I’ve Fallen and I Can’t Catch Up!

Life is getting crazy busy and I feel like the guy in the movie who, while running away from the monster, falls and shouts to his friends:

“I’ll never make it!  Just keep crafting without me!”

………….OK, they don’t usually say “crafting” but you get the idea.

Every day starts with laying out a “To Do List” and every day ends with me looking at the To Do List and thinking – “how did I manage to work all day and do none of these things?”

So, I’m scrambling to keep up.

I swear my tombstone is going to look like this:

So, I’m a bit behind on all fronts – blogging, manufacturing, exercise, personal grooming (no, really, I meant to grow a beard!)

But I am getting some things done!

I had a request for GIANT version of my HOME signs to spell out a child’s name –16” high with a San Diego/Beach/Sailing theme.   I had to set them on the floor to get a (semi) decent picture of them.

I really love how they came out and wondering if GIANT Home signs might be a good idea.

 And, no, the poor child’s name is not NAART.

 Another custom HOME sign was for the great city of St. Louis

And yet another  for someone in Australia who must have really wanted it because shipping cost almost as much as the sign did.

(you can see I’m still struggling with how to photograph these dang things.  I don’t think I’ll do the mirror version again though)

And I made a delivery to my newest brick and mortar store!

If any of you are avid HGTV watchers you’ll remember Angelo Surmelis who hosted several of the networks shows (Rate My Space, 24 Hour Design etc).

Well he’s got his own line of home furnishings that can be found just about everywhere on the web.  But, clearly bent on decor world domination, he’s just about to open a new store here in downtown LA called, appropriately, Angelo HOME. 

He and his business partner saw some of my work, dug it and now I’m along for the ride.  I got a brief glimpse inside the store and it is going to be very VERY cool!  (Plus! Across the street there is a restaurant that makes amazing donuts.  So it’s a total WIN/WIN!)

OK, back to work.

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Trendy

My father is trendy!

My father is way trendier than I am.

You’ve seen all the chevron mania on Etsy and Pinterest, correct?

(click on the pics to take you to the terrific blogs that featured these projects)

I’ve seen it all and thought, “cool” and done nothing.

Now, while I don’t believe for a moment my dad peruses Etsy,  Pinterest or any other known design blog his latest lazy susan is trendy, trendy, trendy!

Check it out

See?  Trendy!

I fully anticipate next time I visit home to find him wearing skinny jeans and tweeting about what the cafeteria served for lunch.

But  I think it’s quite beautiful.

He continues to amaze me (and have a full head of hair).

I, on the other hand am not trendy.

However I am busy.

I finished a new HOME sign featuring Philadelphia:

I did  yet another show at a swanky club – this one benefiting Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.  They even had an ice sculpture/igloo photo booth!  It was very, very cool.

Aaaaannnnnnddddddd………I just got an order for 500 coasters.  500!!!!  That’s a lot of coasters.

This will lead to very boring blog posts that consist of the repeated phrase: “I made more coasters today.”

Do you remember that old Dunkin’ Donuts commercial with the baker who’s mantra was “time to make the donuts.”  I feel like that.

But I also have cool non-coaster projects lined up from now till Christmas.  Yipee!!!! And…. Ack!!!!!!

Details to follow.

There’s Always Tomorrow

“I will blog tomorrow.”

That’s what I kept telling myself each day.  Each day as I got up and got rolling on finishing coasters, making subway signs, cutting letters, sending out Etsy orders I would say to myself, “as soon as I’m done with this I will write a blog post.”

The problem is – I never seem to be done with “this” whatever “this” may be.

And when I am done with “this” I tend to eat ice cream rather than blog (Trader Joe’s Mint Chip.  I’ve been living on that and coffee for about a week.  You know, cause I’m all about healthy).

So clearly, I need to become a “right when I get up” blogger.  This will, of course lead to numerous spelling mistakes and poor grammar but I’m afraid that’s just the way it has to be.

So…….

Good Morning!  It’s 6:01AM!!!!!

I have spent my week not blogging and prepping for the Renegade Craft Fair which is this weekend!

My prepping was a bit hindered when I discovered that my scroll saw  was busted.  A quick call to the folks at Porter Cable resulted in this easy fix.

I could either mail it to the factory (no problem – it only huge, awkwardly sized and weighs 50 pounds or so) or drive it 60 miles to a factory!  After that it would just take them three short months to get the tiny little part that’s broken installed because it’s back ordered!

How totally awesome!

Amazon came to my rescue and I now have a brand new scroll saw…..and an old scroll saw……..anybody want a used, broken scroll saw?  No?  Weird.

Happily before my scroll saw trauma I had completed two custom orders.  And it really is true – your customers come up with the best ideas.

Recently, two separate customers asked me if I’d consider making one large letter for them rather than my regular HOME sign.  I’m always up for something new so we collaborated and emails flew back and forth and decisions were made and sawing was done and we emerged at the other end with these.

First up – a gift for a Boston Red Sox loving husband’s new Man Cave.

I hope he likes it!

And then a giant L with a collage of images celebrating Detroit.

It’s 20” high by 13.5” wide which – fun fact – is exactly ½” larger than the largest box my local box supplier makes!  I turns out my artistry is not constrained by my imagination, finances or skill but by conveniently available box sizes!

OK.  It’s now 6:45AM and as soon as I’m done with this blog post I’m gonna eat ice cream get to work!

If anyone is local and plans to go to Renegade please do stop by. 

Hi Ho Hi Ho…….

I hope everyone had a good weekend.  I was in full production mode  (the fact that it was rainy, cold and grey in So Cal made it easier).

It’s been quiet (vewy qwuiet….. wabbit hunting qwuiet) around Etsy of late – which I gather is a seasonal/cyclical thing.  I’ve heard numerous seller say that down times are the time to stock up so I’m taking that to heart.

I got to churning out coastersMy goal is ten of each image….however, that would actually require me to make about 1500 coasters so perhaps that’s a bit overambitious on my part.  In any case I’m going to keep plowing away.

I did manage to, finally, get my Chicago HOME sign up and photographable

Click here to go to the Etsy page for this HOME sign

And I got rolling on another set of “regional” coasters – this time Texas.  All of Texas.  I may have cast this net a little wide but I just love these graphics (if you click on them it will take you to the Etsy shop – just so you know).

OK, back to work.  Those coasters won’t put cork back on themselves (lazy coasters).

 

I Lettered in Letters

The truck is packed and I am Rose Bowl Ready!

It’s been raining  all day but tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and chilly which is perfect!

Since I didn’t have to work on new pieces of furniture I focused on some new odds and ends and totally indulged in my love of typography and letters.  There are some new HOME sings including Columbus Ohio:

as well as one for Pasadena (since I think Columbus Ohio might be a kind of a hard sell in SoCal).

And then I got it in my head that what I wanted were some painted, distressed letters.  So I got to work with my scroll saw, some paint and and a little candle wax.

OK, I know when you put letters together for photographs you’re supposed to spell out words like “HOPE” or “BELIEVE” or something.

But……

What can I say?  I was thirsty.

I just really dig all the chippyness (is that a word?  spellcheck says no but I’m going with it!)

Also, when I was a kid my dad made a script NOEL that would hang on our front porch every holiday season.  I loved that sign and it dawned on me I could make my own (my dad still has the original and hangs it every year).  So I rooted around for some scrap wood and came up with my version (and I’m clearly playing with my new Action tools in Photoshop….bear with me).

OK, I have a few odds and ends left to do before tomorrow.

Have a great Sunday everyone!