I will be the May featured artist at the Electric Fetus!

How exciting!

The Electric Fetus is featured me as their "Minneconomy" artist-o-the-month for all of May. They will offer 10% off all my work and on May 14th they will have a big hullabaloo with me doing in-store demos, live sets by locals bands, and free treats.

I'm super jazzed since I have only been selling to them for six weeks - hopefully this means my jewelry is selling like hot cakes :)

I am a tad nervous about doing the in-store demo. I've never been good at public speaking, even if the "public" part is a total of a five people. My face turns red, I get a little shake in my voice, and I seem to forget even what my own name is. I always wanted to join one of those "Toastmasters" groups but even the thought of practicing public speaking gives me weak knees.

Beaner Beanie

I don't know what possesses me sometimes. But I like to make winter hats and clothes just as summer approaches. Is it a psychological yearning for warm woolens and cozy knits that I know I won't need for the next five months? Who the heck knows.

But I acquired this cute sweater for 25 cents at the goodwill outlet. It was felted a bit and too small for me but I loved the stripes and colors. The beaner received a similar styled hat two years ago that she has unfortunately grown too big of a head for (All dem brains!). But it's so simple to make it's sick. Just sew a two squares of sweater together along three sides (best if you use the bottom of the sweater for the head opening for an instant trim). Take ribbon bits and tie around corners to make ears. And now 10 minutes later you have a cute hat!

Of course now she won't be able to wear it until forever (assuming there will be no freak snow storms in July, you never know with Minnesota).

New vintage shop!

Sound the horns and roll the drums, I've opened a new shop on etsy!

It's called apartment 1213 and will feature vintage clothes, shoes, and accessories as well as some original hand painted shoes I have been working on (like the ones above).

Be sure to visit :)

Holga fun!

I finally got a roll shot and developed with the holga that I bought last summer. I am now addicted!!

You can see my whole roll at my flickr page here (will navigate away from this page)

new beaner shirt

Hubby was tossing some old shirts that no longer fit him and in the spirit of upcycling, I quickly grabbed them away and began turning them into shirts for the beaner! I did a similar project last summer and it amazes me how quick it is to whip this up - maybe an hour?

Here is our little model doing her best Tyra (or something) &hearts

Bathroom window "treatment"

I saw this post a couple weeks ago on design sponge and inspiration struck! Our bathroom window basically is a peep show when we are in the shower - we live in an old apartment that has a free standing tub/shower*. To give us a little modesty but let nice, natural light in, I used the same technique with a paint pen and contact paper. I had fun just doodling and now it serves a good cause too (aka letting me bathe and see what I'm doing).

*don't worry, we weren't the neighborhood flashers - we have ugly mini blinds that cover the window but also cover all the light.

Favortie cooking links

I am usually late on the train for hip, awesome, everyone-and-their-mother-reading-it blogs and cooking blogs are no exception.

But here are my favorite three, in no order:

smitten kitchen always shows up on those "best of the web" type lists and you can see why. Gorgeous photos that literally provoke your salivary glands to juice up and she follows the philosophy that you don't need to spend a lot of money on ingredients to cook well.

have cake, will travel is a vegan dessert blog. I am not vegan myself but love vegan desserts since I feel like they take a lot of creativity and I feel less guilty about eating them (ha!)

vegan dad has done a tremendous job of vegan-nizing childhood favorites and comfort food (think mac and cheese, hot wings, and chili dogs). Even as a vegetarian, good fake-meat recipes are hard to find on the web.

Are there any that I missing out on?

photo credit: flickr commons

Crocheted button fascinator

Photo: Linda Permann
So I think the universe heard my call last week when I post a short list of things I felted I needed. Because over the weekend, I found this pattern through ravelry for a similar-ish styled headband/fascinator. It also fulfills another need I have, figuring out something to do with my random yarn scraps and pretty buttons that I have accumulated. I think this looks like my Easter-weekend project, wish me luck!

Things I've decided I need

no, really, I think I need these

camera camera case from hine.etsy

I played clarinet all through school, so I have a soft spot for this card from FleurRendell.etsy

wee polar bear pendant, HeliS.etsy

felt floral fascinator, giantdwarf.etsy

Presenting...*insert drumroll*

gerri jo jewelry at the The Electric Fetus in Minneapolis!

Yes, my jewelry can now be found at one of the coolest locally own record and gift stores in the Twin Cites!! MPR said the Electric Fetus is "widely regarded as the pre-eminent indie record store in Minnesota."

Here is a quick (and terrible) photo I snapped in-store:


It's the first time a local place has carried my work so it's the first time I have ever gotten a chance to see my work merchandised!! Can you feel my excitement through your monitor? :)