New DIY Kit: Hanging Chalkcloth Banner Kit

Perfect for the holiday chalk art, dinner party menus, or an everyday to do list! Use this kit to make your very own Hanging Chalkcloth Banner. Click here to see the tutorial! 

Kit Includes:
- 18" x 47" of chalk cloth
- 24" dowel rod
- 1 yard of mini pom-pom trim
- 1 yard of ribbon
- 1 yard of bias trim
- 3 yards of 3 different rick racks
- 1 piece of chalk
- 1 permanent chalk marker
- Instruction sheet

Kit Price: $20.00

Choose from 3 colors, green, aqua and red!

 My Thanksgiving banner!!

Ooh, Dream Chicken...

[Chorus]
Ooh dream chicken
I believe you can get me through the night.
Ooh dream chicken
I believe we can reach the morning light.

Yep, I went there!! I am as cheesy as I am kitschy, and proud of it.

So, let me tell you a little something about myself: I have freaky dreams all the time. Bizarre dreams that are fragmented and combine different aspects of my past and current life. The dream I had this morning before I woke was hysterical, but only since it wasn't real.

In this dream, one of my crafty friends does another crafty friends job poorly.

Meet Deana, she owns and operates the cutest little shop here in Richmond, Strawberry Fields Flowers and Finds. She's been selling my wares at her shop for over 7 years. And over the years I've seen her working on wedding after wedding. If you walked in on any given Friday the work tables and fridges will be filled with centerpieces and other weddingy things. Naturally, she is the person that I went to, in my dream, to make me a last minute wedding bouquet.

Yep, I was dreaming I a 20-something Kelly, that was getting married on a whim. (Thank goodness none of my boyfriends back then would have done that with me, I would have been divorced 3 times before I met Don). It was a Friday afternoon, right before happy hour (Well, that sounds about right!) and I needed a wedding bouquet for the next day. So, I headed over to Strawberry Fields, taking my own flowers for her to arrange for me (Who even does that?). Even stranger, I found the flowers in a grimy neighborhood market that never has flowers. The flowers were bright yellow lilies, and I loved them!! (Keep in mind I would never buy yellow lilies, ever!)

So I get there and Deana's no where to be found, but one of her best buddies is... Meet our friend Karyn Shonk, a fabulous gal that makes AMAZING jewelery. Now... in my dream I ask Karyn to take my bright yellow lilies and make them pretty for me (Keep in mind Karyn doesn't work with flowers, she works with wire and gems!). She proceeds to take off a few the petals from the lilies. (As I've seen Deana do many times.) But, Karyn doesn't stop with less attractive the outer petals, and she ends up taking the flowers down to stalk and stamen. I was mortified, but I trust her when she says that she can fix it for me.

So I leave and come back, to find that she's taken some kind of magic clay that proofs like a yeasty bread dough and she's used it to sculpt a bright yellow chicken for me. At that time, the yellow chicken was flat, and about the size of a dinner plate. I was not amused. But wait, it got so much weirder as a few minutes later the chick has enlarged to the size of a really fluffy bed pillow (I kinda want clay like this!).

Karyn then proceeds to get ready for her own wedding, with to die for flowers, and leaves me on my own. I start filling a box with my yellow chicken and my flower petals and go off to forage for flowers in the forest that's magically appeared outside (You know the one that's never been in this very populated and historic neighborhood since the early 1800's).

So, that is why I got out of bed and painted this chicken!! Aren't you glad you know all that now? LOL!! Have a bright sunshiny day!

Modern June's 3 Day Sale

Starting today I'm having a Instagram sale! For the next 3 days I'm selling some of my fabulous Modern June stock. Think "gift giving," but don't forget yourself, you totally deserve a gift or two!

How does an Instagram sale work? Just head on over to your Instagram feed and search for @ModernJune_IGshop. Once you have found me, click to follow, or simply click on this and then the follow button. I'll be showing up in your Instagram feed and you'll see all my special listings over the next 3 days!

Once you see a product that you like, simply leave me a valid PayPal email address and your zip code to claim the item, first come first serve. If there is more than one item available, be sure to let me know how many you would like. At the end of each day I'll send out PayPal invoices for any item you bought. If you order several items over multiple days, I'll be happy to combine shipping.

Flat rates for shipping are $3, $6, and $11, with prices determined by the weight and size of the item. You won't be charges more than $11 for combined shipping. Sweet, right?

See the list of details (in the image above) for more information.

Be sure to come back a few times each day as I will be listing items all day long today, tomorrow and Sunday!

Please note, I'm still not making items at this time. The items that I'm listing on the IG shop are ready-made stock items. I will not be making custom items for this holiday season. See why here!

Getting real on Instagram!

A few weeks ago, I opened up about something that's been bugging me for quite some time now... You all know it. You've all felt it. It's the dreaded BURNOUT!

Now, I've been burnt out before, but never like this. I have burnout on top of burnout. When you run a crafty biz you don't have much time for burnout recovery, do you? Nope. You job is to keep creating. To keep churning out the handmade goodness at the rate of a small factory. Ug, that is hard work. It's compounded when you have a staff that relies on you to help pay the rent. No matter how much stress you have, stress sucks!! Big. Time.

As some of you may have noticed I stopped making handmade goods for now. My Modern June Etsy  shop is on vacation and that I'm only selling fabrics on my website, Modern June and at Oilcloth Addict. Why? Well, that's a big question, and the answer requires us to sit down for over a long dinner while sharing a bottle of w(h)ine. For now, I'm just trying to open up and share a bit more in-the-now, after I've mentally processed it a bit, and I'm a little less raw.

So to kick-off my journey, I'm sharing my Instagram story from a few weeks ago:

It's an honor to have all day to play (around and draw all day) like this!! Not too long ago my days where filled with making cool loot! I really enjoyed making tablecloths and other useful goodies until a year ago. Work and staff management kept me away from my kids for 9-14 hours a day. Even when I was home I was working on the computer or at my sewing machine. I would go weeks at a time without a day off. Basically, I was more than exhausted. The more successful I was, the more there was to manage. Money, supplies, and Junies (my workers). When I started #modernjune 8 1/2 years ago I never really meant to run a company. I never imagined writing sewing books, or having a staff. I had no idea that all of these things were possible. I rode the waves of hard work and opportunity where they took me, rarely saying "no." Over committed was my middle name!! Until last year, when I caught myself in a lie!! I told a customer who was gushing over my booth filled with product, that I had a blast managing the making of it all. The fact was, I was tired and I missed being #mamahen! It nearly took me an entire year to whittle down Modern June to a manageable specialty #fabricshop, Oilcloth Addict! Now, everyday I try to be creative! I do a little drawing or crocheting before and after I #homeschool our teenaged kids. Every day I remind myself that #mycreativitydoesntneedtobemonetized. I remind myself that my self worth does not have to be tied to my success as an #entrepreneur and maker. Sometimes being a mom is everything! Soon enough, I'll have an empty nest and I'll be able to do all kinds of crazy things I never thought were possible! #grateful!

How have you beat burnout? Leave me a comment below so we can chat about it. Also, check out my Instagram and see daily drawings and much more!

My Country Living Fair Booth - 2014

Summer Sale

It's that time of year again, it's summer! We're celebrating our favorite season with a sale. Save 20% on all our products and fabrics by using coupon code summer20sale at modernjune.com and at our Etsy shops: Oilcloth Addict and Modern June.

Sale ends Friday, June 27 at Midnight! 

Happy shopping,
Kelly

Cinco de Mayo Flash Sale!

Modern June 

Modern June Etsy

Oilcloth Addict Etsy

Blog Tour Dates for At Home with Modern June!

 Are you ready for a chance to win my new book, At Home with Modern June? How about I chip in some chalk cloth? Enough to make two of the no-sew chalk cloth placemats? If so, head over to the following blogs and sign up for the RSS or email feeds to you don't forget!

Follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and/or Facebook feeds for daily updates as well.

Blog Tour for At Home with Modern June Dates 

Monday, April 7th: Stash Books
Tuesday, April 8th: Pretty Prudent
Wednesday, April 9th: Craft Gossip
Thursday, April 10th: Apronista
Friday, April 11th: Whipstitch
Saturday, April 12th: Craftypod
Sunday, April 13th: Sew Mama Sew
Monday, April 14th: Grow. Make. Eat.
Tuesday, April 15th: Modern June Instagram Giveaway!
Wednesday, April 16th: Finding Home 
Thursday, April 17th: Modern June, the Oilcloth Addict

We're kicking off a great line up of bloggers with a tour of my home on the Life Made Lovely blog. I'd be honored if you'd have a look at my little home made with love. There are lots of projects from the book within the tour.

Lastly, I'll be showing Richmond, VA how to make these fun little no-sew placemats on Virginia This Morning on channel WTRV CBS 6. Tune in on Monday, they will be giving away two books! 

Announcing Spring Oilcloth Tablecloths

Announcing oilcloth tablecloths, just in time for spring! Now on sale at ModernJune.com!!

Pick from one great print from the following four oilcloths...

And one fun print from the following 3 oilcloths...



Our tablecloths now come in set sizes, start with how wide your table is. We have slim and wide widths, and then pick which length works best for your table.

Slim Oilcloth Tablecloths:
47" x 70"
47" x 90"
47" x 108"
47" x 120" 

Wide Oilcloth Tablecloths:
60" x 70"
60" x 90"
60" x 108"
60" x 120" 

Book Trailer!

I am so excited to share my little book trailer for At Home with Modern June with you! I just got a big stack of books and they are listing in my new shop, modernjune.com!! (How's that for a soft opening!) I'd love to sign one for you! 

xoxox,

Kelly

Pillow Talk

Despite last weeks snow and ice, I spied a few daffodils blooming in my back yard today! Modern June is ready for spring, are you? Our oilcloth pillows will surely get your front porch or back deck pretty in no time. They are trimmed with a band of oilcloth which keeps the rain from leaking into the stuffing.

Choose from a 16" square and/or a 12" x 16" lumbar pillow, then pick from the 12 oilcloths for the front and the back. Next, pick one color trim and your good to go. We'll make those up for you in about 2-3 weeks and you'll be all ready for spring!

We aren't the only ones that love our pillows! Check out this great Etsy treasury featuring our perky pillows. Thanks, Rasa Vil Jewelry!!

In just 2 days?

So, I made this decision to stop making custom items and now with only two days to go it's scary as hell! Change can be terrifying, can't it? I mean what if I'm wrong, what if I never make another penny doing what you love? What if I can't meet payroll? What I can't pay my rent?

Don't get me wrong, I know that this is for the best thing for my family. But I'm still scared. It's just that drastic change is hard. There I said it, I'm scared. 

So, my dear Socrates, I'm going to trust you on this one. I'm going to move forward with all my energy and get the next chapter going! OK? OK!!

Last Chance Sale

Want one more cool tablecloth from Modern June? There is only 3 more days left to order, so we thought we'd tempt you a bit by offering you 20% off! The entire shop is on sale! Feel free to snag up some stock items too! 

Fabrics are running out fast so please have a look at our swatches and pick out 2-3 prints. We won't be carrying as much fabric in the future so once some of these prints are gone, they are gone. 

As of March 1st Modern June will be taking a vacation, so I can finish building the new ModernJune.com retail site. I'll also be working on my At Home with Modern June book release fun!

Read why I'm making these changes below! It's been a hard decision but my team and I are ready for new adventures!! We can't wait to share it all with you soon! 

Thanks for all the love and support over the last 7 1/2 years! Cheers to more happy years to come!

The end of an era...

Over the last few months I've learned some very hard lessons. And, all of these lessons have led me to the same decision: as of February 28, 2014, Modern June will be taking it's last custom orders.

By the middle of last month, I knew that the time for a change had arrived. A number of issues were coming to a head: a slow January, financial difficulties, and poor planning. I realized that I couldn't reach every goal I had from Modern June at once, no matter how hard I worked towards them. Money and time only stretch so far.

So, I did what most businesses do when things slow down and immediately downsized. Let me tell you, it felt like hell letting some of my Junies go. I felt like a failure. I felt that I couldn't meet my goals. I couldn't grow my business, take care of my people, make a profit, and be everything to everyone.

One week later, I found myself dealing with a family emergency. And in that moment, all of my Modern June concerns paled by comparison. Out of respect for those I love most, I won't go into the details, I will simply say that my priorities became very clear, very quickly.

Now, after spending the last 3-4 weeks away from the studio I can see things more clearly. I have had way too much on my plate for years. The changes I seek aren't failures, they are growth. Over the past few years, there are so many creative ventures that I've had to put on hold while managing the day-to-day flow of custom work. And, even with a very talented team of Junies, it still took all of my focus just to manage custom work and stock products.

When one door closes, another one opens, right? Right!! So what's next from Modern June? Moving forward Modern June, the Oilcloth Addict will be offering a smaller range of stock items and focusing more on DIY.

I've been busy constructing a new ModernJune.com where Modern June goods will nestle up with Oilcloth Addict's fabrics. I've been designing new fabric patterns for Spoonflower. And most excitingly, I'll be promoting my upcoming book At Home with Modern June, which releases in less than a month. So, I have a lot of fun in store for us all!

I'm very thankful for my team, I am grateful that I got to know you and work with you all! Thank you so much for your support over the last 8 years--I couldn't have done it with out each and everyone of you.

Here's to the future!! Cheers!