Taking a little Vacation

Hi Blog Readers

Just wanted to say Happy New Year to everyone and to let you know I'm taking a bit of a vacation from posting until 2010....unless I get hugely inspired. I'm planning on making some big transitions in the home and changing rooms again for my sweatshop and I have to begin the dreaded tax ordeal with adding up my expenses and sales ....I really want to start this new decade with a clear and positive head! Gonna try to get a roommate so I can stay in my home without killing my budget. Start my yoga routine up again and spend quality time with friends and family. I love my BEST buddy Juliet's motto for 2010 "zen for 2010!" 2009 had way too many downs with not enough ups, so this needs to change. I'm happy to report the best up of 2009 was that jennyjen42 ended her holiday season a bit more profitable than last year! Thanks so much my Baltimore customers for all of your love and support! And I just bought myself a new Crosby turntable so that I could start out my new decade listening to my albums that have been collecting dust for the past decade. I really liked the Urban Outfitter exclusive version but went for the cheaper black version that I found on amazon for $125 and free shipping! I'll keep you updated once I get it. So happy happy! and best wished for the new year!

Squidfire THis Saturday!

Yes, there's another chance to shop handmade for the holidays in the Baltimore area. The Squidfire Art Mart moves from its original location at the Lyric Theater to a larger arena, the DuBurns Arena on Boston Street in Canton.This event is this Saturday, December 12 from 11 - 6. This new space not only has parking but guarantees more vendors that get to have a 10 ' X 10' space! Look for more mini- boutiques instead of just table top stores! Members from BEST that will be participating in this show include greenstarstudio, dandelion blu, thebrokenplate, sugar paperie, sweetpepita, jennyjen42, Yummy & Company, worndress, jenmenkhaus, Lana Bella, JerseyGirlDesign, CEK Custom Designs, & Tlane.

All Organic Striped Scarf by Sweet Pepita

wavio the Knitimal by greenstarstudio

mini flower brooches by jenmenkhaus

Blue Bird Broken Plate Ring by The Broken Plate

Say Cheese :)

Ready for purchase this weekend! Fresh iron on patches and owl ornaments ready for the taking!

Bazzart Booth

I really like having a 10 foot square space at shows. I had the chance to bring in the tent and put up my walls and make my own little boutique. Can't wait to do the same for Squidfire on the 12th. This weekend is just a table top and some space in front.

Holiday Heap this Saturday!!

Made it through Bazaart! Thanks to everyone who stopped by my booth! I had a great time this weekend and made lots of sales! Now onto Holiday HEap! I think this is one of my most favorite shows to be in! The audience is wonderful! All smiles and happy-go-lucky shoppers! How could you beat that for a day! I'm busy stocking uo my iron on patches and narrative pillows for this week. Will try to post picts this week ! In the meantime, lok though the vendor list and mark your favorites on your shopping list!

What I Want for Christmas

Dear Santa,
It's been a pretty rough year. Yet a very busy and productive year. I've been noticing one major item missing from my daily routine in my sweatshop. How perfect could life be with this beautiful turntable sold at Urban Outfitters! My records have been yelling my name since 2002! They need to be played and I need to hear them. So please, Santa, give me this one wish and I'll forgive you for all the sucky gifts of the past.

My Sweatshop Inspirations

Spent the entire weekend working in my shop with an exception for 3 hours of yard work on Sunday due to the absolutely beautiful sunny mild weather.I wanted to post a pic of my two biggest inspirations...my lucy sitting by the photo of my grandmother who I dedicate my entire jennyjen business to! I love this photo of her working in her garden with her dress and apron on.Such a hard worker and beautiful woman.....I am looking so forward to this holiday craft season which starts this weekend! Please visit the cut the craft facebook page to see all of the vendors. Looks like its gonna be a good one and jennyjen scored a front booth close tot he front door! I get to spend another Philly outing next to zooguu. Another Jen I should mention . We were neighbors at the Philly Squidfire show last month. I'm looking forward to spending more time with these guys! Speaking of Squidfire..look what these guys came up with for advertising for their show this year! How awesome! Looking forward to playing a little indoor soccer while selling some wares at the DuBurns Center in Canton.

Bazzart

Make your plans today if you are in the Baltimore area during Thanksgiving weekend! At the American Visionary Museum for an evening and one day event. You can Beat the crowds and come that Friday night for an opportunity to get the first shot at the original creations by 50 regional artists and craftspeople prior to the Saturday Bazaart extravaganza. Spend a relaxing evening strolling among Bazaart artisans and their wares while nibbling light fare and enjoying a special beverage. Location: American Visionary Art Museum, Jim Rouse Visionary Center, 3rd Floor. Admission to Preview Party & Sale: $20 at the door.

Saturday • November 28 • 10AM-5PM • FREE ENTRY: BAZAART: Artful Holiday Shopping
American Visionary Art Museum's Annual Holiday Marketplace of original creations by 50 regional artists and craftspeople. Painting, sculpture, paper crafts, metalwork, jewelry, textiles, mixed media, and other work that simply defies categorization! FREE ENTRY. Location: American Visionary Art Museum, Jim Rouse Visionary Center 3rd Floor. Note: Bazaart shoppers are welcome to tour the entire Jim Rouse Visionary Center for Free! Ongoing exhibitions include the Cabaret Mechanical Theatre automata, Baltimore Screen Painters, Emily Duffy's Bra Ball and more.

Jennyjen will be there along with some of her BEST buddies : greenstarstudio & tigerlillyshop

get ready set go

My schedule has been a crazy one. All I can think about is four weekends in a row of holiday shows! And the first two are two day shows each! So I'm busy making and making and making and actually coming up with new designs on the way. I get bored pretty easy (that high school attention span condition). So I'm sorry I'm not posting as much as I should...but here are some new bags that will be making their way to Philly next weekend!

today's memory: Ultravox

Memory of the day...been checking out on the way back machine lately and finding more memories. Today's goes well with the polyrock video. I remember watching this video for the first ime at The Marble bar during one of there video viewing nights.

More Birds on the Wire pillows

All a part of my urban bird pillows series. I've been drawing with my sewing machine! I'm really liking the newer telephone pole designs. Transmitters, wires and all!

Tea Cozies! New frmo JJ42

I love making tea in my little green tea pot. It makes my day when I'm not in a good mood and it delights my sore throat when its begins to get scratchy. Problem is the tea gets cold before I can finished off the entire pot. Problem solved..tea cozies. I made one for me and had such a great time I had to make more. I love the prospects of the birdies with the tea pot and tea cup and had a great time making the tea bag. Looks like a great holiday present for that tea lover we all know!

Finished my Holiday Card for '09

After much thought and design options, here is what I came up with for this year's holiday card design. The photo was taken last winter by Patrick for our BEST etsy feature. The back simply has my craft show season's calendar. Email me if you would like to receive one through snail mail with your name and address.

Monday tunes

remember Trees Lounge? when was this? I use to have the soundtrack and this was my favorite song from it...and you can't get it on itunes....so here it is...happy monday

and now for something a bit more interesting....

Lawrence Welk Meets Velvet Underground

Found Mixed Tape

This weekend has been very productive in terms of me making my space...my space. I made the living room brighter by hanging some Japanese lantern lights that I had from my previous loft living, took off the dark curtain from the front door to let in the southern light, hanged Elsy in the space that opened up by the book case that left this week, put my space light in the dinning room for more light and hanged my kitschy onion and corn hangers in the kitchen..and then today's project...finding more storage space for my sweatshop. Voila...shelving from the basement became cleaned and back board painted and more space for fabric and materials....as well, the organization job from hell....finding the cases for the Cd's so that I could give someone his music back. This seems to be a very traditional and important part of the divorce....never leave your music behind. In organizing the shelving system in the basement to bring one up to the sweatshop, I discovered the crate, box and bag of CD cases. Some had some Cd's I completely forgot about. Most were empty, but some were luckily not. I found this great CD that I made for Patrick when we were first wooing each other. I called it my dark one and I made this awesome case cover. I found it to hit the mood for me by the end of the day. My favorite song, (one which Patrick didn't really appreciate)was one that Milly and I would love to listen to in the dark on those dark days: Velvet Underground's "The Gift". I think it so appropriate for the Baltimore humor.
Here's the song list I wanted to share..I think its a great studio mixed tape:
Jane's Addiction : I Would for You
My Time
Velvet Underground: The Gift
Lady Godiva's Operation
Husker Du : Diane
Minor Threat: Salad Days
Good Guys (Don't Always Wear White)
Stumped
Cashing In
Massive Attack : Karma Coma
Three
Bauhaus: Bella Lugosi's Dead
Sonic Youth: Tunic
Bauhaus: Waiting for the Man
Nico: I'll Keep Mine
Fugazi: Long Division

Cut the Craft

And the holiday season begins Philadelphia! I will be there! Hope to see you there too!
Check out the web site here for more info.

the new hair

so I did it. took to pics from the movie the apartment and this is how I ended up....will take a bit to get use to it. My head is a great deal lighter...I have suxh think hair. It reminds me a bit of my early punk rock days at TSU...minus the asymmetrical back.