Not like you wouldn’t have guessed, but I’m taking a little break from all things web-related. I’m also going to be putting my Etsy shop in vacation mode in the next day or two (meaning it’s closed to new orders, but you can still see things that have been sold, contact me, etc., and you can sign up to be notified when it re-opens), and I’m not sure if I’ll re-activate it before the baby bean is born or not. We’re in the middle of project basement right now, and my entire studio is going to be moving down there in the next week. Since I probably won’t know where anything is or have access to everything for a while, I figured it’d be best to put the shop on hold for a while.

So, if you have any shopping you’ve been meaning to do in the Laurie Coyle Designs Etsy shop, now’s the time to do it! If you order something in the next few days I’ll be sure to include a super special free gift, too! yippee!

As for this blog, I’m just going to let myself off the hook, ok? I miss you, but I also feel bad when I don’t post, and that’s just no good for either of us. So I’m here to officially say that until I get into a routine with the little one, I’ll probalby not be here much. There may be no noticeable difference from the current infrequency, but who knows. I totally love you, though, and appreciate all of your encouragement and kind words and your interest in my work (and life!). It really means a lot to me, and I’ll be sure to keep you updated on baby-progress, as well as any new work that comes out of the new studio. I’m also planning a big before-and-after reveal of the basement space, but the project is definitely not done. Not quite yet. So until then…

xoxox

There are still a few more of these little guys in my Etsy shop. I’m also taking custom orders, which will take 7-10 days to complete, barring any unforseen moving-my-studio-two-floors-away circumstances that pop up.

Also be sure to head over and become a fan of Laurie Coyle Designs on Facebook for a super-sweet discount redeemable through Sunday (Feb. 21) on anything in the shop (you are also eligible if you are already a fan — and thanks!).

I couldn’t have said it better, so I’m here to point you to this post from Maya of Maya*Made about our journey “In the Fishbowl“; Marisa Haedike’s 6 week online course. I’m really missing it already and love love loved it so much. It’s been fun to see Marisa continuing with video posts on her blog, too. If you haven’t seen any yet, be sure to check them out. It’s part of a month-long project she’s been working on with the ever-inspiring Supercoach, Michael Neill. (Can’t I just have all these amazing souls over for dinner?)

Three little birdie sculptures, made mostly from scrap fabric from Marcia’s bags, are up in my Etsy shop now. These made their debut, with a few friends who found new homes, at the Squam Art Fair.

I am so loving reading everyone’s impressions of Squam. That’s one great thing about getting a bunch of bloggers together — the event will be well documented, for sure! Some of my favorite accounts so far are Betz’s and Maya’s.

One of the new things I sold at the Squam Art Fair was my littler version of stuffed birdies. They were a hit, and I’ll be listing a few in my Etsy shop later this week (maybe even today?).

Maybe I’m biased, but I think they are such cuties. I really loved making them and you can be sure there will be many more to come. I got some fab. hand-dyed fabric from my cabin-mate Tracie Lyn Huskamp, who taught Painted Prayer Flags. The students in these classes made some really amazing work, and many of them hadn’t ever painted before. I’m sure she was a very nurturing and fun teacher to have, and I just looove her style. Can you guess why? hehe, bird nerds unite!

[via CasaSugar} "The word 'upcycling' was coined by William McDonaugh and Michael Braugart in their book on ecologically intelligent design, Cradle to Cradle. In the simplest terms, upcycling is the practice of taking something that is disposable and transforming it into something of greater use and value." (I'm halfway through that book, btw, and it's great!)

Today I'm sharing with you a new creation that I'm super excited about, and that I just entered in the CraftStylish Crafty by Nature contest (in the running to win a Yudu screen-printer! fingers officially CROSSED for that one!!):

My first completely Upcycled Bird Sculpture. This one doesn’t have a name yet — any ideas? She’s made from fabric scraps from Bella Bags by Marcia, the leaves are sweater scraps from Crispina, the metal is scrap from my darling hubby’s metal-working (he built the tree! isn’t he fantastic?!) and the wood is scrap from our house projects ’round here. All re-purposed, all stuff that could have just as easily (ok, much more easily, actually) ended up in a landfill somewhere.

Doing a happy-earth-day-dance a little early. She’ll be available for sale this weekend at Design Hive, possibly with a few new friends, if I get my act together!

In honor of BerkshireMade’s official Team Launch earlier today on Etsy, I am offering two sales in my shop:

This one is extra special because it is today, Saturday March 14, ONLY:

Buy one 8×10 print and get one 5×7 print free! Any design listed in either size in the shop is available, just tell me what print you want in “notes to seller” at checkout ::::: {Does not include gocco/silkscreen prints}

AND through March 31, every order over $10 receives a free card (of my choice, though I will do my best to honor special requests in “notes to seller”!)

Other members are offering great deals such as free shipping or other discounts — visit the member page at BerkshireMade.org for all of our members and click the banners for their specific shops. Also see this thread in the Etsy forums for more info on what we’re all about and up to.

Che-check it out! (Below is our table from the Feb. 27th Berkshire Creative Spark! networking event — with work by most of our members on display, including my cool-colors Alphabet Soup print and some birdie sculptures.)

But sometimes the bigger birds make a good splash, too.

Here’s one of my newest creations, a sweet cotton bird named Lola, who is now available in my shop.

She is about 6 inches tall, made from a green floral cotton and upcycled grey-green fabric, with a wool felt beak and hand-embroidered eyes.

hey hey I’m back from Boston — what a fun time! We really enjoyed Design Hive (Kari and Sarah joined me for the day, and Jaclyn, Vanessa and some other great friends stopped by!) — thanks everyone for buying my goodies and all the smiles and great feedback. It’s so fun to see people’s reactions to my work. And I’m happy to say that two of my new needle-felted birdies found a good home, which really makes it all worth while.

Also a few of my Peace Cranes made it to the Design Hive blog — thanks Val!

We also had a fantastic time shopping the Bazaar Bizarre, which was so inspiring to me. I brought home a few handmade holiday gifts as well as maybe a few things for myself (I only have so much willpower, really). There were some wonderful vendors there, including some of my favorites:

Ranunculae silkscreen cards and fabric goodies

Swallowfield Intricate art and fantastic-ness

1Girl1Boy Hand block-printed fabric goodness

Argyle Whale little illustrations of hedgehogs and goats and things

Campfire Goods T-shirts a-plenty for the type/geography/pop culture nerd in all of us

Egg-a-go-go Illustrationy crafty goodness {we all love the Button Collecting Bird!!!]

Family Dinner for One super star cliparty T’s

Fern Animals tiny soft sculptures

Mean & Wroughten welded art pieces (he was set up across from me at Design Hive, too!)

Miaow wonderful whimsical softies, so huggable!

Sewing Stars adorable plushies

Soto Softies more adorable plushies (sensing a theme?)

Traveling Rhinos Yarn and fiber goodies

Twigs and Heather gorgeous silver jewelry — my favorites are the maple seeds, I don’t think I’d ever take off a necklace so beautiful!

I also got some gorgeous earrings and a necklace at Design Hive from Erica Walker at Walker Silverworks, who was set up right near me — I’m wishing I had picked up a few of her star ornaments, since we’re about to decorate our tree tonight or tomorrow — they’d be so fantastically sparkly with the lights reflecting on them!

]]> http://www.lauriecoyledesigns.com/blog/2008/12/1006/feed/ 0 http://www.lauriecoyledesigns.com/blog/2008/11/crafty-goodness-for-sale/ http://www.lauriecoyledesigns.com/blog/2008/11/crafty-goodness-for-sale/#comments Sat, 01 Nov 2008 02:07:44 +0000 maylaurie http://lauriecoyle.wordpress.com/?p=942

This is where I’ve been all week. Hoping to get it cleaned up next week before I take off for a week in Arizona, visiting my Grandparents, my aunt and my cousin who had a baby recently!

To Do list before the trip:

• Sell much Crafty Goodness at the Richmond School Craft Fair tomorrow! (Nov 1, 10am to 3pm)

• Do much homework to hopefully be able to slack off while on “vacation”

•Clean up studio

•VOTE

• Help start a Berkshire Etsy Street Team — We’re meeting Tuesday at 4pm, at the Elm Street (Pittsfield) Juice and Java; all interested in being involved are welcome!

Here’s a peek at my makeshift craft fair setup in the kitchen:

These little stuffed budgies are now named after characters from “The Office” and some old friends — they make me smile! “Hello, I’m Jim and I like Tuna Sandwiches.” “Hello, I’m Andy and I love flannel shirts.”

And, lastly… it’s Halloween! Not one of my favorite holidays, and we just hung out and handed out candy (I tried a tactic of buying candy I don’t like, and I have to say I only tried one piece so I think it worked… ) and HappyDog wore her first ever semi-outfit, and I think she looks adorably festive. We actually got this bandana to keep her safe from bow hunters out in the state forest we walk in by our house, but I think it might have to become a regular fashion statement — isn’t she the cutest?

“You are a dork. I can’t believe you’re making me wear this.”

Happy Halloween! Hopefully I’ll see you tomorrow if you’re around the Berkshires!