There's always time to craft
August was by far the busiest month I’ve had yet with Carrie, Ink. Between a few quick turnaround projects, the new business that has been rolling in (for which I am extremely grateful!), and ShopClass, I almost overlooked one of my favorite events of the month: the Brit + Co-Op!
What is this I speak of? First, there’s Brit + Co. If you’re not familiar, go ahead and either visit this site or download this app, and in a few hours come back and finish reading this. I’ll wait.
You’re back! Good stuff, right? I discovered Brit and her Co a couple of years ago after my Mom sent me a USA Today article coining Brit the next Martha Stewart—ohnoyoudidn't!!!
Despite my instinct to disprove that statement, I immediately liked what I saw and subscribed to their monthly DIY kits. Fast-forward a few months and out-of-the-blue I get an email asking if I had any interest in testing out their concept for the Co-Op. The deal is they send me ten kits (for free!), and I get to host a DIY party in exchange for photos and social media sharing, etc. Sounds like a no-brainer, right?
The first party came about in the Spring of 2013, which was when I was pretty much at my unhappiest with work and was struggling to figure out how to change that. I decided that instead of inviting my usual small circle of friends, I’d use the Co-Op as an opportunity to branch out and get to know other creative women. I invited a few designers whose work I admire, colleagues I only ever talk to over email, and women who are also running their own creative businesses.
The Co-Op took a bit of a hiatus, so this month’s party was the first of 2014 and it made me realize how much I missed the crafting and hanging out with this very cool group of people. Who else can you count on to be genuinely interested in a conversation about scope creep?
Here are some shots from the party. This month was co-sponsored by Timex, which was a pretty awesome surprise because who doesn’t love watches? Also, they were indiglo! Remember when that first came out and it was the coolest thing ever? Well, it still is!
I have hopes to do some sort of a series featuring each of these lovely ladies someday, so I’ll properly introduce them all when the time comes. In the meantime, and since I’ve already mentioned the Queen of crafting, I want to point out my friend Tasha, who is currently a finalist for Martha’s American Made Awards. How cool is that? Find out how you can help her chances at winning here.
Look—that's Tasha front and center in the blue shirt!! Martha loves her.
If you want to make your own embroidered watch, here are the instructions for the project. Apparently the Timex Weekender Slip-Thru collection comes in like a bazillion colors! This is going on my list of future gift options for sure.
Once again, a big thanks to Brit + Co for an awesome project, and a special shout out to Cecelia for coordinating everything. Until next time!