New Year!

Happy new year everyone.  Now that life has settled down a bit it is time to get down to business.  I recently ended my consignment with a local shop and I was so excited to see my necklaces again!  I had forgotten what amazing pieces they were sitting on. I plan on getting them photographed soon and up for sale.  Although I may have to keep one or two for myself!

I am going to try some new things this year.  Starting with this: Follow my blog with Bloglovin!

A couple of other things will be surfacing this week.  I will hopefully make a new light box happen so that I can take some pictures of the necklaces that are just dying to be seen.

In the meantime, here is something new-ish:

I had been selling these hairpins so fast that I was having a hard time getting pictures of any of them.  I am still working on them, as well as some new necklaces when I have time in between custom orders.  I am also brainstorming something new for this Spring...nothing too concrete yet.  

Until next time.

A minor break from crochet!

Life has been wonderful, crazy and busy here at Nuala Clothing and Accessories this December.  Last week the newest shop I am so in love with The Crafty Underdog started carrying my hats!  They have a fantastic selection, so if you find yourself in Foster-Powell, make sure you stop by!  In fact, I think you should find yourself in the area just to stop by the shop!

The day before I gave all of my hair pin and necklace stock to my favorite shop Mag-Big  It's so amazing to have the kind of demand that someone wants to take on every piece you have.  It is also super fun to start all over again.  Really nerve wracking and intimidating but fun.  The hairpins have a set number of styles that I tend not to stray from, but necklaces are the endless reaches of my imagination.

I found myself trying to remember what necklaces I had left at the several shops around town and I wanted to recreate them.  Then I realized that all of those necklaces were already out in the world and I should feel free to create new things that make me happy!  If some of those things cross over into being some of the same things then so be it.  That just means that I know what makes me happy.  

I set out to continue the venture of creating all day today to add to my new selection of fun pieces, but I found myself making cake pops instead.  I know right???  But look how cute they are:

   They just really wanted to be made.  Also, people love my cake pops, so I will have a nice win for my Monday morning at work tomorrow.  Awesome.  

I did still manage to make one piece tonight,  Horrible picture but I will share just the same:

Next show is on the 22nd.  I was trying to get a trunk show together before then, but the location options are seeming limited.  I suppose I could always launch a vendor tent in my yard right?  I have extension cords to bring heat to the yard.  I have space for several tents, email me if you want to make this happen.  

In the meantime, I hope this shopping season is treating you all well.  That you are supporting local businesses and finding what you desire.  If you need shopping assistance, hit me up.  I know where are the local good finds are!

Updated show list!

Just added some updates to my show list.  Please take another peek at the post!

http://nualaclothingandaccessories.blogspot.com/2011/11/holiday-shows.html

Cyber Monday Etsy sale

Something that should have been on my show calendar even though it is not a show: the PDXEtsy team Cyber Monday sale!

80+ members of the PDX Etsy team are celebrating Cyber Monday with some amazing deals.  Here is a full list of vendors here:
http://littledaisychains.blogspot.com/2011/11/pdxetsy-cyber-monday-sale-november-28th.html.

We are still days away some of the wonderful members of the team have created treasuries to give you a hint of what you can find in the stores of our teams wonderfully creative and talented members!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTA2ODIxOTB8MTE4NjEzNzc4NQ/cyber-monday-pdx-etsy-style-pt-3
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NzA4MDU1N3wxMDQ1ODI0NDU0/cyber-monday-pdxetsy-sale-2
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MjUxOTJ8MTAzNzQ2NTY0Mw/cyber-monday-pdxetsy-sale
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTAwMDUyN3wxMTIxMTAzNzA2/cyber-monday-the-pdxetsy-way
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTA2NDM5fDExNjExMzI1OTM/holiday-shopping-pdxetsy-style
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTEzMzExOHwxMTcxMjkxNDk0/the-artful-stylings-of-the-pdx-etsy-team
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTY1Nzg1NjF8MTA3MDgxNDM0OQ/pdx-etsy-vintage-cyber-monday-deals?index=2
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTQwNzE4NTN8MTE3ODg3NzY1Mw/pdxetsy-cyber-monday-sale
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTUyODg2MnwxMTgyOTgwMjg0/cyber-monday-keep-it-rustic


HAPPY SHOPPING!!

Holiday shows!

I have finalized my list of holiday shows that I will be vending at and I am quite happy with the results! I have some of my favorites coming up mixed with some brand new to me. There is certainly something for everyone as they exist in all corners of the metro area and a neat variety of venues.

Here is my schedule of events so you know where to find me! I will post the show flyers at the end!

• Friday November 25th: Holiday Rock N Shop at The Jack London Bar 529 SW 4th Ave. Local arts and crafts vendors in a cool setting from 4pm-10 (21+)

• Wednesday November 30th: Handmade NW OHSU Heart Research Center Holiday Bazaar OHSU Center For Health And Healing Atrium (at the base of the Tram)/OHSU's South WaterfrontDistrict, 3303 SW Bond Ave., Portland, OR The two-day event rotates artisans from each day, offering shoppers unique items throughout. The Heart Research Center is committed to providing heart health care that nurtures collaborative research and translates into patient treatments.
  10% of sales will be donated to the Heart Research Center. 10am-5:30 pm

• Saturday December 3rd: Hip Happening! Held at the Sellwood Masonic Lodge 7126 se milwaukie Ave.  A whole lotta really talented local arts and crafters and  a super fun show!  11am-5pm, Santa will be there from 1pm-2pm (and you know you want to see Santa!)

• Sunday December 4th:  McMenamins Cornelius Pass Roadhouse 3rd annual holiday market.  4045 N.W. Cornelius Pass Rd. Hillsboro, OR.  Live music, local artisans and a special mulled wine!  12pm-5pm all ages welcome.

• Thursday December 22nd:  Winter Solstice Sundown Artisan Fair at the Eagles lodge 4904 SE Hawthorne.  Live music, full bar with food and cocktails and an appearance from the local Girl Scout troupe!  4pm-8pm.

                            

Getting ready for holiday shows!

The holiday season is hurtling towards us at breakneck speeds that make my head hurt.  Holiday shows are coming and I have been so busy with custom orders lately that I have not replenished my stock.  Some of you who know me may laugh at such a statement since I am somewhat known for having PLENTY of stock.  The great thing is that a lot of that has found it's way into stores in the Portland area and into the homes and onto the heads, necks, wrists and whatnot of lucky customers.  

I did a lot of work growing my product line since last holiday season and I have expanded into areas that I have been wanting to explore for quite some time.  This past year I have added necklaces, hair pins, clips, and hair combs, motif garlands and wall hangings!  

First show of the season is this Saturday November 12th. One of my favorite shows to do.   

I have a little under a week until the show, but since after tomorrow I will be on my birthday week vacation, I have set a goal for myself to finish at least 10 new pieces before Saturday.  I have a future snowflake wall hanging on my hook as I type.  

I am hoping to have some snowflake themed items by this next weekend including some snowflake necklaces and some hairpins.  Hopefully my search for a cute white cotton thread with metallic accents will be easy and quick.  

Tuesday morning  I am taking a trip out to Fabric Depot, which is my favorite fabric destination, but they also have a great yarn selection including some discontinued yarns that can be otherwise hard to find. Hopefully I will have time to also stop by the Knittin' Kitten.  Since it is my birthday vacation, I should also take the time to stop into one of my favorite antique malls Monticello Antiques.  You should take a peek at the links, these places are tops.  

Hope to see you all at Hip Happening.  If I do not post before this weekend, I am also doing a show on Sunday the 13th called Crafty Underdog.  It is my first time doing this show but I hear great things about it.  Hopefully my birthday vacation ends well with a couple of really successful shows.  That sounds like a pretty great birthday present to me!

New books!

I have a great local library right down the street.  I pop in there weekly, and take full advantage of their website and hold system.  Any book in the Multnomah County library system can be placed on hold and delivered to your local branch.  It's brilliant and amazing.  I also take full advantage of the ability to renew a book as long as no one else is waiting for it.  

One of my most favorite and utilized books is due on Saturday.  I was so not ready to give it up, but at least one person has it on hold, and three other people have it out past the due date.  Apparently I am not the only person who loves this book.  

So I decided to give myself an early birthday present and went to Amazon.com and bought it!  And two other books!  HA!  I am really excited though.  I will be happy to own the book and be able to make the changes to the patterns with errors and not have to ever give it back.  The other two books I bought I have not seen before but they look fun.  This one in particular:

75 Butterflies, Bees, Birds & Little Beasts to Knit & Crochet

This is where I admit that I am sometimes a lazy crocheter.  Do I have a working knowledge of crochet design that allows me the ability to make nearly anything I want without a pattern?  Yes, yes I do.  But sometimes I need the inspiration of other pieces of work to spark my creative juices and do the kind of design I know I am capable of.  It's the same reason I buy Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine.  As a pescetarian, most of the recipes do not even apply to me, yet they inspire me to create my own dishes in a way that makes me purchase the magazine month after month.  It's the same reason I continue to buy crochet books.  They get my wheels turning.  I buy the crochet magazines too.  At one point I had subscriptions to 3 different magazines, and while I have never made anything from a pattern in a magazine, I HAVE made things because of a pattern in a magazine.  In my world, that rationalizes the magazines and the books and the whole lot of it.  

Oh, and The kitty is doing very very well.  Is up and about by himself, and is getting stronger everyday.