Monday, June 25, 2012 at 11:09AM 
Welcome! Our sale is now OPEN!
STEP 1
pick a package size and place your order. As soon as you check out your spot is secure.
SALE CLOSED, THANKS!
STEP 2
Please fill out this form SALE CLOSED Take your time and tell us all about yourself!
STEP 3
wait while we pack you up a box of goodies!
Monday, June 25, 2012 at 09:54AM If you have never shopped one of our "MISC Sales", here is how they work. We gather up every little random thing that has accumulated in my studio over the course of a year, plus whatever fabric and product I have around, and then I ask you to tell me all about yourself, your life and your family. I offer up a pretty general list of merchandise and you tell me what sounds good and what doesnt, and I put together a package for you, matching your requests as best as I can and tossing in a few surprises (this is our favorite part!) based on what I know about you.It's sounds a little offbeat, I know, but its pretty fun. We get to learn all about you, and you get a big box in the mail. As you can imagine, it takes a few weeks for us to get everything shipped. And if you don't like something? Swaps usually sprout up here and there, and well... there's always Ebay and Etsy!
We are only able to fill a limited number of orders, and they tend to sell out quickly. Because we don't want you to have to rush and forget to tell us anything about yourself or what you want, we have divided the ordering process into two steps this year. In the first, you pick the size and cost of your package. In the second, you tell us all about yourself and check some boxes. You can take your time on that step, because your order will have already been placed.
First, pick a package size, and checkout. Then, submit your requests using our online form (links will be available at 1PM today) We'll match your paypal address to your form. Orders will be filled on a first come, first serve, basis. Your spot in line is based on the time that you purchased your package, so please take your time with the form. We have posted a general list of what we are gathering up below (this is the same list that you will be making selections from on our order form!), but there are lots of odds and ends and one of a kind items too.
We'll get in touch with you if we have any questions about your order. If you need to ask us anything, you can email us here.
Today's sale starts at 1 pm, EST. Our last two MISC sales sold out in about twenty minutes. See You There!
Tuesday, June 19, 2012 at 02:15PM 
I am hugely pleased to announce that this years online studio sale will be a "tell me what you love and who you are and I'll pack you up a box" theme!
We have made improvements, including a redesign of the ordering process so that you can take as much time to tell us about yourself as you want without falling behind in line. Blather-Ers rejoice!
Online studio sale opens on Monday, June 25th, at 1 pm EST.
Heather Ross
sew-them-yourself kits (NEW)
Thursday, June 14, 2012 at 04:08PM 
Photoshop never fails me. I use it for far more things than I probably should. Today I used it to make a father's Day gift. I needed to make a splash for Father's Day, since his fortieth birthday present was shipped to the wrong house and is currently making it's way back to Italy. It was a toaster oven, to make up for the one I tossed when I moved in with him. I know what you're thinking, but it's a very fancy toaster oven.
Anyway, TC, had requested an image of Bee for his office. I had taken a photo of her recently that we both loved, here it is:
I opened it in Photoshop and desaturated it, making it black and white. Then I used the colored pencil filter (and the eraser tool, to remove the background) to create this image. You'll have to fool around with the sliders in the colored pencil filter preview window, this is an extreme setting.
And then I printed it out on watercolor paper (I used the fine art paper setting on my printer) and sat down with my watercolors (which don't see the light of day much!) and went to work. In the one water color class I ever took (highly recomended) I learned that you should apply very light layers, starting withthe lightest color and ending with the darkest. I followed the shadows that were on the page as guides, and refered to my photo for colors. Its not perfect, somehwere in the middle I had to stop and negotiate with a ten month old regarding her nap time and clean up some dog barf, and it's not an exact likeness but not too shabby, right? The best part is that the paper is nice and big, and I'm putting it into a big shadowbox frame with a thick mounting dot behind it, so it sorts of floats. As soon as Bee is up we are headed down to the Seaport to buy some wrapping paper, and voila!
Wednesday, June 13, 2012 at 11:51AM 
Remember that very first MISC sale? That was so much fun. It worked remarkably well, some of you told me what you most wanted from my past fabric, clothing, anf paper goods lines, and how much you wanted to spend, and I sent you what I had. The last order I picked up was from someone who was looking for gnome fabric, and the last piece of fabric sitting on the table was - you guessed it - gnomes. Like magic. It took a month, but it was worth it. I loved the idea of people being surprised by what they got, as if I was sending out presents. OK, I know it's not really a gift when I'm charging for it, but still..
But A few people wrote to say that they would have liked something a little more structured, and in the years that followed it became progressively so. It's still been fun, believe me, but in some ways... slightly less.
I was planning something very structured this year, and planning it for summer instead of fall because of a busy workshop schedule in September and October. I have some paper goods, some fabric, but overall a lot less stuff than I have had in years past. I was picturing something a little... shopp-ish. Less sale-ish.
BUT THEN, I opened up a big box that Vera had sent me from her recent move from California to Vermont. I thought it was shipping supplies, I really did. But it's not. Its over a hundred pieces of Munki Munki kids clothing, including Gnomes, Clouds, BBQ, Sushi, Foxes, Sock Monkey, USA girls, Inchworm, Beach, and more. I realized that this was one of my own archive boxes, where I grabbed one of everything from every line I designed for my own personal collection. I went through it this morning, and picked a few pieces out for Bee, but there is much more than I could ever use. I'd like to find loving homes for it all, but each piece is unique, so the only way to sell it online is via grab bag. I'd love to include it all in my studio sale, but....
So I'd love to hear it from you. What do you think about my studio sales, and which style do you prefer? Do you like the idea of sending me a wish list and a budgte, or would you only shop by specific item?
Thanks in advance for your feedback. I'll be waiting anxiously. And trying to figure out where to put all of this stuff.....
Heather