Oregon coast

We've been on the Oregon coast for the last few days, sightseeing, truffle shuffling and enjoying a few museums.

Now we're off to Portland, home of Barking Bird Art and frankly, more crafty goodness than you can shake a stick at. I love this print!

Stopover in Amsterdam

The land of Miffy and windmills also brings us LeiLiLaLoo. Follow her blog here. I'd like to live in a house like this one day.

Out of town

While we're on honeymoon, I decided to feature a seller from each of the destinations we'll be visiting.



First up is CarrotCoriander, who lives quite near to Glasgow Airport, and makes the cutest little amigurumi. Julie has the dubious honour of being the second person to fail to teach me to crochet, and can do a million and one things with buttons. Like this:

Things to do in Glasgow - when I'm not here!

I'm missing some good stuff while I'm away on honeymoon, but if you're in Glasgow, be sure to check out these events on my behalf.

First up is the Glasgow Craft Mafia social at Mono on Sunday 27 September. This is in place of our usual market, so that members, craft fans and potential new members can say hi, have a blether and maybe a cheeky drink or two. Craft materials and know-how will be on hand, so bring your own project, or start a new one on the day.

Over the entire time I'm away, I'm quite spectacularly managing to miss a good deal of hand-sewing going on at Glasgow's Women's Library. They'll be recreating banners in the style of those used to promote Suffragette activity 100 years ago. I love the iconography of the banners, the visual style, the hard work and sheer bloody-mindedness put into them, and of course I love the fact that I can vote. If you love all these things too, you can take part on 22nd & 29th Sept and 6th October from 1-3pm. It's being facilitated by the lovely Loraine, of SherbetHeadCreations, and culminates in a re-enactment of the march on 10 October - when I'll be jetlagged but hopefully able to catch up with all the excitement.

Here's a SherbetHead classic for you.. which also sounds remarkably like something the unreal Troy Dyer would say.

And finally, I've been trying to catch a band called Sonny Marvello in Glasgow for ages. I saw them defeat the band I was rooting for, Maslow, in a Battle of the Bands back in December 2007 in New York. Wouldn't you know that they're back in town... when I'll be somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. Not only are they playing a gig where I actually live, but I could have been holding a stall there too - because it's time for the Pin Up Nights circus! There's even a guest appearance from Naboo from the Might Boosh, he'll be DJing. Get yourselves to the Flying Duck on Friday 25th September. And let me know how it goes!

And if you want to catch the best of indie business and craft, the Made in the Shade Gals are back at the Lighthouse on Saturday 26 September for a shopping extravanganza - so don't enjoy yourselves too much at the circus!

Wedding bells!

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to our big day xxx

Mmmmm, toast

We don't have a toaster on our (mainly handmade) wedding list, but if we did, I think we'd have picked one of these. They're available from Aria (where I've just been buying some early Christmas presents) and made by Bodum.

I can't decided between the red or the brown...

shop status: on vacation

While I get busy with last-minute preparations for my wedding, I've temporarily closed my etsy shop. I'll be back with a bang on 10th October - there'll be a great weekend deal to celebrate with and some new products, too.

In the meantime, if you'd like to help me out with a virtual cyber-gift, then why not vote for me over at http://www.supercutekawaii.com/, where the prize is a Shopify account for a whole year! I would love to get my mitts on one of those, so that I can have a new project once all the wedding madness is over and done with.

While I'm away, I've set up a few blog posts to run with various musings on the places I'll be visiting. If I get time and good internet connection, my husband and I (woooo!) will post a few snaps for you.

Recommended reading

Search out your odd socks and raid your button stash, because Sarah from The Other Mousie, has contributed a fun tutorial to a great little magazine, which is free to read online and available here.

I'm addicted to reading about the goings on in *that* London and drooling over food, cocktails and great design over at Domestic Sluttery. I love the girls' outlook on life and the fact that it's updated at regular intervals during the day - and they have great giveaways too.

Speaking of giveaways, I'm delighted to have won a beautiful bracelet over at Crystal Velvet Weddings. I'm not quite sure I have the brass neck to walk down the aisle to this, but I do have a talented Clarsach player lined up for my big entrance, so maybe it would be appropriate! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it arrives in time for my big day. Yippee. And I'm reading the site avidly for all things weddingy. It's better than a bridal magazine!

Speaking of wedding reading, my wedding zine should be ready in just a couple of months' time, once we're back from honeymoon, and I'm working hard on the first issue of my craft inspiration zine, Answers on a Postcard, but still need interviewees, so email me at Katy [at] girlindustries [dot] com if you would like to find out more about taking part. If you're already signed up, enjoy mulling over your questions!

Awww, weather, play nice

All this drizzle is making me feel like this:





Find the adorable Dreary Mouse over at MossMountain - a shop after my own heart, on Etsy. But don't hang around, because I have my eye on her, too.

For a depressing 10-day weather forecast, I urge you not to look at this link. Slightly more reliable than the rubbish BBC weather forecasts, though.

Quick shop update

I'll be closing my shop while I'm away, so pop over there and stock up now before you miss me.

Last posting day will be 17 September, and I'll be back mid-October. In the meantime, remember you can pick up some Girl Industries goodness over at The Oriental Magpie - and you can shop there in good old pounds sterling, too!

Sheer genius!

Check out this brainwave from Dawn, aka ScaryWhiteGirl over on Etsy.






Now you know I've been making my coffee kilts for a little while, but I have also been eating A LOT of Ben and Jerry's frozen yogurt over the summer. I could have done with one of these to keep my little hands nice and toasty - I was saving the environment by not washing up a bowl, your honour!

Additional special mention goes to Dawn for being from Seattle - and for giving me lots of tips about touristy things to do (and to miss) while I'm there later this month. Oooh, I like saying that!

Pay It Forward Update

It's lovely to see little ripples of crafty altruism spreading out across the internet! And it's time for an update on paying it forward progress.

First up in the volunteering stakes was Marceline, who reposted the challenge on her blog, Asking For Trouble. As well as showcasing her work here, Marceline is one half of the blogging team Super Cute Kawaii - the home of my favourite Frenchman, M Le Bun and lots of competitions at the moment, I urge you to take a look - she is also a driving force behind the Glasgow Craft Mafia and also squeezes in time to champion music new and not so new over at Diskant.


Considering all this, I set out to create something suitably cute, with some kind of Japanese influence, that was (in true Girl Industries style) useful and ornamental. I started to pay close attention to potential clues and pointers from Mar-C's twitter, blog and even real-life conversations (for which there is no link!). My ears pricked up when she mentioned a handknit laptop sleeve she obtained on her holidays, and that she was looking for a new DS case.

Last Friday night I finished another project I was working on, and had a whole ball of wool spare, in this lovely chocolate brown colour. I also had felt on my mind as I was trying to remember to pass on some felt to Miss Crafty as part of a swap we did ages ago...

Suddenly, it all clicked into place. I hunted around on the internet for that thing that looks like a weetabix with fangs, was delighted to find out that it is called Domo-kun and is a Japanese TV mascot. Ding ding ding ding ding jackpot! Here's my version of the TV character, all he needs is his lining and he's good to go.

Now for the next Pay it forward-er on the list...