Rainbows of Color

After a week of rain! So here's the fruits of my labor after screwing up my courage to actually dye wool roving for the first time ever... Its just a little intimidating when you spend money on this bunch of nice wool and you're terrified that all you will have to show for it is a giant dread lock. I also kept toying with the idea that I needed to do this on my stove or I needed a special Crockpot... (actually, a big Crockpot would be nice) Focus! Focus! Okay... so I after completing my research on YouTube. Thank you, new internet connection with unlimited bandwidth usage! Oh, my favorite ones are Rexene's Get Ready to Dye and Spin2weave's Dyeing to Spin Part #3... the first one is so funny and full of practical advice. She showed me that I don't need a huge space to work in. The latter video showed me that I can just heat my wool up in the microwave without burning it. I also looked at countless other videos many of which are for kettle dyeing or yarn dyeing and not hand painting... and some folks well its kind to say they are a yawn a minute. I also figured out what I'm did wrong pretty fast. Well, wrong.. its not exactly wrong, undesirable maybe.. but this wool is mostly earmarked for my nuno felting so I then dyed it to compliment the silk I dyed earlier...

I started this whole thing Sunday and it felt like I wasn't getting a bunch done. I was also fighting the holiday languor. It's mostly waiting. Waiting for the wool to pre-soak, then waiting for the wool to cool, and then finally waiting for the wool to dry and see how it turned out. Hoping that some where that mass of soggy fiber there's artistry and beauty. There's also making the dye baths... realizing that I need way bigger squeeze bottles, improvising with solo cups... forgetting to wear my gloves and ending up with red hands...(my fingernails are still orange) oh, and the actual dyeing. Then today I hung all I've finished up next to each other and thought, thats not too bad for a start...

I like rainbows.. Promises and hope.

I love it when a plan comes together!

Getting everything together for the Etsy Austin Team booth was a monumental task that really came together pratically like clockwork. I'm sure that accounts will vary, but everytime I was at the booth in front of Hill Country Weavers it seemed very smooth and we I can't believe we did it! It was awesome getting the swags bags toghether and all the promo items and the coupons... I'm mean it was a huge task and we all contributed alot to the whole thing... so cool to see it happen.

I had a great time doing the needlefelting demos... it was alot of fun. Talking Etsy to folks and just watching the crowds, hearing music coming from somewhere (everywhere). I feel really lucky to be apart of such a great scene and I'm glad that Austin's not afraid to claim its weirdness title.

I hope everyone had a great time! Check out the flickr site for more great pics....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gypsyharte/

Promoting SXSW and Handmade in Austin

The Etsy Austin Team is getting busy preparing our promotional swag for SXSW thats up coming in March. A bunch of things are going in these bags, that, themselves, are being handmade out of recycled t-shirts. They'll be sporting a really cool silkscreened logo.... and many folks of Team Etsy Austin are preparing some interesting and fun items, stickers, earrings, charms, coupons and much more to fill out the bag. Here's some pics of us at our first Swag Bag sewing bonanza! Beth of Snuggleherd... and our fearless crew!

Come SXSW time we'll be hitting the streets giving away bags and doing demos and selling Etsy things in front Hill Country Weavers on South Congress. Meanwhile its back to sewing machine!

San Marcos Art at Tantra

I newly joined the Esty Austin street team last week and there I met Kateri, who is doing this great third Sat Market in San Marcos. Its easy to forget that a whole city is just right down south there. So my husband, James and I decided go and set up our respective little booths out at Tantra Coffee House yesterday. James is a hypnosist promoting his business by doing free hypnosis demos showing people how to change their lives by changing their minds. http://harmonyhypnosis.net/
And I had a little bit of everything.... some recycled sweaters hats (since it was chilly) and removable hairwrap jewelry, and of course my felted creations. Anyone who knows me, knows that I hate having nothing to do with my hands, so I had my wool and some bits of reclaimed sweater and was felting away. The place was really fun too.. alot of folks came and went there were some nice bands to to listen too and other see the artists too.
And they were people... bonafide People, they came and talked to me, and I love talking felt! I was suprised at how many people said they had just starting doing needle felting or had just heard about Etsy. That, is my second favorite subject.
It was a good day, I talked to this nice guy, Sean, who was going write something for a paper or zine I think, he also took pics of my stuff. I totally spaced some stuff yesterday morning, like my mirror and I’m still out of business cards… no excuse. Despite my being a tad worried about the weather it was fine, a little windy but to too bad, and the sunshine came out to play later in the day. Tantra’s got some yummy lemon bars and good coffee ( I had the Landry) and my hubby hypnotized some folks… oh yeah I sold some stuff. That’s always nice. The best thing was being in this happening little Texas town, surrounded by talented kids, so creative and it so-made-me-remember-my-college-time; and I was much buoyed and encouraged by so many asking about my stuff and liking it. I think it was a success all around and a lot of promise for growth in the future. So thanks a bunch Kateri! We can’t wait for next time.

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