my BHM purchases.

yesterday was the spring Bloomington Handmade Market, an event i have looked forward to since the fall/holiday market back in november. this time i went to shop (of course) and also to interview some vendors who live in town for a feature article on the BHM for my arts reporting class. i'm really excited about writing it, and i will definitely share it with you when i'm finished!

for now i'll just share my purchases with you. please forgive me - i only remember a few of the vendors' names. woops! by the time i did my shopping, i had thrown my journalism skills to the wind and decided to forget any important information! rebellion!

fabric-covered button earrings! eee! i can't remember the name of this vendor, but he had lots of cool guitar straps and camera straps. on an unassuming table, he had these precious earrings i couldn't believe were still around by the end of the BHM. i sure did snatch 'em up!

i had a great time interviewing katie vernon yesterday. her illustrations are unique and playful (the caption on the back of this postcard is "you warm my heart"). she called it a hipster card. perfect! you can buy her cards and prints at chipmunk cheeks on etsy and see much more of her work at katievernon.com.

i stumbled upon another card print that i had to have. (can't remember the name of this vendor! ahh!) i have a thing for dandelions. it's a long story, but i'd love to tell it sometime if you're interested. it's what inspired me to get my tattoo. anyway, i knew i had to have this print when i found it, and i think i will frame it and add it to my dandelion art collage in my room.

i absolutely love vendors who use only recycled and upcycled materials to create their wares. i perused the reuse first table at the last minute and just couldn't part with this adorable upcycled card catalog mini notebook. (maybe it's the secret nerdy librarian in me i've been harboring all these years.)

the pages are made from repurposed paper, so the back of each page has either random text or photos. (i chose one of my favorite pages to display here. mmm sammich.) i love having a little notebook with me to jot down ideas or just use when i'm bored, waiting somewhere. i'm pretty happy about this little guy. go to the re-use first etsy store to see more!

that wraps up my purchases. i didn't spend more than $5 on a single item and only spent $22 total, a small price to pay for local handmade OOAK (i hate when people use that acronym) items that i already love and cherish. 

i will leave you with a few BHM observations: 

1. i purchased from two male vendors. two out of four! more boys should be crafty. dear crafty boys, i am here waiting for you. let's get in love and make things all the livelong day. i'm serious. you know where to find me.

2. this event could be so much bigger! yo BHM, there are zillions of vendors who would die to do this show if they knew how cool it is. i can honestly envision it doubling in size and drawing a much bigger crowd. advertise and attract the masses!

3. i've heard that bloomington was recently ranked one of the rudest cities on the U.S. i refuse to believe such a thing and will base it on clear evidence of all the friendliness i witnessed yesterday. everyone i interviewed was super nice, and the mood in the convention center was all-over jolly. keep it up, bloomington. 

that's all for now. stay tuned for my BHM feature article. hooray!

emily's birthday present.

yesterday was my friend emily's birthday. she is a rare find in this world of ours. few people spread joy like she does -- santa claus is the only other person i can think of off the top of my head. it's pretty perfect that we found each other in grad school.

emily travels a lot, and i adore her thirst for adventure. it seems like no matter what life throws her, she always makes the best of it and inspires other people to do the same. i wanted to make her something for her bday that would communicate this little notion, so here's what i came up with:

(a little 6"x6" canvas covered in brown calico. i got the floral ribbon at an antique store in bloomington and used scraps of other calicos to make the piecemeal heart to go along with the theme of the quote. i used my typewriter to type the quote on brown paper.)

(i stumbled upon this virginia woolf quote and knew immediately that it was perfect for emily. also - i glued the heart pieces together, then sewed them around the edges. i glued everything to the canvas instead of actually assembling them with my sewing machine - good choice.)

(the back: i used felt to cover up the yuckies, and unfortunately i only had white. oh well. i typed a little note on brown paper and placed it in the inset on the back of the canvas.)

(one time we took a picture of ourselves in our fake glasses in front of a christmas tree. it looks slightly weird, but that pretty much sums up what everybody thinks about us anyway.)

i'm so thankful for the people God has put in my life during my time here in bloomington. i am blessed beyond measure.

flashback city, USA.

in the words of one of my favorite musicians, jens lekman: this, of course, has nothing to do with anything. 

i was going through some old photos on my computer tonight and came across this little guy circa 1994. i forgot i had this in digital form! yes, it's me posing proudly with my pfaff (still using the same machine 17 years later - definitely time for an update, though we've had some good times together). 

the table is one of those old fold-down machine/table combos that i used until i got this baby. every time i see a similar one in an antique store, it brings me back to my beginning sewing days. i also still use the floral notions box in the photo. my grandma kate gave it to me! 

i started sewing when i was about 7, but this might be the earliest photographic proof of my preferred hobby. (yeah, when everyone else was playing soccer or tap dancing, i was at sewing lessons.) oh, and don't even pretend like you don't love my side ponytail and black turtleneck. i am STILL this cool.

all my crafty SXSW adventures.

i made it back from austin a couple days ago. if you're keeping track - yes, i left austin just as the music portion of SXSW began. i was there for the interactive festival, which was TOTALLY AWESOME, and, unfortunately, when IU booked the tickets and i was given an opportunity to extend mine, i didn't capitalize on it. i didn't have any idea how to make arrangements at the time or what a few days in texas alone would entail, so i decided to come home with the group. c'est la vie. there's always next time.

("madness" is accurate.)

if you've never been to austin, you should definitely change that. and go in the spring - the weather was gorgeous! there are so many music venues, food trucks, restaurants, shops, outdoor activities, and other cool attractions that have made 20-somethings flock to the city in droves to soak it all in. obviously my time there was unique in that there were 20,000 extra non-austinites in the city, but i still couldn't help but feel that the city is alive and vibrant, even without the influx of SXSW festival-goers.

(high above the city)

on my second day in the city, i spotted some outdoor vendors set up. i came upon a shop that sells upcycled cards, jewelry, and accessories - all made out of recycled materials - called R&R Design. i bought a little greeting card and debated whether i should get this texas card, too. i decided against it since i knew i wouldn't be proactive enough to send it while still in texas. so cute, though!

(love is bigger in texas)

(the R&R Design setup)

here on this crafty craft blog, i wanted to share another little piece of my SXSW experience. i heard about an "etsy party" and made my way to Venue 222 in downtown austin in between SXSW sessions. i went with my friend casey, but they turned her away since she's not 21. how rude!

(outside Venue 222)

(etsy austin has their act together.)

so i had a little solo adventure inside where i discovered a display of austin etsy sellers' wares, sewing machine stations sponsored by BurdaStyle (a really cool pattern sharing web site), photo booths, shot glass painting sessions (ha!), and a general population of handmade appreciators. 

(austin etsy sellers display)

(hand-painted shot glasses, anyone?)

(the BurdaStyle table)

i tried out the fancy singer sewing machines by making a tiny drawstring bag. i'm so jealous! i'd love to have a computerized machine with so many cool stitches. someday. someday. i didn't partake in any other activities besides milling around and observing. it was fun, but i was bummed that my bud casey wasn't there.

(it will be mine. oh, yes. it will be mine.)

(the view from above)

i also met a really cool girl named julie at this event. she works for etsy as a blogger and community programming coordinator. since casey's project was about blogging communities, i decided to do a little interview for her as a favor. excuse my on-the-fly interview style. yikes! and also my amateur flipcam film technique. ha. (ps. her job sounds like the coolest thing in the world. i want her life!)

Julie Schneider from Tara Bender on Vimeo.

more events were hosted by etsy austin and Venue 222 throughout the week including live music and a handmade fashion show, but i didn't attend any of those. my week was jam-packed with SXSW sessions, panels, interviews, blogging, and eating (of course). i wish i had more time to spend in austin, especially during SXSW time because the possibilities of things to do and see really are endless. it's fantastic. 

(totally sweet etsy cut-out banners.)

on my last night in austin i went with casey and rachel to a couple shops on south congress. i was told about Parts & Labour, a local handmade shop, by the girls at R&R Design. i didn't end up making any purchases there, but i wanted one of everything, i promise. there was a really cool section of upcycled t-shirts that gave me some new ideas i can't wait to try!

(some clothes @ Parts & Labour)

(Parts & Labour austin-themed t-shirt & magnet wall)

(lil guys @ Parts & Labour)

("scenes from austin" coasters @ Parts & Labour - should have snagged one!)

we also made our way into a little vintage shop where i found a calico floral jumper. that's right, people. KOOLOTZ. i can't wait to show off my fav (and only?) austin purchase once it gets a little warmer outside. for now, i'll just share a couple pictures from the shop. 

(i had to resist. i still have a drawer of unused treasures waiting for me!)

(keepin it classy.)

it's pretty safe to say that i had a blast in austin and can't wait to go back! it's on my list of potential places to live post-graduation. i'd say it's probably in first place at the moment. if you want to see more of my SXSW adventures, you should check out my tumblr blog. i wrote and posted videos and photos every day. you'll see a few celebs mixed in there. eee! 

thanks for reading this super long jumbo post. see you soon!

absence makes my heart grow tired of homework.

it's been way to long, bloggies. this semester has been very busy and productive with little time to divert my focus from school, internships, assistantships - more ships than you can shake a stick at!

my friend jim was one of my favorite regulars when i worked at eagle creek coffee co. he recently shared this photo on the hair treasures facebook page :

last spring i made a special headband for each of jim's girls, and he promised that he would take some professional photos. i am so grateful! and isn't she adorable? 

tonight i finished up some wedding pieces for my friend shea. it was fun to be crafty for a little bit in the midst of so much homework. i'll post pictures soon!

in other news, i am leaving for austin, TX on wednesday. i will attending the SXSWi (interactive) festival with my classmates by day and enjoying all of the totally awesome austin-ness of austin by night. i have a separate blog specifically for this trip (mandated by my professor), so take a look if you have a chance. i'd love to share my nerdy adventures with you. 

i'll be back soon. pinky swear. 

the uncommon craft society.

this looks pretty cool: 

The Uncommon Craft Society of Indianapolis -- 

facebook page

official site

i definitely can't commit since i'm living in bloomington, but if you're a crafter in the indy area, you should check it out! looks like there aren't too many details about the group yet, but amanda mauer tafflinger (owner and founder of the indieana handicraft exchange & homespun modern handmade) is speaking at the first meeting, and she definitely has a wealth of knowledge if you're interested in selling your wares.

by the way, the IHE will start taking applications for the summer event on february 1. i'm not applying this year, but maybe when i get back into the swing of things, i'll be able to apply for next summer. (i've been dreaming of a new home decor venture.) hopefully i'll at least be able to attend this year for the first time! (i don't even remember why i couldn't go last year...) 

that's all for now!

craft in america.

i recently subscribed to the Etsy twitter, and i have loved everything that's come across my feed so far. i just found out about a PBS series called Craft in America. the title got me, so i immediately wanted to check it out. fortunately for me (since i don't have a tv) all the episodes are online! in true PBS fashion, it's a documentary-style series with six episodes: Origins, Process, Educators, Memory, Landscape, and Community.

i'm just a few minutes into the first episode, and i already love it. the history, tradition, creativity, self-fulfillment, beauty, and love that go into handmade items are enough to overwhelm me sometimes. craft nerd! i'm excited about watching this series, and maybe you will be, too. enjoy!

my new quilt.

last weekend i went with my family to visit my grandparents (dad's parents) in nappanee, IN. i have posted before about their house and how much i love all of my grandma kate's decor, trinkets, and beautiful handmade everythings. she is so creative and artistic (and productive!), and i can only hope that someday i will be able to make things as beautifully as she can.

while we were there, she allowed us (my brother, sister, and me) to pick out a quilt. she quilts with a group of ladies at church, and over the years she has been making quilts for all of the grandchildren. tyler, trisha, and i were the last three to choose our quilts (we joke that all the cousins got theirs as wedding gifts and ours are "premarital" quilts since we're all single.)

we went to the bedroom where she had quilts lying out on the bed. there were 7 or 8 of them, some unfinished. she allowed us to choose, but before we made our choices, she informed me that my cousin lindsey had seen a certain quilt that "screamed tara" and urged grandma kate to keep it for me. how sweet! without her revealing which one, the quilt i chose (and my heart's only desire) was the very quilt reserved for me. it was meant to be!

here's the whole thing: hand-appliqued petals, machine-assembled squares, and hand-quilted:

unfortunately, i can't keep it on my bed because i don't want gretta to get it dirty. i'm trying to figure out how to display it another way for now. 

the petals were given to grandma kate by a woman whose mother had passed away. she had wanted to create an appliqued quilt, and that's my grandma's favorite kind, so she used the pieces to create this.

almost all of the fabrics are from the 1930s and 1940s. 

it's a little difficult to see in the photos, but each yellow center is padded. squishy!

every flower is different! my grandma named the quilt "sunflower pattern."

the edges are scalloped with perfect precision. everything about this quilt is absolutely perfect to a T. it's beyond impressive.

my quilt is something that will last forever and a gift that i am beyond grateful for. i love that my grandma finds her grandchildren so special that she will put in so much time and effort to give these gifts of love. i want to be like her when i grow up. 

*          *          *

oh! she also gave use these fun little tote bags made of -- wait for it -- recycled plastic bags. what? (that's what i said.) take a look: 

she cut strips of plastic bags and then crocheted them together (i think?) to make this bag. 

close-up:

then she hand-sewed the lining in to make the bag functional. i love it!

here's a tutorial i found if you want to learn how to make your own recycled plastic bag...bag. ha. 

whatever it was.

my dear friend brittany shared a poem the other day written by em claire, a poet from seattle. i mentioned to brittany that i thought the poem was beautiful, so she shared em claire's web site with me where i found the rest of her work to be equally as wonderful.

this particular poem is my favorite:

i have a dandelion tattoo, and simple as dandelions are, i have a spiritual connection to that image. i take joy in knowing that others may have a similar connection or even just stop to take notice of them being anything besides pesky weeds. 

these words could not have come along at a better time. don't you just love stumbling upon a surprise that was intended for you when you needed it the most and expected it the least? 

i pray that you and i will both take notice of what has opened us to the live to our full potential, to love and cherish our own lives as the gifts they are. (a life well lived / a life well loved) 

matchy-matchy.

i haven't done much with my little business here in a while. school has kept me busy and focused and has allowed me to find other ways to channel my artistic energy into something productive, like graphic design and page design.

over break, though, i was commissioned by my friend laura over at secondhand happenings to create a matching headband set: one for her sister-in-law and one for her baby niece. the only specifications were matching, purple, and headbands, so this is what i came up with:

matchy-matchy:

mama:

bebe:

it's nothing, major, i know. but it was fun to get back into hair treasures for a minute. laura said the headbands were a hit on christmas, so that warms my heart, of course! 

maybe i should make a mama version and baby version of every piece i do from now on. it could become kind of a big deal...