Cabin in the City

Books, cats and midwestern charm.

Kaminski Handicraft

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Holiday Hoops 2023

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Selfishly, I don’t do a lot of holiday craft events. I like to save the month of December for staying home and snuggling up to make crafts for myself and my family. Last year, I spent many evenings stitching ugly sweater ornaments and it was my favorite craft all year.

But this year, I did manage to sneak a few holiday hoops into my roster! I’ll be selling at the Walker’s Point Makers Market and Bar Hop on November 18, and I figure mid-November is as good as the holiday season for most folks!

I stitched up a handful of holiday designs, including a few “impish or admirable” ornaments. I think my favorite, though is this sparkly holiday lights hoop. The idea to layer glitter paint over the watercolor came to me at 2:00 AM. I had to touch up these hoops the very next day. I love the results!

If you see anything you like—or want to see more of what’s to come—find me on Instagram at @kaminskihandicraft. I’m happy to hook you up with any hoops there. Everything is $5 to ship within the US.

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Picking Up Stitching After a Long Break

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For a while now, I’ve been working a very small side hustle. I embroider silly things and sell them. I dabble in Etsy but I far prefer selling at in-person markets. It’s just way more fun!

But when the pandemic hit and events were canceled, I put down my needle. I focused a lot on making masks and filled the rest of my time with puzzles, books, TV and worrying. Embroidery didn’t feel as pressing without events to sell at and people around to sell to.

Picking Up the Needle

And honestly, I didn’t miss it. Not once did I feel compelled to stitch up an original design (I did buy and stitch quite a few cross stitches, though). For a while, I thought that I might just be done with the stitching side hustle.

That is until I saw a call from Madison Makers Market for an upcoming event. I thought to myself, I’ll give it one more go. I’ve got lots of hoops hanging around anyway.

And just like that, I was back in the swing of things. As I drew up a new design (and finished off some WIPs from a year ago), I found myself enjoying embroidery more than ever.

Sometimes craft fair prep can feel stressful, but this time, I look forward to sitting down with my floss. It’s a good treat at the end of the day to pick up a hoop and cue up an audiobook. (Currently, I’m listening to The Personal Librarian.)

The Craft I Keep Coming Back To

Time and time again this is a craft I return to. And I honestly never thought of it that way. I always thought of myself as someone that got really into a project for a short while before moving on to the next (see: latch hook, paper flower and plastic canvas). It wasn’t until I went to my parents’ house weeks ago and saw a lot of my projects in their home that I realized holy cats, I’ve been doing this a long time and this is something I’ve always loved.

Proof: The cat cross stitch hanging in the upstairs hallway. The teacup crewelwork hanging by my parents’ bed. The “bite me” cross stitch on my mom’s dresser. The embroidery hoop I gave my dad for Christmas a few years back. The embroidered anniversary art I gave my parents. The cross stitch Christmas ornaments packed away in the basement.

That’s a lot. And it spans a long time. I remember making that cat cross stitch back in elementary school, the teacup piece in middle school and the infamous “bite me” art back in college.

So what’s the point: I am, as always, oblivious to my own nature. And I’m really happy to embroidering again.

You can find me at my first fair soon. The Madison Makers Fitchburg Mini Market is coming up on July 24.

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Kaminski Handicraft: Open for the Holidays

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It’s been a hot minute since I’ve shared any updates about the embroidery business!

Shop on Etsy

Kaminski Handicraft is still up and running, and now I’ve got my hoops listed in my Etsy shop!

I’ve got a little more than a dozen of my best-sellers listed in my shop ready to rock and roll for the holidays. All of these hoops are made and ready to ship out the next day.

Plus, I’m offering free shipping when you purchase $35 or more from my shop.

Shop on Instagram

If Etsy isn’t your style, you can see what’s up in my Sunday Insta-Sales over at @kaminskihandicraft. Just DM me and I’m happy to take your order and accept payment via Venmo or Square.

Plus, if you live in Milwaukee, I’m offering free contactless pickup or delivery. Not a bad deal!

Now there’s my shill for the season. Happy shopping (I hope you shop small and local when you can!).

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Coming Soon // Walker’s Point Makers Market

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I am so excited to announce that a Walker’s Point Makers Market is here!

As you may know, I’ve been selling at Madison Makers Markets for a few years. These events are super fun because they’re part craft fair and part bar crawl (genius!). I always wished for a Milwaukee one and my wish has come true! Big thanks to Sara at I Heart Indie Markets!

You can find me and Kaminski Handicraft at Great Lakes Distillery. I’m thrilled because they’ve got some great stuff and a really awesome tasting room (and the tour is a good time, too).

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Coming Soon // Holiday 2019 Craft Fairs

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It might seem early to be thinking about the holidays, but for crafters, it’s never too early.

This year, I’ll be at two holiday events: one in Milwaukee and one in Madison. Local folks, I encourage you to check these both out! I’m saying this not only as a maker but as someone who has shopped both (and found lots of great things).

Cream City Creatives

I took a bit of a flyer on this show last year and I am so glad I did! It was so much fun selling in my own city.

Cream City Creatives is two floors full of amazing makers and artists. I highly recommend coming out for this one. There were so many unique gifts to be had (and plenty that were exchanged under my family’s Christmas tree).

Madison Makers Black Friday Market + Pub Crawl

These Madison Makers Markets are some of my favorite events both as a shopper and a vendor. Seriously, what could be better than kicking off the holiday season than by shopping small and having a great drink?

So Madison friends, I encourage you to check this one out. It’s reliably a good time and Old Sugar Distillery (where I’ll be at) has some spectacular drinks.

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Spring Fever + Spring Shows

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I’ve got some pretty exciting news, folks! Well, exciting if you’re a big fan of craft fairs and art shows.

This spring I’ll be selling at not one, not two, but three craft shows in Milwaukee and Madison. This is my busiest season yet. I can’t say I’m ready quite yet, but I’m getting there!

I’m looking forward to these events not only because I love a good maker event, but because they’re a great reason to get out of the house this spring. If you’ve got spring fever, come check these out!

MKE Local Market 414 Pop Up

Sunday, April 14

This will be my first time selling with MKE Local Market, but I’m pretty excited! This market is on 4/14 – AKA Milwaukee Day. I’m excited to celebrate my city and experience a new space. Third Branch Creative Studio looks pretty swank!

Madison Makers Spring Market & Pub-Crawl

Saturday, May 11

I had so much fun at this event last year (and at its Black Friday slot, too). I’m happy to be setting up at Old Sugar Distillery again. Grab their homemade cherry soda or a Cuba Libre and let’s chat!

Madtown Artisans Spring Event at High Noon Saloon

Sunday, May 19

Another new-to-me show! This one will be at Madison’s High Noon Saloon and will be hosting some of my favorite Madison-based makers like TacoCat Creations and No Coast Paper Co. And let’s be honest, shopping with a drink in hand is always a fun time.

Of course, you can always keep up with all my events over on the Kaminski Handicraft Facebook page. Hope to see some folks at these events coming up!

And, yes, that Mrs. Maizel hoop up top will be for sale!

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A New Look for Kaminski Handicraft

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Here she is! The new logo for Kaminski Handicraft!

I had tabled branding for my shop for a long time in favor of developing new designs. But a few weeks ago, I got the bug to give my shop a little facelift. While it’s not perfect and not too original, it’s a big improvement – and I’m learning more and more that done is better than perfect.

With a new logo under my belt, I decided to freshen up my product photography, too. It’s certainly nothing groundbreaking, but it’s an improvement and the style is manageable to me.

And I’m using my camera instead of my phone which makes an insane amount of difference!

My hope is that this small refresh gives my Etsy shop and business a bit more polish and makes people maybe slow down to take a peek.

You can check it all out my shop here for the full effect!

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Coming Soon // Cream City Creatives

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This one’s coming up fast, folks!

I’ll be at Cream City Creatives Holiday Market this Sunday from 10-3 at Turner Hall. It’s my first Milwaukee show, so I’m pretty darn excited! That was one of my goals for 2018 and I’m almost there!

You’ll find me and 50+ Midwest makers at this show. I’m personally excited to see what Renee Graef has to offer – she was an illustrator for American Girl! But there are lots of other folks, too, so you’ll find something for all those people left on your list!

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Coming Soon // Black Friday Market + Pub Crawl

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Good news, everyone! Madison Makers Market is back with another makers fair and pub crawl event. And you know Kaminski Handicraft had to be there! I had so much fun at the spring show that it was easy to accept the invitation to be in the Black Friday one. I’ll be back at Old Sugar Distillery, too, which is, in my opinion, the best spot on the pub crawl route. They’ve got some really terrific craft cocktails – perfect for sipping while you shop.

I’m so excited that this event is on Black Friday! I’m not a Black Friday shopper myself – I just can’t handle the chaos. But I really love this alternative for shoppers that want to support small businesses and also take the biggest shopping day of the year just a bit slower. And seriously, what a fun thing to do with family and friends who have come in from out of town!Hope to see you there!

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Craft Fair + Pub-Crawl // A Recap

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Back in May, I participated in my second ever craft fair – the Madison Makers Market + Pub-Crawl – and it was a blast! I ate, drank, sold some crafties and made a cool trade with a new maker friend. But let’s get into it.

Prepping

Last show, I was stressed to the max stitching up 50 different hoops. Since it was my first one, I had zero idea what to expect. This time around, I was a bit more confident. Plus, I had about 35 hoops left in my inventory for the selling which meant I didn’t have to spend every spare minute stitching. Instead, I stitched up 18 over the course of about four weeks which was a pretty good schedule. I also had friends giving me some A+ hoop recommendations. Oh! And a lovely gal PM-ed me before the show asking about RuPaul’s Drag Race hoops and I was happy to oblige. I’m thinking a not today, Satan, not today hoop will become a new standard.

The Show + Bar

Like last time, I brought my mom to be my helper. She’s very patient and calm, which was good because as an anxious person, I was low key freaking out that morning.

Unlike last time, though, this show wasn’t held in a single location. Instead Madison Makers Market had the most amazing idea of having crafters set up booths in a few bars on Madison’s East Side. Eat, drink, buy crafts – it’s the perfect day. I was lucky enough to get a space in the new-ish Old Sugar Distillery where the light was phenomenal and the other vendors very kind. Prior to opening for the day, I got to meet Sarah from Gypsy Adornment in person (had been following her Instagram for a hot minute), and we had a little swap. She nabbed a Queer Eye hoop and I got a witchy lariat necklace in exchange. My only regret is that I couldn’t steal away to see the other makers in the other bars.

Once the doors opened, though, I was pretty surprised with how steady business was! Lots of folks were browsing around with their Dark & Stormies, picking up grad gifts and last-minute Mother’s Day presents. The energy of the space was definitely right and the bar was hopping all afternoon. I was 100% into it, and I think people were into me too! I sold about 18 hoops by the day’s end, which felt great!

Now that I’ve got two fairs done and dusted, I’m feeling a bit more confident about my pieces. Once I’m done with my pal’s wedding hoop, I’m going to start stocking up again. You never know when the next fair might be!

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P.S. You can find my hoops at my Etsy shop always! PM me for custom orders!