Tawdry Tales and Pleasing Pics from CHA Winter 2010!

Brini and Madge for iLoveToCreate

 

I'm still decompressing. These shows are a huge amount of work. We have to be on like a 1000 watt light bulb from the time we wake up until the last call at the bar...okay well maybe we don't have to be at the last call at the hotel bar...but sometimes that's where we end up. There's no time for chatting and catching up with friends during the show, so after the show, the meetings, the dinners and the schmoozing...we get to cut loose a little.

Here's a plethora of pics from the show and I've got plenty more so I'll be posting them until I get through them all. I'm starting with the three big projects I did for the show floor. The jeans and sneakers were created for EK Success and they were delighted with the results, which is fabulous because I worked mighty hard on the designs. The rainbow is hand applied with a hot fix applicator tool and there are crystal transfers and sew on stones. The shoes use glue on flat backs and hot fix crystals. The canvas was a UTEE design challenge for Ranger. This is one of those projects that need deeper inspection to fully appreciate. I'm particularly excited about the way I made the UTEE look like water droplets on the smaller ticket. Also the layers of old and new magazines in wax that I reheated several times with my heat tool adding sprinkles of metallic Alcohol ink. I added layers of metallic UTEE to create the look of rusted metal and the dimensional elements are cast from vintage Spirograph elements and a vintage skeleton key with dry UTEE sprinkled in the molds to again give a rusted metal look. The image is from my private ephemera collection and I adore her, look for her in my project for the new book Steampunk Style I'll share next week. She was fused on the surface of the encaustic background, I hope to share these techniques in future classes...so stay tuned.  Finally there's the Carmen Miranda/Brazil themed design with the display I found to coordinate and the bracelet I made with wire coil accents.

Lots of pics of my crafty friends too...

...until next time...craft on with your bad selves.

xoxo,
Madge

CLICK ON IMAGES TO SEE DETAILS!

Project for EK Success CHA Winter 2010

EK Success Project Detail

Ranger UTEE Designer Challenge CHA Winter 2010

Carmen Miranda Project for CHA Winter 2010

Madge and Brini for iLoveToCreate

Brini, The Crochet Dude and Madge

Brini and Madge for iLoveToCreate

 

Brini for Streuter Technologies

FG3: Rebecca Peck, Robin Beam and Madge

Pretty Ladies: Candie Cooper, Madge, Cathie Filian and Traci Bautista
Madge and Suze

Crafty Rock Stars Mark Montano and Crafty Chica

I Schmoozed with Suze!

Kecia Frazee Deveney, Suze Weinberg and Me!
Sally Lynn McDonald was a delight as were all of my wonderful students! That necklace she was wearing was amazing!
Look! We're having fun in Madge's Class! The lovely lady in Black and White is Sallianne McClelland of Art is You Retreat, I loved her Victorian take on the concept!

Yesterday Drew and I drove to Tinton Falls, New Jersey for my class at Suze Weinberg's studio. Suze is an amazing woman with an endless reserve of energy and creativity. I think she's the bee's knees!

I realized after arrival that the medium I'd planned to use to stabilize the magazine images was not going to cut with the punches I brought, so there was a last minute quick trip to the craft store. Oh and being the amazingly anal retentive and organized person I am, I also forgot to pack the clasps. Doh. This is why it's best to make up kits, which I usually do but last week got away from me. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Yet another example of why I need a personal assistant or team of magical helpers...who are willing to work for glitter and beads! Luckily the students were fine with cutting the shapes with scissors and I was able to pick up clasps, so all's well that ends well. Everyone had a great time and they all personalized their designs, which made me really happy. I love to see people take an idea and make it their own.

It was a lot of driving and I was feeling a little under the weather...today I'm not 100%...and MY ARM still hurts from the incident with the grumpy phlebotomist. What the h-e-double hockey sticks did she do to me?! My gut reaction is to go toss a rubber biscuit at her head, but my mature side feels a formal complaint is a better pathway to resolution. Though the rubber biscuit would be far more satisfying.

I'll be here tomorrow with a new free Teen Craft project for iLoveToCreate and then I'm off to New Mexico to shoot my PBS segments. Until next time...craft on with your bad selves!

xoxo
Madge

Epic Blog Post! Etsy, CHA and I Love to Create!

I'm still playing catch up, but I did manage to get a fair amount of product into my Etsy Shoppe yesterday. I had it filled last summer and then it slipped away from me with all of the other things I do on a daily basis. There are a lot of really great limited edition Vintage plastic beads and parts there and I've tried to price them competitively. This stuff is hard to find and it's really fabulous to use hugantic parts that weigh so little in your work. Especially if you, like me, love big and bold statement jewelry. I've got more to upload today and hope to add some newly hand crafted items just for the store as well. Taking pictures of the vintage clothing is challenging since I sold my dress form a few years back, but I'm working on it.

As for pricing...I simply can't price my goods at the cost of materials, though it seems a lot of folks on Etsy do that. Methinks if they started calculating their costs and the worth of their time, a lot of them would realize they're actually losing money. It also degrades the value of the other product on the site, which is unfortunate. Never undervalue the worth of your time and your creativity. You have to factor that in, or what is the point of making stuff to sell?! It's all about perception of value. We're building e-commerce for my website and when it's ready, I'll be selling directly to you and bypassing the crowded online craft bazaar sites. I used to own a bead shop and retail gallery and I have a keen eye for the unusual and the things that will be trending in the not so distant future. Trust me, I don't know why, but I just know.

Photo Courtesy Suze Weinberg

CHA was a whirlwind, as always. It's a lot of networking, smiling, glowing like a 100 watt light bulb and connecting with the right people at the right moments. You want to make a splash, but not get everyone else wet. What I mean by that is, it's a process and it takes time to build a brand. The craft industry is filled with designers and consultants who have been working for a long time to build their brands, make their connections and get work. It's important to be careful not to stomp on toes in your quest for success. It's a balance, because you do want to stand out and be noticed. Genuinely connecting with the people who've already paid their dues is a good way to get to the next step. You simply never know when someone is going to ask them for a recommendation and if they like you and they believe in your sincerity and talent...well you're more likely to get work than the person who is only out for themselves. Conversely, when you can, it's important to pay it forward. I'm a big believer in the power of 'we.'

That being said, these are desperate times. People are feeling it. I'm feeling it. Yes, like everyone, I'm scrambling to make connections to get work and pay the bills. That doesn't mean I'm going to be ruthless. I believe that true talent shines and work will go to those that have earned it. I also believe in the laws of Karma.

Summer CHA was once a different trade show that was entirely paper and scrapbook focused and it's still more than anything a paper crafting show. I found a couple of gems in my travels around the show floor. Check out Viva Decor and Twisteez Wire.

Avalon Honorary Peabody Hotel Duckmaster with Duckmaster Dave! Copyright Margot Potter

The two best things that happened in Orlando were watching my daughter fulfill her "lifelong dream" to see the Peabody Hotel ducks. I arranged for her to be Honorary Duck Master on Friday night and she was positively radiant. She spent the next day by the duck fountain trying to figure out how she could live at the hotel like Eloise at the Plaza! Then one of my best friends from High School (really we're more like sisters) happened to be staying an hour away, so she drove over and we met for dinner and drinks one night. She was even willing to sport a tiara! Yay Tam!

Madge and the gorgeous and brilliant Tamara Johansen sporting tiaras! Copyright Margot Potter

I've got some good news! The folks from I Love to Create have asked me to start doing weekly Kid/Teen projects, so that means every Tuesday here at The Impatient Crafter blog will have a free craft project you can do with or for Kids or Teens.

Phew. Epic! Until next time...craft on with your bad selves.

xoxo
Madge

Shameless Self Promotion AND a Bonus Mixed Media Jewelry Project Idea

Peonies and Pearls Mixed Media Necklace Copyright Margot Potter
Peonies and Pearls Detail

Your regularly scheduled blog post has been interrupted so that we may bring you these important messages:

Everyday Artist’s Studio has officially launched and I’m their first Craft Celebrity blogger! You can visit their site to read my guest post and while you’re there poke around a little! Big thanks to Jenn Mason for asking me to participate.

Just another little reminder...I’m so excited to be appearing on The Balancing Act on Lifetime TV for the fine folks from Beadalon tomorrow morning talking about their products, jewelry making and showing how to make a quick and easy double needle ladder stitch bracelet. You can read a little blurb about the segment on the Balancing Act home page. The show airs from 7-9am daily so tune in! The three airdates are: 7/2, 7/17 and 7/21

I’m working on a full day co-teaching event with the Queen of Utee and the Designing Diva Ms. Suze Weinberg at her New Jersey studios on October 18th. Details to come soon!

I'm teaching two fabulous classes on the When Creativity Knocks Celebrity Craft Cruise this November! It's a great line up of teachers and events with a cruise to the Mexican Riviera!

We're nailing down dates for my Beads and the City tour and it looks like May of 2010. As soon as we have the dates confirmed, I'll send you the 411! Don't forget about the Crafty Cabaret Cruise with Brini Maxwell in October of 2010!

And now...we return you to your scheduled free mixed media jewelry project idea:

Above is a fun mixed media jewelry project I made a while back using general craft supplies mixed with jewelry making components. It’s a three layer tim holtz™ Grungeboard flower I die cut with my Sizzix Big Shot, this flower is BIG (3 inches big!) I painted the layers with Ranger paint dabber in pink and then stamped using silver paint dabber and edged with Krylon Silver Leafing Pen. The layers were glued together with fabric glue; but any porous surface friendly glue should work. I used a hot fix crystal applicator wand to attach the CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski Elements. I punched a hole in the center of the flower with my Crop-o-dile and threaded a head pin through creating a loop on the back I could slide on the beaded pearl section. Beadalon Quick Links, a small section of 49 strand .018 wire with wire guardians and crimp covers, CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski Elements crystals and crystal pearls were combined to make an open and airy asymmetrical design. I could have made it all chain or created a repetitive pattern, but I was feeling a funkier vibe to go with the larger than life flower focal. The key to asymmetrical design is to create balance and adding the dangling CRYSTALLIZED open circles achieves that effect. This is one of those pieces that absolutely comes to life when you put it on.

I love mixing unexpected elements together. I’m not a materials snob. In my world there are no rules. Rules...schmules. Try not to take it all too seriously, “life is an absurdist tragic-comedy and you are the star!”

Until next time...craft on with your bad selves.

xoxo,
Madge

Ranger U

I spent the past three days at Ranger University. I'm now officially a fully certified Ranger Instructor. It was three information packed days of techniques and products taught by crafty rock stars Tim Holtz, Suze Weinberg and Claudine Hellmuth. We learned, we played, we explored, we questioned...and in true Madge fashion I made a ton of glorious messes. We made manilla tags as we went along of many of the techniques for reference later. A lot of folks made pretty tags, embellishing each one perfectly into a miniature work of art...but every technique made me wonder...what if I did this...or that...or added this? Therefore I have a bunch of pretty ugly tags...but a brain full of great ideas. Since I don't have to hang my tags up a store, it's okay! I took a ton of pictures...which I'd love to share...but I left my camera there. Oops. I promise to share later...scout's honor!

Ranger U is a three day 9-6 intensive overview of the Ranger product line. You leave with product and with ideas and fully certified. You learn synergistic techniques that integrate a variety of products you can apply to your specific disciplines. It's an amazing experience! You can go here to read more and to apply.

I was completely exhausted at the end of every day. It was so much information to process and I literally collapsed in my hotel room after dinner at around 9 each night. I'm still exhausted today, but there are a lot of ideas percolating in my brain. I wish they sold everything in gallon sizes, because I'd like to distress my furniture and my walls! I want to crackle and ink my supply drawers, emboss and paint my new TV stand...color wash my curtains...I'd distress the whole house if I could! I'm sad my new book isn't mixed media focused, because I've got some great ideas for making beads and jewelry. The bonus for you is that I'll be sharing them here and in my videos. I find it hard to concentrate on stringing beads these days when there are crafty potions to be brewed and new mixed media techniques to discover.

Thank you so much to all of the wonderful folks at Ranger for inviting me back. Thanks to Tim, Suze and Claudine for the creative inspiration. Big thanks to Patti and Mario for all of your hard work supporting the classes. Thanks to Robin Beam for introducing me to the wonders of Ranger products. It's kinda like Willy Wonka with crafty products instead of candy...which is like all the best stuff wrapped up in one glorious three day weekend!

Until tomorrow...craft on with your bad selves!

xoxo,
Madge