Spring Happenings...

i've been as busy as a bee, soaking up as much of the burgeoning spring season as i can and celebrating it!  it's funny really, because it seems like just last week that i was quietly pining for the snow mounds to melt and the skies to turn blue...and all of a sudden, my wish came true! 

sparkling new bunny ornaments for sale in the shop

plenty of new items have been added to the shop to help you bring some spring sparkle to your home this season.  i've been glittering eggs and ornaments, and birthday party hats are getting hot again as well!  i attribute my recent 'spring' in creativity to the return of the sun.  i feel like i have a million ideas for new pieces and product lines, but just not enough hours in the day.  so, i make certain to have my sketch journal attached to my person as much as possible so that i can jot down ideas or sketch out possible designs.

having a smart phone handy is awfully nice too, since i can take pictures of nearly anything that inspires me (like the crocuses that jack and i snapped above when out on our walk this afternoon), but my impulse is usually to reach for a pencil and my pad before reaching into my pocket to grab my camera phone...i swear there is something inside me that makes me want to resist actually using technology in my day to day.  i mean, i'm aware of all the great apps and programs and websites and gadgets out there that could help me streamline my business and my creative process, but i spend my days imagining the past and trying to replicate it in the present...sometimes it just doesn't jive, you know?  lol...

however, i will admit that i finally broke down and embraced the wonderfulness that is QuickBooks...and, i'm pretty happy to declare that it has saved. my. life. it took me two very long, arduous weeks of receipt organizing and data input, but it feels sooo good to account for everything i've done thus far with The Crepe Confectionary.  it makes me feel legitimate as a business owner, and it allows me to measure my successes and failures in a very meaningful way.  i'm still getting the hang of the program's user interface, but i have found features that i love, such as reports that show me how much each of my customers has spent with me or tallies of how many of each product has been sold.  if you're a crafter ready to take the plunge and make your 'biz' official, i highly recommend procuring yourself your own QuickBooks account.  you will thank me for it, trust me!

a 1st birthday cutie in her Crepe Confectionary party hat

spring is also bringing with it a ton of new opportunities for The Crepe Confectionary, both creative and financial.  for instance, i'm in the midst of a number of photography projects with a couple of photographers from around the country, wherein my creations will be featured in various shoots.  i'm thrilled about these creative collaborations, and can't wait to expand my horizons as a folk artist.  i was also very pleased to be informed recently that my work has been featured on Meyer Imports' blog site.  if you're not already familiar with Meyer Imports, i greatly encourage you to take a clicky-click on over to their site.  this import company is responsible for bringing us some of the highest quality glitters around, and i am proud to say that they are my main supplier of german glass glitters.  they carry a number of other crafty items as well, such as small diorama kits, mushrooms, and scrap pictures. 

Meyer Imports silver glass glitter, the highest quality glitter i have found

and in one last, final bit of news, i have begun playing with my tumblr account.  if you're not aware of what tumblr is, head on over to tumblr.com and have a look see for yourself.  its a 'micro-blogging' platform that allows you to quickly and easily post pictures, videos, links, quotes...anything, really.  its a more visual platform than a regular blogging site such as blogger or typepad, and i like how i can post things there that inspire or interest me, and i don't have to feel obligated to write a blog post to accompany it.  you can find me here:

crepeconfectionary.tumblr.com

what i post on tumblr is what makes me smile, giggle, gasp, think...its all the stuff that sometimes isn't fit to post here...lol. 

i hope you are all finding ways to welcome spring into your lives...may you feel refreshed and invigorated!

cheers!

handmade confections for your valentine crafting...

while a lot of people argue that valentine's day is just a 'hallmark holiday', created and manipulated to drive up greeting card and gift sales during an otherwise retail-starved period, i happen to find this particular holiday rather charming...primarily for its long and rich history of ephemera.  i would be willing to bet that there has been more paper ephemera created throughout the last century and a half or so for this holiday than any other, including christmas.  a simple google image search for 'vintage valentine' should prove my point.

An example of a vintage valentine's day die cut and crepe decoration.

i am also really charmed by the history of valentine's day, especially the evolution of our traditions and rituals for this holiday.  it is just as long, varied, and culturally specific as halloween, and i find that incredibly fascinating.  so while you may already know that we celebrate the holiday to commemorate St. Valentine's death -- and St. Valentine, by the way, is believed to be the patron saint of love and romance, since he continued to perform secret marriages for lovers in defiance of a decree of celibacy by the reigning roman emperor of the time -- you may not know that the earliest known valentine was given by the Duke of Orleans to his wife in 1415.  the tradition of giving a small token of love or affection to one's beloved continued to gain in popularity throughout the following centuries.

before the age of industrialization made printed materials such as cards and postcards widely available to the masses, valentine's were mostly made by hand.  and it is for this reason that i indulge in the idea of 'celebrating' valentine's day -- this was a practice that spanned all social classes and pervaded more than a few countries and cultures.  no matter who you were, rich or poor, upper or lower classed, male or female, this was the very concept of the 'thought counting' in action.  whether it was a hastily written poem, an elaborately trimmed card, or a frilly box of sweets, it was significant that one took the time to acknowledge their love for one special person...(sigh).

valentine trims and kits are now available in the shop. click here to browse!

so on that very note, i would like to announce the addition of some wonderfully romantic and frilly confections to the shop that should help you sweeten your valentine's day love-making.  hand sewn crepe paper ruffles, crepe paper fringe, crimson hearts, and vintage images...its everything you need to create something lovely for your love.  in the coming weeks, i will even be adding some DIY kits and tutorials, containing all the supplies to handcraft your very own Crepe Confectionary original for the holiday!  check the shop often for daily additions, and watch the blog for how-to's on some of my tried and true techniques.

until next time,

CHEERS!

a little peek...

a nautical themed birthday banner for one very lucky little boy...

(and yes, that is burlap and seersucker you see! i work with fabrics too!)

glass glitter whales for hanging...
(its going to be one 'whale of a time', don't you know...)

and some very sweet cupcake picks...

(monograms in the works too...)

i've been up to my elbows in glass glitter and crepe and fabric...and loving every moment...hope you're all off revelling in some creativity of your very own...

this just in...

these pretty silver dresden numbers...

and these lovely silver dresden letters...

and these sweet aqua doves...sigh...

AND!..this! the sparkliest, shiniest, most superb german glass glitter!

and its all available for you now in the shop! i am so excited to be expanding my ICING ON THE CAKE line of vintage inspired embellishments and supplies for all of your own confectionary crafting cravings! i can't wait to share all of my ideas for using these vintage charmers with you very, very soon!

drum roll please!

INTRODUCING, THE 'ICING ON THE CAKE' LINE BY THE CREPE CONFECTIONARY!

i wanted to drop in for just a moment so that i could share some exciting news! in the coming weeks, i am going to be introducing a new line of handmade crafting and decorating embellishments in the shop. you can expect to see the sweetest of crepe paper ruffles, the sparkliest of glass glitters, and the most whimsical of vintage bits and baubles for all your creative pursuits. i call it the 'icing on the cake' line because it consists of the very bits and pieces i handcraft or gather for use in my own artwork...you know, the sweet little details that really add that final touch to a piece.

so now you too can add some vintage charm to just about anything! i absolutely love crepe paper, and i fold and gather it into almost any imaginable machination. and i use it almost everywhere...gift wrapping, party hats, banners, costumes, as garland on my tinsel tree, and even on the edges of my shelves. it adds just the right touch of antiquated charm, no matter what the use. i even go so far as to create my own fringed festooning, reminiscent of the kind once seen in the old Denison Crepe Paper Company's 'Bogie Book'. and yes, this too will be available for sale in the shop, should you be so tempted...

i will even be offering confectionary kits, including do it yourself party hats and other holiday items, for those of you adventurous enough to give yourself a sweet tooth. i don't know about you, but i love disappearing into my craft cave to toil away on something frivilous. i suppose i want to share that sense of respite and whimsy with those of you willing volunteers out there...enjoy the experience, revel in the process, spend time on the tiniest of details, smile at what you accomplish.

so tie an apron on, grab your glue gun, and let the glitter fly!

spring fever

when i was a little girl in grammar school (second grade, actually), i wrote an impromptu poem entitled 'spring fever'. somehow, the nun who was the principle at the time saw it, and decided it would be a good idea to have me read it to the entire school over the intercom...right away.

and thus began my public speaking career...lol. i was reminded of this little episode when i noticed not one, but four (!), robins in the tree outside my house this past week. what a welcome sight! one of the things i love about living in a place like buffalo is that we get to experience all four seasons. while my favorite is fall, i really look forward to watching the transformation that occurs as each season fades into the next. thankfully, big, scary, snowbound buffalo enjoyed a mild winter, and now, it looks like we are about to begin our spring...thank you, mother nature!

so with this unexpectedly early visit from spring, i've been a busy chick...spring cleaning? check. seedlings started for the garden? check. easter items for the shop? check. now, if only the sun would keep melting the snow in the yard, i can begin my spring cleanup outside too...

in the meantime, i have enough custom orders to keep me happily busied in the studio. a couple of weeks ago, i was invited to a birthday dinner for my very good friend's mom. not wanting to show up empty-handed, i decided to whip up a birthday party hat just for her. well, it was so well-received, i decided to post it in the shop. that led to three custom orders in a matter of days! needless to say, i think i need to get to work on expanding my birthday line a lot sooner than planned.

amongst these custom confections was a frilly, pink birthday banner for a little girl named 'olive' and a new, sparkly 'happy birthday' banner (also for olive...boy, that girl is going to have one heck of a birthday party!). both are available through the shop, so stop in and take a peek. the frilly 'olive' banner was very much like the one i was commissioned to make for a surprise family reunion a few months ago for a dear customer in texas. she had just located a long lost sister, and she wanted to surprise her with a custom confection for their first meeting. i was so touched and honored to be able to participate in such a momentous occasion! in fact, i thought i would share with you a picture of lee with her sister carla...

needless to say, i admit that i am suffering from a serious case of spring fever...the sun is shining, we can see more blue skies, and i am itching to get outdoors. what about you? are you jonesing for the sunshine and fresh air like i am? do you have any special rituals or practices that you do to ring in the season? do you like to change up your decor, like i do? are you in the midst of your winter sowing for the garden?



whatever it is you do, wherever you are, i hope the sun, the warmth, and the flowers find you soon...

hello, 2010...

for those of you who haven't lost interest yet and are still checking in, i thought i would drop in and leave a quick post to get you all up to speed on what's been going on for The Crepe Confectionary...

christmas sure came on like a freight train, didn't it? it seems like just a few weeks ago i was still raking leaves and carving pumpkins, enjoying the final sunny days of our indian summer. i started the noel season with a ton of ideas for products and projects for the shop, but found that there just wasn't enough time available for a prolonged 'exploratory' process when it came to designing new pieces. therefore, i found it necessary to organize my christmas line so that i had a handful of pieces varying in size, detail, and price point. i made certain that i had a small items, such as ornaments that could be used for display on the tree or as extras on gifts. there were also some midsize pieces, such as fancy word banners and tussie mussies. i even designed and handcrafted my own version of the Eiffel Tower, bathed in glitter and adorned with a crepe rosette. in fact, many of the pieces in my christmas 2009 line were french-inspired, and if you're at all interested, you can still view them in the shop to your right. and then finally on the more involved, and therefore more expensive, end of the line, i crafted some larger, vintage inspired "Putz" style christmas village houses. there were snowy little cottages atop boxes covered in vintage sheet music, as well as larger scale glittered houses and a chapel complete with their own charming little scenes.

the christmas season was also remarkable for The Crepe Confectionary because it participated in its first exhibition/show. while the show was by no means a large scale, full fledged craft festival, it did provide me with an invaluable first time experience as i begin this journey into the craft fair world. the buffalo indie market (buffaloindiemarket.com) is a monthly gathering of local artisans and vendors in a relaxed, casual atmosphere (a brewery, actually). one saturday a month, buffalonians can shop the wares of smaller, independent artisans while sipping alcohol. this, in my humble opinion, is just pure genius. participating was definitely a stress i did not count on for the christmas season, but i am thrilled that i was given the opportunity to set up shop and put myself and my little confections out into the world amongst such talented and wonderful people. it really gave me a sense of community and belonging to something bigger, and i think as an independent business owner/artisan, that is so very necessary. sometimes whiling away in the studio can get lonely, and just plain isolating...

and so, i will try to pick up where i left off...i have a ton of resolutions for the new year, both for myself personally, as well as for my business. i strive to develop a solid business plan...research and apply for grants...establish and stick to a more sensible work routine...refine my packaging...design my show space/experience...and finally, participate in at least five craft shows this year.

tall order? probably, but i think its doable. and really, its necessary. if i am earnest about pursuing this ambition of mine, i need to treat it with all seriousness. so in this coming year, i need to determine if -- and just how -- viable The Crepe Confectionary is...i need to know if i can support myself, at least at some point in the near furture. that, my friends, is my measure of success...