Shoes.

Yep...I have decided that I really love shoes. Unfortunately, this is one of the handmade things I cannot see purchasing right now...even though I know they are worth every penny! :( So, I have to be satisfied with store-bought, factory-made, $7 clearance shoes....but I have a confession to make:

I LIKE it!

I am calling these my Barbie shoes...because, well....that's what they remind me of! They're a sugary-sweet coral color that the camera just barely captured, and shiny shiny!! I love the patent leather, the pointy toes, the little heels....a little tacky and a little classy. Perfect.

And the Winner of Giveaway #3 Is.....

Love, Luca!

She has won the Anticipation Clutch from my 3rd giveaway. :)

CONGRATULATIONS!

Love, Luca also happens to have a lovely little Etsy shop, loveluca.etsy.com, where she offers vegan and cruelty-free soaps, sprays, candles, and then some. Check out her sweet handmade stuff!

I also want to thank EVERYONE who entered, tweeted, followed, commented, etc. I truly appreciate your support and helping to get the word out! I promise I'll get around to checking out everybody's blog sooooooooon!!!!

Reminder: LAST CHANCE! :D

This is your last chance to enter the "Anticipation" clutch giveaway!! I am drawing a winner sometime today, but not right now. In another hour? Or a few hours? This evening?? It could be any time, so enter now! CLICK HERE.

My Zakka Linen Checkbook Cover!

This fabric is simply exquisite!! It is so sweet and fun and-- *gasp*-- oh-so-sophisticated! It is also one of the many FQ's I purchased from Charlotte's Sew Natural in Newton, KS. I let it set for a while until I could decide on the perfect project for it. I love my new checkbook cover!

Self-Imposed Shopping Guidelines

I have actually been doing this for quite some time now, but this is going to be my "official" announcement:

From here on out, I will only be acquiring clothing that follows one or more of these guidelines:

1. Handmade by an artist/craftsperson (NOT including children in Bangladesh) :)
2. Vintage, found in a thrift store, or second-hand.
3. Made in the USA

As with all good rules, there are some exceptions! Hey, it can't be perfect world...notable exceptions are:

1. Shoes. If I need a new pair of shoes, they are probably going to come from a factory in China, as I don't have the funds to be buying a lot of handmade shoes...
2. Underwear, especially bras, for the same reason as shoes. (Although, I do have a good mind to repurpose some stretchy t-shirts into some cute knickers!)
3. Bellydance costuming items. While I do make most of my dance costumes, there are some things--usually the costuming components our teacher makes us buy for performances--that are made in what are, essentially, Egyptian sweatshops. I rarely buy these kinds of pieces anymore, though, unless, as I said, it's required.

I have followed this pretty strictly for at least a year, I think. I haven't been keeping track. But I am going to be very conscious of it now that I've written about it.

That's enough pontificating for one day.

I would like to thank everyone who has followed/commented/blogged about my giveaway!!! I truly appreciate it all, even if I haven't responded yet! Don't forget to tell your friends, there is still time to enter!

Take care and have a great Monday,

Leanne

xoxo

Weekend Revue

Octoshirt I made for myself from some gorgeous bamboo knit material, purchased here. I can't find the link to the exact fabric, and also, because this is a discount store, their availability does change, but you can find many lovely and eco-friendly fabrics at Fabric.com!

Biscuits before they went in the oven...

...and then the next day. They weren't the best biscuits ever, I think I kneaded them too much. But when you slap a little bit of strawberry jam on, they ain't too bad. ;)

And Puff got a little bit of painting done this weekend!

Here's a sneak peek at one of the new items I'll be listing this week...

Annndd....it's not too late to enter the GIVEAWAY! :D You still have two days! Win some folk swag just by following and commenting.

Saturdays...

Bleh....do I have to get out of bed? Slept too long....in pain...ah.

I may have to begin doing some tutorials on here! Starting with this...

Don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY! A winner for this lovely

clutch will be drawn Tuesday, July 28th.

Yellow Pear Tomatoes

Fresh from the garden...they are not only cute but DELICIOUS!

GIVEAWAY No.3: Anticipation Clutch!

It's that time again--I am having another giveaway! The item up for grabs this week is a sweet little zipper clutch/pouch, handmade by me. It's called 'Anticipation'. Why? I don't know, it just seemed....right. This pouch is fully lined with a sturdy cotton ticking material, and the outside is a dark gray, with pink accents; vintage buttons, lace, and ruffly fabric. It measures approximately 7.75" x 4.5" I love it, and hope you do too!

Entering is EASY:

If you would like an entry, simply follow the blog, but make sure you leave a comment here to let me know you're following!

To enter a second time, visit the shop, folk.etsy.com, have a look around, and come back here to let me know which item (or items!) is your favorite.

To enter a third time, mention me in your blog, twitter, etc. Be sure to let me know in a comment.

Basically, each comment is an entry, so if you're doing all three of these things, be sure to leave three comments! :) The winner will be drawn sometime on Tuesday, July 28, using a random number generator, and I will contact the winner via email, their etsy shop, etc, to let them know they've won. GOOD LUCK!

Cherry Sweetie Pie

I just got done listing some new goodies at the shop, and I should be cleaning/baking, but I wanted to share my latest creation, which I made for myself! Yay! Very simple, but I love this combination of lace/buttons. (Yes, the buttons are vintage, and sweeeet!)

Pretty Prairie Rodeo

Yes, it is Kansas' Largest Night Rodeo. Hehehe....I may have only been to one or two other rodeos before in my lifetime, but this was definitely a pleasant event. The weather was great, the bulls were cute, the clowns were really corny, and I got to wear cowboy boots. Not the best event for taking photos, obviously, but it was fun!

Shirt from Vital.

Elevators rock.

A rodeo clown!

Rodeo clowns are the best.

Japanese beetle that attacked my mom.

Mutton bustin'!

Turning from my frumpy ways...

Yessss!!! I am really excited about clothes, lately. Well, actually, I'm always excited about clothes--designing, making, selling, looking at, etc... What I should say is that I'm excited about clothes for myself!

I guess I am a bit like a mechanic who, even though he fixes cars for a living and has the know-how, drives a piece of junk. I can make fancy thangs for other people, but usually don't make them for myself. But I want to change this! Oh, and I will! Won't you join me now as I share some lovelies? :)

First up is cute vintage dress I found in a Newton thrift store a little while back. I don't know exactly how vintage it is, but I know it is! One of the many things I'd like to learn is how to "read" clothing tags. My friend knows how, but I am pretty much clueless where this is concerned. But the style and fabric makes me think '70s on this one...

{I have more great thrift store finds which I'll show you later--I have to pace myself!}

The second fine garment I have today is a FOLK original (teehee...) I made it for the shop, but I cannot let it go!!! I will be sure to make more, because I am really thrilled with the design, but this is the prototype and I'm keeping it. (It looks better ON, but I was too lazy to put it on for the pic.)

Have a great week! I'll be posting later this week and might even have--*gasp!*--giveaway!

Road Trip Photo No. 23

I sometimes like creepy things...

Old church building in Hutchinson, KS.

Big Anniversary Sale!

I have been on "vacation" for a while now; never fear, I am still able to ship, I just mean I have not been adding new items to the shop. This next week, however, there should be quite a few new goodies listed for you!

Also, next Wednesday, July 22, 2009 is Folk's 1st Anniversary! Yay! And in honor of that anniversary, I am having a big sale! Some "Anniversary Sale" items are priced ridiculously low. There are also other items in the shop that have been on sale for a while, and still a bargain. Help me reach 200 sales by next Wednesday, and own some adorable, lovingly handmade folk gear as well! :)

Here are a few of the lovely, low-priced items:

Whipped Cream Ruffled and Reclaimed Top, $30

Ms. Green Jeans Clutch, $7

Lemonade Coasters, $6

Mexican Parrot Silk Cuff, $12

Orientale Clutch w/Vintage Buttons, $16

Ella Steampunk Cuffs w/Organic Cotton Lining, $17

Gretel Folklore Pouch w/Silk Strap, $9

Vintage Finds + Baby's Sweater!

Last week I did just a tiny bit of estate sale-ing....okay, I only went to one actual "estate sale"...the other turned out to be a creepy antique mall--falsely advertised, I might add! BUT, at the one true estate sale, I got some great buys and wanted to share them! Cute vintage necklace and earrings: the earrings were 25 cents per pair, and the necklace was a whopping 50 cents.

Also, I have finally finished the body of the baby sweater I am knitting for one of the cutest baby girls I know! Now I just have to do the arms, which I think will fly by. (Here is the pattern for this cutie; you must be on Ravelry to see it!)