sorry, no green :O

happy st. patty's day!!! this is the first st. patty's i will not be wearing green!  i am going to be a witness for the mister's sister's wedding at the court house today and i didn't have anything green that i felt was appropriate for such a happy day, so instead i am wearing orange. hehehe, close enough right?!?!

over the weekend i finished a bike embriodery and the inspiration was none other then our little gilbert! isn't he so fantastic! i just love it and i just had to add the bonjour too...couldn't help myself..(anyone notice a trend this week?)

i haven't put it in the frame or ironed it yet as i have been still laying low and coming home and getting right in my pj's and watching greek (yes, i am addicted to this super silly show and i am not ashamed!)...this bronchitis has just really kicked my arse!! but here is the frame i will be putting it in.

this lovely will be going up in the shop but not until after i get back from vacation! i have one last post until we set sail but for now i must go and pack!


xo,
cb

shop update shout out!

hello lovelies! how was everyone's weekend?

among the many things we did this weekend updating the shop was one of them! we took advantage of the beautiful park and it's falling leaves and took some great pictures of my crafts. here are a few...

check out the rest of my other goodies here.

tonight i am picking the winner of these cuties so if you haven't entered leave a comment here!

 xo,
cb

success!

i am happy to report that the craft fair was as the title of this post implies....A SUCCESS! the holiday craft fair always does well because people are in the mood to shop. i had a lot of fun this time around, met some really nice people and chatted with friends. i was really really happy with my display, we got a lot of compliments on it especially the typewriter...that was pretty much the topic of conversation besides chitchatting about bikes and riding. displaying the owl earrings on the type writer was great a idea so many thanks to all of you for giving me great feedback!

since i love color so much i wanted to make my shop stand out so i used one of our yellow bed sheets as the table cloth and my vintage floral suitcase as a prop for my bike embroideries. i was a little nervous about selling them as this was the first time bringing them and i was really satisfied with the feed back and comments that customers gave me. it felt really good to be rewarded for all the hard work i have put in these last few months and validation that my work is appreciated.

damn you camera cord!!!!!!!!

each year that i have done this show i learn something new and i always improve each year. i think the reason it was a success this year was the great visibly of my table and price point too. i know what to bring next year and what not to and then maybe trying another new craft out and see how that works too.


everything that didn't sell will be up in my shop next weekend. if you see anything you want as a present just know that i mail everything out expedited which is typically 2-4 days depending where it is being shipped.

i want to thank every one that stopped by and helped support citybirds, i am so grateful and humbled as an artist. i had two customers that came up to me that had purchased my items in previous years and it was great to receive their sincere compliments. i also want to thank all of you amazing readers for being such a great support for me and for that i am offering a giveaway open to all my readers as a thank you....just simply leave a comment stating why you love buying handmade :) and you could be a winner of of these cute red owl & white leather earrings! entry ends monday dec. 13th

so you ask what is next for this crafter? well i have tons of presents to make which i am excited about as i am trying out two new items which i can't mention as my friends and family read my blog and i don't want to spoil their presents, so after x-mas i will show pictures and diy's for making them!

many thanks again!


xxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxxxxooooooooo,
cb

holiday craft fair!

happy friday! i am torn...i am happy it is friday but it will be a long night tonight. i still have lots to do and on top of that it might rain on saturday...please rain gods be good to us hard working crafters and don't rain!!

i want to thank the mister for being the best ever! he has been so awesome this week while i freak out and run around like a crazy trying to wrap everything up. loves you to pieces my sweet!

so for you bay area peeps, come check out the CCA holiday craft fair. there are some amazing artists and one of a kind crafts.  the mister and i will be there with lots of bike embroideries, chickie paintings, owl earrings and fabric necklaces. the fun starts at 11 and ends at 3, there is live jazz music and great food. hope to see some of you out there!

the rest of my weekend is pretty packed too....after the fair we are going hunting for a christmas cactus!!!!!!! we have been talking about getting one for years and this year we really want to get one...so...we are! can't wait to show you pictures :) saturday night we are making a favorite dish...argentina beef stew....SOOOOOOOOOOOO yummy! and then on sunday it is my grandparents 60th anniversary! i can't wait to celebrate with them!

hope you all have a fantastic weekend!!

xoxoxoxoxo,
cb

i'm almost there!!!!!

 first off... have i told you how much I HATE OUR DIGITAL CAMERA!!! it takes the worst pictures and in order to even have it take a non-blurry picture we have to have it on pets/kids...LAME! if any one can recommend a great digital camera...one that takes great pictures, is on the less expensive side and is lightweight and small...i will love you always!



ANYWHO....since we were couch potatoes this weekend, i thought it would be a great idea to get some crafts done and since i am very good at multiy tasking i got a good deal done! i finished the boy and girl bike embroidery and it is going in a brown faux bamboo frame!

some of you have asked what type of material i am using and i am not entirely sure as one of my clients gave me a HUGE bolt of this fabric. It is a tightly woven canvas that has been so perfect for embroidering on! also some of  you have been asking what patterns i am using...i don't use any patterns. the mister hand draws all of the bikes on the canvas for me and then i embroidery on top of his line work...i think we make a good team :)

here is the one i am almost finished with...a schwinn tornado! i just need to embroider all the metal parts and this bad boy is done!

i also finished up some owl earrings...just three and i have 4 more to do and i still need to go pick up some jewelry parts at the store...eeek!! two of them have leather strips one them, i tried to take a close up of them but failed...as our camera is super freakin awesome! question: what do you think about the earrings being displayed on the typewriter for my craft fair? we have an older black one that i was thinking of using but that baby was waaaaayy to heavy for me to pick so i used our blue one instead....


tonight i am working on some hair clips...will post pictures of those as soon as i can! can't wait till it is all over and i can kind of relax....still have to make some christmas presents!!!!!!!!!! a crafters work is never done!

xo,
cb

one down 2.5 more!

i finished my mixte embroidery! it took my a bit longer then i thought because sunday wasn't much of a craft day. it was my chichi's (grandmother in mayan) 83rd birthday on sunday so we went out to dinner to celebrate and talk about my their upcoming 60th ANNIVERSARY! i can't believe they have been married for that long and it is so excited to be able to celebrate with them. i can't wait to celebrate the misters and my 60th anniversary ;)

 when i got home from dinner i finished my embroidery but i think i need help picking the frame.  i like both but maybe leaning towards the blue frame since it matches so well....what do you guys think?

next on my list is the boy & girl...here is a little glimpse of it. the girl frame is a powder blue and the boy frame is a burnt orange...it is gonna be cute! 


i hope you all have a great weekend! i am not feeling so hot so i am going to go to bed early...we are having a couple of friends over to celebrate the mister's birthday! yiipppeee!!! and then down to business on sunday to wrap up our business plan and do some crafting!

xo,
cb

just keep stitching stitching stiching

i am on a dead line people and i am going to make this work! i have a craft show at my old college, cca dec. 4th and i am determined to have an army of my crafts ready for purchase. it is the winter holiday craft fair and every year for the past 3 years i have gone and every time i have lots of fun! each time i learn more about myself and my little business. i love seeing all the creative alumni & student's work and i always walk away with some goodies. i will never regret going to this school even if it is costing me an arm and a leg, okay another leg and maybe another arm...oh who am i kidding the whole damn body..hehehe but all jokes aside i truly found who i was while going to that school and that to me is priceless. i have always been a creative person. my mother is an amazing artist who taught me everything i know and when i met the mister i knew it was a match made in heaven, he is truly one of the MOST talented people i know. i would KILL for his talent...but there is something so wonderful about being around creative people who feel sooo free expressing themselves that you can't help when some of it rubs off on you...oh alright to make a long story short...i am  busting out as many bike embroideries as i can...here is a finished one but not yet put into the dark avocado wood frame.

this one is called "a camping we shall go"

equipped with panniers, sleeping bag & pad

 and i am working on this cute little mixte and have the boy & girl bikes and two others left to do and then i think i i am set....unfortunately these won't be going up in my shop yet....if they don't sell i will for sure put them up....but don't worry i love making them so much and have tons of frames still that if you want a custom one made just shot me an email...i still have a couple more things to do like....

.....like make 7 owl earrings, a couple of my fabric necklaces and some hair clips! i was hoping to get some skirts banged out as i have 4 really cute fabrics but i can do those after..they are soo easy that i can get them all done in a day...only problem is that i like the fabrics sooo much and the skirt silhouette, that i might keep them for myself! we shall see..here is my first skirt ever! i LOVE it so so much!

skirt fabric

left over scraps for fabric neklaces

oh i LOVE being crafty...fills my heart & soul with utter happiness!!!happy crafting!

xo,
cb