Candy Calamity

A fond farewell

2011-09-01T15:07:00.000-05:00

Things have been pretty quiet around here.

I took some time off from Candy Calamity to explore new ideas and what I figured out is that it's time to close up shop. It's been great meeting everyone out there in the craftiverse and I've had a great three years but all good things come to an end.

There's quite a bit still left in my etsy store, everything is set to expire in early November and I'm not relisting anymore so get it while you can. This is a true 'everything must go' situation so I put together a coupon code for you: closing40 just enter it at check out to receive 40% off your entire order.

Who knows, someday I may be creating again under the Candy Calamity name, or a different name. I'll keep the blogspot open and will update you when I do.

- Emily

Show Calendar

2011-02-21T22:23:00.000-06:00

I've got all my spring and summer shows loaded up in my Google calendar, it's going to be an exciting season! You can find the calendar in the left side bar of the blog. (You might have to click 'look for more' a few times to see the summer dates).

I was also going to post to my snazzy new facebook calendar, but I saw that the new profile for fan pages got rid of my tab (so hard to get set up) and put a link to the calendar in the sidebar. Well, that took the wind out of my sails, so I'll fix up the FB side of things tomorrow.

Show Me Etsy Membership Drive

2011-02-11T12:07:00.000-06:00

Spring Membership Drive has begun! Looking to connect with other St. Louis area Etsy sellers? Looking to be a part of a creative, fun and business-minded group that promotes the local handmade community? That's us!

If you are interested in applying to join our team, you can find the Membership Requirements and Application on our facebook page: ShowMeEtsy membership-application-spring-2011.

Applications are due by February 28, 2011 and team invitations will be extended in March.

Where have I been

2011-02-03T23:41:00.000-06:00

So I noticed when I posted my Illustration Friday post last week that it had been well over a month since my last post, when I had intended to only take a brief holiday rush break.

What have I been up to?

Working on the Craft 365 project - the original deadline to finish was 12/31/2010 and that did not happen, but I am really close, and I've been doing much better about crafting a little everyday. See the complete project on Flickr here: Craft 365 Set I'm at day 354 now - so close!

Reading other blogs - I've been reflecting on what I'm doing over here and whether I want to go on a set posting schedule. Some of my favorites:
Bakingdom
Color me katie
Etsy Trashion Blog
Unclutterer

Cooking up some new ideas - I may be moving away from candy wrappers in 2011, this is a big change for Candy Calamity that I've been thinking about a lot, things should be really interesting

Signing up for shows - I've been planning out the 2011 spring/summer season, there are some great shows coming up, I'll be updating my official calendar soon.

Illustration Friday - Surrender

2011-01-29T18:27:00.000-06:00

Sometimes it's time to surrender to a brain storm and sketch all the ideas inside your head to see them out and on paper.

Sprinkles!!

2010-12-18T18:45:00.000-06:00

A sprinkle-centric holiday tale? - you know I'm all about that.

Enjoy this wonderful journey in dough by Christopher Niemann:

http://niemann.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/16/let-it-dough/

Two shows this week!

2010-12-01T18:34:00.000-06:00

You can find Candy Calamity goods at two great shows this week!

First off tomorrow night 5-9 I'll be at at SqWires for Artropy -Thursday Evening December 2nd, 2010

but if that's not a good night for you, you can also find me at the Missouri History museum on Saturday, December 4th 12-4 for the Third Annual Green Living Expo

I've got some freshly made christmas ornaments and pasticcio resin earrings. With any luck I'll have some new book thongs done too!

Guest Post on Craft for Health

2010-11-11T15:17:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone!

I'm trying to build up some inventory for a bunch of holiday shows I've got coming up, so blog posts will be a bit few and far between for the next few weeks.

In the mean time you can check out an article I wrote over at Craft for Health about the zen of candy wrapper folding: http://craftforhealth.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/11/zen-and-the-art-of-candy-wrapper-folding-by-emily-ochiu.html

Halloween Smell

2010-11-05T17:38:00.000-05:00

"I immediately experienced that overwhelming olfactory blast known as Halloween Smell; a free-floating bouquet of sugar, cocoa butter, and flavorings" (Steve Almond, Candyfreak pg 41)

On a good day, my craft room is filled with that delicious Halloween Smell :)

Candy Contest Results

2010-11-02T21:24:00.000-05:00

Ok here are the answers to the halloween quiz!

H - hershey's
A - Brach's
P - Milkduds (tricky : turned upside down)
P - Tootsie Pop
Y - Laffy Taffy
H - Krunch! (by great american opportunities)
A - Take5
L - Tootsie Roll
L - Tootsie Roll
O - Dots
W - Wonka Exceptionals
E - Nestle (another tricky one - from a bag of chocolate chips)
E - 3 Muskateers
N - 100 Grand

Thanks to everyone who played! By my count, with 9 correct answers Tina Gaulden is our winner!

Congrats Tina! - You have won a set of Candy Wrapper Fridge Magnets which say "Happy" Please contact me with your mailing address

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-30T19:06:00.001-05:00

I've got a prize for whoever can identify the most candy wrappers used here (or whoever names them all first)
Leave your entries in the comments!

Trick or Treat

2010-10-28T20:44:00.001-05:00

So, my favorite Spooktacular Holiday is coming up!

An entire night devoted to silly costumes and eating candy? Sign me up!

It seems like a good time to ask for wrapper donations. I can't do what I do without all of you kind folks who save up wrappers for me (I can only eat so much by myself). I can't use foil wrappers or anything with chocolate or caramel or something stuck to it, but other then that I will happily accept any and all types of candy wrappers. If you also manage to save the outside bag that the little fun size pieces come in, that would be awesome! Those are really great to work with.

Thank you in advance if you think of me and collect up some wrappers. I have a special candy themed holiday background I'll be sharing here on the blog this weekend, so stay tuned!

The Tree Huggers

2010-10-24T21:43:00.000-05:00

Last July we were lucky enough to get two tree hugger statues installed at the 'entrance' to the neighborhood.

Designed by artists/creators, Wiktor Szostalo and Agnieszka Gradzik, they are a tribute to sustainability efforts in the area. Formed from tree branches and other organic materials, they give our trees a gentle squeeze.

I totally meant to take pictures to post here back when they were new, since I walk past them all the time on the way to the donut store, but I'm glad I waited. Autumn leaves suit them.

Illustration Friday - spooky

2010-10-17T22:27:00.001-05:00

10/15/10 Spooky

Actual conversation:
Me: "I'm supposed to draw something spooky this week, what's really spooky?"
The Hubs: "I dunno.... me, getting up in the morning?"

Yeah ..... it would be spooky if I woke up one day to find that my husband had become a decomposing, brain-eating zombie overnight.

and as a bonus: Last weeks prompt 'transportation' which I drew but then because of a camera failure did not get a chance to post.

One Year Ago Today

2010-10-10T23:10:00.000-05:00

I wanted to publish this at 10:10 pm on 10/10/10, but I missed my deadline by a little bit.

One year ago today, Candy Calamity was gearing up for it's second holiday season much better prepared then I was the year before. I wrote this blog post http://candycalamity.blogspot.com/2009/10/craft-show-rules.html about my 8 craft show rules, and I'm still using those 'rules' today - they're keepers!

I had just invented the octagonal prism shaped recycled christmas card ornaments and was making those full steam ahead (they will be making a reappearance in my etsy store soon - I can't believe it's already that time of year)

I discovered Illustration Friday. It took me a few weeks to get my feet wet and I posted my first drawing 'blur' on November 6th (Can't believe I drew it on an envelope back - I'm such a dork sometimes)

Two years ago today, I was getting ready to have a craft show table to myself for the first time. Those were the days that six feet seemed like a lot of space to fill, now I can never get everything to fit!

Around the same time I was interviewing for a new day job and got it, I've been a clinical dietitian at my current hospital ever since.

Three years ago today, I was just starting to hear about a great shopping site called 'Etsy' and Candy Calamity was just a twinkle in my eye.

So what were you doing one year ago today?

Dandy Giveaway

2010-10-03T21:09:00.000-05:00

Congrats to Sarah A. the winner of these fabulous earrings on the Dandy Giveaway:

I'm not sure when I'll be doing a giveaway again, maybe if I get really into the Christmas spirit....
stay tuned

Custom Pendant for a Wedding

2010-09-28T23:11:00.000-05:00

I've made many a piece of candy jewelry but this one is the sweetest (sorry, candy pun!)

Requested for a bride by her bridesmaid Monica to be her something borrowed and something blue. Monica mailed me this special fortune she found and I put it into a custom fortune pendant.

"You can only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough" What a wonderful sentiment to carry with you on your wedding day.

World's Largest Bar of Chocolate

2010-09-17T15:39:00.000-05:00

Wowza! Weighing in at 9,702 pounds there's a new winner for the Guinness Book of World Records for world's largest bar of chocolate. It measures 224-inch by 110-inch by 10-inch and looks amazing.

What a sweet way to start the weekend.

Tiny Matchbook Notebooks

2010-09-14T23:52:00.000-05:00

Look what I made!

Little tiny Candy Calamity matchbook notebooks! They fit anywhere you might need a little extra scratch paper. Plus the white paper is recycled (previously printed on one side) so who knows what surprises you might find.

Now you might be asking yourself: "How do I get my hands on one of those fancy little things?"
It's easy. These are a free gift to anyone who donates to the upcycle exchange. (bring candy wrappers and coffee bags please!). Once you get your donation coupon, come find me at any of the shows I'm doing this fall/winter. You'll get 15% off any purchase, plus you can snag a matchbook notebook just for stopping by, or use your coupon code for a purchase at my etsy store and I'll be sure to include one in your package.

fun new supplies

2010-09-09T22:08:00.000-05:00

Pony Snacks!!!

I haven't really decided yet what these will become, but I'm loving these gummi my little pony snacks wrappers that were recently donated. So pink!

Eco friendly fall shows

2010-09-02T20:45:00.000-05:00

I've got 3 great eco-friendly themed craft shows coming up. This fall you can find Candy Calamity at:

1. Green Homes Show - September 25th 10 am to 6 pm - This outdoor festival in the Grandel Square showcase exhibits and workshops about living green in St. Louis. I'll be under the 'Made from Scratch' green marketplace tent. http://www.greenhomesstl.org/

2. Green Craft Show - November 13th and 14th from 10 am -5 pm - Hosted by the Missouri Botanical Garden in the Ridgeway Center (main entrance to the garden). Come shop from some great local green crafters, and possibly stay to enjoy the beauty of the garden in the fall. It really does look great year round. http://www.mobot.org/

3. Green Living Expo - December 4th 12 pm to 4 pm - at the Missouri History Museum, featuring more than 30 local merchants offering locally produced, organic, and environmentally conscious products and services. http://www.mohistory.org/

Fresh Pita and Cucumber Sauce

2010-08-06T12:33:00.000-05:00

Exciting news, today I am the guest blogger at Churros con Chocolate.

Check out my pita and cucumber sauce recipe

Illustration Friday - artificial

2010-07-31T21:09:00.000-05:00

Illustration Friday for 7/30/2010: artificial

The problem with artificial emotions is that they so often go haywire

New earrings now available

2010-07-23T11:18:00.000-05:00

My most recent generation of pasticcio resin earrings has been with me at the Green with Indie Craft Show and the Every Artist Market, but now they've finally finished their photo shoot and are ready to be listed up on Etsy. Expect to see 2 - 3 pairs up per day for the next week.

What's really awesome about this group is all the different materials that found their way into my resin beads, along with the usual wrapping paper, tissue paper, and scrap book scraps; I used old sheet music, a plastic party table cloth, a wrapper from a Wonka Scrumdiddlyumptious bar (if you haven't tried this yet - you should it's amazing) and a few other candiy wrappers as well.

I love the intense jewel tones of the wrappers and paper come together with the embroidery floss and swarovski bicones in each of these earrings - they are some of my best yet!

Illustration Friday - breakfast

2010-07-19T22:05:00.000-05:00

My balanced breakfast: strawberries, fried potato cubes, one egg over easy, and two glorious strips of bacon. Illustration Friday for 7/16/2010

Show Me Etsy membership drive

2010-07-15T16:38:00.000-05:00

Deadline approaching!

We're looking for new members for Show Me Etsy - the St. Louis area Etsy street team. If you live within 100 miles of St. Louis, sell handmade or vintage goods on Etsy.com and want to be a part of a fun, active, business focused team ,head over to showmeetsy.org to get the application info. Due by July 25th (10 more days)

711 miles of Adventure

2010-07-10T22:03:00.000-05:00

I took a wonderful trip last week through out the great land of Illinois: Chicago, Yorkville, Bloomington/Normal, Springfield - we saw it all.

Highlights include: Chinatown, taste of Chicago, fantastic banana hats, hanging out in Millennium Park including a free concert we went to with Laura of Churros con Chocolate , Raging Waves water park, Grumpee's weenie wagon (at highway 71 and I-80 if you need to see for yourself) making sourdough bread with Jason of Breadnesday , (two Illinois food bloggers in one week!)

and last but not least Charlie Parker's in Springfield (our 3rd stop on the travel channels top ten places to pig out) my pancake was huge but manageable, Derek's was a 16 inch diameter monster. I'm proud to say he finished but declined the Charlie's challenge to eat 4.

I would have made this post 5 days ago but I spent forever playing with the Big Huge Labs photo editors to make my mosaic up there. Now that I figured it out (and now that I'm back to work in the craft studio) I'm hoping to have some new fancy product photos to share soon

What are you doing on the evening of Friday June 18th?

2010-06-17T22:12:00.000-05:00

I know what I'm doing! I'm going to the Etsy's birthday party, hosted by Made studio:

Let's celebrate! Etsy, along with ReadyMade and Meetups Everywhere (and MADE Studios), You can participate in the Etsy Craft Party, a global initiative to energize your local community, make art together, and throw a party. We want to celebrate crafting together on June 18, 2010 (which just happens to be Etsy's birthday) with as many celebrations across the globe as possible. Join us at MADE Studios where we will have craft projects & supplies as well as plenty of space to work on your own projects.

Come hang out and work on your own projects - you can also buy a project wristband for a small fee that allows to make and take as many of our funky & creative make-and-take projects as you like.

Check it out on facebook

Illustration Friday - ripple

2010-06-11T23:14:00.001-05:00

The Ripple blog was started on the 45th day of the Deepwater Horizon Catastrophe. The oil spill in the Gulf is now over 50 days old with no sign of stopping. We may be too small as individuals to do some grand gesture- but together our small gestures can be grand.

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "Ripple" and my watercolor and ink creation on a 2.5 x 3.5 inch card, along with those of all the other Illustration Friday artists, is available at http://ripplesketches.blogspot.com/
for a small donation of $10 to either the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies or The International Bird Rescue Research Center.

UPDATE: my card was sold to a very nice guy in Maryland. Thanks for supporting this cause!

Candy Calamity: Now with 100% more cat

2010-06-09T22:18:00.000-05:00

We recently adopted a cat named Lily. She has decided to make the window sills in my craft room her #1 hang out and I don't blame her; the view is awesome. As such, she spends her days 'supervising' the production of my Candy Calamity goods.

Welcome to the team Lily!

Upcycled M&M ball gown

2010-06-06T18:01:00.000-05:00

Apparently this gown debuted as a window display for Terracycle in New York for Earthday this year, but I just heard about it today. All I have to say is wow:

More info from psfk here

Green with Indie

2010-06-01T20:32:00.000-05:00

This Saturday I'll be at Green with Indie an all handmade, all eco friendly, awesomefest!

If you can't tell: I'm a little excited! Hope to see you there.

Where I wish I was

2010-05-28T09:14:00.000-05:00

Most days working in my craft room with the big windows overlooking a magnolia tree and the street below is ideal. But sometimes I feel the city noise and pollution, the neighbors, the mailman and dogs out side are too much of a distraction. I daydream a lot about the perfect place to make art, places of quiet inspiration. Here are my top three:

My chateau in France:

My private beach front estate in Maui:

My free spirit sphere (haven't decided what forest to settle down in yet)

When I win the lottery I'll buy all three and just travel back and forth, you can come visit sometime.

I'm in the upcycle exchange!

2010-05-24T21:37:00.000-05:00

If you are in St. Louis looking for a way to save good craft supplies (and by craft supplies I do mean candy wrappers, plastic bags, and other recycled goodies along with the usual stuff) from the trash then check out The Upcycle Exchange. They've been hard at work, making a structure to filter craft supplies away from the landfills and toward lucky artists like me.

Look! here I am on the artist's page.

I often get asked what items I am looking for or would like to be saved for me. I'm working on getting that information into my blog sidebar where I can update and keep current, but until then here is my upcycle list:

candy wrappers, starburst wrappers, dum dum wrappers, laffy taffy wrappers, candy bar wrapers - if no sticky stuff, plastic shopping bags (colors only - no white, beige, or gray) plastic food packaging, (i.e. large candy bags, oreo bags, fruit snacks packages, ramen noodle bags), capri sun pouches, buttons, felt, origami paper, craft paper,

Or if you are looking for the complete list for all the upcycle exchange artists look here: http://www.upxchange.com/wish-list/

I am excited to be joining the exchange, and so very grateful to the people who take the time to save their wrappers and supplies for me, candy calamity would be nowhere without you!

Making pouches from fused plastic

2010-05-16T21:05:00.000-05:00

I love fusing household plastic (shopping bags, product packaging, newspaper bags) to make a new fun material to work with. In the past I've used fused plastic to make fun flower buttons and magnets, but I'm ready to take the next step and move on to something bigger. Bigger sheets of fused plastic can be used just like fabric to make wallets, pouches, and purses; but first I've got to learn how to sew on it. Here are my first attempts:

I learned a lot along the way, but still have some tinkering to do before I come up with a final design I'm happy with.

Illustration Friday - Fearless

2010-05-10T22:37:00.001-05:00

Craft 365 - day 245
Originally uploaded by candy_calamity

For this weeks Illustration Friday theme 'fearless' I drew a girl walking on a tight rope over chaos, we can see where she came from, but where is she going?

I decided to be more fearless with my art, and gave up my usual tiny workbook and tight controlled ink lines, instead working with pastels making lose free marks on a really big piece of paper (and I did not pencil in anything first)

Smile!

2010-05-10T17:50:00.001-05:00

I haven't been crafting or blogging as much as usual, I'm in a slump of sorts, but am working to get some momentum going to get back to my artsy upcycley goodness.

This Lipton Tea commercial staring Hugh Jackman makes me squeal with glee:

I hope you find some glee in your day today as well!

Free desktop background cupcake

2010-05-05T12:53:00.000-05:00

I have a lot of fun making new yummy backgrounds for my computer and decided to share one with you.
I made some delicious cupcakes with marshmallow frosting the other day. After spending a long time trying to get the little curlicues of frosting on top to look just right, I realized they looked soooo cute I needed to take a picture. It took a lot of patience to pose the cupcake and take a few shots when all I wanted to do is eat them all up. The cupcakes didn't last long, but I really enjoy how this desktop background turned out.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

It's sized to fit my 17 inch laptop monitor when I set the background to stretch with out distorting the picture.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Warning: Staring at this desktop background photo for extended periods may cause intense cupcake cravings.

Earth Day Recap

2010-04-26T22:09:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was my first time trying out being a vendor at Earth Day St. Louis since starting Candy Calamity. I love Earth Day and the festival in Forest Park is one of my favorite free events in St. Louis, it's awesome in a way that's really hard to describe. Here's a quick recap.

Lowlights:

the wind
the rain
getting there at 7:30 (waaay too early for this procrastinator)

Mostly I would say yucky weather this year was the only drawback for me (Dear Earth, it's easier to love you when it is warm and sunny)

Highlights:

all the people who came to hang out at earth day and stopped by my booth despite the bad weather, you rock!
getting to meet some new friends in the eco-artists village
the all species parade led by Joia world percussion! I love the earth day parade with no set route and no set participants - and this year a piece of the parade wound its way through my booth - so exciting

and finally the highest high of all:

I got to meet Captain Planet!!!!!

Earth Day St. Louis

2010-04-23T12:03:00.000-05:00

The 21st Earth Day St. Louis is coming up this Sunday! This is the first year I'll be a vendor there as Candy Calamity, you can find me in the eco-arts village. Here's how to find me:

The eco-arts village is represented by a brown paintbrush on this map. It's just northeast of the Muni covered walkway:
http://stlouisearthday.org/images/stories/2010Fest/stl%20earthdayprogram2010.pdf
Specifically my booth will be right on that little circle walkway you see in that area.

And here's some great info on how to get there/ find parking: http://stlouisearthday.org/content/view/159/234/

Including lots of info on how to get there by bike or metro which is great if you are going for the earth day challenge: If you bring your own shopping bag, reusable water bottle, or take alternate transportation (2 out of 3) you win a prize at the info center.

Artropy is coming up this Saturday!

2010-04-14T17:30:00.003-05:00

Artropy is a unique art & craft show that features a number of artists with diverse talents in many areas including: jewelry design, painting, textile arts, photography, mixed-media, glass work, eco-fashion and illustration.

Saturday, April 17, 2010
Time: 10:00am - 3:30pm
Sqwires ~ The Annex
1415 South 18th Street

I'm putting the final touches on everything today and tomorrow, then I'm ready to go! I can't wait, hope to see you there!

How to make a jewelry display from old shutters

2010-04-09T15:20:00.006-05:00

I spent a long time looking for a great way to display my earrings at craft shows and couldn't find anything I really liked, so I made my own display instead. It wasn't very hard and relatively inexpensive, so I decided to post a tutorial so everyone could see how it's done.

Supplies: two shutters, sand paper, cleaning rag, spray paint, a tarp or other paint protection layer, small hinges, drill, screwdriver, and a pencil.

1. Find some old shutters. You need the kind with actual slats and not just shaped plastic. I found mine on craigslist, but you might already have some at home, or can find them at a flea market or junk shop.

2. Take off all the old hardware. If the shutters have any large or unsightly holes fill them with putty. I left mine as they were because I think it adds character.

3. Use a little sand paper to sand down any rough spots or chipping paint, then wipe clean with a damp rag.

4. Spray paint the shutters, be sure to spray from different angles to get all around the slats, plan on doing a few coats. I picked a flat black color because it will show off my bright jewelry best.

5. Attach the hinges. I did this by closing the shutters right sides together and laying them flat on a table (make sure the slats tilt the same way on both sides) That made it easy to just hold the hinge where I wanted it and pencil mark where I would need to drill to put the screws.

6. Stand your shutters up and open them at a 60 degree angle. Congrats you are finished! You can place hook style earrings straight on the slats of the shutters or use earring cards. Hang the earrings from the front of the card and stick the back through the slat.

A day spent in planning

2010-03-27T16:23:00.006-05:00

This post inspired by Jessica Rose at Vol. 25. I stumbled upon her post about doing her first craft show last fall, her booth turned out super cute, as was the pre-show diagram she made to plan it all out.

As I am in the process of overhauling my display anyway I thought I'd make a mash up of how I think it will turn out.

Voila!

Here is my old set up for reference: http://www.flickr.com/photos/candycalamity/3373828681/

So my top 5 to-dos for craft show domination:
1. raise up the magnet stand to make it closer to eye level, and give me a good place to hide things like snacks and pens

2. after a few scouting trips to home depot I've decided to make my new main display from chicken wire and pvc pipes - it's going to be awesome and will also give me a spot for

3. a banner and

4. clip on lights

5. with the new hanging system my eventual goal will be to have uniform tags on everything with my name, logo, and the price (maybe even inventory numbers).

I'm super pumped about the new plan, but with shows fast approaching in April, I have no idea how I'm going to pull it off. I guess we'll see.

p.s. Just so you know I'm not planning on selling poorly scribbled flowers and circles in the future - I just hit the limit on my photo editing skills on this one.

My Irish eyes are smiling

2010-03-17T21:54:00.004-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Sometimes (though I try to make it not too often) I make a piece and like it so much I decide to keep it for me instead of selling it. I rationalize by saying that it's good for marketing, and it makes me happy.

Yesterday I made this pendant, and its green - just in time for St. Patrick's day (and my favorite color):

I used a prismacolor pencil to continue the blue vines from the background paper over the overlapping fortune. The effect turned out really neat, I'm definitely going to be making more of those.

The fortune text says: Tomorrow your creative side will shine forth with exceptional ideas.

Yes, yes it will.

Illustration Friday - subterranean

2010-03-14T22:34:00.002-05:00

Illustration Friday - I was inspired by all the subterranean bulbs pushing up, up, up to become flowers some day soon. Then, remembering my Bob Ross I gave him a happy little friend.

Artropy Call for Artists

2010-03-12T23:06:00.002-06:00

There are still spots available for Show Me Etsy's spring show Artropy (April 17th 10:00 - 3:30)
I'm supper excited for this show. We'll be back at Sqwires, it will be a beautiful spring day, things will be great! Application information is available at www.showmeetsy.org , but everything must be submitted by Marsh 25th so don't wait!

It's going to be a crafty weekend in St. Louis

2010-03-09T22:09:00.003-06:00

I can't wait for this Saturday because I got my tax refund back just in time for two fantastic craft shows coming to St. Louis.

The first is the Every Artist Market at the Masonic Temple, 12 E. Lockwood in Webster Groves. They have an art market on the second Saturday each month from 9-3.

Then I'll head over to the Craft Mafia's Indie Craft Revolution. They'll be at Oak Knoll Park Saturday and Sunday. http://revolutioncraftshow.com/

Illustration Friday - brave

2010-03-06T11:19:00.004-06:00

This damsel does not need a shining knight to save her, she can do it herself and still look good too.

Apolo Ohno buys handmade

2010-02-28T20:08:00.005-06:00

I'm writing this while watching the closing ceremony for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. For the past 2 weeks I've been glued to the screen because I am an Olympic junkie. I love the pageantry of the opening, closing, and medal ceremonies; I love seeing the world come together to compete; and I love cheering for Team America.

I also love the little factiods I pick up about Olympic sports and athletes along the way. Did you know that the speed skates Apolo Ohno used to win his record breaking number of Olympic medals were handmade in Rock Hill, Missouri? (Just 8 miles west of here!) I didn't either until a few days ago. It turns out a former speed skater who was tired of skates that broke or didn't fit well set up shop and started making them in his backyard using carbon fiber composite and titanium on custom molds for each skater.

Higher quality materials, customization, greater care of workmanship, Olympic victory - all the benefits of buying handmade.

Illustration Friday - propagate

2010-02-22T20:49:00.002-06:00

Illustration from 2/19/2010. Theme Propagate. Still working on a good way to get my drawings into the computer.

Show Me Etsy membership drive

2010-02-15T18:34:00.002-06:00

Are you an artist living in or near the St. Louis area who would like to join a local group of business minded artists? Well you are in luck! Show Me Etsy the St. Louis area Etsy street team is currently doing a membership drive.

Go to www.showmeetsy.org for more information. Applications are due Feb. 24

Taking a breather

2009-12-14T19:56:00.003-06:00

Whew! I know that Christmas is still 11 days away, but for me in the land of craftiness (especially online) the busy parts are over. I've had a blast doing shows this fall and my Etsy store has been chugging along. A few days ago I found myself at a standstill 'You mean I don't have to fold candy wrappers like a madwoman anymore?' I asked myself. At first I threw all my pent up craft energy into holiday decorations and gifts (viewable in my flickr photostream). Now that the house is done and all my gifts are finished and wrapped (see my guest blog article for the trashion team) I find myself asking again 'Now what?'

The answer is: take a break. I plan to take just a few days to step away from things (well maybe I'll sort out the craft room a bit) so I can come back with fresh eyes. I'm happy with how I did achieving my goals for 2009, but its time to make new goals to see how my business can grow next year. Then comes the fun part, I've got some great new ideas that I've been too busy to try out. January is the perfect time for research and development, so I plan to dig in and hopefully will come up with some winning new ideas for 2010.

I plan to take a break from blogging for a while too, see you on the flip side!

Wow me Wednesday - photography by bomobob

2009-12-09T23:26:00.003-06:00

Guess what came in the mail today!! The prints I ordered from Bomobob! I've had an empty frame for 5x7s up on the wall for months (well with the stock photos in) and now there's a carnival in my living room. Per his item descriptions many of the photos are 'taken through the viewfinder of an old reflex camera' I don't know what exactly that is, but I do know that the wonderful bright fantasy colors are balanced with vintage esque dust and scratches that give the pictures an old but new feel.

I chose from the Carnival series, but the flowers are also drop dead gorgeous, it was a tough choice.

November Photo of the Month

2009-12-07T22:39:00.002-06:00

So I couldn't help but notice that November was kinda a skimpy month for my Craft 365 photos. Not very many to choose from. Anyway, my favorite photo from last month is:

Craft 365 - day 183

Wow me Wednesday - make a flake

2009-12-02T14:31:00.002-06:00

The first snowflakes of the winter season are expected to fall in St. Louis this afternoon (I haven't seen any yet) and it reminded me of one of my favorite holiday pastimes - making paper snowflakes. I'll be whipping up a batch for around the apartment later this week, but for now I'll be using the make-a-flake snowflake generator. http://snowflakes.barkleyus.com/index.html

Its so much fun to play with, here is a flake I made earlier:

Candy Corn recipe #4

2009-11-30T23:29:00.003-06:00

Its been a while since I updated the candy corn project. I tried out recipe number four - popcorn candy corn balls for a post thanksgiving party this weekend. This recipe turned out to be way more popular than number 3. The recipe was from farley's and sathers candy company. I added a tablespoon of cinnamon to the melted marshmallows which turned out to be a yummy choice.

The only other thing I would do different would be to make a half recipe - three bags of popcorn is a lot!

Wow me Wednesday - showme etsy

2009-11-25T21:54:00.004-06:00

This seems like a good week to focus on being thankful for what I have, so with this week's wow me Wednesday I'd like to feature my totally awesome local street team Showme Etsy . When I joined Showme Etsy, I had been on etsy for a little over two months and was so new to the St. Louis metro area not only had I never done a craft show I couldn't even name any in the area.

The artists of Showme Etsy have not only amazed me with their artistic talents, but have also helped me grow as a business woman by sharing many years of know-how. I'm thankful for having found such a supportive group of friends.

I strongly encourage everyone to shop handmade this holiday season to support individual artists instead of national retail stores and the Showme Etsy team store is an excellent place to start.

Two Milestones in one day!

2009-11-23T19:52:00.006-06:00

Sunday, November 22nd 2009 is not exactly a date that will live in infamy, but it will always be a blip on the radar of Candy Calamity history.

First, I posted my 182nd photo in my craft 365 journey - that means I'm halfway to the finish line! On January 1st 2009, when I started taking a 'picture a day' celebrating the role of handcrafts in my life I never imagined the kind of things that would pop up. I knew I would never make it to 365 in one year, but my goal was to finish within two years - so I feel like I'm on pace.

Second of all, I made it to over 100 items listed in my etsy shop. This is a pretty big deal for me. When I was setting up my business goals for 2009 I was still struggling to keep 2 pages worth listed online, but I knew I needed to be more consistent for my business to grow. With any luck my number will fall below 100 again as I get more holiday sales but that's a problem I'd be happy to have.

To celebrate I'm running a giveaway contest on my facebook fan page. If you want a chance to win leave a comment on the fan page wall before Tuesday at 11:59. http://www.facebook.com/CandyCalamity

Illustration Friday - music

2009-11-20T14:21:00.003-06:00

This weeks Illustration Friday theme: music. Seems beautiful, right? Somehow my mind skipped right past beautiful and straight to creepy with this pen and ink drawing of earworms (a piece of song you get stuck in your head is an earworm) I've got like 9 different songs stuck right now, maybe its making me crazy.

Please note that my earworms use old school headphones, not any namby-pamby earbuds

Facebook

2009-11-20T12:15:00.003-06:00

Hey blog readers,

If you are not already a fan of Candy Calamity on Facebook, I just added a fan box button over in my left sidebar to make becoming a fan super easy. I'm planning a special promotion early next week for facebook fans only, so check it out.

Wow me Wednesday - Squishy Sushi

2009-11-11T15:10:00.006-06:00

Maybe its the last minute burst of nice weather we've been experiencing here, but this week I've had a stronger then average urge to go see the world. Sadly, travel is not in the cards for me so I'll have to settle for a nice walk around the neighborhood and checking out these fabulous world map eco-bangles by Squishy Sushi

Check out Squishy Sushi's other lovely eco-friendly recycled paper jewelry: here

October photo of the month

2009-11-09T23:00:00.002-06:00

From my craft 365 set - mother nature wins this round with the prettiest leaf in St. Louis (I did some extensive research)

Illustration Friday - blur

2009-11-06T18:29:00.003-06:00

Thanks to the tip off from Diane Evans in my last post I've decided to throw my hat into the ring and join the artists participating in Illustration Friday. Each week a new theme is released for artists to draw, this weeks theme: blur

If you look closely you'll see that I sketched this on the back of an envelope (hey if its good enough for the Gettysburg address its good enough for me) I think I will keep the pen and ink style for my drawings for a while, but I may just graduate to real paper for next week. Learn more about the contest at www.illustrationfriday.com/

Wow me Wednesday's - sugar buzz

2009-11-04T11:25:00.004-06:00

Having spent the last 3 days with a constant sugar buzz from chomping down all kinds of Halloween candy, I present to you my three sweetest picks from Etsyland:

Polaroid Greeting card Sweet Stuff by CraftedbyLindy

Cherry on Top Cupcake painting print by Diana Evans

What cake? by Tummy Mountain

Candy Corn Recipe #3

2009-10-31T15:27:00.005-05:00

Happy Halloween!!!!
In the spirit of the holiday I decided it would be a good time to feature the next installment of my candy corn project. Recipe #3 comes from the Farly and Sather's (makers of candy corn) website. When I first heard about 'Candy Corn Pretzel Salad' I admit I was scared; candy, cream cheese, pretzels and jello just don't seem like they should ever go together, but I couldn't stop thinking about it and found myself reaching for the necessary ingredients when I was at the grocery store yesterday.
The first layer is pretzels, sugar, and butter cooked together. I guess this is like making a graham cracker crust only with pretzels - that's justifiable. Plus it smelled pretty good cooking.

Layer two features coolwhip, cream cheese, sugar, and candy corn. It resembles my own candy corn concoction from the other day, so I guess I can't knock it.

Layer three is orange jello and more candy corn. I did mess up here and used a small box of jello instead of the big box, in my defense I don't think more jello was going to make this mess better. The only nice thing I have to say about this layer is that candy corn and pretzels are not the weirdest thing I've seen in Jello (That honor goes to corndog jello)

Here is a finished slice. The final report is that this dish is not as horrifying as I thought it would be. Special thanks to Derek and Kim for humoring me and eating a slice. With all the sugar it is really too sweet (even for me and my gigantic sweet tooth) and the salty pretzels just arent able to balance it out, especially once they are soaked in jello.

Craft Race redux

2009-10-26T22:24:00.001-05:00

Craft 365 - day 158
Originally uploaded by candy_calamity

Just realized I forgot to post the update to my original craft race post.

I'm pretty pleased with my improvement. Same set up, 12 octagonal pyramid ornaments. This time my final score was 3 hours, 53 minutes, or 19 minutes per ornament.

Candy Corn Recipe #2

2009-10-25T22:11:00.006-05:00

One of my side projects: eating candy corn - normally I just devour it straight up this time of year, but 2009 will be different. I'm venturing out into the mostly uncharted territory of candy corn recipes.

(If you were wondering recipe number one is mix candy corn with salted peanuts and eat like crazy)

Recipe #2 (working title: Sweet monkey love)

Chop up 1 banana, place on plate
cover with whipped cream or cool whip (I used reddiwip in my recipe)
Sprinkle liberally with candy corn.

This was a super yummy snack - I would definitely consider it a step up from plain candy corn.

Clearly I need help in the naming department, any suggestions left in the comments would be appreciated.

Wow me Wednesdays - Sagittarius Gallery

2009-10-21T15:31:00.004-05:00

One of my life goals, one of the things I've told myself I'll do when I'm a 'successful grown-up' is to pick out a real fine art painting by a real artist. I've always loved going to the high-end art shows, meeting the artists, and dream shopping for someday. Well 'someday' is probably still a long way away and I think I love paintings too much to wait. Luckily, I found new ways to dream. Check out this lovely Art Locket Necklace by Sagittarius Gallery:

Its all the beauty of a full painting, in a tiny package that you can wear around with you. Sagittarius Gallery also paints amazing full size pieces both on etsy and in several exhibitions, such as this beautiful landscape:

Exciting News All Around!

2009-10-18T22:51:00.004-05:00

Today, I'm just bursting with good news (I'm sure I have a fortune cookie fortune somewhere that told me about this).

First - tentative no more- I finally got confirmation that I will be at the Edwardsville High School Craft show. This is by far the biggest show I've done (270 crafters each year), I'll be in Gym A, booth AF5 if you're looking for me.

Second - A new show has been added to my schedule. I'll be participating in Ladies Night at the Town and Country Melting Pot October 28th. They offer a four course fondue meal, drink specials, and door prizes. It will be great fun for a group of friends, hope to see you there. See my events calendar for details.

Finally - My pasticcio resin earrings were featured today on stlhandmade.com! Check it out: here

Wow me Wednesday - breast cancer awareness

2009-10-14T21:24:00.005-05:00

As I'm sure you're aware by the plethora of pink items everywhere this month, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Many companies and organizations are doing something special to help fund raise for the cause. One fundraiser that really caught my eye is by the Etsy Plush Team. Can you say plushie boobs?

Proceeds go to the Susan G Komen Foundation. If you're interested, shop fast; looks like these boobs are flying out of the store.

Craft show rules

2009-10-12T16:33:00.002-05:00

The first craft show I ever participated in as Candy Calamity was almost a year and a half ago and I can tell you now, I did not know what I was getting myself into! But I'm glad I took the plunge and signed up because now, more than a dozen shows later, I can say that I have learned something at each show I've done. Here are my 8 craft show rules that I've made up for myself to make sure things go smoothly:

1. Bring food! More then you think you'll need. Keep it neat so you can safely eat at your booth, but nothing brings down a show more then a rumbly tummy.

2. Make friends with the sellers around you. You're going to be spending a lot of time together, so you might as well be booth buddies (this goes double for a two day show)

3. Keep smiling! They say that smiling even if you don't feel like it will make you happier, I'm hoping it will also make for happier customers.

4. Print out an up-to-date inventory and take notes on it during the show - track what sells, note what you'll need more of and most importantly: know what needs to be taken off etsy when you get home! There's nothing worse than trying to play a matching game with what's online and what's at home.

5. Don't wear a watch or keep your cell phone clock in easy reach. For me clock watching when things are slow can slow time down abysmally. Also, I have never once accidentally missed that a show was over because I didn't know what time it was.

6. Wear layers, most shows are either too hot or too cold and you won't know which until its too late.

7. Do consumer research. People watch to see what types are at that show, who comes up to your booth, and who sails past without stopping. Which pieces get picked up the most? If a customer seems happy to chat ask how they heard about the show, what they are looking for, and what they like best. If you are super organized take notes for next year.

8. Have fun! I always say 'If I was in it for the money I'd be an actuarial scientist' Yes, I am running a business, but I also want to have fun doing what I do; craft shows can be a blast, as long as I follow my rules.

Wow me Wednesdays - indig wood works

2009-10-07T19:11:00.004-05:00

I have a post about my fall shows 'in the wood works' that was supposed to go up on Monday, but until that's ready I hope you enjoy these fabulous pendants from Indig Woodworks. I can't stop staring at how the natural beauty of the wood burls pops out with the addition of turquoise.

Wow me Wednesdays - spoon!

2009-10-01T08:56:00.003-05:00

Yikes I guess this should be the wow me wednesday - thursday edition. I totally blanked out on what day it was yesterday.

When I was in highschool my mom gave me a spoon ring which she had made when she was in high school. It's awesome and I still wear it often. This week I'm paying tribute to all the awesome things that can be made from spoons.

First up JJ Evensen Art who makes these funky coat hangers from spoons. They also have fork hangers which is cool - I appreciate equality among utensils.

Next we have Prime Chimes, who I had the pleasure to meet in person at last weeks Green Homes Festival Craft Show. Their spoon wind chimes are so beautiful and melodic I actually ended up buying some for myself before the show ever started!

Finally we have this graceful fork business card holder from Goorsend Jewelry. Goorsend Jewelry also sells a huge assortment of spoon rings (my first spoon love) I think its safe to say if you want they've got it.

cheesy moment

2009-09-27T17:12:00.003-05:00

I do my best thinking when I'm driving. Today on the way home from work, 'Unwritten' by Natasha Bedingfield came on the radio. It made me realize how important positivity and the braveness to try new things is to being successful in life. I felt very inspired:

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

So what's inspiring you?

Craft race

2009-09-24T23:12:00.005-05:00

Once I've set a specific method for making a new item I like to make a big batch all at once. It serves three purposes: 1) it helps boost inventory quickly 2) I need to know how long something takes to make so I can price it 3) racing against the clock is fun.

I'm finally happy with how my recycled christmas card ornaments have been turning out so here is what I did Wednesday:
10:00 - start time!

10:47 - Picked out the cards I would be using from my collection, organized them into piles, and traced the templates onto the card fronts. I decided to make 12 as thats what fit on my table well.
1:12 - Cut out everything and laid out the pieces for gluing
Between 1:12 and 4:30 I took 30 minutes for lunch plus a 15 minute internet break (what can I say I'm not a distance racer)

4:30 - scored all folds, first gluing (attach floss loop and bottom), and second gluing (the cone)
5:30 - All done!
Final score: 405 minutes
Time per ornament: 33.75 minutes

Wow me Wednesdays - pirate edition

2009-09-23T22:42:00.003-05:00

In honor of last Saturday being 'international talk like a pirate day' This week's wow me Wednesday is this sweet pirates vs ninjas checkers set by Goosegrease.

Look at those tiny little eye patches!

Craft 365 of the month - August

2009-09-17T15:58:00.004-05:00

Craft 365 - day 131
Originally uploaded by candy_calamity

Today I hit day 150 of my craft 365 challenge - each day I photograph one crafty thing that was part of my day and upload it to flickr. On the Candy Calamity blog I'll be sharing my favorite picture from each month. These pink and gray earrings posted on August 24th are my favorites from last month.

You can find them currently in my etsy shop: here

Wow me Wednesdays - paper folding

2009-09-16T18:24:00.003-05:00

As a long time origami fan and someone who does a lot of folding for my craft, I try to keep an eye out for new techniques to learn and things to try when it comes to paper folding. This week I found two interesting things.

First is this dramatic folding technique by Paul Haeberli

I haven't figured this one out yet, but I know I'll get it soon.

The second is FoldingTrees.com
I found a great tutorial there for kusudama flowers which I used for my wedding, but I finally had the time to check out the rest of their site. Turns out, every tutorial is a great tutorial, I'll be busy with paper projects for weeks as every post they make is fun and irresistible.

Fall is in the Air

2009-09-14T19:45:00.004-05:00

Although we have been blessed with remarkably cool weather here is St. Louis this summer, when I stepped outside today I noticed a change in the air. It was a bit crisper and fresh - I also noticed that the neighborhood seemed to have acquired a full coating of crunchy brown leaves overnight. Yep, fall is here, which means its time to get busy for the fall and winter craft show season.

From the candy calamity blog you will see a new show calendar I added to the sidebar. I'll be keeping that up to date so its a good place to check and see where to find me locally.

I've got seven shows planned this season, which is quite a bit more then I did last year, and I'm pretty excited to get going. Here they are:

Sept 19th: Grovefest
Sept 26th: Green Homes Festival
October 3rd and 24th: Towergrove Farmers Market
November 7th: Eureka High School Craft Show
November 14th and 15th: Edwardsville High School Band Craft Fair (tentative)
December 5th: Artropy by Showme Etsy

and the first show is this up coming Saturday, which means its time to get busy!!!

Wow me Wednesdays - woollyfabulous

2009-09-09T16:32:00.007-05:00

It seems like everywhere I look I run into another fabulous creation by woollyfabulous. She works mostly by felting recycled wool sweaters. But its her ingenious use of zippers and other embellishments that really wow me and take her pieces to a whole new level. Check it out:

Felt Bird Brooch

Zipper and Felt Swirl Brooch

Felt Loop and Zipper Necklace

Felt Flower Choker

Plus she covers the local trees with doilies - lacy trees are just wild!

Wow me Wednesdays - fused plastic

2009-09-02T20:39:00.005-05:00

This week for Wow me Wednesday I focused on upcycling plastic bags. Pretty much everyone I know has a big pile of grocery bags either under their sink or in the pantry or garage. It seems like they are everywhere. Even since I made the switch to reusable bags I still end up with bunches of them. I've been experimenting with fusing the plastic and making flowers from them. But here are a few neat-o things that other etsians are doing with their bags:

A knitted plarn Barrett by Stick to your Knittin Kitten

Eco-friendly wedding ware (it looks so delicate!) by VieModerne

These unique wired leaves by Emily Grace and the Yellow Suitcase

And this cutie owl coin purse by So She Sows

Zen and the Art of Candy Wrapper Folding

2009-09-01T20:20:00.002-05:00

I recently quit a job at a telephone research center. I quit because I couldn't make myself go there and make the same phone call asking the same questions over and over again anymore. This came as a surprise to me because boring repetitive tasks are my forte. I love counting things in large numbers, sorting, alphabetizing, and even stuffing envelopes. I think this skill of mine is the biggest key to the success of my business Candy Calamity.

I started making bracelets from folded candy wrappers while I was in college. Years later, when I thought about turning my hobby into a business, I knew that I would never make it unless I could create dozens of bracelets or more. Since deciding to go for it, I have make close to 100 bracelets, many candy wrapper coin purses, and even some purses made from folded potato chip bags. That equals thousands of tiny folded pieces.

So what was so wrong with the call center? My brain was forced to spend tedious hours thinking about things like satisfaction scores, efficiency quotas, and demographics. It was repetition for the brain, not the hands; a far cry from my beloved candy wrapper folding.

When I do my folding, my hands fall into a familiar rhythmic pattern, my body relaxes, and my mind moves beyond the worries of today. After a few minutes I no longer think about what to fix for dinner, what chores need to be done, or other mundane things. Instead I dream of future projects to be, the possibilities of tomorrow, or sometimes simply nothing. The allure of the daily moment of Zen is what draws many crafters back to their craft time and time again, be it knitting, cross stitch, painting, lamp working, or even making jewelry out of candy wrappers.

Wow Me Wednesdays - Free Toys!

2009-08-26T11:12:00.005-05:00

I've been having a blast printing and creating paper figures such as this shark swimmer combo by Marshall Alexander - paper engineer.

Visit his website to make some for yourself: http://www.marshallalexander.net/

Photo Props

2009-08-24T21:06:00.005-05:00

One of the most important things a seller does to sell work online is take good photos. Photography is really not my thing, but I do try to show the best side of my work. With my new pasticcio resin earrings the photos have presented some new and interesting challenges. Yesterday I experimented with some props. Let me know what you think, what works best?

For me its time to take a break for the evening. Happily the hard work of taking and editing photos is done which means I'm all ready to list my earrings on etsy tomorrow

Covered in glue and bits of paper and string

2009-08-21T21:35:00.010-05:00

"Covered in glue and bits of paper and string" is how I found myself yesterday around 5:30 pm. I was also hungry as I had only managed to stop crafting long enough to eat a peach and a couple twizzlers. How did it all happen?

Exhibit A:

This work desk was mostly clean when I started. My first task of the day was to work on a bracelet for my Aunt. I lost the prototype but I was able to find the tools I needed and the 'recipe'. However, I realized my recipe book was not up to date so I kept it out and vowed to add my latest tweaks. Additionally, when I was looking for the supplies I found my stash of christmas cards waiting to be recycled into something cool for this year's holiday season. Inspiration struck and I whipped up a few new things. Here is one of my favorites:

After finishing that project, I realized my new resin beads were done curing, so I investigated those and got them popped off their straws (100% release yay!) I'm so happy with how they turned out. I didn't have the things I needed to turn them into finished earrings, but I made a shopping list for the bead store. I also decided that two were too big for earrings but would make a nice necklace.

Towards the end of the day I played around with my new prismacolors (sorry no pictures yet) I'm going through the initial stages of planning a piece for myself, to fill some of the empty space on the dining room wall. I thought I was going to get back around to the recipe book (yeah right) but just then I got an etsy e-mail with a link to a forum thread on blogging. I found some really good insight and inspiration there.

In the end I technically did not accomplish all that much, but I would describe yesterday as a very successful day indeed.

Wow me Wednesdays - steamboy

2009-08-19T14:48:00.005-05:00

I recently re-watched Steamboy one of my favorite movies ever and find myself drooling over all things late 19th century and gear-y I want it all. Here are some of my favorites:

A beautiful necklace by steampunkjunq:
For the house this clock of clocks by CyberMoon:
Something a little sparklier a necklace by purpleshiny:
And last but not least this royal red felted victorian bolero by TianaCHE:

happy birthday to me

2009-08-17T21:59:00.004-05:00

Last week I turned 25 and 2 fabulous crafty presents appeared in my world - coincidence? I think not. Well it probably is, but I prefer to think of it as a birthday gift from the universe.

First I won the naming contest of ecokaren (previously ecogeneration) and received this fabulous reusable coffee sleeve:

Secondly I had the honor of trading with Surlymermaid on etsy and now these beauties are on their way to me in the mail:

There's nothing better then getting a package in the mail with something fun and handmade inside. I should start treating myself more often

wow me wednesdays - loudxmouse

2009-08-12T23:35:00.004-05:00

Trying out a new regular feature: Wow Me Wednesdays. Once a week I'll feature something cool which I have stumbled across on the internet.

First up is Etsy seller Loudxmouse

What really wow's me about this trashion artist is her ultra-creative take on re-use. I've always felt its a sad sight to see old paintings in yard sales or flea markets, wondering if they were a failed art project or a redecorating reject. Now old paintings can have the hope that Loudxmouse may find them and give them new life - plus as a bonus they get a visit from the prince and his magical sticky katamari ball.
Plus she also paints these cute little tea cups - lovely

What's your color?

2009-08-04T19:20:00.004-05:00

I've always known that 'my color' was lime green - I use it pretty often in my art and am constantly surrounding myself with lime green things. So I was pretty excited to find this colorstrology guide: http://www.colorstrology.com/ to see what color 'speaks to my innermost self.' Sadly lime green was filed away under June 22nd (my dad's birthday actually) but the description fits me to a T.
"You have a strong inner world that is rich with imagination. You have the ability to build your dreams into a solid and fortuitous reality. Although you can be practical, you also have a strong feeling of nature. Therefore it is important for you to express your creativity and innovative ideas. Your personal color helps you relate to others with ease. Wearing, meditating, or surrounding yourself with Bright Lime Green increases your adaptability and helps stabilize your emotions"

So what's your color?

more info on the prize package

2009-07-21T14:56:00.003-05:00

finally got my hands on the photos from the etsy trashion team prize package.

Better head over to the etsy trashion blog to get your chance to win before July 27th.

It's here, it's finally here

2009-07-20T05:00:00.000-05:00

Its shocking to me that It is already mid-July; where did the summer go? Yikes! Anyway now that summer is ready and raring its time for some great shopping. Etsy's trashion team has been hard at work putting together a big summer sale and give away. Candy Calamity will be offering free little yummies magnets with each purchase, plus shopping at my store gets you extra entries in the big trashion team giveaway - color me jealous, I don't get to participate in that part :(

Summer Sale & Giveaway
The Etsy Trashion Team is having a Summer Sale and Giveaway
to promote Environmental Awareness!

For just one week... July 20 – 27

for a list of participating shops visit:

http://etsytrashion.etsy.com/

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The prize winner will be randomly selected on July 28th.

Trashion card collage frame tutorial

2009-07-14T15:42:00.010-05:00

I recently got married and found myself in the possession of several lovely heartfelt cards from friends and family members. I truly treasured them but did not want to just store them in a box forever, so I devised this project so that each one could be on display in our dining room / office.

Materials:
White board or other object to be framed (a mirror would be lovely)
Balsa wood or foam core
E-6000 glue or any other heavy duty glue
Lots of cards, wrapping paper, other decorative papers, small knickknacks or anything else you'd like to include in the collage
Paper cutter
Mod Podge and a foam brush to put it on with

Step One: If you are doing a big project (I chose a 2'x3' white board) make a mock up and put it in the space it will be used. This is also a good time to decide how thick your border and paper strips will be. For this project I chose a 3 inch border with 3/4 inch strips. I was also able to measure at this step that the strips would need to be at least 5 inches long to fit - this was very helpful to know while cutting.

Step Two: Make the frame. Balsa wood worked really well for this project but I think foam core board or maybe even a nice thick cardboard would do the trick. Balsa wood comes in 3 inch wide strips (I think I used 3/8 inch thickness) so the only cutting I needed to do was to cut the corners at an angle. I assembled it right on top of the white board so that there would be no mistakes about getting the lengths right. What you cant see in this picture is that I used 3 inch scrap squares of balsa glued behind the corners to hold them together.

Step Three: Cut the strips. This is the point in the project where I became obsessive (see previous post) and would skip meals or sleeping because 'must cut strips' was my new montra. Along with all the cards I cut up a reply envelope with the canceled stamp and a spare invitation and save the date as well as a spare thank you card (I even cut up part of a good friends wedding invitation which was a few weeks after ours - no paper goods were spared the iron jaws of my paper cutter) Turn the cards any way you can to get all the good parts into the 3/4 inch. I did make a few double widths for cards I really liked (wish I had done more) as well as some skinny strips which were helpful for covering mistakes and for a little variety. Also pay attention to which strips slant left and which strips slant right - you'll need both kinds for the finished project.

Step Four: Set aside some special pieces -either an image you really liked or a portion of a handwritten message. I used can lids to hold two of my pieces, which turned out really nice. I sealed these pieces with Mod Podge and then coated in resin, but if you've never worked with resin before try just with Mod Podge or try gluing something between them and the frame so they pop out a bit.

Step Five: Layout the big pieces. Using all the things you chose in step for, plus any larger size collage pieces like the wide strips and wrapping paper in this example split up the space of your frame. I also made pencil lines at 45 degree angles all over the frame to guide me during the gluing process. This is also the time to decide when you will slant left or right and how to transition.

Step Six: Glue stuff down. This step was tons of fun. Just make sure that the frame is totally covered everywhere. I was so worried about not having enough 'good pieces' but in the end it was hard to find room for all of my favorites. I worked by laying out a big section of strips in advance, setting them aside in order, painting a 2-3 inch section of wood with Mod Podge, placing down strips to cover then moving to the next section. Don't worry about getting Mod Podge on the front of the pieces because you'll be coating them all in the next step.

Step Seven: After the Mod Podge dries, turn your frame over and cut away all the excess paper from the frame. I used a box cutter for this step. Then flip it back over right side up and give it a nice thick coat of Mod Podge to seal everything down. Be sure to go over the edges so nothing can fall off later.

Step Eight: Glue down all the special pieces on top of the collage - use E-6000, hot glue, more Mod Podge - what ever works.

Step Nine: I used mounting squares from 3M to attach the frame to the white board and put the white board up on the wall with the hardware that came with it.

TA-DA!

The Craft bug

2009-07-04T11:04:00.004-05:00

I'm working on an exciting new trashion collage project and its become a major addiction for me. My fingers just itch to keep working on this one - I've been bitten by the craft bug hardcore. As in I've been up for 3.5 hours and am just now getting around to eating breakfast because I just had to go work on this project first. I plan to put up a big tutorial when I'm done, but for now here's a sneak peek:

Impromptu costume with a trashion twist

2009-06-24T17:58:00.009-05:00

Its Friday night and your friends call you up to say they are having a party, a costume party that starts in a couple of hours, with no time or money to spare what do you do? Go to your craft stash grab some scrap fabric and scissors then follow this tutorial for a simple yet awesome teenage mutant ninja turtle costume - you'll be shouting cowabunga in no time.

Recommended fabric: any thin fabric, preferably in red, blue, orange, or purple, minimum size 30 inches by 7 inches, but longer is better. I used an old bandanna/handkerchief I had lying around and the size was just right.

Step one: Fold in Half

Step two: Cut off a long strip an inch and a half from the fold. (will be about 3 inches wide when unfolded)

Step three: Cut the eye holes from near the center of the strip before unfolding.

Step four: You should now have two pieces that are together but not connected. Keep them together and cut two one inch strips the length of the fabric (for a total of four)

Step five: For the best look wear a green shirt and khaki pants, tie the wide strip around your head and the thin strips around your wrists and elbows.

Cowabunga !!!

Happy Father's Birthday Day!

2009-06-21T21:44:00.001-05:00

Craft 365 - day 94
Originally uploaded by candy_calamity

I made this super awesome cake for my Dad who has the blessing/curse of a birthday that is way too close to father's day. I tried to make the cake extra special because it's a two-fer.

I've made lots of cakes, but this is the first time I've gone all out with a sculptural design - my family kept asking 'what's it supposed to be?' so in case you were wondering - its supposed to be a good looking cake, nothing more, nothing less.

Featured Artist

2009-06-07T20:03:00.001-05:00

I'm the featured artist for June 5th on StLouisHandmade.com, check it out:

http://stlhandmade.com/2009/06/05/featured-artist-emily-ochiu/

Happy Earthday!

2009-04-22T22:51:00.004-05:00

And yeah yeah 'Earthday is everyday' but make sure you take a little time today to focus on the beautiful parts of the earth (big or small) and not worry so much about all the junky or polluted parts - after all if we're not enjoying the planet, what's the point of all this recycling?

::hugs tree::

Artropy is April 25th!

2009-04-19T21:38:00.003-05:00

Only 6 more days until Artropy, the Show Me Etsy spring show in St. Louis. If you live in the area you should definitely come check it out, Saturday April 25th from 9-3:30 at Sqwires restaurant. You wont find a better selection of handmade goodies anywhere else in town.

Craft 365 of the Month - March

2009-04-13T19:25:00.002-05:00

This photo featuring my starburst wrapper coin purse is winning my award for best Craft 365 of the month for March. Taken in my new photo box with a snazy new fabric background thanks to the upcycle exchange the colors really pop. I used this photo to enter an upcycling contest over at Sublime Stitching. The Starburst coin purse is available on etsy here.

guest blogger

2009-04-05T19:56:00.001-05:00

Check it out, I'm the guest blogger on the trashion team blog : Swapping Green