Renegade!

 All of a sudden, it's almost time for my Renegade adventure. Next weekend I'm selling in SF, then I'll drive down to LA for their fair the weekend after that. Eek! I'm having a pretty good time making tons of new stuff; I hope folks like it. Around this time before a show, things start to get pretty messy and it looks even more like a rainbow barfed in this tiny house.

This is what the dining table looks like today. I'm pretty happy about it.

BE THERE.

I love doing this show; aside from the education, it's one of the best things about CCA. Can't wait 'til Saturday!

I'll be doing this awesome event on Sunday; please stop by if you're anywhere near the Bay Area. It's different from the usual craft show in that there are bands playing all over the place, and I've heard talk that there will be a bounce house and other kid-friendly activities this year.

My booth will be huge and I'm trying desperately to fill it with treats; I just got a bunch of insane new vintage celluloid charms in the mail. They will be getting glued to rings and clips tonight, so that by Sunday, hopefully they won't stink of E-6000.

Hello friends! I'll be spending the weekend at Fort Mason, chilling with my beloved friend Sue and vending my wares. Please come say hi if you are around; I demand it!

drawing by Mike Conway

As I sit here quietly drinking coffee and eating spoonfuls of Nutella out of a teacup, it seems mad to think that a month ago I was scurrying around like a chicken with her head cut off. I guess that's the difference between December and January. Therefore, I'm finally put together enough to share these highlights from a hectic December.

Sometimes your nail polish perfectly complements that of your bff's. Such was the case at this Big Sky Cafe brunch.

Amazing wrapping job by the amazing Erin; the rest of our family had issues this year, so we mostly threw presents into old Starbucks handlebags and haphazardly crumpled some tissue paper. Erin really stepped up to the plate; thank goodness!

A super-cool non-Starbucks gift bag from my mom; perhaps I exaggerated before.

Bathroom wallpaper at the Verdi Club in SF, where I did the Noise Pop Holiday Shop. I'd never taken a photo while sitting on the toilet before, but there's a first time for everything.

I got to hit Miette for one delicious moment. Magical!

My purses adorning the bookshelf at ISSUES during my pop-up shop! We had a great time on a rainy December night; I'm so lucky to live practially next door to a place that is so deeply awesome. They work hard to make this neighborhood more than a yuppie paradise by promoting really cool community-building events and by selling the finest selection of reading materials.

The lovely ladies of Fat Bottom Bakery! Not only are they adorably clothed, but their vegan baked goods are fantastic. I inhaled a wee Red Velvet cupcake, and it was divine.

My neighbor returned from his cross-country holiday vacation the other day, and said, "I hope my astral body catches up with me soon." I secretly laughed at the hippie jargon, but I know what he meant. I think a part of me is still in December.

Renegade Craft Fair!

Reunited and it felt so good! It seems like eons ago since Sue and I worked together at our beloved Finnegan's Toys and Gifts. But we immediately got back into our tag-team shopgirl groove a few weekends ago when we shared a booth at Renegade Craft Fair in San Francisco.

We both sold like crazy and had the best time doing it.

It didn't hurt that this was Sue's first West Coast show, and the California crafterati was clamoring for her beauteous creations.

We used to stand like this behind a counter for eight hours a day drinking coffee and shooting the breeze! Man, it was great.

Our cozy corner of Fort Mason.

These two days were truly the highlight of my year; it's hard when your dearest friends are scattered around the globe, but it makes it that much more magical when you get to see them again.

Pretty, Pretty, Pretty Penny

Last weekend I had the pleasure of spending the day with ten other East Bay crafters and artists in the Parlour Gallery loft at Pretty Penny, Oakland's favorite vintage shop! Here are a few highlights:

The lovely Monica of Wonderwear. Her work is delicate and really beautiful; just like her! I lusted after a necklace made with a triangle of vintage lace and gems, but foolishly left it behind. My life is a series of regrets!

Lauren Davis of CrookedSister organized the event along with fellow artist Bennykelly; above are Lauren's flowers and bowties, made from all vintage fabrics, many of which came from the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse, a resource that we are SO lucky to have in the 'hood. I got two awesome hair clips, but also coveted her hand-embroidered bags (she does everything by hand!). Here's me with my seashell hair clip along with my bunny earrings and my sexy tank from Queen of Hearts.



A rare tolerable side-view pic!



My space. It was fun to scale down from the previous weekend's monster space to my good old wee table. It was also divine that all my stuff was already packed and ready. If only it were always this easy!



Laureen and John are the proprietors of Volta Press, a printing studio that just had their open house yesterday! Their work is just seriously awesome, and their studio is cute and tidy, with butter-yellow walls and a kick-ass Vandercook letterpress. They take the art of letterpressing seriously and it shows! Dare I say that if I ever get married, I know who's making my invitations.


I fell in love with these earrings from It's Scrap, my booth neighbor to the left. They are made from scraps of bookbinding leather, and printed using the same kind of machine that prints book covers. Awesome, yes? Lara, the designer, is also a poet and a super-cool lady; I never thought that I could find jewelry emotionally touching, but there's something about her stamped phrases that really gets me!



I made a handful of excellent trades, including a gorgeous pair of bottle-cap bunny earrings from Lea of Salvaged Beauty, and two haunting hand-sewn notebooks from Allison of Abeo Bestia. My table was located next to these two hilarious ladies, and their good cheer made my day. Seriously, I have never encountered such a friendly group of ladies; it was a total party up there; we dished about exciting things like business licenses and sales tax and small-space crafting, which was great.

Below you'll find me yakking it up with Bess from Bird vs. Bird, a famous Etsian and fellow container-gardening, tiny-home-living, full-time-working, Yahoo-News-reading Oakland lady. Yes!



I just had the best time; from time to time a young man came around to serve us ice-cold beers, which may or may not have contributed to my epic slo-mo fall into a pile of my own purses. If that isn't a sign of a great craft show, I don't know what is. But seriously, this event was so well-curated and I left wanting to hang out with everyone again soon. I also sold a lot, which is always a bonus. Cheers to Pretty Penny, Lauren, Kelly, and everyone else who made last Saturday rock!

Not a fast learner...

Remember yesterday when I wasn't freaking out? Yeah, scratch that. I'm freaking out a little. So much to do, so little time! Like, seriously! This is the plight of a life-long procrastinator. I'm pretty sure that there hasn't been an time that I haven't procrastinated, no matter how important the event/assignment/job. I always wait until the last minute. And amazingly, I learn nothing from the disastrous results!

But I miraculously squeeze by every time, which should happen this time as well. I'm also really excited; I have a lot of new products and an all-new display, including my beloved pea-soup green school desk.

When I'm at work and I need to get things done, I like to listen to French 60's pop. When I need to do mindless busywork, I listen to stand-up comedy. Right now, I need to get things done, so here's a Scopitone of France Gall singing "Baby Pop," one of my nose-to-the-grindstone superjams.

I can't tell if this is the most boring video I've ever seen, or the most awesomely nuanced piece of film of all time. I suspect a little of both.

Let's do a vote; whose dancing do you prefer, the girl in the white dress, or the black?

Less than 48 hours until the big days. SO NERVOUS/EXCITED. However, I'm not feeling frantic. I spent last weekend being so edgy and crazy that I think I'm plumb out of panic, and have moved into a resigned (though I prefer to call it relaxed) state of mind. So that's good, right?

Last night we watched some episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation while I cut chain, glued feathers and charms onto vintage plastic hair combs, and ate a chocolate bunny left over from Easter. Multitasking?

Hey! I disappeared there for a while, having a strange, wonderful, painful, eventful birthday weekend. I swam in the ocean, saw Carrie Fisher put on a Princess Leia wig, ate fig & prosciutto stuffed quails, laughed a lot, cried a lot, received many greetings from friends I desperately miss, got my hair did and my teefs cleaned, and now I'm back to face the music, whatever that may be. Mostly, crafty catch-up!

I'm going down to Los Altos tonight to pick up this sweet old school desk for my display at Renegade. I don't like being behind a table; I feel hidden and also like I'm reaching and fumbling awkwardly all the time. So I thought it would be nice to be a little more accessible to customers, while still having flat space for credit cards, wrapping, etc. I've been scouring Craigslist for a good, affordable desk, and amazingly, this gem was still available. Isn't it cute?!

As usual, I'm scrambly and panicky trying to get Pollyannacowgirl stuff made in time, but that's the way I've always rolled, so why would it be any different now that I'm the big 3-0?

Highlights from Maker Faire!

I had a great time at Maker Faire this year, although it was all spent behind my booth, hawking my wares at Bazaar Bizarre! I'd never done a show of this size so I was pretty nervous to begin with; but everything ran smoothly. I made a ton of sales, met all kinds of amazing people, and learned a lot about what I'll do differently next time, which will be in a few short months at Renegade SF. Now for some pictures! I got a super-cute necktie cuff from fellow CCA grad and Oakland lady CC Star, who I hope to chill with in the near future. Mine has wee blue whales on it, but I also love this stegosaurs combo.

I traded one of my birdcage necklaces for a gorgeous ceramic cup with an otter on it made by the delighful and talented Hue Yang. Trading is one of the best things about doing shows!

I got a new Chickenpants from Absolutely Small, who is now taking up residence in my work cubicle.

Katy Kristin and I were suprised to meet the supplier of our German plastic mushrooms; I also met the designer of a polka-dot fabric used in one of my purses.

I met a new amiga, Polly Danger from LA. Aside from sharing a name, we have a lot in common and I was so happy to finally meet her! I'll be using this awesome coupon holder to keep my receipts organized.

The whole Conway family was enamored with Archicraft's product line. My mom bought a crocheted cowl for herself, the below bandana for my brother, a plastic doily, and I purchased a handful of charms and rings made from cast-off plastic architecture models.

Here's little old me surrounded by my stuffs. You can play a fun game called "Find the Giant Cup of Beer" in this picture. What a weekend!

A few summery updates in the life of Pollyanna!

Firstly, I was accepted as a vendor at this summer's Renegade Craft Fair in San Francisco! I attended last year (on my birthday) and it was by far the biggest and awesomest show I've seen. I got to pick out my birthday present from Peter there, and I found the perfect thing: this copper bunny ring from Ach Ach Liebling.

I'll have a 10 x 10 space, which seems huge to me! This will involve building walls, racks, and all kinds of display doohickeys. I've never had such a large space to use; if anyone has advice on how to make good use of it, I'd love to hear it. Can you get retail wire racks on the cheap? How the heck do you make those walls to hang stuff on? I'm defintely looking to spread out and unclutter, as I think my past tables have been packed way too tightly with products.

Doing these larger fairs is really taking it to the next level for me, and it's exciting/scary. I don't have nearly enough inventory right now, so I have to get crafting so I can sell, sell, sell!

Secondly, I was asked back to participate in the Mentor Artists Playwright Project this year! This was by far the highlight of last year for me, and I'm so excited to do it again.

I declare this summer to be awesome!