Felt Up Tees

Mad Hatter

2008-10-08T17:51:00.000-07:00

I also have some new fun appliqued hats for fall. For some reason my pictures didn't come out very well, so I'll have to be retaking them sometime soon. I sold one at the Alberta Street Fair to a "tween"-aged girl & looked so adorable on her!

I love all the different patterns of blank hats I ordered!

The hats are supposedly one size fits all, but each one is a slightly different size. The only complaint I have with the company I get all my blank apparel from, is their inconsistent sizing. Frustrating! But, the quality & price are awesome, so I deal.

As you can see, I just couldn't quite get the hats in focus. Doh! Time for a re-shoot ;-)

I've been busy job hunting & interviewing, so I haven't been able to focus on my etsy shop as much as I'd like. I need to get my butt in gear before the holiday season is over!

Newly Felt Up

2008-10-06T21:32:00.001-07:00

As promised, I finally took some pictures of the latest Felt Up Tees items. I have some autumn-y stuff, baseball tees & sweatshirts, and some larger sizes -yay! Now I just have to get them listed on etsy!

Here's a size large sweatshirt with an atom design -

And a baseball tee with my little fawn. This one is a XL & my model is not, but it fits me really well - relaxed, but not overly baggy.

Last but not least, another sweatshirt. This one is hand stitched with red flannel diamond appliques. It's a XXL, so I have a much better variety of sizes now.

I have lots more, so I'll have additional show & tell pictures soon! I'm going to try to get everything up on etsy this week :-)

I Swear This Isn't Turning Into a Biking Only Blog ;-)

2008-10-02T23:28:00.000-07:00

I went for another bike ride today. I was back on the Springwater Trail again, but further west nearer to my 'hood in outer SE Portland. I biked down 92nd & connected to the trail there, rode east to 174th & looped around back home - about 14 miles in all. The trail is interesting in this section because it skirts along industrial, suburban & rural areas. One of my first views wasn't so pretty.

I couldn't tell if this was a garbage dump or a recycling center. It kind of looks like stuff was bailed together according to material.

The view quickly improved! From garbage to greenhouses in only a few blocks!

I ran across one of my favorite little creatures - fuzzy wuzzy caterpillars! I had totally forgotten about these guys while I was living in LA, but they are thick in Portland this time of year. They really are as soft as they look & have the honor of being one of very few types of bugs I like. This little guy was bookin along! I had a hard time getting a clear picture of him.

A little further east, it's easy to forget you are only about 10 miles from downtown Portland! I love the little pockets of rural life that manage to survive suburbanization.

Hard to believe this area is well within the Portland city limits & look at that sky!

I'm having a great time rediscovering my hometown. I have a job interview tomorrow (& the rain is supposed to be coming down pretty hard), so probably no biking for me.

The Little List To the Right

2008-10-01T22:11:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed my recommended reading list over there on the right? It's a list of my favorite blogs. I don't always have time to look through them everyday, but I usually browse them all two or three times a week. Most are crafty related, but there are a few other random ones in there as well. One thing they all have in common are great pictures. I'll admit, I like the eye candy! The lovely images always inspire me & I end up reading so many great creative tips. It's always fun to get a little sneak peak into someone else's life, so if you have a few extra web surfing minutes give them a looksie :-)

I've managed to go biking the last three days straight! Today it was along the Marine Drive bike path past the airport & a bit up the 205 path & back. I am stiff & sore, you hit 30 & it's all downhill! I'm sure the fact that I haven't been on my bike regularly in a few months doesn't have a thing to do with it ;-)

Heading east on the Marine Drive bike bath. The Columbia River & Vancover, Washington on the other side.

PDX

Heading west on the bike path.

Today's Field Trip

2008-09-29T21:58:00.000-07:00

I decided I better take advantage of what would probably be the last 80+ degree day of the year & get outside. My Aunt Sandra was nice enough to go for a bike ride with me on the Springwater Trail.

We started in Gresham's Main City Park, rode up to the end of the paved path near Boring, turned around & rode back to Linnemann Station, turned around again & rode back to Main City Park, about 10 miles in all.

The weather was gorgeous, but the high clouds had already started to roll in. Probably the last we will see of the sun until next July! We saw blue jays, robins, a cute little chipmunk, fuzzy black & orange caterpillars & a couple of bunny rabbits. My flash made this little guy look possessed, but he was very nice & let me get pretty close before he scampered into the under brush.

Back when I was little the Springwater Trail was still a working railroad track. It's pretty neat to see how well it's been transformed into a very nice mixed use trail. It's a part of the 40 Mile Loop, which was originally proposed in 1904 by the Olmsted Brothers to circle Portland & link it's many parks. A little over a hundred years later, it's almost complete. Better late than never, right?

I do love to bike (not cycle, as I avoid brightly colored spandex at all costs) & I once again live in one of the most pro-bike cities in the country, so I better get out there & explore all the paths & trails at my disposal!

I'm not just an etsy seller, I'm a buyer too!

2008-09-26T13:23:00.000-07:00

I've gotten so many fabulous things on etsy that I've decided that I need to start showing off some of my pretties. I figure I'll do a little feature on one of my many goodies once every week or two.

First up is a lovely necklace & earring set I bought from Patricia Saab Designs as a little treat for myself after my move back to Portland.

I was really drawn to the necklace. I think it has a very deco feel to it, which I love! I figured the earrings would just be a nice bonus, but when I received them I realized the earrings are beautiful in their own right! They are perfect as a set with the necklace, but they also look great worn alone.

The handcrafted set consists of white freshwater pearls & natural jet. I originally "met" the designer through forum posts on pearl-guide.com, a website for pearl lovers/experts/nerds, so I knew her jewelry would be very high quality. Of course I was thrilled with my purchase :-)

My Quirks

2008-09-24T17:10:00.000-07:00

Beck over at Little Daisy Chains (and the maker of some of my favorite hair clippies) tagged me a few days ago to list six of my most infamous quirks, so here they are!

#1. I have The Toes of Death - with them I can pinch hard enough to draw blood. Go ahead & scoff at my powers, just watch out the next time I'm sitting next to you! Be warned, I don't even have to be barefoot - socks are no match for my inhuman toe strength!

#2. I talk to animals. I am certain they understand what I'm saying ;-) I'm no dog whisperer, it's pretty much just conversational. I'm also very polite if it's an animal I don't know, just ask Mr. Squirrel who I greeted on my walk today.

#3. I have a couple of pairs of heels I can't wear because they are excruciatingly painful (& I have a HIGH tolerance for both pain & suffering for fashion), but I can't bear to get rid of them they are so beautiful. The picture is actually of one of these pairs. Sometimes I take them out of the closet & just look at them... sigh.

#4. Two of my favorite books of all time are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through The Looking-Glass. The books are so much better & weirder than any of the movies! I absolutely love the original illustrations by John Tenniel. This one is my favorite, where Alice is trying to play croquet with a flamingo as a mallet & hedgehogs as the balls!

#5. My favorite drink of all time is water! Even as a kid I'd always choose water over soda or juice - yuck! Probably my only healthy habit ;-)

#6. I always eat around the edges of my Reese's Peanut Butter Cups first & save the peanut buttery goodness of the middle for last! Oh & they are my most favorite sweet ever & if you give me one I will be your best friend! One of my co-workers gave me a whole bag of them for my drive from LA to Portland & I wasn't really sure if I should thank her or curse her!

Featured on Indie Finds on Etsy!

2008-09-23T11:57:00.001-07:00

The wonderful Dotty at Indie Finds on Etsy featured Felt Up Tees on her blog today!

Check it out here!

She also does great interviews with featured etsy sellers after their moment in the spotlight, so if you ever wanted to know how they are chosen or how their sales increase give her interviews a read!

And of course she has her own shop too, dottyral!

I love her little pincushion rings!

Thanks for the support :-)

Alberta Street Fair Pics

2008-09-18T11:47:00.000-07:00

Finally here are some pictures from the Alberta Street Fair last Saturday!

I shared a booth with Urban Designs, here's all their pretties!

I had a couple of garment racks & a table.

See my purty new hats & tee designs? Now I just have to get them shot & loaded on to etsy!

Don't Call Me Shirley!

2008-09-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

My airplane tee is in a super fun treasury on etsy! Clicky here to check it out!

I had very busy & fun weekend! I'll be posting some pictures soon :-)

Crafty Weekend - Come See Me!

2008-09-12T11:37:00.000-07:00

So, as you all know this is a very busy weekend for me! On Saturday I'll be at the Alberta Street Fair.

The fair runs from 11am-6pm & our booth is #57 on the south side of Alberta between 16th & 17th. I'm sharing the booth with my friends Jen & Sarah aka Urban Designs, so our booth will be double the fun!

On Sunday you can all get Felt Up at Crafty Wonderland!

Crafty Wonderland is at the Doug Fir Lounge on 830 E Burnside from 11am-4pm. I'll be against the wall... somewhere. That's all the top secret info I was allowed so far ;-) Along with all the vendors, they also have a free DYI table with a bead earring project. Good times for all!

So in conclusion, come out & see me this weekend! As you all know, I'm a pretty fun girl. Brave the hippies, patchouli & dreadlocks & soak in the splendor that is Portland, Oregon ;-)

My New Super Model

2008-09-11T20:45:00.000-07:00

Since I've moved, I can no longer borrow the sweet antique dress form I used to use for all my t-shirt photos, so I've decided to try using a real models for a bit.

Here's my first recruit, the very talented Riley!

I am lucky I have cute kids in my family I can borrow from time to time :-) There are a few more I might also have to bribe with free t-shirts & slurpees!

Here's another of my new kid's shirts I'll be selling at the Alberta Street Fair & Crafty Wonderland this weekend -

I'm really happy with the way that one turned out! I only have a couple of them, but I'll be ordering more of the pink argyle shirts. Too bad they don't come in adult sizes, or I would totally be making one for myself!

Here's one last parting shot of my favorite little ham :-) She certainly brings way more personality to my tees than any boring old mannequin could!

I'm Awfully Fawn-ed Of You!

2008-09-10T17:32:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak peak at my new little fawn design. I've put her on tees for kids & adults & adult baseball tees. I'm taking them to my craft fairs this weekend & whatever is left over will go up on my etsy shop next week.

I'm also happy to do a custom shirt, so if you'd like this dear little deer on a specific size/color of t-shirt just let me know :-)

I've got lots of felted shirts just about ready, but I need to do some serious stitching tonight & tomorrow! I stuck with blue this time around, but what other color combos do you think would look good with the fawn?

Busy Little Bee

2008-09-10T00:47:00.000-07:00

I was busy today getting new tees ready for the weekend. I have oodles of felted & screen printed designs & I'm really excited about my new fall sweatshirts. I'll have pictures up soon.

I also headed over to Target (French pronounciation, si vous plait!) & bought a couple of these...

for my craft show booths. Along with matching coat hangers - I'm first class all the way ;-)

Also I was in the sponser spotlight on Modish a few days ago & forgot to share! Check it out here

Fall Fun - Now or Later?

2008-09-08T13:30:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted to go to the Corn Maize at the Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie Island, but for some reason never have. It seems like it would be fun to do in October, but by that time it's usually all rainy & muddy. I'm thinking I should do it soon while the weather is still nice, although it won't be as seasonally appropriate. Why's it got to be so rainy around here? :-p

They also have a barn with farm animals for petting! Good times for me! There is always the risk that I might take one home. I will probably need a designated adult for supervision!

So what do you think - go now while the weather is still beautiful, or wait till it's really fall & hope for a rainless, minimally muddy day?

Promo Materials

2008-09-05T09:55:00.000-07:00

Today I'm organizing my promo stuff. I have postcards with a free shipping code, stickers, magnets, business cards & etsy buttons with my URL. I'll be giving these away at the craft fairs I'm attending. I'm also sending some to other etsy sellers who put together etsy promo packs & hand them out at fairs & bazaars they attend.

If you'd like any of my wonderful goodies to hand out or to keep for yourself just let me know, I'd be happy to send some your way!

I'm not sure what my return on investment for these promo materials will be, but they sure are fun to have & hand out ;-) Like any girl who grew up in the eighties, I love my stickers & buttons, and of course I'm happy to trade!

Get Felt Up In Person!

2008-09-04T13:50:00.000-07:00

Along with Crafty Wonderland on September 14, I'll be at the Alberta Street Fair on September 13. I'll be sharing a booth with my friends Jen & Sarah, aka Urban Designs. Come see my shirts & you can check out their awesome jewelry & hair flair, too!

I've attended Last Thursday on Alberta Street & if the street fair is anything like it there will be LOTS to do & see! Just remember to get there early, or parking will be a bear :-)

An Oregonian Once Again

2008-09-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

So after almost exactly 15 hours & a mere 971 miles, I'm back in my hometown. With the help of a few elves, I got pretty much all unpacked & settled in yesterday. I can't stand having stuff in boxes! All my t-shirt supplies are organized & ready to go, so expect to see some new designs in the next week or so. I'll be adding some sweatshirts & hats into the mix too, as chilly fall weather is right around the corner.

To celebrate my move & clear out some older stock I'm offering a free shipping special on Etsy Secrets. If you haven't already checked it out, Etsy Secrets is a great blog where shop owners post coupon codes for their stores. You can find my "secret" free shipping code here.

Oh and one random thing! Before I left LA, a friend & I went to Sports Chalet to look for a bike rack for my car & I found the hat pictured below. What sort of sport or athletic activity requires this hat for participation??? I'm thinking something that is only popular with Scandinavians... or perhaps Canadians.

Good Times In Simi Valley

2008-08-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

Well, I can wholeheartedly recommend visiting the Reagan Presidential Library! Even my reluctant partner in crime ended up having a good time & was bummed closing time arrived so quickly. Along with Air Force 1 (not as glitzy as the Lisa Marie, but nicer than any jet I've been on) there is a Marine 1 helicopter, Reagan's limo & motorcade.

There are many other interesting exhibits, such as a full scale replica of the Oval Office. We wished we had more time to poke around & check everything out. There was definitely more to see than we had expected. We hit up the gift store on the way out, so a couple of my lucky family members will have a cheap & cheesy memento coming their way!

Once you exit the library/museum there is a piece of the Berlin Wall on display in the garden & a little further down the path is Reagan's tomb. Once again not as fancy as Elvis', but I suppose more fitting for a head of state.

The grounds of the library are gorgeous & the Simi Valley views from the hilltop location are stunning. There are picnic tables & shade trees outside, and Danielle & I thought we should make a day of it sometime & bring a picnic lunch. No, surprisingly enough we are not eligible for AARP membership yet :-p

Important Things To Do Before I Leave

2008-08-28T09:07:00.000-07:00

I'm only working a half day today, so I can take care of a couple important things before I leave LA.

First I'm finally going to use the gift certificate for Burke Williams Spa that I got for my birthday way back in March. I'm getting a full facial, so I will be all beauty-ful for my trip.

After that the excitement goes into overload! I'm going to the Ronald Reagan Library to tour the old Air Force 1! Yes, I'm actually very excited about this.

I can only hope I will have as much fun as I did touring the Lisa Marie & Hound Dog II at Graceland! My nerdiness knows no bounds. I am dragging my poor friend Danielle along, although she does not seem to share my excitement at all. I don't know what's wrong with her - some people just wouldn't know a good time even if it hit them right upside the head ;-)

Better Late Than Never!

2008-08-27T16:10:00.001-07:00

I spent a good deal of the day taking care of fun car maintenance stuff, so I can make my epic journey at the end of this week - so unfortunately no time to post :-(

I'm pretty sure that a cute dog picture will make up for it! It's always good to have a few of these on hand in case of a blogging emergency ;-)

Crafty Wonderland

2008-08-26T11:20:00.000-07:00

I'm not even in Portland yet, but I'm already set up to dive into the local craft scene. I'll be participating in September's Crafty Wonderland on Saturday 9/14/08 at the Doug Fir Lounge. Only Portland would have a lounge by night, craft fair by day ;-)

Stop by & see my tees & maybe you'll even get a little felt up ;-) The show runs from 11am-4pm & admission is free. There is also a free DYI table with a beading project, so bring the whole family & poke around. Even if you don't buy anything, you know the people watching will be awesome!

T- 5 days & counting on the moving countdown! I have lots of boxes, when are those little elves going to come fill them up for me?

Help Me Decide On My Ad!

2008-08-25T14:58:00.000-07:00

I'll be running a month long ad on Modish in September, but I don't know which ad to use.

Number 1

Number 2

Number 3

Which do you prefer? Or, should I start from scratch & do something completely different? Please give me your feedback, I'd appreciate it!

Packing & The Wonder of Craigslist

2008-08-25T09:08:00.000-07:00

T- 6 days & counting! I'll be moving back to my hometown of Portland, Oregon this coming Sunday. I did not spend the weekend up to my elbows in felt, working on my t-shirts, I spent it packing & getting ready for my LA exodus.

I have a love/hate relationship with moving. I LOVE to move, but I hate packing. Luckily each time I move (at least every two years it seems) I get rid of more & more stuff - therefore less to box up! There is something very zen about clearing all the clutter & crap out of your life & starting fresh. Well, either that or I'm just too lazy to pack it all ;-)

Thanks to the wonder that is craigslist, I got rid of all my furniture except for my bed! Mid-day Friday I finally decided I better put an ad for all of it on craigslist & by early afternoon on Saturday it was all gone! You've got to love that website. I'm hanging on to my bed for one more week, so I don't have to sleep on the floor.

I only take what will fit in my car, so yes this will be me next weekend. If you see me heading up I-5, give a honk & a wave!

Pearls + Etsy = Cute!

2008-08-22T09:42:00.000-07:00

Diamonds are a girls best friend? No way! This girl loves her pearls! Thanks to the beautiful high quality Chinese freshwater pearls that are available now, I've managed to amass a nice little collection of pearl jewelry.

I have a lovely opera length strand of pearls, but I sometimes find it too dressy for every day wear. What's a girl to do? Double it up & add a fun crotchet brooch!

I love how this instantly makes the strand look casual & vintage-y.

It's easy to hear the word "brooch" & immediately think "grandma", but they are really versatile & a lot of fun to play around with. There is so much more to do with brooches than just pinning them to your lapel. I got the snazzy little number in my pictures from missindie on etsy. Check out all the adorable styles she has.

Have a wonderful Friday & enjoy your weekend!

Embarrassing Confession

2008-08-21T08:59:00.000-07:00

What fun is having a blog if you don't occasionally make quasi-anonymous embarrassing confessions to the nameless, faceless internet masses? No fun at all, I say! So here's one of mine.

I seriously cannot wait for this movie to come out!

For real! Who does not love a talking animal movie? Milo & Otis anyone?

Anyway, my slight obsession with the noble little chihuahua might also have something to do with my anticipation. Small in stature, but mighty in spirit! It appears the release date has been pushed back to October 3rd, per the official website. I know what I will be doing that Friday night. This grown woman will not be ashamed to wait in line on opening night to see a movie about rat dogs! Who's with me?

My First Shot At Web Advertising

2008-08-20T08:52:00.000-07:00

I need to get the word out about my tees, so I decided to venture into the world of buying ad space on websites. I got my toes wet by purchasing a week long slot on majaba.

Majaba is a site used by etsy sellers to easily see who hearts (added as a favorite) their shops & individual items. With this venue I'll pretty much only be marketing to other folks on etsy, but at less than $2.00 a day it's a great way to test the waters without sinking in much of an investment.

It will be interesting to see how much traffic this drives to my store & hopefully I'll get a sale or two from it!

My next shot at advertising is a month long slot on Modish in September. Modish is a blog about handmade style, that should reach some "regular" folks, along with the etsy crowd.

I'm having fun playing around with my differnt options for promoting my little venture & just learning as I go :-)

Knights of the Round Table or Dungeons and Dragons?

2008-08-19T14:12:00.000-07:00

I ordered a bunch of hounds tooth printed blank tees that I thought were really cool. They make me think English with a modern twist. So... along those lines I though I'd make a dragon applique for one of them. Sort of Knights of the Round table-esque. I wanted a dragon that looked threatening & medieval, but that wouldn't be too complicated to cut out. I ended up designing this little guy -

He's not as distinguished looking as I had hoped for. A little less "old world cool" & a little more "I got beat up in school". Oh well I'm sure there's a market for that somewhere ;-)

My First Post - Wahoo!

2008-08-18T11:26:00.000-07:00

Hmmm... another personal/business combo blog. How in the heck am I going to make this interesting enough for anyone to voluntaraly read? Will my witty words convince you to look at my little tee shirts & actually buy them? Are these my real thoughts are just a clever ploy at marketing. Who knows? We'll see as we go!

Anyway everyone loves happy little animal pictures.

see more dog pictures