Maker Faire Bay Area
I’m so excited to say that I got in to the Bazaar Bizarre Craft Marketplace at the Maker Faire in San Mateo on May 18th and 19th. The Maker Faire, people! Details below.
The Maker Faire is a stellar event that mixes makers and artists demonstrating and sharing their knowledge. Don’t miss this one. It’s fun for the whole damn family.
Saturday and Sunday, May 18th and 19th, 2013
Maker Faire Bay Area 2013
San Mateo Event Center
1346 Saratoga Drive
San Mateo, 94403
Saturday 10am – 8pm
Sunday 10am – 6pm
Prices vary. Click here for tickets/pricing: http://makerfaire2013.eventbrite.com/#
In the past, I’ve felt really intimidated to apply to the Maker Faire. It seems so big and I’m already on Make’s website a few times a week because it’s one of the best things on the internet so it seems really big-time, you know? But a few months ago, my wife and I took a field trip to the Outer Sunset in San Francisco and paid a visit to 3 Fish Studios and met co-owner/artist Eric.
After introducing myself, we realized we had done quite a few craft fairs together and that he actually owns one of my Sutro Tower dish towels. We were talking shop and he asked if I was going to apply for the Maker Faire. Without even thinking about it a moment, I answered, “yes,” suddenly brimming with confidence, simply because he thought I could make it. On the one hand, I wish that the confidence came from within but damn it, I’ll take it any way I can get it. It was probably such and off-hand question from him and yet it was all I needed. Reminds me to always choose my words wisely because you never know when some random thing you say can affect someone else. It reminds me to be encouraging.
Patchwork Modern Handmade Festival in Oakland May 12th
This is a picture of the Patchwork Modern Handmade Festival Flyer that I have up in my cubicle (happening in Oakland on Sunday, May 12th). You see, I will be vending there and it is going to be very cool. Also, Jack London Square has a farmer’s market happening in the morning so you and the family can make a whole day of it!
Sunday, May 12th, 2013
Jack London Square Pavilion
98 Broadway
Oakland, CA 94607
11:00 am – 5:00 pm – FREE TO ATTEND
Bluxome Market On April 27th
I keep trying to tell you all how rad the Bluxome Winery’s market is and I will continue to do so! Here’s what you can get when you show up on Saturday, April 27th to 53 Bluxome Street from noon to 5:00 pm.
Cheese from Orland Creamery. They make some damn tasty cheese.
Beef jerky from Oaktown Jerk.
They told me that this is their most popular flavor.
Simply Mochi! These people sell an amazing array of flavors. I’d never had mochi before and now, I’m hooked. Delicious!
S’mores?! I mean, c’mon. Get thee to the Bluxome Winery market, people.
March Book Review
I read these books in March. Here’s what I thought.
The $100 Startup – Chris Guillebeau
This book was fun and it inspired me in a few ways. The author makes a good point about continuing to make little tweaks to your business, small improvements that can have big results. Plus, it gave me confidence to do something I’ve been planning to do for a long time: raise my prices. If you can ignore the over-enthusiastic tone (which I easily can) and you want to start a business or already have a business, give this book a shot.
Swerve – Stephen Greenblatt
Oh man, this book. Ok, the story was very compelling but the author’s was too smarty-pants for me. Big words don’t equal smart writing.
New Display Idea
Recognize my new print display fixture? It’s a dust pan head that I found in our basement. I hold my signs on there with magnets!
AIDS Lifecycle Dish Towel
I have a few friends that are participating in the AIDS Lifecycle this year. Now, many of you know that I like to ride a bike around town, often to deliver towels to stores or to go to the post office. It’s fun and all but me riding a bicycle from San Francisco to Los Angeles? I don’t see it happening. So, I give what I can and in this case, what I can give is a design where 90% of the proceeds will go to four riders of the ALC. Cute dishtowel, right? Click this link to view/buy and support these nice people: http://www.etsy.com/listing/128715842/alc-donation-get-awesome-bicycle-dish
Chairs Dish Towel
Yeah, I got new prints you should read about here: Paper Prints Are Here! but there’s no reason a design can’t go on both a print and a dish towel and that’s just what I did with my new “Chairs” design. To see a larger version of these images, just click the image itself. To buy one from my etsy shop, click here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/128178789/chairs-dish-towel-100-flour-sack-cotton
“Chairs” design. Gray ink on natural dish towel.
“Chairs” shown on natural flour sack dish towels. From left to right, red, gray, green and arctic blue.
Close-up of “Chairs” on white flour sack dish towels. From left to right, orange, red, gray and electric blue.
Close up of “Chairs” on natural flour sack dish towels. From left to right, red, electric blue, green and orange.
Paper Prints Are Here!
I’ve been working on developing a line of prints for months now and am so excited to show you what I’ve got. Click on the individual images for a larger view. All prints screen printed by hand in water-based ink on cardstock-weight, recycled chipboard and measure 8.5″ x 11″. They will arrive packaged individually in a biodegradable clear bag. That’s right, they make biodegradable clear bags. Who knew?
Sutro Tower – comes in red
Space Window – comes in red, electric blue and black
Chairs – comes in black, arctic blue, gray, pink, yellow, white. Also comes on a dish towel: http://www.etsy.com/listing/128178789/chairs-dish-towel-100-flour-sack-cotton
Close-up of Chairs design.
Design Advice – comes in gray, electric blue and red
Bluxome Street Winery Saturday Market
What’s that? You haven’t attended one of the Bluxome Winery Saturday markets? They happen the last Saturday of each month inside the Bluxome Winery, located South of Market in San Francisco. 53 Bluxome Street, to be exact.
You can pick up citrus from Twin Girls Farm.
Sosu ketchup!
Orland Farmstead Creamery makes the best cottage cheese I have ever eaten.
You can also pick up succulents or go for a full-sized terrarium from Crooked Nest.
And of course, wine! You can drink wine while you buy all those other things. It’s awesome and it’s happening this Saturday, March 30th from noon to five at 53 Bluxome Street in San Francisco.
