I'm teaching at Craftcation Business + Makers Conference!

First, Happy New Year! This is my first post of 2017 and I'm starting off with some great news...

I’m excited to share that this April I’ll be headed to Ventura, CA to teach at Craftcation: Business + Makers Conference. This is a four-day event featuring  lots of hands-on DIY workshops and creative business classes. I'll be teaching three classes: Sashiko Mending, iPhone Product Photography, and Stitched Shibori Indigo-dyed Scarf. There are so many other classes I want to check out, too. Take a look at all the class descriptions here.

Building community is something I'm trying to make a priority this year, so I can't wait to meet other makers and creative business owners. If you’re a maker, blogger or creative business owner then join me for four inspiring days that you’ll never forget. Craftcation has over 80 hands-on workshops and business classes so whether you’re coming to craft, grow your business or a little bit of both, there’s lots of making, meeting and learning in store for you.

Craftcation takes place April 27-30, 2017, in the beach town of Ventura, California, (about an hour north of Los Angeles). Craftcation is in the heart of Ventura’s historic downtown buildings and also uses the beach for special events like networking meet & greets, cocktail socials, a pop-up shop, opening celebration, yoga, as well as food and art tours. 

Please join me & other makers like Lisa Solomon, Mimi Kirchner, Anna Joyce, Amy Tan, Robert Mahar, Jenny Hart at Craftcation!

Sale & Shop Updates!

11/26-11/28 Small Business Saturday through Cyber Monday I'm offering 15% off all orders with the code: GOODKARMASALE2016 I'll donate 5% of all sales to the Standing Rock Sioux, and make matching donations to Planned Parenthood (in Mike Pence's name) and the ACLU, American Civil Liberties Union. It's been a rough year (few years!), and while I'm feeling so heavyhearted, it feels great to be able to give back a little bit. Thank you for supporting a woman run, handmade, small business who gives a damn and tries her best! You can find my Etsy shop here & my own shop here. 

I hardly ever do sales, so I hope you'll take advantage of it if you've ever wanted a little something from me.

I've also listed some new items in my shop, like this DIY Cross Stitch Wooden Coaster Kit that I've been working on for.ev.er! I designed a full alphabet and number cross stitch pattern for these and love also making abstract designs too.  I'm working on a new snowflake ornament, too, which I can't wait to share. 

Upcoming events - Squam Art Fair

I'm heading to New Hampshire this weekend for the Squam Art Fair, which happens on the tail end of Squam Art Workshops. It's a fun night full of handmade goods in a large wooden camp building covered in twinkle lights right off of Squam Lake.

It's magical and I'm so excited to be there and to get out of the city for a bit. Nature! Trees! Road trip! Also, it'll be the first time we're traveling with a dog. It's Kuma's first road trip. Expect lots of pics of a very happy (I hope!) dog hiking and swimming.  Here are some of the deets:

When: Saturday, Sept. 17th,
Time: 7:30 -10pm
Where: Rockywold-Deephaven Camps on the shores of Squam Lake in Holderness, New Hampshire

You can find all the information you need- detailed directions, other vendors - here.

There's also a Modern Quilt Show that I'm looking forward to checking out.

via Aurora Shoe Co. 

Hope to see you there!

Stranger Things Etsy Round Up

Because I just finished Stranger Things (for the second time!) last night and because it was confirmed for a second season today (yay!), and because I have lots of work to do why not procrastinate together and support small businesses who also love Stranger Things? Here we go...


"she's our friend and she's crazy" art print on real wood by Jesiiii

Stranger Things Poster by Law and Moore

Stranger Things "RIP BARB" Felt Banner by this Strange Loop

Eleven Enamel Pin by PhoebePhillipsDesign  I love the pin card too!

Stranger Things cross stitch sampler pattern by Randomly Generated

Stranger Things Hawkins Middle School Tigers Phys. Ed. T-shirt by NIFTshirts

What About Barb? Pin by Mat Pin Co. 

Stranger Things Coasters by iGotCrafts

Why Are You Keeping This Curiosity Door Locked Digital Print Instant Download by State Line Prints

Hope you find something here to hold you over, because we'll have to wait till 2017 for the new season. Did you love watching this show too?

A toast to badass female artists

Tonight, June 22nd at Community 54 come celebrate women in fiber arts, excuse me badass women in fiber arts. Featuring work by London Kaye, Aaysha Morrison, Rachel Singer and some of my work too. I got to see the install of a bunch of London Kaye's crochet pieces last night and it looks awesome. There will also be appetizers from Chef Roxanne owner of restaurant Kingsley.

This event was curated by the people behind Yarn: The Movie (more on that soon) which is premiering this Friday, June 24th at IFC. Tickets here or win some tonight.

Hope to see you there!

June 2016 events

Excited to share some really fun upcoming events....

Etsy Craft Party
June 17, 12-8pm West Elm Market: 50 Jay St., Dumbo, Brooklyn

This year's craft party is all about community. Local sellers and shops will be hosting all kinds of creative activities, demos, and workshops. I'll be at the West Elm Market hosting a pop-up shop selling Miniature Rhino goods and teaching a workshop. We'll be making these super fun stitched postcards throughout the day. Drop in and say hi!! More info and a full list of the day's activities are here.


Zodiac embroidery: stitch + sip!
June 24th, 7-9pm, Make Workshop

Part-party, part-workshop! I'll be teaching you how to embroider while making the stellar Zodiac Embroidery Kit of your choice. Class fee includes a kit in your or a loved one's sign ($20 value) plus drinks + snacks to keep you inspired as you stitch. Sign up here!

Hope to see you there!!

A very starry Craft Night

Modern Mercantile in Berryville, VA hosted a craft night using my Zodiac Embroidery Kits. You got to pick your sign, stitch and snack. Sounds pretty good to me! I want to see more of these, because this really made me happy to see. I wish I could have gone. If you would like to host a craft night, crafternoon, or workshop please drop me a line - miniaturerhino@gmail.com. I'd love to collaborate!

Have you ever attended a craft night? What did you make?

Etsy Wholesale Trend Report

Etsy Wholesale just released their biannual Trend Report which included my Zodiac Kits. I stitched up a Pisces constellation just for the shoot and love the look of the final image.

Very cool to also spot some of my maker friends like Baby Jives (cloud mobile, above),  J. Topolski (pit bull skeleton necklace, below) and discover the work of other creatives too. To see even more and dig into the trend themes check out the full trend report on Pinterest.  

Spot anything you really love?  I especially love the monogram necklaces above by Jill Makes. 

Happy Thanksgiving + Good Karma Sale

Hope you're having a great Thanksgiving holiday surrounded by family and friends.

This year instead of having a Black Friday/Small Business Saturday/Cyber Monday sale I was inspired to participate in a Good Karma Sale originated by The Wild Unknown. I'm offering 15% off in my shops (Etsy & BigCartel) through Monday, 11/30 and I'll be donating 5% of my total sales to the Catskills Farm Sanctuary.  Just use the code GOODKARMASALE2015 at checkout.  It's live now :)

CAS rescues farm animals, like pigs goats, cows, and I even met a blind horse there. Animals are close to my heart & I was lucky enough to visit the farm for my birthday a few years ago. Here, one of the pigs nibbles on my finger.

I'm so thankful for every single order I receive and looking forward to giving back a little bit this holiday season! I've got a shop full of creative kits right now...

Thank you, thank you & Happy Holidays!

New Halloween DIY for D*S - Spider Web Bowls

Learn how to make these spooky spider web bowls, perfect for all your Halloween candy or late night scary movie popcorn needs. Find the full post on Design*Sponge here.

Cherry Blossoms at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden

This week I checked out the Brooklyn Botanical Garden's cherry blossoms.  They are here for such a short time and I had to make sure I caught them at least once before they are all gone. I'm so glad I did. It's amazing to see a blanket of pink petals blanketing the ground and raining down from the trees. They are so delicate and soft, you can't even hold one for too long- it just crumbles in your hands.

There were sooo many people snapping pictures and a couple just strolling through the pink aisles barefoot. I wonder how many pictures of them there must be! It was definitely a sweet moment, and a beautiful, beautiful sight all together.

The whole park is in bloom, so colorful & smells so good! Going back for more this weekend :)

Flowers Forever

 I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day!

It was a gorgeous day here in Brooklyn, and the first in over a week where I didn't feel sick. I got food poisoning recently and it really got me down. I celebrated the day as if my mom and I were together- brunch, a long walk, and pretty flowers. We talked throughout the day and it was really nice. 

How did you guys celebrate? 

I couldn't resist these bright, beauties from Park Delicatessen, a skate & flower shop. How rad is that?It's pretty much my new favorite shop.