Slow Loris Interview & Giveaway

Jessica and Arlo are the Slow Loris team. Their motto of "feeling strong and not in a hurry" is indicative of their high-quality, handmade products. Their screen printed designs are created without the use of computers. Jessica & Arlo are kindly providing one of their unique shirts as a giveaway! Be sure to comment by Midnight on Thursday to be entered to win!



UCU: Pick a song that gets you in creative mood or you think would make a great addition to a "UCU Winter 2010 Soundtrack".
Slow Loris: We love anything by Dizzee Rascal, get's the printer dancing and the artist drawing!
Especially this new one of his that came out this summer, "Dance Wiv Me"

UCU: What’s one thing you wish you had known at your first craft show?
SL: Probably to bring more change or make things for sale at a price that doesn't involve needing to give change. We've learned to just make tax included in our prices, and deal with all the math later:)



UCU: If you have pets, introduce them and tell us a bit about them!
SL: Jessica-Well I have two dogs and a pig, and Arlo also has a dog who often is in the studio. So i'll introduce all four!
Basil Rathone/Bee/OldDog~ Wise, 14 years strong and has very handsome tendencies. Can't seem to remember if he just went outside or wants to come back in..or go back out? Who knows? He sure doesn't.

Zora/theZub/Zubbles/little-little~ Resident Ewok, ankle biter&foot licker. Also an old lady, likes to just sit around and look gorgeous.

Pig-pig/MarnieBiddles/NarnieNAh- Potbelly Pig. About 8 years old, he likes to stare at us through the window and waits for me to throw him my banana peel from my desk. He's practically blind and sniffs his way around the 5 acres of property quite well. He is quite spoiled and has 3 dog houses filled with hay for him to choose to sleep in depending on the weather.

Pele/Pe-le-Le-pe/rrrreppes ~ The youngest of the pack. She talks a lot, and often. Can leap buildings in a single bound, sweetest girl you've ever met, likes to sport a bandanna around the neck (just like Arlo) and was rescued from a California desert when just a wee skinny puppy.

UCU: What item are you most excited to be offering at UCU Winter 2010?
SL: New zip-up hoodies and skirts with new designs, our belt buckles, and art! We're bringing original screen prints. Our flat file is just getting too full, so it's time to clear out some hand printed art!



UCU: What day of show traditions are you bringing to UCU 2010?
SL: Our traditions are actually after the show, we eat out at our favorite places in Ballard! We love ourselves the food at La Isla or Sushi! mmmmmm Sushi.

UCU: If you could sum up your work in one word, what would that be?
SL: Impressions

UCU: What gift are you most excited to give this year?
SL: Jessica ~ Jewelry from a Finland Etsy seller I recently stumbled upon. I bought many items for my 3 sisters. Also, for Arlo's birthday, a record player.


UCU: Favorite handmade item you have? It could be made by you, gifted to you or something you picked up.
SL: Jessica ~Hard to say, it's a tie between a painting by my great, great grandmother or the family portrait painted by my father right after i was born in the late 70's. Both equally odd and amazing.

LaRu Interview & Giveaway

Lauren of LaRu is a Seattle-based artist who started a craft group which led to making accessories from her fantastic drawings. All of her pieces are one of a kind illustrations on clay sealed with resin. Lauren is providing this super cool skull necklace as a giveaway. Leave a comment by Midnight Thursday to be entered to win!



UCU: Pick a song that gets you in creative mood or you think would make a great addition to a "UCU Winter 2010 Soundtrack".
LaRu: Lately I have been addicted to the Mike Snow album.

UCU: What’s one thing you wish you had known at your first craft show?
LR: Make a cheat sheet for figuring out taxes! The first few times I would bring a calculator. I taped my cheat sheet to the clipboard I use to fill out credit card slips. It's way faster and convenient!

UCU: If you have pets, introduce them and tell us a bit about them!
LR: I live with my two bunnies (Zim and Madison), a turtle named Tobias (after Tobias Funke), and my boyfriend's crazy cat Xuxa (pronounced Zoo-sha). All the animals like to interfere with crafting :). The bunnies will pick up whatever I am working on and toss it around. Xuxa likes to lay across anything I am working on. She also has a craving for shinny paper...anytime I leave it out she chews it up. I've lost a lot of drawings to that cat! :)



UCU: What item are you most excited to be offering at UCU Winter 2010?
LR: I've come up with a bunch of new designs: foxes, squirrels, crows, and new skeletons. I am excited to see how people respond to them.

UCU: What gift are you most excited to give this year?
LR: I'm not excited about one gift in particular, but I am excited that I will only be giving handmade gifts this year. No factory made things or department stores for me!



UCU: What are you nibbling on as the snow falls this winter?
LR: Reeses and chocolate chip cookies. I can't stop eating them!!

Blue Diamond Stamps Interview & Giveaway

Today we meet Liz of the Blue Diamond Stamp Co. Blue Diamond Stamp Company sells an eclectic line of clear polymer stamps that feature her artwork and other unique found imagery. Each stamp is handmade in my kitchen and packaged in her living room in jewel cases that provide perfect storage and indexing. Using clear stamps in conjunction with a clear acrylic block mount allows for precise placement and easy clean up. Liz is giving away a festive tree stamp! Please comment on this post by Midnight Thursday to be entered to win!



UCU: What’s one thing you wish you had known at your first craft show?
Blue Diamond: Accepting credit cards! My first craft show was back in 2004 and at the time I was accepting only cash payments. In 2005, I was able to start accepting credit cards at craft shows and saw a dramatic increase in sales! Even though there are extra fees involved, I would recommend to vendors to look into accepting credit cards if they do shows at least a couple times a year.

UCU: What day of show traditions are you bringing to UCU 2010?
BD: This will be my third UCU and it is usually a priority to start each day with a gigantic cup of coffee. And then continue the coffee intake every few hours....



UCU: What item are you most excited to be offering at UCU Winter 2010?
BD: I will have a number of new designs this winter. I am most excited about debuting my two new Seattle-inspired stamps. Although I recently relocated to Portland.... I still feel like a Seattle girl!

VictoryGardenYarn Interview and Giveaway!

First time UCUer Anna Sharp, the woman behind VictorGardenYarn will be bringing loads of lovely knitted things with her to the Exhibition Hall this December 4th and 5th. Enter to win your own Skipjack Cowl by leaving a comment below!

UCU: Pick a song that gets you in creative mood or you think would make a great addition to a "UCU Winter 2010 Soundtrack".
AS: Um, I'm actually really boring when I'm in a creative mood...I usually tune in to the classical station on the old kitchen radio and get to work. I guess it relaxes me and lets my mind wander while my hands work.

UCU: What’s one thing you wish you had known at your first craft show?
(Or--If this is your first show, what are you most looking forward to?)
AS: This is my very first craft show! I am really looking forward to meeting people and chatting up anyone who happens to pop by my little booth. I've been sitting behind my computer screen trying to peddle my wares for entirely too long now, so getting to talk to people and help them play dress up with my cozies will be quite fun. And since I'm a former retail queen, I sort of miss interacting with my customers!

UCU: If you have pets, introduce them and tell us a bit about them!
AS: I have a boyfriend....does he count?

UCU: What item are you most excited to be offering at UCU Winter 2010?
AS: Gosh, my business is so new, I'm excited to be offering everything! If I had to pick though, it would be my kitschy 'Atomic Christmas Ornaments' and my newest neckwear design, which will be released at the show. (It's a cross between a cowl and a collar...and it has pom-poms!)



UCU: What day of show traditions are you bringing to UCU 2010?
AS: I'll be making traditions as I go since this will be my first show...but I kind of want to have fresh flowers here and there in my booth...I think that might be tradition #1.

UCU: If you could sum up your work in one word, what would that be?
AS: Vibrant. (Or colorful.) (Or cozy.)



UCU: What gift are you most excited to give this year?
AS: Well, everyone usually gets some sort of hand knit or hand crocheted something-or-other from me, but this year they will all be receiving a cornucopia of home-canned goods. I actually think I have one more batch of goodies to can and then all my presents will be taken care of. Phew.

UCU: What are you nibbling on as the snow falls this winter?
AS: Soup! I love to make giant vats of soup in my big enamelware pot. Then for those nights I'm feeling too tired to cook or have too many cozies or hoops to make, I can yank the pot out of the fridge, throw it on the stove, and heat up some warm yummy goodness with absolutely no effort. A favorite soup would be a white bean/kale/sausage combo...I think that's my Portuguese side coming out!

UCU: Favorite handmade item you have? It could be made by you, gifted to you or something you picked up.
AS: That would be the most amazing ring my boyfriend MADE for me from an old silver quarter. He actually spent most of his lunch hours out behind his office building banging away at this quarter on an old, unused railroad track, all because we live in a tiny apartment with no workbench and there was no way for him to work on it at home without me knowing what he was doing. It makes me all warm and fuzzy whenever I see it on my hand...which is every day. But then again he also made me a set of wooden knitting needles...so I guess we have a tie for favorite handmade item!

Get It! Get It Get It! Leave a comment before midnight on Thursday (Dec. 2) to enter!

Belle Epoch Interview and Giveaway!

Dana McCoskey (DM) is the girl behind Bell Epoch. Inspired by travels, colors and nature she creates innovative jewelry that she is bringing with her to Urban Craft Uprising on December 4th and 5th.



UCU: Pick a song that gets you in creative mood or you think would make a great addition to a "UCU Winter 2010 Soundtrack".
DM: When I first read this question I accidentally misread it as “pick a song that gets you in the mood” and blushingly, my first thought was Al Green. But after I reread it properly as “creative mood” the easiest thing to say is that I have been listening to a lot of Nightmares on Wax DJs shows and wefunkradio.com while at work in my studio this fall. I really love all types of music from country to jazz to hip hop; so I hope to hear an eclectic mix at UCU. As for a song to nominate for the show, I think you should definitely play James Brown’s “Soulful Christmas”.

UCU: What’s one thing you wish you had known at your first craft show?
DM: That my girlfriends and I were not going to get to hang out while trying on jewelry, casually drinking pinot noir; but instead we were going to have to work our butts off, with no bathroom breaks or food, for hours!

UCU: If you have pets, introduce them and tell us a bit about them!
DM: I have no pets. I do however spend a lot of time with wild birds. In addition to trying to make life more beautiful by pursuing my creative passions, I have traveled the world to work with bird research and rainforest conservation. Animals give me great joy and I hope that one day if I become less of a traveler and more of a homebody, I will have a really awesome dog to hike with.

UCU: What item are you most excited to be offering at UCU Winter 2010?
DM: I am excited to bring my natural feather hair pins to Seattle. They are cute, inexpensive and make great little gifts.

UCU: What day of show traditions are you bringing to UCU 2010?
DM: I am not very traditional. Day of show I’m usually just drinking coffee, helping customers, and looking around the other booths to find handmade items that I want to take home.

UCU: If you could sum up your work in one word, what would that be?
DM: Earth. I think about this planet everyday.

UCU: What gift are you most excited to give this year?
DM: I made my sisters really cute lockets that I am super excited about.

UCU: What are you nibbling on as the snow falls this winter?
DMI: live in the rainy valley and really, really love food. But when I am in the snow it is usually because I have traveled into the mountains with my snowboard or skis, and there I typically have a half frozen granola bar of some sort in my pack to nibble on.

UCU: Favorite handmade item you have? It could be made by you, gifted to you or something you picked up.
DM: My sister Michelle makes handmade alligator scarfs. I love mine because it is so unique and cute, that whenever I wear it I meet the most interesting people who also admire it and want to talk to me.

And we are giving this adorable necklace away!


The "Three Little Birds Necklace" is made with brass, ruby zeolite, moss agate, and smokey quartz.

Please comment before midnight on Thursday (Dec. 2) to enter!

Amanda Fiebing Interview & Giveaway

Amanda Fiebing is a local artist who works in fibers creating ethereal mushrooms, terrariums and even colorful garlands. Make sure to stop by Amanda’s booth to wish her a successful first UCU show! Amanda is graciously giving away a set of 3 of her mini garlands! Please comment before midnight on Thursday (Dec. 2) to enter!



UCU: Pick a song that gets you in creative mood or you think would make a great addition to a "UCU Winter 2010 Soundtrack".
Amanda Fiebing: Panda Bear and Bjork have been in heavy rotation in my studio. But if I were to choose one song for the UCU Winter 2010 Soundtrack it would be James Brown’s Chonnie-On-Chon or Goldfrapp’s Rocket.

UCU: If this is your first show, what are you most looking forward to?
AF: This is my first Urban Craft Uprising! I’m looking forward to what is sure to be a crowd of sweet people looking for great unique gifts.



UCU: If you have pets, introduce them and tell us a bit about them!
AF: I’ve got two little grey Persians named Ben and LuLu. They are my studio helpers for sure.



UCU: What items are you most excited to be offering at UCU Winter 2010?
AF: Mini Garlands! What could be more cheerful and up-lifting than candy-colored felted garland? Bright, fanciful and just for fun. They are simple decorative pieces that add a dash of color to rooms, windows, holiday and party decorations and gift-wrapping. My garland also comes in larger sizes for larger spaces and projects. And I will be accepting a limited amount of custom orders for the holiday season.



UCU: If you could sum up your work in one word, what would that be?
AF: Lovely

UCU: What gift are you most excited to give this year?
AF: I’ve been stalking my fellow UCU’ers online so I can use my breaks efficiently and do my Xmas shopping during the show. I am most excited about buying all handmade for friends and family.

UCU: What are you nibbling on as the snow falls this winter?
AF: Snow or no, when winter rolls around I revert to my Scandinavian roots and I head straight for pickled herring on Triscuits. Also, Turkey.

UCU: Favorite handmade item you have? It could be made by you, gifted to you or something you picked up.
AF: I made the mistake of packing “light” for a summer trip to Iceland which resulted in scouring of the Reykjavik for a sweater. I found a vintage handmade Icelandic wool sweater at the Kolaportid flea market. Its definitely one of my favorite possessions as it reminds me of the trip of a lifetime.

Fable and Fury Interview & Giveaway

Combining the romanticism of Victorian chic and curiously wayward subjects with modern techniques and materials, Fable & Fury creates unique jewelry and wearable art. Woodland creatures, peculiar portraits, and follies of nature appear in imaginative vignettes, cameos and silhouettes intricately crafted in black and satin finished stainless steel. Jennifer is kindly providing this Stag, Ravens and Leaves necklace for the giveaway. Please comment before midnight on Thursday (Dec. 2) to enter!



UCU: Pick a song that gets you in creative mood or you think would make a great addition to a "UCU Winter 2010 Soundtrack".
Fable & Fury: "Possum of the Grotto" by Rasputina

UCU: What’s one thing you wish you had known at your first craft show?
F&F: I wish I'd known how rewarding, fun and stress-free vending at a craft show could be. Instead, I spent a number of anxious nail-biting weeks prior to the show worrying for nothing!!

UCU: If you have pets, introduce them and tell us a bit about them!
F&F: Opal, my one year old blue torbie kitty, is a sweet lil' cracker. She chirps and coos like a Tribble from the old Star Trek episode. She loves to get soaked in the rain, and often in the middle of the night while I'm sleeping, she pins my face down with her front paws and kisses me to pieces. Her cuteness is quite unbearable.



UCU: What item are you most excited to be offering at UCU Winter 2010?
F&F: An ornate woodland scene neckpiece, detailed with a stag, ravens and oak leaves.

UCU: If you could sum up your work in one word, what would that be?
F&F: Askew



UCU: What gift are you most excited to give this year?
F&F: An antique humidor for my boyfriend's cigar collection.

UCU: Favorite handmade item you have? It could be made by you, gifted to you or something you picked up.
F&F: Sara Lanzillotta's siamese twin plush "Zombaby." I adore everything I have of Sara's!!