Last Saturday was a great day ---- I finally got to meet some of my new maker friends at our first Handmade in Kansas City summit!
We met at a great local bike shop in downtown Lenexa, Velo+. What an awesome place! Velo+ offers custom handmade bicycle frames, group riding opportunites, riding accessories made by local folks, & in house ROASTED COFFEE. Definitely a great place for seasoned riders, as well as beginning cyclists!
Since joining Handmade in KC a few months ago I have loved getting to know everyone a little through our various business pages & online discussions. It's one thing to stalk admire an artist's work online, but it's quite another to see their beautiful creations in person.
I kind of geeked out.
There is SO.MUCH. talent in this group; the heart & passion of each maker is so very evident in every piece. Here are some of my crappy phone artistic snapshots from the evening:
Each maker received cards to hand out with information on Handmade in Kansas City. These will be a great way to spread the word about our group & the handmade initiative!
Hey Paul Studios features one of a kind embroidery designs & specializes in medical anatomy embroidery. Kristen's designs are amazingly intricate & so unique. I think her brains & state pillows are my favorite!
Nuggets of Goodness offers handmade jewelry with a vintage vibe. I loved looking through Carla's vintage jewelry case & finding so many lovely one of a kind pieces; just like going through my grandma's jewelry when I was little!
I think my favorite piece from Creations by M & J was the little porcupine she brought to the summit. So cute & squeezy (totally a word)! Jennifer even gave me the courage to try something I've never tried before. Thanks for the piping tip!!!
Oh, Stik A Pin In It....
Pretty much everything you make will one day be in my sewing room. Seriously. Shelly makes such cute sewing kits & needle minders. I'll never have to crawl around on the floor searching for that lost needle again!
DO YOU SEE THE THE UPCYCLED INSTRUMENTS?!?!
Hang Ups in KC, you had me at trumpet, clarinet, & violin. I don't even know what else to say, Kristi & Carolyn, except your sass is almost as amazing as your handmade jewelry. I love it.
Ni-Chern Designs makes so many fun accessories, including aprons with lots of pockets that are perfect for craft shows or garage sales. Nicole also makes key fobs in two sizes, one of which I will be ordering soon since I dropped my last one in the toilet at Red Robin....
I cannot begin to imagine the time & patience Amy utilizes to create her hand rolled paper beads for By Wicked Red. The bracelets she brought to the summit were stunning. Do you see the hand rolled beads from sheet music?!
I am going to smell soooooo good now, thanks to Kenna with Gratitude Soapery. She was so sweet & brought all of us samples of natural, handmade soap! I keep opening up my package of lavender soap & just breathing it in. Can't wait to try more!
The unique, inspiring pieces by Altered Iris are so incredible. Cherie combines paper, paint, & ink to create such amazing artwork! I fell in love with the little ampersand canvas several weeks ago. She also carries prints of her originals, as well as pendants & magnets.
Aaaaaaand, here's my sad little display. All of my fun display pieces are packed away for our move, so I had to use my plastic storage bin to prop up my poor dolls. Obviously, I also got a horribly uncroppable picture....
I cannot wait to get to know more about my fellow makers. I left our summit feeling inspired, happy, & more determined than ever that I am on the right creative path. We were missing several of our maker friends at our summit, so please be sure to check out our Handmade in Kansas City website to see more local makers!
THANK YOU, HANDMADE IN KC FRIENDS! Next time, it's jammies.
A few weeks ago I had a conversation with someone about specific reservations I've been holding on to for quite some time. Keeping myself at arm's length from the situation without a solid reason why.
Then she said, "Do you think maybe it's because you don't want to look stupid?"
OUCH.
And yes.
The *ahem* older I get, the more I've come to understand that appearances really don't mean anything. You can create a facade of perfection, yet be crumbling on the inside. You may live paycheck to paycheck, but be rich with the fulfillment of doing something you love. My fear of "looking stupid" was preventing me from truly embracing my whole self. My whole life, essentially. Humiliation sucks, but choosing to avoid it at all costs has sadly prevented me from making some pretty fabulous mistakes.
"I invite you to look stupid," she said.
Such a silly sentence, but it was an f-ing LIGHT BULB MOMENT.
What's the worst that could happen? I put my most honest, loving, best self out into the universe, personally AND professionally. If people can't or won't accept me, then it's their loss. If I am living a life I am proud to live no one can take my joy.
So this is me. Looking stupid.
Looking stupid has given me so many opportunities recently that I never would have were I still choosing to hide. I made a kickass new friend (Hey, Natalie, HEEEEEEEEY!) by participating in a swap on Instagram, taught myself embroidery, joined the amazing Handmade in Kansas City group, began a partnership with Ribbon of Worth Foundation, donated to various fundraisers, & have just recently been met with a possible new adventure that is incredibly close to my heart.
So, friends, I extend the invitation to you. Be stupid with me.
P.S., "She" & "someone" are my therapist who, I'm pretty sure, has a direct link to God, Buddha, & most other mind blowing philosophers.
