe Craft & Flea Market is on Saturday and Jeremy and I will spend the next few days tying up the last little bit of work before the show. We're going to have some new items for this show, they aren't even listed in our Etsy shop yet!

Speaking of our Etsy shop we're going to be making some changes to our shipping procedures and costs. As you know, most of the items for sale in our Etsy shop are ready to ship, and have been leaving the studio via USPS Priority Mail the next business day. While this process has worked out well for everyone so far, the recent increase in orders and shows has changed the work flow in the studio. Beginning this week all Etsy orders will ship on the next Friday; for example any orders received today would leave our studio on Friday, May 6. Jeremy and I are sure this new system will allow Siouxsiequeue's to provide an even higher standard of customer service. We will still use USPS Priority Mail as our primary source for shipping, but expedited shipping is available upon request.

In addition to our countdown to Horseshoe we are also wrapping up the final details for Craftstravaganza. We'll be at Find Your Stash on Saturday, May 21 with a great collection of local artists, such as {anne franklin designs}!

{anne franklin designs} started with a little bit of down time and a lot of creativity!

Striving to create affordable, one of a kind items for birthdays, hostess gifts, teacher gifts or simply a way to say “I’m thinking of you," Franklin hand crafts her products with upcycled and vintage items.

A Denver mom of three girls, Anne has also spent time as an elementary educator, has grown a small business into multiple units and is excited to launch {anne franklin designs}!

We're really looking forward to the show and we'll be featuring all the Craftstravaganza vendors here on our blog in the days leading up to our event! In the meantime, don't forget to come see us at Horseshoe this weekend and the Castle Rock Ducky Derby next weekend.

Horseshoe Here We Come!

2011-04-29T15:38:00.000-06:00

We're a week away from the Spring Horseshoe Craft & Flea Market and the Siouxsiequeue's gang has been hard at work preparing for the big day. We're looking forward to seeing everyone next Saturday, and who knows, we might even have some special guests and a surprise or two in our booth.

Also, don't forget that Horseshoe is the first show in our mad dash of three shows in three weeks! We'll be at the Castle Rock Ducky Derby on the 14th, and our very own Craftstravaganza will be on the 21st, but we'll have more info on that next week.

Remember the time I met Chewbacca?

2011-04-24T08:28:00.000-06:00

Last weekend Siouxsiequeue's went to Starfest, and we completely rocked it! As you may remember, we finalized the details for this show at the 11th hour, and I am neither the most graceful nor gracious person when I'm under the gun. I had stress related dreams every night leading up to the show as well as the entire time we were at the show. My personal favorite was a dream where Jeremy and I were already at the show and a friend of ours walked by the Siouxsiequeue's booth with his wife, looked me right in the eyes and told me not to forget tasks I'd not yet completed and items I'd not yet packed in real life. Very helpful, but friend in the dream neglected to share any winning lotto numbers or the secrets of life, the universe, and everything.

So Jeremy and I scrambled, packed, and made frantic arrangements until it was showtime. We arrived at the venue to find that our booth was immediately inside the front door, which was completely amazing, and with enough time to avoid a frantic setup. We had two tables that formed a nice corner space and while we would have liked a bit more room we still had a great spot. The show was scheduled for Friday evening, all day Saturday, and all day Sunday, and I have to admit, most of the weekend was a complete blur.

We saw a lot of old friends and met so many new friends, we couldn't have asked for a better time. Nicole came on Saturday armed with peanut butter sandwiches and enough satsumas in her bag to make Terri Lynn proud.

After Nicole arrived at the show Jeremy took over the booth so I could have a break, do some shopping and visit the Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) autograph line. Nicole graciously agreed to photograph the meeting for me, but as we know, no good deed goes unpunished. I had a total fan girl break down while we were standing in line, shaking and laughing, and totally losing the ability to intervene to save my friend while she was being trapped by an over zealous, though well meaning fan.

Then it was our turn in line. Mr. Mayhew was very nice and allowed Nicole to take several photos, which is not usual practice at this particular show. He signed the photo I had purchased especially for the occasion, shook my hand, accepted a gift that we'd brought for him, and even suggested that we all look at the photos Nicole took before I left, just to make sure that they turned out. It was a fan moment made in heaven and increased the fondness and good feelings I already had toward the Star Wars franchise.

We tried to hang out and little on Saturday night after the vendors room had closed, but after a full day and a half of working we all had a difficult time staying awake. At least until the Battlestar Galactica fans threw a raging party in the hotel room across the hall from us. Those kids really know how to have a good time, and if we hadn't been so exhausted I'd have gone over and had a drink with them.

By the time Sunday rolled around Jeremy and I were completely exhausted. Neither of us had slept very much going in to this, and not at all once we were there, but we managed to get up and prepare for another day. Jesse had volunteered to help me out on Sunday because Jeremy had to go pick up Eric from Camp Grandma and the doggies from the kennel.

Sunday was much quieter than the previous days and afforded us the opportunity to really visit with customers as well as some of the other convention guests. Mark Sheppard from Battlestar Galactica and Firefly made a visit to our booth as well as LeVar Burton of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Reading Rainbow fame. Both gentlemen admired several pieces and were really nice to visit with. My fan quotient was still pretty high, but no visible shaking could be seen. I hope.

We left for the show on Friday with a trunk full of merchandise and returned with less than half of that on Sunday evening. I can't help but think on how things will be after a whole year to prepare and plan for this show, and in fact, I booked next year before we even left on Sunday evening. I can't wait!

So at the end of everything we found out what we can do on short notice, how many days we can go without sleep without cracking, who our friends are, and that we cannot stay on the same floor of the hotel as the BSG fans, even though we still love them.

P.S. You can see more of our photos from Starfest over at our Facebook page.

What?

2011-04-12T19:18:00.000-06:00

Today is Tuesday, which makes it blog day here. I was all set to write about all of the preparations we've been making for the Horseshoe Craft & Flea Market, and how it's our first show and only 25 days away, but then my phone rang...

I'd applied to be a vendor at Starfest last fall, but due to, well, I don't actually know what it was due to but I'd thought that show fell apart and we moved on. They called me this evening to finalize things before the show, on Friday. Yes, this Friday. April 15th Friday. Three days from now. Friday.

Needless to say, I'm freaking out.

So come see us at Starfest this weekend, get your geek on and I'll be back with a real update next week.

Whoosh!

2011-04-05T09:01:00.000-06:00

That was the sound of the weeks before our first show flying by...There's just about a month before the Spring edition of the Horseshoe Craft & Flea Market and I can't wait! We'll be returning to the market as a Featured Vendor & we're so happy to announce that we've partnered with folks at Horseshoe to do a blog give away this week. Jeremy & I took a moment over the weekend to start staging the tent & displays for the market. We've made some new displays, bought some new things, and re-purposed a few items so I really wanted to lay everything out and get a feel for how things are going to go up, especially since we tend to have pre-dawn set-up times. I think the new displays are shaping up really well, I posted a picture of part of the display over at our Facebook page.

Speaking of our Facebook page, last Friday we welcomed our 100th friend! In celebration of another incredible milestone we did a prize drawing. Five of our lovely friends won bracelets & pendants as a "thank you" for all of their support and encouragement! Congratulations to our winners, and everyone stay tuned for more surprises!

We're also in the middle of the application process for Craftstravaganza! We've had a ton of talented artists submit applications for our event, and we're so excited for the show. There's still time to submit an application, please visit our website for the application & for more information on the show.

Don't forget to join me this week for the Pesapallo Vest class over at Stash. This super cute cabled vest is knit in a great summer yarn and I can't wait to get started. This two part class begins on Wednesday, April 6th. Please visit the Stash website or call the shop at 303-660-YARN (9276) for more information or to register.

Last, but certainly not least, we've been working on a ton of new things for the market season as well as our Etsy shop. These bags are just a couple of the newest items, and I've been posting photos on our Facebook page, so keep checking in. So as usual, we've been totally swamped with work, preparations, and plans, but I wouldn't want it any other way.

I told you someone would ride a unicycle

2011-03-26T16:16:00.000-06:00

This week I was writing the April newsletter and I told the subscribers that if our blog hit 600 views someone would probably ride a unicycle. This morning we hit 605 views, so here's Jeremy riding a unicycle while wearing his "Adventure Time" hat. Enjoy!

Siouxsiequeue's & Stash Present: Craftstravaganza!

2011-03-22T20:43:00.000-06:00

Craftstravaganza is back!

Join Siouxsiequeue's & Find Your Stash for the second season of Craftstravaganza. Set beneath the shade tree of a charming house, Craftstravaganza vendors will offer an assortment of handmade products made by local artisans. Our first fair of the season will be held Saturday, May 21, 2011 from 10 am - 3 pm at Find Your Stash in Castle Rock.

Call for Vendors!
Are you interested in participating in Craftstravaganza? We will be accepting applications for vendors March 15 - April 8, 2011. For consideration please complete the application form. Please visit our website or email us at craftstravaganza@me.com for more information.

And Then We Were Swamped...

2011-03-17T09:07:00.000-06:00

I can't believe how busy we've been lately, both around the studio and around the house. We're gearing up for shows, promoting our own show, supporting Eric's sudden dream of basketball stardom, caring for over-dramatic doggies, and wishing our Dads a Happy Birthday.

I'm going to start with the last part first. Yesterday was my Dad's birthday, it was also Jeremy's Dad's birthday. How weird is that? Well, I guess it isn't that weird because yesterday Jeremy was telling me that in a group of 57 people there is a 99% chance that two of them will have the same birth date. These stats came from Wikipedia, so take it as you will. Anyway, I really want to wish the Dads a very Happy Birthday. Jeremy and I wouldn't be the same without you, and Siouxsiequeue's wouldn't be the same without you. As I said in the March newsletter, thank you for your support, the use of your power tools, and for driving across Colorado to come see us at markets and shows.

Besides birthdays we are experiencing Eric's very sudden interest in athletics this week. Jeremy and I are not very athletic and Eric has never really expressed any interest in participating in sports. So color us surprised when he comes home from school one afternoon and announces that he wants to play basketball at school. I don't even know the rules of the game, but we bought him the gear he needed, filled in the forms, and most importantly, wrote out the check. His team has had two games so far and they are getting trounced. It has been merciless, this week they lost 23 to 7, but the kids look like they are having a good time and I guess at the end of the day that is what is most important. And maybe a little defense. Go Bears!

Also on the home front we have Cymru (pronounced Kimree). We have two Welsh Corgis and Cymru is the youngest. When we adopted her she had some health issues and we have struggled with the results of that her whole life. She has to have filtered water, a special diet, and periodic steroid shots, but we love her anyway. This week, after we'd already been for a routine vet visit, she had a serious flair up of her condition. There was blood, there was panic, and of course it happened during dinner. Jeremy rushed her off to the vet only to find out that our dear sweet Cymru, who has nothing to do all day but nap on cushions, go for walks, and play with toys, is stressed out. She is not ill, and the vet suspects that she never really has been, she is just stressed. If Cymru has a stressful life, what hope do the rest of us have? So Cymru the Drama Puppy has been getting a pro-biotic supplement, extra naps, extra toys, and extra walks to help her reduce her stress...I wonder if that would work for me...

And as busy as things have been at home they have been even busier in the studio...

We've been working like crazy as we make preparations for the first Horseshoe Craft & Flea Market of the season. We've been making jewelry, sewing, and putting the finishing touches on the new display pieces. It is pretty comical to see things around her as we get closer to a market day. There is stuff all around the house as we start staging the display, packing, and put the final touches on things. It's not at all uncommon to walk into our living room this time of year and see the tables full of merchandise, trunks, and totes. I always feel like we're never going to be ready for the next show, and somehow we always manage to pull it off.

We're not just gearing up for Horseshoe in May, but also the return of our own Craftstravaganza! We're partnering with Stash again this season and we're really looking forward to having the opportunity to work with our friends and fellow artisans to offer an assortment of locally handmade crafts in a charming outdoor fair. Please visit the Craftstravaganza page on our site for more information.

Return to the Horseshoe

2011-03-01T07:41:00.000-07:00

We got a very exciting email yesterday morning from The Horseshoe Craft & Flea Market, and I'm very happy to say that we've booked the whole season with them! The first market will be Saturday, May 6th 9:00 am - 4:00 pm at 46th and Tennyson. We did Horseshoe last fall and had a terrific time so I was especially happy to hear from them yesterday. Preparations are in full swing, we've been crafting items for sale and revamping the display. We've been building, painting, and soon the tent frame will go up in the garage as Jeremy and I start staging the display.

In other news from the studio, we put a few St. Patrick's Day items in our Etsy shop this morning, the March newsletter is going out today, and the March class schedule is up at Stash. Speaking of Stash, they've got some really cute fabrics in their Etsy shop so go check it out!

As for things around the house, my Malaria seems to have subsided and I'm on the mend, and Eric is bouncing back from his "Alexander" day. He's been doing a good job of avoiding the kids who were giving him a bad time and he even joined the basketball team. I'm very proud of him for making the choice to try again because a lot of kids would have been defeated by the negative experience. Now Jeremy and I need to learn about basketball, because we've got no idea. Go Bears!

This week we've been ill, relieved, proud, optimistic, resilient, and covered in paint. I can't wait to see what happens next week

It Could Be Malaria...

2011-02-25T13:02:00.001-07:00

I'm sick, again. Everyone around me has someone at home who has recently had bronchitis and or strep throat. I don't know that I necessarily have anything more serious than the crud, but I'm a baby and a hypochondriac. So in my own mind I have the worst case of whatever this is since humans discovered we could suffer from whatever this is. It may be Malaria, you never know. cough cough.

I spent most of this week at Stash seeking project advice, loitering, spreading germs, and I even managed to squeeze in a bit of work. I spend a lot of time there anyway, but this week I was especially unmotivated in my own work it just seemed like the shop was the best place to be. After all, if I'm not going to do my own work the best thing would be to interrupt other people's work right? Crystal talked me through my first intarsia knitting project while I was loitering and underfoot. It's a wonderful argyle cardigan from the new Stitch 'n Bitch book and I only had to rip it out 5 or 6 times (so far). I've finished the back and the left front side and will resume working on the right front side in the event that I don't perish from the evil awful plague from which I currently suffer. cough cough.

As usual I claim that I was unmotivated and unproductive in the studio this week, but that isn't really the case. Last weekend Jeremy's parents were gracious enough to assist us with some projects I wanted to do for this year's market displays. We bought some pretty molding at the hardware store, re-purposed an old mirror and now I have a custom mirror and some sweet frames to hang the earrings from. Next weekend we're going to do some faux painting treatments on a piece of pegboard and dress up my tablecloths with a custom border. My sister Christina gave me a really neat table top display for Christmas and that piece is what spurred on the need to revamp the tent. I'm really excited about the changes we're making and I'm really looking forward to finishing all of these little projects so I can start working on the layout. We usually set up the tables in the living room a few times before a show just to get an idea of how I'm going to set things up the day of, but this time we'll have some things that hang from the tent frame and our shiny sign from Airship Printing so I think I'll have to work in the garage. Unless I die from Malaria. cough cough.

The displays aren't the only new addition to the studio though. You may have noticed that we recently started a fund raising campaign to help us upgrade our point of sale system. We've been using a duplicate sales book for years, and while it does the job it is cumbersome, slow, and inconvenient to our customers. Our campaign wasn't really progressing the way I'd hoped and we were starting to think that we just weren't going to reach this goal when we had a lovely surprise. We had a private donation very generously provided Siouxsiequeue's with the new POS system. This market season we'll be able to process credit card transactions and provide email or text receipts for our customers. The new process is quick and less wasteful than paper sales books. So thank you, You Know Who, this is one project that wouldn't have happened without you and Jeremy and I are especially grateful.

So as usual it was an eventful week, Malaria, loitering, new equipment, new displays, and a sincere appreciation for the way people can surprise us. I hope your week was just as interesting and full of surprises.

Suzanne

Alexander's Revenge

2011-02-17T07:06:00.000-07:00

We've had a tough week this week, and it's been especially difficult for the kiddo. Alexander's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day doesn't hold a candle to what Eric's been through this week. Some of the "in crowd" kids took one of his shoes after gym class the other day, he turned in the wrong homework, had a surprise quiz, and was laughed out of a school sponsored Manga club because the other boys didn't like his choices of reading material. Everyone has bad days, and being a middle schooler is always a difficult time, but I feel like he took more than his share of lumps this week. It is especially irritating because the school is in the throws of an anti-bullying campaign.

I also feel like I'm not really helping him. My first reaction is to call the school, but Eric won't give me the names of the boys who are giving him a bad time. I think he is probably worried that they'll bother him even more if they get in trouble. Jeremy and I keep trying to tell him that this is a difficult time for everyone, but I remember feeling so awkward at that age, I don't think that we'll be able to convince him of that until he's 25. I'm also a very over protective mom, so part of me wants to go over to the school and talk to those kids myself, but that would probably be the nail in Eric's social coffin.

I wish that there was some way we could convince him that being popular in school doesn't mean anything in the whole rest of your life, that people who are mean are usually insecure about something, and that all of this emotion, angst, and awkwardness will pass but every time I try I just hear my mom's voice trying to tell me the same things, and I remember how I didn't believe her anymore than Eric's going to believe us.

So this morning, as Eric was leaving for school I gave him a hug. I told him that being popular in school doesn't mean anything in the whole rest of your life. I told him that the people who have been mean to him are probably having some kind of situation of their own and lashing out is the way they are trying to deal with it. I told him that being a teenager is a short time in life and it will pass and I told him that we love him, because I think that's really the only thing we can do right now.

Good Thing I Already Own a Taun Taun

2011-02-09T08:54:00.000-07:00

I feel like the extreme cold temperatures we've had the last two weeks have taken away my motivation to work. Every time I look out the window and see the piles of snow or look at the weather app on my phone I just want to get my Taun Taun sleeping bag and put on a movie. I am not overly fond of the cold or all the negative side effects that accompany it. Jeremy, Eric, and I conduct an unreasonable amount of static electricity so the cold dry air has turned the house and the studio into a giant defibrillator. We are walking through the house in such a way that would cause The Ministry of Silly Walks to be proud and every light switch inspires a moment of terror. I gave myself such a shock last night my hand was all tingly for a moment.

There is an upside to all of this static filled lethargy, I've gotten a lot of knitting and knitting related organizing done. I finished a wash cloth and a nifty hanging dish towel from "Mason-Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines", and we broke down and bought some shelves to contain the yarn stash. It's starting to look like Stash at my house with the yarn tucked away in cubbies, the books, and the projects in various states of completion, but at least it's all in one place now and not spread across every horizontal surface in the house and studio.

I did get some actual work done this week. In preparation for the the impending craft fair season we've been really focused on building up the standing inventory. I've been making bracelets, earrings, and pendants as fast as my little hands will go. We've also had a surprising response to the knitting needle tool rolls, so there's also been a lot of sewing in the studio.We're still waiting to hear back from some of the early show applications. We still have two weeks or so before I expect to hear from anyone, but the anticipation is driving me a little batty. Those of you who follow along regularly know how patient I am (read: not at all), so you can guess how much fun I am to be around right now.

So I'm cold, unmotivated, full of static, anxious, and impatient...wanna come hang out with me? Probably not, but stay warm, watch the ice, and I'll see you next week.

Jeremy Says it is Negative Room Temperature Today

2011-02-01T21:33:00.000-07:00

It is currently -9 degrees Fahrenheit here. -9 degrees, and that is one of the warmer temperatures we've had today. I used to work for a man who, when it would get really cold outside, would say "Now it's just rude out there". I think though, that we have passed rude, we passed rude a ways back. I don't know what is worse than rude, but that's what is happening right now. Worse than rude. And it's only going to get worse, the news said that they are expecting it to be or feel like -20. It is actually warmer in Antarctica than in Colorado right now, that doesn't happen very often.

It's supposed to be even colder tomorrow, but I'm going to brave the arctic temperatures to head over to Stash tomorrow for the Pillowcase & Anatomy of a Sock classes. There are still a few spaces left for both classes, please call the store at 303-660-YARN to register.

The upside is that it's too cold to go outside, so I've gotten a lot of work done the last few days. As you know We have been working to bump up our inventory for the upcoming craft fair season. We've applied to the Horseshoe Craft and Flea Market again this season. The application deadline isn't until the 14th, so we won't know the outcome for a few weeks, please keep your fingers crossed! There's another *HUGE* event we've applied for last week, but I'm nervous about it and a little bit afraid that talking about it will jinx it, so again, fingers crossed.

I haven't finished any personal project this week, it's been all about the Siouxsiequeue's inventory, blog, Facebook page, and newsletter. I did start a new embroidery project and I'm teaching myself to crochet Granny Squares, because clearly there wasn't enough to do over the weekend.

I hope that you all manage to stay warm, avoid frost bite, and have a fantastic week!

Suzanne

What's New at Siouxsiequeue's

2011-01-28T10:00:00.005-07:00

After all the time I spent sitting hospital duty the last few days we're back to work in the studio and we have a lot of stuff to share!

For starters our zipper pouches and totes are featured listings on Etsy today. We'll also be listing more tote bags and knitting needle cases in the next day or so, we've got a new circular needle case that got a great reception at Stash last week.

Speaking of Stash, Crystal's got the new class schedule up and there are a lot of great classes on the calendar for February. I'm really looking forward to be heading up Anatomy of a Sock again and we've added two new sewing classes: a pillowcase and Amy's Lotus Brick Path Quilt. Both of the sewing classes are great projects for beginners! Please email Stash or call 303-660-YARN to register for classes.

As if that wasn't exciting enough, we've also recently teamed up with our friends at the Horseshoe Craft and Flea Market as a blog sponsor. We had a great time at the market last fall and we're really looking forward to their 2011 season!

I didn't share an Etsy find on Tuesday because I didn't think it really fit with the rest of the post, but have no fear Dear Friends, I have a great shop for you today. The Craftorium of TMissPink offers charming and quirky scrabble tile bracelets themed after classic horror movie monsters, David Lynch characters, and a personal fave, The Big Lebowski. I'm the proud owner of the Famous Monsters bracelet and am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my shiny new Twin Peaks bracelet. We were lucky enough to do a few shows with TMissPink last season and we're looking forward to seeing her on the circuit again this season.

Finally, I have been looking around the living room at all of the knitting supplies, yarn, books, and projects in various stages of completion and I've decided I need to be more accountable for my personal projects. This decision has led to a new blog feature, "What Did Suzanne Finish This Week?". This week I finished a pair of stripey fingerless gloves. I used a Merino/Cashmere blend in a neutral color scheme; oatmeal, navy, white, gray, & black. I made them for Jeremy because it's been really cold in his office lately. I'm pleased with the way the gloves turned out, and Jeremy really loves them, so that makes me happy. It also feels great to have one more project crossed off the list.

So I think that's everything for now, I said we'd been busy. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

See you next week,
Suzanne

Now I Have a Stomach Ache....

2011-01-25T19:25:00.001-07:00

Due to the fact that one of our friends is seriously ill I have spent 3 of the last 5 days at the hospital. Due to the fact that I have spent 3 of the last 5 days at the hospital I have extraordinarily dry skin and a stomach ache. I believe that my stomach ache is equal parts worry for my friend and the result of eating foods that primarily originate from vending machines. I have also discovered that having full bars on my cell phone does not mean that anyone is going to be able to hear me when I call and that I can't work the doors on the bathroom stalls. I locked myself in three times...

We learned a lot of things while pacing/roaming the hospital halls this weekend. For example, being scheduled for surgery at a particular time doesn't mean anything. The nurses and doctors will tell you that you have been scheduled for 5:00 pm but what they really mean is that they will come collect you at some point in time, but that time will *NOT* be 5:00 pm. We learned that even though the doctor/surgeon may tell you that it is okay if you spend the night with your invalid friend the night nurse will immediately veto that plan and send you home well after midnight. Don't mess with the nurses! We also learned that a person who has lost 3 units of blood can still make Stargate Atlantis references, and I personally learned that they serve delicious juice in the blood bank (orange tangerine if you were wondering).

I don't mean to downplay the seriousness of the situation, but making jokes about it helps me cope. I'm what I like to call a "fixer". I need to take control of and lead difficult situations, I need to resolve problems, negotiate solutions, I need to fix things and make them better. Being a fixer runs in families. My Dad is a fixer too. When I called my folks to let them know what was going on with my friend my Dad's answer was to offer me money intended to purchase yet more vending machine foods and to tell me that I could sleep in their spare room (which I did and it was comfy). So being unable to fix things I paced, tried to knit, asked endless questions of the medical staff, constantly phoned and texted people with updates, obsessively made the bed each time my friend got out of it, and was just generally a nuisance. I'm sure the nurses will be glad to see us all go.

So today my friend is doing better, she'll be recovering from surgery the rest of this week, and I'm hoping she'll have a clean bill of health from the doctor. The rest of us will resume our normal lives, our work, and caring for our families with this week's exploits at the hospital fading into our memories. The only souvenirs of our visit will be the plastic jug my friend has been sipping water from, the odd bits of change that were returned from the vending machines, and our stomach aches.

Suzanne

I Don't Just Tempt Fate, I Lure Her in With Chocolate

2011-01-18T10:40:00.000-07:00

I have pink hair, and I know this is kind of an odd way to begin a blog, but stay with me. Since my hair is not naturally pink I periodically apply copious amounts of Manic Panic's Hot Hot Pink dye to my hair and for some reason, while my head was covered in a medium meant to stain, I decided to work on a sewing project. Not just any sewing project either, I decided to work on a sample for a class we're having at Stash in February. Yeah, not really the best idea I ever had, but the funny thing is that I worked on this project for nearly half an hour before the folly of my decision really occurred to me. I leaned into my sewing machine to look at some stitches and when I sat back there was a *BRIGHT* pink streak on my machine. I started having visions of a low level black hole opening up or some freak blip of gravity that would cause my Amy Butler quilt top to fly at my dye soaked head, causing the irrevocable destruction of said quilt top. Jeremy was great about not laughing right at me as I tried to explain my spontaneous black hole theory and thankfully there was no dye on my project. That also seemed like the best possible moment to put down the sewing and go rinse my hair. Lapse in judgment and poor timing aside, but the quilt top and my hair turned out great! We're going to be doing Amy's Lotus Brick Path Quilt at Stash beginning February 16. You can register by calling 303-660-YARN (9276). I'll also be teaching Anatomy of a Sock and a super cute (and quick!) pillow case class this February. There are going to be a ton of other great classes so don't forget

to check out the Stash website for more info or to register.

Tempting fate with hair dye aside, we've been really busy around the studio lately. Our knitting needle roll has been a surprising best seller, we've been filling out craft fair applications (with and without cold medicine), boosting inventory, and there has been a mad dash to complete an all inclusive sample case.

As if that didn't keep us busy enough we're starting to talk about dates for our very own Craftstravaganza! Keep an eye on our website for our call for vendors and other Craftstravaganza info. We've met so many great artists and crafters at shows and on Etsy that I can't wait to see who will join us this season!

I'm also really excited to tell you that our friend Megan has recently expanded her bead shop The Peacock Shop! Her grand re-opening is today, Tuesday, January 18, so if you are around the Denver area please stop by and congratulate Megan on her success, if you are not in the metro area check out her Etsy shops The Peacock Shop and Gypsy Beads.

Finally, don't forget to check out our latest Etsy Treasury. We selected beautiful knitting, crochet, handbags, jewelry and more in lovely and romantic shades of purple. What more could you want?

Have a great week everyone!
xo
Suzanne

Oh don't mind me....

2011-01-11T19:32:00.003-07:00

...it's just the cold medicine talking.

I've got the crud this week. Headache, check. Sore throat, check. Irritability, (why the hell are you asking so many questions?!), check. I'm not so ill that I'm stuck in bed, but the symptoms are present enough to make getting through regular daily tasks difficult. Plus the blue cold liquid that I've been taking makes me feel weird. Really, really weird. o_O

So now I'm full of cold medicine and I'm using tools and filling in craft fair application forms, awesome. I haven't written in anything strange or embarrassing (so far), but the whole task has been somewhat difficult through the haze of blue cold liquid. I guess most tasks are made more difficult by the blue cold liquid...oh, and have no fear, I've been safely parked on my sofa since the onset of the crud. Not driving around full of cold medicine, not sharing my germs with strangers.

There's nothing like involuntary downtime to make one think about how much work there is and how that work is not getting done. As I stumble through applications I start to think about the number of pieces that need to be made (all styles and colors), how I've only got two hands, and that it doesn't matter that things won't start until at least May I will never ever ever be ready in time (I will, it's just the meds talking). Then I start to wonder things like will I be able to convince/beg/bribe any of my friends and family to help, will a roast chicken do it or are they going to start wanting cash money soon. That is the point where I become so overwhelmed by things that are not actually going to fall apart if I spend a few days resting and recuperating, that I give up completely and have no other choice but to put Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffy is fun and not too taxing on the brain, the perfect show when one is unable to focus.

Cold medicine related freak outs aside, I got some really good work done before the onset of the crud. Siouxsiequeue's had a super busy holiday season and I've spent the last week restocking our regular selections.

I also managed to finish my first personal project of the new year! They are these super cute tennis socks, I used to call them "bunny socks" when I was a kid because the pom pom on the back looked like a bunny tail. The name of the yarn escapes me now, but it is lovely cheerful shades of yellow, pink, and green, but it was the perfect yarn to use while snowbound and under the weather. These are the socks we're making in the "Anatomy of a Sock" class at Stash, and would be a great first sock project. I just need to add the bunny tails and they are all set.

Speaking of knitting, every knitter needs a great tote for their yarn stash or to take their projects on the go. I'm particularly fond of these totes by my friend Renee at Airship Printing. Make sure to check them out and get one or two dozen, in the mean time I'm going to succumb to my cold medicine haze.

See you next week, where hopefully I'll be over my crud and less full of N*Q****(we love you, you giant Q).

Etsy Showcase Listing

2011-01-06T07:33:00.003-07:00

Our Joel Dewberry Modern Meadow knitting needle case/tool roll is a showcase listing on Etsy today. We have additional colors and prints available. We also have stitch markers, zippered pouches for your notions, and project totes. Don't forget that we *LOVE* custom orders, so don't hesitate to ask.

New Year's Resolutions & All of That

2011-01-04T11:00:00.001-07:00

There's something about the start of a new year, it brings about the desire for change, the want to do better, the need to be a better blogger....

I know I talk about my inability to update the blog regularly, but I feel that this is my Achilles heel. So in the spirit of the new year I've resolved to blog more regularly, not talk about my failure at blogging anymore, and to send our monthly newsletter on a monthly basis. If you want to receive our newsletter but you're not already on our mailing list you can sign up here. We've also recently updated our website. We've got a new host, a new look, a link to our Etsy shop, and a shiny new Events calendar. If you haven't been by the new site please take a moment to check it out.

We have also been updating our Etsy shop since we got back from Christmas vacation. We've been adding more favorites and we're working on some great new projects. Look for new totes in various sizes, zipper pouches in great new fabrics, and fun pillowcases.

We'll also feature many of the new sewing projects in our display at Stash in Castle Rock.

Speaking of Stash I'm excited to say that I'll be teaching a great class called "Anatomy of a Sock" beginning Wednesday, January 5th. This will be a two part class where we'll cover all the in's and out's of knitting socks. Please call 303-660-YARN for more details or to register. I love knitting socks so I am really excited for the chance to teach this class. There are lots of great sock yarns at Stash, but if you're too far away to join us you can find some amazing sock yarn at Apothecary Yarns on Etsy.

So I think we're off to a good start this year. I'm back on the blog and the newsletter, we're getting the shop back in shape and adding some great new items, and I'll be teaching and knitting at Stash.

We hope that everyone had a fantastic holiday season with friends and family, and that you, Dear Friends, are looking forward to this shiny bright new year as much as we are.

See you next week!
Suzanne

It's Saturday Night...

2010-09-18T22:10:00.000-06:00

...and I'm sitting at home updating the software on my phone and watching stupid movies on t.v. If 16-year-old Suzanne could see me now...

We've had a crazy last few weeks. Jeremy has started a new job (which he loves), Eric has started a new school (which he tolerates), and I've been recovering. Eric brought home the first cold/plague of the new school year and shared. He was down for one day, Jeremy and I were sick for a week, let's hear it for being 30+. I got over my cold just in time to really injure myself and earn a shiny new tetanus shot. It was amazing, you know you wish you were me.

Craftstravaganza was a great success and we'd been planning to do it all over again for September, but we've had to put those plans on hold for the time being. It was great to see what other local crafters have been up to and to see all the folks who came out to support us. Another very sincere thanks to Crystal and Stash for their hospitality, we couldn't have done it with out you guys!

We've only got two weeks until Horseshoe Craft & Flea Market, so we've been really swamped with preparations. We've participated in and now hosted a number of craft shows over the years, but this is by far the largest to date and I'm so excited! We've also got a number of new pieces just for the occasion.

Jeremy has decided to contribute to my knitting obsession by building me a yarn swift. It is really spiffy, and sits on the table rather than opening like an umbrella. That is an important distinction because this model is less likely to come apart and hit me in the face/neck during operation....(I know you are still laughing at me Heather.) Thanks to Jeremy's handy carpentry skills, the recent acquisition of a spinning wheel, my compulsion to knit, and the suggestion of a Stash customer Jeremy and I are now considering expanding Siouxsiequeue's. We're thinking about offering handmade knitting accessories, like the swift, and knitted items like socks and hats. It is still in the works, but stay tuned and we'll keep you posted.

Speaking of knitting (which I do a lot lately), I've been invited by Stash to host a Fall Knit-A-Long. We'll be doing the "Who Me?" cardigan featured in the Fall 2010 issue of Knitscene magazine. There are no fees for participating in the Knit-A-Long and more information is available on the Stash website. We're starting on Wednesday, September 29th so come on down and join the knitting fun!

Normally here is where I would share a really cool Etsy shop that I'd found during the week, but this time I'd like to hear what shops you find interesting and inspiring. Don't be shy, leave a comment, we love to hear from you.

xo
Suzanne

Now Featuring Siouxsiequeue's....

2010-08-23T10:55:00.000-06:00

We've had a few features lately, and we're so grateful to our friends for all of their support!

First, our sterling silver Dragonscale bracelet has been featured in The Magic is in the Metal Treasury over at Etsy and we're so excited to have been included with such amazing artists!

Second, we're a Featured Vendor with the Horseshoe Craft and Flea Market. Siouxsiequeue's has a feature on their website and I'm really looking forward to the show. We won't be at Horseshoe alone though, we'll be there with good friends Ashley from Hot Butter and Brice from Duende Forge.

There are just a few more days until Craftstravaganza! I'm really nervous because this is the first time I've hosted a craft show, but we have so many talented vendors and so many many great friends I know it will be a great success.

On Wednesdays I've been over at Stash holding down the fort. It's been a really fantastic opportunity to meet the amazing folks who are part of the crafting community here. They have a number of great classes on the schedule, including learning to knit/crochet/sew, and beginning in September I'll be heading up two really great groups. We'll be working on the Amy Butler Gum Drop Pillow and a super fun knit-along cardigan! All the details on on the Stash website and I'm really looking forward to this opportunity and I hope to see you there!

The rest of this week is going to be devoted to getting some photos edited, new listings up and buttoning up the last details for Craftstravaganza! Busy busy busy! We're also planning a field trip to see my friend Renee's shop, Airship Printing. I've been really inspired in my own work by seeing how and where my friends work. I'm thinking about making a regular feature out of my field trips so we can explore the creative process and celebrate the creativity of these amazing folks. Good stuff. :)

The voting has closed for the t-shirt Indecisive Device was promoting at Threadless.com, (we're so proud of you guys!) but there is still time to vote for Stash for A-List.

Let's talk about this week's featured Etsy shop and how much we love it! SandyGrafik offers a variety of amazing and cute art prints, bookmarks, cards, pins...all kinds of stuff. This is one of the best shops I've seen and I hope you guys like it too.

Have a great week and we'll see you all at Craftstravaganza on Saturday!!!!

xo
Suzanne

This Week at Siouxsiequeue's

2010-08-16T09:42:00.001-06:00

We've been so busy around here lately. Craftstravaganza is less than two weeks away and we've been putting the final touches on the preparations.

Craftstravaganza was started to showcase and promote local artists and crafters and to celebrate all things handmade. We're so lucky to have amazing friends at Stash, (where we're hosting Craftstravaganza), who have been so supportive of the show, and we're really looking forward to seeing everyone. Come by and see us on Saturday, August 28th from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm. A list of vendors and a map of the location can be found on the Siouxsiequeue's website

In other craft fair news, if you are free on August 21st you should stop in and see the folks at Jonsey's Art Bazaar at Jonsey's Eat Bar from 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm. We've done the show at Jonsey's a couple of times but won't be there this time because we'll be celebrating Eric's birthday. We are already starting to think about doing Craftstravaganza in September and we've booked a space for the Horseshoe Craft and Flea Market (Saturday, October 2). We've also put in applications for two more shows, one for the end of October and one during the holiday season, I'll update information about those shows once the application process is complete.

Around the shop we've been working on some new earring designs (the "Tonnie" upper left, "Felina" lower right) as well as new bracelet weaves that you haven't seen at Siouxsiequeue's before. I'll be working on photos and new listings this week, so make sure to check out our Etsy shop for new items.

We've also finished up some new stitch markers for our knitting friends, we've got several different fabrics for the new zippered pouches, and we've got a few new totes in the works. See, I told you we'd been busy around here. ;)

Here at Siouxsiequeue's we're lucky enough to be friends with some truly amazing people. Case in point, Stash has been nominated for Best Arts and Crafts in the 2010 Denver 7 A-List Awards and our friends at Indecisive Device are competing on Threadless.com to have artwork turned into a (really awesome) t-shirt. You will have to log in at both places to cast your votes, they both really deserve these awards.

Finally, (but certainly not least) our Etsy shop of the week! I am a huge fan of both Star Wars and Hello Kitty...okay, huge isn't quite the right word...it would be more accurate to say that you would be hard pressed to find a space in our home or shop that doesn't contain some type of Star Wars and/or Hello Kitty merchandise. Et voilá, Hello Wars, super super cute stickers and jewelry that combine Star Wars *AND* Hello Kitty. Love!

Happy Elvis Day! Have a peanut butter and banana sandwich and put on your favorite Elvis movie.
xo
Suzanne

We're Baaaaack...

2010-08-08T22:05:00.004-06:00

I know it has been a while, months actually...anyway, the good news is that I'm back, and I've got so much to talk about!

Where to begin...um...shameless plugs? Siouxsiequeue's merchandise can now be found all over the Denver Metro area as well as online. You can find Siouxsiequeue's accessories and jewelry at the Crowfoot Coffee stand at the Philip S. Miller Library, Dream Pastries, and Stash all in Castle Rock, CO; and at The Mac Spa in LoDo. It is very exciting to have such good friends, thanks for all of your support!

In addition to our retail and Internet presence we've decided to host a craft show in Castle Rock at the end of August. Siouxsiequeue & Friends Present: Craftstravaganza is a project we designed to showcase some amazing local artists and crafters and to celebrate all things handmade. Our good friends at Stash are lending us their place for the show and we've got some really amazing folks on board. Check our website for more details.

And last, but certainly not least we've been invited to join the folks at Horseshoe Craft and Flea Market in October. I'm *really* looking forward to this one. We're one of their featured vendors and it looks like it is going to be a really fun show.

Don't let all the all around town stuff fool you though, I've been hard at work in the studio working on new projects. New coffee sleeves, zippered pouches, and earrings, among other things in our Etsy shop.

So that's going to cover it for our welcome back post. Check in again soon where you might just find another updated post!

xo
Suzanne

You Know What I Need...

2010-04-07T22:22:00.003-06:00

...I need someone to call, email, and text me every single day and ask if I have written my blog for that day. "Hi Suzanne, did you write your blog today? You haven't? Why not? Why don't you write your blog right now, you apparently have time to answer the phone, read email, check your text messages."

I think that I should mention that I have an *AMAZING* support system. This is imperative if you have made the mad decision to work at home and/or for yourself. You must have people in your life who will support and contribute to your insanity. Jeremy & Eric are amazing, they area always willing to roll up their sleeves and pitch in, even if Jeremy's had a long day at work & when Eric would rather be outside riding his bike. They are wonderful and I absolutely could not do this without them.

I also have unbelievable friends who listen to me stress out about going to shows, wear and talk about my products (sometimes of their own volition), and rant about photography. They are always there with a smile, a drink, or a great suggestion on how to make those damned photos better.

Thanks to all of the special folks in my life who make this lunacy possible with their love and their support. I say it time and time again, but it is 100% true when I say that I couldn't do this without you.

Now moving on...let's talk about Pluto. You may or may not know that Pluto has been downgraded in status and the scientific community worldwide (excepting those in Illinois and New Mexico) no longer acknowledges it as a planet. I am, of course, outraged and wish that they would let Pluto be a planet again. I'm not the only dissident though, apparently Dr. Neil de Grasse Tyson has been getting hate mail from 3rd Graders on the subject. He's received enough mail to fill a book. Some of the letters are real tearjerkers and it won't be long until you've joined me and a group of angry 8-year-olds in the quest to reinstate Pluto's planetary status.

Keeping with the geek theme...if you have a moment, an interest in computer programming, or a desire to know more about Jeremy and what his actual job is (yeah, I bet you all thought that he worked for me all the time, but alas, he's got this notion that one of us should have a real job and pay the mortgage...I don't know where that comes from) then you should visit his new blog. You can see what he's working on and get to know him a little better because he is awesome!

From the studio...We've got new props and the photos are shaping up nicely and I've had several inquiries about the chainmaille tie (which is also awesome!) This week is vacation (w00t!) and I'll be in and out all week, but we will not be far from home, so email and order away!

Today's featured seller is Dirty Story Jewelry, made to order cuff bracelets with *AMAZING* designs. Check them out, for they are another check in the awesome box. Good stuff!

I think that's about it for tonight, lest I call one more thing "awesome". ;)
Happy Monday everyone!

Where in in the world is Siouxsiequeue, Again....

2010-03-29T19:28:00.003-06:00

I haven't been hiding, I haven't been seeking...
I have been working and showing and taking photos and planning and reading.
And now I'm back!

Let's start with "showing". We decided to make our first show of the season Jonesy's Art Bazaar which was on the 20th. It was a fantastic show at a great venue! We were so happy to be there and to meet all the other outstanding artists and crafters. I always look forward to the opportunity to show my work, but this was a particularly lovely show. I'm sad that we're not going to join them again for the April shin-dig (it's the weekend Jeremy and I are away), but we'll be back in May and are hoping to finish the season with them as well. Check back here or on our Facebook page for more info and details.

The "working" and the "planning" portions of my absence are tied together. First we were frantically preparing for the show, but once that was finished it was time to take on new projects. Right now Jeremy and I are looking at expanding the Siouxsiequeue's brand to include accessories for men. We've done tons of bracelets, earrings, and sewing projects covered in florals, but now it is time to widen the range. We're thinking about different things, and this week especially, I have been working on samples...I promise photos as soon as I've got something to take photos of. So excited!

And then there were photos...
I don't come from a place where ownership of a camera equals photographic ability. I have always been a casual picture taker at the best of times, but since we've started doing SQ's full-time I find that most of my day is consumed with pictures, and they aren't even that good. I have been fortunate to have a friend who is willing to help me out from time to time, but even with his assistance I still find myself hunched over a camera more than once a day. I wish I enjoyed it more, I know that many people are very passionate for photography, I'm just not one of them. Still I press on, hoping to find some secret, hoping that the photos aren't completely terrible, and enjoying Odin Cat's supervision as I re-size and touch-up my shots in Photoshop. Before I leave the subject of photos, I'd like to give a special shout out to my friends from King Collab for the great ideas, support, and encouragement regarding pics. There has been a marked improvement in the situation since I have been taking your advice!

This list of awesome shops and products has grown since I've been away, which is great news for all of us. It is important to me to help support my friends and other crafters in their endeavors. Arts, crafts, and music add substance and joy to our lives in ways that we wouldn't normally. Support handmade, local music, arts AND sciences, and your local school's music programs. That's it, lecture over, I'm down from my soap box. Having said that, (and I hope that the ladies don't mind following my speech) here are two amazing shops, run by two amazing women. First we've got Rockabettie's Bazaar. Rockabettie features handmade clothing and accessories that showcase her love of vintage '50s and Rockabilly styles. Next we've got The Peacock Shop. They offer a great assortment of ready made pieces along with beading supplies and findings. They have also just opened a brick and mortar shop by the same name, so if you're in the Denver area you should stop by and say hello.

And then there was the reading. I generally read anything that is put in front of me, but lately (and mostly due to our new book club) I have been reading books from the Sci-Fi and Fantasy genres. Our book for April is "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman, and while I have already know that story by heart I'll be reading it again before the meeting. Love! I have also been reading "The Color of Magic" by Terry Pratchett, the Spring/Summer edition of Vogue Knitting, and tons and tons of pattern books. I've also started the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series because that is what Eric is reading and he likes to talk about books.

So that's what I've been up to lately. What are you working on/reading/up to? We'd love to hear from you!

Alexander would be proud

2010-03-08T19:45:00.009-07:00

One of my very favorite books from my childhood is "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" by Judith Viorst. In a nutshell poor Alexander has a pretty crappy day, and of course when it rains it pours. I tend to go back to that book when I feel I've had a bad day, and I do this for two reasons. First, at the end of the book Alexander realizes that his day wasn't really so bad and he can start fresh again tomorrow. Second, and keep in mind that I'm only human, it is always comforting to know you aren't the only person having a bad day, even if the other person is fictitious. So by now I guess you've figured out that I had a bad day today. Now I just need to get to the point where I realize that my day wasn't really so bad and I can start fresh again tomorrow. Maybe breaking into the stash of Guinness in the garage will help me come to that conclusion a little sooner.

I took some of the yoga mat totes over to one of the local yoga studios this morning to see if they would be interested in carrying them. Keep your fingers crossed for me! In jewelry news, I'm working on a range inspired by Tim Burton's new telling of "Alice in Wonderland". We'll have a Dream style bracelet for Alice, a Parallel style for the Queen of Hearts, a Wandering Path style for the Mad Hatter, a pair of Byzantine for Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, and possible pieces for the Cheshire Cat and the Caterpillar. I'll get some photos up tomorrow.

Today's shop find, FabricNoodle! I love textiles, LOVE textiles. No, love is not the right word. There is no word in any language that describes my affection for textiles. My heart skips a beat every time I walk into a fabric shop, I made my 8-year-old (at the time) son, Grandmother, and Uncle visit a museum featuring a history of textiles, fabric types, dyes, weaving procedures...I think they might be starting to forgive me for that, maybe...Anyway, I love fabric, and I love supporting my local economy, so if you are looking for some fun, contemporary fabrics and want to support Denver's local economy then you should check out FabricNoodle. Their shop is super cute and full of things I can't wait to buy.

I have some silk brocade fabric that is calling out to me to become tote bags or yoga mat totes, I will also get some photos of those projects listed as soon as I have something to show. Don't forget that St. Patrick's Day is coming up, if you don't want to be pinched then stop by the shop and check out all the ready made green accessories, or send us an alchemy request, most of our items can be customized!

To sum up: bad day, beer, yoga totes, Alice in Wonderland themed jewelry, new fabric outlet, I'm a terror to my family, green goodies, and support handmade!

Have a happy Tuesday

And then I ran out of gas...

2010-03-03T21:09:00.003-07:00

The weather was fantastic here today. It was so nice we almost forgot that March is the snowiest month in Colorado. I thought it would be lovely to ride the scooter to my guitar lesson this afternoon, so I got it out and started her up only to discover (as I was nearing the being late for my lesson mark) that the gas tank was empty. I hate when that happens. Fortunately for me Jeremy went to the gas station and filled the gas can for me, so I can try again tomorrow. I also made it to my guitar lesson on time, even after the scooter snafu.

You might not have heard, but we recently got new furniture for the living room. :)
We're really enjoying the new sofa and coffee table by the way, and everyone who has seen it has been very complimentary (thanks!), but as a result of my month-long furniture obsession I discovered some wonderful pieces that would make a wonderful addition if only we had the room. Wright@Home Vintage has some really wonderful mid-century chairs that I totally fell in love with. You should check out their shop and the chairs, they have some great stuff.

So I'm good on furniture for a while, but we're starting to really get our home improving into gear. We have a bit of painting to do and some new fixtures to install, I think we probably need to have the electrical in the house checked as well. We bought our house from a woman and her teen-aged daughter whose idea of communication was having a security system installed so it was obvious when the daughter was sneaking in and out. We've dubbed them "The Destructo Girls" because all of the "improvements" they made the house caused structural damage and are total safety hazards. The first few months here were an adventure and I honestly don't know how the home passed inspection during the buying process. Each spring we take on another actual improvement and hope someday soon to be up to current building code.

I also managed to get some work done today, in between music lessons and an empty gas tank. I've got another set of knitting stitch markers finished and started a new custom order. I've been working on a pretty large piece for my friend Liz, well, I've been planning a pretty large piece for my friend Liz. I'm supposed to be working on a pattern drawing, but I keep getting stuck on the drawing. I am not much of an artist in respect to drawing and even though I know where I'm going with the actual piece I can't seem to translate it to paper. I think tomorrow I'll work up a swatch so I have it the next time I see Liz. I hope she doesn't think that I've forgotten about her.

I was thinking about our upcoming show today. Thankfully I don't have too much to do to get ready. I have been adding a few new pieces to my inventory each week, I have all of my displays and cases ready to go, I've got an email sign up sheet, so really all I have left is to make sure everything has a price and I have a couple of signs to make. I also need to make sure everything has a closure. I know that sounds crazy, but I offer a choice of closures on most pieces, so I often add a clasp or toggle right before shipping. I don't know if Jeremy is excited about the show, but I sure am. Eric will probably want to visit his grandparents that day.

Speaking of grandparents, I'm finishing up a little surprise for my Grandma. I'd initially planned to take it to her, but now I think I will send it instead and visit on a different day. I started thinking of how much fun it is to get parcels, and I thought she might like to have something to open that isn't bills or junk mail. I think I'll finish that first tomorrow.

I hope everyone had a happy Wednesday and that Thursday goes well for you too. Oh, and if you haven't already done so, you can sign up for our email newsletter here. I do actually write that regularly and you'll have the inside scoop on specials and surprises.

Delinquit Blogger Part 2

2010-03-02T20:50:00.003-07:00

So, it isn't that I don't want to blog, sometimes I just don't feel that I have enough to say. But if we're totally honest about this situation it isn't really that either. The true truth about my blogging delinquency is that I really just forget sometimes. :)

And I know I always say that the time between entries has been really busy, but it really has! Last week I helped eradicate viruses from a friend's computer, celebrated a milestone birthday with my friend Andy (I'll not advertise which one), created new items for the shop, practiced my guitar, took Nicole to collect Amber from the train, scheduled another show, started a project for my Grandma and went with TLC to a photo shoot. See, it really was a busy week.

One of our new items is a super cute tote for your yoga mat (pictured above). I made one for Jeremy and myself as well. I have the print from the picture, but I also have some lovely brocades and silks that I need to photograph. I also finished another sterling silver bracelet. Jeremy and I were in Target the other day when I saw a bracelet very similar to the one I've made. I put it on, looked it over, turned it round and round and came to the conclusion that not only could I make that, but I could make it better and out of nice material, so I did. At least I think I did. I don't want to make it sound like I am the best metal smith in the world or anything, I think that I just did this piece a little better than the one I encountered at the discount chain store (and Nordstrom's). I hope that doesn't make me sound like a jerk...

In other shop news, we now have a lovely drapery panel separating the studio from the rest of the house. This is very helpful because it separates the work space from the living space, now if I could manage to actually define working hours I might be able to stop working 22 hours a day.

I have to tell you guys about this shop I found on Etsy. It is called Sterling Glassworks. Joe is running things over there and does some of the most amazing and beautiful glass work I have ever seen. We've had a few conversations back and forth and besides being a brilliant artist, he is a super nice guy too. So check out his shop or just drop him a line to say hi.

Delinquit Blogger

2010-02-25T18:55:00.003-07:00

What can I say, I haven't been good about keeping up with the blog lately. It seems like there has been a lot going on, but when I sit down to write it all sounds kind of stupid.

We (finally) got the new sofa home, so I can't use that as an excuse for distraction anymore. We got the new coffee table put together and have found a homes for most of the rest of the furniture. Furniture obsession aside, it doesn't seem like I have spent much time in the studio working lately. I've been on the go for supplies or networking, today I was fixing a friend's computer. I have two custom orders to start, sewing to work on, and photos to take. I'm really looking forward to a good solid day of work. It is amazing how caught up in minutia one can become if one is not careful.

It hasn't all be furniture arguments and electric guitars this last week. We're preparing to participate in a local art show in March. We'll be joining the gang at Jonesy's Art Bazaar on March 20. It will be the first time we're participating in this event, but I'm really looking forward to it. I enjoy doing shows because it gives us an opportunity to meet our customers face to face. We've started an event on our Facebook page, so if you are local and free come on over and say hi! Click here if you would like more information on Jonesy's Art Bazaar.

I have the most amazing artist to share with you today, Illustrations by Kecky. I saw her print called "The Spaces in Between" on the front page of Etsy the other day and was completely floored. She does absolutely beautiful work and I'm looking forward to ordering from her.

I've been working on a necklace in sterling silver that has been pretty resource intensive, and it is coming out beautifully. You can find a very blurry iPhone photo of it here. This particular project is becoming a labor of love, I hope that someone else falls in love with it too. In it's current state it is 3 ounces of sterling silver and there is still work to be done. It is a variation of the Japanese 2-in-12 weave, similar to our Tranquility style bracelet, but instead of having three rows of same sized rings the rows graduate in size, it is awesome and I need to finish it so I can get some good pics. I tried to convince myself to finish it last night, but that was after two and a half hours of guitar practice and my fingers were swollen and so painful I could barely hold the pliers, let alone pick up the rings. Jeremy encouraged me to practice a little less today to give me a chance to recover.

This weekend we're looking forward to a visit from Amber, Andy's birthday (Happy Birthday Andy!), and the completion (finally) of the topside of the L'Amour quilt. We may also check into the local Curling club, but that is another entry all on its own.

I hope you all have a happy Friday, and a fun weekend!

I don't have a title for this one...

2010-02-19T19:42:00.002-07:00

...Again, I really stress out about the "Title" box on the blog page and the subject line on emails. I'm hoping to overcome this little quirk, someday.

Anyway, here we are, rounding the corner into Spring and we're buried in snow. I love the weather here, so unpredictable.

So much happened this week, my guitar came, the new coffee table came, the sofa is (finally) going to arrive on Sunday. For those of you who follow us on Facebook you might have seen that I initially said it would be delivered tomorrow, but alas, that plan changed. I will not say why in this public forum, but if you send me an email I'll tell you all about it. Needless to say, I'm not happy about the sofa situation. Oh, and if you would like to become the proud new owner of our previous sofa drop a line or check out my ad on Craig's List. The only reason we bought a new sofa is to mach our decorating scheme, the old sofa is in good shape save a few pet hairs and a few jump rings.

Wednesday was my first guitar lesson. I have been practicing all week and besides having sore fingers it seems to be going pretty well. In the event that I actually learn a song I might just post it here for everyone to listen to...maybe.

Today's new shop listing is the Half-Persian style bracelet in a matte black finish. We've got one more piece from this current collection to post, and I'll get that listed tomorrow. I really love the simplicity of the all black color palette, the pieces look great by themselves or accent pieces they are layered with. They are sleek, elegant, and a lot of fun. Next week we're going to start getting St. Patrick's Day themed items in the shop. I don't think I'm going to make as may variations as I did for Valentine's Day, but I haven't decided yet. I will be listing a fun piece that will be great either as a pendant or as a keyring, you guys will love it!

In other Etsy related news, I wanted to tell you about today's find: Crowley Manor Bath & Body. Soaps, lip balm, body butter all handmade right here in Colorado. Nigerian Dwarf Goats provide the milk that they use for these amazing products, and the goats are the cutest critters I've seen. Even cuter than Moose I think. I bought the Orange Truffle Kahlua Cream Soap and Soap Cake Duo, AKA the OMG soap and it truly lives up to its name! It is so good I want to roll around it in, and that is high praise indeed. Another reason I'm so excited about Crowley Manor is that at the end of March Jeremy, Eric, and I get to drive up and see the new baby goats! Crowley has amazing products and super customer service, check them out!

In other news, the gones are playing tomorrow night at the Lion's Lair in Denver, check them out if you can. Jeremy and I start yoga classes in the morning and more guitar practice. What are you doing this weekend? You should let us know.

But the Legend of the Sofa Was Way Hardcore

2010-02-15T19:48:00.004-07:00

I am impatient. No, really, I am impatient. There is no nice way around it, no sugar coating, it is blind impatience. It is good to know these things about oneself for it makes it easier to get through trying times; but it doesn't make it any easier for the people around me.

I am consumed with the impatience I am suffering while waiting for deliveries to be made. The first thing I think of (well, really the second, no the third...but five is right out) when I wake up is "I hope the sofa arrives today" knowing full well that it isn't even expected in the store's warehouse before this week. As I brush my teeth, shoot photos, and post comments on Facebook all I can think of "It would be fantastic if the sofa/coffee table/jewelry supplies (that I just ordered btw) arrived today, again knowing full well that they won't.

My impatience is starting to affect my work, as I am prone to wandering into daydreams of furniture deliveries and projects that cannot be started until deliveries are made. When Ein hears (and starts barking) at the UPS delivery truck my heart starts to race and I run to the front door in anticipation of the parcels that will delivered today.

Two things need to happen now. Thing the first, I need to learn to be more patient. Thing the second, I need to stop ordering things online.

In shop related news, all of our Valentine's Day themed items have been removed, so I'm sorry to say that boat has sailed. Also, today and tomorrow will be the last days for the Mardi Gras themed items. Tonight we listed an awesome version of our Tranquility Bracelet. I've done the original in matte black with a matte black toggle, sleek and sophisticated, you know you want one! Also, you guys can expect to see a lot more green items being listed toward the end of the week.

Additionally I'm glad to report we've had a ton of really amazing feedback and support from the other Etsy shop owners I mention here, visitors to our shop, friends, family, and the craft community as a whole. I'm touched guys, we absolutely cannot do it with out you, thank you so much!

By now I'll bet you're wondering who our seller of the day is, well that is easy it's Beta Boutique! Fun and unique handmade clothing and accessories and if you want to know why I picked Beta, I have two words for you tulle skirt!

Somewhere in the house I can hear Eric washing up for bed, kitty cats purring and the gentle hum of Jeremy blowing stuff up in video games, that dear friends is the sound of home. As we part from tonight's chat I'd like to remind you all to support things like crafters, local artisans, independent bookstores, library, and the bands your friends are in!

Where in the world is Siouxsiequeue?

2010-02-14T19:16:00.003-07:00

To answer that question, I have been right here, buried under projects and minor illness, and new jewelry cases!

On Wednesday Jeremy, Eric, & I went to book club, where I lead a wonderful discussion on J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit". I love that story, it is part of who I am, so I was so excited to be able to really talk about it with 15 other people! We have three librarians in our book club, so that also helps to make our meetings interesting. The three ladies are so well read and always have interesting tidbits about the story or the author, it is fantastic.

On Thursday the plan had been to join Greg & Co. for King Collab. Several people get together to help each other with their projects, discuss the creative process and fill the need we all have to sit around in a diner drinking coffee and eating pancakes all night. I have been having a lot of fun at Collab, but this week I had a touch of something and a fever so I didn't think the others would like to have me and my germs around. Greg and I are starting to put together a story of, well us, from high school, and tried to work via unreliable Internet connections and text messages, but it didn't work out quite as we had planned. This is a fantastic project, though I don't know exactly what medium it will ultimately take. It is freeing and healing to talk about it, to tell those stories again, and to look at the old photos. We carried so much baggage about that time, it feels like it is finally moving into the past, for me anyway.

On Friday I was expecting parcels full of beads and a new carrying case for my jewelry inventory; needless to say the day passed at a dead crawl and the UPS drive took his sweet time coming to the house. When Jeremy got home from work he helped me get everything organized in the case and it looks wonderful! We spent the rest of the evening watching t.v. and I worked on a few new pieces.

Yesterday we got the brilliant idea to go out shopping, but there were so many people in all the shops we became frustrated very quickly. We started at the Game Stop, where I picked up a copy of Beatles Rock Band only to find out later there are NO Rock Band band kits for the Wii available ANYWHERE in the whole world. I'm going to have to take the game back because we can't play it. From the Game Stop we went to Target where we bought Jeremy a new yoga mat and lamented the absence of Rock Band controllers for the Wii. Then we were off and running to the garden center where we purchased a new solar powered Japanese lantern and some herbs that I will grow in a box on the kitchen counter. Lastly we went by the supermarket and then home again. We're still waiting for more deliveries, furniture and jewelry supplies. I hope that the rash of snow storms doesn't delay these deliveries too much. I think the furniture will (finally) arrive toward the end of this week.

Okay, so enough of my weekend play by play let's get down to business. I have five, yes five, new bracelets to list this week, one of which is pictured at the beginning of this post. (If you click here or on the photo you can see all the items available in the shop.) I've also started planning a few pieces for St. Patrick's Day, we all know how I love a theme! I've also got a couple of sewing projects playing out in my head: I'm going to finish a project tote for a friend who knits and I would like to make totes for our yoga mats. If they turn out well we might be seeing them in my Etsy shop in the next few weeks.

And last but certainly not least, the all important shout outs and awesome links portion of this post. There are a lot of them, so please check them out, pass along the links and any information you may glean. First up, our Etsy shop of the week. Melfitz Handmade Accessories, beautiful knitted gloves & scarves! Love, love, love! I wish my knitting was this good. Next we've got Oscar's band, the gones, who are playing in Denver this weekend at the Lion's Lair. You can click here for details on the show and to check out some of their songs. "Killin' Me" is my favorite of their songs. Also playing in Denver this week is Tim's band, Pluyd. They are at Herman's Hideaway and you can click here for information about that show or here to buy their album.

As if all of that wasn't enough, I also have two little gems from the world of celebrity tweeting. Neil Gaiman (my favorite author) wrote a fun poem in honor of Valentine's day. You can find that here along with his whole blog. And finally, but certainly not least we have a fun and geeky link to a Jean-Luc Picard video that came to us via Chris Hardwick of Web Soup. Okay, I think that was everyone!

I do believe that gets everyone caught up! I hope that you are warm, wherever you are, and that you have a lovely evening.

Who is this guy, and why are we following him anyway?

2010-02-09T19:27:00.003-07:00

This morning started out by wrangling cats so they could go to the vet. Yeah, that was super fun. :) The pets all came home with clean bills of health and I anticipate that the cats will stop hissing at us sometime next week.

Today I hit pause on the jewelry making to work on my presentation for book club. I'm leading the discussion on "The Hobbit" tomorrow night so I thought I'd probably better have my questions ready. I'm excited to give the presentation because I'm such a fan of Tolkien. I hope it goes well.

There are lost of fun new pieces in out Etsy shop this week, we've seen so many great shops from other Etsy sellers, there has been craziness from snow, vet visits, preparations for a presentation, and it's only Tuesday!

How's your week going?

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

2010-02-08T18:55:00.002-07:00

...and it did, all day. The snow was ankle deep when I went out to get the mail this morning. I didn't enjoy that walk. The most frustrating thing about the snow is that Ein doesn't like cold weather in the slightest and he always gives us a bad time about going out. He just looks up at you with his big brown doggie eyes as if to say "I hope you don't think I'm going out in that weather." Cymru on the other hand loves the snow, we usually have to go outside and bring her back inside.
Besides the doggies wanting either in or out all day they both took turns napping under the work bench in the studio this afternoon, breaking only to chew on toys or to get a drink of water. Ah, the life of spoiled puppies.

I finished three new bracelets over the weekend, all in copper. I'm very exited to get them listed on my Etsy shop. I love copper jewelry, the color is so warm, it almost makes you forget that you're working with metal. It is fantastic!

Today's find of the day, ArtisanTea! I love tea. I love that you can't just have tea, you have to boil water and steep the tea leaves before you can have tea. It is a little bit ritualistic and a little bit meditative, you get a few minutes every morning to just pause and think. Good stuff.

Bundle up and stay warm friends!

Home Improving

2010-02-07T19:13:00.003-07:00

Jeremy and I have been watching a lot of HGTV lately, and I do mean A LOT! As a result of our recent television viewing we've been bitten by the home improvement bug. I guess I shouldn't blame it all on tv, it really started with the new sofa, which has yet to be delivered. We started looking for a sofa, then we needed a coffee table, then we needed a new lamp, then we needed to paint the bathroom, then we needed to replace the mirror...and on and on until we ended up at a new patio door.
I love making these changes to our home, especially since it is a very long way from being our dream home. I've enjoyed seeing the evolution of this house from suburban beige mortgage to our home and there is something very satisfying about doing the work as well.
Next weekend we're hoping for some warmer weather so we can pain the upstairs bathroom and get the new patio door installed. We are very lucky that Jeremy's Dad is very handy and has agreed to help us install the door.

In studio related news, I have started some projects in copper this weekend. I'm looking forward to being able to share them with everyone. I should be able to wrap things up tonight and work on photos in the morning. I'm also expecting an order of silver rings and Swarovski beads, so we're going to have a bunch of new stuff in the next few weeks.

If you don't already have something for your Valentine you should stop by the Siouxsiequeue's Etsy shop and check out our range of Valentine's themed bracelets. The last day to order in time for Valentine's (US orders only) is Wednesday, February 10th, so don't wait until the last minute!

One last thing before I go, today's find are these super cute, handmade hats for your beeb! Coverall Hats has an assortment of sweet hats that are worth checking out.

I hope that your team won the big football game and that you managed to stay warm in all the snow that happened all over the country this weekend!

Next week is too far away...

2010-02-03T19:48:00.002-07:00

I've got a wonderful new project I'm dying to work on and I don't have enough sterling silver to complete it. So now I'm pacing around waiting on the new sofa AND supplies to arrive. I need to learn to be more patient I think.

Today's find is my friend Jessica, if you are planning a wedding and are looking for some truly amazing accessories hers is the shop to see. Her work is beautiful, I know you will be happy.

It was a pretty quiet day around here today. Jeremy went back to his real job, Eric was at school, even the pets napped most of the day. On an unrelated note, I did get some work done today, and we got a shot out on Oscar's blog! I hope that doesn't start a weird cycle...I mentioned the gones, he mentioned me, I mentioned that he mentioned me....anyway, Oscar is awesome, blogs are awesome, there you go.

I've been thinking about companion pieces, like a necklace and or earrings, to go with the Black Ribbons bracelet. I like the looks of those necklaces that have multiple chains of various sizes and finishes, but I'm not really getting any inspiration when it comes to matching earrings. Oh, speaking of earrings, all of our earrings are 15% off during the month of February.

I also need to finish some drawings for a custom order I've been asked to work on. We're going to do a corset and I have to say that I'm really excited about this project. I've been kind of wading through the logistics of it since the weekend and I think I'm ready to put pen to paper, get measurements, and put together my final estimates. Because of the materials I would like to use in this project I am considering making this a composite piece. I won't be able to solder or weld the maille, so if it stands alone we run the risk of pulling rings apart when she's lacing the corset, and we don't want that. I think having the maille over a traditionally constructed corset would lend shape and structure. Wish me luck and when I get the go ahead I'll start taking and posting photos of the project as I go along. Do you have a special project you'd like us to work on? We love custom orders, don't be shy, I love a challenge.

Why is there a baby in the stupid cake in the first place?

2010-02-02T21:00:00.005-07:00

I was raised Catholic. I know, what a strange way to start a post, but follow me here for a moment...I was raised Catholic, so about this time of year I become very aware of two things, Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday. I've never been to Mardi Gras myself, but I have lived vicariously through friends who have gone and brought me back bags and bags of plastic beads. Beads, which according to mardigras.com are manufactured in China by people who believe it is actual jewelry, but I digress. I have never participated in the festival or madness of Mardi Gras, but I have observed one of its dearest traditions, the King Cake.

I worked in an office, one of those swanky high rise kind of offices, with a New Orleans native who on the occasion of Mardi Gras ordered a King Cake to share with the office. As we were enjoying the imported confection one of the young ladies who worked with us (and who fancied herself superior to nearly everyone in nearly every way) began screaming and threw her cake across the room. "OH MY GOD! THERE IS A BABY IN THIS CAKE! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE, WHY IS THERE A BABY IN THIS CAKE!" Most of our co-workers just stared as the man who purchased the cake and I burst into hysterical laughter. The poor young lady was neither familiar with King Cake, nor the fact that finding the baby in her piece of cake was supposed to bring her good luck. Once it was explained everyone had a good laugh, but I am always taken by surprise by the knowledge we take for granted and or project on to others. Maybe this was a story that you had to be part of to really appreciate, maybe it's called pie...

In other, non-holiday related news, it looks like my friend Oscar's band, the gones, are in the studio! I think it would be really spiffy if you went over to their myspace page and downloaded their songs and check out their blog. Jef, Oscar, & Van are amazing musicians and really cool guys, I know you'll love them just as much as I do.

Today's find: handmade artisan mineral make-up (say that three times fast). Good for you, good for the environment, makes you pretty, it is kind of hard to go wrong there.

Um...let's see...random Mardi Gras story, the gones, the find of the day...I guess that's about it for today...I would like to hear from you though. Do you have a baby in the cake story, want to plug your friend's band, or have a find of the day?

New Furniture is Distracting

2010-02-01T20:14:00.003-07:00

We ordered a new sofa for the living room this weekend, and for some reason this is preventing me from working. Whenever I sit down to work I starting thinking about the new sofa and I start taking measurements in the living room or trying to find things that are the same color as the sofa to compare it with the paint. I'm not usually this distracted, I just can't wait for the new furniture to arrive.

I decided to take a break from being distracted and I did do some work this afternoon. I accepted delivery of some new supplies (yay!), got some photos from Shawn and started planning some new projects. I've been really inspired the past few days, even if I have been distracted, and I've learned a few new (to me) weaves and projects. I'm also getting some new beads in the next week or so and I can't wait to get the new pieces out in the shop. In the mean time you can check out today's listing from my shop and our other favorite seller of the week, The Green Daisy, she makes super cute magnets.

The February newsletter went out this morning as well, if you're not getting our newsletter you can sign up here and get the skinny on our monthly specials, sales, and all that good stuff.

Where Did the Weekend Go?

2010-01-31T22:08:00.004-07:00

I can't believe it is Sunday night already, this weekend just flew by for me! On Friday night Jeremy and I caught up on then said goodbye to a show we really really liked (Dollhouse). We are great fans of Joss Whedon and were sad to see that show end. Jeremy is taking a few days off from his real job so I think maybe we'll have a Whedon-thon tomorrow in the studio, perhaps starting with Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog...

Besides watching t.v., we got some new items listed over at the Etsy shop, packaged and posted a few orders, and cleaned the house like crazy people.

Last night the knitting group, Nerds Who Knit, met at our house. We had some snacks, worked on our projects, and watched "Gattaca". Nicole put in a valiant effort toward learning to knit, but I don't think she enjoyed it very much, perhaps instead of being a knitter she will consent to be our official cat girl mascot...I'll have to ask her.

Speaking of the knitting group, one of our other esteemed members has recently fired up her own Etsy shop, KraftsbyKatie. She makes really sweet embellished flip-flops that you should check out.

In other weekend news, Nicole, Eric, and I made it over to Fancy Tiger for their yarn sale on Saturday afternoon. I picked up some pink cashmere yarn that is so soft...I think I'm going to try to knit a lacy scarf that I saw on t.v. the other day. I have 10,000 knitting projects in progress, I can't seem to help myself. I start new projects well before I have finished others. I think I have project ADD. Come to think of it, I have tons of projects in various stages of completion. I think this week I will make a better effort to wrap up some of the projects that turned long term, or I could start the new table runner for my Mom and the checkbook cover for my Grandma...

[Edit]
I'm such a space cadet sometimes, I completely forgot to tell you guys about my awesome friend Tim. I'm lucky enough to be friends with a drummer in one of Denver's most interesting bands, Pluyd. If you are around the Denver area you should check out one of their shows! You can also become their fan on Facebook here. Support your local artists!!

Whenever One Door Closes...

2010-01-28T19:57:00.003-07:00

...Another one slams shut on your fingers. :)
No that's not really true, titles and email subject lines are difficult for me. I feel a lot of pressure to be clever and funny in that tiny little box that most people probably don't ready anyway.

Today was kind of a big day for us here at Siouxsiequeue's. Our merchandise has been featured in a local shop since August, but due to different opinions on the direction of the business we are parting ways with the shop. The only thing that really means is that we won't be in the shop anymore, but it is a bit sad, and now I cannot point potential customers to the shop. Not to worry though, we're still on Etsy and after a short break I plan to take my work back the to the local market place.

We're also having a busy weekend around here as well. I've recently formed a knitting group with some of the ladies I'm friends with and we're hosting a knitting/movie night in our home on Saturday night. I'm having a bit of stress about this only because the studio space is visible from the rest of the house and I'm going to have to work on cleaning up instead of new projects tomorrow. :)

More good news, Nicole has consented to learning to knit (maybe), my favorite craft shop, Fancy Tiger, is having a yarn sale, Jeremy said we can get a new sofa, and we're thinking about a road trip in order to obtain said new sofa!

On the business front, I've finally posted the listings for all the new Valentine's Day jewelry items and am about to start work on some fun pieces for Mardi Gras. I'm also going to do a whole series of pieces in various shades of blue and silver. I'm hoping to finish the quilt I've been working on, a fun twin sized quilt using L'Amour by Sandy Gervais for Moda Fabrics. I've posted a few photos on our Facebook fanpage and I'll work on getting a few more together.

Looks like this entry turned into a blog of 1,000 links, and I guess I'll leave you with one more. During your exploration of Etsy don't forget to check out our friend Elisatta's page. She's done some amazing and cute watercolor paintings and cards.

This is why cats don't have jobs...

2010-01-27T20:03:00.005-07:00

We are allowed to live and work in the same house as two cats, Odin and Moose. I, in a stupid and careless move, dared to put my super-duper fancy photo studio light box (read: cardboard box with tissue paper taped to three sides) on my work surface when one of the cats wanted to walk through that area. In retribution, the cat (I don't know which one but suspect Moose) slashed through one of the layers of tissue, so this morning instead of taking photographs I was repairing my photography equipment (read: cardboard box). Luckily I had all the supplies to make the necessary repair, and was back on the road to shooting photos in no time. Well, until Moose decided I wanted to take photos of him instead of the jewelry I'm trying to sell...

This is one of the pitfalls of working at home, it didn't take long for me to abandon my photography project in favor of playing with the cat and watching "Mamma Mia!", again. I did get the pliers and work on a handful of new pieces and wrote a thank you note to one of my customers for a recent order.

I wouldn't say that I've been avoiding my work this week, but I will admit to being easily distracted. I'm going to blame the cats and the weather for that, it was in the low 70's earlier this week and that causes premature Spring Fever. Now that the weather has returned to being properly cold for this time of year I shouldn't have any issues the rest of the week.

P.S. From the photo: Moose is the orange tabby and Odin is the black cat.

A Brand New Blog

2010-01-26T18:46:00.002-07:00

Where to start...

...It seemed like a good idea to start a blog about our shop, my family, and the general nonsense that goes on around here; so I did!
Last summer, with the encouragement of my family (Jeremy & Eric), I gave up the 9-to-5 to embark on a new adventure: a home based crafting business. Yes, that's right, in an absurd economy I walked away from a perfectly good paying job to make jewelry and accessories in my basement. No, I am not actually insane.

I'd just reached a point in my life where I realized that I couldn't actually stand to work with or for anyone else, and I didn't really like anything I was doing anyway, so, it did actually seem like a good idea at the time.

I'd been making chainmaille jewelry, mostly for my friends and family, for several years before I made this enormous decision, and I'd had periods of success with it, so away I went, making chainmaille...as my job...in 2009.

Okay, so writing it all down does make me sound a little insane, but believe it or not, I do a fair bit of business. I've got a little Etsy shop, there is a local shop that carries my merchandise, and about 7 months later it turns out to be a viable business. Who knew?

Being my own boss does have a few minor setbacks, for example I tend to be a workaholic and I haven't seen most of my friends since this has become a serious venture, but the upside is that I get to wear my jeans to work everyday and I never have to explain my t-shirts to anyone.

By the way, I'm not actually an anti-social hermit, even though I've started painting that picture for you. I was just frustrated with the politics and red tape that go hand in hand with corporate life, and the truth is, I was tired of working as hard as I was with no tangible output at the end of the day. There wasn't ever anything to hold up and say "Look what I did today."

So, look at what I did today, and thanks for joining me. I'm looking forward to talking about what's going on around here, sharing my projects, and hearing back from you!