Now Featuring Siouxsiequeue's....

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

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

You Know What I Need...

...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....

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

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...

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

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.