The Craftcation Conference

So I saw a flier for this at a local craft show & am seriously thinking about going....




It looks like basically a business conference tailored to crafty & DIY people.  Here is a little bit from their statement about who & what they are...

craftcation is a three day indie business & diy workshop conference. it’s a retreat to inspire, network and build upon the independent craft business community. our objective is to ignite the entrepenurerial business spirit, strengthen skills and abilities of both seasoned business owners and newcomers to indie craft business. this is an opportunity to network, communicate and share with your peers.

events and topics include:
indie business: how to start a crafty business, maximizing social media, blogging, in’s & out’s of indie craft shows, etsy, wholesaling, merchandising, accounting, legal issues, branding, website design and more.
diy workshops: screenprinting, sewing, canning & preserving, cheesemaking, needle arts, terrariums & edible gardens, organic bath products, jewelry and more.
community: meet & greets, pop-up shops, yoga, bbq & cocktail socials and so much more!

It's not cheap, $275 if you register before February 1st, but since one of my GOALS this year is to really focus on building my business(es), I think some of the talks look like they might be really helpful.  Some of the specific topics that I want to attend are:

• making the most of craftcation through social media
• financial basics for indie business start-ups
• 
  

  is your social media strategy really a strategy?

• 
  

  breaking into the art exhibition world

Definitely take at look at their website.  I think after I get a paycheck from my day-job, I might sign up.  I think the difference between an at-home-kitchen-table crafty Etsy seller, and being self-employed by owning and operating your own business is knowledge & I'm tired of swimming around in a world of business that I know nothing about!

Inspired by a Fetish

fet·ish

 [fet-ish, fee-tish]

noun

1.

an object regarded with awe as being the embodiment orhabitation of a potent spirit or as having magical potency.

2.

any object, idea, etc., eliciting unquestioning reverence,respect, or devotion: to make a fetish of high grades.

Synonyms 

1.  talisman, amulet. 

What kind of Fetish did you think I was talking about?  

Dirty, Dirty...

When we were traveling on our road trip across the southwest, we came upon some beautiful little carved sculptures made by the Zuni Indians.  

Zuni fetishes have been used for many purposes: to enable hunters to catch game, to make game more plentiful, and also for curing ceremonies.  Fetishes may protect individuals as well as the community.  The Zuni believe that animals are more like the deities and have more power than man.  The Zuni also believe that both practical and spiritual power reside in their fetishes.

This is a book that I got when we bought our 2 little carvings.
I wish I had more time to read it!

This isn't exactly the one that we got, but our looks just like this.
White buffalo with a few beads, but our has turquoise horns.

I've always loved all sorts of symbolism, especially when it comes to religious & cultural symbols.  Animals, colors, flowers, tattoos, etc.  I think that's why I'm so infatuated with these beautiful little carvings.  Everything from the colors, to the type of stone, to the animals, to the offering beads.  

I have an idea of a project I'd like to do.  It's kind of a sculpture-a-day project.  I actually started my first one, but then work started up, so it's a sculpture, period for right now. Just quick little sculptures, maybe a 1/2 to 1 hour a piece. 

 

Here are a few examples of some of the little fetishes I'd like to make:

Armadillo	Slow, Sure, Gets things right. Keeper of the home

Dolphin	spirit of friendship, trust, loyalty

Spider	creative patterns of life

Turtle	oldest symbol of Mother Earth, longevity

For All You GleeKs Out There...

I had to share this video to all my fellow GleeKs....
(and if you don't know what a GleeK is, don't even bother)

I think this is probably THE cutest little boy EVER!

Road Trip Tricks & Tips

Growing up we never really took family road trips.  We drove places, but it would be like overnight to my grandma's house.  We never stopped at the quirky road-side, Biggest-Ball-Of-Yarn type places.  My husband on the other hand, likes to drive around for fun, just driving with no destination.

Now I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the idea of road trips.  I want to drive all sorts of places & stop at all the odd-ball historic markers, eat at the weird dinners, etc.  So here are just a few things we learned on our South Western travels....

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Never, ever leave home without it.

My in-laws got it for me, and we actually used it.We got a flat tire in the middle of nowhere & called to have them fix it. Awesome!  If you know you will be on some crazy 2 lane highways in the country, GET IT!

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Get the Roadside America App for your phone!
It's amazing, you can search for all of those neat off-the-beaten-track places.
I think the best places we visited came from this App.
GET IT!

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Here are a few misc tips that any well prepared road tripper must know & do:

• Make a car emergency kit. Include things like a flash light, water, snacks like protein bars, toilet paper, paper towels, Windex, first aid kit, etc.  We used almost all these things during our travels.
• Stay at Motel 6.  We stayed at a few different motels, but Motel 6 was definitely the best place for the price.  Clean rooms at a good price.
• Give yourself time.  We felt rushed cause we didn't give ourselves enough time to visit all the places we wanted.  The time spent getting to your destination is as important as the destination.
• Buy a postcard or magnet.  We get a postcard and magnet from every place that we visit.  It's just a physical reminder of all the places we've been.

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These are a few pics that we took on our adventure....

UFO Museum in Roswell New Mexico.

The O.K. Corral in Tombstone Arizona

Antelope Canyon in Page Arizona.
This was one of the most beautiful places. Was so unreal it looked fake.

Grand Canyon.  It was snowy & all the trees looked dead & I like how creepy this picture looks.

Awesome place we visited.  It was called Gold King Mine Ghost Town - in Jerome Arizona.
It was a cool ghost town / junkyard with tons of old cars, machines, barnyard animals, etc.
It probably the most surprisingly spectacular place we visited.
Found using the Roadside America App!!!

Yummy, Yummy Angora...

I made my first non-sheep wool purchase over the holiday.  I've been thinking about experimenting with more advanced wet-felting techniques.  Basically I know soooo many people that are either pregnant or have newborn babies right now, that I kinda want to try my hand at felting some baby booties.

With that in mind, I have been ogling some Angora Wool on some of my favorite wool websites, but didn't buy any because it's so expensive.  We were at a craft show right before Christmas & I saw this beautiful wool and just couldn't pass it up.  It's not pure Angora, but has some cashmere & merino mixed with it.

It's hand-dyed, beautiful, called "Sour Apple".  It's white with painted red & green highlights.

I'd like to try wet-felting the slippers with this wool on the inside & maybe white, red or green merino on the outside.

Ahhh... Put it on the list of projects that I want to do when I have time...