One thing any crafter knows is that space is always an issue–it doesn’t matter how much space you have, it’s always at a premium at any given time. The other thing any crafter knows is that collecting supplies and materials and actually making things are two separate, but complimentary, hobbies. To some degree or another, […]

GVRen was my first show years ago and remains my favorite all these years later. The long-running joke among friends is that some of us alumni have been around the festival long enough that we’ve seen everything twice, and a weekend like this past one was no exception. The weather was suboptimal on Saturday, but […]

Well, it’s that time of year again — the time of year when I start panicking in twelve directions because there’s so much crafting and writing to do and so little time to do it in!  The Grand Valley State University Renaissance Festival is in exactly six weeks and I should really think about inventorying […]

Geez, I need to stop disappearing because of other projects! In a few weeks, I’ll be at the Grand Valley Renaissance Festival at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, MI, and I’ll be showing off a new line of Jude’s Chest products which includes new papercrafts and cards as well as some new textile work.  I […]

The site’s been quiet of late, but that’s got a lot to do with my being quite busy the past several months!  Writing has begun to eat up a great deal of what little free time I’ve enjoyed since starting a new (40-hour a week) position, but I’ve found time to make some beautiful new […]

In a few hours, I’ll be setting up a tent (probably in the rain) at the Grand Valley Renaissance Festival for the…fifth time.  I’ve only missed it once since graduation (and that was because I was a bridesmaid in a friend’s wedding a few weeks after festival and was threatened with death if I got […]

As of this morning, I’ve posted two new custom orders listings on Etsy. These custom orders listings can be found here and here, and are for sets of six pairs of earrings in my Azshara and Quel’Danas styles, primarily designed for brides to buy for their bridesmaids as gifts.  The prices are significantly cheaper than they […]

I picked up a new mannequin, since a place was getting rid of theirs.  It’s approximately a size 10 or 12, but it’ll work for my purposes.  It also fits on the stand for my dress form, which means I can at least take pictures with the mannequin before I make a dedicated base for […]

Been wandering around the blogosphere today and learning new things about doing business on the internet, especially through Etsy and other electronic media.  I finally (finally!) managed to get a fan page set up for Jude’s Chest on Facebook — it only took about three attempts at different times to get it sorted out, right?  […]

So, I finally heard back from the instrumental music boosters organization at Henry Ford II High School in Sterling Heights, MI, and I’ve been accepted into their Crafter’s Clearance coming up in February.  I’m actually very excited because I’m still sitting on a lot of product from last year’s shows, which were pretty abysmal except […]