And it’s not just big, it’s huge. Renegade Craft Fair is coming to Austin for the first time ever and over 200 vendors, all artists and hand crafters, will be selling fabulous goods for two whole days! My group included!
The Renegade Craft Fair takes place Saturday, May 15th and Sunday, May 16th from 11am to 7pm both days. The venue is the Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Road, which means it is indoors and air-conditioned (also windproof, my favorite aspect). It is FREE to attend, with garage parking for $7 a day. In addition to the tons of excellent handmades, there will be music, food, activities for kids, workshops, a photobooth, raffles, and so much more.
My co-vendors are April Wright Designs, Assorted Musings by Maggie, and The Flashbulb. All of our work is bright and colorful, so our booth is sure to entertain the eyes at every turn. Everyone makes something different, so in addition to my jewelry, you’ll find knit wear and accessories. art quilts, hand drawn, wearable art, framed prints, and so much more. We’re planning a giveaway for each day of the event so be sure to stop by and get your name in the drawing. More about each of my boothmates over the coming weeks.
Too busy making, no time for blogging. You’ll just have to read about it here… www.cherrywoodartfair.org
Oh, no! The EtsyAustin Team tent at 1st Thursday had to be canceled for the month of November. A new vending permit rule came up too quickly to be figured out right away, but hopefully future 1st Thursdays will be able to handle it. Attending is always fun regardless, so if you were planning to go just for EtsyAustin, you can still check out a lot of great food, finds, and, always, people watching.
The EtsyAustin Team members who are not vending tonight, but still totally up for your purchases online are…
GemJunkie.etsy.com, BabyBolt.etsy.com, Maggie913.etsy.com, VintageRehab.etsy.com, BagLadySecrets.etsy.com, and, of course, MerrittGade.etsy.com
Having a love for and a gift with hammers and tools in general, I find upholstery to be a very satisfying craft. Several years ago, I took a beginner’s class at Austin Community College and have learned a lot on my own since then as well. Mostly looking at books and using my best problem solving skills, I’ve redone three chairs of various sizes and styles and a footstool. There are plans for one day making my own fabric for a more artsy approach to upholstery, but that’s for another time.
Several years ago, I agreed to take on a monster reupholstery project for a good friend in trade for my branding designs (Hi, Kevin!). I very quickly wound up with an awesome logo, website, and business cards. By quickly, I mean several meetings over a few months and Kevin’s excellent skills and time devoted to bringing my vague requests to life. It was fast, though, compared to the length of time I was in possession of The Couch. The eight foot long sofa was of an era that is more hideous than cool, and the work to be done was overwhelming in size and scope. The original arms were curled and short—very dated and not the clean look I imagined for the owner. I have a hard time sewing anything square, so the loose seat cushions had to go. The frame was sturdy, though, and the legs could easily be replaced if necessary. I could see a really fantastic piece of furniture in there.
Still considering myself a beginner, I requested that the new fabric be solid and without any pattern. I wanted to be as careful and neat as my friend had been with my logo and such, so I really, really took my time. More hours were spent thinking about The Couch than physically working on it, but to a pretty fantastic result. It was a grueling 56 hours of work, but an even more lumbering year and a half of working on it when I could. Or when I just made myself get in there and do something to it.
Tune in later for more on the journey of The Couch…
This is the only before picture we could find. Gross, huh?
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