HUGE announcement today! You can now purchase handmade goodies from my little labor of love, Babushka Designs, at Reinvintage located in the Bernal Heights neighborhood of San Francisco! Really exciting. Tracy (the shop owner) has a great collection of vintage clothing, shoes and accessories, as well as handmade items by local crafters, including…

… Late to the Revolution! (Visit their Etsy shop HERE) Aren’t those earrings awesome? For more info about Reinvintage, visit el website: http://reinvintagesf.com/

Getting “real” hang tags printed has been in the back of my mind for a week or so now but I’ve been too busy to design and get them printed. So instead, I just took some business cards I made a while back to promote my shop, crocheted a flower, sewed a vintage button on (I got a box of them from the Long Beach Antique Market for $6! Bargain) and, voila! Not only is it a hang tag, but it’s also a key chain. (Raise the roof).

Ok, I should probably get out of my pajamas now.

As you may be aware, the holidays are quickly approaching and the SF Etsy Team is here to make your holiday shopping a little easier (and revolutionary, and meaningful, and just awesome overall). Support your local crafters/artists/designers by buying handmade this year.

Now through January 5th, the San Francisco Bay Area Team (which I am proudly a part of) is holding a massive sale. The team members have tagged their sale items with the word “SFholiday” so that it will be easy for y’all to find them. Click here or above to shop all items in the sale, or click HERE to take advantage of the Babushka Designs sale for SFholiday: Buy 2 items get 1 of equal or lesser value for FREE. Hop on it, kids.

This DIY costume is a little more Sandra Lee than Martha Stewart in that it’s semi-homemade. I’ve been a little obsessed with Hello Kitty lately… wait… LIES… I’ve been obsessed with Hello Kitty ever since the day my mom pushed my stroller into the Sanrio store at the Montebello Mall in the 1980s. Recently I’ve embraced my obsession, in what some would call a semi-obnoxious way. Halloween definitely gave me an excuse to exploit my love for this timeless icon.

I started by designing my outfit in my mind. I didn’t want to do as most twenty-something gals do and go as a “sexy” Hello Kitty, but I wanted it to be an outfit that was somewhat stylish. I decided that Forever 21 would most likely have everything I needed on the cheap, so I went, I found, I think I conquered. Exhibit All (above). As you can see I found everything, but had plans for the headpiece (cue, the yarn and crochet hook).

With some leftover yarn and a headband that I purchased for $1.50 at Forever 21 I made this bad boy. So, as you saw in the very first photo, it worked out! Oh, and by the way, I am posing next to the pumpkin that my department decorated for our contest at work. Can we say, ‘twinsies’? I think ‘nerd alert’ would also be appropriate.

And that’s all folks! Oh, wait, also, the mister made this bad-ass dino hoodie. Also semi-homemade (from American Apparel, but he made the spikes out of felt and batting and sewed them on). Talented, yes? I was impressed. I hope everyone had a great Halloween!

Happy Columbus Day! To those of you who get to spend today away from work, can I get a ‘HELL YEAH’! To those of you who did not get the day off, my heart cries for you. Not really. But in good news, you still have time to enter for the chance to win a pair of my Orange and Beige Little House slippers in the Warm Toes Giveaway over at I Go By Katie. Check it out!

This weekend was filled with lots of BBQ chicken and carne asada, visiting with family and friends, and working on my tan (even though I am quite content with my pastiness). Alas, it was a great weekend. My brain is healthy with social vitamin goodness – which is nice, since I usually spend the bulk of my time in front of the computer, or sewing machine, in my own little world.

Photo credit: Heart of Light

So, for this Upcycle Sunday, I share with you a great tutorial I stumbled upon via Twitter. GOD I LOVE TWITTER. I tried explaining the purpose of Twitter to my uncle today and realized that it is quite difficult to express how powerful it is as a Social Media tool. He just didn’t get it. And that’s fine! I’m not a hater. Anyway! This Ruffly Headband tutorial was written by Rachel over at Heart of Light. This headband is on my to-make list for this week. I’m going to use fabric from old ratty t-shirts for this project. In addition, I really want to make a maxi dress this week, something like this:

Photo credit: Urban Outfitters, Ecote Abstract Stripe Chiffon Maxi

It looks soooo comfortable. Me likey. I’ll post what I come up with. I hope everyone had a lovely weekend!

]]> http://artsblog.tatianajimenez.com/crafts/you-came-in-with-the-breeze-on-sunday-morning/feed/ 3 http://artsblog.tatianajimenez.com/crafts/if-you-look-the-right-way-you-can-see-that-the-whole-world-is-a-garden/ http://artsblog.tatianajimenez.com/crafts/if-you-look-the-right-way-you-can-see-that-the-whole-world-is-a-garden/#comments Thu, 28 May 2009 17:02:37 +0000 tatiana http://artsblog.tatianajimenez.com/?p=407 I have been meaning to buy a new sketchbook. I always keep one in my purse in the event that I need to jot something down or sketch a quick idea. My current 5.5″ x 8″ Pro Art black spiral sketchbook is slowly running out of pages, so it’s time to move on. (*tear) You’ve treated me well little sketchbook!

So, today I bought this from Jaime’s fabulous Etsy shop Sparkles and Sticks:

I can’t wait to get it! It’s a nice new blank-paged Molskine notebook perfect for summer doodling. And I love how Jaime’s design was inspired by Frances Hodgson Burnett‘s The Secret Garden. I remember reading both The Secret Garden and A Little Princess as a young girl, and I think I might read them again. It’s always neat re-reading the books I’ve read, in this case, over a decade ago. I like finding new ways to appreciate them, and sometimes finding new nuances and underlying meanings.

First of all, remember a long time ago when I wrote about Burda Style? And how awesome I thought they were because they provided open source patterns? Well, yesterday I received an email from them, as I usually do since I am on their mailing list, and I see this lovely pattern:

Unfortunately, you have to purchase it. Now, I’m all for paying for patterns. That’s fine. But when you advertise your company as “Open Source Sewing,” I feel that it is misleading to do so and charge for a pattern. The term “Open Source” derives from the free software movement, so the implications of this term are “FREE.” I mean, $3.50 is a bargain compared to some of the patterns out there for $18.95, but that is besides the point. I just feel a bit disappointed.

In other news, for all of you embroiderers out there, this fine lady (who’s blog is AMAZING, by the way) has uploaded a free embroidery pattern. And it’s super cute! I might actually try it myself… we’ll see what happens.

Moving on. Last night I got home and while going through my junkmail I found an advertisement for THIS. I think god loves me this month. Either that or Elvis Crespo was reading my mind and knew that I have ALWAYS wanted to see him live. SUAVE!

This is seriously the cheesiest music video, probably of all time. You gotta love the costume changes. I like to call it “The many faces of Crespo.”

Lastly, I recently joined Indiepublic. So far I’m digging it. It’s a nice way to network with other independent crafters, artists and designers all over the world. And everyone is super friendly! I spent about an hour on their site the other day and became really inspired and excited about adding more items to my etsy shop. Good stuff.

Alright kiddies! That concludes my Topsy Turvy post. Don’t forget to check out KUCI Nights at the Yost Theater this Thursday! Only $8! It’s a bargain to experience some new music. I’ll also be HERE on Friday. Yay Lykke Li! I’ve never seen her live, nor have I been to the Hollywood Forever Cemetary. Should be fun. I’ll try to take blog-worthy pics for you beauties!

It’s true. Knitting is not for the impatient. But I (and many others) have found hats to be a great project when you want to accomplish something quickly. Also, with the warmer weather, hats can still be worn without making the wearer look as silly as someone who may sport a chunky scarf in 75 degree weather. Anyway, here are some of the hats I’ve made recently!

I found the pattern for the hat above on Ravelry, although I can’t seem to find the pattern anymore. Anyway, do sign up for ravelry if you’re down with the “open source” knitting world. It’s a fantastic site with lots and lots of patterns all for free.

I couldn’t get my sister to stop laughing when I was trying to photograph her in this hat.

This hat was made during my trip to Chicago. You can say I was a knittin’ fool. I knit in the airport, on the plane, etc. Anytime I had downtime I was knitting. Hey! It was my vacation. Anything goes. I like knitting on trips because then I have those memories associated with my projects.

Speaking of knitting on trips, this past weekend I made a quick visit to San Francisco. Ahhhh, love. I went to the Urban Knitting Studio to check out their selection. What a great shop! The owner was really helpful and friendly. I picked up some white and gray wool and some bamboo double pointed needles. Yes… I am making another hat.