Another Dream... Graphic Illustrator

I am nervous again, but this is what I've always wanted to do- be known for my products and sell my designs! Whether it was fashion, graphic design, or illustration. I do best with full creative freedom and have others buy my work. I can't really deal with picky clients or unhappy people. These make me genuinely happy so I know whoever buys them will be too because they're picking me. Anyway, I found this ad through facebook and fell in love with boygirlparty.com! The artist is spectacular and strikes an emotional cord with me 100%! Too bad I don't need anything.

http://www.boygirlparty.com/shoppe/index.html

Dream: To be a self sufficient, freelance artist that can sell her products and designs with little to no hassle.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/boygirlparty?page=4

I love the "University Feel"- Farmer's Market!

I was strolling through UWF campus today and have been sad about missing the Farmer's Market even though I didn't know when it was, I just knew I would miss it. Lo and behold, the Market was right in front of my eyes! It was rather small, but that's ok. I bought some organic(probably mislabeled, most likely just locally grown) eggplants for 2.50 and the farmer dropped a raddish root in my bag as a gift. How sah-weet! Walking by the vendors, I noticed something crazily familiar- xoElle from etsy.com was there! I felt slightly star struck and wanted to talk to her for hours but didn't. I liked that there was a fellow Etsian in my presence who has had a little bit of publicitiy. Anywho, I didn't buy anything but remember blogging about her in my wedding blog when I had considered making bow ties for my groomsmen.

http://www.pensacolamarkets.com/index.html

Apparantly these farmers and artisans have been participating in the Port City Market. Now I want to join! It's every Saturday from 8am to 2pm which is perfect for my schedule at Tokyo. Albeit early, I love these little things. The rent is $15/day which kind of discourages me, but at the same time, you can't have the Willy Nilly from next door selling their junk. Anywho, once I'm back from my honeymoon, you bet I'll be tapping into that. For the time being, I don't think I'll be creating my local market since there is one at the moment. Plus, it'll give me an opportunity to learn a little bit and organize my thoughts. I love organizing events, I'm just a little frazzled by it.

Dream Job

While helping my friend Hanh look up jobs, I stumbled across a craigslist posting for Anthropologie as a Display Coordinator in B'ham. Oh. My. Goodness. I almost died! My dream job would be to utilize my creativity in an environment that shares the same aesthetics as mine, particularly Anthropologie. It doesn't have to be so limiting as being a graphic designer. Ideally, I would get paid for my ideas and happiness while still maintaining a lucid lifestyle. I know, you're thinking, not possible. But I have the drive and these posts just sparked another fire in me. I always wanted a little store that I could just deck out in this fashion. Of course, working for a big company like Urban Outfitters seems almost contradictory to their targeted market of rich, indie, Anthropologie-goers. Whatever, they do a fantastic marketing job. I even took a free bag that they put purchases in as a souvenier. What?! They were going to give me one once I bought something from there anyway!

Organizing Ideas

Google Analytics

etsy technology help

This is just what popped into my head:
- use Etsy's Team resource to gather up folks
- use Facebook's handmade lovers group/fans
- 1st time sellers pay $25-30 for having their booth there for 2 days.

Craft Fair Bazaar Inspiration

I was reading Little Clouds blog from HK and she mentioned something about participating in a "Living Room Craft Fair"- the name itself is genius! Got me thinking- new project after wedding? AND use Festival on the Green to recruit people- then I read how to start your own craft fair. One of them had a craft thing once a month so that provided year-round buying goodness. If I did something like that, it would require a lot of planning but already the people I know who are good at it: Carry, Me, Danielle J. Have Melissa D. do the music planning/ event.

Handmade Bazaar.org/


I'm not sure what I would sell yet- I first need to build my inventory up for next year's FOG. Pillows again? Stationary? Intricate cut out? Whimsical? Inspired by Elsita? Handmade bags? A funky, bright, line? Or a hippie, earthy, brown line? I like the idea of the space either being a hip, downtown urban scene (too obvious?) or a calm, blank warehouse type space. Could hold it during Gallery Night sometimes.

Bow Tie DIY

How to make a bow tie out of an old scarf- loves it!! From ThreadBangers.com

blog with cute pic

love love love love.... this was by far my favorite pillow of the festival and I gave it away.

Pictures!

Some pics from FOG!!



Holy crap Laura bought 4 Phuglies and like 6 Fringe w/Benefits!!!

RAWR

The shopping bags I sewed for purchase of a Phuglie- otherwise they are $5 a piece which someone bought oddly enough!

Setting up

3rd place!!

Wow! My first arts & crafts festival and I won 3rd place in the Crafters category! They said they were impressed by the creativity, craftsmanship, and booth display. How nice considering how poor I am as a full time college student- I guess in the end all I've got is creativity to stretch my resources. NOT BAD!

These are some thank you cards i made to sell at the fair.

above are the posters I designed and printed.

Freak out..

Wow... 3 days until FOG.

Things I need to do:
- set up table to see what the display will look like
- paint signs
- get quirky
- print tags tonight (business card info on other side)
- print postcards
- print cards to sell

- print self-promo/about me stuffs
___attach hemp/weave thing to make pretty
- punch holes and attach tags
- make simple canvas bags b/c I can't afford to buy paper ones
- go to woodshop Thurs morning to cut out plywood

___paint sign!!

-update angrybunni.etsy.com

GET AN EFFIN UMBRELLA/TENT!!

16 days left

Ok, well, seeing all my sketches I wouldn't have believed what I was sewing was congruent to the pictures. I tried making a CAT and a RABBIT and instead of cute and cuddly I got freaky odd monsters. Oh well, there should be a market for that too. I just don't want to be "that female" doing "feminine" hobbies like sewing plushies for God's sake. At least they're a bit masculine in the fact that they're not all cute. Kind of freaky actually.

16 days until the festival!!!

Oh dear.

Plush Phuggies

I might change the name from Stuffed Phunnies to Plush Phugglies. I enjoy mixing "ff'in ugly" and "friends with benefits" to mean something completely opposite. tee hee.

Some references for me!

Fluffly Flowers article.

Fugly cute shop

redmarionette

These are some of my designs for FOG. The first picture was actually sketches made on a paper tablecloth when my friends and I were eating at a high-end Mexican restaurant named Paxia in Orlando, FL!

So my ex. roomie Rose decided to quit on me and never return my calls. I assume she won't be a part of the festival. Oh well, at least I get her fabric!! I prefer doing things alone anyway

F O G!!

Last Friday I got an e-mail regarding Rose's and my application to FOG... We got it!

I was really excited, now I have to think about tents and actually making the stuff. We'll see!

Pirrows (Asian for, ahem, pillows)

Fall 2006, I moved into my first apartment with my first real roommates, R & M. D. Ahnyways, I found out R was super creative and we made the first pillows of the apartment, which was a precursor for the many more to come. The one on the left was the first pillow I ever made and I ironed, pinned, and hand-sewed the love out of that thing. Then came the 2nd one on the right which I used discontinued fabric samples from where I worked at(an interior design firm). The 2nd one took literally 5 minutes to finish because by that time, R got a sewing machine for Xmas!!!

Fall 2008: I moved out of the apartment after 2 years and when I came to visit R, she had received a copius amount of amazing fabrics and fringe and zippers!! So flippin lucky!! So I went to town with this pillow: it's reversible.

Plush Phunnies!!

Given my crazed obsession wtih Domo-Kun(I made a boxed costume for Halloween, I have a T-Shirt, calendar, figurines, done art about him), I decided I needed a plush. However, I can't find him anywhere!! So I just used the leftover fabric from my DOMO costume and made a instantly gratifying stuffed Domo. My love. I added some fringe hair to make him even uglier because to me,

awkward = love.

Next to Domo is another Phunnie I wanted to make. When I was a child, I had this raggity-ann looking bunny that was grey, ugly, and amazing. I carried him everywhere. Anyway, I can't find him so I wanted to recreate the homey feel. I cut apart my pattern for a dress and handstiched almost everything. (same with the Domo plush). love it!!

Etsy Shop!

I finally created my Etsy shop! angrybunni.etsy.com ! Now I have something to showcase for.

Now for goals... hmmmmm

By each Sunday, I will have created something new to put in my shop.
Project 1: Headpiece for Terry. B&W

New Goals of 2009

I am extremely creative and have tons of energy. I wonder out loud about people who have all this potential, yet waste it. I can't have room to judge! It is 2009, the new year. I need to make my goals attainable and fullfilling as well. I love art but I am currently in love with sewing.

Weaknesses:
- not self motivated enough to finish long term goals
- easiliy distracted
- easily discouraged so I must ignore all criticism that is not constructive
- social butterfly
- let what others think of work very seriously

Strengths:
- works best isolated with the occasional eye opener, i.e. inspiration with friends, pretty things, etc.
- HAS the ability

thERefOre, me gOaLs should be what I had from last year: START SELLING SELLING SELLING!!!

1. contact Rose D.(old roomie) to see if she wants to collaborate with me at Festival on the Green at UWF.
- Rose will make pillows and sell her photography
- I will make random accessories (Totes, hair pieces, more pillows) and possibly sell my paintings.
- Mrs. D can sell her soaps and whatnot
- We will set it up Anthropologie/urban Outfitters Style!! Use Rose's Green chair, add some beautiful curtains, idea is WHIMSICAL!!

2. If that fails, sell on Etsy.

Lovely Blog and Head Piece designer

I've been in planning mode again and found some amazingly beautiful headpieces custom designed. This blog has pics of lovely things everywhere and within it, I found myrakim.