It's Time for Craftstravaganza

 

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 Studio Wasn't the Only Move

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.

Craftstravaganza Featured Vendor: La Samara Studios

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

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

All Quiet on the Blogger Front

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.

And Then We Were Swamped...

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.

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

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