Thanks for The Best Season Ever!

Happy is the crafter who gets to watch her handmade items go into the happy hands of the faithful customers! Happy is the maker who gets to see her clients multiply each year!  Happy is the anxious salesperson seeing people remembering her products and wanting to buy more! I was the happy one this year. This holiday season I had tons of complements and very good sales beginning with two Clover  Markets along with a fall Art Star craft bazaar in a very special race car museum. 

The holiday season started off with "All Craft Considered" in the NPR building in Washington,DC. which was an amazing start! Then "Bazaart" at the American Visionary Museum and lastly "Holiday Heap" Charm City's Craft Mafia which had early bird tickets for the first hour. That first hour almost sold me out! 

An incredible season thanks to my incredible fans!! Thanks Again! I'm going to take a couple of weeks off to visit Family in England for the Holidays! Will post pictures when I get there! 

Amazing Happening Number 1 for 2013!!!!

Life is sooo amazing sooooo far for 2013! I got engaged in New Mexico over my Winter Holiday! My Englishman made me this incredible stone circle about balance. He asked me to help him balance a boulder on top of another. And luckily it did balance. And then, in the center of the circle he told me it wasn't a ring, but that it was all about balance and how I balance his life and then he did it...he asked me to marry him! And I cried with joy and of course, I said YES! Our trip was so amazing in this new landscape and frigid temperatures. We bathe numerous times in the hot springs, inside and outside. Snowshoed under the full moon on the volcanic plateau in the 2degree temperature...I didn't last too long. My painful hands made us turn around and come back inside. We finished our sketchbooks for the Sketchbook project ( all ready posted). And so this became amazing happening number 1 for 2013( even though it happened New Years Eve, I'm still counting it!)  More to come.
 Now enjoy the photos!

Holiday HEap THis Saturday!!

I hope to see lots of shoppers this Saturday at this year's Holiday Heap! If you have never been, you have no idea what you are missing out on! This show has never disappointed for people trying to find the most unique gifts! All diy vendors, all hand made! I included the map in case you wish to make your game plan early! Notice, I"m in the back room, along with some really really awesome and amazing vendors, so DON'T SKIP THE BACK ROOM!!! SO that's this Saturday, Dec. 3, from 10 to 5. At St. John;s Church, which is on the corner of St. Paul and 26th. Streets! See You There!

My New Home Holiday Style

I moved into Hamden in mid October and I am very happy to say that my house on Argonne Drive now has a contract and will hopefully ride on into a new happy situation. I have found this beautiful little row home on Hickory Ave. that I am renting for a nice little monthly fee. I have these gracious dreams of living this sweet little life, making my sweet little birdie bird products, living off of my makings and painting again, in another studio space one day. Yes, this is my retirement plan. On February 15, the county will mark as being employed by them for 25 years!!! AKA, I am hoping to retire in 5 more years. So the game plans is establishing my jennyjen birdie bird business and live a happy little life making people around happy when they see my fluttering, smart-alic birds. Any who, I am downsizing and learning to live as cheap as I can without sacrificing too much. And who knows, maybe this while scheme could work and I could even live a decent life doing what I want. I love teaching, but it really is beginning to wear on my creative soul.  But back to what I want to show you. I love this new sweet house My landlord has made this place a wonderful home with great aesthetic decisions and I have made a few changes in paint and added my decor and furnishing. Here is a quick peak of the living room with my fake Xmas tree! I believe you should either be real, or be really fake! I love my tree in this space. The space is small and thank god my mom has given me her organization of furniture skills so I could figure this out. 

In Memory of Sitting at the Kiddie Table!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!1 I had to post this pic of my siblings, cousins and I at our Grandparents house...way back when. In memory of sitting at the kiddie table! Thanks for all the good laughs and times!

The Owlies are Back!!!

Back this year for the Holidays...Owlie ornaments!!! I will be posting items in my shop after my three big holiday shows. I love the group shot..reminds me of the space toys in the claw game from toy story! If you wish to purchase before Dec. 5th. email me! jennyjen42@gmail.com.

New Birdy Bird Wallets

Another new product for this holiday season! No change wallets. Perfect for your cash and creadit cards!! Thin and small enough to carry in your pant pockets!

This isn't your grandma's toaster cover...more newness comin' up

Remember those days when every appliance in the kitchen had a matching cover? Grandma did...maybe even yo mamma does. So, here I go down memory lane again and created a new toaster cover design. Here's my first one. More to come and will be on sale for the holiday shows mentioned in the last post. Perhaps the kitchen aid mixer cover will be next!

New in the Sweatshop!!!

Backpacks!!!!!I heard your requests and I think I found a great solution for the needed backpack. Perfect for your short trips!!! Even more perfect for your half pints to grow into! Made of heavy duty canvas, cotton straps and felt applique birdy bird scenes! They will be sold at my holiday shows that include Bazzart (at AVAM,November 26 and 27), Holiday Heap , (Dec. 4,at St. Johns Church) and at the Merry Mart(Dec. 5, At Creative Alliance).

Happy Easter

Happy Easter ...had to post this photo of my sister and I back in 1966 in our Easter outfits that my mom made. I'm hoping we're going back to these days of handmade...home made outfits and simple traditions of the old photograph on the front steps of the house. Anyone else have a similar pics? Lets share.

Squidfire THis Saturday!

Yes, there's another chance to shop handmade for the holidays in the Baltimore area. The Squidfire Art Mart moves from its original location at the Lyric Theater to a larger arena, the DuBurns Arena on Boston Street in Canton.This event is this Saturday, December 12 from 11 - 6. This new space not only has parking but guarantees more vendors that get to have a 10 ' X 10' space! Look for more mini- boutiques instead of just table top stores! Members from BEST that will be participating in this show include greenstarstudio, dandelion blu, thebrokenplate, sugar paperie, sweetpepita, jennyjen42, Yummy & Company, worndress, jenmenkhaus, Lana Bella, JerseyGirlDesign, CEK Custom Designs, & Tlane.

All Organic Striped Scarf by Sweet Pepita

wavio the Knitimal by greenstarstudio

mini flower brooches by jenmenkhaus

Blue Bird Broken Plate Ring by The Broken Plate

Say Cheese :)

Ready for purchase this weekend! Fresh iron on patches and owl ornaments ready for the taking!

Holiday Heap this Saturday!!

Made it through Bazaart! Thanks to everyone who stopped by my booth! I had a great time this weekend and made lots of sales! Now onto Holiday HEap! I think this is one of my most favorite shows to be in! The audience is wonderful! All smiles and happy-go-lucky shoppers! How could you beat that for a day! I'm busy stocking uo my iron on patches and narrative pillows for this week. Will try to post picts this week ! In the meantime, lok though the vendor list and mark your favorites on your shopping list!

My Sweatshop Inspirations

Spent the entire weekend working in my shop with an exception for 3 hours of yard work on Sunday due to the absolutely beautiful sunny mild weather.I wanted to post a pic of my two biggest inspirations...my lucy sitting by the photo of my grandmother who I dedicate my entire jennyjen business to! I love this photo of her working in her garden with her dress and apron on.Such a hard worker and beautiful woman.....I am looking so forward to this holiday craft season which starts this weekend! Please visit the cut the craft facebook page to see all of the vendors. Looks like its gonna be a good one and jennyjen scored a front booth close tot he front door! I get to spend another Philly outing next to zooguu. Another Jen I should mention . We were neighbors at the Philly Squidfire show last month. I'm looking forward to spending more time with these guys! Speaking of Squidfire..look what these guys came up with for advertising for their show this year! How awesome! Looking forward to playing a little indoor soccer while selling some wares at the DuBurns Center in Canton.

Finished my Holiday Card for '09

After much thought and design options, here is what I came up with for this year's holiday card design. The photo was taken last winter by Patrick for our BEST etsy feature. The back simply has my craft show season's calendar. Email me if you would like to receive one through snail mail with your name and address.

I made it!Holiday Heap!

So I'm in Holiday Heap!!!!! And this makes my holiday schedule complete! I'll be at AVAM's Bazzart on November 27 & 28, Charm City Craft Mafia's Holiday Heap on Dec. 5, and Squidfire's Holiday Mart on Dec. 12......all in B-more.....all one right after each other....boy do I need a clone!

Darling Clementine..getting closer to my bib!

I have posted this picture, way back, of my cousin cathi and I at Christmas, I believe under my Aunt Anna's Xmas tree, and I am obsessed with the bib that I have on. When I think about happy times, and I had many happy times as a kid, I think of an aesthetic of products that (we're talking mid to late 60's, early 70's) completely represent that happiness to me.

IN my browsing of sites this evening, I found a shop, darling Clementine that comes very close to this aesthetic that I have learned to love since being a kid. I love these canvas bags as well as the camping card set. The card set Marionette comes closest to the lion on my bib and the monkey's on the box next to me. I still haven't figured out what that is. Anyone know, please let me know.
Out of Oslo, Ingrid Reithaug & Tonje Holand are the illustrators and designers of these wonderful products that bring a fun sense of spirit and nostalgia to the table. Visit their etsy shop here and their web site here.