Black Friday...

Ok world.....


What would you most like to see on "special" for my Fartsy Arts' Black Friday Sale????


hmm....

Free shipping?
BoGo?
Percentage off??

Help ME...Help YOU!!

Weird Wednesday!!!

This post is TOTALLY credited to my lovely friend (which I am sure she will love) Amanda L. of Love Your Body Detroit - a non-profit organization bringing awareness of fat hatred and stigma to our community in Detroit, MI.

Amanda and I clicked right away when we met..well at least I thought we did. I remember she had this awesome t-shirt on that was screen printed to look like there was a banana in her pocket. A T-Shirt says a lot about a person's personality and I dug it.

We met during boot camp for the Detroit Derby Girls. Sadly, I never got to really knock her down (which is not meant to be violent.. it really is a compliment to want to do that to someone) but we bonded over a John Mayer concert and have been friends ever since.

Why am I giving you all of this back story? Well, it is to clue you in on some of the craziness that happens when we get together. There are lots of laughs, weird subjects that are discussed, serious subjects, and usually beer or sangria (which never really helps, haha!)

Amanda does a lot of activism within the community.

Where you can find her:

Tumblr
Website
Facebook

I highly encourage you to check her out!!!!

Now.... moving forward to the weird part of the post. The other night we were Skyping (which I am totally obsessed with since I am now living far from everyone these days) and she told me to Google something. As I was typing I hear her roommate scream in terror as if what I was about to watch was going to be so horrible!! I can't lie and say that I wasn't scared. There have been times where my "friends" tell me to watch something that has scarred me to this day. But, this was not of them. This video actually almost made me soil my pants from laughing so hard. It combines whacky, weird, awkward, and a whole lot of other things that can't really be put into words.

The video features Joy Nash who runs the Fat Rant Blog. I love her confidence, her humor, and her message.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are a child...under the age of 13.. you should not watch. NOPE. I can tell if you are.
Fair WARNING.



To those who have already seen this and it's old news, well, you are cooler than me.

Cheers!
Casey

Ah!! I am back on track!! I swear!

The last several days threw some unexpected curve balls towards me so I sincerely apologize to anyone who waits in anticipation for the ramblings of moi!

I am back, with a dented bank account, thanks to my jerky car who waited until I moved halfway across the country to throw a little hissy fit... well two hissy fits. I have been dealing with jumper cables, tow trucks, language barriers, and well, a lot of other stuff but I put my big girl panties on and I am back in action.

Let's catch up with a little late but better than never post about our Monday artists! Shall we??

{ONE!}

Yee-Haw Industries - Letterpress!!!!
Knoxville, TN

Etsy Shop - Website

They say, and I quote, "All Letterpress, All The time." Really, really great stuff. The one thing I regret about our Knoxville, TN trip is that we never got to their store.
So sad.

{TWO!}

Miss Fitt
North Carolina

Website

This artist has some really amazing items. She was positioned across from me at a holiday show one year and I just had to stare (and visit, a lot) at her work all day. I am pretty sure I just kept trying on a things but can't pull it off as well as this gal.


I have been seeing a TON of adorable little baby and kid things ALL over and I can't help but koo and oogle and awwww and get the urge to PINCH something!!! These craaaazy cute pieces are fit for that special wee one in your life. What kid WOULDN'T want an awesome pirate hat or the chance to turn into an amazing animal.

I love the sneak peek into her work space as well... check out the website!!!

{THREE!}

Sweet Mess
Asheville, NC
Etsy Shop

More owls?? OK... you got it!!

Lovely!!!

Gorgeous prints and affordable so that anyone can have their walls adorned with these fantastic mixed media artworks. I love the bright colors in this one.

This one is less vibrant and almost haunting. Such beautiful animals and beautiful work.

Hope you enjoyed this weeks artists!!

I will be on top of things the rest of the week. Girl scouts honor.

Cheers!!!

What is the weirdest thing YOU have seen??

Be prepared to go down a couple different roads in this post.. I don't exactly know where I am going but I hope it's interesting....

I hope that you visited Kelly's Recipes yesterday, if not, please do. There are lots of yummy things on there. I guess after browsing some more myself, I got really hungry. I even completed the Best Food Ever TV series narrated by the lovely John Goodman. I was excited to see that one of my FAVORITE food carts here in Austin was high on the top 10 list of food carts in the country! They even featured my FAVORITE....Chicken Cone!!

OK..OK.. before I start to drool more thinking about food, on to the weird and wacky thing(s) I found for today. Now, let me first say that with the D.I.Y. movement that is happening across the nation, there are very few things that actually surprise me. I have seem some pretty weird things. This, is not so weird.. but I like it.

This funky little number comes from artist Joy Kampia. If you visit her site, you will find a few other "food" outfits as well as some really well done crocheted food items...Makes ya hungry!!

I want to wear a hamburger!!

I think this post is going to take a turn. While I love the hamburger dress...I think I can do better. Digging through my noggin to think of something wacky that I have seen, I remembered this little (OK..not so little) show in Hudson, OH.

My lovely friend Lori of Basement Art Creations referred me to this show and I convinced one of my besties to get to work, make some inventory, and share a booth with me. We drove, in a BLIZZARD and through tons of construction to get to this hotel that was in the middle of no where.

We set up at Oddmall this past holiday season, and well, the name fits. One vendor that definitely stood out was a woman who had taken old porcelain dolls and turned them into zombies.. as if those collectible porcelain dolls aren't creepy enough. I scoured the Internet to try and find this vendor but it was no use..I couldn't find her BUT I did find these which make me giggle...

This is artist Jessica Harrison. I encourage you to take a look at her site. There you will find not only these dolls, but she has these unbelievably creepy pieces of furniture that looks as if they were made of skin.

I am intrigued, yet disturbed at the same time.

THAT is what makes a good piece of art.. mixed emotions!

Happy hump day folks!

Tasty Treats for Tuesday

So here we go...bringing a fresh new topic for Tuesdays!

I wanted to expand the topics on my blog because while I love posting about art, I think there are many forms of art and Tuesdays are dedicated to the art of cooking, eating, creating, baking, and all things FOOD!!

I am very excited to introduce my first feature to you all.

I met Kelly of Kelly's Recipes back in 2005 when we both became AmeriCorps members with DownriverCARES in Southgate, Michigan. If you don't know, AmeriCorps is the domestic version of Peace Corps. Kelly and I both served local Head Starts where we were responsible for parent/child interaction groups and running a Family Resource Center and we were expected to complete community service every Friday.

I think this photo says a lot about dedication and determination......AND, they got the bush out.

Kelly has amazing leadership skills, motivation, and always has a smile on her face. There were many days where we were doing community service and felt as if we couldn't finish our work because of exhaustion and Kelly was always there cheering us on. After her service with our AmeriCorps chapter, she found her way to AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) as a Team Leader, where she served areas in the gulf such as New Orleans, dedicated to clean up and rebuilding.

Kelly now teaches in Chicago public schools and I am always excited to see her fundraising posts as she helps her school and her classroom get valuable materials for the kids to use. She is a huge inspiration and now with her website, she has added another thing to her resume.

She is still serving her people, now it's just through our bellies!!!



Here is what Kelly had to say about her new website, Kelly's Recipes:

My love of cooking has grown in the last few years. Being a pescatarian (a vegetarian that eats seafood) I love to experiment with new vegetables and continue to get new ideas. Lucky for me I started dating a computer programmer and Kelly's Recipes began. Not only is Aaron my web developer he is also my food critic.

Kelly's Recipes is a great way for my friends family and I to share our favorite recipes with each other and the world. One of our most shared recipes is http://kellysrecipes.com/cookie-dough-brownies. They are a must try! This fall I have been experimenting with many different fall foods some of my favorites so far include pumpkin alfredo, and apple butter. There are many more to come!

If you have any delicious recipes that you would like to share or any suggestions feel free to send a message on Kellysrecipes.com

Happy Cooking!
Kelly





Hope you all find some fabulous recipes to share with you and your loved ones...great for the upcoming holiday season!!!

Cheers!!
Casey

Monday's Featured Fabulousness.....and we're back!

Welcome to week three of me sharing some of my favorite shops with you...just in time for holiday shopping!

Let's get started!!

{ONE!}

Sweet and Dirty's Emporium of Good Stuff!!
Knoxville, TN

Etsy Shop

These one-of-a-kind creations are perfect to spruce up any outfit. The color combos and the layering of fabrics is so funky, I love it! They offer several color combos and no two are the same. Best of all, these fabrics are being recycled into a mini work of art!!

They offer another style for those who like more "simple" designs. These are anything but simple, with the lovely geometric detailing, and limited color palette, these are sure to make a statement!

Be sure to visit Etsy to view Sweet and Dirty's shop and to see where else you can find them on the web!

{TWO!}

Pixey Meat
Detroit, MI

Etsy Shop

This shop from Detroit has everything you need or could want when it comes to funky!
Have you been looking for a tooth pendant? {they got it!}
Love steampunk? {they got it!}

Sparkly, creepy, and kitschy, this shop has it all.

{THREE!}

artyes
Asheville, NC

Etsy Shop
{more stuff on her website}


I am a HUGE fan of mixed media art.
I love the textures, the colors, the layering of different media. It gives me tingles....really, it does.

Maria of artyes has amazing talent and creates beautifully balanced artwork that has fabulous color combinations and wonderful use of pattern. Combine that with a variety of subject matter and you can't stop looking at each piece.

Make sure to visit her website to see her gallery of work.

Hope you enjoyed this weeks artists!!

Time for a re-cap and to get back to blogging!

Hello world!

I feel like it's been forever, but it's really only been a couple weeks since I last posted. I feel guilty for missing my Monday Featured Favorites last week but with all the Halloween excitement, who was really sitting at home reading a blog, right??

As you may, or may not, know..I have relocated to Austin, TX! I am officially settled in. Peanut is loving his new room {that has LOTS of sunlight}, I am surrounded by furry creatures in my new home, {the good kind..like dogs and bunnies...and chickens, and birds. Not like gross rats or anything.}

I would love to share some of the excitement with you!!!

This is Peanut traveling halfway across the country.
He is a tough little dude who is well traveled.

This is Mr. {Meeeester} Bunny.
He lives in the backyard along with Mama bunny. {not pictured}
He has the most velvety fur. EVER.

We stayed at the landmark Austin Motel on Halloween Night.
{not my photo} but this is EXACTLY what it looked like.
It was a funky, and cheap, little place but they don't have beds for big people.

This little funky joint is one of mine and the beau's favorite places for breakfast and yummy food.
Don't forget the scrumptious coffee too!!

THE MIGHTY CONE!!!! Food Cart style.
It is definitely Mighty and YUMMY!
This little cone is an Asian crusted chicken with Asian slaw and fried avocado in a tortilla.
Fabulous root beer too!

The view of downtown right along the river walk that just happens to be MINUTES from my home.

I was lucky to find a pretty sweet living situation. I am in a home that previously served as a Bed and Breakfast called the Summit House. Owned by an outgoing, friendly, and very welcoming guy named David {who seems to know everything Austin} the place is filled with eclectic nicknacks from around the world, local artwork, pictures of Dali and Frida Khalo, a huge world map that has pins in places that his guests came from, 3 adorable pups, and a cute little bird.

He calls himself the "Well Traveled Chef" and makes things like this regularly.....

Find more about his food on my new Tasty Tuesday's blog posts.

This past Friday he hosted a small gathering he likes to call Pasta Party Friday's. This is where he plans a dish and dessert and invites his friends over. For a mere $10 {to help cover cost of ingredients} he cooks a gourmet meal for you. You can't beat that!!!

This dinner consisted of a Thai influenced pasta dish with carrots and spinach accompanied by an asparagus soup, fresh bread from the farmers market, and this DELICIOUS pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting. I got to smell it from start to finish..... a bit of a teaser if you ask me.

I am looking forward to seeing what else he has up his sleeve. I am trying to get him started on a blog.... fingers crossed he shares his wisdom of food with you!!!

Hope you enjoyed my little re-cap. As the days go by and I have new adventures in this city, more pictures will be posted.

Tomorrow I will be announcing some new and exciting changes that are happening to the blog in order to offer you some wonderful information about food, events, artists, musicians, the latest finds, and much, much more!!!

Have a wonderful Sunday evening!

Another Monday ready for fabulousness?

Happy Monday to you all!!

Today we have some lovely features. Let's go....

~ u n o~

Knockabout - knockabout.net
(Peculiar Pets)

I own a cute bunny that has a black eye and a bomb....totally reminds my of my rebellious Peanut!!

Using repurposed damaged vintage bedspreads and eco-friendly fiber fill that is 80% recycled plastic water bottles they make great gifts for kids or adults...I can attest to the adult part.

~D O S~

Jennifer Pilchak of Lilly Pea Designs - Shop Lilly Pea Designs on Etsy
(Greeting cards, invitations, stationary sets, and gifts!)

Here are just a couple of my favs from her wide selection of goodies.



cute!!



~T R E S~

Buncombe Buckles - Buncombebuckles.com

OK. So, I am not type of person that wears a belt. Let's just say I was not blessed with the body that can pull it off like this model...but these buckles make me want to wear belts everyday and MAKE it work!! I love the variety of designs.

My favorite is this mustard yellow buckle! I love circles..my favorite shape.. and I am currently OBSESSED with this color.


detail...
drooooool.....




Hope you enjoyed and remember:

Memories of a "victim"

TGIF!!!

Hope everyone is enjoying their evening whether you are at home snuggled in PJ's watching a movie, crafting, or out for a night on the town.

I am packing...and packing...and packing some more.....

As I dig through all of my material possessions, I am looking through old photos and thought I would share one of my all time favorite photos!!


I am sure I have mentioned my beloved Peanut before... (he even has his own blog:)

www.thisbunnyisbananas.blogspot.com


This was a photo taken for a featured article on Etsy that discussed the Sneak Attacks from the Handmade Movement.

I was supposed to look "surprised"... like I was caught working. Shhhh.. it is a little posed.. only a little. Peanut helps me make ALL of the important decisions when I work!


-The Sneak Attack-

This was such a wonderful surprise! I will give you the short story...

I had just re-opened my Etsy shop after neglecting it for a very long time, when I received this mysterious, and somewhat creepy, conversation from kitsandcaboodles:

"I know you dont know me but I'm sponsoring a sneak attack tonight and you were the chosen "victim"! Dont worry! Thats a good thing!

Go check out the thread we have going and get yourself ready! You might want to sit down!

Have a great night!
A"


Eeeep! I should sit down?? Woah.. what is this about!

I told my boyfriend that something exciting is about to happen!!! We had a chuckle and sat there a bit confused.

I had a feeling I would enjoy being a "victim."


I read the thread that came with the conversation, understood that basically the rules were this:

-an Etsy shop sponsors your Sneak Attack
-people purchase things from your shop.


The Handmade Movement is the home of the Sneak Attack. You can participate in helping new shops get noticed and start their business. It's fun! Whether you are a victim OR a customer.

(visit the link to see the latest "victims")


I sat down to my e-mail and watched the sales come in!!! It was a wonderful way to get my shop rolling. They all had the nicest things to say and were all so supportive. I participated as a customer to help a woman get her greeting card business going.

Win. Win.

The next attack is on the 24th. Go check it out!

again------> The Handmade Movement <--------- visit for details.


Read the rest of the article and see the other victims HERE

cheers!!

Monday's Featured Fabulousness.....

Good Monday to you all!!

The other day I announced on my Facebook page that I am going to start my Monday's off by featuring some talented folks.

I love going to shows and seeing all this talent and creativity under one roof. Unfortunately, times are hard and when I go I can never really buy much. If you have ever been a vendor at a show, you probably know that person that collects all the business cards and says,

"I LOVE your stuff!! I can't shop today but I will be back."

GUILTY!!!!! (are you guilty too?)

BUT, when I say it, I really do mean it.

I totally support indie businesses.

I love supporting local folks doing what they love.

In an effort to keep tabs on all of this talent that I run into, I have created a little catalog of businesses and shops.

(You may have seen this photo a few posts down.)

I now have 3 of these notebooks. You can see in the photo that there is some white space around the cards. This is (sloppily) done intentionally so that I can make notes if I ever see something that would be that PERFECT gift for someone. I can mark it down and be totally prepared for birthdays, holidays, and special events. (ha! Yea right) Good intentions, right? I always deliver, not always on time. Eh...

So... here we go:

~UNO~

Tracey Tilly - Studio Thirty Four
(Photography - Detroit Local!! woooot!)

Fab photos that feature some portraits and Detroit hang outs like the Garden Bowl, Majestic, and Northern Lights.

~DOS~

Lori Brown - Lori Brown Etsy & Blog
(handcrafted curiosities)


I own one of these cute creatures. So lovely!



Plushies too!!








~TRES~

Gabriel Shaffer - Gabriel Shaffer.com

(amazing paintings)
I love the colors and textures in these paintings!!!!
Visit the website to see soooo much more!





Hope you enjoyed and remember:

A little "Hump Day" funny

Thanks to a lovely friend making my day by sending this hilarious little cartoon.

I know my blog has been a little neglected lately but life has been a bit crazy with working, packing, two final shows, and now a bum knee. Hopefully things will get back to normal a little bit once I make a dent with packing all my stuff for the big move!!

I do have lots of things planned for upcoming posts! Stay posted..

Love .

It's Showtime! Gearing up for holiday shows- how-to's

Shows are personally the highlight of what I do. I am addicted to them. Finally, after 4 years, preparing for a show has become a little less crazy. I would like to share my story.

In September of 2008 I participated in my first show. When the call for vendors came out for the the first annual DIY Street Fair in Ferndale, MI I teamed up with a friend and we applied to share a booth. What did I just do? I had NO idea what doing a show meant. All I know is ever since I babysat a friends booth at the Detroit Urban Craft Fair one year, I wanted to do that. I wanted to have a booth, and sit there, with MY stuff.

The dream was about to come true. But it scared the pants off me.

In the upcoming weeks of the show, I remember having some freak outs that consisted of the following:
* do I have enough stuff?
* how do I display it?
* what do I charge?
* do I make business cards?
* do I have stuff for all types of people?

and the biggest.....
* will they like me?

My friend was kind enough to share some of her display items for my part of the tent. I had no branding so I had the worst generic tags...ever. My boyfriend designed some amazing cards which were so great so I was at least covered in that area. But, what if they didn't like my stuff?

I remember forgetting about my display and I went into this production frenzy. I made a list of everyone that may come and shop. I wanted something for EVERYONE. It was a bit overzealous, but I didn't care. I wasn't thinking rationally! I had turned into a mad woman that was overcome with excitement, fear, insecurity, greediness, anxiety, and exhaustion.

Then I remembered. This is my first show. It won't be perfect. I have to accept that.

It was also my birthday weekend. I was turning 26 and I decided that if it went horribly, then at least I would be celebrating something.

TIP 1: Relax. It will never be perfect.


This was my side of the booth. Notice the horrible white tags. They were handwritten, ugly, and frankly a pain in the butt to use. That large black hanging thing is a really old and ugly cork board covered in black felt, hung up with wire. I then used velcro to attach Ikea hot pads and stuck push pins in to hold the tags that earrings hung from. To add to the ugliness, I had a handwritten tag that stated the price of the earrings.

Horrible.

Fortunately...this turned out to be an amazing show. Both fun and very profitable, it started my addiction to showing my work.

TIP 2: Some type of "dig through" bin on your table

* Whether it is a bin of pinback buttons, clearance items, bowl of candy, who knows.......people want to "find" something. When my stock is low on key chains for a show, I will throw a bowl of buttons on my table and they are touched by everyone...and usually gone by the end of the show too.
My second show was the Detroit Urban Craft Fair that was hosted by Handmade Detroit. This is a pretty huge show for the area so my acceptance was exciting! The stress soon surfaced and the pressure of the reputation of this show began to weigh on me. Since DIY was throwing it's first fair, no one knew what to expect! But the DUCF is known for amazing vendors, lovely displays, and LOTS of shoppers! AHHH



Here I am at the DUCF in December of 2008. This time I had to condense my stuff down to one table and no space to hang.

One think that I learned is that people like to dig through things. Here is a tray full of keychains I made. They were basically gone at the end of the show. People loved to find that perfect one! It allowed them to feel and see them all, and possibly fall in love with a couple. These were at my first show and they went FAST!!



TIP 3: Packing display items - think HEIGHT and LAYERS

I have learned that having HEIGHT is important when displaying. To have some options when I set up, I usually invest in a ton of those cheap photo boxes that they sell at Michaels. Not only can I use the boxes to prop stuff but I can pack all of my stuff in them when I pack! Having options without a lot of extra clutter has proven to be very helpful. As you will see with the rest of the photos, no two set ups are the same.

Also, invest in a set of bed risers. This brings the table closer to people. I think I brought this up a couple of posts ago, but I think this makes a HUGE difference!


For this show I added some height with my earrings. In the past they were pretty low and unattractive. Now this big gold frame will attract some people.

Recently, I have been displaying my earrings on branches.

I created this tree-like structure for my earrings and have been told that people notice it from across the room. They zoom over to see what it is and if I am lucky, I sell a pair of earrings to them!



Layer display items and merch! It peaks interest and maximizes space on a table. If you sell jewelry, a mirror is a MUST! Once people see something on, they usually must have it!




TIP 4: Portable office

Some essentials you may need and should always have:
-notebook with blank paper. (I always have my notebook from Chicalookate. Mine is polka!)
-scissors - I got these Fiskars for a gift one year. All in one!!!
-calculator (I use Square on my phone or iPad)
-tape - scotch, duct, clear
-pins (safety pins or straight pins - I use these a lot when outdoors in the wind. Keeps my tablecloth from whipping around)
-pencils, pens, highlighters, SOMETHING! - ALWAYS have a red one for markdowns. (I like to mark some things down at the end of a show. Special "last hour deals". If you don't mark on the tag, you can create a sign! Great for last minute sales)
-extra tags
-camera - to snap a shots of your display and customers in your goods... for a blog recap perhaps?
-cooler - with nutritious snacks, water, lunch, etc. My fav. - AVOCADOS!
-tools - (Hammer, pliers, wire, nails, wire cutters, screwdriver with various heads) My table collapsed once at a show and thankfully, the fabulous Janna Bisset of Lilacpop had her handy hammer and nail which saved the day!!!
-something to work on! - bring some of your items to work on. People always come over to see what I am doing and I have even got custom orders at shows because I had my stuff there! It gives you something to work on during the slow times and also attracts people. It's fun too.. duh.
-extension chords
-table cloth(s) - Not office supplies but definitely important! Layer these for a fun look too!
-CHANGE - $1, $5, maybe some 10$
-receipt book

There are lots of great blogs that supply their ideal list of "Must have items." I am preparing for one of my last two shows in Michigan that happens tomorrow and thought I would share some of the things I have learned that have made shows even more fun to do. The key is to be prepared, be organized, eat a good breakfast with a good cup of coffee (or 2, or 3, or 4), get there early to set up, and HAVE FUN!!!


Some of the things I LOVE about shows:
- The giggles I get with some of the pieces. Nothing is more fun than hearing the giggles. I WANT GIGGLES!
- Face-to-Face interaction with customers.
- The chance to tell them personal stories about the pieces.
- Listening to their stories about memories that are triggered when they look at some of my work.
- Meeting other crafty people and making friends with so many talented folks.
- Networking and finding out about new shows and MORE opportunities for the future.
- Buying new goodies with my profits from the show and supporting other artists!

Let's face it. With the joy comes some pain. I hope this helps you prepare for a show in the future and makes things a little easier.