Mentioned as a favorite handmade artist!

This morning when I logged onto Etsy, there was a message awaiting me: House of Moss had been mentioned on someone's blog! I clicked THE LINK and was delighted to find out that the post was about Fleur + Dot, the lovely shop run by Brianne Wallace in connection with The Little Garden Studio, which I've written about here before.

Brianne had mentioned House of Moss as one of her favorite handmade artists! Such a happy surprise for a Tuesday morning.

Many thanks to Anna of the Anna Attard blog and Amelie Jo Vintage Inspired Kids, who put together the post.

New Wholesale Site for House of Moss: Self to Shelf

House of Moss is now available to retailers in on additional wholesale site. This one is called Self to Shelf, and it's an up-and-coming online wholesale hub for handmade goods. Self to Shelf, like Etsy Wholesale and Vianza, is only available for shopping to official retailers with a tax ID number, etc., but if you're interested in purchasing large orders of House of Moss products at similar discounts, feel free to check out my Wholesale/Large-Order section on my regular Etsy site.

Crafty Wonderland Spring 2014 in Review

We had a great time at Crafty Wonderland's Super Colossal Spring Sale on Saturday! We saw many of our vendor friends, and got to put faces to many of the names you see in my We Make Portland Awesome blog series. Also, thanks to our friends and family who stopped by to hang out with us!

This was the third year in a row that House of Moss has participated in the Spring show, and I could not believe the impact that the weather has on something like this. The previous two years, the Saturday of the show had been the first real sunny/warm day of the year, and shoppers were sparse. Even us vendors just wanted to be outside in the sunshine, not cooped up in the Convention Center all day! But this year, the weather was drizzly in the morning. And the aisles were full of shoppers! You could definitely tell when the weather outside cleared up, though... around 4pm. The place was empty once more. So interesting how something like that makes a difference!

It was nice to have a chance to try out my new backdrop, too. It seems like every single show I change something about my display! This time I used my new weathered-wood printed fabric instead of my 6-foot-tall mushroom sculptures. I like the atmospheric effect of having a more solid wall behind my display.

I hope you are enjoying our amazing hot weather this week! The high for today is predicted to be 91!! When it's this hot out, I tend to do more computer work (and staring out the window at the gorgeous blue sky!) than making felted wool...

New Stockist: The Little Garden Studio

You guys (especially anyone in the Portland/Vancouver area, and anyone with children!), you should check out this absolutely enchanting venture being created by Brianne of Fleur + Dot! She's making a child-friendly garden sanctuary in downtown Vancouver complete with flowers, fruits & vegetables, chickens, and bunnies! It's like the childhood you always dreamed of, but real.

It's called The Little Garden Studio, and it's located at 108 E 7th Street in Vancouver, WA.

I visited The Little Garden Studio a few months ago to drop off some House of Moss items for the retail shop she has there. It started out as an empty old bus depot, but even in its beginning stages I could see how amazing it was going to be. Erik and I stopped by the Grand Opening this past weekend, and it was bustling with families, with garden plants, flowers, and succulents everywhere! The retail shop is filled with wonderful locally-made gift items (including House of Moss hearts, acorns, and hanging plant ornaments!) and children's clothing made by Brianne herself through her darling line, Fleur + Dot. There are more and more events planned for this space, including children's story times in connection with the local library, art classes, and locally-roasted coffee!

This space is a local treasure, and I recommend checking it out on one of our sunny Spring days! Take a look at The Little Garden Studio's Facebook page for more information.

New in the Shop: New Cottage Ornament Colors

As I've written here before, the rhythm of my year is such that I end up making Christmas ornaments in the Spring and Summer. It always makes me feel kind of silly at the time, but every holiday season I thank myself every day for preparing early!

The good thing about this weird schedule is that it allows me to get new inspiration. I've been playing around with different color combinations for my popular cottage ornaments, and I've made a bunch of them in cheerful brights and pastels! I think they will mix well with the classic reds, yellows, greens, and whites of my normal Christmas items.

There are more cottage ornaments in my Etsy shop than ever before! You can see them HERE if you'd like.

Upcoming Show: Crafty Wonderland Spring 2014

This Saturday, the day before Mothers Day, is the Crafty Wonderland Super Colossal Spring Sale! As I'm sure I've mentioned before, Crafty Wonderland is an all-time favorite of mine.

Here's a hint for you: If you like to purchase House of Moss items from me in person at shows, and you don't want to wait all the way till the fall, you should come to Crafty Wonderland this Saturday! Because Erik and I are planning our wedding in August, I have trimmed my Spring/Summer shows down... to just this one.

Here is a map to help you find House of Moss in the huge Hall D in the Convention Center:

As you can see, we have an awesome spot this year! Right near the entrance! So stop by on your way into (or out of) the show– we would love to see you!

We Make Portland Awesome: Kristen McGillivray

"We make Portland awesome" is a twice-monthly series. I’m interested building our community of artists by helping us all find out more about each other.

This week: Kristen McGillivray

Who are you?
I’m Kristen McGillivray, a freelance designer and blogger and native Oregonian.

What do you make?
I create custom wedding invitations and other event stationary, as well as event favors like temporary tattoos and drink tickets. My shop, Kristen McGillivray, offers both full-service and DIY options. I love playing a part in making someone’s special day (be it a wedding, graduation or baby shower) unforgettable.

Besides making things, what do you do?

I love entertaining and am currently in the midst of a major dining room renovation that will include a built-in liquor cabinet, wine refrigerator and wet bar to house my growing spirit collection. I can’t wait to mix up a tasty cocktail (or two), resume my weekly board game nights and host a killer dinner party in the new space.

What inspires you?

I try to always look on the bright side of things so I like surround myself of positive energy, jubilation and whimsy. I love designers like Jessica Hische, Jonathon Adler and Kate Spade that use bright, cheerful colors, bold patterns and prints, amazing typography and a decent amount of cheekiness in their work. I never want to lose the curiosity that drives us to explore and create.

Where can your work be found?

For the time being my work is available only on Etsy but I am currently developing a new product line of stationary and prints for brick and mortar shops, street fairs and craft shows in and around Portland.

What do you love about Portland?

Everything! I love the climate (give me rain over scorching heat any day), the people, food and cocktail culture, and I truly think Portland has the best food and drink scene out there which I love to explore on a regular bases with friends and my pug Porter.

Make sure you check out Kristen McGillivray's blog, Etsy shop, Instagram, and Pinterest. Thanks for sharing, Kristen!
And if you'd like to read more We Make Portland Awesome interviews, you can check out the full collection HERE.