Hoosier Artisan Holiday Boutique

I'm participating in my first craft show this weekend! The 2009 Hoosier Artisan Holiday Boutique is being hosted by the INCrowd Team: a collective of Indiana Artists and Shopkeepers on Etsy.com.

The event is Saturday, October 17, from 10am - 3:30pm and benefits the Indiana Chapter of March of Dimes. If you are going to be in the Indianapolis area this weekend, stop by and see fine arts and crafts from 50 Indiana artisans.

I'm really looking forward to meeting fellow Etsy artists and crafters and taking part in this event. I'll tell you more about it next week.

Craft Show Work

I'm busy this week getting ready for my first craft show, the Hoosier Artisan Holiday Boutique!

I've made tags using some business cards. And I've made hand-stamped cards for my flower brooches.

I have my new sign to hang on my booth table. And I'm prepared to accept credit cards at the show. I did a practice set-up of my booth so I know that it won't take long to set up on site.

I think I'm ready!

Featured from the Etsy Bloggers Team : : Made by Melissa

The Featured Blogger, from the Etsy Bloggers Team, for the month of October is Made by Melissa! Melissa has an Etsy shop full of an ecclectic mix of jewelry, beautiful crocheted items, toys and accessories. Here are a few of my favorites from her shop.

I love beads, so this mega long beaded necklace, made from an assortment of crystal, glass, shell and ceramic beads caught my eye.

This colorful scarf was crocheted from recycled silk yarn.

And Melissa has a great assortment of cute crocheted plush toys, like this pink elephant.

All these items, and many more, are available in Melissa's Etsy shop, MadebyMelissa.

And of course, being a member of the Etsy Bloggers Team, Melissa has a lovely blog of her own. On her blog, Made by Melissa, she blogs about her craft, giveaways and fellow Etsy artists. Be sure to stop by and say hello!

Natural Decor Part 1 - Pressed Autumn Leaves

Collect, then press, a variety of colorful autumn leaves to use for crafts and home decor.

Whether you go for a hike through the woods, or just take a stroll around the neighborhood, this time of year it should be easy to find plenty of fire hued leaves.

Pressed leaves can be used to make cards, as table top decorations, or framed and placed on a shelf or mantel.

To press leaves, space them out between layers of newspaper or between the pages of a phone book, and weight with a stack of books. They should be dry in 3-4 days.

Once the leaves are pressed, you can iron them between two pieces of waxed paper to enhance the color. (Be sure to use a pressing cloth so that you don't get wax from the paper on your iron.)

My first leaves are pressed and ready to use. Next week I'll share what I made with the leaves I've collected.

the Black Cat Comes Again!

Ready for Halloween. . . the Black Cat Comes Again is a great Treasury West full of recycled/upcycled spooky felines, choosen by shannonbatescreates.

Since it's a Treasury West, check it out before it's gone!