Love & Shrinkage

Hi buddies! here we are, just hours from Christmas Eve and our journey home to the shire (NEW HAMPshire that is) at 6am tomorrow. Forgive me for getting sentimental at times like these, but I want you to know that I appreciate all of your support over the last few months more than I can put into a witty sentence. It's been a record breaking December, and I am ever so aware of how lucky I am to have found my niche, and had such a prosperous season, in a year that has hit rough and painful spots for many of my friends and peers. By supporting local & handmade businesses, you are making a difference and strengthening our country's economy. Every time you choose to buy local you save money for your community, and when you buy directly from a crafter, you also get to warm someone's heart, and give them confidence to keep producing work.
This week, I go home to my family absolutely EXHAUSTED from the long days of printing, packing, shipping, and emailing all month, but it's the sort of elated, proud exhaustion you feel after a long run, or maybe... landing a dangerous stunt without breaking any bones. In the fourth year of this madness, I think it's finally starting to make sense, and I like what I see.
As you'll read in the etsy shop, The Philster & I are taking a few weeks off and traveling & revisiting our most comfortable & out-of-fashion leisure outfits. We'll be blogging from the road periodically so check in!
We're taking a stock of our finest printed scarves with us, and you can still purchase those in our SHOP and on ETSY, but all tshirts, dresses & onesies will be temporarily unavailable through JANUARY 17th, 2010. But dry your eyes, everything will be back in stock on that date, and we'll be in a new decade and the winter olympics will start, and wow... I can't even wait!!!!

Happy Holidays team. Good year.
love,
rachel

The Science of Crafting

Periodic Table Cookies on Not So Humble Pie
Courting Moth Plates by Scott McCarthy

There's an article in the NY Times this week that a few people have sent me (thank you all for thinking of me) all about successful sellers on Etsy: what they are making in profits, and what they are compromising in time and energy. A great read- you can see it HERE. Be sure to also read the comments people have left, if you have time. Some great feedback, especially someone writing something about how hard it is to be balanced in creativity and business-mindedness. That one hit home, especially right now, as I close out the year triumphantly, and the task of bookkeeping & taxes looms. If there's a science to this, I must have taken the remedial version... but experience is the best teacher, for sure.
Speaking of science, my sister in law sent us a link to this blog Not So Humble Pie this weekend, and I loved looking at all the science nerd cookies. Phil's entire family are scientists. Every last one of them! Even Phil was almost a biologist...but he missed, and became a filmmaker somehow along the way (a filmmaker who still habitually reports information about bugs & bacteria that I never thought I needed to know). Also digging this plates from Scott McCarthy on Etsy. A perfect blend of art & science.

Hope you all had a wonderful snowy weekend. We had fun sledding, shoveling, adventurously baking, drinking hot chocolate and working on some homemade christmas gifts (and one very very tardy birthday gift) that I didn't think I'd have time to finish. thanks, weather!

Cancel that thought.

IT'S SNOWING IN BALTIMORE!!!!!!
no photo yet, but Phil & I just shoveled the block, and if you can't tell - we have decided sadly to NOT go to Booty Market today in DC.

BUT

If you are in Adams Morgan- you should walk over! It's still going on!

We will be enjoying our first day off since november by shrieking and playing in the snow, and drinking cocoa by the radiator (what do you want? we have no fireplace in this rowhouse.)

Enjoy the storm & be safe!!!!

Booty Market This Weekend in DC!

Here it is, folks! Your last chance to buy something from us in person in 2009!
Come visit us and 20 of our favorite crafty pals at the Design Within Reach store in DC on Saturday from 10-5. As if Design Within Reach wasn't a cool enough store to shop in for holiday gifts - now it's also going to be chock full of hand-makers of soap, jewelry, apparel, scarves, toys and papergoods. Oh...and did we mention baked goods? There will be free holiday treaters too. Name one good reason NOT to come! We dare you!!

Holiday Booty Market
Saturday, December 19 from 10am-5pm
Design Within Reach store
1838 Columbia Rd. NW
Washington, DC

And the winner is...

Lucky #7!
Congratulations "JSP" you are the winner of the print giveaway!
please contact us through email: (rachel at redprairiepress dot com)
to collect your prize!

Thanks everyone for playing and for all your nice words!!!

Giclée Print GIVEAWAY!!!!!

WIN A BIG HOLIDAY PRINT PRIZE!

With just 10 days left until christmas, we're still packing & shipping orders left and right.
Orders (USA only) placed at Red Prairie Press up until Friday, December 18th will be guaranteed to get to you by Christmas eve!
Scarves, tees, dresses, onesies and more-galore RIGHT HERE.
That includes these tasty hand-signed 18" x 24" Giclée prints I had printed by my friends at Alpha-print.

Hey...want to win one?

All you need to do is leave a joyful holiday comment on this post and you'll be entered for a chance to win this print-
signed & shipped free to anywhere in the US! (international friends are invited to participate, but must pay for shipping). I'll announce the winner right here on Thursday morning. One lucky winner will have a print in time for Christmas, to shamelessly give as the perfect gift, or shamelessly keep as a winner's trophy. You're all winners in my book, afterall.
Want a bonus chance to win? Follow us on twitter(redprairiepress) or facebook(redprairiepress), and when we post about this contest, repost it or comment on it, and you'll be DOUBLE entered!

Gave up gambling long ago? You can buy this print at redprairiepress.com any time you'd like.

Luck be a lady.

Gift Guide for Shiny Squirrels

Thanks to everyone who came out to Pittsburgh & Baltimore this weekend! We loved seeing you (and special thanks to our pals Kyle & Angie for pitching in enormous amounts of their free time).
If you're not overdosed on craft JUST YET... here's a link to a gift guide I made up for The Shiny Squirrel blog. If you don't know the online shop, you should check it out! Lots of great affordable art & design from all over the country.

CLICK HERE for a list of some of my favorites.

Holiday Shopping This Weekend!

Here's where we'll be this weekend! Phil & my awesome friend Angie will be running our booth at the squidfire show here in Baltimore, while my awesome friend Kyle & I will head to Pittsburgh and take care of business at Handmade Arcade! Both will be outstanding shows. Both have what you need to save Christmas, your soul & the world. COME! SHOP! ENJOY!!! Tell your friends!!!!

Hope to see you at one of the two fairs - Back to the basement until then

Thank You Baltimore

Thanks Baltimore for the best craft fair weekend in quite some time. Holiday Heap was a slamming success, despite (nay, possibly BECAUSE OF) the first snow of the season in Charm City, cold weather, and a mishap with some of our advertising... we still had record crowds all day, and managed to raise over $400 with our charity raffle for Art With A Heart. Amazing.
We had a couple vendors sell out completely, and lots of vendors & shoppers alike with big goofy holiday grins on their faces.

Sunday's show, Merry Mart was also great! A steady crowd, beautiful setting, christmas music to get everyone in the mood, and Hot Toddy's to get the rest of us in the mood. wink wink. By Sunday afternoon, I was in the mood, all right. In the mood to snooze. Which I did. starting at 9pm.
Yesterday it was right back to work in the studio (no days off till end of December, here at Red Prairie Press) but we had friends staying here from out of town, and while I printed away in the basement, there were three lads above me in the kitchen, baking chocolate chip cookies & hand delivering them. Not a bad deal, really. Last night I managed to put the squeegee down and go see Fantastic Mr. Fox, which I recommend dropping everything to see in the theater while it's still there. Possibly my favorite Wes Anderson film of all time, and animated at that. Call me if you go. I might just go again.
Until then, you know where to find me.....

Buy me this - Julianna Bright

By Portland (OR) artist Julianna Bright. Found via The Shiny Squirrel.
Love finding new artists. Love this illustration. Love it.

BACK. TO. WORK.

Two Fairs This Weekend

Holiday Heap is eating my soul.
JUST KIDDING!
but it IS eating my free time!
We've been working OH-SO-HARD on this fair to make it bigger & badder & awesomer & handmadeyier than all previous shows we've put on. You won't be disappointed. I swear.
I'm so excited our friend Paul of Tugboat Printshop is coming to stay with us for Holiday Heap, and he'll be selling prints all day on Saturday, before heading to BUST craftacular in NYC.

SUNDAY- I'll be doing a more relaxed (read: cash bar with white russians) and wonderful show at the Creative Alliance in Highlandtown called Merry Mart! This show is always so beautiful with christmas lights abounding, popcorn a-flowing, artists invading all corners of the theatre & main galleries. It's warm & cozy, and I always find something to buy from a neighbor, and laugh at the people who have just come to see us at Holiday Heap the day before, because SO MANY of them come to both, and it warms my heart during this cold time of Hood Robbin'* by the mayor of our fair city. Be who I know you are Baltimore. Don't let the bad news get you down. I'm not.

*see comments.

Scarf Giveaway!!!!!

Happy December buddies! I'm doing a ONE DAY ONLY giveaway with blogger Marta Writes this morning. Marta is a graphic designer in Idaho that does giveaways on her blog often. Just visit the post she put up today, December 1, and leave a comment about your "must have daily accessory." You'll be automatically entered for a chance to win your choice of any one scarf from Red Prairie Press!