Saturday night's alright.

i hope everyone has had a terrific labor day weekend. mine has been busy yet relaxing at the same time. i was prescribed 'steroids' for a wasp sting on my foot (started saturday) and it has been giving me crazy energy. i'm hardly sleeping but that means more work is getting done...like blogging...but it's not really work, more like a hobby or a red headed step child i've been neglecting. don't worry though, as promised, i will become a better blogger. Lacey and i have decided to start Coast to Cote again after a long and overdue hiatus (YAY!) and i desperately need to get the shop back up again. in due time i keep telling myself.

anyway, our opening went really well Saturday night. i wanted to extend a thank you to everyone who came out to support us (even the ones there in spirit...those few know who they are!). Katie and i are very lucky to have such great friends/family. without further ado, here are some photos from "Things with Wings" opening night...

oh hai!

the show opens officially tomorrow ladies and gents. it will be at the Washington County Arts Council throughout the month of September and the opening reception is tomorrow evening from 6-9 pm. come out and support the super talented Keighty Crochet and yours truly!

and on another note, look at what my roommate got for me today!!



aren't these salt and pepper shakers adorable? and yes, i still love owls. always will.

anyway, please stop in at the show and say hello if you get the chance. it will be great!

hey hey! show's in two days!

we set up last Saturday (i took lots of preview photos, but my card malfunctioned). so here's an iPhone photo for you. please come out if you get the chance. see you then!

some bunny's been getting crafty.

i'm working on all reserves here guys. editing, working, and sewing...sewing?!?! yup, you heard right. i've got an art show coming up next Saturday (Sept 4th) and i'm rushing! here's a new piece i've working on...

it started as a fuzzball.



then it blossomed into this!

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!!

this Sunday is the second annual Handmade Mart in Silver Spring!!! i am an official vendor (ahem, duh!). i have lots of new things in the works so come by and say hello!!

here's the vendor map:



ps - sorry i've been MIA. i have a hard time saying no and i am drowning in work right now and getting ready for the HMM. i missed Foto Fun Friday, we will catch up either this week or next. be back later tomorrow for another post!

Artist Love

if you haven't heard of Danny Brito, you might want to listen up. Danny is an amazing illustrator based in Miami, Florida. his works are an explosion of colors.



Danny works with acrylics and colored pencils (my favorite) on brown paper...



...and he is also a plush maker! we both had works in Stitch Wars! what a small world. oh! and check out this adorable Bear plush tutorial!



add shoe designer on top of that too!



uh! i don't need to go into detials why i love his art so much. this guy is straight up versitile...and he even likes building forts!!!! check out his Flickr for more amazing works of art. and if you get so smitten with his work and that want to own one, you could visit his ETSY shop. Danny is also open for commissions through The Polariod Project.



heck yes! i can't wait till i get one for our new place! now i have to go find a decent photo of J and i. ah! i LOVE his work!

{all images via}

Rock me mama.

Rock n Shop was a success! i'm so glad to have been a part of it again for the second year. maybe next?


my blurry booth and my sales clerks. thanks guys!


this Chickadee came to visit! she was kind enough to help me set up (we were stuck in traffic and had only 15 minutes to set up before the show opened) and took home this lonely banjo.


BFF Sean impersonating a lump of coal. i'd say he did a pretty good job.


OH HAI! i got a quick chance to visit Oh Ginger even though her booth was on the other end of the floor. Meaghan and i met for the very first time at Rock n Shop last December and have been friends ever since! i'm so lucky!


look! Jennifer Cowham of The Sea Change was there too! i a big fan of her jewelry and have a mini collection going. this year, i moved too slow and some of my favorite pieces were sold before i could get them...but! i did get a cheese & camera necklace. it's so me!

anywho. thanks for coming out to support all of the artists. i loved seeing repeat customers (sorry if you had to remind me cause my memory sucks!) and making friends with new customers. much love for you all!

Foto Fun Friday

(isen't she just the cutest?!)

if you're wondering why Remy has a yarn pom pom on her head. it's because i'm actually working on a side project (slowly). i was reading the Bleubird blog (hearts, hearts, hearts!!!), and feel in love with the cuddly D.I.Y. pom pom wreath. i mean, look at it!! i just want to cuddle with it!!

(originally uploaded by bleubirdvintage.)

Ms. James made the tutorial SUPA easy!! so really, anyone could do it! i am working on it a little at a time (making the pom poms at the restaurant while we are slow)...so i should be done by Christmas...ok, ok, by Thanksgiving.

well, i hope everyone has a good Friday. i am feeling under the weather, AGAIN, so i'm am keeping myself medicated. it's going to be a busy weekend for me. tonight, J and i are treking down to Baltimore to see Dan Auerbach's solo show (frontman of the Black Keys). J is super stoked because he loves them ...he has been talking about this show forever! i am excited about his opening act Jessica Lea Mayfield. i hope i feel better by the time we get there. who wants to feel lousy during a show! i know i don't!!! Sunday, my cousin Kelly is coming over! and i am scheduled to have a photo shoot with my friend and her dogs. CUTE! i'm a little nervous because i've never had to deal with people and pets at the same time (except J and Remy, but they are easy).

my shedule is hectic right now with work (s), crafting (Handmade Holiday Shop-n-Stroll), and photography (totally taking off, i just booked another session for the following weekend, and i think i will be helping my favorite local photographer with her shoot the weekend after that! woo!), but i feel so blessed! i feel thankful for the support system that i have and the opportunities life has been throwing my way. tired and stressed or not, this is good for me. (sorry to get so mushy all of the sudden)

thanks to all!

have a great/safe weekend!

if you want some Pretties

hey y'all!!! the pieces i made for Plush You are now up for sale. take a minute to look them over and let me know what you think!! click here!

Day 2:

day 2 was incredible! J and i walked about three blocks to find Schmancy and met Kristen (the brain behind Plush You!). it's so nice to see things/meet people in real life instead of seeing them on your computer screen. Kristen recommended a place called the Crumpet Shop where we could get some yummy brunch so off we went. this place was a little hole in the wall, but adorable! i had never even heard of what a crumpet was, but after some convincing...mainly asking the guy behind the counter what it was (essentially a super scrumptious/buttery English muffin) ...i was sold and had mine with strawberry preserves and cream cheese. DANG! was it good!?!

(all the things you could put on your crumpets)

(i can't stop talking about them!! yum!)

afterward we walked down to Pioneer Square and checked out Occidental Park, which isn't really much of a park, but i'll take it.

(a wide view of the park, also referred to as a square)

the neighborhood was beautiful and the day was perfect for exploring. we checked out a couple of store fronts (like this place called the Mystery Book shop...we thought it was going to be some mystery about it...but it ended up just being a book store filled with mystery books...we were a little disappointed) and stopped at Elliot Bay Books that a couple of people had recommended (Becky!).

boy, i sure was glad we went in there, that place was amazing! we found a lot of quirky books and bought an autographed copy of The Wild Things by Dave Eggers. seriously, i could have lost myself for hours in this place! it was that amazing. we walked down to the waterfront and enjoyed the scenery...even went to Pier 70 to "see" the Real World house...how silly. we sat for a bit at Olympic Sculpture Park and headed to the hotel for a nice rest.

(the space needle gets a thumbs up)

(J and i enjoying the scenery on one of the piers)

i went back to Schmancy later that evening to help Kristen and her crew put the show together (where i mainly took boxes in/out of storage and tagged the plushies.) it was like Christmas! there were so many great plush and i totally was loving on them all! and it was so nice to see what the whole process was like. i met Shelly the super Schmancy Intern and a couple of other great folks. J even came back to help after a little while.

(Kristen Rask)


(Shelly and a piece from Licorice Tree)

we went over to the Moore Theatre, which was right next to Schmancy, to catch the Old Crow Medicine Show...um, show, that we had decided to go see earlier in the day. they are a talented bunch! the theatre was built in 1907 and is the oldest theatre in Seattle, so you could imagine what it kind of looks like...but well kept of course. the show was really fun, except for the up-down part (people, either stand up or sit down!) and J and i had a really good time. watching Old Crow made me a little home sick and reminded me of one of my favorite bands back home the Fox Hunt (sometimes they cover Old Crow songs).

(entertaining for sure!)

we stopped by this dive bar called the Night Lite (said to be one of the oldest bars in Seattle) since J was starving (he didn't want to eat his sandwich since it had shredded apples in it...i thought it was good) and actually met a couple of the guys from the band. NEAT!

we called it a night and headed back to the hotel where we met is 'business man' outside. he was totally into going out or going out with strangers and asked if we wanted to join him. he actually asked if we 'partied' and how hard we 'partied', so we bid him goodnight and walked rather fast towards the hotel entrance. not something you encounter everyday...anywho, i guess you would know the routine by now. more pics on the ol' Flickr.

day 3 adventures tomorrow!

PLUSH YOU, PLUSH YOU, PLUSH YOU, PLUSH YOU!

Plush You 2009- Info

Artist Reception: Friday, October 9th 5 - 10 pm

Schmancy
1932 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA, 98101
Fancy
1914 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA, 98101
Nancy
1932 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA, 98101

Artist Reception: Saturday, October 10th 5 - 10 pm

Bluebottle Art Gallery and Store
415 East Pine Street, Seattle, WA, 98122
The Anne Bonny
534 Summit Ave East, Seattle, WA, 98102

come out if you're in the area!

finally finished!!!

i don't know if i've mentioned a peep about what i'm making (just showing pictures)...but i'm making a "P" for an all plush, "Plush You" sign for the Bluebottle Art Gallery. i came up with a couple of ideas, but they all just didn't seem to work out...until i tried going simple. here's the finished letter:

does he look like a certain someone to you? minus the braces.

his hand stitched hat.

his sweet little face! the braces are my fave!!!

ok, so i totally had J in mind while making this (he has glasses, wears a black hat 24/7, and almost always wears a buttonup/plaid shirt). i didn't add any arms though because i didn't want to take away from the shape of the "P."

he's going to be overnighted to Seattle just in time for October!! Plush You, here he comes!

Fings interview for Plush You!

i tried not to sound too corny...but here's a link to my interview for Plush You! and the Bluebottle Art Gallery.

oh, Plush You!

(Queenie: Flapperus batticus)

(Lock Jaw John: Piratey batticus)

(Lord Batson: Vampirae batticus)

i know i might have shown you something different in an earlier post, but i decided to scrap those and these instead. i was really stressing to make something new and different for the show, but J gave me some good advice ("stick to something you know"), i did, and i am SUPER stoked on how they turned out.

these cuties (very hard to catch) will be hanging out at the Bluebottle Art Gallery for the Plush You opening there. i'm SO excited to be a part of such a great show (still screaming on the inside)...there will be four openings in two nights!!! i cannot wait!

hey y'all!!

check out my Q & A with Jessica from Ballston Arts & Crafts Market!! and be on the lookout for me and the FINGS at the square this Saturday! see you there!!

finally

tonight is my last 5 hour shift for Artomatic. i heard that the deconstruction (tonight) is a lot of manual work (last time, i thought that walking up and down 8 floors pushing a beverage cart was hard work!!)...lets just say i'll be real happy when it's all over. update REAL soon!

oh! and wish me luck!

Plush You

a little preview of some new plushies who will be traveling to Seattle in a week. aaaaah!

every week, J complains about his shirts missing buttons...above is a shot of the button monster. he sits in J's closet, waits till we go to sleep, then steal buttons from his shirts. now MY buttons are starting to go missing.

new owl...yea, i REALLY love owls.

look at that apple bottom.

so what do you think? exceptional? any suggestions?

parting is such sweet sorrow

have you ever made (or owned) something that just saddens you when you part?? last week i sold/ship off my robot head i had made for Artomatic (write up coming soon!) to a fellow artist, Peter E. Harper.

i made J take one last picture before i packed it off...despite the smile, i felt a little sad. this piece was one of my favorites! i spent hours at the local hardware store looking for the perfect parts to match my sketch. i know it's in a loving home now though...sigh.

Foto Fun Friday

Pinkypunk; Chewbacca, originally uploaded by Bear and Bird.

Stitch Wars starts tomorrow. Here's a sneak peek!!!

Pinkypunk's life size Chewbacca!!! i NEED it...bad!!

Stitch Wars!

Stitch Wars opens is Saturday at 7 pm at Bear & Bird Boutique/Gallery (i wish i lived close) and already it has gotten SO much press! what an honor to be a part of something like this! i mean, there are so many amazing artists involved...i feel star struck even talking about it.(i'm gonna get me one of these!)

(MAXIM??!!!! awesome)

(Miami News Times)

Amanda, you're doing a great job! the force is definitely with you.