Coming Soon to Brookland!

I've been bursting at the seams to share this news for months now, but needed to wait until the ink was dry. But the wait is over -- I've just returned home from Monroe Street Market, where I signed a lease to open a little studio and shop!

Analog will be opening (to some degree) later this month!

I can't properly express how excited I am for this new chapter for my business. I'm sharing the space with Lisa of Beltway Vintage, who will be repairing and re-making vintage clothing and accessories. We're psyched to be able to work together to bring reclaimed and recycled products inspired by the past to Washington, DC.

We will have workspace in the back half of our studio, where you'll be able to find me making Gocco prints, gluing envelopes, and otherwise making big messes. I've had so many ideas for products, bit I've been limited by the lack of storage and workspace in my dining area (which hasn't seen us dining in it in well over a year). I'm excited to have a light-filled space to get things done!

We will also have open studio hours for people to visit, as well as several special events and workshops throughout the year.  (I'm thinking mail art socials up the wazoo.)  Plus, there will soon be 26 other studios along the Arts Walk to inspire you whenever you visit.

I can't wait to show you our space as we start making it our own -- we begin painting tomorrow!  We are hoping to be up and running in a few weeks, so watch this space for updates!

Craftgasm at the Grant Avenue Market

Come visit me this Sunday, May 12 at the first Grant Avenue Market of the season! They've focused on finding unique vintage and handmade vendors, so it's sure to be a treat to wander the stalls and check out all the offerings.

I'll be there with my handmade upcycled paper goods, plus vintage National Geographic maps and vintage stationery finds that I've been hoarding for years and am only sharing if you promise to take good care of them for me and write to lovely people with them.

The Grant Avenue Market will be where Grant Avenue meets Carroll Avenue in Takoma Park, across from the TPSS food co-op, and just a ten minute walk from the Takoma Metro.  Vendors will be there from 10am to 3pm, so bring a friend and a shopping bag and get ready to buy some amazing stuff!

Bust Craftacular this Saturday in Brooklyn!

Are you near New York City? Come visit me this weekend at the Bust Craftacular at DUMBO!  I'll be in Brooklyn on Saturday, directly under the Manhattan Bridge, offering up my handmade prints and stationery for you. There will also be 120+ other vendors of crafty and vintage goods, and workshops offered for doing your own bits of crafty, too.  We'll be there from 11AM to 6PM. Come visit!

(Mention this blog post for a free surprise!)

Craftgasm at the DC Meet Market this weekend

It's the first market of the season, and I'm excited to show off some new journals I've been working on!  Come out to the DC Meet Market to find me and 40 other local vendors enjoying what will hopefully be some true spring weather, according to the forecasters.

See you at the Market!

ETA: Check out the Craftgasm spotlight they put on the blog today!

Using Pinterest Responsibly

Ever click on a pin, just to find the link goes nowhere useful?  It’s super-annoying, right?

That happens when the previous user didn’t click the link to see if actually went anywhere before re-pinning it to his or her own board.  It’s extremely frustrating, especially if you want to learn more about the image or project or product that was pinned. 

If you’re as addicted as I am to Pinterest, you’ve surely added their “Pin It!” widget to your browser.  Then whenever you see something awesome, you can just click the button and save it to your Pinterest boards.  However, make sure you’re not part of the problem!  Be sure the site you’re on is the permanent link to that image before clicking “Pin It!”

Here are a few examples of terrible pinning, and their solutions.

BAD: the homepage of a blog, such as http://lovetaza.com

Any site, especially if it’s a blog, is going to change as new posts are added.  A year from now (and people will be seeing it a year from now and beyond – this pin is over a year and a half old), that image you loved could be buried under a 300 new posts.  That makes it harder for you AND other pinners to find it.

GOOD: the exact post in which the image is included, such as http://lovetaza.com/2011/01/baby-shower

When pinning an image for the first time, take the extra two seconds to click on the title of the post so you get an address similar to the one here, and then pin from there.  This takes you directly to the image you were inspired by, and makes it easy to find in the future. 

BAD: your own dashboard or site reader, like https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard or http://www.blogger.com/home or http://www.google.com/reader/view/#overview-page.

Pinning from here is even worse than the homepage of a blog. No one else who is not logged into your profile will ever, ever be able to see where the fuck you were when you pinned the image. No one. And you’ll never be able to find it again, either, so you’re only screwing yourself.  Think this is too obvious to even deserve a mention? I cannot count the number of times I’ve clicked on a Pinterest link only to be directed to my own profile’s dashboard. DO NOT DO IT.

GOOD: Anything else resembling a website that is not your own reading profile. Please, please for the love of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, just click on the title of the post before you pin it. It’s that easy.

BAD: a link that sends you to another pin instead of the image, or any link with “pinterest.com” in it, like http://media-cache3.pinterest.com/upload/234327986831112691_oqTwPe4y_f.jpg
This gives you no information about the image. None. Plus, it won’t load when you try to click on it. How does this even happen? Do people use the “Pin It!” button FROM Pinterest instead of just re-pinning? WhatisthisIdon’teven.

GOOD: Just re-pinning the (properly sourced to the original location) image.

BAD: a link to an image’s static page – like https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAfy6FQ6uPmG4ONKGgHKNZPEgUnHNphvMkWpUijZ_6wrwgmuYyoA0NfltgdR7aQ8OaYCq7wKKDZWTCls_THr5_mjZnFPKON0IBYtqr3Y4HgVkgKcED8s-4A2x3haD0BYI1L1tEUqlDVM/s1600/3.jpg -- or pretty much anything ending in .jpg.

 This is the page you’re taken to if you click on an image in a blog post to make it bigger.  You’ll never be able to find the original source with only that link to guide you, and it’s a huge pain in the ass for everyone else who comes after you.

GOOD: The permalink to the original post.

Of course you want to see the largest image possible if you like it. But click the “back” button before you pin it, because the link of just the image gives you ZERO information to help you find the blog from which it came.  

BAD NOT GREAT: an Etsy shop’s homepage, like http://www.etsy.com/shop/WonderlandRoom
I saw this recently, where an item I like was pinned from a shop called Wonderland Room.  However, Wonderland Room has 33 pages (at the time of this writing) of items in the shop. I appreciate that the original pinner wanted to spread the joy of Wonderland Room’s items for sale, but I am highly unlikely to scroll through 33 pages of items to find the one that was pinned. 

GOOD: a specific item for sale, like http://www.etsy.com/listing/122586515/perfect-alphabet-rolling-rubber-stamp

This is the item that was on Pinterest that I liked. If the original pinner had linked here, she would have been able to pin a larger image of the item for sale, and it would take her directly to this item in the future. If the shop sells this listing, Etsy tells you that and suggests other items in the shop that are identical or similar to the sold item.  Plus this way, you’ll be able to click on her shop icon to see her whole line of products in an instant.  I've also found users pin the item from the item's page, but use the description to link to the shop's main page.  I think this is a good solution, too, and am going to be doing it from now on.

/rant.

Here are some ways to be a responsible Pinterest user who gives credit where credit is due.

• Click the image to visit the link before you re-pin it. Make sure the link goes to a website that actually features the image you clicked on. Then, make sure that image originated on that website. If that website has a link attributing their source of the image, click on that too, and repeat the process. Make sure any future re-pinners of this image will be able to find its original source by editing your pin’s link to direct them to the original location of the image. If the link is no good and does not link properly to an original source for the picture, the easiest thing to do is to simply not re-pin the image. Do not continue to perpetuate the problem.
• If you love the image for some reason, and want to do the harder thing, go find the image’s original source. Sometimes a Google image search (“green floral wallpaper bathtub vogue,” for this one, based on the item pictured and the watermark) will pull it right up. Then you can click all the instances of it in the search results until you find it on its original website.
• Often the front page of a blog is the landing site from the Pinterest link. If that website has a search function, use it, and your work might be very simple. If the website doesn’t have a search function, you can Google it by specifying you only want the search engine to look for certain words on one particular website. For instance, if I want to search for the word “mail” in my own blog, I’d Google: “mail site:craftgasmdc.blogspot.com” (without the quotation marks). Replace the page after “site:” with whatever page you’re searching. Then use due diligence to make sure that page is the original source, as specified above.
• My last resort option if I can’t find the image on the web, but I want to be able to refer back to it for a project, is to “like” the image. Then it’s stored in my profile, but not added to the feed of every person who follows me.
• If you find one person in particular is consistently lax about sourcing their images, it’s usually less disappointing to stop following their boards rather than getting frustrated each time you can’t find a source. Don’t reward irresponsible behavior!
• Sometimes you won’t be able to find the proper source for an image. It’s frustrating, but not as frustrating as it must be to be the original owner of the image who is receiving no credit or website traffic for their work.

I can't promise I'll never make a mistake in pinning properly,
but I can promise I'm trying a lot harder than most.

Nate Silver is my hero

AKA: Every liberal's rallying cry the night of November 6th.

Throughout the fall, my grandmother, a conservative Democrat who watches CNN in the afternoons because she wants to give herself another stroke (I can't think of another plausible reason), kept calling to tell me how worried she was about the election polls. I would respond by refreshing fivethirtyeight.com and telling her what the actual facts were.

Her: Who says that?
Me: Nate Silver. And math.

I called her just after midnight on November 7th.

Me: I told you Nate Silver wouldn't let us down.
Her: You were right. Thank goodness.

I made these Gocco prints on November 8th. They're printed on atlas index pages, the local place names reminding us that actual people in cities and towns matter more than polls on supposed national opinion.

You can buy yours here in my Etsy shop.

Come to a holiday mail party in DC on November 26!

Click to embiggen!

I'm hosting a mail-making party in DC on Monday, November 26, from 5:30-8:30! Since it'll be the Monday after Thanksgiving, you can come bitch about your family get-togethers with us. We'll understand.

Bring your own Christmas or holiday cards to write, or make some there.  It's a way to make what can be a pain in the neck into a fun activity with friends.  Also, you can get the card-sending out of the way early in the season -- and not feel guilty when people send cards to you.

I'll have some mass-produced holiday cards available, along with supplies for making your own.  Donations are always welcomed, but not required, to use either.  (You can bring your own supplies, too, of course.)

The library is located at 3160 16th Street, NW in Mt. Pleasant, on the southwest corner of 16th and Lamont Streets.  We will be in the large meeting room, which as you come in through the new main entrance, is on the right.

If you're the sort who likes to RSVP (which I appreciate) and have this on your Facebook calendar, click here.


View Larger Map

via Metro
Columbia Heights, Green and Yellow lines. Exit the west entrance, walk 1 block west on Irving Street (past the Five Guys) to 16th Street. Turn right on 16th Street to head 1 block north.

via bus 
S1, S2, S4 - pull cord for Lamont. If coming from the north, you'll be on the right corner. If coming from the south, cross 16th Street to reach the library.
S9 - pull cord for Irving Street. Walk one block north on 16th; library will be on your left. 
42 - pull cord for Lamont. Walk one block east on Lamont; library entrance will be on your right.

via bicycle
The renovation of the library came with new bike racks. There are also places to lock up along Lamont and 16th Streets.

New card designs!

I'm pretty pumped about these new cards I designed.

The perfect birthday card makes sure the birthday guy or gal knows exactly what they are celebrating.

I love using reclaimed materials in my work; it makes me so happy to see old things have a new life again.  But I'm starting to recognize the fact that I can't only make things from reclaimed paper.  Finding it, storing it, and using it takes up a lot of time and space, and both of those are in short supply for me.  But I love the look of vintage ephemera and want to continue designing with it. What's a girl to do?

You can't get much more meta than mail that defines itself.

Well, she makes some new card designs with it instead, and has them printed locally on paper with recycled content.  Each measures 4 by 5.5 inches and is printed on matte cardstock (which means if your note goes a little long, you can use the back for more writing).

The backs of cards shouldn't be boring.

They are blank on the inside and come with crisp white envelopes.  Plus, I'm offering to ship them out free to customers in the United States for the rest of the year! Stock up and be prepared for all last minute mail-sending occasions that you may encounter.

To order mailman cards, click here.
To order birthday cards, click here.

Coming to Brooklyn this November

I'm so excited to announce that I'll be selling at the Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn on November 17 + 18th!

It'll be the perfect way for NYC-area friends to come get all their shopping out of the way before the holiday season gets too crazy.  Plus, you can see the Manhattan skyline as you shop, which makes it pretty much fabulous.  If you're worried about the weather, fret not -- our shops will be in heated tents! So fancy.

(I don't know my booth number yet, but I'll update this space once I have that info so you can come find me.  Hooray!)  

Transition to Full-Time Crafter

It's been a while, hasn't it?

To sum up my absence, I was busy getting unemployed and then going on an already-paid-for-and-at-that-point-much-needed vacation.

Now, however, I'm busy getting ready for the massive crowds of shoppers who are coming to Crafty Bastards next Saturday, October 3. This full-time crafting thing has me working more hours than I did at my old job, but it is much more satisfying to have something produced at the end of each day. ("Plus, the dress code is much more relaxed," she said, typing in boxers and a T-shirt.)

Today's happenings in full-time craftgasm-land (FTCL for short):

I trimmed, folded, and assembled 600 sheets of paper into 100 packs of Recycled Stationery Sets this afternoon and evening. I didn't really need to band them up, but it is rather satisfying to do so. These now just need to have envelopes wrapped up with them and they'll be good to go.

Which means I will be cutting, folding, and sealing up 300 envelopes tomorrow. All in a day's work.

(P. S. Have you voted for your favoritest Craftiest Bastard yet? Not that I'm advocating stuffing of ballot boxes, but you get one vote per email address...)

Oh hypocrisy.

Oh Marion. He's been back in the news for allegedly stalking his girlfriend, and has stayed there this week because it came out that his office seems to have improperly hired her, but his most infamous line is what the rest of the country knows him for. What a lot of people (at least, a lot of people outside of DC) don't know is that hizzoner must live in a bubble, since both the quotes shown on the above pins are from him. Apparently, you can smoke crack with a hooker while married, hire your girlfriend on the city's dime, and care about the sanctity of marriage while being on your fourth wife (on whom you were cheating!) but still be "a politician who's moral."

These are made using pages from junk mail and will come matched up color- or pattern-wide (as seen here with the pink plaid). The quotes are typed with my awesome vintage (+ cursive!) typewriter, then cut and assembled into buttons.

I'll be packaging these with fun information about our boy's complete hypocrisy.

I'm thinking about making a line for Mark Sanford, too. Great idea or greatest idea?

Well I'll be.

I was really excited about Hello Craft's Summit of Awesome when I heard about it at the beginning of the year. People who I admired? Check. Full of useful information? Check. And IN DC (coughnotNewYork)? Check!

And then, of course, I realized it was the same weekend by which I needed to vacate my house. Dammit.

So I've sadly watched teh intarwebs get all abuzz about the Summit, about how fantastic it was going to be, about what neat people they have booked to speak to attendees. While I am excited about my big changes that are coming that weekend, I was sad that it had to coincide with such a cool event. I thought about going, but I couldn't justify spending money just to purposely neglect my moving responsibilities.

This weekend, though, I saw that a one-day pass was being given away. And, well, if I wasn't paying for the privilege of not packing... I decided to toss my ring in the hat.

And I'll be damned if that doesn't work out on occasion.

See you Saturday! I'll be the one stressing over whether I've properly cushioned my china when I ought to be paying attention to marketing and branding craftgasm.

I've been on vacation (the charming and lovely and EFFING HILLY San Francisco) and doing an insane amount of decluttering the past couple weeks, so while I treasure the time I get on the Metro to read others' blogs, I haven't had time or energy to post to my own. Silly, I know.

However, I promise a blog post every other day leading up to the Homespun Yarn Party on March 15th, where you will be able to find me, other crafters, and a crapton of fiber artists. How's that for a deal?

However, to buy myself a bit of time before my next-promised post (and because I'm only able to find time right now because I'm waiting for my fabulous boyfriend to finish up a project before we go get dinner), I'm going to let you vote in the comments what you want to see next. Evidence and progressive pictures of my craft area/bedroom's destashing and decluttering? Pictures from San Francisco of all the awesome stores (mostly Daiso)? The evolution of craftgasm's Etsy shop as I retake pictures of products? I'll get to them all eventually, but what do you want to see first?

50 hearts by midnight?

I just looked at my Etsy shop's hearts and found that 45 people have listed me among their faves -- that's so exciting! Now I'm eager to reach the big 5-0 milestone. If craftgasm reaches 50 hearts by midnight (I'll even make it Pacific time, to help up the ante), I'll offer up an item from the shop for a giveaway raffle here on the blog.

Sound fun? Let's go!

My first blog mention!

A blog other than my own, that is.

The folks over at SuperEco, a blog about green living, included my Recycled Stationery Sets in their green last-minute gifts post on December 18th. I'd have never known if it weren't for Google Alerts, so I'm grateful for that -- and for the fact that I have a new blog to check every day! (Like I needed another one of those.)

I hope you had a very happy Christmas or Hanukkah (or for some of you luckies, both), and that your 2009 is fantastic!

The Moment You've All Been Waiting For

I'm sure that folks have been constantly refreshing their browsers, anxiously awaiting the official blog-unveiling of my newest product line. No longer! The time has come!

After amassing a huge collection of stationery as "The Queen of Correspondence" (according to my friends), I started making my own when I couldn't find exactly what I wanted already being made. Enter the Recycled Stationery Sets. They are made entirely from reclaimed, reused, and repurposed papers. Notebooks, old ledgers, and abandoned printer papers are some of the sources of the sheets, and the envelopes are a combination of old maps and reclaimed stationery from an out-of-business company. (Their return address was on the back flap of the envelope, but it is now covered by a plain white label [also reclaimed from the trash heap] that is stamped to coordinate with the rest of the set.) Each set comes with six sheets of paper (two each in three designs), three envelopes (one map, two plain), and assorted stickers and labels made from maps. I'm thrilled with how well they've turned out!
You can see more details about them at my Etsy page, but feel free to ask any questions in the comments section!
How do you keep in touch with faraway friends? And how do you reuse any paper you find yourself swimming in?

Migrating over here from LiveJournal

I'm going to be posting more regularly over here than I do at my current crafting blog. I'll put up stuff I'm working on for the craftgasm Etsy store, any upcoming fairs and shows where I'll be selling things, and general crafty awesomeness. Check out the old stuff at the old blog if you're curious, though, until new stuff pops up here.

Thanks for stopping by!