Baby Decks by Lisa McCloskey

As I mentioned in my last post, this weekend is the East Coast Momma Collective Summer Fair. This group is full of talented, creative women making beautiful products from hand sewn toys and blankets to photography and cupcakes! But I must say, one of my favorites in the group is Baby Decks... Hand painted designs on the back of skateboards. Check out some of Lisa's work:

Aren't they fantastic?? You can find her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Baby-DecksBuckshot-Skateboards/195834927195470

Or at St. Mary's Boat Club on Sunday, June 24th between 11:00 and 3:00! 

Coming up this Sunday (June 24th), I will be a vendor at my first craft fair!

The East Coast Momma Collective (ECMC) is a coming together of Atlantic Canadian Moms who love to knit, sew, bake, decorate… create! The ECMC hosts 4 Craft Fairs a year in Halifax NS so these talented Moms can sell their unique products in a market-like setting, giving you the chance to buy one-of-a-kind locally made gifts.

Felting Creations

Here are some of my felting creations that will soon find themselves hanging from a handmade wood hangar:

Learning to Needle Felt

Several months ago I came across a technique called needle felting. (For those who have never heard of it, it's basically sculpting with wool). There were characters I wanted to create for my mobiles that I couldn't get just right by sewing them, so I started researching other options. Needle felting seemed simple enough, but I decided to take a class anyway. I contacted the woman that owns London Wul, Heidi Wulfraat, just outside of Moncton, NB and she set me up to do a private lesson with one of her instructors.
Any of you fibre/knittting enthusiasts that have never visited her shop, you must go! She has a BEAUTIFUL, national award winning boutique/studio that showcases a variety of hand woven yarn, hand dyed fibres, spinning, weaving, felting equipment, you name it! Plus, it's so much more than a shop. She runs a learning center where you can experience everything from knitting to processing and spinning your own wool! To top it off, she raises her own sheep where the animals are neither destroyed nor sold -without exception. Check her out at: 
 www.thewoolworks.com

My Logo

I had decided I would draw a logo myself. It would be cheaper and I figured I could make it look exactly the way I had in mind. Only problem with that... I had no idea what I wanted! So I started doodling... And it wasn't that I didn't like the drawings, they just didn't grab me the way a logo should. So I contacted a lady whose work I had seen at the last ECMC (I'll tell you all about THEM soon!) show. Her name is Jill Jackson, she was super patient with me (seeing as i gave her nothing to start with!)and wonderful to work with. And Imust say, very affordable... not that i had any idea on what it would cost going into it :) She made it a very enjoyable experience, it was such a treat to get her next email and see what she had come up with. She does beautiful work! Check her out at: www.jillandjackpaper.blogspot.ca See my new logo at the bottom of this page!

Time to get to Work

I have been painting, crafting, and just loving art for years. Since my friends and I reached the age where children started coming into the picture, I began creating art and decor for nurseries. And what fun that is! It made me think, "If only I could do that for a living"... Well, I've been given a chance to do just that. I qualified for a gov program that pays some of your living expenses while you work on getting your business off the ground. (In Nova Scotia it is called the Self Employment Benefit Program, for anyone looking to venture out on their own) They also guide you in creating your business plan and you are required to attend workshops on managing a small business. So I have 9 months to give Made by Lins a real shot at becoming a sustainable business. I am ready and willing to face this challenge head on! Here it goes: