The Club is Afoot!

Today I am feeling optimistic. It's been a good fiber week. I got everything in order for the Myth & Magic Club (which you should join, because it's awesome) and things are well underway. I was really afraid that I would solicit the assistance of other artists to make the non-wooly surprises for the club packages, and talk up the club all over the internet and then no one would ever sign up and I would be totally embarassed and have to go back to the artists and say, "Actually, it turns out that I won't be buying several custom items from you after all, because no one is even remotely interested in this club."

I mean, how awful would that be? But, I have been saved from this terrible fate! The club will take place after all! Which excites me to no end because I am really looking forward to it and have plans for some really amazing batts. They will be a bit more luxurious than the batts usually available in the shop. I'm using this club as an experiment in making batts with a higher percentage of fancy fibers like bamboo, milk fiber, silk, angora, etc. And as an experiment in branching out a little into using some fibers that I didn't dye myself, but bought from other fabulous indie dyers, some of whom use different dye techniques than I do.

There is still lots of room in the club, and 1 month subscriptions are available for those on a budget. So come play with us!

In other news, today my first-ever Ravelry ad started running. It's just a simple banner ad I made for the Myth & Magic Club, and it will run for 1 week, until sign-ups for August close. I have no idea if it will be effective in selling club subscriptions or bringing people into my shop, but I will know in a week. So that's a new thing too.

And speaking of new things... soon I will start dyeing silk scarves for the gallery, some of which will be available in the shop at some point. Like several weeks from now. And I'm going to try my hand at indigo dyeing. So indigo dyed fiber will be available in the shop... whenever I get the hang of indigo dyeing. Best not to hold your breath, I hear it's insanely difficult and takes a long time to learn and that the learning curve is steep and fraught with peril. Then again, I heard that about point spinning and long-draw spinning only after I had taught them to myself with little difficulty & was surprised to hear it. So, we'll see.

That's it for now. To the Post Office!

Seeking Artists & Crafters for purposes of Awesomeness!

Today I'm working on the details for my new fiber club. Which will be announced soon. And which will be awesome. For right now, let me just say this: It will be 4 oz. of spinning batts each month for 4 months, and there will be a theme. I've never done a themed club before, and I'm super excited. I'd also love for this club to have the option of coming with a few extra treats like herbal teas, handmade soaps, etc. for those who like a little extra pampering.

So I'm looking for folks who make those things who'd like to be a part of this. I figure there are two ways this can work. Folks can send in sample sizes of the things they make along with their business card, a coupon, etc. and use this as free advertising. The samples could be included in fiber club shipments at no extra charge to club subscribers. Or, I can work out a deal whereby I buy full-size items & include them with the monthly club shipments, and customers pay a bit more for their subscription to cover the extra awesomeness. Some folks love extra goodies in their clubs, and some prefer just the fiber. I will offer customers a choice between a no-frills fiber-only club and an extra awesomeness club.

Here's what I'm looking for:

• Handmade hot- or cold-process soap that is all natural & scented only with herbs, spices, & pure essential oils. No melt-n-pour or premade bases. No artificial ingredients. Just the good stuff -- high quality fair trade oils and butters, fresh dried herbs & spices, pure essential oils, and of course organic ingredients are always a plus.
• Other bath & body goodies -- bath salts, lotions, etc. Again, all-natural is key. No artificial fragrance oils.
• Hand-blended teas -- Fair trade and organic will always get you brownie points, because they are good karma and the world needs more of that going around. :)
• ACEO's or small art prints
• Greeting cards
• Hand-poured candles -- scented w/ essential oils, & made from palm, soy, or beeswax.
• Stitch markers for knitting/crochet
• I'm open to other things that I think fiber folks will like.

The extras in the boxes don't need to be the same each month, so you may participate for just one month or more. It's completely up to you. Most importantly, things need to go with the theme of that month's box. I'm keeping the theme a surprise from customers until I introduce the club, so if this sounds like the kind of collaboration you might be interested in, please email me atSerendipityFibers@gmail.com to find out the secret monthly themes & see if they're something you'd like to work with.

Shop Update

A little weekend shop update to start your week off right...

Available at Serendipity!

Goings On

I'm going to be scaling back my fibery activities for a few weeks because I have a lot going on in my life right now that needs my attention.

I won't be submitting samples for the August Phat Fiber box, but I plan to be back in the box in September. I will be doing a giveaway on the Phat Fiber blog in July (and probably August too), so you'll still have a chance to snag some of my fibers in the meantime. I don't know exactly when the giveaway will happen, but if you want to be in the loop on that the best way to be sure you won't miss it is to follow @PhatFiber on Twitter, or check the Phat Fiber blog daily.

I'm moving in three weeks. Just across town, but I'm really stressed out & unhappy about it. After much consideration, I've decided to leave the shop open and have a gap in shipping. So you can still buy things, but if you buy them during the critical packing-unpacking phase, it'll be a while before you get them. Because, you know, everything I own will be in boxes. And if you've bought something from me, well, one of the things you own will be in those boxes too.

Here's how shipping's going to work:
If I have your payment (have charged your credit card, your check has cleared, or am holding your money order in my hand) by July 27th, your package will ship sometime between the 28th & the 30th. After that, my next shipping day will be around the 6th or 7th. So, if I receive your payment on the 28th, it could be about 2 weeks before you get your package. If there's something you have your eye on and you need it before the second week of August, PLEASE buy it early and get your payment to me before the 27th.

On a completely unrelated and much happier note, I'm going to be starting an awesome series of interviews with a lot of truly amazing fiber artists. This is something I've been wanting to do for a long time, and I'm really excited that it's finally coming together. Be on the lookout for the first interview in a few days.