Studio Polka Dot

Gifts & Stocking

2010-11-28T06:19:00.000-08:00

We are not taking custom orders this year but we have some adorable Christmas stockings and lots of great gifts in our Etsy shop inventory.

If you purchase between now and December 15, 2010, we'll gift wrap at no additional charge and send directly to the gift recipient.

fabrics for custom order

2010-01-24T11:37:00.000-08:00

We have a lot of fabrics to choose from for custom orders from our Etsy shop. All of the fabrics pictured below can be used for most of the items in our shop (we don't have enough of some of these samples for tote bags though).

So go ahead, order a pouch, clutch, wristlet, cosmetic bag, coffee sleeve, etc... in the fabric of your choice. There's no additional charge to do so!

so many awesome fellow crafters

2010-01-10T16:28:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come and gone with lots of drama. We were quite busy keeping our Etsy shop fresh and sewing orders for others as well as our own gifts. We even had a custom order for 6 stockings that we are still working on now, the second week of January (don't worry, she didn't need them this year). We had a major snow storm and lost power for several days and were snowed in for a week,...

Now life is a little calmer and we are taking a much-needed reprieve from our shop (except those stockings we still owe a very kind and understanding purchaser). So I've had a bit of time to visit some fellow crafters on the web.

My fav discovery is Ruffles &Stuff. This woman is so crafty and resourceful. I was so inspired, I read all the way through to the beginning of her blog.

Here are a couple of my very favorite Ruffles & Stuff projects.

1) Super Easy T-Shirt Scarf
2) Shabby Chic Pleated Shade
3) No Sew Flutter Cape
4) Winter Wonderland Dress

I am so very inspired to deconstruct and reconstruct! You rock, Disney!

I just love EverythingEtsy.com. I love it so much and find it so useful that I get all new posts by email. She has useful articles like organizing your craft supplies, great finds, crafter bios, and so much more. And she has a knack for finding the very best of each subject from the far corners of the web. Another must read!

I am also loving Scoutie Girl Gift Guides: a collaborative, curated guide to buying handmade gifts for the holidays & beyond. shop by recipient or tag, or search for exactly what you’re looking for! What a simple, go-to resource for all gift giving! Love it!

busy, busy, busy

2009-10-26T06:49:00.000-07:00

Shame on me for not posting regularly to this blog, I know. I have plenty of guilt about it. But, as you all well know too, life has a way of taking over. So do kids...

But Studio Polka Dot is still crafting and creating. We had a great time at the Scarecrow Festival a couple weeks ago, despite the mediocre turnout. We sold both of our pink, flapper-era inspired beanies in the first 15 minutes. Mom even made another one for the crafter in the booth next to us while we were there. They were the hit of the day.

We can, of course, make more of them.

It was slow going for the rest of the day though. We ended up selling one of our hobo wristlets (my favorite leaf print from Moda that I can't find more of), shown below in Amy Butler fabric, and a set of 3 reusable coffee sleeves. Lots of teens and young adults loved our bags and pouches but didn't have money to purchase.

We have decided to participate in one more market this year. We feel like our items make great gifts and we even created some fun, retro-inspired holiday stockings (they aren't on etsy so email us if you are interested in seeing them for possible purchase: studiopolkadot [at] gmail.com). We will be at TC Roberson High School in South Asheville Nov 12. We have lots of items that are not on Etsy. If you are local, come take a look.

In the mean time, check out our Etsy shop. We made more of the Robert Kaufman Owl Boxy Pouches that have been so popular and have one listed in a fun Japanese print as well.

5th Annual Scarecrow Festival & Craft Show

2009-09-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

After participating in our first market Saturday, the 2nd Saturday Artists' Market in West Asheville, we girls of Studio Polka Dot decided to participate in the upcoming Scarecrow Festival & Craft Show at Lake Julian, here in Asheville.

Not only will it be the perfect audience for our creations (families and kids), but it will be a fun and festive atmosphere. I am even considering making our own scarecrow for our booth. Why not join the fun?

SAVE THE DATE:
October 3, 2009
10 a.m.-4 p.m.

If you are in Asheville, come join the fun!

Featured Artist: Snowflake Designs Jewelry

2009-09-01T15:07:00.000-07:00

Emily, of Snowflakes Designs Jewelry, has been creating jewelry for over ten years, selling mainly at festivals and art shows in and around Rochester, NY. In 2008, she started selling online in order to make her work available to a larger audience. "My goal is to create colorful and distinctive artisan jewelry that can be enjoyed every day," says Emily. "I use gemstones, beads and wire wrapping in my designs."

Here are some highlights from snowflake designs:

Grape Charm Bracelet is an eye-catching design with multi-colored green textured patina leaves, lampworked glass beads and grape clusters handmade from glass beads. It's a great choice for wine or grape lovers and a unique natural Fall look.

Sun and Sky Necklace is made of apatite and citrine gemstone chip clusters along with amazonite. It's a really beautiful color combination and I also offer matching earrings.

Storm Clouds Necklace is made of clusters of smoky quartz and iolite gems along with freshwater pearls. The center piece is a faceted labradorite briolette. The subtle blue and gray color combination makes this necklace very wearable- whether with jeans or a favorite dress.

Take some time and check out Emily's work. I know you'll be glad you did. You can find Snowflake Designs at the following web addresses:

website www.snowflakedesignsjewelry.com
Etsy shop www.snowflakedesign.etsy.com
1000 Markets shop www.snowflakedesign.1000markets.com
blog www.snowflakedesignsjewelry.blogspot.com

our most popular seller...

2009-08-26T09:16:00.003-07:00

We have only been selling our handmade products for a few months and, already, we can pinpoint a "most popular seller." By far, it is the Robert Kaufman Owls print BOXY POUCH. We sold 3 of them in the last 5 days, 2 the very first day we listed them!

This Robert Kaufman owl fabric, made in Japan, is part of his Forest Fun collection. We have the "spice" coloration. In the first 3 pouches, I paired it with a sunny yellow polka dot for the interior and the pull tabs. We haven't been able to get more of this polka dot so we are making more of the owl pouches with a small red polka dot, a yellow with a multi-colored polka dot, and a yellow with a darker yellow swirl. All will be equally as charming as this little guy.

If you'd like one of these owl pouches, send us a message through our Etsy shop and we'll put up a custom order for you. You'll be able to choose between the three interior choices I listed above.

Don't forget, at $12, these make a great gift!

new! NATURAL collection

2009-08-23T08:33:00.000-07:00

I finally finished one of the items for our new NATURAL collection, a reusable coffee sleeve.

BIRD01 is a reusable coffee sleeve with a bird hand-embroidered in a dark turquoise on a natural weave cotton fabric. The cotton exterior is machine quilted in a random fashion onto a dark grey fleece. The fleece insulates your hand as well as your hot beverage of choice.

Tells us what you think.
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In honor of our little blue bird, I have created this week's Sunday Favorites around the theme of birds, all with the color blue.

Asheville Etsy Street Team

2009-08-18T06:06:00.000-07:00

We are so pleased to be a part of the Asheville Etsy Street Team, now over 160 crafters and artisans strong! What a talented group of people!

Take a look at the Asheville Etsy Street Team Blog to view upcoming craft fairs and events in our area.

Shop local!

win one of our coffee sleeves

2009-08-12T07:01:00.000-07:00

Tracey, from Red Linc Art, has been kind enough to host a giveaway of a Studio Polka Dot reusable coffee sleeve. The sleeve of your choosing, if you are the winner.

Visit Tracey's blog, Knit, Paint, Create! and follow the instructions to enter. It is quick and simple.

The contest ends August 14, so go ahead, do it now.

completely a family affair

2009-08-09T06:19:00.000-07:00

My sister, Ellen, has joined Studio Polka Dot. It is now a mother-daughterS effort with our mom, myself, and my sister.

Ellen is a scrapbooking diva! She is all about scrapbooking and scraps whenever she has free time. Our mom brings decades (sorry mom) of sewing experience to our studio. And I pull up the rear. My passion is photography (yes,I am working on getting some photography into the shop) and I also dabble in scrapbooking and sewing. I enjoy coming up with new items, trying to perfect everyday items to make them our own, finding new uses for old materials to upcycle and recycle, and coordinating fabrics, patterns and colors.

Together we offer a wide variety of artistic items.

Here's Ellen's first card, a Thank You card, now available at our Etsy shop.

I am off to her house right now to make more cards!

this chick is cute!

2009-08-05T18:28:00.000-07:00

I put creativity (and my recent obsession with birds) first and came up with this super cute chickie envelope clutch. It has color, texture, and whimsy.

It also has so many uses: pencil pouch, wallet, sewing kit, envelope for love letters or other collection, clutch purse...

Love the pouch but want something other than a chick? We can make anything you'd like. Just send us an email at studiopolkadot@gmail.com.

Sunday Favorites

2009-08-02T06:07:00.000-07:00

Trees, to me, are sculpture. They can be intricate or simple, colorful or stark, full of life or completely bare. I have a love affair with trees.

In light of this obsession, I built my Sunday Favorites today around trees.

From top to bottom above:
Single Stone Studios
Little Mary Moo
Daydreem Designs
Erin Bowe Metalsmith
Patty A Baker
Nomadic Dragon Photography
The Altered Abbey
Sarah Smile
The Brick Kiln

Back to School SALE

2009-08-01T07:12:00.000-07:00

We're having a Back to School sale in our Etsy shop. All our pencil pouches are now just $10! These boxy pouches are larger than your standard pencil pouch so they are perfect to contain all the small, loose school supplies (pencils, markers, crayons, scissors, pencil sharpener, etc). They are also a perfect size for a cosmetics bag, small travel kit, snack bag, or even a fun clutch. Who says you have to use it for school just because you got it at a back to school sale?!

F ollow this link to sale items.

Weekly Featured Artist & Giveaway, RED LINC ART

2009-07-30T10:06:00.000-07:00

I am Tracey Rediker, artist and shop owner of Red Linc Art. I have been an artist for as long as I can remember, and have studied seriously since I was 8 years old. I love to create art in all sorts of media. Generally, my paintings, drawings and photography are realistic and figurative with a pop art quality. I like to take the everyday and put a new spin on it. Inspiration, for me, can be found everywhere. My children’s faces, a conversation with a friend, or a view I have seen a thousand times before but only appreciated that day.

In my shop you will find original works in Oil, Acrylic, Pencil and Photography. I offer framing, at an additional cost, and prints of most of the pieces available on the site.

Tracey has been kind enough to offer an 8x10 print of anything in her Etsy shop for us to GIVE AWAY. Here are the rules for the giveaway:

Tell us your name and how to contact you (include an email addy or etsy shop name) in the comments below and tell Tracey which item in her shop is your favorite and WHY it's your top choice.

For each of the following you earn an extra entry into the drawing. For each that you do, be sure to come back here and tell us in the comments:

Follow this blog
Follow the Red Linc blog
Follow Studio Polka Dot on twitter
Follow Red Linc Art on twitter
Tweet this giveaway
Blog about this giveaway

This contest will end at 11:59 pm EDT on Friday, August 7th and the winner will be announced shortly thereafter.
Good luck!

elementary student planner

2009-07-29T05:31:00.000-07:00

I finally finished designing the student planner for my soon-to-be 2nd grade son, Luke. It is a culmination of our experiences with school last year. It takes into account the needs of an ADHD student by providing things like a daily picture reminder to take home jacket, lunch box, etc every day. However, it is great for any early elementary student.

The cover is all my own personal photography of places we've been and things we've seen. I offer another, more girlie, version of this cover in a different color palette as well. I will personalize your student planner with your child's name on the cover.

Inside, each week is covered in one 2-page spread. There are spaces for homework assignments and reminders; list of what to bring home; visual reminder of items such as jacket and lunchbox to bring home daily; daily parent-teacher communications; daily behavior report; weekly spelling words; and favorites for the week.

The 80-page planner runs from August 24 to June 18 with December 21 to January 1st omitted for Holiday Break. If these dates don't work for you, contact me and we'll discuss a custom planner.

I thought other moms might like to have this so I have posted a download of the entire 80+ page planner for just $4 in my Etsy shop. Check out the listing here.

If you wanted to purchase the "girl" version now, just purchase the one I have listed and put a note to seller that you want the girl cover.

Even if you are not interested in purchasing it for your child, take a look and post your feedback. I can certainly make improvements at any point.

Wristlets have arrived

2009-07-28T10:05:00.000-07:00

We made a cute little wristlet/clutch a couple weeks ago for a day-long trip to the zoo. I didn't want to have to keep up with a purse or carry a backpack in the nearly 100 degree temps in S.C. So we made a wristlet. I love the wristlet so much, I carry it all the time now. I have ditched my purse unless I need to carry something massive.

I've been using it every day, both to test it out, and because I love it. It works out great. Today I listed the wristlet in our Etsy shop here.

We can make just one more in these fabrics as I have just enough of the upcycled pillow sham I used on the exterior to create only ONE. Of course, we can make this wristlet from other coordinating fabrics that would be just as beautiful too. Just contact us if you'd like to see some fabrics.

Sunday Favorites

2009-07-19T12:44:00.000-07:00

Here are some of my favorites from spending a lazy Sunday morning window shopping on Etsy.

Etsy
Buy Handmade
studiopolkadot

SALE!!!!

2009-07-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

SALE... SALE... SALE... SALE...SALE... SALE... SALE... SALE...

We're having a "Bring on the Buyers" sale to spur some purchases for our new shop. We have lowered prices on every one of our handmade creations. Now is the time to buy.

Studio Polka Dot's Shop

SALE... SALE... SALE... SALE...SALE... SALE... SALE... SALE...

Reusable Coffee Cuffs/Sleeves/Cozies are Eco-Friendly and Show Your Personality

2009-07-03T08:43:00.001-07:00

Smart sleeves! Keep your coffee or tea warm and your fingers protected with a reusable coffee sleeve. If you frequent the coffee shops, you could eliminate as much as 4.5 pounds of waste per year.

Our "Reese" cuffs fit standard cups from your favorite coffee shop. They will fit iced beverage cups too, keeping your hands dry and not too cold and reducing condensation drip.

We have a variety of coffee sleeves to choose from in botanical patterns and whimsical fabrics. Take a look at our Etsy shop at http://studiopolkadot.etsy.com.

All our coffee cuffs/sleeves/cozies are available for immediate delivery. Custom orders can be shipped within 48 hours.

So show a little personality with your coffee and save some trees in the process. Take a resuable coffee sleeve and tell the barista to "hold the cuff."

Grand Opening!

2009-07-02T06:31:00.001-07:00

We finally have our Etsy store up and running. You'll currently find girl's hats (decorative for the warm months), kids' craft aprons, and upcycled tote bags.

Tomorrow we'll also have an assortment of reusable coffee cuffs/sleeves/cozies. Show some personality and save a tree!

Visit our Etsy store and tell your friends and family. We'd be thrilled if you'd tweet our store to your Twitter followers too! http://studiopolkadot.etsy.com

Tween, teen, little girl, girlie-girl "Grace" Hat has arrived!

2009-06-25T11:07:00.000-07:00

We are finally ready to start selling some of our creations here at Studio Polka Dot. We are starting with girlie hats, tote bags, reusable coffee cuffs, and kids' craft aprons. We should have these products up on our Etsy store (http://studiopolkadot.etsy.com/) by Wednesday.

However, I am posting my tween daughter's favorite girlie girl hat, "Grace," here today. You'll be able to purchase it on Etsy next week or you can email me directly to order one now (pennywpenny@gmail.com). The hat is $15 with $2 shipping and will fit children age 5 all the way up to adult (it fits me). We have many in this color combination (although the button in the center of the flower will vary) or you can custom order it in different colors as well.

Your girls are going to LOVE this hat!

Studio Polka Dot is coming...

2009-03-25T10:21:00.001-07:00

We are diligently working on handmade purses, bags, journal covers, hats and aprons to launch our Etsy store: Studio Polka Dot. Please check back in late April to see what we have created. Our items will make super gifts!