approaching joy

Approaching Local :: The Little Craft Show

Do you remember that time when you had just learned to sew and you were convinced you could mass produce purses (and go on to rule the fashion world) from your mom's kitchen table?  
No?  That was just me?  Okay, whatever.   

Regardless, I have an opportunity for all of my Arkansas (and Oklahoma and Missouri and Tennessee and Texas and Louisiana and Mississippi and Kansas) readers to join in to really see if you could make your crafty dreams come true: The Little Craft Show. 

The Little Craft Show has been put together by an absolutely awesome trifecta of local artisans who were disappointed about the indie arts and craft shows that our fun (i.e. young and hip) community could potentially give to the area.  I mean, crocheted doll dresses (link) circa 1989 are cool if you're still running your craft business with your grandmother (not hating- ya'lll know I love my grandmother), but Natalie, Amber, and Jonathan wanted to offer a craft show where both the artists and community knew that there would be a break away from the traditional craft show.  

Some examples:

• Gingibar - LOVE. HER. PRINTS.  Remember when I talked about the local shop the Mustache?  Her art/ clothing/ home decor is there and she recently had a Fab sale.  Total awesomeness.
• Perrodin Supply- This is the husband / wife team that is 2/3rds the backbone of The Little Craft Show. Those map cut outs: Clean? Graphic? Homey? Sold.  
• Natalie Creates - #1 She shoots with film.  Film, guys.  Remember that black spool of stuff that used to go in the back of your camerea?  Crazy awesome, right?!?!  #2 Her blog is a beautiful snippet of her home (which I was honored to visit during a volunteer get-together recently) where the adjectives "simply lovely" don't quite capture the essence of her home but, until I get a more extensive vocabulary, will have to suffice.

So are you wondering how you can get in on the awesomeness of The Little Craft Show?!?!
Check out all the overview here and

• If you're an artist and want to get in on the fun (and show off your wares to 1000+ lovely people), apply here.
• If you're my neighbor and want to volunteer with me, do that here. (Seriously, I've only gone to one volunteer event but while there I was greeted so warmly I want to make this a weekly thing.)
• If you are a rocking local business and want to support our local artists and continue to increase our communities cool factor, do that here. 

If you live in NWA did you participate/ attend The Little Craft Show last year?
If you don't live in NWA are there any other local indie craft shows that you would recommend in your area?

DIY Date :: Happy Cart Crafts for St. Jude

I was so excited by the positive response to that came after announcing this month's DIY Date.  Knowing that fellow bloggers were excited to use their crafty talents to help kids at St. Jude just reinforced the knowledge that this blogging community really has something special.  Please please please take the time to check out the links below and support the ladies who were so generous with their time and gifts.

1. MJ at Pars Caeli
2. Monica at Small Town Mojo
3. Louise at Laid Off Mom (and the original DIY Date-r)
4. Stephanie at Pretty and Delectable
5. Lisha at One House One Couple
6. Joy at Frock Files 

And no, there's not an Approaching Joy craft in that list.  I have mine all typed up but no fun pictures yet.  You'll forgive me, right?

#AJFW Business Cards via Moxy Ox

In all the excitement of AWBU and then the Fashion Week announcement and then the giveaways (here and here), I almost forgot to show you the business cards that I picked up right before I left for AWBU.  Check them out!

They turned out just like I had imagined them... except a little bit cooler because they made me feel so legit!

Some quick notes about design:

• I think I've said it before but I will say it again: My inner six year old always likes to come out and play.  These sticker add-ons (inspired by the lovely Melissa Esplin) were also a Moxy Ox product. LOVE!!
• The tiny clips were just the pop of color these business cards needed, don't you agree?
• I didn't have enough room to put my contact information for every single account so I used icons instead. Less space + cute graphic element = win
• Right above that: The phrase "Like me, maybe?"  Yep, a shameless spin off of a pop culture reference.  Cool but not as cute as this video using the same song from my boss' daughter.

I love that I have something that personifies me via paper to give out when I head to New York next week.(Eek! Saying, "New York next week" still doesn't seem real!!)

As I mentioned earlier in the week Moxy Ox doesn't pay me, but they are providing these fabulous photo books to give to the first twenty five people who sign up but all opinions are my own.

DIY date :: Pearl + Lace + Leather Bracelet

It's DIY Date time!
LIke I mentioned last month- DIY Date is a virtual "craft night" for Louise and some of her friends.  The material Louise choose this month: beads.  Easy enough.  The catch?  You had to make it as a gift.  (This is her birthday month and she wanted to get others in on the fun. How sweet is that?!?)

I immediately thought of my new friend Gina.  Gina blogs over at Desperately Seeking Gina and is going to be one of my roommates at #AWBU.  Since I've never met her and since we plan to spend the first 48 ours fo our time together in tight quarters, I figured a peace offering/ "Yay! I'm glad I finally got to meet you present" was in order.  Which is how I thought to make the lovely Gina a lovely pearl & lace bracelet.

I promise this is not a graven image.  It's brass bank that was my mom's in the 70's.  It's fun... and a little weird.

Okay: So it's not really pearls, but it's pearl beads.  Also, it's leather wrapped with lace so it has this fun tough met tender quality.  And I think it will go perfectly with Gina's new boots from Country Outfitters.  Hope you like it Ms. Gina!!

Check out the tutorial here.

Arty Crafty :: Paint the Moon Photoshop Actions Review

As I mentioned yesterday, Photoshop actions had been on my radar for a while before I actually took the plunge.  Unlike the set I mentioned yesterday, Paint the Moon actions were something the I learned about relatively recently, but once I did I knew I had to do what I could to get my hands on it. 

One look at the Paint the Moon site and it's easy to see what there is to be excited about.  While Annie who runs the site is a great photographer and her "models" (her kids) are beautiful, she definitely has a unique style that produces images that look like they came out of a dream.  The fact that they were available for Elements guaranteed that I would save my pennies for this product.  

What I was especially interested in getting from Paint the Moon were the "Essentials" and "Makeover" sets.  These were the things that had options like "Baby smooth skin", "Twinkle eyes", and "Healthy smile".  Translation: This is much cheaper than surgical alteration.*

*There are some photos that are beautiful because of things perceived as "imperfections": The wrinkles in my grandmother's hand and the freckles on my nephew's nose would never be something that I would want to "photoshop away".

To demonstrate the power of these products to take a subject from "blah" to "better" (and in some cases "amazing!!") I decided to do the most embarrassing thing I've ever done via the interweb:  Post an image of myself while I was sick. I hope you appreciate the lengths I'm willing to go for my Joysters.   Here it is:

• First things first: This was a iPhone shot taken in low (i.e. bad) light so I didn't start with the best base. 
• Secondly, I felt like crap.  I'm pretty sure I was running a fever at this point and was attempting to take a picture of myself melting into the couch… because that's possible in fever world. 
• Lastly, though I won't be sending in the "after" picture when my future agent calls asking for a head shot, I think it's about a hundred times better than the "before" shot.  I'd say the actions did thier job.

What do you guys think about using photoshop actions to alter images like this?  A part of me thinks it's "cheating" while another part of me says, "If its available, why not use it?"  The business side of me knows that people would probably be more likely to buy my photos of them if I softened/ brightened/ or otherwise altered their images in a way that is flattering.  The personal side of me is still mortified that the blogger side of me thinks it's cool to post sick pictures of myself for all the world to potentially see. 

I'd really like to hear your opinion... on Photoshop actions.  Making cracks about melting into the couch will be frowned upon.
:)