My first show

It was great fun to take part in the Charm City Craft Mafia's "Pile of Craft" last Saturday! The group did a phenomenal job of pre-show publicity, which meant a ton of people came through.

Huge thanks to my husband and dogs for putting up with me and all the last minute prep before the show--although I don't think that one of our dogs, Lady, minded so much that I set my table up in the middle of the living room to practice laying everything out. I kept finding her under the table!

Ryan also scooted up to Baltimore mid-day to give me a much needed break and the opportunity to spend some money with the other vendors. My folks were also kind enough to come down and spend a few hours at the show, help me break things down and lend me the table everything was sitting on.


Anyway, the church where the event was held was really cool architecturally--here's the view from my booth.

Belt Buckles are here!

I've been fixated for months on making belt buckles. I've tried three different types of resin, numerous pieces for casting, different techniques for mixing, etc. Now, I haven't been trying to make one every day--but it has certainly seemed like it lately.

My first attempt in the fall was a dismal failure--those early pieces ended up in the trash. I promptly moved on to some other projects and took a break from my buckle quest.

As the weather started to get warmer and riding season approached, I decided to try again. My second round of pieces using a different kind of resin turned out a little better, but I still couldn't get it right (dang air bubbles everywhere).

A few weeks ago I was frustrated beyond belief and ready to give up. But for some reason, my stubborn side just wouldn't let it go--I was sooooo close to getting it right. I decided to give it one more shot with still another type of resin. Success at last.

Thankfully, I learned a lot from each of my failed attempts--and a few of the better "failures" will keep my husband and I in belt buckles for many days to come.

I just listed my first buckle for sale through my Etsy store. Click the photo below to get your hands on it! I'm beefing up my stock of goodies for two upcoming shows (Pile of Craft and a Trunk Show at the Etsy Labs) so it will probably be the first week of July before I list more for sale online--but do drop me a line if you'd like to get your hands on one sooner!

Polly Scoots is heading to Baltimore hon!

Be sure to stop by Pile of Craft this weekend! Polly Scoots is proud to be a part of this juried indie/alternative craft fair hosted by the Charm City Craft Mafia. The festivities begin at 10 a.m. and run through 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 23 at St. John's Church (2640 St. Paul St., Baltimore, Md. 21218).

The importance of rain gear

So I got soaked on my ride home from work yesterday. I had traveled about a mile when it started getting really windy and pretty dark. As I sat at a traffic light I could see lightening flashing up ahead.

Internal monologue:

"Maybe I'll beat it home."
"It can't rain the whole way."
"It will just be a quick shower."

Of course, I hadn't pack my rain gear--it's summer after all and the weathermen say there's a chance of storms every day. And my rain gear is bulky.

Little drops of rain soon became a deluge.

"Maybe I should pull over."

Amazingly, I was traveling through a stretch of suburbia with no commerce in sight. I moved from the middle of three lanes to the right and just kept going. By the time I reached a service station, I was already soaked through so I just kept going. Since it was coming down so fast, water was just pooling on the roadway. I stayed to the left of my lane to avoid the river along the side of the road which put in a prime position for catching the sheets of road spray from cars passing in the neighboring lane.

I took it slow and stuck it out. By the time I pulled into the driveway some 12 miles later the rain had turned to a fitful drizzle. I scooted into the shed, untied my bag and squished my way to the back door. Fortunately, my gear fared better than me. My trusty Timbuk2 messenger bag kept all the essentials dry. The purse I had slung across me for the ride did surprising well and most of its contents were also safe.

The dogs must have thought I was nuts as I scurried to the bathroom to avoid dripping all through the house. I left everything to drip dry and went in search of some dry clothes.

At least I don't need to wash the scoot this weekend!

My daily rider

Meet Stella, affectionately know as "The Brat." Something (usually related to the electrical system) always seems to be in need of repair. Regardless, she's my trusty ride to work each day--or least when I'm not feeling uber lazy. I haven't gotten as much weekend riding in this spring as I'd like, but I'm hoping to hit the open road a little more often this summer. Just 500 miles to go before we reach 10,000.

This photo was taken on a lunchtime run to the post office. Even without under seat storage, she can haul a lot of stuff. And yes, those are ears on my helmet.

Happy Monday

I couldn't help but do a little celebrating when I saw Polly Scoots on the front page of Etsy. I'll be joining some other CREST (Capital Region Etsy Street Team) members in Brooklyn on June 29 for a Trunk Show. Fellow CREST member UglyKitty created a Treasury list in honor of the event and it was selected to grace Etsy's front page this afternoon--check us out in Brooklyn and online!