Hip Hip Hooray! Let's Hear it for May Birthdays!

The month of May holds a special day for each of these Etsy Dallas artists. Rori from MadeByRori reveals each artists' birthday and shares her favorite picks from these Etsy Dallas shops. 

  

Silla’s birthday is May 3. Her shop is silla soup. She creates beautiful upcycled accessories.

You can find everything from adorable headbands for baby

to fun floral shoe clips for mom. 

My personal obsession is Silla's Red Felt Fox.

Mia’s birthday is May 12. Her shop is miamaria. Mia designs and makes all the amazing aprons in her shop. Many of her creations are one of a kind. Mia’s aprons are perfect for cookouts and look great hanging in the kitchen.

My latest favorite from Mia is the classic Pollyanna Apron.

Alicia’s birthday is May 13.  Her shop is La Alicia and it’s an Earth lover’s dream! Alicia donates 10 percent of her shop’s proceeds to Reading is Fundamental. She’s a master of upcycling magazines, junk mail, etc. into beautiful accessories, which easily double as works of art. 

You’ll find her Eco Happy Heart Shaped Cork Board on my wish list.

Stephanie’s birthday is May 22. Her shop is Tefi. Stephanie makes amazing things with fabric yo-yos. Tefi is filled with beautiful pieces in every color you can think of, so it’s easy to find something for everyone. 

Her Garden in the Rain fabric sculpture necklace is stunning.

Chau’s birthday is May 28. If you like parasols and puppies, you’ll love her shop – DCimaginations. 

The shop features some of the most adorable knit dog hats ever.

Her hand-painted parasols are perfect for weddings, anniversaries or baby showers. 

Everything in Chau’s shop is begging to be photographed, so be camera-ready if you’re carrying one of her parasols or a puppy in one of her sweet little hats.

Pamela’s birthday is May 31. She is one half of the incredible duo behind DowdyStudio. The shop features some of the coolest apparel and prints on Etsy. 

I recommend the Grand Whale shirt. Every time I wear my Grand Whale hoodie, someone stops me to ask where I got it.  

Hope you will stop by and wish each of these Etsy Dallas teamies a very happy birthday month!

Golden Summer

Oh Texas summer, your breath beats upon the backs of our necks like a bull chasing a rodeo clown, we run for our lives in concentric circles with no escape in sight. But wait, what's this? A shining beacon of hope…bright, golden, and handmade, here to save us from the most certain of deaths… with style, and grace. Thank the good artists of Etsy Dallas, our heroes!

Enjoy the cool breeze of your lovely central air and listen to some favorite tunes while you lounge on this silkscreened pillow by Butter Design Lab.

While you're there taking a break with Butter, you might as well do a little light summer reading, which can only be accompanied by Haute Hardware's librarian chic eyeglasses necklace.

Now that you've had a nice relaxing afternoon indoors and safe from the oppressive Texas sun, its time to pack your bags and take a summer holiday (in style, of course) Jenni20's nautical striped passport cover is most definitely the coolest way to travel. 

Don't leave your friends behind on your style adventures! Send your bestest a little shiny package of magical thinking from Paper Beats Rock.


Posted by Christina of Paperfingers.

Weekend Guide: May 26th + 27th

Etsy Denton Summer Bazaar 

Date: Saturday, May 26th 
Time: 11am-4pm 
Location: Center for the Visual Arts, 400 E. Hickory St., Denton 
More Info: https://www.facebook.com/events/312777855443633/ 
Participating Etsy Dallas Members: Christie Cone Ceramics, ReGEARED 

Homegrown Music and Arts Fest 

Date: Saturday, May 26th
Time: Doors open @ 11am
Location: Main Street Garden, Dallas
More Info: http://homegrownfest.com/
Participating Etsy Dallas Member: Dowdy Studio 

Craft Blast from the Past: Glitter Stickers

Hi, this is Esther from estieMade, with the second installment of Craft Blast from the Past. This series is all about taking an old school craft and using it in a new and modern way.

Today, I'm bringing back glitter. We all know it from grade school: tiny squares of sparkly fun that seem to get everywhere. The supplies we used in our younger days were glitter + Elmer's glue + construction paper. And if we wanted to get extra fancy, we'd use the multi-colored stuff!

I've been wanting to make my own glitter stickers after seeing a tutorial on Creature Comforts. Making these is similar to the glitter crafts from childhood, but you use super fine glitter and spray adhesive.

Here's what you need:

You want to use 'extra-fine' glitter. The particles are teeny tiny, compared to regular glitter, which makes the project look more sophisticated when you're done. I found this brand at Michael's; Martha Stewart also makes a line of extra-fine glitter, if you're interested.

Here's what you do:

one

Peel off the outer edges of the sticker sheet, so you're left with just the stickers.

two
You will need two brown shopping bags: one for spraying the glue and one for the glitter. This makes for a super-easy cleanup. Place stickers in one bag, then evenly spray the sticker sheet.

three

Carefully transfer the sprayed sticker sheet to the other bag, then liberally sprinkle glitter on, till the sheet is evenly coated. Then take it out of the bag and let it dry. Once the adhesive has dried, your stickers are done and ready to go!

When I did this, I could still see the sticker designs through the glitter after my first round, so I sprayed and glittered twice. The second round gave them a solid coating, but the downside is that the spray glue solidified into a single sheet and made the stickers hard to separate from the non-sticky area. That meant messy edges on my stickers. It's just something to be aware of.

So now that your stickers are done, you can use them to add a little sparkle wherever you need it! I put mine on cards, including this Mother's Day one (embellished with markings from my pencil eraser stamps.)

The animal stickers were my faves.

I also used the glitter stickers on packaging. It's a nice way to spruce up gifts, goody bags, or Etsy packages.

So there you have it: a quick and classy way to use glitter!

Hope you have fun, and stay tuned for next month's Craft Blast from the Past!

Gift Ideas for Dad

Hey there! Mother's Day has come and gone, but now it's Dad's turn to be in the spotlight. Get him something really cool for Father's Day (June 17th)! Dads can sometimes be a little hard to shop for. If you're having some trouble deciding what to get him, here are some great gift ideas I put together from Etsy Dallas.

1 // Steak Plush by Midnight Snack - $25

2 // Folk Yeah Tee by Dowdy Studio - $24

3 // Feather Tee by 75 Apparel - $25

4 // San Fransisco Photo Block by Pamplemousse1983 - $25

5 // Paul Newman Canvas Print by sozadesigns - $229

6 // Handmade Gun Soap by The Pig And The Peacock - $4.50 (set of 3)

7 // Custom Family Portraits by Local Honey - starting at $45

8 // "Father" Periodic Table Apron by Yellow Bug Boutique - $28

9 // "Beer" Periodic Table Koozie by Yellow Bug Boutique - $8

10 // Linocut "Big Red" Print - 9x12 - by Honeycomb Print Shop - $35

Hope this has helped! Make sure you let Dad know how much he means to you. 


xo! Kelly Christine from Local Honey

Weekend Guide: May 18th + 19th + 20th

3rd Friday Art Crawl in the Dallas Arts District 

Date: Friday, May 18th
Time: 5:30 - 9pm
Location: Dallas Arts District, Pearl and Flora Street, Dallas, 75201
More Info: http://www.thedallasartsdistrict.org/
Participating Etsy Dallas Member: Dowdy Studio 

Rock for Spot 

Date: Saturday, May 19th
Time: Noon - 5pm
Location: The Double Wide Bar, 3510 Commerce, Dallas
More Info: https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/397681353587512/
Participating Etsy Dallas Member: Dowdy Studio , The Pig and the Peacock

Arts Goggle 

Date: Saturday, May 19th
Time: 4-9pm
Location: Magnolia St., Ft Worth TX
More Info: https://www.facebook.com/events/397735873571090/
Participating Etsy Dallas Member: Christie Cone Ceramics 

Renegade Craft Fair 

Date: Saturday, May 19th and Sunday, May 20th
Time: 11am-7pm (both days)
Location: Palmer Events Center,  900 Barton Springs Rd, Austin
More Info: http://www.renegadecraft.com/austin-info
Participating Etsy Dallas Member: estieMade, ReGEARED 

Brew Riot 

Date: Sunday, May 20th
Time: 4 - 8pm
Location: Bishop Arts District, Dallas, TX
More Info: http://brewriot.com

Participating Etsy Dallas Member: Dowdy Studio  

The Laughing Willow Pop Up Shop during the Brew Riot 

Date: Sunday, May 20th
Time: 11am-8pm
Location: Bishops Arts District, 405 N. Bishop, Dallas
More Info: http://www.facebook.com/thelaughingwillow

Participating Etsy Dallas Member: Nest Designs 

Crafty Book Review: Big-Ass Book of Crafts and Big-Ass Book of Crafts 2

Ok, crafty people, get out your supplies, clear off your table and get ready to make something awesome as Rori from Made by Rori reviews the Big-Ass Book of Crafts and Big-Ass Book of Crafts 2 by Mark Montano.

The Big-Ass Book of Crafts features 384 pages of projects including olive oil body lotion, a drinking-straw starburst hanging light, and kid-art napkins (also pretty fun for us grown-up kids). This full-color collection was published in 2008. The photographs by Auxy Espinoza are beautiful and make it hard to choose which project to start first.

The Big-Ass Book of Crafts 2 is the same length as the first and was published in 2011. It’s not quite as good as the first, but the projects are still pretty great. New projects in this follow-up include concrete planters, zipper pumps (pretty awesome way to add new life to an old pair of heels), and 99-cent-store shadow boxes.

One of the great things about both BABC books is how customizable the projects are. It’s incredibly easy to personalize just about all the projects to suit your taste or the taste of a lucky recipient. The best part of these books is the explanation and instruction provided. Although some of the pieces require access to a sewing machine or certain tools, most just require collecting the supplies, grabbing some glue or scissors and getting creative. There are more than 300 projects between the two books, so every artist and craft addict will find plenty to love.

Mark Montano is the crafty guy behind both BABC books. He has written several books including The Big-Ass Book of Home Décor, Pulp Fiction, and Dollar Store Décor. You might remember him from TLC’s While You Were Out and other TV shows. You can find Montano’s on Amazon and at Barnes and Noble.

Links:

Mark Montano on Etsy 

BABC on Amazon  

BABC 2 on Barnes and Noble  

Weekend Guide: May 12 + 13

Motherhood Matters: Pregnancy Expo

Date:  Saturday, May 12th
Time: 10am-2pm
Location: Fellowship Dallas, 2nd Floor Atrium, 9330 N. Central Expressway, Dallas
More Info: Wings for Wellness
Participating Etsy Dallas Member: Regal Cottage

Collective Memory

Remember all the fun we had with those awesome knitted photo props at the Spring Bash Photo Booth? We will certainly never forget that breathtaking yarn bombed bike! If you loved that as much as we did, you won't want to miss this. K Witta aka Sally Ackerman (leader of the Dallas Yarn Bombers) will be at the Mary Tomas Studio Gallery through June 9th.

Date: Opening Reception Saturday, May 12th 6-9pm. Show runs through June 9th
Location: Mary Tomas Studio Gallery, 1110 Dragon Street, Bldg. 1080, Dallas 75207
More Info: Mary Tomas Studio Gallery

Are you Ready for the Spring Bash?

Are you ready for the best handmade shopping event around? The Spring Bash Artisits are ready for you! We've collected some tidbits to help you as you make your way to see us on Saturday. We can't wait to see you!

Where is the Bash?

The Spring Bash will be at The Palladium's South Side Events Center. The same place we had the Jingle Bash last November! The South Side Events Center is located at 1135 Lamar, Dallas, TX 75215.

Where Do I Park?

Parking for the Bash will be in the big lot behind the Palladium building. Parking will be $5 a car, or take the DART! The Palladium is within walking distance  from the Cedars DART station.

Do I Need Cash?  Admission to the Bash is free. Many of the vendors do accept cradit cards for payment,  but we do recommend bringing some cash. There is an ATM on site if you would like  to get money the day of the show. Things to Do? Oh yes! The Bash is not just about shopping, the Bash is an all out party! You'll be able to  enjoy free make and take crafts and some tunes by DJ Juan Solo. Commemorate your day  by taking some snapshots with the awesome yarn-bombed bike in DYB's yarn-bombed  photo booth! Food? Drinks? The Palladium has a restaurant on site, The Jack Daniels Saloon. Click here for the menu.  We'll also have a full bar available if you would like to purchase some drinks. Local Shopping? While many of our artists are local to Dallas, the Bash boasts some from Chicago,  Austin, and Shreveport! Not only that, but the Bash is all handmade goodness all the time.  To see where you favorite artist will be on Saturday, check our map!

Sponsor Spotlight: Friends of the Dallas Public Library

While I'm no stranger to the Dallas Public Library (especially the brand new one right by my house--plus I check out eBooks every week), I am a stranger to the Friends of the Dallas Public Library.  But I won't be a stranger for long!

An independent, tax-exempt organization, the Friends of the Dallas Public Library has been raising funds for our library system since 1950!

Many programs benefit children: Bookmobile, Born to Read, and the Children's Library.  But they also fund raise for adult programs and services.  Authorspeak brings established and up-and-coming authors to libraries for speaking engagements.  (Marking my calendar now!)

Want to be a part of this great effort?  You can become a Friend at various giving levels.  And, while funds generated from membership are vital, so too are the volunteer opportunities. 

If you'd like to learn more about the Friends of the Dallas Public Library, come out to the 4th Annual Spring Bash on Saturday, May 5th.  There, you'll be able to mix and mingle with great FODPL volunteers plus you'll be able to take part in their MAKE AND TAKE table. 

Art + Craft + Community + Reading = a beautiful thing!

Sponsor Spotlight: FotoFuze

Have you heard of this magical site called FotoFuze?  If you are an etsy seller, it is pretty much the best thing since sliced bread.  It enhances your photos to look professionally shot by removing the background and improving the 

You can simply sign up using your etsy login and it connects automatically to your shop so that you can create and renew listings, update existing listings and more directly from FotoFuze.com.  Seriously, it's magic.   You know what else?  It's free.  Yes, FREE!

Want to see just how magical and easy it is?  Here we go...

Step one:  choose a listing from your etsy shop.

Step two:  select a photo you would like to enhance.

Step three: use the highlighter tool to highlight the item and it's shadows.

Step four: watch the magic happen, then hit publish to update your listing in your shop and admire your suddenly-pro photography!

Not only can FotoFuze improve your photos, there are tools for making listing new items easier like signatures, and amazing new features in the works such as automatic sale adjustments!  The FotoFuze team always has new things cookin'.

Check them out on twitter, facebook, their blog and in etsy apps!

Sponsor Spotlight: Unanimous Craft

You probably already know Unanimous Craft is full of resources for indie businesses, but more than that, it's a place for indie shoppers too! Think of it as Yelp for crafty types.  It's a directory full of resources for crafters, artists, and independent business owners.

But what makes a resource like Unanimous Craft really wonderful is you! They need your input and your opinions on your favorite crafty places, spaces, and people. You can even review events like the Spring Bash.  

All you need to do to start writing your own reviews is:

1. Sign up for an account (this is super quick)

2. Search for your favorite indie businesses and 

3. Scroll down to the red "Review this Resource" button at the bottom of the page. 

----Easy, peasy way to add your voice to the crafty community!

You can stay in touch with Unanimous Craft on Facebook and twitter too.