Newly Felt Up

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 ;-)

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

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

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!

Alberta Street Fair Pics

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!

Crafty Weekend - Come See Me!

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 ;-)

An Oregonian Once Again

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.

Crafty Wonderland

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?

Packing & The Wonder of Craigslist

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!