Kings Mountain Art Fair

Happy Labor Day to all my US and Canadian friends!

We went to the Kings Mountain Art Fair yesterday. I did not know what to expect since I had never been there before, but it was absolutely breathtaking. You see, the fair is located in the middle of nowhere, among gigantic redwoods full of unique and varied artists.

I had never been to a fair where the artists were so passionate about their work. Earlier this year, I went to the San Francisco Renegade Craft Fair. It was an overwhelming experience to say the least. They focused on the commercial side of things and there was no variety. I swear I must have seen 1000 letterpress shops. It was very boring to say the least (which is probably the reason it never became a blog post).

Kings Mountain Craft Fair however offered a variety of arts and crafts and featured artists who actually took the time to talk to you. It most certainly didn't feel like arts and crafts on steroids...

Even though there was so much to see, I felt very relaxed and at ease. Everything was organized in sections and it was truly one of the best fairs I have been to. Now, without further ado, let me share some pictures with you.

We left our car in the parking lot and took a trolley up to the fair. The parking lot was free, the trolley ride was free and the driver was extremely courteous. Such a nice setup.

The entrance - gorgeous right?!? Oh, free admissions too.

The booths were nestled between trees...

There were beautiful paintings...

... works of art (love his Pacifico eyes)...

Beautiful music...

A charming cabin full of artsy stuff like quilts, buttons, shawls, sweaters and purses:

Beautiful pots...

And much much much more! I wish I was able to photograph all the beautiful things I saw yesterday, but some of the artists were very strict about their "no pictures" policy.Which I completely understand. Kinda.

Such a happy and memorable day! Do you go to crafts show often? Have you ever been to a craft show that made you feel relaxed and at peace?

I hope you have a wonderful week! Thanks for stopping by :)

Busy bee

Sorry I have been AWOL. Things have been and will continue to be a bit crazy this week. I have been working non-stop getting everything ready for the baby shower I am hosting this Saturday.

The bad news is I won't be around much this week.

The great news is that I am preparing lots of tutorials as I make things for the shower. HOORAY! More on that next week....

I do want to remind you that The Etsy Angels and I are still raising money for Love for Malacia Babies. If you have a couple of minutes, please take a look at some of our shops. We have so many cool things!

Some cool finds:

Applique alphabet by Nana Company

Tutorial: Fabric flower headbands by Crafty Nest

Quickie coasters by the Split Stitch

I hope you have a great week!

Beautiful handmade finds

I have been meaning to post this for a while now. What else is new right?!? :)

I found these when I was in South America (namely Brazil and Argentina) in April and May.

I just love how intricate and perfect everything is in these Latin countries. Life happens at a much slower pace which allows people to be more passionate and crafty in life (more time for hobbies & other fun stuff). I don't know if it has anything to do with how low the US Dollar has been, but I found handmade goodies to be quite pricey down there.... Totally worth it though.

I bought this table runner for my mother-in-law. It is beige in color and made of twine. Boy! I wish I could crochet like this. It totally reminds me of my grandma, who was the go-to crochet lady in town.

Look at all the detail.....

I must say though, that when I first saw it I thought it was a rug. My husband, very politely corrected me: "it is a table runner, you moron!" Just kidding... But no... really. 

The next super awesome thing I found (which I know I will never ever use because we don't have too many flies and mosquitoes in the Bay Area, but it looks cool and unique nevertheless) is this jar cover, made out of tulle and beads, that form charming palm trees....

Ok... Maybe I could use it after all. We do have some trees in our backyard and next time we have an outdoor party I can keep leaves and things from falling into our water, right?!? Totally ;)

I am a sucker when it comes to cross stitch and tropical stuff. This was a big splurge (HUBBY: if you are reading this don't worry, this is just something I say to impress my blog friends - LOVE YA), but I could not help myself. Look at all those fishies.

Now look a wittle bit closer....

It looks pretty sweet in my bathroom, don't you think?

Some knickknacks. Because a girl can never have enough knickknacks....

And finally, a completely different (at least to me) fruit basket...

I wish I had taken more pictures, but I ended up giving it to my mom.... I will however try to explain its magnificent mechanism: it is made out of wood, cut in the shape of an apple. Then they insert another piece of wood in the same apple shape that is cut like in a spiral towards the center.... So when you add weight to this piece of wood, it has a spring effect and opens in the shape of a basket. I hope this makes sense :)

What kind of treasures have you come across lately? I'd love to hear from my dearest friends!

Thank you so much for stopping by!!!

Lovely finds - Etsy Angels edition

There are 3 days left in March! Oh my! Why is time going by soooo fast?

As many of you may already know, I am a member of the Etsy Angels team on Etsy. We support worthy causes 5-6 times a year. This month all of us Etsy Angels are working together to raise money to support the Jefferson County Victim Assistance and Annual Courage Walk. We do so by donating a portion of our sales proceeds.

I know times are tough, but if you are shopping for a gift or looking for something special, would you please check out one of our shops before you make a decision?

I spent some time visiting my friends' shops and I wanted to share my favorite finds with you.

Baby finds

My mini mocs soft sole shoes  by My Mini Mocs

Baby quilt by Arriving Angels

For the home

Nautical placemats by the Sewing Granny

Spring inspired, doily coasters by Crochet by MSA

For the lovely lady

 Kitty face sterling silver earrings by The Beaded Tail

Plum crazy sugilite pearl necklace by Wildlifer78

As always, thank you for stopping by and I hope you have a lovely day!