LzRocks! Blog

citycraft handmade holiday happy hour market

2008-12-17T06:16:00.000-08:00

omg! the happy hour market is tomorrow already! i am so excited, it's going to be a fabulous night for anyone who loves crafts and a good time. hope to see you there!

thanks, universe!

2008-11-27T05:14:00.000-08:00

i have more than ever to be thankful for this year.

ej - who woke up and smiled at me and said "happy thanksgiving!" and immediately fell asleep again. my best friend, my fiance, my pants. schmoopie. <3

the kitties - my twin tuxedo cat fuzzy cupcakes of wuv. they never let me be lonely. eskarina macgyver, a fwiend always by my side, or on my feet, or on my lap. ysabelle rochelle, skittish and small faced lover of james brown.

my family - security, support, and still more love. thrilled that i get to have dinner with them today even if it is at a FREAKING FISH RESTARAUNT! it is sure to be a seinfeldian debacle, and as memorable as the dinner in 'a christmas story'

etsypgh - wonderful, talented, kind, generous, caring, sweet folks that i am so lucky to get to spend time with.

my business - LzRocks! is entering it's third year. i can't believe how much has happened in the last two years. i have met the most amazing and inspiring people in my city and all over the world, some i hope will be friends for life. i'm looking forward to seeing a lot of them at the third craftcon. it's been really tough at times, wrestling my anxiety disorder and moving ahead, but i am proud of how much i've accomplished so far. i am excited to face new challenges and see how far i can go with this. i'm still working towards my dream living/working/retail space and as much as i kinda hoped it would all happen faster, i'm learning more every day that i can use to make sure it is a success.

at my best moments, i think i am well on my way to getting everything i wanted out of life.

***

jeffrey, i hate that you are missing all this. and thanks, biomom, wherever you are.

Craft Supply & Sweater Swap (and some Mr. Rogers love)

2008-11-14T05:23:00.000-08:00

Clean out your closets and craft rooms and have some fun with local crafters!
This Sunday, the Etsy Pittsburgh Street Team is holding a Sweater & Supply Swap in the Pittsburgh Children's Museum Theater. Between Noon-4:00, crafters from around the city and visitors can bring in sweaters for the Mister Roger's Sweater Drive or craft supplies to swap. It is a free event, so spread the word and stop by. Fliers are at the Front Desk. Museum admission is not included.

did you know there is an amazing character from the dark crystal hiding under some stairs at the children's museum? i don't want to spoil who it is, but fans of the movie should check it out for sure. i squealed when i saw it and probably scared some children. and that they expanded into the old buhl planetarium building and the pendulum still exists in the cafe? ej and i had lots of fun playing at the museum last time we visited - no actual children are necessary to have a fun and educational day.

and now, because i feel like it, please enjoy some mr. rogers quotes:
***

"MisteRogers' Neighborhood: Superheroes (#10.8)" (1980)
[Mr. Rogers is getting ready to leave.]
Mr. Rogers: [while hanging up his sweater] There's something that I want to show you outside. Wait 'til I get my jacket on and I'll show it to you.
[Mr. Rogers get his jacket out of the closet and puts it on.]
Mr. Rogers: I like to be truthful with you. Mm-hmm.
[With his feet out of sight, Mr. Rogers takes off his sneakers and puts on his dress shoes, then he picks up a small bag and a clay dinosaur that he made, then he walks up to the front door.]
Mr. Rogers: Come with me.
[He walks out the front door and on to the porch.]
Mr. Rogers: Right around here.
[He walks down the sidewalk.]
Mr. Rogers: I just want to show you how we make part of OUR television program.
[He walks up to the toy neighborhood used on the show.]
Mr. Rogers: You know the houses and the streets and the cars that you see at the beginning of our program? Well...
[He moves his clay dinosaur along the toy neighborhood.]
Mr. Rogers: ...that's what THIS model is. You see, I could take my brontosaurus... and move it right along these streets. And it would look VERY, very big... in with these houses. Mm-hmm. It could go right along that street there...
[He points to one of the houses with the dinosaur's tail.]
Mr. Rogers: ...and that's... my pretend house right there -- my television house. It's such a good feeling to be truthful with people.
[He sings "It's Such a Good Feeling.]

(from imdb.com)

***
It's not the honors and the prizes and the fancy outsides of life which ultimately nourish our souls. It's the knowing that we can be trusted, that we never have to fear the truth, that the bedrock of our very being is good stuff.
Commencement Address at Middlebury College May, 2001

Our world hangs like a magnificent jewel in the vastness of space. Every one of us is a part of that jewel. A facet of that jewel. And in the perspective of infinity, our differences are infinitesimal.
Commencement Address at Dartmouth College June 9th, 2002

You know, I think everybody longs to be loved, and longs to know that he or she is lovable. And, consequently, the greatest thing that we can do is to help somebody know that they're loved and capable of loving.
Fred Rogers: America's Favorite Neighbor (television documentary), 2003.

It's not the honors and the prizes and the fancy outsides of life which ultimately nourish our souls. It's the knowing that we can be trusted, that we never have to fear the truth, that the bedrock of our very being is good stuff.
Commencement Address at Middlebury College May, 2001

(from wikiquote.org)

***
the only public protest i've ever actively attended was standing outside of mr. rodgers memorial at heinz hall, because i heard fred phelps would be there with his 'god hates fags' signs and i had to count myself as standing on the side of love. it was the day of my graduation from college, i jumped out of my parents car against their wishes and ended up stranded downtown, but i would do it again.

feeling tiny

2008-11-14T05:04:00.000-08:00

i choose my official business name, LzRocks!, because my nickname is Lz ("ellz" short for leslie, a name with not many good options for nicknames) and i knew that i would need a constant reminder that i was capable of doing this. if LzRocks! was right up in my face all the time, maybe it would sink in that i do rock a little and i should keep going even if i am scared.

i am scared right now. ej is in denver, i am freaking out about things that i probably shouldn't be, and i am heading into what is expected to be a pretty bad retail season. then the stress of actual holiday celebrations. it is a good thing i am low on stock for all the events on my calendar, because the only thing that is relaxing me even a little is frantically making stuff.

***

come and visit me and vintage hotcakes this saturday from 9am-3pm on the corner of 20th & Penn in the Strip District-- right across from Penn Macaroni & next to Fortune's coffee. i need lots of hugs forced upon me (and it would be really cool if you bought something too...)
you can also stop by fudgie wudgie while you're down there ;)

vote!

2008-11-04T12:59:00.000-08:00

you won't find much talk about politics or religion here. as i explored many paths and grew a bit wiser, i've generally focused on being a 'good' person as i define it and having as positive an effect as possible on my community. no labels necessary, no need to bother others with my opinions on the matter unless invited.
that said, i voted today, and i think i will probably spend the rest of the day praying...

a bit about zombie fest '08 at monroeville mall

2008-10-29T06:33:00.000-07:00

oh i am so behind with blogging. i have still not posted about our vacagement (or engation) trip to upstate new york, which was fabulous. now i have to talk about zombie fest very quickly so i can post about the craftaliciousness at the children's museum this month.

tamara found a great photo of my table on dreadcentral.com. LzRocks! and Your Mom's were a hit with the undead, and i hope a lot of the friendly zombies we met this weekend stop by our store in the very near future. sunday morning's zombie walk through the lower level featured an amazing 1375 local horror fans. we watched from the safety of the second floor as they limped, moaned, and screamed for brains.

something i did not know about zombies is that, when they are not eating your brains, they are actually very polite. this nice guy posed for a photo, even though he was clearly on his way to snack on whatever he was carrying on the end of that stick. i was also part of an indie film, holding a mirror for two zombies who tried on some of my jewelry. lynne knitted her first 3 hats. ej got lots of attention from young girls. we may or may not have purchased a wedding cake topper. it was an incredibly fun weekend. monroeville zombies rule!

pittsburgh yarn!

2008-10-10T16:10:00.000-07:00

i was looking on etsy for some new handmade stuff for the store and i stumbled across this nifty pittsburgh yarn from destination yarn, a cleveland-based knitter who sends you "postcards in yarn form" with colorways inspired by places she's visited. according to the item description, her "favorite description of Pittsburgh is “Hell with the lid off.” That image of the heat, soot, and sweat of industry is what formed the basis for this colorway. Plus a city as proud as Pittsburgh is of its industrial past needed to be represented with an industrial yarn!" i think it's awesome that she ventured beyond the typical black and gold and i am particularly excited about these bright fall-leafy colors that i hope to see a lot of on our upcoming diamond-hunting road trip.
i think if i made a pittsburgh yarn would be mostly steely blues and grays, with puffy white 'cloud' bits, maybe with teeny threads of bright blue and yellow. what colors would your pittsburgh yarn be? tell me in the comments ;)

Join Etsy Pittsburgh!

2008-10-10T12:33:00.000-07:00

http://pittsburgh.etsy.com
http://etsy-pgh.blogspot.com

the etsy pittsburgh street team is currently open to new members!

we have two levels of membership so you can choose where you feel most comfortable.

any local etsy enthusiast is welcome to join our yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/etsypittsburgh/
feel free to introduce yourself and look back through the archives to see what we've been up to.

active membership requirements: $5 dues each quarter. that's pretty much it.
this gets you a welcome pack with team biz cards and special team logo gifts, access to our private social network and forum, the ability to donate items to the team shop, links on official team lists, group vending at events in pittsburgh and beyond (never worry about forgetting something or leaving your table for a minute!), invites to cool craft parties and art field trips, discounted team workshops, ability to participate in/lower table fees for CityCraft markets (2 this dec!), community service projects, & more fun!

a new quarter is just beginning, so now is a great time to join.

don't be frightened by how tightly-knit (hah, craft pun) the core members seem - just start posting away and show up at a few team events and you'll be our new best friend!

pittsburgh crafts

2008-10-09T12:19:00.000-07:00

i am thrilled with the growth of the pittsburgh craft scene over the last few years. there is some incredible talent in this city. awesome things are being made by awesome people here. i hope to write more here about cool things handmade in pittsburgh, but if you just have to meet some other pittsburgh crafters *right now*, head over to the pittsburgh craft collective forums and start chatting! they have a nice blog too.

LzRocks! mix tape

2008-10-04T10:26:00.000-07:00

every so often a song comes along that i just can't get enough of. the most recent tune of amazing wonder is from a completely adorable band from vancouver called said the whale. the sirius cbc channel dj who introduced the song to us on one of our taco trips said they work on rowboats, and they do have a bit of that decemberists-like maritime quality going on, but you might love them even if you hate the decemberists. the song we can't get enough of is the curse of the currents. the video features some well-placed people in animal costumes, which i always love (another great example is this bat for lashes video).
i also get happy every time i hear mgmt's electric feel (watch for the rockafire explosion cameo!) and grounds for divorce by longtime favorite elbow does something good for my soul. those videos are both awesome too.

please leave a comment and share your favorite song of the moment with me!

charmed by lynne (and cosy too!)

2008-10-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

i gave lynne of charmed by nature some of my first decent handspun yarn and she turned it into this adorable little phone purse
and, along with some of cosy's wonderful handspun yarn, this super cute scarf!

we now have a couple autographed copies of cosy's awesome book at Your Mom's

from the back of the book:
Cosy knits with an artful twist.

Customizing your handknits is easier than you think! Knit One, Embellish Too includes easy-to-follow patterns for more than 35 warm and comfy scarves, hats and mittens, and shows you how to make them your own with decorative yarn stitching and other simple embellishments. Whether you’re an enthusiastic beginner or a seasoned pro, you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to transform your knitted accessories into one-of-a-kind works of art.

Pick up your knitting needles and:

* Create quick, easy projects from a minimal amount of yarn. Plus, learn how to choose the best yarn for your project, or even recycle old sweaters into unique yarns for knitting.
* Explore fun ways to personalize your work with artful stitching and the addition of buttons, appliqués and other unique embellishments. If you’re looking for a bigger challenge, helpful guides show you how to try your hand at choosing and combining colors and finding the perfect fit.
* Learn all the basics of knitting and embellishing in a comprehensive techniques section right up front, complete with clear illustrations and instructions.

Knit something new and embellish it, too: Open up a world of creative yarns, vibrant colors and inspired embellishments for your knitted accessories.

ouch.

2008-10-01T05:51:00.000-07:00

i have been kind of ill lately about a rough patch the business is going through. what hurts the most is that the problems are the fault of our most trusted team member, and they all could have been avoided with a bit of honesty. i truly hope we can soothe our unhappy customers and come out of this with more refined practices and a better business overall. if not, we'll have to close for good.

catching up

2008-09-29T05:31:00.000-07:00

i am very tired. here are the events i have not blogged about recently, and probably forgot to take photos of...

the greensburg art-i-val was a lovely day in an cute little town. i'm so glad natasha posted the event to the etsy pittsburgh yahoo group. it was great meeting her and new etsy team member dorothy. greensburg may be a small town, but there is a vibrant art scene and lots of community support. there was great entertainment all day, including a bellydancer, drum circle, and awesome rockabilly band. i will attend this event next year if i can.

last week's sundae market was another hit. a nice warm day with friendly vendors and happy customers. joy ike is always a pleasure to listen to.

the last north side twilight market ended with a drizzle turning into a downpour and some wet and hurried goodbyes. we ate homemade ribs before the rain started and brought home onions, peppers, potatoes, and mushrooms. mmmmm. megan said there will be a holiday market in a church on the north side, and i hope we can attend. i love feeling like a part of that community, even for a few hours, i think it is one of the friendliest and most underrated neighborhoods in pittsburgh and i think there are good things to come in the north side's future. like this!

yesterday's sundae market didn't go so well for us (aside from scoring a sweet 'i heart pgh' shirt from rusty waters apparel), clouds early in the day scared a lot of customers away, and we had to pack up and leave before we could make any money. it's been really hard to convice our friends and loved ones that we work odd hours 7 days a week trying to build this strange creature of a business, and sometimes scheduling is a big problem for us. if we wore suits and worked in a cube, i think our work hours would get a lot more respect. i felt awful all evening and i was so upset i couldn't even craft! finally ej and i kissed and made up and went out for tacos. tacos make everything better.

this friday is the fabulous pittsburgh gallery crawl. you'll find LzRocks! and other etsy pittsburgh street team members at NUP Public Charter School - 914 Penn Ave, 15222, we'll be dancing all night to steel drum bands! ej will be manning an upcycled shrinky dink station. come hang out with us for a while, then enjoy the rest of the art and fun downtown!

Craft Star!

2008-09-07T10:25:00.000-07:00

today has been a pretty amazing day for LzRocks!

not only are my wire wrapping and uke strumming talents featured in this wonderful stop motion video by jenn for the etsy pittsburgh street team...

i am also in a photo with my fabulous friend autumn on the craftzine blog. if you'll be in the austin, tx area october 18-19, i highly recommend attending maker faire. we had an incredibly fun and inspiring time at the last maker faire in san francisco, and if i had a chance i'd definitely go again. it is a great place to take curious kids and teach them about innovation and recycling and art and robots and fire (and more!).

i think i'll celebrate with a bit of shopping for craft supplies ;) if you need supplies too, stop by the Your Mom's etsy shop and check out our latest selection.

wired!

2008-09-02T11:23:00.000-07:00

oh, how i love wire wrapping. i do not, however, love the exorbitant and ever-rising prices of silver and gold. i was thrilled to discover the existence of silver filled wire, and i've used it in most of my pendants, bracelets, rings, and neckwires (there will be a tiara for carrie soon, too!) since i found it. when a base metal object is silver plated it ends up with a very thin coating of silver that can wear off rather easily. to manufacture silver filled wire, they first make a tube of solid sterling silver and then fill it with pure copper, creating a finished product that is about 20% sterling. The coating will never wear off, so you get all the shine and allergy-friendliness of sterling silver. the only downside to this german-made wonder wire is that it can be pretty hard to find. that's why i decided to start buying it wholesale and selling it at Your Mom's i find it easier to wrap with than solid sterling with a texture that works quite nicely for making twists, coils, and jump rings. i use mostly 20 and 22 gauge in my pieces, but you'll want to try all the sizes (from 14 to 30g) and see what you can come up with!

!!!

2008-08-27T20:44:00.001-07:00

some astute readers may have noticed a fancy little french word in my last post. my boyfriend (of 5 years this past cinco de mayo) ej and i have recently decided to make it legal. i've never been happier or more sure about anything, and despite the raging anxiety i battle every day of my life about everything else, i am quite sure that, with this situation, things are happening exactly the way they are supposed to. (even if it hasn't been particularly easy)

i am a planner by nature. i learned from my dad that advance planning can give you an edge, plus time to relax and have something to look forward to. but i'm no bridezilla. i may have eyed the aisle before, but i haven't been planning this particular day since i was five. it was just a couple of weeks ago that ej asked my dad for his blessing on our relationship while they were golfing together. the wedding planning gears only started to turn around the time the golf date was scheduled, but i already had a little text file of links and a page of likely ceremony music saved ( http://www.stjamesmusic.org/Wedding%20Planner.htm ). the other day i bought a little wooden box which, if it turns out well, might be lucky enough to hold our rings and be carried down the aisle by a certain adorable little boy. i was hoping to get both of our families together for dinner soon, maybe fondue. we were giving ourselves a little time to get used to/enjoy the idea that we were actually finally for reals getting married. we also wanted ej to secure a job outside of the Your Mom's/LzRocks! empire before we made the official announcement. he got an offer today.

the trouble started when, while he was golfing and asking for daddy's blessing, i changed my facebook relationship status as a joke, thinking it would ask ej for approval before making the change public. we didn't change it back, but maybe we should have...we still haven't gotten to schedule our family dinner so we could tell all of the most important people to us at once, in person. somehow the only people in the world who still don't know are MY PARENTS. (don't the bride's parent's traditionally sign most of the checks?) and i refuse to call or email them about this. they have been kind enough not to ask about it even though they probably have at least an inkling of what's going on, they know we'll tell them as soon as we're 100% ready.

i'm just going to wait for things to calm down, and then i will proceed with my blissful engagement in the manner that is most appropriate for ej and myself.

thanks so much to everyone who has wished us well. your support means the world to us and if you are ever curious about any details of our union, please feel free to ask!

***

i must add that my favorite Family Guy line just played while i was writing this (from the gay marriage episode, Brian's cousin says) "all i ever wanted was to get married and make a home with a skinny, hairless filipino boy. isn't that the american dream??"

a weekend off...

2008-08-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

i've been feeling a little burnt out lately, so i'm glad i don't have any events scheduled for this weekend. i'm hoping to be motivated enough to have some fun outside, but what should i do?

i've been wanting to try geocaching since my parents bought me a garmin nuvi gps as an unexpected birthday present. i get lost easily, and it's been pretty handy and easy to use. thanks, parents! i've also been daydreaming about kayaking since i read about a moonlight kayak tour venture outdoors hosted. ooh, on saturday, venture outdoors is sponsoring a "an evening hike at Mingo Creek Park followed by stargazing in a large open meadow at the top of a gentle hill with excellent views to all horizons. The Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh will be along with their telescope equipment to offer their expertise and guidance." that sounds great too...

no matter what, i will be spending the entire weekend with my wonderful fiance(!!!) and making at least one trip to our favorite restaraunt. best mexican food in the pittsburgh area if not the universe ;)

Twilight Market

2008-08-13T11:42:00.000-07:00

this saturday evening, and every other saturday through october, you can find LzRocks! along with other etsy pittsburgh street team members at the twilight market on the north side from 4-8 pm. the mix of vendors is different every week, but there are always delicious and beautiful things being sold by friendly people. please stop by!

Twilight Market (Pittsburgh's North Side) is located at the corner of Buena Vista and Jacksonia Streets across from Beleza Community Coffeehouse

Phone: 412-867-0946
Email: urban.foodworks@gmail.com
Web Site: northsidecoop.com/farmers.htm

LzRocks! in stores now!

2008-08-13T11:31:00.000-07:00

in addition to our shop (now at www.kyklops.com), you can find LzRocks! at the following locations:

Crossroad Florist & Create-a-Basket
115 E. McMurray Rd.
McMurray, PA 15317
(724) 941-6610 or (800) 822-7679
http://www.crossroadflorist.com/

3G Gallery
Westin Convention Center
1001 Liberty Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
412.288.4320
http://3ggallery.com/

solid sterling silver wire designs are available exclusively at:

Gems of the World
2023 E Carson St
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
(412) 432-0300

Your Mom's @ Kyklops

2008-06-21T17:02:00.000-07:00

select Your Mom's merchandise can now be found in the retail storefront of Kyklops Tattoo 2130 E. Carson St. Pittsburgh, PA 15201. yay!

i made it - southside

2008-06-21T16:54:00.001-07:00

it's that time again...

2008-05-24T10:39:00.000-07:00

yay! sundae market was soo much fun last year. music, shopping, snacks, and more - let's just hope the weather is great again. Your Mom's will be there with some interesting new, vintage, and artist-made stuff, as well as lots of sparkly LzRocks! stop by and ask us about our fabulous plans and hip new space ;) see you june 1 and 15 in schenley plaza (by the carousel, next to the cathedral of learning) from noon-5pm.

Your Mom's is dead/long live Your Mom's

2008-03-31T17:14:00.000-07:00

due to circumstances beyond our control, Your Mom's is in storage for now. we will be reopening in a new storefront asap. keep an eye on this page for updates.

Invisible Children Benefit

2008-03-06T21:52:00.000-08:00

i donated a case full of LzRocks! stuff for this. come down to the treehouse to help a great cause, have an evening of fun and leave with a piece of art for just $20 total.

win free LzRocks!

2007-12-19T07:21:00.000-08:00

my awesome fellow pittsburgh craft mafia member subu hosts a weekly giveaway on her blog, and this week you can win a very cool crazy horse stone and silver wire pendant by going here and leaving a comment on the contest blog entry. good luck!

last chance for shipping before xmas!

2007-12-17T21:47:00.000-08:00

i'm heading to the post office in the morning, so if you want some sparklies in the mail before xmas morning, get thee to my etsy shop for great handmade gifts.

any orders in the next 24 hours will recieve a special free gift!

if you'll be around the pittsburgh area, you can always find LzRocks! at Your Mom's - 521 Lincoln Ave., Bellevue, PA 15202

I Made It!

2007-12-07T11:55:00.000-08:00

I'll be here Saturday - and a photo of my 'poison apple' green agate and silver wire pendant was featured in the Big List section of yesterday's Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. MENTION THIS BLOG ENTRY AND GET A FREE POKER CHIP PENDANT! woohoo!

I Made It! Market - This Saturday

Saturday, December 8
2-8 pm, Homestead

Support Handmade This Holiday Season - Purchase Gifts from 50+ local crafters and other makers.

Eat, Drink and Be Merry at the

Steel Valley Arts Council's Artspace 105
105 East 8th Avenue

The Homestead Owls Club
108 West 8th Avenue
Homestead, PA 15120
Street parking on 7th and 8th Avenue. Find us at the end of the Homestead Grays Bridge by the Waterfront.

All Things Etsy - sample bags

2007-12-07T10:17:00.000-08:00

I've been working on this little project for about a year now. I collect samples, promos, and coupons from awesome Etsy sellers and re-pack them into cute little organza bags and send them everywhere. Fun surprises and fabulous savings! You can read more about it on its blog or purchase the bags in my Etsy shop.

I hope to update the blog more often and make the bags bigger in the new year.

awesome upcoming events!

2007-11-12T11:38:00.000-08:00

craft night @ creative treehouse will be wednesday, november 14 from 5-9pm
it's free to attend, but you can bring some $ to order a snack from one of bellevue's fine dining establishments and to pick up a few treats and gifts at our featured crafter's tables - this month's featured crafters are wickedclean and spookykelly! bring anything you'd like to work on, or come ready to learn something new. BYOB if you're over 21. applique demo around 7pm, free to watch, $1 for materials to make your own. email mmmmlz (at) gmail (dot) com for more info.

***

***

***

Paz and Ukulele Eddie will be having two upcoming
Ukulele Madness performances.

The first performance will be at the Starbucks in the
McKnight Seibert shopping plaza on McKnight Road on
Friday, November the 16th from 8:00-10:00.

The next performance will be at Your Mom's (formerly
517521) located at 521 Lincoln Ave. in Bellevue on
Saturday November the 17th from 6:00 to 8:00.

see LzRocks! at...

2007-10-21T14:55:00.000-07:00

I Made It! Scary
Saturday, October 27
12 - 5 pm
416 Library Street
Braddock, PA 15104
I Made It! Scary is a nomadic Marketplace featuring 50 local artists and craftspeople offering surprises around every corner.
Everyone is encouraged to wear their favorite costume.
Handmade wares found at the Market include: ceramics, jewelry, handbags, gift wrap, home accessories, reconstructed clothing, items made from salvaged items found along Pittsburgh's three rivers, hula hoops, vegan cupcakes, stools fashioned from traffic signs, all natural organic bath and body products, woodcuttings, notebooks, etchings, and much more.

For more information visit www.myspace.com/imadeitpgh or e-mail imadeitpgh@gmail.com.

craft night @ creative treehouse

2007-10-07T10:29:00.000-07:00

an evening of craft with a side of food and chat, with members of the pittsburgh craft mafia and pittsburgh etsy street team. bring a project to work on, or come ready to learn something new. BYOB and $ for snacks if you want.

creative treehouse - 521 lincoln ave, bellevue, pa 15202 www.creativetreehousepgh.com
5-9PM wednesday, october 10
this event is FREE!

email mmmmLz@gmail.com for more info

this will be a recurring event, the 2nd wednesday of each month, and future events will have featured local crafters, craft demos, and more fun stuff! the next craft night will be nov. 14. hope to see you there!

be friends with Your Mom's

2007-10-05T04:29:00.000-07:00

on myspace! myspace.com/yourmomsinbellevue

welcome to etsy, griffin

2007-10-05T04:21:00.001-07:00

my dear friend just opened up an etsy shop for his digital art - click here to see the pretties.

coming soon: YOUR MOM'S!

2007-09-25T07:43:00.000-07:00

we've been having some fun at the store in bellevue.

ej

2007-08-01T14:01:00.000-07:00

my boyfriend is awesome.

he is currently at a camp in WV for kids with bleeding disorders or cancer. he just told me that he made a hemp necklace for me but then he met a blind girl that was sad that she couldn't do the arts and crafts, so he gave the necklace to her.

my boyfriend is awesome, and i hate it when he is away, but i am so glad he is out there being awesome to all these people who have dealt with so much not-awesome stuff.

.

2007-05-25T17:11:00.000-07:00

Willy Wonka: But Charlie, don't forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he always wanted.
Charlie Bucket: What happened?
Willy Wonka: He lived happily ever after.

coming SOON in the month of JUNE

2007-05-22T18:05:00.000-07:00

i'll be selling my rocks here, please come visit me!

june 2 - pittsburgh craft mafia trunk show - packrat handmade art 2005 e. carson st. southside
june 3 - union project community festival
june 24 - i made it pgh

xoxo, Lz

P.S. something awesome happened today. more details soon, i hope.

craft factory!

2007-05-11T11:27:00.000-07:00

i made it was fun :) can't wait for the next one.

tomorrow, see me and my rocks here:

craft factory at the mattress factory

girls rock!

2007-05-02T14:12:00.000-07:00

bid on "Hot Style, Rockin' Gear, Lux Services, Glam Travel and anything else your extremely generous and thoroughly fabulous heart desires" at this awesome auction and help send some girls to willie mae rock camp!

rock camp sounds like the best time ever.

check me out...

2007-04-30T14:32:00.000-07:00

i'll be appearing in public for the first time with my rocks, resinrocks, and a few reptiles and amphibians here:

click here for more info

please come and say hi! mention my blog and i'll make you a free charm/tiny pendant on the spot :)

last minute pittsburgh etsy street team meetup!

2007-04-11T17:12:00.000-07:00

the lovely lemoncadet has set up us the bomb...

pittsburgh etsy street team meetup (and some of the pittsburgh craft mafia!)

4.14 at 4pm

panera bread mcknight rd.

all local etsy sellers (or etsy seller wannabes) welcome! come for chatting and a fun free craft project.

optional things to bring:

your happy face, any donations of old craft supplies for etsylabs,
promos for 'all things etsy' sample bags, work samples to show off,
and anything else you want to share!

talk pgh etsy here: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5076961

join the pgh etsy street team yahoo group here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/etsypittsburgh/

SALE!

2007-04-11T10:19:00.000-07:00

hey kittens!
i'm still getting my thoughts together from craft congress. it was an amazing experience for me, and i promise to blog about it soon. i wish i had been braver about introducing myself to people, but it was just awesome to be there.

if you're dying for more about craft congress, click here for a great recap - i'm looking nervous in a red t-shirt in the craft mafia pic. be sure to follow all the links to soak up all the indie craft superstar goodness.

***

while i'm trying to get caught up on everything, why don't you visit my etsy shop and get yourself some pretty sparklies! get 25% off by saying 'i read your blog and i want that 25% discount' in the message to seller box, then wait for an updated invoice before making payment.

custom orders are always welcome

craft congress!

2007-03-30T18:10:00.000-07:00

in the morning, LzRocks! is going to craft congress.

Lz feels lucky.

Lz is mad scared right now.

now that i am an adult, i throw glitter whenever i want to.

2007-03-13T07:17:00.000-07:00

some people HATE glitter. i respectfully disagree with these people, but i can understand some of their reasons - it's gaudy and distracting, and the tiny bits get everywhere and stick. those happen to be some of my favorite things about glitter. as long as i can remember, i've had a fascination with shiny things. as a small child, i used to walk slowly and admire the sparkly bits in the pavement. i was rather infamous for leaving glitter trails in high school. even now, my boyfriend always has a touch of glam rock, whether he wants to or not (sorry, pants! love ya!) if i had it my way, everything would be covered in glitter.

i used to be allowed to do my artwork in my nice, cozy bedroom, but for most of my time in my parents house, i was forced to work in the slightly chilly and not very clean basement. looking back, i totally deserved it.

sometimes kids do really insane things and when asked about why they did whatever stupid thing, they answer honestly, "i don't know". this was one such time. i was up in my room (perhaps its worth mentioning that i was an only child who loved to imagine elaborate play scenes and was often happily left alone for hours), my mom was downstairs taking a nap, and my dad was out, probably at work. i was making something wonderful that involved lines of glue and sprinklings of glitter, and i somehow got a little carried away. my young mind bid reason adieu and told me it would be a fine idea to toss glitter in the air and watch it shimmer in the light as it fell. it started with just a pinch, but soon the room and everything in it, including myself, was covered in glitter. common sense had not yet returned, and after admiring my sparkly self in the mirror and twirling around for a bit, i decided i'd go downstairs and play 'sandman'. i stood over the couch and shook my head, letting the glitter in my hair twinkle down onto my sleeping mother.

about now is when my dad walked in. the details from here on out are a bit hazy. he probably yelped when he saw me, which would have awakened my mother, who isn't the most easygoing person even when she hasn't been shocked out of a nap to find herself, and her daughter covered in glitter. they hadn't even seen my room yet! the next thing i remember clearly is sitting in the bathtub, feeling guilty and being harshly scrubbed by my grumbling father ("it. won't. come. off.") while my mother vacuumed (a task which the entire family would help out with over the next few days).

...and the little glitter princess was banished to the deep, dark dungeon.

i didn't mind being in the basement, it was quiet and i could fling paint around a little and spill things and not get yelled at. if i was punished further, i don't remember it. i was secretly quite happy with myself - at least for a few moments, i made the world look exactly the way i wanted it to.

the photos in this entry are of some of my resinrocks! waiting to be finished)

i leave you with one question, dear readers (do i have any readers yet?) i'm thinking of purchasing from artglitter.com - should i? what are some other great online glitter suppliers?

my crafty history

2007-03-12T10:11:00.000-07:00

i've *always* been into crafting, and i did a few shows and had a table at a big weekly flea market type thing when i was in jr high. i earned my spending money, but thinking back on it my dad bought me the tables and drove me everywhere and split the cost of supplies with me, so, to be honest, i probably didn't make much money (but i have a really fantastic dad).
i had a line of jewelry...strangely enough, it was mostly chunky pendants then too. they were inspired by the jewelry my favorite teacher wore. she was the artsy type (in fact, she sold her handpainted clothing and friendly plastic jewelry - do they still make friendly plastic?), always in bold colors and an armful of jangly bracelets. i had a lot of teachers that encouraged me academically, but mrs. jones was the only one who really pushed me to be creative, and i am deeply thankful to have had a chance to work with her. i'd love to run into her again and thank her.
i sold a few pieces of jewelry, but most of it is probably still in a box in my parent's storage unit. my big seller was plain brown teddy bears that i hotglued stuff to - little straw hats, lace, pearls, ribbon roses. they were a hit with sweet little old ladies who probably had teddy bear collections.
i gave it all up when i was old enough to get a 'real job' ("good afternoon, thank you for calling camelot music, where we're featuring the latest release by poppa chubby." /sexy voice) but the sheer love of making things never faded. as fun as the record store (we had a table of 45s in the back for the first year i was there, so i can totally call it a record store) was, i love what i'm doing now - making things and encouraging others to be creative - and i hope i can do it for the rest of my life. *tear* *sniff*

i ♥ etsy.com!

2007-03-08T16:27:00.000-08:00

oh, etsy, will you never cease to amaze me? they just added a nice little widget so you can see a few of my items, and some of my favorites from other sellers, over there on the right. thanks, guys! i love it!

resin jewelry

2007-03-04T18:47:00.000-08:00

recently i have been testing my patience with cast resin jewelry and accessories. i've had fun so far, and i have so many more ideas. it all started because i wanted big glittery rings, but i'm also working on embedding tiny pictures, patterns, and little bits and pieces (like googly eyes!)

i also enjoy layering and swirling different colors of dyed resin. i am most proud of the pieces that have embedded iridescent bits and are a sort of faux dichroic glass.

i am just beginning to take photos and list a few pieces in my etsy shop. contact me if you'd like me to make you a custom necklace, bracelet, ring, pin, magnet, barettes, cufflinks, belt buckle...pretty much anything!

killer squid!

2007-02-18T16:28:00.000-08:00

i'm watching a documentary on killer squid, which reminded me of one of my favorite etsy shops. i was excited to find that cleo*dee has added a squid a month club to her shop. i immediately added it to my favorites list - who wouldn't want an adorable squid each month for a whole year? cleo*dee's squiddies have oodles of personality and fine stitching - i know because i bought one for my boyfriend for valentine's day, and he loved it! if you need a unique gift, cleodee
can make a squid to order with any kind of accessories.

and i promise, these squid will not attack you. except with their cuteness.

now if she can only find a way to make them change color. ;)

i am 100% pittsburgh!

2007-01-28T05:08:00.001-08:00

You are 100% Pittsburgh.

Great job! There's nooooo doubt about it. You're from Da Burgh. You deserve a reward, so go have an Ahrn City or two. And GO STILLERS!

How Pittsburgh Are You
See All Our Quizzes

2007-01-28T03:17:00.000-08:00

Etsy.com

2007-01-27T08:22:00.000-08:00

i started selling my jewelry on etsy.com (your place to buy & sell all things handmade) in late november 2006, and have had the most awesome experience. i've met countless fabulous and super nice artists, acquired some amazing one of a kind art, and sold my pieces as far away as italy and the UK. i'm thankful for all the opportunities etsy has offered me so far.
today, i have a spot in the etsy showcase. you can also shop by color, geographic location, traveling time, connected hearts, member curated featured items, categories, and more!
i'll be featuring some particularly nifty etsy shops in this blog every now and then, but in the meantime, check out etsy for cool and unique gifts for your loved ones or yourself.

hi!

2007-01-15T13:18:00.000-08:00

welcome to the LzRocks! blog, where i will discuss all things crafty, show off my stash of rocks and beads, and ramble on about life in general. please check out my shop at octarine.etsy.com and let me know what you think of my work! thanks for stopping by.