Craft by CraftWest

So, remember in October when I said there were two times/events during the year when Austin exploded into a zoo of people? Well, that was when ACL was going on, for a mere weekend I might add. For anyone who doesn't live in Austin or anyone who inhabits the underside of a rock, we're currently in the middle of SXSW, a ten-day long festival that makes ACL look like the chicken feed of festival crowds...okay, maybe that's too exaggerated because ACL was crazy crowded. But, you get the picture.

I'm still up in the air as to whether I'll be catching any shows for SXSW 2010, but I will definitely be out among the crowds keepin it crafty. To kick things off, I'll be at St. Vincent de Paul tonight from 6-10pm with some of the lovely ladies of Etsy Austin and The WonderCraft. Though I'll only be on SoCo tonight, The WC gals will be there today through Saturday 5-10pm. We'll be making buttons and other fun crafts for you to take home as well as selling goods made by all artists featured in The WonderCraft boutique.

Tomorrow, I will be at the Standard Recording's FREE day party at the Dirty Dog Bar (505 E. 6th St) from 12-6pm. A few of the EA gals and I will be keepin it crafty and keepin it classy with a make and take SXSW Scrapbook/Ticket Stub Keeper. I think this will be especially fun for the out of towners. However, even if you're local, it should prove to be a good time. I mean, come on. There's a band called Dr. Manhattan- it pulls at my geek heart strings like my cat does at my curtain. And did I mention it's free?

So, that's just a peek at what I'll be doing during my mini-vacay...and maybe I'll just happen to stop by the American Apparel Flea Market. Maybe. And, speaking of deals...I've got a few freebies to share with y'all.

First, Indiana Adams of Adored Austin is giving away an Etsy Austin swag bag, which includes a cameo made by yours truly. The bag is from the New Media Fashion Brunch from last Friday, an Austin bloggers' brunch and boutique crawl, for which Etsy Austin (and yt) donated several swag bags for the lovely lady bloggers. So, check out her blog for a chance to win. Hurry! The contest closes March 25th.

The other freebie for the day is a Groupon! For everyone unfamiliar, groupons (at least all the ones I've seen) are Austin-based coupons that are basically 50% off. Today, Pangaea, one of the lovely local Austin boutiques that sells DGAJ, has a coupon where you can buy $50 worth of their clothing, jewelry, etc. for $25. Check it out soon if you're interested because it will be gone as of 11pm tomorrow night!

Hope to see some of y'all this weekend!

Action Jackson out.

Still Keepin Warm and Stayin Crafty!

Hello fellow hibernators!

I hope everyone's staying out of the cold and is keeping warm and toasty! I spent part of last night distributing flyers for tomorrow night's Grand Opening of The Wondercraft, and that short time in the dank cold was enough to convince me to stay in tonight! In addition to the feather clips featured yesterday, I made these simple lil bling studs for their goody bags available to the first 25 attendees.

Another way I'm keeping warm is by making new jewelry for the lovely local Austin boutiques. Just took a batch over to Parts and Labour on Monday. These rockin pieces will be available through mid-April. Just be sure to stop by if you see something you like before SXSW because there's no telling if they'll be there after the big rush. One of the newbies I took over are the Secret Garden Earrings which incorporate art deco fans, vintage white rose cabs, and light rose Swarovski crystals. At first, I didn't know how I'd be able to use the fans, but if I may say so myself, I think the earrings turned out pretty well!

In the next edition of Keep Warm, Stay Crafty, I'll show y'all some further creative uses for paper Valentine's doilies once you're done using them as coasters/table dust collectors for the month of love. However, in the meantime, I'll leave you with a teaser picture of what you can expect to find in your goody bags tomorrow night!

Action Jackson out!

Currently Listening: Source Tags & Codes-...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, various interviews of Jello Biafra