there's a first for everything.

 when my co-worker and some of my new found work friends found out i could sew they were all super excited. one of my friends is a fellow bike rider and he loved the hats i was making and made it his mission to find some fabric so that could make a hat for him. his hat would be my first custom hat for anyone besides me and tom.

weeks went by and then one day he came into work and handed me a vintage "hawaiian" print button up shirt. we talked about what he wanted and i got to work.

the shirt was so cute and he really wanted one of the birds to be on one of the panels so i made sure to cut out the pattern very carefully. what i didn't take a picture of is that i also put a bird on the underside of the bill. 

he was so very happy with it and i was excited to see how happy he was about it too. what i liked about it was that he found me the fabric. i have another hat i am working on for a fellow blog buddy and will show that when it is done.

-->> if any one wants a custom hat we can totally chat about it. contact me and we can discuss more!

xo,

cb

little gardens

 drawing my tattoo designs are one of my favorite things to draw. they make me so happy. a few weeks ago i started doodling some violets and i am pretty set on getting them as my next tattoo, my birthday perhaps?  tom has expressed how much he loves my designs and that he would like to see more of them actually drawn out rather then just doodled.

i take his advise very seriously. as an artist i look up to him and respect his opinion. one of the things i love about our relationship is the ability to be able to bounce ideas off each other so while tom was at work i got inspired and got to drawing........ now, i am very unsure about it as i love everything i make, they are all pieces of me so i am attached to them all in a sentimental way so sometimes it is hard for me to step back and critique my own work. does that make sense?

shy violet anyone?

when tom got home that night and looked at what i was making he was amazed and this really touched my heart. for someone whom i look up to artistically to admire my work is truly amazing and damn it, it FELT GOOD.

california poppies

one of my goals (more of that on monday) for this year is to narrow down my crafts to things that make me happy and this is one of them. i want to be able to make things that make me happy as well as support my small little family. i still feel like i am trying to find what that is but i think the first step is making things that make me happy and that are truly me and this feels right! later that weekend i started another design of california poppies. i am using the same frame as my animal portraits and the frame will be a faux wood grain.

don't forget, you can take 20% off my shop the entire month of january :D

xo,
cb

and then there were none

its already monday? what in the what?!?! well my weekend flew by! i want to say hi to all my new followers, HI! thanks so much for joining me and i can't wait to get to know you all!

well, i didn't get much of a weekend, but i did really enjoy my time. friday i worked instead of having the day off because friday night my work was having a holiday party and they wanted me to sell my creations so i totally jumped at the chance. here is a little peak into where i work. i really love the shop so much!

the discs are my co-workers art. these little guys are so cute and i just love seeing them on the wall every day.  kelly dreyfuss is her name and she does some really great work! once the party stated it got really crazy at the shop, drinks were flowing and everyone was having a great time :D

saturday tom and i woke up bright and early to go to my last craft show. it was soooo windy which made it really hard to ride our bikes but it was so nice to get out and enjoy the sunshine.

the wind died down and all went really well at the craft fair! since i had left my suitcase display at kelly-anne's house and we weren't able to go up and pick it up, my co-worker gave me her wood displays she had made a few years back and they worked out perfectly! they were really really great and i am so thankful to have such a great friend and co-worker.

after the show tom and i had a beer to celebrate and i popped into my favorite shop, pretty penny and picked up this sweet new cape! tom had spied it for me, he knows me so well! later that night i met up with my cousin and sister -in-law for sushi and breaking dawn, such a horrible guilty pleasure and if anyone cares, the books are waaaaaaay better then the movies! 

my new cape!!!!

 well, a nice weight is off my shoulder now. i am meeting with two other shops who are gonna carry my jewelry so i need to finish up a couple things for my meetings with them this week :D

hope you all had a great weekend. did you go to any craft fairs this weekend?

one down two more to go!

hey everybody! hope everyone's week is going well! here is another bit of my weekend. sunday i had a craft fair in berkley at a punk rock venue put on by rock paper scissor collective. i have been to this venue before to see some punk bands. tom was in a punk band for a few years so naturally i kinda got into the music too.

we drove down from kelly-anne's house early on sunday morning and tom dropped my off and he went off to work. i was super super sad because i had left my suitcase display that i had made at her house...i may or may not have cried.....

i was sharing a table with a really awesome lady, marian whom i met through this here blog! she is a graphic designer and fellow biker and she had told me about this craft show. it was our first time meeting so of course i was nervous about meeting on top of being nervous about the show. check out marian's shop! we did a trade and i scored one of her really really cute calendars! her friend phoebe also sold some of her work too. she does great letter press work and also does custom work on her etsy shop!

it actually worked out that i didn't need the suitcase display as we were sharing a table and it wouldn't have fit. i made do with what i had and i think my table looked really cute. both marian & my table really stuck out, since it was a punk rock venue it wasn't really our target audience but we both did really really well and i was really happy with result and would totally do the show again next year!

i actually met with rock paper scissor collective and i am selling my things there! i am busting out a bunch of items and sending them a little package as you read this. i love this time of year as stressful as it might be i like being busy and feeling that my work is making other people happy.

if you missed it, my animal portaits are now for sale as prints in my shop!! i am super pumped about it! :D
xo,
cb

a little mini shop shout out!

hey guys! i wanted to pop in and let you know that i updated the little ol' shop! i have made professional digital prints of my animal portraits!

they are printed on acid free heavy cardstock on 8.5"x11 paper. the printed image is approx 5 3/4" x 8"  and i have tons in stock ready to ship! get your favorite character today and once i have a bit more time i will get to more of my illustrations and get prints of those too!

oh and they make super cute gifts! check out the rest here.

xo,
cb

gearing up

well it is that time of year when i am gearing up for the christmas craft fairs. this year i am gonna shoot for 3!! i am feeling really good about it.  the only thing is that i have to put aside personal projects in order to get things finished up on time but once everything is done i will start up on the things i have put on hold like, my cape, bike bags and who can forget christmas presents too! eep!

i have drawings sketched out and have a bunch of new gold rush items almost complete too just need to finish up final drawings and put the finishing touches on some more things. i thought i would show you the first drawing i finished....he is a hedgehog requested by the cute and wonderful, kelly kronic!

his name is mr. humprey. i am still working out his back story but i think he most likely went to boarding school where he learned how to fence but was never any good at it. he mostly liked to cuddle up with a good book and be sucked into the wonderful adventures to faraway lands where he could pretend to be brave....something like that :)

 in other amazing news i found a suitcase!! i am super stoked. my landlord, who has the most amazing vintage taste, was throwing away a bunch of things and wednesday morning i found it in front of the garbage just waiting for me! it needs some love but i think it will work for my display. if all goes well i will be showing you next week! wish me luck!

xo,
cb

mini shop shout out!

well it is about that time, dia de los muertos time that is and perfecting timing too! i just updated the shop with a couple of dia de los muertos hand painted hair clips, pins and a pair of earrings. they were really fun to paint and of course kept a hair clip to sport for myself too! one of the perks of being a shop owner and creative mad women, no?

check out the rest here!

don't forget 15% off in the shop till oct. 31st and use code SOINLOVE. enjoy!!

xo,
cb

10 loving years, our anniversary!

this was my senior prom, the oldest picture i had, we are both 18 in this picture!

yup, today is tom and my 10 year anniversary and also our wedding anniversary! i can't believe it has been 10 years, feels like yesterday we met <3 we are celebrating with a nice dinner at one of our favorite restaurants and then later in the month we are going to escape to point reyes and stay in this super cute little cottage for a few days, i can't wait!

it is amazing to me how much i love him and how much he loves him. the best part of our relationship and he may say otherwise, is the way he loves me and how it just exudes from him. i have never had something like this and feel so lucky that i do.

 i am very blessed to have him in my life. to be able to walk this life hand in hand with the person i hold so dear to my heart. to have someone who truly knows who i am,  who sees the worst of me but still loves me ever bit as much and more. to be able to see the way he loves me just by looking in his eyes or being in his arms, i think is a rare thing and i am one lucky lady.

thanks tom for the most amazing 10 years of my life. my life couldn't be any more perfect and i have you to thank for it. you have opened my eyes to so many things, helped me see the beauty when i am blind and encourage me to be the person that i am. i can't wait for more adventures together and many many many more loving years with you.

cheers baby!

i also wanted to extend the love to you guys too! for the entire month of october get 15% off anything in the shop using the code, SOINLOVE. enjoy everyone!

xo,

cb

a-z of me

hi!
while i was sick in bed and bored out of my mind i was searching for things to pass the time so i thought it would be fun to do the a to z of me i have seen floating around. well, no turning back now....here goes!

A. Age: 28 and feeling great 
B. Bed size: queen but we only use half of it. i like to sleep all the way to the edge with rosie right at the edge and tom cuddling right up next to me; it's a cristie sandwich!
C. Chore that you hate: hmmm..i do like to clean but i would say folding the laundry and putting it away. why can't it fold its self!!!!
D. Dogs: i am an animal lover and some day would love a dog but for now we have a little crazy kitty.
E. Essential start to your day: breakfast! i don't care what time it is when i get up, i need breakfast in order to function properly.
F. Favorite color:  i love every color but if i had to pick a favorite at the moment it would be mustard yellow.
G. Gold or Silver:  both but i like the way gold looks like on my skin :)
H. Height: 5'6" the perfect height for me!
I. Instruments you play: I used to play the piano but no longer play any more. i would love to play something, i have always wanted to be in a band...cough cough alicia cough amber cough move to california cough cough
J. Job title: sales/designer by day and blogger/crafter/shop owner by night
K. Kids:  maybe one day
L. Live:  hayward, california but hopefully not for long
M. Mother’s name:  ana maria
N. Nicknames: my mom calls me bunny and tom calls me beautiful <3
O. Overnight hospital stays:  none so far
P. Pet peeves: when on a PACKED train, people have their bags sitting on the sit and don't move it for someone to sit. excuse me....did you pay extra for your bag to have a sit? no? i didn't think so...
Q. Quote from a movie:  "there's no crying in baseball!!!!"~tom hanks~ a league of their own
R. Right or left handed: right
S. Siblings:  i have an older brother named robbie 
T. Time you wake up: 8ish, when i am off around 9
U. Underwear: yup i wear those things. i like hipster underwear, cover enough but are low and i feel sexy in them :D
V. Vegetable you hate:  peas!!!!!! the green spawn of evil, plus they don't taste like anything so what is the point!
W. What makes you run late: getting up late. i blame it on tom, always snuggling me in the morning! hehe
X. X-Rays you’ve had: 4 no including the dentist. broke my right hand twice, fractured my left arm and sprained my left foot.
Y. Yummy food that you make: ribolita but any of my stews are oh so yummy in my tummy!
Z. Zoo animal: koala! they have the perfect life, eat, sleep, poop....i would be a kick ass koala!!

gold rush: a new collection...eek!

hiya everyone! what a busy weekend. for starters we got a new digital camera, yay! thanks to kristi for the wonderful recommendation! we got a canon powershot S95 and she is perfect! isn't she so pretty!

after obtaining her we drove over to the japanese garden. here are some shots of the beautiful garden that we took with our new camera. we visited the garden a while back and used our twin lens camera which you can view here. such a beautiful and peaceful place.

so without further ado, let me introduce to you my new collection, gold rush! the leather is reclaimed that i hand painted with acrylic gold paint and are accented either with a wood gold painted bead and a fossil shark tooth or heishi turquoise beads. i am absolutely in love with this collection but that is a totally biased opinion :)

gold rush triangle necklace
approx. 17" long with hand painted leather triangle, hand painted wooden bead and lemon shark fossile tooth. each one is a bit unique.

gold rush diamond necklace
approx. 10.5" long with assorted designs and heishi turquoise beads

gold rush triple triangle necklace
approx. 16.5" long with hand painted triangles finished with a small lemon shark fossil tooth

gold rush earrings
approx. 1" long with arrow design and heishi turquoise beads

gold rush bracelets
approx. 7.25" long with assorted hand painted gold designs.

i have so enjoyed making this collection and i think it really shows another side of who i am as an artist. check out the rest in my shop!

xo,
cb