Let's go hiking.

This time last week I was sitting around a campfire with Erik at Sequoia National Park (the kids were finally asleep), under gigantic trees with gigantic mountains in the distance. Now we're back home. The clothes and blankets have all been washed and the pictures all uploaded. Operation impromptu vacation has been accomplished, now we're back to normal life with computers and washing machines and commission work and errands and entertaining children to fill our time. I haven't stopped and stared at a tree in days.

But last week we stopped and stared at trees - big humongous thousands-of-years-old trees, and mountains like you wouldn't believe. It's good for the soul to go see things you never knew existed - to stare at them and crawl in them and climb them and take pictures. That's what we did last week. Here are some of those pictures:






(Did you see Sage in there?)

(Did you see the potato chip truck in there?)

. . . and now we're back. You can see the whole slideshow in my Flickr album, though you might want to take some Dramamine first.

And the winner is...

(oops, this didn't post on Friday, sorry for the delay.) Okey-Doke, my random number generator picked #22. Congrats Patricia! You can email me at kbvanhorn@yahoo.com to claim your prize.

Thanks to everyone who entered. I always feel bad for the non-winners when I have a contest. Sorry! If I could, I'd handmake something for everyone. Since I can't do that, please know that you have my undying love and appreciation for taking the time to post a comment. You guys rock!

I need to celebrate something. . .

This is my 332nd post. I think I'll celebrate by having a contest. I was going to wait until post 333, but that's half of the evil number, so I figured now might be better. I feel like celebrating something, anything, because frankly this sucky economy hasn't been very celebratory lately.

But yay! for little accomplishments. I spruced up my web site this week - updated links, marked sold items, uploaded photos of friends and customers sporting kokoleo, and added some happy customer feedback. I also fixed these ugly icons:

Which have been bugging me for years. They don't even match! I just pulled them off some stock art site years ago and kept using them. After searching for way too long for some new ones, I finally broke down and spent all of 10 minutes in Photoshop making my own:


Much better. Lesson learned: Always make your own dang icons.

My biggest accomplishment, though was revamping and restocking the Toddler Sundress shop.


And now for the contest part -- go check it out, then come back to this post and let me know which dress is your favorite. I'm conducting a little market research to find out what fabrics people like best. Next Friday, noonish, I'll draw a name from all the entries and announce the winner.

What's the prize, you ask? One custom-made personalized patchwork banner (up to 10 letters). You can redeem this for yourself, your kid, your friend's kid, your grandkid, your goldfish, your monkey, or whoever else you love. You'll have a year to redeem it too so if you don't have a child to give it to, that'll give you time to make one.

So, which dress do you like best? Let me know and you just might win some kokoleo.

www.kokoleo.com

Santa Monica Swap-O-ramarama was awesome-awesome!

Unfortunately that's the extent of the pictures I took. That, and this awesome car that was outside the museum.

I was too busy to stop and take pictures during the event. I did snag some that Lori, the organizer posted though. Check 'em out. . .

and this collage, put together by the folks at the Santa Monica Museum of Art:

For three hours the place was buzzing with creativity. Screen printing, monster making, machine felting, appliques, and clothing alteration out the wazoo! I did manage to get a little something for myself this time, thanks to Aldo on the screen printing stage:

and this one for Sage:

Yep, I'm definitely an L.A. recycler. I do it every day when I gather up fabric and sewing notions and clothing at estate sales and thrift stores across the city and bring them into the kokoleo studio to be transformed into pillows and purses and sundresses and appliqued clothing and whatever else they inspire me to turn them into. Then I send these things back out into the world to enjoy a new life. No mass production here. One-of-a-kinds have more soul. I may not be getting rich off them, but I'm doing my part to remake America.

The next swap will be held during the Renegade show on July 11th. I'll be there helping people alter and applique. If you're in L.A., come check it out!

Swap-o-rama-rama T-Shirt Transformations

Living in L.A. and looking for something to do this Sunday? You should stop by the Santa Monica Museum of Art from 2-5 and participate in the Swap-o-rama-rama T-Shirt Transformations! Bring a bag of t-shirts and admission is free for members of the museum, non-members pay $5 or $10 without a bag of shirts. You'll be able to take your pick from the shirts collected and a team of designers (myself included) will help you transform those shirts into one-of-a-kind creations. In addition to my applique station, there will be tote making, plushie creating, silk-screening and general alteration. Come on out and recycle with style!

Patchwork Recapwork

The Patchwork Indie Arts and Crafts Festival was this past Saturday. This was my 3rd time participating in this show and as always, it was awesome.

My booth was smack dab at the entrance to the Harvey's lot.


I have a tent, but I never use it. I like the way my stuff looks all out in the open. Consequently though, I have to endure the blazing sun all day. Sunscreen + water + sunglasses are a must. I forgot my sunglasses in the car but thankfully my switchboards/Flickr/Facebook/Twitter/craft show friend Shari watched my booth while I retrieved them.

Thanks Shari! It was a nice afternoon spent catching up with fellow crafters, seeing customers from former shows, meeting new people, and sending lots of kokoleos off into the O.C. I debuted a bunch of new eyeglass lens necklaces:

And sold several magnets and necktie accessories:

As part of what I called my "Recession Special" I reduced all bags and grownup clothes to 50% off and tossed a bunch of stuff in a $5 box. I know how much I like a bargains so I like to give some to my customers as well. It helps to get rid of old inventory and all those low dollar amounts add up. Speaking of bargains, I got these cool button rings from Tacos n Eggrolls:


$9 for both! A steal! I also scored a cool crafty handgun t-shirt from fellow vendor Steph of Hearts and Laserbeams. I won it last week simply by leaving a comment on her blog. I also won a Yelp! tote at the Yelp! booth for signing up for their mailing list and pulling out a winning Jenga block. (I didn't tell them that I sign up for their mailing list every time I see them at an event in hopes of winning a tote. I guess I can stop now.)

Yay for a great day, good sales, and cool new stuff!

Two free tickets to Maker Faire!

I can't make it to Maker Faire, but I've got these two tickets. Who wants them? The first person who replies and says he or she wants them, gets them. Free! (worth $50) But you can't sell them. You have to go.


Maker Faire is the world's largest DIY Festival, held at the San Mateo County Expo Center. These tickets are good for May 30 or 31. Unfortunately I've never been able to make it to one of their events, except for the mini version that was part of Felt Club one year. I've only ever heard great things though, so you should go. You'll see hundreds of people who make things making things on the spot, exhibiting the things they make, and teaching others how to make things, plus hundreds of did-it-themselves artists selling their goods. That sounds like my version of crafty heaven. It's sure to blow your mind.

So, any takers for 2 free tickets to Maker Faire?

PATCHWORK Indie Arts and Crafts Festival

What are you doing this Sunday from 11-5? If you're in the L.A./O.C. area, come check out PATCHWORK Indie Arts and Crafts Festival in Santa Ana.

Shop for one-of-a-kind never-seen-befores! Make your own buttons! Listen to live music! Eat! Support independent businesses and the the handmade community! Have fun!

Thrift Thursday - Beaucoup Buttons!

I got this giaganic glass container for $2 at a yard sale last week. I brought it home, cleaned it out, and filled it with my buttons which had previously been kept in various tins and boxes around my studio.

It's hard to see how big it is from that picture. Here are some more with McKenna beside it to show the scale.

It makes searching for buttons a little easier since I can see through the sides. Plus, I like plunging my hands into it and stirring all the buttons around and around. Mmmm, button soup.

Mom-made for McKenna

I made a few things for McKenna this week, like this Powerpuff Girls shirt:

She and Bubbles kind of look alike with their big blue eyes and pigtails (though the pigtails never last long before she pulls them out). McKenna is fearless like a Powerpuff Girl too, and hard to catch when she's zooming all around.

I also made her this dress, which is my new favorite creation:

It's composed of parts I got at various estate sales over the years and then set aside. This is why I don't get rid of stuff - because one day the right project comes along and all those pieces I was saving come together perfectly.

After I put it on her, she said, "Tankoo mommy" and gave me a kiss. Awwwww.

With the little elastic I had left, I made her this corsage:

Which she quickly yanked off and threw in the bushes. Oh well, you win some, you lose some.