Open for Business

Just wanted to post a little announcement that I’ve finally gotten off my butt and gotten my Sew Flippin Cool Etsy shop up and running. Yay! I’ve been selling kids clothes, accessories, and costumes around town and through the mail for the last year now, but just couldn’t seem to find the time to get my act together with Etsy. Done and done! Check it out and let me know what you think. Like I said, I’m new to this so feedback would be a blessing. Thanks!

P.S. Spread the word!

Spring Break Week – Things to Make, Bake, and Take

Spring break week is quickly approaching. Never fear! My Spring Break Round-up is here!

Things to Make
Prudent Baby’s beaded necklace

Perks

Just wanted to remind everyone that there ARE some perks to reading my blog – discounts! That was my favorite part of the job when I worked retail.

In appreciation for everyone’s kind words during his giveaway, Bill from House of Six Cats is offering a 20% discount if you shop before Christmas. Humble Luna, our current giveaway artist, is also offering 20% off to my readers.

All you have to do to, at both shops, is type “The Handmade Experiment” into the notes to seller before checking out and a 20% discount will be taken off the before shipping price and you’ll receive an updated invoice. Happy shopping and thanks for supporting Portland artists and handmade this holiday season!

HumbleLuna Giveaway

*comments closed

Fellow Portland Mama, Heidi, from Humble Luna, makes these adorable and durable costume tails that every and any kid would love. You may remember her from my Monday Must Have: Children’s Halloween Costumes post last month. Well now she’s offering up a Dragon Tail from her shop to one of you! How cool is that!?!

Heidi loves sewing and drawing. She started making children’s costumes 8 years ago when her daughter Sophie was born. (Isn’t it interesting how many of us start on our crazy crafting journeys when we have kids?) While designing costumes as an intern at the Portland Children’s Museum, Heidi came up with the idea for these Dragon Tails. They are a safe, easy to put on dress-up toy that also appeals to both boys and girls.

If you are local and would like to buy one of these great Dragon Tails check out Piccolina on 26th and SE Clinton or Plue on SE Woodstock and 44th. You can also find Humble Luna at Milagros‘ (5433 N.E.30th Ave) fundraiser for Mercy Corps. This Holiday Bazaar is on December 5th from 11am-3pm.

Everybody else can check out her etsy shop. Make sure to check back often! Heidi is planning on adding hand painted butterfly/fairy wings and other costume pieces soon. Just write The Handmade Experiment into the seller’s notes and receive a 20% discount!!

Now for the giveaway!

Just leave a comment here before Sunday the 6th, midnight PST. Tweet about this giveaway for another chance at winning, then leave me another comment letting me know. Remember to subscribe to my blog for upcoming giveaways. I’ll be having another one on Wednesday as part of the Sew, Mama, Sew December Giveaway Day! I’ll announce the winner on Monday the 7th. Good luck!

House of Six Cats Giveaway (Meow!)

*Comments are now closed.

The first time I mentioned House of Six Cats my family and I were headed on a mini vacation to the Oregon Coast. It seems fitting now that the second prize in my Giveaway Extravaganza is from this same shop and comes right after getting back from another little mini vacation, but this time it was to the Columbia Gorge at the base of Mount Adams. The Pacific Northwest is such a scenic locale and Bill, the artist behind House of Six Cats knows how best to frame that beauty.

After an absence of 1o years, Bill was inspired to pick up a camera again by the birth of his daughter Cyan in 2007. He and his family moved from New York to Portland, Oregon in 2008 and now he tries to find the unseen beauty and elegance in the ordinary and pedestrian. Besides making beautiful, functional art with his photography, he also runs the POE (Photographers of Etsy) Street Team.

If you are local to Portland, make sure to check his work out at America’s Largest Christmas Bazaar Nov. 27, 28 & 29th and Dec. 4, 5 & 6 at the Portland Expo Center. You can also see him at the OHSU Heart Research 2009 Holiday Bazaar in the OHSU BICC Gallery (3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road) on Thursday Dec 10 (10-6) and he is work is on permanent display at the LOVE ART Gallery on the corner of SE 13th and Spokane. House of Six Cats is also a proud member of the NW Handmade community. If you can’t wait to see if you’ve won, just remember to type “The Handmade Experiment” into the seller’s notes during checkout and get a 10% discount until 12/6.

Now for the giveaway!

Bill has been generous enough to offer up one set of coasters featuring his own wonderful photography. Thank you, Bill! To win, simply go to his shop and have a look around. Choose which set of coasters from the ceramic coaster section (the ones using Bill’s photography) you would like to win and come back here and comment. For more chances to win twitter about this giveaway or share it through some other social networking site making sure to comment here a second time letting me know what you’ve done. Thanks everyone for helping me support handmade and our great Portland artists!

I’ll leave the comments open until Sunday night the 29th at midnight PST and let everyone know who the winner is on that Monday. This week should be pretty busy since PZ doesn’t have school and no classes either. If I don’t get a chance to post again – Happy Thanksgiving!

*Note from Bill – “WOW!! I am truly flattered by what everyone has said!! I am amazed by the amount of comments. Seriously, I had no idea the response would be this big! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I can’t wait to see which one of you wonderful people wins!! Good luck to you all! I also hope you have all had a fantastic Thanksgiving weekend!”

Must Have Monday: If I Was Buying Christmas Gifts for My Kids…

So here is where this little experiment gets tricky. Christmas time. I’m actually pretty excited about it and although Hubs hasn’t made any commitment to handmade I’ve been thinking of several fun homemade gifts/projects he/we can do for the kids as gifts for Christmas time. I’ll keep you posted on how it pans out.

Since I’m the holiday shopper in the family I was helping Hubs out by looking around on Etsy for a couple of handmade gifts for the girls. He’s buying, not me! Anyway, I came up with this little round-up and thought it might help some others of you out there looking for cool handmade gifts for your little ones this holiday season. Happy shopping!

Wee Knit’s Yo Gabba Gabba finger puppets – PZ would LOVE these. Plex (the yellow robot) is her favorite.

Tuesday Tutorials: the Halloween Costume Addition

Local Mama and Craftzine contributor Susan Beal gives us this awesome Yoda costume tutorial. Pearl looks so cute! Great job, Susan!!

Rainy Day Roundup

Since I’m eating Sundrops, which is highly appropriate since in typical Portland fashion it is rainy and sunny all at the same time, and procrastinating, I decided that a shout out to all the crafty artists who’ve made the great handmade gifts we’ve received this year would both take some time and be an inspiration.