Portabellopixie

New Fabric Bundles!

The Henna Garden bundle sold out so fast (thank you!! even though it was sad to see them go out the door if you know what I mean..)  So we sourced a few more Henna Garden prints and were able to put that collection back up, but there are only about 5 left.  ahem.  We also put together a few bundles of the other commonly requested out of print fabrics to give you one last chance to grab a fave.

One fat quarter bundle we put together is blissfully being dubbed the Fall Harvest Fat Quarter Bundle.  Has anyone else noticed that I have a fruit thing consistently going on in my fabrics?  The collection I'm working on right now has 3 fruit prints jotted down in my "notes" for the group.  I doubt they will all make it to the final collection, but I am definitely seeing a trend here.

  

Flannel..  Such a perfect time for it!  The air is getting crisp, the leaves are starting to dry.  We have been putting different sections of our garden to bed for winter and it is time for warmer sewing projects to commence.  We put together two groups of flannel bundles for you to play with.  These bundles are one yard of each print, not a fat quarter.

Ginger Blossom YARDAGE FLANNEL bundle:

Farmers Market YARDAGE FLANNEL bundle:

Again, just a note - out of respect to the retailers that carry my fabrics, I do not sell my current fabric collections on my website.  These fabrics are all (save maybe 2 or 3)  out of print, and my way of making them available to people in search of them.  If you are looking for current collections, click here for a list of retailers.

Also, I'm going to be a nag about this one, because I want it to be spectacular!  If you would like to be part of our 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway, please read about the specifics here and email Dustin@sandihendersondesign.com to save your spot.  We have some really great sponsors lined up so far and would love to include you.

Sponsorship Returns!

I offered sponsorship on my blog about a year ago, and enjoyed networking with creative companies immensely.  Around January, I took the sponsorship section down as it was becoming too much work to maintain for little ole me.  But luckily, now, I have they huge benefit of helpers.  ;)

The request for sponsorship has been consistent enough that we have decided to bring it back.  You can view all the details here, or I have included them in this post to save you a link for the time being.

If you are interested, please send an email to dustin@sandihendersondesign.com and we will get you going.  If you sign up quickly, you are welcome to the rest of September for free.  :)  There are monthly,  three month, six month and annual  subscriptions available.

 

Sponsorship   

New Sponsorship options for 2011-2012!

Holiday Sponsor Spots  (24 spots are available for $100 for 3 months of ad space and a hosted giveaway during the first 12 days of December.)

First off, we have decide to go almost completely handmade with our gifts this year.  The Holidays seasons are such a time of love, sharing and warmth and I feel they can be completely overrun with commercialism.  It seemed like a perfect time to bring back our 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway, and there are up to 24 spots available.  We ask that the item being included in the giveaway have at least a $50 retail value and your inclusion in the giveaway will include an ad space in the right hand bar of my blog from October 1st (or whenever the host supplies the ad info-prices can't be prorated for ad length, sorry) through December 31st, 2011.  You will be responsible for shipping the winner of the giveaway their prize within 1 week.  The giveaway will be held December 1st through December 12th.  In the past, we have not charged for inclusion in this giveaway, but this year feel we need to as the only way to make it happen again.  It takes a large amount of organization, but I am so passionate about avoiding waste and commercialism this Holiday season, that I really want to bring this back.  If you are interested in joining us, please let us know! 

Our graphics team will work with the sponsor to create an ad that will be visually appealing. The sponsor ad's will be 150 pixels by 125 pixels. 

Featured Sponsor Ads (two) are available for $120 a month and give the sponsor one of the two, top spots on the left sidebar of the blog.  Our graphics team will work with the sponsor to create an ad that will be visually appealing. The featured sponsor ad dimension will be 150 pixels by 230 pixels and be given a fancy graphic frame to both complement the ad and draw the eye in.   

The two (2) Featured Sponsor Ads will be arranged in the order of sponsorship longevity; with the longest sponsorship receiving the higher placement.

Three-month (3) durations may be purchased for $350. (10% discount)

Six-month (6) sponsor durations may be purchased for $600. (15% discount)

One-year (1) sponsor duration may be purchased for $1000. (30% discount)

Sponsor Ads (six) are available for $85 a month and will be beneath the Featured Sponsor Ads on the left sidebar of the blog. Our graphics team will work with the sponsor to create an add that will be visually appealing. These six (6) Sponsor Ad's will be 150 pixels by 175 pixels and be given a graphic frame to complement the ad.  

These six (6) Sponsor Ads will be arranged in the order of sponsorship longevity; with the longest sponsorship receiving the higher placement.

Three-month (3) durations may be purchased for $225. (10% discount)

Six-month (6) sponsor durations may be purchased for $4250. (15% discount)

One-year (1) sponsor duration may be purchased for $700. (30% discount)

Additional Sponsor Spots are available for $50 a month and will be beneath the Featured Sponsor Ads on the left sidebar of the blog. Our graphcis teams will work with the sponsor to create an ad that will be visually appealing. The sponsor ad's will be 150 pixels by 125 pixels.  

These sponsor ads will be arranged in the order of sponsorship longevity.  (The longest sponsor receives the higher placement.)

Three-month (3) durations may be purchased for $125. (10% discount)

Six-month (6) sponsor durations may be purchased for $250. (15% discount)

One-year (1) sponsor duration may be purchased for $450. ($30% discount)

Ads will be automatically renewed each month on the first of the month unless canceled five (5) business days in advance.  Payment will be processed through our secure website, www.sandihendersondesign.com.  Credit Card payments or Paypal payments are available when purchasing your sponsorship. Your ad will be viewed any time that a page on the blog is clicked. The average monthly page views for Portabellopixie are currently 50,000 - 60,000.

As a sponsor, you will be given the option to host a giveaway on the blog once on a Friday post.  This giveaway will highlight several of our blog sponsors all at once. For this giveaway, the item must be shipped to Sandi Henderson Design and we will take responsibility for shipping the entire winnings in one package to the winner.  If you intend on participating in the giveaway, please let us know during the 1st week of the month, and ship the prize by the end of the second week of the month.  This will allow us to photography, and thoroughly write the giveaway to highlight each business involved.  Your blog or website will be linked during the giveaway.  We hope to promote good business between all of us, and hope that you consider your sponsorship an ongoing relationship.

If you are interested in being a sponsor on Portabellopixie, please email Dustin at: Dustin@sandihendersondesign.com with the title of Sponsor in the email.  Please include a bit about your business, and links to your shop or website that you would like to have promoted.  We love to work with small businesses in the indi arts and crafts community!

Prairie Sisters Week

Whew, I've had a busy week!

Partly due to gearing up for the funnest event I was part of this weekend, which I really should have mentioned before!  Prepare yourself, eye candy time.

When Laura (above in the red shirt) called me about this party / show she wanted to start, she was exhuberant and full of ideas and wanted me to be there and etc..etc..  I was like.."I dunno..Laura - I'm not sure if I would really fit in there with my stuff.."  To her credit, she convinced me to be a vendor, even though up to the weekend before I kept wondering WHAT I was getting myself into.

I am now publicly eating my words and saying that this is totally the type of show I belong in.  It was so much fun.  We met so many local (and not local!) people in one short day's time that all came together for the love of scoring a deal, re-purposing, thrifting and finding cool stuff for their home.

It was a gathering of people embracing what I feel is being lost in "these days."  Slow living.  Taking time to make a meal and grind the wheat, even though bleached all purpose flower is easily available in the store.

Gathering fresh eggs and growing fresh vegetables because you understand the health and happy benefits from it. 

Doing it with a friend because "work" is always better with two.

Appreciating the beauty of old, and the story those items have etched into them.

Eating.

Eating more.

Shopping more.

Our space was nice and bright.  We sold samples upon samples of clothing, quilts, furniture..  We sold fabric bundles which went over like gang busters to my surprise.  Not much of that going on with other vendors, so we lucked out a bit with a unique item.

Uh..this is not me.  This is my bestie, who helped man the booth and sold some of her fantastic handmade wares with me.  I don't know where I was.. but this is our space!

Thank you Prairie Sister's for inviting me to your party!  I'll be back for sure next time! 

Photography by the fabulous event photographer, Marianne Wiest!

Remembrance

Flag art

Ten years ago, I was in yoga class and the instructor said "apparently we have something going on in New York?" to the class.  Things had just started happening and the accounts were spreading campus like a quick trickle of river water as it flows over pebbles.

I left yoga and went straight to Dustin's house.  We were dating at the time, and were in the middle of a spat.  A silly one, who knows what it was about?  He was supposed to be at work, but the world stopped that day didn't it?  He was there with his best friend and we just sat.  Even though I was upset with him for something, I needed to be near him and know that he was ok.

That need to be near him reminded me of the attacks on Columbine.  I went to high school in Colorado, in a city near the school.  It was the first year after my high school, and I remember sitting at work watching those awful events unfold.  I was 19 and really couldn't grasp the pain of what was happening.  I remember my mom calling me, freshly moved to Missoula, Montana.  She wanted to be sure I was ok.  I remember thinking that was odd, I wasn't at the school.  I understand it better now.

Two years later, at the age of 21, I felt my first true stirrings of adult grief watching the events of 9-11 unfold.  I felt I was growing up by watching this happen.  It's sad but true that learning about grief is part of growing up.

I remember thinking that my high school boyfriend had a sister who lived in New York and wondering if she was ok.  I still don't know.

I remember going to Anthropology class later that day and my professor declaring a free day to anyone who couldn't stay.  He himself had family members uncounted for.

I was not affected by knowing anyone who was closely hurt by the affects of 9-11.  But still that day hurts me.

I remember the first day that I cried about it was 2 days after.  September 13, 2001.  I was driving in downtown Missoula and a huge biker dude on a massive Harley had an American flag the size of a car trailing behind him.  I still get choked up when I picture that.

I would love to read your recollections of this day and to remember in honor those who were lost in this, and all other wars, attacks and acts of terrorism.  If you blog about your memories, please feel free to link to them in this post.

Sitting quietly in Remembrance on this day here.

Sandi

New Stuff for You from Us.

I have a few fun new things in my shop today! First, (and act quick because they are in seriously low quantities) we have Henna Garden Bundles.

I didn't plan on selling my fabric on my website, because I want to support the hardworking brick and mortar and online retailers that stock my fabrics.  (Retailers, if you would like to be added to either of those lists, please email your info to kristy@sandihendersondesign.com )

However, all of these fabrics - save one, are now discontinued.  I double checked, and they are not in production anymore except for the raspberry.  We are getting daily requests for sources for the fabrics so I have delved into my stash to share a little bit of what I have.  Please enjoy, but grab one quickly.

Second, bookplates!

We have an abundance of books in this house.  I decided it was time for some bookplates to grace those books, and look how cute these turned out:

Grab them here.  And a happy Wednesday to you.  :)

Sandi