Take Stock!

Over the next few days I will be adding some prints to my Etsy shop. Each coordinates with fabric I have available through Spoonflower, including the Woodtype Alphabet in different colorways, At the Circus, and Footnote Flower. They all come with archival mats and are ready to frame. Enjoy!

The votes are in for Spoonflower's autumn-themed Fabric of the Week contest, and thanks to your votes, my "Autumn (Brown)" fabric design placed 4th out of 260 entries! The fabric is now for sale on the Spoonflower site. I have a pillow and lampshade in mind for this pattern...can't wait to receive the fabric and see it in person! Thanks again for your votes!

Stamps of Approval

When I was young I collected stamps, probably because my dad had a stamp collection. My favorites were the triangular stamps from Hungary that always said "Magyar Posta" on them. They usually had the best graphics...or maybe I just liked them because they weren't rectangular.

Every time I go to the post office intending to buy stamps (usually intended for envelopes mailing payments for due bills), I envision myself making a quick purchase of a "book" of 20 simple rectangles picturing either the American flag or the Liberty Bell. But when I get there, inevitably I end up buying TWO sheets (or "panes", as the USPS calls them) of beautifully-designed pieces of art, one to use, and one to save. The first time I remember this happening was in 2002 when the irresistible Andy Warhol stamps were issued. Then again, in 2005, a pane of Greta Garbo stamps caught my eye. These stamps not only had an engraved look, but they were also textured...tactile. Again...irresistible.



So my most recent trip to buy stamps produced this lovely sheet: a pane of stamps picturing 12 beautifully-designed everyday objects, which the postal clerk referred to as the "kitchen stamps".



These stamps feature products designed by pioneers of American industrial design. My favorites: the Henry Dreyfuss Model 302 Bell desk telephone and the Norman Bel Geddes Patriot radio, designed for Emerson.

One other stamp that caught my eye was the jazz tribute stamp, designed by Howard Paine and illustrated by Paul Rogers. It features not just a perfect color palette and choice of typeface, but also makes you feel like you can hear the music playing.



In a day and age where most letters are now sent electronically, the USPS is still doing a good job of selling stamps...to people like me who buy them not to use, but to keep as pieces of art.

Penny Candy's First Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to Robin M., who won the first Penny Candy giveaway! There were seven (7) people entered in the contest, but I "disqualified" my sister because, well, she's my sister... So after alphabetizing by first names, I assigned everyone a number (1 through 6):

1. Angela S.
   
2. Jane S.
   
3. Kristin R.
   
4. Laurie Y.
   
5. Lucy C.
   
6. Robin M.

Then I used an Internet random number generator to roll a pretend six-sided die, and the computer rolled a 6...Robin M.

Robin will receive a Penny Candy Welcome Kit. Once assembled, I'll take a photograph of her goodies, so you can see what other sort of giveaway items may come in the future!

Thanks to everyone who participated, and to those who now follow Penny Candy! Your support means the world to me!

This week I am entering the above design in Spoonflower's Fabric of the Week contest. The theme this week is "Autumn", and the guidelines for this contest were to use only three colors, plus optional white. If you like it, I would love your vote! All you need to do is go to the Spoonflower contest page, click on the Vote in This Week's Contest link on the right, then find my design and click on it (a green border will appear around the image). Then make your way through the remaining pages and click the Save My Votes button on the bottom of the last page. You can vote for multiple designs, too!



Above are some other designs that sort of morphed to or from the one I chose to enter in the contest. I'll be adding these to Spoonflower as well, and they should be for sale within the next month or so.

Missoni Update!

Well, I went to my local Target store yesterday morning and most of the items were G-O-N-E gone, but I did manage to pick up a couple of composition notebooks, which I hadn't seen in the lookbook. The cashier said there had been a line around the store the morning of the launch. After combing the whole store, I realized that there had only been ONE RACK of women's clothing, no men's, and no linens, among other things...not even any space for them. A little annoying. Not that there would have been anything LEFT on them anyway, but it makes me feel like my Target is pretty lame-o.

Yesterday I'm pretty sure I was among the thousands, if not possibly millions (say that like Dr. Evil), of people trying to snag some great items from the Missoni for Target launch...and the server crashed. I actually got onto the site around 10 p.m. Monday night (Pacific time), thinking perhaps they would post the items at Midnight central time (Minneapolis). Nothing there but links to watch the commercials, and the beginnings of category list items. But I just couldn't stay up refreshing the page anymore and decided to try again in the morning. Woke up, refreshed the page, server down. Fortunately, after about an hour, all 483 items appeared, most of which were sold out. Surprised? Yes and no.

I picked out a few items, but it took about an hour to successfully put them in my cart, then another half hour waiting in the checkout queue! I love dogs, but I was getting a little tired of seeing Bullseye appear with something clever to say!



Not since the 2009 Orla Kiely for Target collection have I been so obsessed with making a purchase. Missoni's super-bold, graphic patterns have always been among my favorites, but I've never wanted to dole out the cash in order to wear them (and possibly spill something on them!). The one item I really wanted, the Blue/Multi-Color Knit Hoodie (pictured above), had already gone to other lucky buyers, but I did manage to pick up a pair of gloves and some towels. Tomorrow it's off to the store to see what's left on the racks and shelves. Maybe I'll get lucky!

To view the complete lookbook, click here. Enjoy!

Spotted: Roller Derby Fabric

Superwoman Jane Smith at Super Hoot just added a new line of Super Smarty Children's Pants to her Etsy shop, and one design features my Roller Derby fabric! The pants are super soft and super comfy, and super cool! Check out the totally awesome matching applique on the right leg, too! I've always had a hard time finding fun, romp-around pants for my son, so when Jane told me she was using some of my fabric for a pair, I flipped!

When she's not being SuperSeamstress, Jane is an illustrator and designer of children's books, and enjoys making collages, which you can find in her shop, along with wonderful appliqued children's T-shirts and onesies, and matching totes! I especially like the fab bird applique on this T-shirt:



Jane was also kind enough to give me my first interview in cyberspace as an indie crafter, and has helped me launch my shop and Website by giving me some great exposure! Thanks so much, Jane!

...to Penny Candy! My name is Amy and I've been crafting for most of my life. That statement sounds like either a Craftaholics Anonymous greeting, or something a contestant on "The Dating Game" might have said. Most of what I make is two dimensional (prints, greeting cards, etc.), but occasionally I like to make jewelry out of vintage and reclaimed objects, and items for the home, like pillows and lampshades. When I was 12, back in the early 1980s, I had my own little store at home and made things to sell to my sister and the kids in our neighborhood. I feel like this new Indie craft wave is the perfect way for me to get back to my roots. You can read more about me on my About page.

Since I'm just starting out, you will find most of my latest work on Spoonflower: a collection of fabric. I am adding new designs each week and will be using the fabric in crafty projects, and adapting the designs to prints and other media.

The Penny Candy Shop on Etsy will be stocked with prints, paper goods, fabric, vintage finds, and more...that I hope you find interesting and fresh! I am also available to do custom work, so if you find an item you like that could be altered to fit you better, let me know.

Check out the Gallery for samples of some of work, past and present; and keep up with the latest news here.

Since this is my first blog post, why not start out with a contest?! Now through Sunday, September 18th, all those who Like Penny Candy on Facebook will be entered into a drawing to receive a Penny Candy Welcome Kit, which will include samples and other goodies! Here are the rules:

• All "Likes" must be entered by 11:59pm PDT on Sunday, September 18th, 2011.
  
• The winner will be chosen at random and announced Monday, September 19th, 2011.
  
• No purchase necessary.
  
• Contest is open to U.S. residents only. Void where prohibited.
  
• Please allow two (2) weeks for delivery of the Welcome Kit.

You can enter the drawing here. GOOD LUCK! And thanks for checking out Penny Candy Handmade!