Etsy — Old blog — Ashley Nickels

Happy Summer!

School is out and the sun is out (occasionally) in San Francisco! There has been a LOT going on over here, so allow me to cut to the chase.

Attention World!

I LIVE STREAMED! Yep, I made my very first infomercial, an impromptu Facebook live video from the Patchwork Show Oakland a couple of weeks ago. Thanks to the team at the Patchwork Show, and also a special thanks to my friends Justin and Jamieson for helping, it was like sweet serendipity the way that whole thing went down.

In case you missed it and need a few chuckles, here it is:

[video width="640" height="640" mp4="http://www.alphabetsummer.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/PatchworkLivestreamJune52016.mp4"][/video]

Attention Pop-Open Coveters!

My Etsy shop has a new look. Also, I’m going to be adding this beautiful medium size to my offerings, as well!

Attention Sewists!

My latest post on the Dear Handmade Life blog is a tutorial on how to make this super easy sleep mask. I’m taking mine on an upcoming backpacking trip, since that summer sun makes it almost impossible to sleep past dawn. You should make one, too!

Awesome photography by Isabel.

Also, my latest Creativebug class, How to Sew a Dopp Bag, is the June Bag of the Month! If you haven’t checked out the trailer to see if it’s your thing-- which I can already tell you it is-- here you go! Don't forget to use the promo code ASHLEY for a free two-week trial!

Attention Pop-Open Owners!

Are you taking yours on any trips this summer? Take a photo of your pop-open in the wild, like my friend Diali has here in the Grand Tetons! Tag me (@alphabetashley) and use the hashtag #popopensinthewild and it could be shown on my page! Also, at the end of the summer, there might be a prize involved. Just saying.

Attention Quilters!

I'm excited to be teaching at Quiltfest Oasis in Palm Springs this October 6-8th! I've never been to Palm Springs and I feel like it might officially make me Californian. I can't wait! Head over to the site to see why I'm so honored to be a part of this lineup.

Also in October, I'll be returning to the Pacific International Quilt Festival in Santa Clara! Head over here to see my class offerings and also who else will be teaching... hint: It's my mom!

Attention World, Again!

Last but certainly not least, I’m thrilled to share that an article I wrote will be appearing in issue #30 of Uppercase Magazine! More on that soon, but if you aren’t a subscriber yet, use the code “summer30” for a discount. This magazine is one of my absolute favorites, and I look forward to receiving it more than almost anything. To say I'm honored that words that I wrote will be printed in this beautiful publication is a vast understatement.

That is all, for now. Thank you for reading, and happy summer out there! I'd love to hear from you, especially if you have any ideas for more silly live videos!

More from me really soon.

Love,

Ashley

Nothing screams “Wild Night” quite like a Craft Party, am I right?

Yes!

There are few things I look forward to more than a good old-fashioned crafternoon. I mean, can you blame me? Let’s talk about it for a second. You've got sassy conversation, healthy and unhealthy snacks, some kind of needle and thread, and (if you're lucky) at least three types of crafting adhesive. It’s pretty much the perfect way to spend an evening. (Okay, well maybe I’d like there to be a baseball game on the radio, but I can survive without that one.)

And last night’s Etsy Craft Party at the Creativebug HQ was no exception.

If you’re ever in the search for creative inspiration, I highly recommend that you check out Creativebug. They offer affordable online classes for everything your little heart fancies... from quilting to paper crafts to making lip balm. They not only have top quality videos, but they have coralled the crème de la crème of instructors... some of my ultimate crafting idols are teachers for Cbug; Melanie Falick, Radmegan, and of course, the woman who LITERALLY gave birth to Alphabet Summer, my very own mama, Sue. (When you do go to their site, you’ll see why it’s not just because of my mom that I love the site! But also watch her bio video... it features my Grandma Tiny, among other Alphabet family members!)

I was first introduced to Creativebug back in January when my mom was filming her classes here in San Francisco. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know some of the rock stars behind the scenes; Jeanne, Kelly, Courtney... who are not only inspirational artists in their own rites, but are proof of what amazingness can happen when truly good people put their creative minds together.

So last night I headed over to Potrero Hill with my new 50mm lens and my all-around-life-partner-in-crime, Molly. Paper art genius Courtney (Paper Musings) was leading an activity in making ATCs (which, it turns out, does NOT stand for Air Traffic Controllers, but Artist Trading Cards) and faster than you could say “black and white chevron washi tape,” we were crafting our night away!

Now, Molly and I are no strangers to being around Craft Royalty (back in March we attended Craftcation together, but more on that later), but we were, as usual, humbled by the openness and warmth of the Creativebuggers. And, in other serendipitous news, it just so happened that we were ATC-ing across the table from Ali and Emily from the Makerie, the creative retreat in Colorado that we had been swooning over for months. Ridiculous! It was a crazy night, that’s for sure.

Thanks for having us, Cbug! We are inspired.

Scroll down to enjoy the pictures of Courtney’s GORGEOUS studio design for last night’s party.