jilsy designs

moving!!

2011-12-05T05:55:00.000-08:00

i TOTALLY forgot to do a moving announcement on here!!! for those of you that follow me on facebook you already know that's i've undergone a name change now that i've moved to a new city. i opened a NEW etsy shop and started a NEW blog!! so come on over and see what's going on in my new place....

http://www.etsy.com/shop/FightingSpirit

http://www.showyourfightingspirit.blogspot.com/

new city, new name, same great products!! :)

meet my brother....we've been busy!

2011-09-30T10:27:00.000-07:00

not my real brother, who i'm sure is busy making millions for morgan stanley, i'm just talking about my new brother sewing machine that i purchased to get me by in the temporary sweat shop until i get my other machine here. (she is waiting so patiently for me in storage!) our house closing on october 28th can not come soon enough!!!

me and my bro have been busy the past couple of days....when im not working, stressing out about the move or eating my face off here in New Orleans i've been trying to get a little bit made in hopes of being able to participate in at least one craft show here for holiday. here's what ive got done so far....


medium pouches!

small pouches!

coin purses!

ok, it's ALOT of pouches but i figured they are great stocking stuffers and cute add on gifts. i also brought a couple things that i already had cut out and not sewn yet that i made this morning.

cassette and heart zipper clutch!

it's never too early to start thinking about the holidays!!


and finally some embroidery i did before heading back to Pittsburgh to have my house packed up sniff sniff

i forgot to mention that didn't i? i was in PA last week to have all our stuff moved because we actually sold our house the first week it was on the market. we were pretty lucky!! i just wish our stuff could of gone right into our new house but hey, life is far from perfect....

i brought an empty suitcase home with me and filled it up with half my thread and as much fabric as i could fit into that bag. it ended up weighing 43 pounds...hehehehe. it weighed more than my suitcase of clothing!!

going to get back to work now....i'm planning a afternoon of boutique scouting for future consignment opportunities (fingers crossed!). ta ta.....

finalllllllllly

2011-09-14T12:59:00.000-07:00

i may be getting ahead of myself a bit here but i think all will be well....we found a house last night, put an offer and they accepted!!!! now, of course, we still need to get through the 3 inspections and all the financial things so it will be like 5 weeks before we are in but i am still so relieved and excited. i have looked at at least 30 houses, shown 4 to chris, and until this one he really didn't LOVE any of them.
it's a simple place, 3 bedrooms and 3 baths with a driveway (which is actually not easy to find in the city here). everything has been selling in the first week so we saw the listing come on, i viewed the next day and pulled the trigger! i still won't be in it until the end of October but it'll be here before we know it!

i'll take pics next time i go by. it's a charming New Orleans cottage. SO cute!!

on a crafty note...i ended up buying a sewing machine for a temporary set up here in our apartment. i made friends with it today and it is actually very nice and easy to use! it's a brother machine, of which i had never used before. i got some small pouches made so at least the sweatshop can be in partial production for the next month or so. i will not be ready for any shows but hopefully can make enough to send Wildcard an order for holiday and get some things in my etsy shop!

new fabric purchases!!

as you can see my set up is small and very messy and i have to clean it up after each use which drives me crazy. but we do what we have to in order to be crafty, right?

can't wait to be in our house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

getting settled

2011-09-07T09:18:00.000-07:00

now that i've been in NOLA for a month i am done playing tourist (for now) and am ready to get down to crafty business again. the only glitch is all my stuff is still in storage. i will have access to it in 3 weeks and it's killing me!!

when i first got here i decided to try cross stitch. i went to the needle work store in the French Quarter...so cute!....and ask where to begin because it's been like 25 years since i've done this. she encouraged me i could start with any design so i took a stroll around and threw up in my mouth a little bit because no i don't want to cross stitch a cat or a covered wagon. finally i spot an abstract circle design that would be suitable and she said it was my skill level. i was confused on the price...i'm pretty sure i got cross stitch raped and i'm too embarrassed to even write what i paid here! but i justified it because it will be hours of entertainment.
it even came in a cute bag tied with ribbon and holding little tissue paper hearts inside. walking home i felt like a little girl who just came from the candy store. i felt like skipping...maybe i was thinking about the wizard of oz...i don't know.

cute design, right? except at the rate i'm going i'm pretty sure it's gonna take me ten years to finish it. i tried like hell to complete one square in one day while i was waiting out tropical storm Lee but i failed. my eyes start to hurt, the lighting goes too dark or i just get ants in my pants. even though sewing requires patience i am constantly moving to iron something, cut something or install a zipper or snap. this is much more l o w k e y. don't get me wrong i'll finish it someday but it may be someday in 2012.

so i decided to venture out to a local craft store and discovered they only have 2 Joann's here and neither are a super store. dang. it'll have to do and i love buying supplies online anyways. i'm off track...my point was that i decided to try embroidery next. i ordered some Sublime Stitching transfers and they would be arriving any day so i had to prepare for their arrival! i took advantage of the notions wall being 50 percent off-score! and gathered up the rest of my list. i even bought a little starter embroidery kit to practice on. slip stitch-no problem, french knots- hot mess! i'll keep practicing but here was my first attempt.

then ***gasp*** my sublime transfers arrived!! they are so frigging cute i didn't know where to start. i decided this rainbow would be a good place!

it just makes me happy. i LOVED rainbows and hearts when i was little so i'm sure some little girl will enjoy this as well someday! my third attempt was this flower. i decided it needed a little more pazazz so i free balled the border design on the edges...that's allowed, right?

even though these require alot of patience as well, i am really excited because i am getting all sorts of ideas on how to incorporate them into my bags when i get my sweat shop set up!! eventually i will draw my own designs but Sublime is a fantastically inspiring way to start.

better late than never...

2011-09-03T15:23:00.000-07:00

hey y'all!

yes, i went from yinz to y'all. not that i actively ever use either but i feel like it's more of a culture definition than anything. i've been technologically challenged recently. i won't go into detail but let me just summarize that living in a one bedroom temp apartment has it's challenges to say the least. so FINALLY i am resurfacing here on the good ole blog.

i have so many things to post about in my new city but before i go into that i want to post some pics from the South Side Works show i did in july. yes, i realize it's now september but like i said...i'm getting caught up!

it was a fabulous weekend!! i shared a tent with Kali of Vehement Romantic and we had sooooo much fun!!

i was very sad that this could possibly be my last craft show in the 'burgh but i took the opportunity to shop and talk with everyone before i left. i saw so many familiar customer faces too!! the 'burgh has such a warm place in my heart! i can honestly say that all the places i've lived in the past 13 years this has been my fav!!!

(((((i heart you Pittsburgh)))))

and i hope to be back one day for some crafty goodness!!

P.S. yinz can still find my designs at Wildcard!

talk to you SOON...i swear!

xoxo

big news

2011-07-18T15:14:00.000-07:00

i can finally let the cat out of the bag! the news is.....

I'M MOVING TO NEW ORLEANS!!!!!

i had to keep it a secret for awhile because me and my husband work for the same company and his promotion wasn't officially announced until today. it was killing me not saying anything!!

so we are off on a new adventure....a new city to explore and to learn to love. we've been in pittsburgh for 6 years now and when i woke up sunday morning i realized how much i'm going to miss the city and the roots i've put down here. i've been lucky being part of a wonderful craft community, met good friends at work and realized i can never ever live in the suburbs again.

i will be gone in 2 weeks- a time period that i'm sure will fly by in no time. i've always moved within 6 hours or so and now i'm moving 1100 miles away....i don't even know how many hours that is in the car. i will be getting on a plane with 1 suitcase and going to live in temporary housing until we find a new home. so that means no new crafts for like a month. this is another example of when i'm really jealous of knitters and jewelers who can craft wherever. i can't exactly carry around a sewing machine. but the good side of this is i will have so much new inspiration and miss my fabric so much that i'm sure i'll be a crazy sewer in no time. after everything is unpacked and organized in our new place...no big deal, right?

NOLA, the big easy, the crescent city....here i come!

This weekend!!!

2011-07-14T04:06:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again...time for the South Side Works Artist's Market! This will be the third time I've done this show. I'm sharing a tent with Vehement Romantic this year so come check out our stuff!!!

Full details can be found here
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=132551513478643

The scheduled hours are
Friday 5-10
Saturday 12-10
Sunday 12-5

And P.S. Please chant or do whatever it takes to keep the rain away!!!

estate sales

2011-06-18T05:35:00.000-07:00

so it's summer and it's the prime time for estate sales! i only got into to these a couple ears ago with the urging of some friends. they go for whatever suits their fancy but i go for fabric and media for my paintings. i've had some really good finds in the past....old cookbooks, photos and a boy scout uniform shirt that fit me!! i haven't been painting much lately, ok, well at all so i've laid off the media searching and just stuck to fabric. the last 2 weeks i've had amazing luck when it comes to sewing supplies! i got a huge haul and only spent just $19.

i got these holiday tablecloths to make christmas stocking out of. the three were $9 total and are a HUGE amount of fabric!!

i struck gold with all this yellow fabric! the polka dot one is just darling and who can't use solid mustard and gray fabric? the gray is like 8 yards!!

this fabric is sheer and i almost didn't purchase it...it looks like it was meant for curtains. i LOVED the print and my friend urged me to get it so i can make her a summer tablecloth out of it. i was thinking it'd be a cute overlay/runner on my craft show table....maybe. it's just so happy and 70s it needed to come home with me!

last but not least was this pile of reds (and a little pink). the fabric in the last series of pics, including 5 rolls of ric rik i forgot to photograph, only cost me $10!!!! can you say bargain??? this particular house had about 20 boxes of fabric in it but alot of it was polyester and other kinds that i don't use. obviously i still found a bunch of cotton and that made my day!! it was definitely the kind of sale i wished i brought my own shopping bag!

coin purses

2011-06-15T05:41:00.000-07:00

these are the new coin purses i made for the craft-o-tron and upcyla-tron

(the plaid is the vintage fabric)

if you missed it in my previous post here's more info on the
fantastic traveling machines!!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Travelling-Pittsburgh-Craft-O-Tron-Machine/129391890440657

work!

2011-06-14T05:58:00.000-07:00

so i went back to work yesterday for the first time in over 2 months. it was long overdue and felt great! it is a part time position, just 20 hours, and i'm not sure how i feel about that. it could be the perfect balance and be all i need....or it could be i want to work full time again. we'll see what happens.

the first day back ended up being a LONG one. 12 hours later and i was so glad i wore my sneakers! my back is aching today from the long day but i slept really well! i think i changed like 30 something mannequins, put up numerous pieces of vinyl lettering and other signage, and i made a beautiful denby table display complete with tree trunks. the display was a balance of wood, white and silver table wares. i balanced the whole nature theme by adding green apples and bamboo place mats. i actually really love doing these kinds of projects...there's such a free form to it.

now i don't have to work until thursday which feels kinda weird. like a weekend before my weekend. i have to get busy on making new coin purses for the upcycl-a-tron today. i already finished my order for the craft-o-tron. i used the nyc subway fabric in black so i think they'll be a hit! i also need to grocery shop today and it leaves me wishing we had fresh express delivery like nyc does. i may do just a quick shop for dinner tonight.

ok, this entry is very "dear diary" with details of my life. i'll get back to crafting soon, i swear! i'm just so happy to be working again that i had to share it with y'all!! :)

p.s. you can find me at the WYEP event next week selling my wares! check out details here
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=223169324367605
or here
http://wyep.org/events/event.php?event_id=2042

christmas in .....MAY???

2011-05-28T16:55:00.000-07:00

so you may think i'm a little crazy but this week i finally got the crafty bug and it was to make christmas stockings!! i've still been in quite a funk for reasons i won't go into here. you're not my therapist after all and this blog is supposed to be FUN. no one likes a debbie downer, right?? heck NO.

i just needed to make something other than a bag or a pouch or a wristlet. i was staring at my fabric stash for inspiration, as i usually do, and the holiday fabric started speaking to me. brand new, all fresh from the washer and dryer -it said it needed to become something more than a folded pile. the anticipation began to peak my interest so i was like oh yea- i made those SUPER cute stockings for me and chris last year and THAT'S why i bought you--to make more to sell!!

idea=sold!

inspiration=happy!

here's what i came up with....

i don't know what show these will premier at (maybe one in july??)...

all i know is these make me smile. and that's worth SOMETHING.

new!

2011-05-13T10:52:00.000-07:00

i finally did something with the 4" zippers i had laying around.

i designed a small card case!

in my bag i keep my more infrequently used rewards cards and

credit cards in a separate case than my everyday wallet.

i hate when my wallet is jam packed with stuff!

it can also be used as a business card holder.

and don't forget they're always cute INSIDE too!!

i'm going to try these out at my craft show tomorrow and
then add them to my etsy shop after.

p.s. i just added some coin purses to my shop (FINALLY)!!

blah

2011-05-11T06:52:00.000-07:00

so i've been feeling pretty BLAH lately. guess i could say i'm in a funk. all i feel like doing is reading my book and catching up on tv shows. not really feeling the creative energy. i mean, my book is REALLY good, don't get me wrong, but i feel like it's not the most productive thing i could be doing with my time. my husband keeps telling me that i should enjoy this unemployment time, relax, and not feel guilty about it. but there's something inside me that just won't let that happen. now i'm contemplating going back to work...maybe just part time...because i think that doing something outside the house actually motivates me to do more once i'm home. not sure why that makes sense but it works for me!

i will be back in the swing of things soon i hope! in the mean time i will most likely finish my 750 page book today. it's called "the hour i first believed" by wally lamb and i highly recommend it!!

p.s. the half marathon went off w/ out a hitch. i survived the mountainous hills of cincinnati and ran it in 1 hour 54 minutes and 41 seconds!!!

lucky 7

2011-04-28T11:29:00.000-07:00

i'm running my 7th half marathon this Sunday in Cincinnati, OH. i'd like to set a personal record but as the years add onto my life i'm wondering if that's possible! i'm going to see if i can hook up with a pace group- i did that when i ran the Pittsburgh marathon in 2009 and it helped put my mind at ease. it was just one less thing to think about it. i love when i get in that zone where your body moves effortlessly and is completely in sync with your brain. it doesn't happen often but i'm hoping with all this training it happens. they also say you should do a number of things....

1. have a power word. i have 2-the first is strength. i'm going to concentrate on finishing strong. i tend to go out a little too hard and pay for it at the end. the 2nd is Joseph. my sister and her family are all participating in an event this weekend in honor of their son, Emma's brother, and my nephew who passed away in October of 2009 at age 5. his birthday is May 4th.

2. visualize. you are supposed to visualize yourself crossing the mile markers and eventually the finish line. in good time, in good health.

3. race against yourself, not others. noone likes getting passed especially when that other person looks like they are in worse shape than you. i try not to let in get in my head and just think i'll pass them in the end. it's hard.

as you can see, running for me is as much mental as it is physical. i tend to let stuff get in my head and i need to remember that i've done the physical part of it and to block everything else out. keep your fingers crossed for me!!

TEALtini event

2011-04-25T13:54:00.000-07:00

This Thursday 4/28 I will participating in this awesome event...

The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition Pittsburgh Chapter invites you to TEALtini: Cocktail Contest & Fundraiser at Bakery Square on Thursday, April 28th.

TEALtini will feature Pittsburgh's hottest mixologists, bars and restaurants as well as on-site TEAL-inspired crafts from I Made It! Market. Dance the night away with throw-back jams by DJ Mike Cunningham.

Walk the TEAL carpet with host Joe King from Cue Magazine, and meet special celebrity guest Miss U-FAB! Sample TEAL cocktails on-site at the event and cast your vote for the Official TEALtini Cocktail.

TEALtini is a 21+ event. ID's will be checked at the door. Limited tickets will be available at the door for $25; pre-purchase your tickets to ensure admittance.

Tickets include: sampling of all participating cocktail contest TEALtini's which will include Smirnoff Vanilla, Cherry, Raspberry, Orange and/or Tanquerey Gin. Additional beverages provided by Yuengling Light, Woodchuck Cider, and Mike's Hard Lemonade. Food by Square Cafe, Donato's, Hofbrauhaus Pittsburgh, and more!

Featured bar/restaurants in the TEALtini Cocktail Contest:
Brillobox - www.brillobox.net
Shadow Lounge/AVA - www.shadowlounge.net
Mansions on Fifth - www.mansionsonfifth.com
Sonoma Grill - www.thesonomagrille.com
Tusca - www.southsideworks.com/tusca.htm
Seviche - www.seviche.com
Nola on the Square - http://www.nolaonthesquare.com
The Wooden Nickel - http://www.thewoodennickelrestaurant.com
Donato's - http://donatosrestaurant.com
Cioppino Restaurant and Cigar Bar - http://www.cioppinoofpittsburgh.com
Tamari- www.tamaripgh.com

Opportunities for on-site cash donations include: TEALtini Photo Booth with over-the-top TEAL accessories, I Made It! Market TEAL crafts, and auction items to benefit NOCC.

Think T.E.A.L.! Take Early Action & Live!
To find out how to go to www.ovarian.org

Here are some of the items I made specifically for this event....

Hope to see you there!!!

scraps!

2011-04-13T15:58:00.000-07:00

so i've been trying to think of new ways to use my fabric scraps up.

i ended up making a few barrettes for the last 2 shows that actually sold!!

here's the hot mess of scraps that i used...SCARY, right??? i swear everything else in my studio is super organized!! but just wait until you see the transformation into these....

(prepare for cuteness)


back side has the barrette hand sewn on.

last night i started working on these and i gotta say, i'm kinda loving them!

and of course the inside is fabulous too!!

look for these zipper clutch bags in my etsy shop SOON!!!

this Saturday!

2011-04-08T15:34:00.000-07:00

I will be here tomorrow!!!! please stop by--I have been cranking out the product in the sweatshop.

April 9 : I Made It! Memorable
Visit our 30+ artists and student artists this Saturday, April 9th from 12 - 4 pm at Gateway High School for I Made It! Memorable.
3000 Gateway Campus Blvd, Monroeville, PA 15146 - We will be located in the main building's gymnasium

Here's how to find us at Gateway:
First of all, you may need a map to find us. When you arrive, and pull into the High School driveway, you can park at the auditorium, or continue on as traffic is diverted around the Sports Complex where there is a parking lot. You may park there, around the side of the school, or follow the driveway down to student parking. There are three entrances that will be marked with signs where you can enter the building: the Auditorium, the Loading Dock area, or the Cafeteria. Each entrance will have signs leading you to us in the main building's gymnasium.

At the market you'll find: artists offering demonstrations, an auction and a bake sale benefiting the Alzheimer's Association of Greater PA, and our 30+ artists and student artists selling all handmade items. RSVP on our Facebook Event Page.

busy, busy, busy

2011-04-07T13:30:00.000-07:00

here are a couple bags i made from my lovely vintage finds at the salvation army sale...

and here's one i made from other fabrics i bought recently. everyone loves to kick it old school, don't they? remember days at the mall arcade or just at home with your atari???

on another note i had my first rita's of the season today on a "break". root beer gelati with vanilla custard. and i'm slowly finding out that the sun DOES shine in pittsburgh....what a day!

craft-o-tron order

2011-04-05T13:39:00.000-07:00

i was super excited to be asked to put an item in the pittsburgh traveling craft-o-tron!!! then i got the box dimensions and i realized that i needed to design a new item. check that off my list for the first one of my new crafthood! (if you didn't read my previous post my goal was to design 2 new items per month)

what i came up with is a coin purse...i have one...i use one....who doesn't need one??? below are the steps i took in creating these 12 beauties!

first i chose and cut out all the fabric.


second i installed the zippers.


and done!!!

ok, i made it seem easy and quick and yea...it wasn't! but i love it and i just ordered more zippers so they can be part of my regular jilsy designs selection. coming soon to my etsy shop!!


here's a glimpse of the bright yellow inside :)

look for these soon in the craft-o-tron!
want more info on following the craft-o-tron?
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Travelling-Pittsburgh-Craft-O-Tron-Machine/129391890440657

Savation Army Fabric Sale

2011-04-02T16:37:00.000-07:00

I've heard about the Salvation Army fabric sale for a couple years and for one reason or another I haven't had the chance to go. Until today. Let me set the stage for you...GPS- check. Plenty of time to get in and out and still make it to the craft show to set up by noon-check-(hopefully). First mishap-GPS said I had arrived at my destination and yup-I didn't. I drove in circles for about 15 minutes and decided to stop at a gas station and ask. I got some cranky old broads who were like what....??? SO HELPFUL. Turns out I was 5 minutes away. Got there late and second mishap-a HUGE line!! It started to move quickly and my heart settled a bit. Peering inside I could see pure mayhem happening. Holy crap this is serious.

I finally got in and got my shopping bag and GO!!!! I felt like I was on supermarket sweep except instead of flying down clear open aisles with a cart my body could barely squeeze through the mob. I looked for the COTTON sign and I was off to the races. The tables were mounded so high it was impossible to see what was underneath. I scanned the piles with my eyes, grabbed and reached and filled my bag in no time. I had to push and shove a little-this was a SITUATION to say the least. Grannies along side teenagers and 30 somethings-we all were there for the same fix. We just all had to pick out our poison..cotton, denim, corduroy-OH MY. I barely skimmed the zippers and trims- I didn't have enough time. I had to regain my focus....just get the cotton fabric!! I looked over longingly at the pattern table-we will meet next year I hope! The line to check out was as long as the one to get in so the power shopping had to come to a sad end.

The line moved quickly once again....extreme props to the Salavation Army for some serious organization!!! The little old lady checking me out asked me the same question I'm sure she asked everyone today-what are you going to make? When I replied handbags she stopped her process and just said OH! in a manner that only women can understand. Bags, shoes-we can never have enough. She then asked how many handbags do you think you can make from all this fabric and I replied a million!!

Total haul: 27 kinds of fabric totaling 46 yards, 4 zippers, 1 roll of ribbon
Bargain price: $49.60
Are you freaking kidding me??? AWESOME.
To put the cherry on top of this sewlicious sundae the cashier said there are rolls of free wrapping paper at the door-take whatever you want. I took 2.

i'm drooling just looking at this!

starting out right!

2011-04-01T14:15:00.000-07:00

I will be starting out my new crafty life right with a craft show tomorrow!! Info below...

http://gagifestival.blogspot.com/p/geek-art-green-innovators-schedule-of.html

it's part of the always amazing I Made it! Market.
http://imadeitmarket.com/events/
Please stop by!!!

ummm....5 days to go!!!

2011-03-25T14:58:00.000-07:00

ok, the countdown is SERIOUS now!!!

just 5 more work days until my entry into full time crafthood takes over. starting to have those "i won't miss this crap " days at work. maybe it's just a bad day or pms but whatever it is- it's exciting! i am talking til i'm blue in the face trying to teach people what is right and wrong, what to do in a mannequin emergency. just kidding. sort of. i'm wondering if my brain will turn to mush or will it just be my butt? last time i ventured into being a full time artist (a chosen, not forced opportunity that i clearly wasn't ready for back in 2006) i gained 10 lbs. and felt a little crazy. when you're used to doing 12 things at once somehow that feels normal. and then you go to doing 2 things at a time and you're not really sure what the point is anymore. SO that means i need to have a plan!!

structure in my day with spontaneous availability. makes sense, right? here's how i see it so far...
1. wake up at 7. coffee! breakfast. check e-mails. make daily goal list.
2. work out and shower. get dressed? the way i see it is i would LOVE to stay in my jammies all day but then how will i ever know that those lbs. are creeping up on me.
3. WORK. design, sew, blog, etc.
4. relist/renew etsy shop.
5. take pics of new items for next day's listings.
6. cook dinner/clean up. am i a housewife or what?
7. RELAX.
8. i'm so booked with orders that i need to work some more...right???
9. sleep
10. do it all over again.
11. oh yea-smile b/c i am working for myself!!

blog love!

2011-03-11T15:10:00.000-08:00

ya know how you start looking at one blog and then find a cool link to another blog and then the same thing happens on that one??? and so on and so on....well, obviously it can lead to QUITE an addiction!!

here's one i found today and fell in admiration of...
i especially LOVE these curtains by the desk. i can make those, right??
http://abodelove.blogspot.com/p/my-abode.html

here's another pic that is really fancy....

i have tried to do this look minus the bar cart in my house and it ended up looking like i was a complete alcoholic and they just get dusty! i mean they're getting some action but i guess not THAT much. plus i really hate to clean.

17 days left!

2011-03-09T15:12:00.003-08:00

as i mentioned previously i am counting DOWN the days until i am a full time crafter!! emm, sort of, i guess??

YES, YES i am!! i'm still trying to reassure myself. can you tell?? among my thoughts of excitement are some other things...

-thinking of trying to challenge myself to not buy any new craft supplies for a month. just to see how far i can push it. those of you that are fabric addicts know what i'm talking about!
-trying to establish a consistent social circle. now that i will have more time on my hands and working from home i am sure to be craving more people interaction.
-wondering how easy it will be to become a CNN junkie. i already am in the morning. what about all the breaking news??? RADIO may be the answer to this one. LISTEN, sew, focus.

-am looking forward to seeing the sunshine whenever Pittsburgh offers it. no more working in a window less box. this makes me VERY happy :)
-think i may go nutty listening to the children next door. again, RADIO may be my new BFF!
-travel. i can go see my sister & family more often. take a trip back to the 'cuse. haven't been back in years! but will i be ok w/ taking a day off? i've read that when you have your own business there basically have no OFF button. worried i may become even more obsessed with list making- it's already a problem!!
-i may turn into betty freaking crocker and enjoy cooking b/c i actually have the time for it. huh, there's a thought.

alright....day 17 i'm ready for you!

20 days to go....

2011-03-06T06:16:00.000-08:00

April 1st will be the first day of the rest of my life....

That's how I'm at looking at it anyways! Ya know how this blog started out like this is going to be my dream, blah blah, sappy stuff.....but I have a stinking day job and it kinds gets in the way. Well, I'm pretty sure the universe is telling me something because I found out this past week that my day job will be no more. Company restructure has pushed me right out that door...a swift kick in the ass and I am the only one that is my boss. The circus of emotions went like this: MAD, really friggin MAD....SAD jumped in and did a couple of somersaults with my anger....then WAIT--CALM??? Calm embracing that this may be my real go of this little business venture I started a couple years ago. Can I really be feeling HAPPY???? And excited?? When people ask what I do will my reply really be "I'm a designer!" Hell yes- that's what I am.

So many things to do to get things in order.
So here is a list of goals/to dos:
1. Update Etsy shop
2. Oh yea- take pictures for Etsy shop. GOOD pictures!
3. Apply to craft shows
4. Design a new item every 2 weeks
5. Blog more consistently

Ok, that will get me started!
Stay tuned for more creative energy coming your way!!

New Year's Eve--Vintage Style!

2011-01-08T13:40:00.000-08:00

So we had a vintage style New Year's Eve with some friends of ours and it was FABULOUS to say the least!

We started with deviled eggs, a veggie tray, hideaway beef (the biscuits have meatballs with cheese in the center!) and devil dogs (fried battered hot dog pieces).

We moved onto the main courses of which this tomato jello mold with shrimp was a highlight!

Then dessert......

My friends have this cart that you can roll food around your house on. They refer to it as the chuck wagon. I made the Stain Glass Cake on the right. It has 3 kinds of jello cubes in a mold of lemon jello and fresh whipped cream.

Kinda messy but GOOD! To top off the evening that also involved Gimlets and Highballs, I wore a 60s dress in a pea pod print!

pennants

2011-01-01T13:59:00.000-08:00

so these are the pennants i made for holiday that i mentioned in the previous post....something to expand on!

i am still thinking of another garland for the tree--something vintage inspired.

i just need to keep building on the energy of the new year. need to take advantage of the down time. need to get busy. now.

holiday....

2010-12-24T15:13:00.000-08:00

i got the sewing bug this morning.....woke up at 4am and was like seriously???? i didn't have to work today so i actually would of liked to sleep until 8 or so. such is life!! got a 4 mile run in and got moving on some garlands for my tree. the stockings i made for chris and myself have me so inspired that i decided to take it a step further. so i get the garlands made and put them on the tree and i'm like "barf" they look so matchy matchy and country inspired instead of vintage inspired. damn it! so now they are hanging on the bookcase and the window and look less "i meant to do this b/c my socks match my bag match my bra match my coat." sooooo not my thing. pictures to follow!

so this got me inspired for another garland project and well i just am out of time. gotta run to my in laws for lasagna. already on the vodka so this should be fun! no, the garlands didn't take all day...there were phone convos and multiple episodes of nip tuck thrown in there for good measure. tomorrow's another day! and next year is another xmas.

in the meantime here's a pic of the stockings in case you didn't see it on my FB page.

if i'm allowed to say it-- these are so freaking cute!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

Random Act of Kindness

2010-12-19T04:03:00.000-08:00

I don't think I can remember being part of a random act of kindness for a long time.....but it happened to me yesterday! I was on a mad rush to the post office to get my last gift mailed when I go to pull in the parking lot and a woman and her twin boys were walking in the middle of the entrance. The woman was in front and left her 3 year olds wandering aimlessly behind her. SAFE! So I just sat in my car waiting, obviously becoming annoyed. I became more annoyed when she turned around and screamed at them to get out of the way. Lady- they're 3....it's your fault, not theirs!! Maybe you should of had them in that stroller you were pushing. Anyways, straight ahead is an oncoming car and I can see the guy has a HUGE smile on his face and I'm thinking what's so happy about this whole freak show?? As our cars approach one another he rolls his window down and holds out his parking receipt. I roll mine down and he says how would you like a free half hour of parking? I said I would LOVE it and he said Merry Christmas!! I swear he had a twinkle in his eye and if he were portly I would of thought he was Chris Kringle himself. Then I started to feel like huh, there are some good people in the world.....I forget that ALOT. A small gesture made a huge impact on my day. Let's see where I take it.

Thanks random guy for helping me believe in mankind!!

slacker!

2010-08-07T03:59:00.000-07:00

man, i'm a slacker! i haven't posted in forever, have hardley sewen since the ssw show. i burnt myself out a little bit getting ready for that show. the 2 weeks prior to that i was crazy. sewing non-stop and even putting off working out. i haven't talked about it much here but i am a long distance runner. i like to do road races here and there. sometimes we even travel for a half marathon or yikes- a full one! yes, chris runs too. he ran first and actually has the natural ability. he ran track and cross country in school and then started back up when we moved to pittsburgh. i was inspired and then once i kept hitting goals i was totally addicted! started w/ a 5k, then a 10k, then a 10 miler and so on. i ran 5 half marathons and then finally leaped into the full 26.2 mile race in 2009. right here in the burgh! what was great about it was i trained on the course so there were no surprises. i was ready for that whore of a hill at 12 miles in oakland. i did not let it defeat me!! i'm a little proud, can you tell? anyways, when i stopped running so i could be ready for that show i realized how important it is to me. but then it gets scary b/c you lose endurance so quickly so it's like starting over. so now i am. haven't picked a goal yet. maybe pittsburgh again. we'll see. so basically i feel like i have 4 jobs...sewing, running, my normal full time job and then trying to keep up w/ daily life, taking care of my house, etc. so now i'm taking a little break from sewing, only working on some custom orders. not doing another show until the end of august. trying to get back in shape! hell, maybe i'll even paint soon! my easle is lonley. but when i'm ready to get back in the sewing saddle i have plenty of new inspiration. i had placed 2 big fabric orders right before the show and then i have my fabric from the trip to nyc!

and breathe...........

see you soon :)

it's here!!

2010-07-15T18:18:00.000-07:00

Last I wrote it was the countdown to the South Sides Works show. Well, it's tomorrow!! I guess I'm ready. I am always the over achiever goal setter. I did let some things fall off my plate but I think I'm in pretty good shape. I have 67 bags made, a bunch of small accessories and some collages. I am trying a new set-up with my tent this year. First off, I'm not sharing so the space is ALL mine. Which is both scary and exciting! I am going to have 2 rolling racks, my table and then try to hang some collages along the back wall. In my head it all works really well but we'll see. I am excited it's finally here for so many reasons. Of course to sell and interact with y'all which makes me smile smile smile!! Then because it's a step closer to my trip to NYC and that means more fabric shopping and meals with the bro and college best friend. And then I get to take a little break. I LOVE jilsy designs but the days are L-O-N-G. Up for work at 5am and then sewing until my eyes bleed or my head explodes. Brings me back to my dream of having my own business and not another job. Hmmmmm......thoughts to ponder!
Winding down my day with a Magic Hat IPA. Not a bad thing at all :) Hope to see yinz this weekend.

countdown!

2010-07-04T18:21:00.000-07:00

Soooooooo much to do before the South Side Works Exposed Artist's Market!!!

I have a little less than 2 weeks to go and 20 bags to make. PLUS small items like pouches and collages! I am majorly stressing myself out to meet my goal. I'm not sharing a tent this year so it's all me! I did really well at the last 2 I Made it Markets so now I'm behind. That's a good problem, right? I can do it, I can do it......can I????

Of course, being the organized freak that I am, have made a plan for the countdown. I already went off track tonight switching out some tasks for others. That's ok, as long as I'm working. It's times like this I feel like it's a job and not a hobby. It's technically a business but I like doing it so most of the time it doesn't feel like work! So everything else is off the table- no cooking, no cleaning, ok maybe I'll still have to do laundry but that's it!

here we go.....

Friday

2010-06-24T18:55:00.000-07:00

Friday from 4-8 I'll be here
WYEP event featuring the I Made it Market

Stop by and see my new craftiness!!

Made this / Listened to that

2010-06-21T15:16:00.000-07:00

Got a solid day of sewing in on Saturday. Two shows coming up this weekend-yikes!! Rolling right into another one next weekend, one weekend off and then it's the South Side Works show. Yes, my hair is on fire!!! The sweatshop is crazy. Where is my assistant????

Anyways, fell in love with my purchase of She and Him Volume 2. So airy, so happy! And Zooey loves cotton. Hey, my bags are cotton!

Sweatshop no more!

2010-06-15T15:25:00.000-07:00

Well, not really. The sweatshop is still going strong but thanks to a newly installed air conditioner I won't be sweating!! I live in a pretty old house that I love b/c it's full of character but no air conditioning just plain sucks. We now have 4 rooms covered in the cooling department. Every year we add another- so glad it was my shop this time :)

MM

2010-06-14T16:14:00.000-07:00

Oh, music Monday I have almost failed you already! I have been hair on fire busy- when aren't we- and almost thought it was time to make dinner. After dinner I have pretty much zero motivation so it means I almost forgot you!!
Saturday was an awesome day in the shop. I picked up my machine from repair and got 5 bags made along with some small items like sunglass cases. Super day really! I listened to many CDs but one I always come back to and is great especially for sewing AND driving is The Kills- Midnight Boom.
I discovered this 2 summers ago and was addicted for months. I'm pretty sure Chris was ready to throw it out the window b/c I played it so much. BUT I LOVE IT!!!!
One of my favorite lines is from track #3 Tape Song.
"Time ain't gonna cure you honey
Time don't give a shit"
Another is from track #12 Goodnight Bad Morning
"the jailors in my head are all dead
i love you so much
never
forget
all of our secrets are coming undone
what a beautiful state
we're in"
Give it a listen. You won't be disappointed in this duo.

Music Monday

2010-06-07T13:10:00.000-07:00

So, I've decided to feature a new regular posting.....
Music Monday!!!

I know how most of us hate Mondays so I'm thinking that this may put a bright spot in there for you. So, every Monday I will tell you what I'm listening to in the sweatshop. What's gettin my groove groovin' so to speak. Music is a big part of the shop...it's pretty much like turning on the light or the switch to the sewing machine to me. It helps me stay in my zone and yes, sometimes I sing along VERY loudly and it ain't pretty!

Alright already, on with it!
This week's feature is Neko Case and the album Middle Cyclone. I go in stages of addictiveness for this one. There are so many highlights....pretty much every song is awesome! And the CD ends with crickets just chirping. For a LONG time. And that sealed the deal for me. I grew up in the country going to bed every summer night (at 8 o'clock when it was still light out!!! but that's not what this post is about and yes, I'm still bitter) with a pond next to our house that had crickets and bullfrogs. It became such a comforting sound to me. So Neko, thank you for the crickets...I'm half way home.

My Louise

2010-06-06T14:29:00.000-07:00

This is my Louise.

Chris got her for me for Christmas 3 years ago.

She lives above my fireplace and is the apple of my eye.

Who would of thought I would own a Louise????

Bazaar Bizarre Summer Show

2010-06-01T19:01:00.000-07:00

As if a 3 day weekend, visiting family and eating the world's BEST cake (Kentucky Butter Cake YUMMMMMMMMMMMM) wasn't good enough, I found out on Friday night that I got accepted into the Bazaar Bizarre summer show in Cleveland!! The December show pretty much rocked my world so I am soooo looking forward to this one!! I better get going in the sweatshop!

Louise Bourgeois

2010-05-31T18:06:00.000-07:00

Louise Bourgeois died today at the age of 98. One of my long time favorites, you may recognize the name as in my Louise Bag! She was a strong, inspirational woman who created art up until the very end of her life.

A great article on her life and work can be found here:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127295084

Rest in peace Louise and thank you for all the inspiration you have given me.

Preview!!

2010-05-21T14:39:00.000-07:00

Here's a little preview of the new bags I'll be bringing with me tomorrow to the Venture Outdoors Festival. Hope to see you there :)

Come see me Saturday

2010-05-18T16:27:00.000-07:00

Looking for something fun to do this Saturday the 22nd? Go to the Venture Outdoors Festival at the Point State Park. I'll be there with other crafters as part of the I Made It Market! Details of the event are here......http://www.ventureoutdoors.org/

This will be my third craft show weekend in a row....whew!

A Day for Nothing

2010-05-16T16:38:00.000-07:00

So I woke up this morning and stumbled downstairs to make the coffee. My husband asked me what I was going to do today and it struck me.....I don't HAVE to do anything. Huh. That rarely happens. Yes, my job is Monday through Friday but the rest of the time my job is to make jilsy designs my job. So I am always going going going. Things don't happen when you're just sitting around! I had a show yesterday but my stock level is pretty ok right now so I didn't feel pressure to get up to the studio.
The first thing I did is sit down and read the newspaper. This is something that used to be a sort of ritual for me and Chris on Sunday mornings but now it's just time away from sewing. Yes, I have a hard time relaxing unless I am away from home and kinda forced to. Then I decided to cut out some fabric so it would be ready to sew later this week. Chris went to church and then we went to lunch at Duke's- DELICIOUS! It was such a beautiful day that we ended up going to Schenley Park, just steps from our house, and laying in the warm sun reading books. Oh vitamin D how I've missed you! Of course I had my 50 block on and we were situated near shade so I could hop back and forth. I fell asleep in my chair at a couple points and that felt great. Then we came home and I had time to sew. Got some cell phone cozies and one purse made. I have totally forgotten how wonderful a day off is when you have NO commitments. Why can't life be like this more often????

Saturday at the Hilltop

2010-05-11T14:05:00.000-07:00

This Saturday from 1-5 I will be at the I Made it Market. It is part of the Pop Up Pittsburgh event. Details are here........
http://www.popuppittsburgh.com/

I am sharing a table with Jackie from Iron City Upcyclery who makes totally awesome clothes and accessories so stop by and see us!!! You will not be disappointed!

Just around the corner......

2010-05-04T17:58:00.001-07:00

http://www.oddmall.info/

This is where I'll be on Saturday. Stop by!!

New cards!

2010-05-03T16:06:00.000-07:00

Just got my new business cards in the mail. Freshened them up with a new image and more info on the back- blog, facebook page, etc. I love them as much in person as when I made them online! YAY.

Giddy Up

2010-04-27T14:57:00.000-07:00

This is the new fantastic-beautiful-groovy fabric that I got on my trip to Austin, Texas. Just like in NYC, I found a favorite store that I wish was located here in Pittsburgh! It's called the Quilt Store and it's on W. Anderson Lane on the north side of the city. The zip code is 78757 in case you care. I walked in and I just knew it was gonna be good. Bolts lined the room assorted first by color and then by section. They even had a 1930s influence section. One of the ladies working there, I presume it was the owner, was carrying around a cat and petting her while chatting customers up. Why can't that be my life??? Oh yeah- a side bar to my dream of working on jilsy designs full time is to maybe own a fabric store. It seems to make sense in the whole scheme of things. Ya know, in my fantasy world. Anyways, this shop is so so cute and the ladies working there were really nice too- bonus! Went to a couple of other stores that didn't quite rock my world but I had to investigate all of my choices. Also went to a great art show downtown called Art Alliance. It focused mostly on paintings, photography and sculpture but also had some funky jewelry to check out. All of it was amazing.

Oh- made myself a new bag -FINALLY- for this trip. It's the hobo bag. I have to take a pic. Got lots of compliments and gave out some cards. I have to say I really love it- it carries so much stuff without being too heavy or bulky. And it's made with some out of print Alexander Henry fabric that I scored the last trip to NYC! It's been waiting to be cut and sewed for months which is so unlike me. Well, I guess not b/c I was focused on getting ready for shows.
It's
all
about
the
shows.

Inspiration Surprise!

2010-04-16T17:43:00.000-07:00

So, first off I need to just make fun of myself for a minute. I realized that I use the explanation point a little too much. Like at the end of this blog title....is it really necessary? It seems appropriate but I don't know, is it excessive??? You tell me if it's annoying. I do enjoy using the explanation point b/c when I talk I talk w/ emotion and to people I don't really know it may come off like yelling. But really it's not. I swear. I'm just a passionate speaking person.

Ok, anyways, hmmmm. Oh yeah my point was to tell you about some surprise inspiration, as in the title of this blog. So, Susie furniture, not Susie fragrance from work, (yes, we have to define people by departments- I don't know their last names I have to remember like 100 first names. yes, we wear name badges but it's pretty obvious reading them- they hang pretty low) told me she was getting rid of some old fabric swatches and she thought maybe I'd like them. YES YES YES. All of the above! It may seem I am being overly excited but free fabric is like free candy to me basically. So I pick up the bag and look inside. This loot was better that I'd expected!!! Some really cute prints. A whole stack of them. A chuckle/ curse to the ghetto people who must of brought scissors w/ them and stole a square of the swatches. Maybe a switchblade- I do work in West Mifflin. Whatever-those pieces will def be for pockets only. The other ones, I'm seeing make-up bags maybe. Maybe wristlets. The possibilities are endless. That's what true inspiration is all about! And there I go with the explanation point again :)

Cloud Nine

2010-04-11T05:38:00.000-07:00

Got back last night from the Art is Alive show in Canton, OH. Great show. Started slow on the sales for me but it all came together at the end. Ya know that feeling where until you get your first sale you're like OMG do I suddenly suck, have I lost my touch??? I was totally having that feeling Friday night. Ended up just fine though.
What I wanted to share with y'all is I had by biggest single transaction EVER yesterday. This woman was shopping at a quick pace, pulling bags off my rolling rack. I'm like wow she's really liking alot of my bags. Most people will do this and then lay them next to each other and decide. As she made her way to the smaller bags on the table a bigger pile began to form. We were chatting through all this, I was assisting in her inquiries for certain types of fabric. Then as I started to help her decide which bag was the right one for her she said "Oh, I'd like all of them. When I see something this good I like to stock up for gifts." Were those the sounds of bells ringing and alleluiahs beings sung??? I was so nervous. Thank goodness I brought my calculator! I couldn't fit everything on the credit card slip. I laughed whenever I signed up for Propay and say there was a dollar limit per transaction. I would never need to know such a thing! Now I was like what the heck was that??? As we finished up the transaction and lovely conversation I told her she was my biggest single sale ever. I felt bad I didn't have balloons to release or alarms to go off for this special occasion. It truely made my day, no I think my year! I smiled so hard the rest of the show. This was a cloud nine moment! So, thank you Sarah for purchasing a large Louise bag, a tote bag, a small Franklin bag, 2 Helena bags, a drawstring bag and a sunglass case! My crafty little heart truely thanks you!!!

Estate Sale

2010-04-03T06:34:00.000-07:00

Mega Retro Extraveganza. Those are the 3 words in the Pennysaver that drew us to this estate sale last Saturday. As I was digging through old cookbooks and other misc. papers seeking for treasures to collage with my friend said hey there are sewing notions upstairs. Are you kidding me??? I grabbed my how to care for a parakeet book and a dancing without teacher guide and went to the top of the stairs. Piles of fabric, boxes of thread (that's my big score above!) and oodles of patterns beckoned my name. I wanted to put caution tape on the door and dig through it for hours. But for those of you that have been to an estate sale know you must act quickly and guard any claimed treasures. So I chose the thread. It was the most bang for my buck at $3 a box, organizers included. It was getting tricky now, my hands were full and I needed some back up. The next room had chuck full closets of vintage dresses and I couldn't get in. There were some professionals teaming the closets, complete with their own reusable shopping bags. Why didn't I think of that?? I couldn't get my body in there and I was one hand browsing, carefully balancing the thread and books. My friends were getting antsy. One already left and was waiting outside. I saw a kelly green romper with flowers and butterflies and grabbed it off the hanger. I had all I could carry but I was pleased with my selections. Proceeded to the checkout. Grand total $12.50. Score!

Art is Alive

2010-03-21T04:56:00.000-07:00

So I finally have 3 shows in place....yey!!!!!

April 9 + 10 Art is Alive
Canton, OH

May 8 Oddmall
Akron, OH

July 16-18 Southside Works Exposed Artist Market
Pittsburgh, PA

I'm gonna sell the crap outta my bags and be happy happy happy!

Rejected...again

2010-03-16T13:17:00.000-07:00

I was driving to work yesterday morning trying not to think about it. Today was the day notification was to be sent out on a craft show that I applied to. I try to plan for about a show a month so I don't get too stressed out about my "fun job". I'm dying to get back at it again since the IMI February show was forced by Mother Nature to be cancelled. It's been a L-O -N- G time since December 12th- my last show. I try to stick w/ Etsy. I actually think I've been really up on it lately but I have not yet found the key to making it consistently work for me. grrrrr. Frustrating. I'm not going to be that Quit Your Day Job feature just yet. I'll keep dreamin. So that means it's shows for me. It's where I get to experience what us retailers call dream customers (I don't say that but I guess there's such a thing???). Friendly people who like to chat and are full of compliments, comments or questions. Lots of smiles and reactions about my bags. There's nothing quite like the satisfaction of someone becoming overwhelmed (in a good way like OMG I love them all I need them NOW!) at my table. That's why I do it. Even if it doesn't lead to a purchase- that's what it's about...seeing people get me and get my work. So I guess my whole point is that I really like doing shows. And I got a rejection letter from a show that I applied to once before. AND I was going to combo it with a little road trip to visit my sister b/c it's kinda near her house. I'll still go visit my sister and have lots of fun. And I'll still keep applying to that same show and many others. It's not the first rejection and it certainly won't be the last. All these disappointments-they make us stronger. At least that's what I tell myself and I think it works :)

sunny day!

2010-03-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

It's Saturday, my FAVORITE day of the week. It's the day where I get to immerse myself in whatever I want, which is pretty much always sewing. This Saturday is like most others- I have a bunch of bags pre-cut ready to go. Except today is actually SUNNY. All you Pittsburgers know that it hasn't been sunny in a r -e- a- l -l- y long time. I'm sure it's glimpsed out here and there but I work in a building designed to keep the sun out so I wouldn't know. So today is especially exciting and I woke up feeling refreshed and full of motivation. I actually slept until 6:30 today. I usually wake up at 4:30 or 5. Guess I needed the sleep. It's supposed to be like 45 degrees out so I am going to wait and go running later today and I am going to wear shorts!! I just ate pancakes with bananas and honey and finished off the pot of coffee. The sun has me feeling fantastic. I hope this means it's almost spring!!

2010 HAS to be my year!

2010-01-22T13:57:00.000-08:00

**Please note: this is a unnecessarily long post w/ some cursing. Ok, it's my rant. Call it like it is, right?

I am trying to take all these crappy days at work and turn them into positive energy for my craft business. I don't know how much more I can take of this. I am so sick of depending on people that rarely come through in a positive light. And I swear they all know that my work ethic is 100 times what theirs is so it becomes this game.....
them: If I do a bad job Jill will fix it and make it right for the team.
me: I'm not gonna fix it. I coached them through it. SURELY they just don't understand. I will talk to them.
them:I never get in trouble for doing a crappy job. Someone will fix it if I leave it long enough. I'll just play dumb.
me: I can't believe they are that freaking stupid! Someone needs to fix this. Who I get to fix this?
them: It's 5 o'clock. Time to go home.
old me: do the right thing. get it fixed so the team doesn't look bad.
new me: suck it. drag yourself down. i don't care about the team anymore.

Really????? It kills me not to be as close to perfect as I can be. Can I walk away from it? I have to or I am going to be insane. I may already be since I just did that little dialogue!!

Ok, so back to my point. I am going to fuel this energy into pure productivity in my shop. I am going to crank out bags like crazy. Exhibit A: Monday REALLY sucked. Came home, didn't need to run b/c I ran long on Sunday. So I coordinated fabric and cut out 5 new bags. Interfacing and everything! Tuesday was a bit better. Ran 4 miles. Made a bag. Wednesday was ok. Made a bag. Thursday was almost Friday= good mood. Ran 6 miles and made a bag.

That brings me to today. FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Work absolutely sucked on so many levels. Can't even describe it. And my desk still has the pile of papers that usually get sorted on Friday afternoon. Not what I want to see Monday AM. But WHATEVER. Went to the craft store. Bought too much fabric....is that even possible??? My super nice boss (for real, I know I was just bitching about work, but not her!) gave me oodles of craft supplies she didn't want. So nice! So I sorted that and now I am going to be a shut in all weekend. All about crafts, sewing and maybe running. But mostly sewing. I need to tell myself THIS is the answer. I don't know when the official day will come that I can finally do just this but man- I will jump up and down and scream from the top of my lungs and be on cloud nine. The most satisfying thing will be if there is wasted energy it is only my fault. If something is wrong, I will fix it. If I need something I will get it. No one to depend on or disappoint but myself. And I think that would be AMAZING!!!!

Yes, Virginia, Bazaar Bizarre ROCKS!

2009-12-15T15:14:00.000-08:00

I went to Cleveland not knowing what to expect from my first time at Baz Biz. Well, let's just put it this way- it was my best show ever!!!!!! The people of Cleveland were loving the jilsy bags. Grand total of 24 bags, 1 collage artwork, 5 coasters and 2 pouches sold. The best ever. Saturday was crazy!!! Note to self: make more bags for next years show. My table was looking pretty light Sunday morning so I had to do some rearranging. (left pic is day 1, right is start of day 2) The space was great, plenty of room to move around. And I had a Pittsburgh neighbor across the aisle so that helped w/ bathroom breaks, etc. Thanks Lindsey and Nicole from Huffalo!! They also had the food vendor coming around to take orders which was pretty cool.
Feeling very, very tired now. Need to sew bags for holiday gifts now. Need to clean. Need to run. Need to get in the holiday spirit. Need to nap.

Cleveland!!!!

2009-12-10T17:04:00.000-08:00

ok, I guess I am not a good blogger but that could be b/c I am so busy sewing, sewing and sewing!! oh, and working and running and sometimes cooking, and sometimes even less cleaning. Yeah, I need to get my house in order. After this show. This weekend is Bazaar Bizarre in Cleveland. I am super excited!!! It's my first bigger show and a juried show. So they like me, really! And the bonus of all this is that I used to live in Cleveland so I get to visit some of my peeps! Good old visual buddies who have the BEST sense of humor. Sick, twisted humor that I so enjoy. We laugh so hard that our sides split and I hope I don't pee my pants. That's true friendship for you. Last time we all went out it was like everyone else in the restaraunt disappeared and we were definetly that annoying group that people did not want to be seated next to. My friend Joey even fell off his chair while acting out a story. That was the best!

So, back to crafting- hope this weekend goes well b/c come Monday morning at work when I feel exhausted from travel and smiling so much that my cheeks hurt, I want to feel successful. I want to say to myself that there are jilsy bags under people's holiday trees. I want the gift giver to be siked to be giving the gift of handmade b/c it spoke to them that it so truly fit that person's personality. This year, I want my bags to be part of that!

Maybe focusing on those happy thoughts will make visions of sugarplums dance in my head. Maybe that will make all the fake ass kissing at my day job not count for just a minute. And maybe, just maybe, next time some d-bag freaks out b/c we only have size small red sweaters left and their husband needs an XXL, maybe I won't want to punch them in the face. See all the good jilsy bags can bring????

It's not glamorous, but it's my Studio

2009-11-01T10:24:00.000-08:00

I finally took the time to reorganize my studio!! I have been meaning to do it for weeks and it finally got done. It used to be half for painting and half sewing and obviously I have been sewing way more so it was time to rethink the space. Fabric was constantly spilling over onto my painting table and the whole sharing one table for cutting and sewing was driving me crazy. I thought I may half to take over a third room in the house and was like ok, this is ridiculous! So, I did a floor move, as us retailers call it when we move all the fixtures and such around, and wallah! Clean (for now) and adequate work space!

Some new bags

2009-10-29T13:33:00.001-07:00

I am such a procrastinator when it comes to taking pictures of my new bags. It's gotta be just right, ya know. Right lighting, right angle, the right motivation. I have a bunch sewen but here's a couple to preview before they get added to my etsy shop.

SAD

2009-10-24T12:07:00.000-07:00

This is a sad post. I need to share this even though it is not about craftiness. I have just returned from Dayton, OH. My 5 year old nephew passed away this past Sunday, October 18th. Unfortunately I have had my share of death in my life. When I was 7 my father died. The deaths of all 4 grandparents eventually followed. But I never imagined that I would ever experience the loss of a child in my immediate family. So pure and innocent, he was taken too soon. My sister and her husband and my 7 year old niece, and all of our family, have a long road to go. We will never get through it or over it but instead just learn to live with a hole in our hearts. I am not a religious person but listening to the pastor speak of hope and that there is no answer to why made me stop and think. I am trying not to be angry with God for the suffering that I have witnessed this past week. And I do not usually have faith in people but this week I have seen an outpouring of support from people that do not even know my sister and her family. It makes me think twice about being so judgmental. Every day is precious. Live with gusto. Say a prayer and be kind.

Road Trip

2009-10-06T02:44:00.000-07:00

I am off to NC to visit my Mom. She is in the hospital and soon to be recovering from surgery. My Hello Kitty Machine is packed and ready to go! It's kinda weird....yesterday she was sick as a dog, in the hospital for the 2nd time. And then I decided to go take care of her this week and now she's all cloud nine. I think there is something to be said for the power of happiness to heal. Who knows, maybe I'm being super corny. In the past few years she moved away from her family and her cats have become her babies. I'm not talking crazy cat lady but definetly empty nest syndrome. She doesn't know I'm totally bringing my sweatshop to set up on her kitchen table. I'm sure she will get a good laugh out of it! Here's to good health and 7 hour drives...uhhhh.

New things on the horizon

2009-10-04T15:05:00.000-07:00

I am very excited to tell you that I am taking on 2 new opportunities! I will be having my bags in 2 stores starting this month. One is at Wildcard in Lawrenceville and the other is at So Me in Glenshaw. I am really happy about partnering with Rebecca and Amy to help get my stuff out there. Hopefully this will lead to more good things this holiday season!!
On the show front I will be participating in the I Made It Market Jr. at the Pittsburgh Children's Museum on Nov.22nd, and Bazaar Bizarre in Cleveland on December 12th and 13th. I have other applications in so I will keep you posted.
I made my plan to have lots of bags by then, taking the holidays into consideration and thinking grande sales, and let me tell you I am going to be crazy busy!!

NYC I HEART YOU!

2009-09-28T16:22:00.000-07:00

Got back from NYC on Friday night. Had a fantastic time. I was surprised how much fun I had just wandering through the city by myself. Chris had to work so I was solo. The whole reason I even went w/ him was because he got me tickets to see the Yeah Yeah Yeahs for my bday. It was a total happy coincidence that it was at the same time he had to go for work- BONUS- the hotel and his plane ticket were paid for! The concert rocked- Karen O was at her finest and it was all glittery with confetti and huge beach balls shaped like eyeballs were thrown around.

Thursday I shopped for fabric and found my new favorite fabric store- The City Quilter! It's on 25th between 6th and 7th and I will totally be back! Too bad it's not in the 'Burgh :( Got some kick ass fabrics from there and a few other places on 39th & 40th. Went into some creepy weird places too that made me laugh to myself. Visited Mood and was nearing fabric overload which I never thought I'd get. I do love museums though and I get artwork overload.

Speaking of, I had a few hours to kill after lunch with my best friend from college, who works at the new Armani store on 5th and it has a really cool staircase going through it so you should go see it, (ok I'll stop w/ the backstory) so I went to the MOMA. I LOVE the MOMA!! I went straight to the painting galleries and visited the Robert Rauschenberg pieces and my dear old friend Jasper Johns. RR inpsires me and it so kills me that this amazing art creating all took place in the 50s and 60s. It really blows my mind!!! Then I sat in Bryant Park and dreamed about the fashion tents. Did I mention I am obsessed with Project Runway? Saw my brother for dinner at The Modern which coincidently overlooks the MOMA sculpture garden. Ate WAY too much but had a fantastic time.

Another backstory is that Chris and I got engaged at the MOMA back in 2001. I loved it before that but come on.....he did good! So, yes, this trip made me realize how much I really heart NYC!! P.S. I also heart running in Central Park. In the fall. Can I say amazing one more time???

6:06pm

2009-08-24T13:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I entered into my 34th year. Except it didn't feel all that eventful. But I did go into it sewing. Unintentionally actually. I was working on my new table cover for upcoming shows and it was just me and my HK sewing machine. (Chris was out getting the yumminess for dinner.) And when I realized it was officially my b-day I was like maybe this means something...maybe this is a good luck thing or something. Maybe it wasn't. I just had one of those philosophical moments. I'm trying not to have those because it just ends up driving me crazy but it's hard not to reflect on that sort of thing on your b-day. I just kept thinking about where I am in my life and what I hope to get out of it. Happy on the personal side, but dreaming on the artistic side. I just keep pushing forward and I guess that's all I can do!

P.S. Chris baked me my favorite cake in the world- Kentucky Butter Cake! It's AMAZING and full of lard that has now gone to my thighs but oh it's so worth it!! And he hates to bake so I think that means he loves me :)

Bad Blogger

2009-08-20T04:52:00.000-07:00

ok, so I'm a bad blogger. There, I said it. It's been almost a month since I last wrote. I've had intentions and thoughts but never took the time. I guess this is the thought process people must have about exercise....
So, I'm on vacation this week from my "real?" job. The job that pays the bills, I mean. So I have been practicing being a full time crafter. Sort of. My husband is off work too so we have done some Pittsburgh exploring as well. Today we are going to the Mattress Factory-hooray!! It's been awhile since we've been there so I'm excited. Anyways- back to the crafting. I have been sewing lots, working on new patterns. I ordered kraft shopping bags for my upcoming shows so now I'm going to design a stencil with my logo or find some way to bling them up a bit. For some reason I could only find small kraft bags to buy in stores so I had to order them online. In a case of 250. Guess they will last me awhile. Or maybe I will have some blow out shows this fall/ winter. *here's hoping!!* I still need to make a proper tablecover. I have been using pinned together canvas and it's fine but it's tedious to put together. And I bought the canvas for painting so maybe i should use it. I need to make more of those little vintage paper and fabric collages! I sold the first 2 that I made so I guess they are a thumbs up.
Hmmm....what else have I done? I have also found myself cooking dinner and kind of enjoying it. Traditionally, I hate to cook. I came to the conclusion awhile ago that I only hate to cook because I don't have enough time. So, when I chopping onions I just keep thinking hurry up so you can finish and go sew! And this week, not so much. Chris said I'm treating him like a king with the whole cooking thing. Maybe because it's something other than tacos or grilled cheese. So, i've discovered 1. I can cook and 2. I can enjoy it. Back to the craft side of things- I have forever been saying that my pics on Etsy kinda suck. So I made a backdrop out of foreign newspapers and vintage cookbook pages. Then I put up a crystal knob. I am using the riser from my table set up too. I'm about half way done updating the pics and I think I like it. I can't do it all in one sitting- that's my way of working. Doing like 5 things at once. I have to finish it this week and I will. My shop is looking better (to me) already.
So, super busy, super long post to catch up. Maybe I'll get crazy and write again tomorrow!

Refreshed

2009-07-21T13:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, it's been over a week since the SSW show but I am feeling fully refreshed and ready to get back in the saddle again. I ended up selling 24 bags, a fabric collage, and some notecards. I missed my goal but it's ok. I think it was still pretty good! I took all last week off from sewing to get ready for family coming into town. Yes, my house was seriously that dirty!! I cleaned from top to bottom and even finally got our treadmill out of an extra room so I could turn it into a second guest room/ hang out room for us. I feel like our house is finally in order. As much as it can be anyways...I am constantly decorating and reorganizing. We've been here 3 years still have artwork leaning against walls. I need to know I can live with it there before I hang it. Silly, I know.
I am looking forward to a do anything I feel like kind of weekend. I have a PCC meeting on Sunday but other than that it's wide open and that feels great. Not sure if I will sew anything but I'm thinking yea, probably. The ladies at the fabric store probably think I'm dead or something...I haven't been there in 2 weeks! I usually need something and HAVE to use my coupon. Speaking of, I think I need to browse online a bit. That will be sure to inspire me!

SSW Show

2009-07-12T08:50:00.000-07:00

I'm going on Day #3 at the SSW Exposed Artists Market/ I Made It Market. So far I have sold 17 bags, 1 collage and 2 notecards. I'm hoping to sell LOTS more today. My goal was to sell 30 bags...will it happen???? I think the weather kept people away yesterday. It was kinda freaky having to run to the corners of the tent to make sure it didn't blow away- LITERALLY.
Even though it was a bit slow the people watching was still at an all time high. I kept thinking "Where are all these girls going in their FM pumps and glitter dresses?" I even saw some throw back hot shorts complete with butt cheek action. Hmmmmm......

65 BAGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-07-08T18:41:00.000-07:00

I just met my goal.....I have 65 bags ready for the show on Friday!

WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously, I may fall over. I started a new addiction to fresh iced tea the last few days and that helped me through it. Also had to cut out the working out portion of my day. I'll get back on track next week. I was thinking of running a fall marathon but I don't think my energy can go into both jilsy designs and running. Maybe a spring one. The training takes up so much time. Oh yea, I didn't mention yet that I'm also a distance runner. I'll obsess about that in a different post. For now I'm so friggin excited that I just finished that 65th bag. Now I have tomorrow night for all my final show prep- price tags, etc. I may even have time to surprise Chris and cook dinner for him.

Time for bed...tomorrow is an early day. The alarm is going off at 4:30.

Mercy Sakes Alive!!!

2009-06-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

I am busy getting ready for my 4th craft show. This one is 3 days long, not just 4 hours like the previous shows. So, basically I have been busting out more product than I ever have. My days go like this: work day job, work out, craft in my sweatshop (yay), eat, sleep....and try to not let my house get too dirty in between. My husband, Chris, has been super supportive and cooks dinner pretty much every night. Ahhh love! My goal is aggressive- to have 65 bags made, 70 would be better. I usually have about 30 for the other shows. I feel like this is whole new test though...this show will get more exposure to people who may not usually seek out craft shows. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for success. Then I need to get serious about book keeping and more official business doings.

To Dos, To Dos....mercy sakes alive!!

**Quick backstory- my friend Mel and I like to pretend we're from the south...we're pretty good at our accents. People totally believe us! Anyways, that's what we exclaim instead of OMG when we're playing our southern game. **

Making it official

2009-06-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

This week has been full of many "official" jilsy business decisions. I had a craft show (give a shout out to the I Made It Market) on Sunday and numerous people kept asking me if I took credit cards. And I was like no, just online. I mean that's serious business and this was only my 3rd craft show ever! I don't even have a money apron, or even a tent yet. It's just a hobby....really....never mind that I'm OBSESSED with daydreams of being on Etsy's Quit Your Day Job Feature. Anyways, the customers that didn't have cash all said yea, we'll visit your Etsy shop and get the bag then. Nothing-no action-although I'm thankful for a sale to Annie in Iowa this week!! I'm up to 12 sales on Etsy- look out world! So, I took the time and made jilsy designs an official business and signed up for credit card processing. All of a sudden it's a real business. With no business plan....yea, that's on list of to dos. I need to have all this stuff done so when my Oprah moment comes and my sales go through the roof I'm ready to tell my day job adios. Ahhhhh dreams.

No More Time Clocks

2009-06-04T18:39:00.000-07:00

My name is Jill, AKA jilsy, and I've decided to start this blog so I can document my quest to be an indie artist. I should clarify...earn enough money selling crafty items that I make so I go to bed feeling good about myself. Ya know, no more workin for the man. I'm talking work like mad but have the freedom to take a nap after lunch if that's what needs to be done. So, here's the deal- I am not giving myself a timeline, just that one long term goal. And if that goal feels like it wants to present itself sooner rather than later, well then life would be sweeter than a cherry pie.