a Handmade {NewNew} Valentine

The artisans that make the {NewNew} Etsy team so fabulous are already stocked for Valentine's Day! Wouldn't it be sweet to give your valentine this Secret Heart pin? It has a secret pocket in the back, just the right size for a little love note. Or, use it to present a ring or pair of earrings?

Secret Heart Brooch, handsewn felt, $5.00 by Lipeony

I just recommended a "Sayings" print from Virginia Kraljevic to a friend looking for an anniversary present, and discovered this charmer while browsing her shop:

Magic Bunny, 8x10" print, $18.00, virginiakraljevic

And, if you have no Valentine, this NYC graffitti card from ApertureAgog has the perfect sentiment:

F--- Valentines, photography notecard, $4.00, ApertureAgog

Now, to find a subtle way to make sure DH reads this...

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Mark your calendar! Celebrate a {NewNew} Season with the Spring Handmade Cavalcade

Spring is in the air, and with it come the social affairs that take advantage of this beautiful time of year. With this in mind the {NewNew} heads to the Bell House in Brooklyn on May 9th and 10th to host the Spring Handmade Cavalcade. This two-day shopping affair will feature gifts for grads and moms, fantastic housewares and pretty paper goods for hosts and hostesses, and apparel and accessories for any occasion.

The local focus extends to the event's collaboration with charity partner St. John's Bread & Life, which addresses the issues of hunger and poverty in Brooklyn and Queens.. A limited edition artists' book will be available for sale to benefit the charity. In addition, shoppers who make a donation will receive a surprise handmade gift.

***Free, limited-edition tote bags*** are available to the first 200 visitors who RSVP on the event's website, and can be picked up by visiting on either day of the event up until 1pm, Sunday May 10. And everyone who makes a purchase at the event will be able to participate in a raffle for one of ten artist-embellished totes chock-full of handmade goods.

What: The Spring Handmade Cavalcade

When: Saturday May 9 and Sunday May 10, 2009. 10am–4pm both days

Where: The Bell House, 149 7th St. between 2nd and 3rd Aves, Brooklyn

*** Fifty of these tote bags will contain a treat from me! *** I love the bag that I got from the Holiday Handmade Cavalcade, be sure to sign up for your own!
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{NewNew} Team Blog Post- Geek Chic

 

I wrote about some of my favorite geeky handmade items from the {NewNew} Street Team, check it out!

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Thinking Pink...

I tried out taking photos against a colored background, namely a scrap of pink fabric. Overall I'm pretty happy with them, but will look for a background paper so I don't have to iron the fabric everytime I do photos. I made lots of triple dangles~ I think the green pair was first! So far only the pinks are listed in my shop, but the rest will go up as the week goes on.

I also rephotographed my cards, and I'm much happier with them!

Sugar & Spice Gocco Card

I {Cube} NY Gocco Postcard

The {newnew} street team meeting on Saturday was really cool. I went in very intimidated, and that wasn't helped by the fact that I sat about 2 feet away from Maria, the CEO of etsy! I managed to overcome my shyness a bit, it helped that lots of other new people were there. It did take almost all day to get from Connecticut to Brooklyn and back, but it was definitely worth it.
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Merry Christmas!

I took advantage of spending a holiday at home, and made even more decorations. I wrote up a blog entry about it for the {NewNew}, click to see!

The holiday was really based around food. For Christmas Eve I made veal parmigiana with fresh mozzerella, and cupcakes for the office:

I did use all of the stencils, but these came out the best. Devil's food cake + vanilla frosting...mmm...
On Christmas morning I made challah bread French toast:

And sweetened the coffee with some Bailey's mint chocolate, it's good stuff. Wow, for a craft blog this is awfully focused on food! I'm working on some new designs, including one of a kind pins. So far so good, but I have to let some gloss dry before the next step. I'm very impatient, I just want to finish it now.

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Back from the cavalcade!

I had a blast at the {NewNew} Handmade Cavalcade! My mom met me at Grand Central, and a co-worker met us at the Knitting Factory. Two of my friends went as well, but I didn't run into them. I bought a sampler from Dirty Loves Clean, and the most awesomest tote bag in the history of tote bags from Fact & Fancy. The swag in the goodie bag was amazing! I love the earrings from Silver Dot Designs, as well as the uptown / downtown pendant and all the pins, stickers, postcards, and other goodies. I've yet to sort through it all.

After the show my mom and I walked to Little Italy for some delicious pasta, then to EMC2 for a talking Tim Gunn bobblehead. We took the subway back uptown to Bryant Park. The holiday shops are nice, but definitely not diverse. Tons of jewelry, lots of knitted stuff, etc. I did get a second pair of earrings at Momo Glassworks, I wear the studs I bought last year constantly. I also got the coolest keychain / phone charm / doo-dad there:

Don't be jealous. There was a really cool stall selling bags made from chains of candy wrappers, magazines and the like, but it was definitely out of my budget.

When I got home I found out that I had a sale, from my husband's cousin, but hey! A sale is a sale, and he picked it up in person! I also had a convo telling me one of my items was featured on this blog- Andee's Designs. Does this mean I'm big in Germany, like David Hasselhoff?

What a good day!

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It's extra paycheck month!

October is a 3 paycheck month! The last was back in April, and I dutifully put the extra cash into my savings account. But October is a new ball game! Lately I've felt the need to overhaul my wardrobe. I bought a vintage ring off the street in SoHo, a blazer at Esprit, and am continually hunting for the perfect pair of boots. One thing that would look super chic with the new blazer-

An "Oscar the Octopus" necklace from Pulp Sushi! What a coincidence- the NewNew etsy street team is giving one away! All you need to do is blog about it? I'm so there.

This would go well with some of my earlier etsy purchases, like the squid cuff from hollyhawk. Oh, and I would so wear it while eating fried calamari.

Now I'm hungry.
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