Homemade Harvest 2013

Just when I thought my year can't get any better, you have helped make this weekend one of the most successful Homemade Harvest Open House ever.  Shukran shukran shukran.

 

Attendance was fantastic this year because so many of you brought others!  We had husbands, mothers, fathers, kids, and of course babies, oh so many babies!  (I want to now apologize to those that had to wait to pay while I was getting my baby fix in.) 

I love the sense of community this gathering has turned into.  Plus with extra people, there was less food to deal with at the end of the day, so shukran on behalf of the landfills too.

We even had a neighbor that stopped by on her walk, just from seeing our HH sign outside our lavendar house.  This was a first for this event and maybe an indication that more signs need to be purchased.  It was lovely to meet her and I look forward to getting to know her better in the future.

The best part about the Homemade Harvest is that, except for a small percentage taken out to help pitch in to pay for the food and a few other small things, the women you talked to on Saturday received all the money for their hard earned work.  You can pat yourself on the back for buying from the source of all that unique goodness you now own.

Kudos to Kayce for letting me borrow her baskets to use for the show!

If you enjoyed Handmade Harvest and want to support handmade in the future, please put November 8th, 2014 on your calendar.  I'll have another batch of returning and new vendors to get to know and support.

Even better, if you know of someone that wants to vend, or attend, please let me know: ACraftyArab at gmail dot com.  I always welcome feedback about the event.

Thank you to our vendors this year:
Natural Goodness Skin
Navanka Creations
re.Served
Thea Starr
Vanilla Bean Treats

Please continue to support them!  And if you want to see more amazing handmade artists, be sure to visit Zibbet and stop by my shop. :)

And last but certainly never least in my heart, my own daughters also sold at the show.  However, since they made a decision to go see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs II, instead of selling, I was not able to take a photo of them.  Their new business is called Las Kuhns Clay and More.  Next year they will take a vote, depending on the movie, to see who stays in hopes of increasing sales to 4 items.

Shukran again to everyone that came, here are some highlight photos.

Victoria from Natural Goodness Skin

Amrita from Navanka Creations

 

Victoria from re.Served (without her lovely mom Beth)

 

Thea from Thea Starr

 

Della from Vanilla Bean Treats

 

Another view of Della's table earlier in the day when it still had product on it!

 

Squeeeel, Thea signed my book.  I wonder how many millions I can get for it now? :)

 

 

Homemade Harvest 2014 Artist - Vanilla Bean

Of course saving the best interview for last means that it's time to get to know Della from the Vanilla Bean, who is returning to the 7th Annual Homemade Harvest Open House due to popular demand.  She sold out of a few treats last year, so you might want to get there early to get ahold of some of her delicious goodies she'll be bringing.  Della and I go way back, having meet through a mother's group when our first born daughters were young.  It's so great to see her bake because I know it brings her so much joy.   And it brings us sweets!

Also this is a reminder that the Homemade Harvest event is very kid friendly.  So be sure to bring them, it will be good for them to see you support your handmade community.

Tell us a bit about yourself? Apart from being ‘creative’ what do you do?
I have two kids and two step kids, and we have all four every other week!  It works out really well- I have a week of joyful chaos and a week of peaceful silence! :-) I'm on two PTA boards, and volunteer in several areas at the three school they attend. I am also about to start volunteering at A Safe Place in Everett, where kids go while foster families are being found.

I also have another business I opened with my fiancé last year! We sell hummus, baba ghanoush, and other dips at farmer's markets in the summer.

I love reading and dreaming about renovations I want to do to my house!  :-)

What inspires you to do the kind of work you do?
Who doesn't love cake and cookies?! Treats make people smile, and I love making people smile!

Do you look up to anyone? Who? Why?
I look up to anyone who follows their happiness, even when it make life more difficult for awhile.

What other passions do you have in your life?
I've been trying to change our eating habits, and eat more unprocessed, whole foods (yes, seems counterintuitive to baking...moderation in all things!). I love finding recipes that are healthy AND my kids will eat them -- not an easy task!

I have a really wonderful tribe of friends, and a lot of my own happiness and sanity comes from the time I spend with them.

How do you promote your work?
Right now it's all word of mouth. I'm concentrating a bit more on my other business, so baking is something I do on the side, for my own enjoyment.

In the future I’d like to be…
able to fully provide for my family with baking and hummus! That would really be living the dream... ;-)

Homemade Harvest 2013 Artist - Navanka Creations

Today I'm happy to reintroduce you to Amrita over at Navanka Creations.  Amrita is one of three returning sellers at our Saturday 7th Annual Handmade Harvest Open House and I'm so excited to see what beautiful creations she will be showcasing this year.  We both share a quilling passion and you'll often find us at a EtsyRain Crafting at Crossroads event comparing quilling photos.  Her work is really in the details of very scroll and bend of the paper she creates.  I am always inspired by her use of so many colors and you'll get so see her work in only a couple of short days!

Tell us a bit about yourself? Apart from being ‘creative’ what do you do?
I am a work at home mom to a wonderful four year old boy. I co-own Navanka Creations on Etsy with my elder sister Nimisha Singh who lives in Wheeling, Illinois.

Courtesy of my son, I spend a lot of time playing all kind of sports with him.   Listening to music and reading books help me unwind after a long day.

I also write a craft blog Craft Ideas for All with my sister where we share craft projects of varied skill levels.

What inspires you to do the kind of work you do?
I grew up in India and lot of my work is inspired by the local art and vibrant colors of India. The best part about my work is that it lets me be part of special moments in the lives of our wonderful customers.

That little smile on someone’s face when they receive a unique gift is the best payback of my work and inspires me to do better.

Do you look up to anyone? Who? Why?
I get inspired by my family, fellow artists and friends but I am most inspired by my parents. I am amazed at the hard work, sincerity and love with which they raised me and my siblings. We were always encouraged to do what we love and strive to be the best in whatever we did.

After having our son I decided to leave my engineering career to be able to spend more time with him. It was their faith in me that inspired me to pursue my passion for all things creative and open Navanka Creations with my sister. And now my son inspires me to be a better parent and make this world more beautiful for him.

I would be happy if I can raise my son to have that confidence to make his own choices in life and strive to make them work.

What other passions do you have in your life?
I am passionate about my family and my work. I would want to make this world a greener and healthier place for my child to live in. We try to make choices at home that are better for the environment.

I also love to teach and enjoy taking craft classes for children.

How do you promote your work?
At present we promote our work mostly using social media. We have a Navanka Creations Facebook page where we share our latest listings and events.

We also write a Navanka Creations blog where we share our creative process.

And we have a Navanka Creations Pinterest board to help promote our work.

In the future I’d like to be…
I would like to be a successful artist and entrepreneur. I would love to be able to give back by raising money for charitable causes for children.

I wish to open a Craft Academy where people of all age can come and learn various crafts and engage in creativity. I would also love to write a book on paper crafts someday.

Homemade Harvest 2013 Artist - Thea Starr

Today you are going to meet Thea Starr, who will be selling her beautiful reclaimed vintage kimono fabric turned into precisely folded kanzashi flowers at the 7th Annual Handmade Harvest Open House.  Thea and I go way back, first meeting as Ben Franklin Crafts and Frames teachers and then at an EtsyRain Crafting at Crossroads gathering (which happen every first Wednesday in front of BubbleTea, hint hint).  I have always loved her work and get so excited when I see it in craft books (yes, I actually accidentally screamed once in a library, a la Will Ferrell as Elf, "I know her!").  I hope you are one of the lucky ones that can come by this Saturday to see her work in person!

Tell us a bit about yourself? Apart from being ‘creative’ what do you do?

My creative business is what I do for a full time job. My other full time job is being a mother to my four children. In a different life I was a tax auditor. I lead a much more exciting life these days.

What inspires you to do the kind of work you do?

I love sharing a small bit of history of my heritage with others.  I also love work created by hand. It's amazing what can be made by hand.

What other passions do you have in your life?

I am passionate about organic gardening. I believe in chemical free foods and urban gardening. My dad always kept a garden when I was growing up. I do the same now for my own children. Nothing has been more educational to me than learning about growing my own food.

How do you promote your work?

Over the years most of my business has been from word of mouth.  I have been lucky enough to have had press on my work on a large scale, but the most exciting work I get has been from customer to customer.

In the future I’d like to be…

Doing what I do now. :)

Homemade Harvest 2013 Artist - re.Served

Continuing our exploration of the fantastic vendors that will be selling at the 7the Annual Homemade Harvest Open House, today we talk to another Victoria, this time from re.Served.  I am so excited to see her wares in person on Saturday.  Plus I just found out that she can do personalizing!  Her beautiful items might make a wonderful Eid or Diwali or Hannukah gift for those of us that aren't represented well in the holiday gift guides.

Tell us a bit about yourself? Apart from being ‘creative’ what do you do?
I am a stay-at-home mom to Bella (age almost-7) and Nilah (age 3).I try to volunteer as much as I can in their classrooms, but this little business makes it tough to commit regularly. Nilah is home Tue/Thurs and only goes to school until 1:30 the other three days of the week. So aside from being a stay-at-home mom and small business owner, I DRIVE. A lot.

What inspires you to do the kind of work you do?

Trends, beautiful designs, style niches that have room for my ideas.  But I am mostly inspired by the customers who like and buy my stuff.  I've gotten some of my best ideas from customers.  And if they give me a winning idea that ends up in my shop on Etsy, I name the line after them.

Do you look up to anyone? Who? Why?

I look up to many people, friends and family and public figures.  But I would say the person who impacts me the most in regards to my business is my husband.  He is a hard worker, extremely smart and beautifully humble.  He is Brazilian and was educated in Porto Alegre receiving master's degrees in things I can't begin to understand.  We met in Michigan at a tech job and eventually moved to Seattle after he survived the terrifying Amazon interview process.  He's always investing in our future and is wise about money, selfless with us, and constantly looking for that one idea that will change lives for the better.  I am so impressed with him on a daily basis.  Did I mention he's incredibly hot?

What other passions do you have in your life?

I'm passionate about family.  Passionate about making a better world for my children.  Passionate about teaching my children how to be kind humans full of empathy and selfless to a fault.  I'm passionate about writing and creating and wish I could spend my days lost in a cloud of creativity.

How do you promote your work?

I don't spend a lot on this business.  By nature of the business (reclaiming and repurposing unwanted items), cost savings and sustainable resourcing are key aspects to making this both a business and conceptual success.  So I rely solely on social networking for any promotions.  You can find me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest with some occasional Twitter posts thrown in for good measure.

In the future I’d like to be…

Financially independent, healthy and traveling the world with my husband.  Oh, and with spare time to write That Novel.

Homemade Harvest 2013 Artist - Natural Goodness Skin

This upcoming weekend is my 7th Annual Handmade Harvest Open House. I'll have three returning women business owners and three new entrepreneurs joining me in a makeshift pop-up shop in my living room. I thought it might be fun this year if you got to know the ladies that will be sharing their handmade harvest with you, so I've asked them all interview questions. Today we will get to know Victoria from Natural Goodness Skin.

Tell us a bit about yourself? Apart from being ‘creative’ what do you do?
Aside from Natural Goodness, I work full time at Boeing in the Finance organization. I started creating my own skin care products around the time I was pregnant with my son. I became a health-nut, because I wanted to give my son the best start possible. I started learning about skin care products and all of the awful chemicals in the products that we put not only on our own skin, but on our kids skin, too.

I started researching, taking classes and making my own products out of frustration. I couldn’t find a product that was moisturizing enough, or rejuvenating (without costing hundreds of dollars). What amazed me the most was that once I started making my own skin care, I could immediately see an improvement in my skin. After a while I began giving my products to family and friends as gifts; I decided to start sharing them with other people, too, and I opened my etsy shop.

My new love is really aromatherapy. I started taking classes at Bastyr last year and this year hope to finish up their aromatherapy certificate program by the end of 2014. Essential oils are really awesome and so versatile. Using essential oils has really transformed how I deal with every day things such as a simple cold (which can be miserable with a sick 3 year old) or how to deal with “monsters under the bed” (check out monster blaster aromatherapy room spray).

What inspires you to do the kind of work you do?
I really had my “a-ha” moment on a cruise to Alaska with my family. I didn’t have time to get a mani/pedi before the cruise, so I thought I’d just get one on the ship. The woman doing my nails was an early 20’s eastern European girl who clearly spent a lot of time on her makeup based up on the strategic placement of the false eye lashes.

My mani/pedi was spent with the nail tech/esthetician belittling me. I had spent the morning outside (sans makeup) with my kids, looking for whales and seals. The nail tech was quick to point out my skin has slight rosacea and my big pores… and, oh, don’t my big pores bother me… it was an hour and a half of criticism. I left feeling really low.

Afterwards I was sitting on the top deck of the ship with my kids, drinking hot chocolate, looking at an incredible glacier and I saw a woman… she was by no means attractive. She had a long pointy noise, narrow face and hardly had a chin. She was with her daughters, playing with them, hugging them and it hit me… this woman is beautiful, from the inside out. By conventional standards she would not be considered attractive, but there she was, a beautiful, loving mother who was showering her kids with love.

It hit me…every beautiful woman out there may not know she’s beautiful. Most women I know are busy. They’re someone’s mother, daughter, caretaker, cook, confident. They keep the house running and the kids happy. Or maybe they’re the career woman, blazing trails and moving up the ladder. By offering skin care products that work naturally, I want to inspire women to become the best version of themselves. To wake up every day thinking that today they will be the person that they’ve always wanted to be: brave, confident, self-reliant and own their own beauty 

Do you look up to anyone? Who? Why?
I look up to lots of people. The first of which is my Mom. I lost her almost a decade ago, but she still continues to inspire me. She always told me I could be anything I wanted, choose any path for my life and to dream big. I try hard to be the same kind of inspiration to my son that she was to me

What other passions do you have in your life?
Aside from my family, I really enjoy a good glass of wine and just spending time with family and friends. My husband and I like to travel, but honestly traveling is different once you have kids. It’s more about comfort and less about traveling to far off, exotic destinations.

How do you promote your work?
Right now I’m just promoting my work through my etsy shop and by talking with people directly about their skin care needs. Before the 1^st of the year I hope to launch my web page.

In the future I’d like to be...
I would like to continue to grow my business and see where it takes me.

Islamic Cultures: Foundations, Women & Political Islam

Recently, I had the honor of presenting a resource table at an all day workshop designed for middle and high school teacher to promote cultural competency in teaching on Arab and Islamic Cultures.  This all day workshop was held at Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA and was held on September 21st, the International Day of Peace.  Dr. Therese Saliba lead the workshops.

I had provided Dr. Saliba with my comprehensive list of Arab Children's Books and she gave it to a research assistant, who did wonders with it.  The list is now categorized by age and has a description of each book.  While I would love to share it with you, it has gone from my original list that fit on a double sided page, to a double sided eighteen page list of amazement.  Since most of the descriptions of the books can be found online, I hope to at least re-publish my list soon to include the age categories for the books.

In the meantime, please enjoy these photos of my resource table and the other tables that were provided.  I did not take any photos of the teachers or the conference to honor their privacy.

This is the binder that all the teachers received full of fantastic information, and my table assignment sheet:

 

Here I am standing behind my booth, ready for those teachers and their questions:

This is my dear friend Beryl Cheal, who also had a resource table, and I talking about the Arabic Alphabet Game Cards and how they work.

Here is a close up of my table.  I didn't bring very much products because I was there to speak mostly about resources.

:

Here are more photos of the other resources table courtesy of my new friend Linda Bevis, who was there promoting her newly formed Palestine Information Project.

 

 And here is Beryl, giving us the story of that silly Goha from her table of resource books:

 

It was a great event and I hope more are done soon.