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.

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.

Good Thing I Already Own a Taun Taun

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.

What's New at Siouxsiequeue's

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

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

Oh don't mind me....

...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).