Bayou City Art Fest

My mom and I went to the Bayou City Art Festival today in Memorial Park. It was so nice and warm (not hot!), and we saw the work of many talented artists. I wasn't really sure if it was good etiquette to photograph people's booths, so I just have 2 photos to share!

Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend!

Blooms Everywhere!

Hooray for my front yard blooms! The spiderwort is here, the sedum is a carpet of yellow flowers, and the pink buds I featured here are now bursting!

Spring Weather

The weather was so pleasant yesterday! Sindri and I spent some time lazing about in the backyard. As I lounged in my chair, I was able to capture the gorgeous blue sky and new leaves on the trees. I also snapped a shot of Sindri smiling! He loves to be out in the sun, hunting for lizards!

Buds Ready to Bloom!

The front yard is preparing to put forth quite a display for spring!

New Blog Header

I'm never satisfied with the headers on my blog or Etsy shop. I made a new one for my blog this evening, which you can see above. What do you think?
I often see really cute graphics in others' shops and blogs, but they either have much better graphic arts experience or know some talented people! Maybe I'll break down someday and hire someone to create a custom logo for me. I suppose that's something to ponder further in the future! Until then, the photo editor and Paint program that came with my laptop will have to do!

Craft Update!

I've been invited to participate in a local craft fair by a fellow Etsian. It's my first, so I've been busy getting things made and planning my booth table! Here are some new hair clips, pins, and pendants for you to enjoy!

The fair isn't scheduled until late April, but I'll be sure to share photos of the big day!

By the way, if anyone out there has any craft fair tips, please let me know! They're greatly appreciated!

More Flower Photos!

The good thing about the time change: I can still enjoy my garden and take photos after work! Here are some new garden friends that I discovered today!

My Kind of Protest

On the way home from work today, I was listening to NPR. They were discussing the various war protests taking place around the nation today. Naturally, the "Knit In" by the Granny Peace Brigade in Times Square caught my attention! I did some research and found these photos on sparkdance's flickr site.

All I can say is, AWESOME!!

For more photos from sparkledance, please visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sparkdance/tags/protest/

More Garden Happenings!

Aren't these little flowers so bright and happy? I saw them peaking out of one of my backyard pots this morning and had to share them with you!
Hope you enjoy them!

Yummy Skirt!

While perusing the Craftzine blog (a daily must!), I came across this gorgeous skirt!

Apparently, this is the first attempt at a skirt by the creator of the Blissed Out blog (see http://jo2308.typepad.com/blissedoutknitting/2008/03/my-first-skirt.html). I think she did an awesome job! I love the little doilie accents - they add so much character!
There are lots of great projects on the Blissed Out website, so I'll definitely bookmark it and check back soon for more inspiration!

Shelby The Bear

Yay! I finally get to see what little Shelby looks like in her bear hat! I had to make it so she would match her jungle room! See more about Miss Shelby in Kim and Chad's blog (see blog list at left).

Anna Tunic Finished!

Ok, so these are not the greatest photos! But, I just couldn't wait to share how the Anna Tunic turned out. The only changes I made to the pattern were to omit the lining and add darts at the bust. I'm really happy with it! After making one blouse (see http://rbnsnst.blogspot.com/2008/01/completed-projects.html), the second one seemed to go much more quickly and smoothly! Now I'm unstoppable! Ha, ha!

Anna Tunic In The Works

Well, I started making the Anna Tunic this afternoon after a trip to JoAnn's to buy fabric! I decided to go with the camisole length version of the pattern, which I think will be a nice addition to my work wardrobe. Here's the fabric and some of the pattern pieces:

I made some great progress today! I'll share the finished product when it's done!

Ugh! Anyone else wide awake? Supposedly it's 10:40 pm, so I guess I should be in bed! This time change is such a bummer...I know I'll be a sad, sad lady when the alarm clock goes off tomorrow morning!

Sunday Morning Laugh

While visiting one of my favorite blogs this morning (http://www.belleepoquewhimsy.com/), I learned about a fantastic site called Stuff White People Like (http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/). Not only are the observations hilarious, they are also rather spooky in their accuracy. Here are a few of the items from the list that are most relatable to myself:
#84 T-Shirts (yay Threadless!)
#82 Hating Corporations
#75 Threatening to Move to Canada
#44 Public Radio
#41 Indie Music
For Erin & John: #38 Arrested Development
#35 The Daily Show/Colbert Report
#25 David Sedaris
#15 Yoga
For Meghan: #13 Tea
#5 Farmers' Markets
This is a VERY entertaining site, so be sure to stop by if you're in need of a good laugh! I'm bookmarking it!

I Love This!

I've been visiting all my favorite craft blogs this evening, and I stumbled across the following image on Etsy-Love (http://www.etsy-love.com/). Isn't it gorgeous?

This amazing design was created by Nervous System. They have an Etsy shop and a very interesting web site in which they share their process. Apparently, they begin with a pattern found in nature, then develop a "pattern generating algorithm" on a computer to further manipulate the design. Visit http://n-e-r-v-o-u-s.com/blog/ to learn more about the creative duo behind Nervous System.

My Flickr

Ok, so I finally broke down and started a Flickr account...
Please stop by http://flickr.com/photos/robynsnest77/ and leave a comment! If you also have a Flickr site, let me know so I can visit yours as well!
Talk at ya later!
Robyn

Off To The Sampler!

Well, here are my little brooches, all ready to go in the box! I made 25 pieces to contribute to The Sampler's April edition. What is The Sampler, you ask? Here is the info, straight from their web site:
"The Sampler is a super fun marketing & promotional tool for indie businesses. Each month, independent crafters, artists, shops, zines and record labels who run web-based businesses send samples and promotional materials to a contribution pool. All the samples are photographed, posted to the site and then are portioned out, put in little packages and sent off to Sampler Subscribers, other Sampler Contributors and members of the Media all over the world!"
This was a really fun project for me, which was suggested by my dear friend and craft goddess Tara (see http://paperspoon.etsy.com and http://buttoncollective.etsy.com). I also learned a lot about attempting to "mass produce" items that are handmade. The outcome? I'm just not a mass production kind of girl. I made several items that had similar colors and themes, but every piece was unique.
To learn more about The Sampler, visit http://homeofthesampler.com.

Baby Bustelo

While in Austin, I went to Diana's baby shower and visited "Junior's" nursery! Below, you can see that Diana made the most fantastic triptych in a space theme for the baby's room! And the crib looked so cozy, I wanted to curl up in it myself!



Diana isn't due for another month, but I'm not so sure...what do you think?

Future Sewing Projects

I just returned from a trip to visit Diana in Austin this weekend. Diana, who is my wonderful friend and an enabler to my craft addiction, gave me the following goodies:

They are Amy Butler sewing patterns for the Weekender Travel Bag and Anna Tunic! I've been salivating over the tunic since it went into production, and the bag is SO very cute! Looks like I'll have to get my sewing machine humming again! And, of course, I'll have to go fabric shopping! Hooray!