cards lately

{photo credit: me}

happy monday! how was everyone's weekend? i don't know about you, but it was haaard to get up this morning. i always set at least four alarms for myself. seems a little excessive, but experience has taught me that i can't get away with less. ("experience" in this case means WAKING UP at the time that i should be walking into work.) this morning i reset the fourth alarm three times. no wakey, more sleepy. it is mornings like these that i rejoice in the fact that coffee exists. oh, how thankful i am for that stuff.

i've mentioned in some previous posts that i sell my goods at various brick and mortar shops. it's the best thing in the world to sit down at my craft table and put together a new necklace style or series of greeting cards. and when i get to bring fresh inventory to places like swank coffee, saxapahaw mercantile and blue horse market? pure bliss.

i thought i'd share with you guys some of the valentine's day cards that i've been working on lately. i am a huge supporter of february 14th. all that pink and red and oversized stuffed animal crap just does it for me. i'm a great big softie, and i don't care who knows it.

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

and now i have a serious question. would these styles and types of card be something you would like to see in my etsy shop? i have only ever sold jewelry on hum right along, but i'm interested in expanding my offerings. just curious! any feedback would be appreciated. (right now it is bare bones empty, but i've been working all weekend on listing lots of new items. be on the lookout!)

hope you guys have a great monday. if you're having a difficult time getting into the swing of things like i was this morning, pour yourself a big cup of coffee/tea/chai and listen to a favorite song. seems to help me. (right now, i'm digging great american canyon band.)

saxapahaw mercantile

{photo credit: me}

i briefly mentioned in this post that i had some exciting news to share with you guys. well, i'm finally ready to spill the beans! (i finally uploaded my pictures from my roommate's camera is what that means). 

a few weeks ago i responded to a "call to artists!" ad from a new handmade market opening in saxapahaw, nc. i sent off an email with a whole slew of pictures of product items and a link to my etsy shop and crossed my fingers. a few days later i got a response from the owner asking me to come in and show her my items in person. i took this as a very good sign so i allowed myself a few minutes of celebratory dancing. this was a bold move. definitely premature. but i was feeling epic. i went with it.

a few days later i drove over to saxapahaw and met with owner tiffanie at her beautiful store. she welcomed me inside and gave me the grand tour. think big, open floorplan, hardwood floors, exposed brick, high ceilings. near the back of the room was a small area for a coffee bar and in the very back, a brick room set up as a speakeasy. through two big, wooden doors exiting the speakeasy was an outdoor patio with lights strung up for outdoor movie nights. in other words, this place was every hipster crafting mama's (or papa's) dreamland.

we sat down at a small table near the front of the store and chatted a bit more about the shop. she told me she used to do store designs for anthropologie and ralph lauren. so not at all intimidating as i'm about to pour my little novice creative heart out on the folding table before us.

i laid out all of my goods and told her about my processes for each piece and the inspirations behind them. she was super nice and listened to me blather on and on. she asked questions about pricing and custom orders which i took as a good sign that even if she didn't understand what my rambling mouth was saying, she at least liked my product.

when i finished my spiel, she said the words i was hoping for, "we'd love to have your goods here!" or something to that effect. i was buzzing just like neon at this point so it's kind of a blur the exact words she said. we talked a few more details and i thanked her profusely for meeting with me and for this opportunity. i think i may have skip-jumped back to my car.

i am so excited to be a part of this new handmade store! i have been feeling unsure and restless about life in general but have also been thinking that my creative talents needed a new outlet. so thankful that i reached out and gave it a go. it's a scary thing to do, and doesn't always work out (i know because i have gotten plenty of "NO!!!" emails from various other shops), but when it does, it's pretty exhilarating.

i didn't get any pictures of the inside of the store because i didn't think it would have made a great first impression to be crouched here and there at weird angles snapping pictures, but i did take a few of the town itself. saxapahaw is kind of in the middle of nowhere and is probably about a mile in total length, but it's such a cute place. take a look! and check out the saxapahaw mercantile on facebook. tomorrow is their official grand opening! wish them (and me) luck.

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit}

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

happy birthday little etsy shop

{photo credit}

today marks humrightalong's first birthday! 

release the balloons. cue the big band. confetti, confetti, confetti.

the process leading up to me starting an etsy shop was slow. i was afraid. what if i'm completely in over my head, and it's a huge flop? i was lazy. ehhh, i'll do it tomorrow. i have a bunch of shows to catch up with on hulu. i was indecisive. what should i name my shop? what should i name my shop? what should i name my shop?

i had to learn how etsy worked and figure out how much i needed to charge for shipping and where i needed to order my supplies and what kind of supplies i even needed. i had to decide what kinds of items i was going to sell and how much i was going to charge for them. i needed a shop banner. i needed to write my specific shop policies. it took some research, some guesswork, and a good amount of nagging from close friends and family before i finally opened up shop last july. 

i am so very glad i did. from my very first order (thanks, dad!) to my very latest order (thanks, mrs. felix!), i have enjoyed myself immensely. when i check my email and i see an order notification, my insides get a little wobbly, and i feel a rush of excitement. 

over the past year, i've shipped orders to north carolina, south carolina, washington dc, louisiana, california, maryland, michigan, las vegas, and ohio. (!!!) to the remaining states, territories, and districts: i'm coming for you. 

i've made very special custom orders for people who wanted to remember their loved ones. i've made silly custom orders for people to give to their best friends as inside jokes. i have even recently added a few new styles of beaded necklaces and earrings which i am really excited about.

thank you to everyone who has supported me by being my personal cheerleader or who has show their support by purchasing an item from my shop. it means so much to me, and i am beyond appreciative.

as a way of saying thank you, i am offering free shipping on all items purchased this week (monday, july 22nd-sunday, july 28th). just enter code "FIRSTBIRTHDAY" at checkout, and the shipping cost will be waived.

so, uh, i guess this is the part where i shamelessly plug my own shop. GO BUY SOMETHING. 

the handmade market

{photo credit: me}

as part of my "new year's resolution" i mentioned in this post, my goal for 2013 was/is to be brave in my words and deeds. one way i attempted (emphasis emphasized) to do that was to apply to be an artist in a local craft market. if you read that post, you already know that i failed. crashed and burned. was rejected. cried alligator tears as i read my dear john breakup letter. but you will also know that i decided to turn my bellyflop into something good. i decided to volunteer at both of the craft markets that had turned my application down. it was a great 2nd place prize. 

{photo credit: me}

i volunteered at the durham rock and shop in april. you can read about it here. the second craft fair i volunteered at was the handmade market held in downtown raleigh in cobblestone hall. i volunteered at this market a few years ago and got a sweet goodie bag as part of my thank you. if i wasn't going to be a vendor, i was definitely going to to get another one of those. 

{photo credit: me}

along with several other volunteers, i spent the morning greeting artists as they arrived, assisting them as they unloaded their cars, carrying their wares inside, fending off the stray lookie-loos (nosy people who wandered inside before the event started), and handing out totes to the customers once our doors officially opened.

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

i had a fun time helping out at this event, and i'm hoping that one day i will be one of the artists! when that moment comes, you can trust that i will write about six blog posts about it.

and i did get another goodie bag just in case you were wondering. in this goodie bag there were peanut butter cups, dark chocolate hershey kisses, mini heath bars, a bar of soap, and a coffee shop gift card. it was a good day. 

you have my word

{photo credit}

i'm not the type of person to make new years resolutions. the whole concept doesn't work all that well for me. in years past, i have found myself furiously composing a (longish) list of all the things i wanted to change about myself and then come january 1st attacking the list trying to change everything at once. 

talk about an exhausting way to set yourself up for failure. i don't know about you, but i have a lot of flaws and one enthusiastic week in early january is not going to change them. however, this year i wanted to give "new years resolutions" a chance. instead of making a list, my approach was to pick one word to focus on. this would give me 365 opportunities to take chances and work towards my overarching goal.

i spent only a little time thinking about my word. "brave".

being brave is not something i do very often. i'm not a total introvert or hermit, but after taking a little inventory of my life, i found these were the current ways that i am "brave": i like to try new foods. i like to meet new people (most of the time). you want me to check out a new band you just discovered? all over that. i'm not scared to fly. i take zumba on occasion. if coerced, i will probably go see the new tyler perry movie with you. just kidding. i would never do that.

wow. you can clearly see the leaps and bounds i need to make in this area in my life. is "trying new foods" even bravery? i think it's just called being a normal person.

i realized that i needed to take bigger chances and do things that would scare me a little. as everyone and their mom has probably read on pinterest "if it scares you, it might be a good thing to try." this resounded with me as i thought about several areas of my life that i knew needed improvement but had not done much to change. what was i afraid of? hard work? trying and failing? actually being successful?

one of those areas was my creative ventures. i have been toying with the idea of applying to a craft market for a while now. i always enjoy going to these types of events as a customer. the wide array of vendors and craft products are always exciting and inspiring. i look at all of the artists selling their great wares and think i could do that! but, unfortunately, that's usually where my thought process stopped.

this time was different. almost as soon as i started seriously considering applying, i found two different craft markets that were accepting applications. i took a deep breath and started working on getting a bio together, pictures of my work, a description of what inspires me, a list of my materials, and my process in creating. i paid my application fees, submitted my applications and then waited.

several weeks after each submission, i got my responses. i had not been chosen. from either. the rejection emails were very polite and diplomatic. something along the lines of "it was a very hard decision to make...we had many qualified applicants...you have great talent...but..."

something along the lines of a breakup speech.

you know the feeling of major disappointment? the feeling of getting picked last for dodgeball? the feeling of being left off the guest list to a friend's party? this was not any of those things. this was a little sad, yes, but a lot of satisfaction. a lot of happiness.

my satisfaction came from trying. my satisfaction came from taking a chance and not being scared to do something new. it came from being brave. to me, that's how i want to live this year. taking chances, being brave, being bold in what i say and do and how i treat others. not every opportunity will work out. (clearly). but opportunities working out is not the measure of success. the measure of success is seeing something that scares you and not running away from it.

i ended up volunteering at both of the craft markets that didn't accept me as a vendor, and it was a blast! i met some great people and worked alongside other women who shared my interest in arts and crafts. i took note of how the artists set up their tables and what kind of goods they had for sale. i bought a few items from the artists and noticed how they took sales and packaged up the items. i am filing this information away for future reference when i apply again to a craft fair and get accepted. because, believe me, it's going to happen.

in a weird, backwards way i am actually glad i didn't get into either of those craft fairs. while it would have been great to set up my own booth, there is perhaps even a greater lesson i needed to learn in this. sometimes even when you try, you won't make it. you'll actually fail, but that's ok. the things in life that don't come easily are appreciated even more when they do happen.

so, can everyone raise their coffee mug and toast with me? here's to a year of being brave. cheers!

(a post and fun pictures about the craft markets soon to come!)

new in the shop!

{photo credit: me}

ok, guys, new etsy pretties are here! i have been tinkering away at my dining room table turned craft workspace, and i am proud to present you all with some new necklaces. 

keep in mind that i also do custom orders. {they're my favorite.} so, if you like what you see, convo me with your special request,  and i will be at your service. 

enough with the reading! head on over to hum right along and do some browsing. 

sneak peek

{photo credit: me}

i've been busy crafting up a storm over here. here's a little sneak peek at one of the new necklaces i'm adding to my etsy shop! stay tuned. more to come. 

love notes

{photo credit: me}

valentine's day cards are some of my favorite to make-lots of pink, red, and swirly twirly hearts.

here are some of the cards i've been working on lately for swank. 

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

look at that big pile of love right there. makes me feel a little woozy and weak in the knees. 

if you live in or near southern pines, you should totally swing by this rocking coffee shop and pick up a few of these love notes. it could be your valentine's gift to me. i'd also settle for a singing stuffed gorilla. 

arm party!

{photo credit}

a few posts back i put up a picture of a bracelet i had made, and one of my readers commented that i should join the arm party. i like arms, and i like parties. it sounded like a good mix. i looked into it and found out that illy of much love illy and leonora of yellow heart art were hosting a sort of crafty pen pal exchange. the rules were as follows: sign up, get a partner, make a bracelet for them, get a bracelet in return. hello, arm party? RSVP for one. 

it wasn't long before i found out my partner was jamie from grey sky saturday. we emailed back and forth and got to know each other a little bit. we covered all the important topics like who our childhood crushes were. me: macaulay culkin. her: jonathan brandis (i had to imdb him, and i still don't know who he is). she lives in beautiful hawaii and likes to hike and shop and explore new places on the island. what she failed to mention is that she is an expert bracelet maker. check these bad boys out. 

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

here we have the beautiful and elegant beaded square knot bracelet. i love these colors! it looks very complicated. i'm not sure i could make this on my own. in fact, i've already given up in my mind.

up next is my fave of the two. look at this! just look at it. red ball chain, tan cord and string, and a gold hex nut. genius move, jamie. believe it or not i didn't own a wrap bracelet until now, and i am in love with this design. 

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

jamie packaged my bracelets up in a cute kraft box with these origami stars. this girl seriously outdid me. have i ever tried making origami stars? no. do i think they're sweet like candy? oooh, yes.

{photo credit: me}

a big thank you to jamie for these sweet handmade bracelets! i will rock them and give you all the credit. also, now that we're practically life best friends, can i come visit you in hawaii? mmmkay. 

go check out all the other fun arm parties! linking up here and here.

i spy diy

{photo credit}

i recently found jenni's blog, i spy diy, and now i check in on a daily basis even on weekends when blogger's typically don't post. dedication is the word you're looking for.

{photo credit}

how cute is she? she has amazing style and tons of diy projects. she's my current muse.

{photo credit}

spray paint clutch.

{photo credit}

heartbeat necklace.

{photo credit}

heart rings. 

the dress she's wearing in the first photo? the pattern is safety pins. safety pins, people. she's a diy guru, and she's rocking a safety pin dress. she's clever, that one.

also, she can dance. see below.

anyone wanna buy her book for me? please? i'll send you a thank you card.

{photo credit}