BUMP!

Yesterday was one of my best Etsy days ever. After doing some digging, I discovered that my Cricket Notecards were featured in Etsy's email newsletter "Etsy Finds". This is how it happened that I had 500 visitors to my shop yesterday!

You can read the full article and view items in four different international groups here.

Congratulations, my little cricket, and THANK YOU to Emily Bidwell for selecting one of my items.

a rose by any other name

Last week, the lovely Mei Gui Designs featured my "love" notebook in her gray-themed treasury. It's always so sweet to get a little note in my Etsy conversations letting me know that one of my items has been picked for a Treasury. It's a great way to discover new artists and get to know other Etsians.

Meigui is the Chinese word for "rose" so I knew right away that we'd have this - interest in China - in common. Then I discovered her shop - wow! - what a great collection of jewelry. Her prices are a total steal for such lovely pieces.

Julie is the brains behind Meigui Designs, and is mama to two daughters adopted from China. Maybe one day it will be my turn to adopt from the country that has meant so much to me, but for now, I'm just so moved by the families that have pursued adoption. Way back many lifetimes ago, I lived and worked at an orphanage in the Amazon region of Brazil, and those children made such a cellular impression on me. Would that every single child in this world would have a family to call their own. What a crime that this is not the case.

I will definitely be supporting MeiGui Designs. I particularly like these October Again earrings:

Thanks, Julie - so nice to meet you and discover your shop!

working it

Today, instead of spending the day wondering how to fit things in, I just sort of did it. This meant no down time when the twins were napping, and it meant an extra messy kitchen by late afternoon, but I got some solid things done!

I made my weekly trip to the post office to send Etsy mail out. I found the designs I'm going to print in a second print run and got them Xeroxed - this is one of the steps fors screen printing with a Gocco printer. Rather than spending the time required to clear myself a work space on the kitchen table (which is currently half-occupied by a baby blanket I'm making), I set up on the floor amidst all the toys and burned two silk screens. I also didn't manage to get it all put away before Max woke up, so he had a few brief moments of Gocco fun before I swooped in and moved my precious printer.

This weekend I'll be prepping to screen some double happiness fish kitchen towels. Hooray!

春节愉快 - Happy Spring Festival

Happy Chinese New Year!

Lest you be thinking "what's she talking about? Chinese New Year was TWO days ago," don't be alarmed! Spring Festival actually lasts for TWELVE days, so I've got plenty of time.

I swear, I had all good intentions of having a Chinese New Year, and New Year's Eve post. They were actually saved as drafts. My week got steamrolled halfway through, and I'm only just now starting to recover. Not that it was bad news, not at all; in fact, I'll be making happy announcements soon. For now, though, it's all wrapped up in shiny red paper to be cherished and savored, much like Chinese New Year!


Would you just look at this little peanut? This is the daughter of one of my awesome customers, who recently purchased the dragon papercut iron-on you see on Little Cutie's shirt. How cool is that? I used to always ask those who purchased supplies to send photos, but I gave that up after a while. So, this picture, left in my feedback, was a very pleasant surprise. A special thank you to her, for sending the pic and allowing me to post it here.

I think she looks perfectly prepared for some lion dancing and fire crackers!

So, Happy Spring Festival, all! The Year of the Rat is here!

介绍 - introduction - Field and Sea

It is with great pleasure that I announce a brand new Guest Artist at Bamboo Village Press. Field and Sea is an artist I've been admiring on Etsy for some time, and through a little bit of serendipity and lot of fortune on our part, she's joined the family!

Her contribution is a graceful bamboo notebook - offered to Bamboo Village Press as an exclusive design.

I had the chance to hear a little about Field and Sea. Here's what she had to say about her process and shop:

On an average day, I will: collect one peculiar texture; notice one shadow or sliver of light that takes my breathe away; walk twenty minutes, looking above eye level at least once; wonder why; think of cheese or chocolate, and most likely consume a piece; forget to defrost the fish; take a multivitamin; and use a semi-colon. Eating lima beans will never be a part of this list.

I decided to start Field and Sea as an outlet for the creation of all the art and jewelry and miscellaneous beautiful things that just can't be crammed into a day job.

As a result of a lucky set of fortunate circumstances, I met Celeste of BambooVillagePress and found out about this wonderful woman's inspiration for how all of us can help a little more.

Without further ado, here's the gorgeous notebook, designed and handmade by Field and Sea:


Learn more and check out all the elegant, stylish pieces at Field and Sea by visiting her shop:




A special thanks to Field and Sea, and to all of the other wonderful Guest Artists who have contributed to such an amazing first year at Bamboo Village Press and Bamboo Village Educational Fund!

Spotlight on BVP

It's fun to have a moment in the sun, isn't it? Things are going really well at Bamboo Village Press, and that means that things are also going well for Bamboo Village Educational Fund. For once, I'm excited about getting to the taxes, because then I'll be able to come and report to you how much we raised in 2007! Who would have thought that my little idea that emerged after visiting China last winter would have actually developed into something real? It amazes me.

I mentioned a while ago that I'm one of the featured artists on this month's Poppytalk Handmade Marketplace - very cool! It's packed with some amazing pieces, like wall graphics from One Up, these amazing cards I've been coveting for a while by uccello curioso, and even fine art pieces by eric leichty. If you've taken the handmade pledge, Poppytalk Handmade Market is a great place to bookmark and will make the sometimes overwhelming volume of items on Etsy much more manageable.

Tonight I switched around some of my items in the market, and this is what it looks like. Etsy doesn't provide site stats, so I can't tell how much traffic is being generated, but it's sure to be helping!

Meanwhile, Jen from Indie Fixx contacted me and made my day today by informing me that BVP is a pick in their Valentine's Day Gift Guide! What a treat - that was even better than getting a big heart-shaped box of chocolates! Look how pretty:

Indie Fixx is a celebration of the creativity, tenacity, and general
spunky goodness that is the indie design movement. The indie design movement
is made up of artists, crafters and designers who make
a literal smorgasbord of delectable indie products.
Once you shop indie, you’ll never go back.

Thanks to both Poppytalk and Indie Fixx for selecting Bamboo Village - it means a lot to me personally, but even more, the attention helps Bamboo Village Educational Fund, and that's what it's all about!