kokoleo in Croq

I recently received the Fall 2011 Issue 12 of Croq:

 

It's an indie craft zine put together by Heather Mann who also heads dollarstorecrafts.com and the always amusing Craft Fail.  Croq is chock-full of tutorials, crafty superstar interviews, essays, comics, small business advice, zine reviews, and all sorts of DIY goodness. A while back I submitted a piece I had written after surviving a crazy season of craft shows entitled The Dos and Don'ts of Craft Shows and to my surprise, it was published in this issue.

 

Sweet! Click on the pic to enlarge, or better yet, purchase a copy to keep from the Croq website.

kokoleo in kids LA magazine

There's a new parenting magazine on newsstands in Southern California called kidsLA. When I first saw it I was struck with it's unique style and awesome photography, as well as it's local interest stories and emphasis on green living. After reading the issue I bought a subscription and wrote to Jemma Gafford, the editor-in-chief, to offer my craft tutorial writing services for any future issues.

And that's how I came to be in the summer issue:

That's me up there in the corner sipping an old-skool pop tab Pepsi at Wrightsville Beach circa 1976.

And here's the article I wrote on sun printing:

Sun printing is a fun project where you lay objects on top of specially treated photo-sensitive fabric (I got mine here) and end up with one-of-a-kind shadow prints. The kids enjoyed making them and I enjoyed writing about our experience. It's the kind of project that inspires even more crafty projects to happen. Here's a shirt I made for Erik with the sunprint he designed with his paintbrushes:

And here's a hanging pincushion I made from a sqaure decorated with my sewing notions:

We still have 12 squares left and I can't wait to make a new batch. I'm already envisioning patchwork scarves and garland flags for the kids rooms. Thanks kidsLA for the inspiration and for allowing me to be a part of such an awesome magazine!

Look! Kokoleo in Craft:!

Have you seen the latest issue of Craft: magazine? The one with my idol Amy Sedaris on the cover?

Go get it! I'm in it! On pages 149-150. A two-page spread!

I'd show you a better close-up but I want you to go out and buy it. Show it to your friends and say, "I know that girl!"

Please tell them I don't always look that maniacal. Eek! (No offense to the artist, I'm just vain.) Still, I'm honored to be part of such an awesome magazine and among so many talented artists and crafters. Props to Jenny Ryan for featuring my original tutorial on the Craft: blog, which led to the editor asking me to write an expanded version for the magazine. Jenny also has a tutorial in this issue, Make a Silly Snake (pgs. 140-142), excerpted from her book Sew Darn Cute:

And check out some of the other awesome stuff in this issue:

These recycled microfiche cuffs by Julie Yu are amazing. I want one! I don't, however, want one of these:

but it sure is cool to look at. It's by artist Susan Danis. It makes me want to make great big art again.

Since I like to repurpose vintage patterns too, I fell in love with this pattern, fabric and collage embroidery by Gina Bailey of doecdoe.


And Martina Celerin's textile art is beautiful:


That's just an itty bitty glimpse of all the awesomeness that's in there. Go get it and see for yourself! In the meantime, check out all the new eyeglass jewelry I just added to the accessories section of my website. Or just buy the latest Craft: magazine, follow my tutorial, and make your own!

Open House at All'Aboard!

Stuff like this always makes me giddy. Kokoleo in a window! On Sunset Blvd., no less. And on the other side of the shop, these guys:

It's a much better home for them than trapped in a trunk in my studio. Earlier this week I took a bunch of stuff in to All'Aboard! in Echo Park - sundresses, purses, monsters, aprons, and necktie accessories. It's been nice to free up space in my studio and get it out into the city.

Last night we attended an open house/art show at the shop celebrating their 3-year anniversary.

Michelle Romo's (Crowded Teeth) art was featured. Here she is with Gina (on the left), owner of All'Aboard!.

Gina is seriously the nicest shop owner I've met. She's super-supportive of the indie-designer community and has put together a unique and fun shop full of one-of-a-kind awesomeness. I'm so happy to have kokoleo be a part of it. Thanks Gina! Happy anniversary!

Two good things

First, we finished our taxes. Or Erik did, and I sat beside him folding laundry and offering emotional support (mojitos), occasionally retrieving files and crunching numbers on the calculator. We're getting just enough money back to pay our property tax. Oh well, easy come, easy go. Actually I should say hard to come by, hard to let go. But I'm only talking about good things here, moving on. . .

Kokoleo was featured on Funky Finds yesterday, no April foolin', check it out. Also, they announced the winners for the children's goods giveaway. Hopefully someone who reads this blog scored some cool stuff.

Monster Adventures

Back in September I blogged about how The Children's Museum of Virginia purchased six of my monsters to use in their educational program about germs. Last week I received this in the mail.


They're starring in their own coloring book! I'm so proud of them! Here they were before:


And here are a few pages from the coloring book:




Yay! But also, ewwww! Now go wash your hands.

Take a look, I'm in a book!

Check out this cool book I got in the mail the other day:


And guess what? I'm in it! Last year Kate Welsh contacted me because she had seen some of my recycled needlepoint purses. She proposed a collaboration where she would send me a needlepoint piece that she made and I would turn it into a bag. Always up for a challenge, I accepted, and look! Here it is:


Her design instantly reminded me of this vintage mod fabric I'd been holding on to for years just waiting for the right project. And now that project is immortalized! It's a laptop bag and the needlepoint piece is trimmed in fake fur. I love the sassy matching heels! Here's the how-to section:


They also featured my Owl Eyes Bag as an example of recycling vintage needlework. I first posted about that owl on this blog when I picked it up at a garage sale around this time last year. A lot can happen in a year. Look where it is now:


And, I've even got a "Designer Bio" in the back with the likes of crafty celebrities like Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching:

A close-up:


Oh why did I submit that picture? And since when do I wear hats? Like, once or twice a year. Man, what a cheeseball smile. Oh well, I'm still excited to be a part of such a cool project. Thanks Kate!

Felt Club XL Holiday Event

The Felt Club XL Holiday event was yesterday and it was a BLAST! It was pretty much like this the entire time:





Jam-packed with people who appreciate handmade goods. Shows like these make me realize that there is a reason why I make all the things I do. Although an item may sit in my studio for days, weeks, months, even years, someday someone is going to see it and and say, "That's the one I want. I love it!" Yesterday was one of those days and I was able to send a whole bunch of kokoleo items out into the world.

Here was my setup:


One of my sixth grade students, Lillye, showed up with her dad. Lillye is one of the most creative 12-year-olds I've ever met. She has a sewing machine and enjoys working with felt so last week I gave her a postcard for the show. I was so happy to see her there and she was in awe of all the cool handmade stuff. She purchased this purse from me and I gave her a good deal because it was one of those things that when I made it, I wondered, "Who in the world is going to want this crazy thing?" I'm glad Lillye was the one. I told her I predict that in ten years she'll be doing shows like these.

Another exciting purchase was when someone who was doing the interior design of a treehouse for an L.A. executive bought these three vintage calendar linen pillows:


I couldn't bring myself to ask who the executive was (this is Hollywood, after all) but she said she would send me pictures. Sweet! Is sounds like my kind of place.

There's nothing better than when someone walks up smiling, and says, "I'd like to buy this," or, "I really like your stuff." I like to tell people the history behind the items. Like, "That's sequined applique came from this old seamstress lady at the Melrose Ave. flea market." or, "That fabric came from Savannah, Georgia." or, "I held on to that material for 10 years before I made that purse, I loved it so." or, "I just made that monster yesterday, it's hot off the sewing machine!" These are the things that make buying a one-of-a-kind more intimate and special than purchasing a mass produced good at a chain store.

Not only did I sell a bunch of stuff, but I also won two things in the raffle - a skirt kit from my pal Susan Stars (I'm going to give it to Lillye) and a "Lucious Pies" t-shirt from Rotem Gear. Sweet! I also got a cool Craft Show Survival Kit hand-delivered by Marie from The Sampler. Plus, I had my holiday project how-to published in the event program:



Driving home on the freeway I couldn't help but thinking, damn, here I am driving home on the freeway from a big show on Melrose Ave. in Hollywood where I was a vendor selling my own designs. Kokoleo's come a long way in the past few years. And next week I'm doing it all over again at Shrine Auditorium for Bazaar Bizarre. See you there!

Me and my sexual buttons

Okay, you're going to have to keep reading to understand that title up there.

A few weeks ago I was psyched to get an order from Tel Aviv, Isreal. It was for my flower tote that had been featured on page 81 in issue #004 of N.E.E.T. magazine (another item they featured, my friendship pillow, was purchased by someone in Paris, France). Yesterday I received this email:

hello girls,

my name is Yael Regev and i am an Israeli journalist. i admire and am inspired by your work; therefore i have incorporated it in an article of mine.

it is in Hebrew, sorry, but enjoy anyway

http://fashion.nana.co.il/Article/?ArticleID=408130&sid=136

Yael Regev

Jerusalem

Sweet! Kokoleo's goin' global! Since the article was in Hebrew, I Googled around for a translation and all I could come up with was this:

"Mother in the fulltime job. Her love to sewing and cloths, brought her to try and to produce from it economic fringe benefits and in the this goal inaugurated her website. The site is designed in the amateurism of balance, visible laden and in disorder and will be prepared written in the clear fonts of word. A little depressing, lame beginning, but the designs completely is not bad.

Oanhorn offers varied eclectic stylistically and with respect to type of the products. The sewing and the decrees that is most basic, but the colorfulness that are abundant and the creativeness are thrilling.

Apparently that the woman supposed her paws on from stonecutter of fantasy Ointag ' desireable the most and authentic neighbour she creates clothes, purses, repairs and wallets are visible as if were yanked from the years 70 and therefore also the decrees that are basic and the oldfashioned add to the authenticity of the product. Oanhorn unafraid to combine between cloths with different adverse examples and mysteriously this exit her successful on the way that thought that only shade Stephanie was successful to slide.

By combination of the cloths that are random this, Oanhorn add to the most sexual buttons, embroideries and knitted oldfashioned applications of owls, girls of pin, berries and my bottle."

Ha! What? That's hilarious. Thanks Yael! Now I'm off to sew more sexual buttons on stuff. Hubba hubba.

Cool Press

I've been m.i.a. lately, busy with my new job and still settling in to the new house. I have new things to add to the shop but my digital camera is broken, or rather, filled with Malibu sand - oops! I bought a disposable camera for Sage's birthday party this weekend, so when I get that back, I'll post pics.

Until then check out the latest edition of N.E.E.T. magazine. More specifically, check out page 81. Two of my kokoleo items, a flower tote and friendship pillow are featured. It's such a cool magazine, I'm honored that my stuff was chosen!


Also, kokoleo got a mention in the WAHM Spotlight last week when their Friday's Feature was bags. Sweet! I don't know if I still quailfy as a work-at-home-mom since I took on this other job, but technically, I'm still a mom who works at home (and somewhere else). It's been a little hectic trying to juggle both but I'm hoping to settle into a routine and give kokoleo the attention it deserves. First, I need to find a camera fix-it shop.