enJOY it

an archived personal and craft blog from Elise Blaha Cripe.

At long last, after I fear way too much hype, I am excited to share details about my newest business venture. This post has a lot of text, but first, a short video trailer :

MAKE29trailer from elise blaha on Vimeo.

It's called make29 and it officially launches on 2/22, my 29th birthday.

If you have followed along here for a little while, you know I love a good birthday challenge. The original was when I turned 22 and decided to decorate a playing card everyday for a year. Then for a few years, I would make a list of things to accomplish where the number of things matched the age I was turning. I switched things up when I turned 26 and decided to complete 26 craft projects. When I turned 27, I set out to use 27 different materials to create 27 different projects.

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Over the years, I have had varying degrees of success with these ventures. Only once did I complete my original mission within my birthday year. But ultimately, I flexed my creativity muscles and attempted something new because of the challenges.

I wanted to re-enter the birthday challenge game on my 29th birthday and I really wanted to try something different with my business. This venture combines the two and was imagined last October in a long, late-night notebook scribbling session.

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Starting on February 22nd, I am going to launch one handmade product in my shop a month. The items will be produced and sold in editions of 29 or 290. They vary greatly in materials used, but all are related to something I have tried, written about on the blog (which I have been keeping since I was 20!) or loved over the past nine years.

Some of the items are relatively easy to produce (like letterpress prints!) and those will be the larger editions of 290. Some of them are very time intensive (like knit blankets!) and those will be the smaller editions of 29.

The goal is to celebrate the past decade and challenge myself professionally and creatively. I am taking this year to really experiment with my business and see what sells and what I like producing best. I am taking this year to play with new and old methods and materials. I am taking this year to develop some really awesome items that make me proud.

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It has been a really long time since I have been so excited about a business project. I am so pumped about this venture. I am starting with an empty shop. And a year from now, I'll have created myself or collaborated on twelve wildly different items.

This year is going to be crazy busy, crazy inspiring and I can already tell it's going to fly. You can see the "official" website for this project here (man, do I love playing with HTML).

Product one will go live here on February 22nd but I will share more details (including release time) on the blog during the week before.

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86 responses to “introducing make29 / my newest venture.”

  1. Chrisy@GoodNorthCoastLife Avatar

    Cheering you on from all the way down here in Australia. Also wondering whether you will ship internationally.
    Can’t wait to see what the first product is and the response to it in the shop. I am sure it will be fabulous 🙂

    Like

  2. //Panda Avatar

    Ooh! Exciting.

    Like

  3. Nora Avatar
    Nora

    Im so excited about your new project! Can’t wait for it to start. My birthday is Feb 23!

    Like

  4. Tee Avatar
    Tee

    Such an awesome idea and I can’t wait to see what you have planned. You are an amazing crafter with such great heart, art, and spirit. Craft on!

    Like

  5. Lucy Avatar
    Lucy

    Will you ship internationally Elise? I’m in Australia

    Like

  6. Sandy Avatar
    Sandy

    Love this idea! So excited to see what you come out with. Looking forward to it.

    Like

  7. michelle t Avatar
    michelle t

    Awesome, Elise! Best wishes. It will be a huge success. You rock. Michelle t

    Like

  8. Mariah Avatar

    So excited about your new venture! I love so much that your focus is on what you enjoy… not a purely “I can’t make money doing this” standpoint. You are an encouragement! Can’t wait to see the 12 projects!

    Like

  9. Cassidy Hogue Avatar

    You are such an inspiring lady! I remember when I first came across your blog, I bought a custom notebook from you, and I’ve been an avid reader ever since. This is such an exciting thing and I can’t wait to see what you do next!

    Like

  10. Priya mohan Avatar
    Priya mohan

    Wow..what an awesome venture..you are a true inspiration and am bowled over again with your amazing creativity!! Am eagerly awaiting your projects..

    Like

  11. Amanda Rose Avatar

    You go girl! ❤ ❤

    Like

  12. Amy Avatar
    Amy

    So excited for you!!

    Like

  13. Ashlee Avatar

    Friend, this. is. AWESOME. Can’t wait to see what you make this year!

    Like

  14. AnaGlezGcia Avatar
    AnaGlezGcia

    Yes, great idea! You are always so amazing…i feel so excited…please internationally ship!

    Like

  15. Pink Ronnie Avatar

    Totally rad idea. It’s so YOU, and I love the name you came up for it!
    Ronnie xo

    Like

  16. Miranda Walker Avatar

    I feel like I’m unreasonably excited about this. Like, the 22nd can’t come quickly enough!

    Like

  17. cheyenne Avatar

    what an amazing idea! good luck:)
    xo, cheyenne

    Like

  18. AesaLina Compton Avatar

    well this is just freaking amazing.

    Like

  19. Laura BC Avatar
    Laura BC

    What an exciting challenge! I can think of several things that I hope make it into one of your monthly releases.

    Like

  20. Shelbie Avatar
    Shelbie

    How fun and exciting! I can’t wait to see what you create this year!

    Like

  21. linda Avatar

    very cool – wishing you the best of luck and lots of fun! I was surprised to hear that you don’t always complete your challenges every year… I always assumed you had it all together and always finished and that gave you momentum to keep doing challenges. Would love to hear your thoughts on the subject of not finishing your own challenges and how it doesn’t get you down! 🙂 thanks!

    Like

  22. Eri Avatar
    Eri

    This is awesome and I’m so excited for this! But most of all, I’m astonished that you’re still 28 turning 29… realizing how immature I am…

    Like

  23. Sunday Avatar

    Such a sweet idea! Good luck!

    Like

  24. Andi Avatar
    Andi

    You are so freakin’ talented! Can’t wait for it to start. Awesome video by the way!

    Like

  25. Pengertian Avatar

    How creative and exciting! It’s such fun to watch your business unfold before our very eyes and I’m already earmarking some dollars for what I know will be some awesome projects. Happy almost birthday and congrats on this fantastic launch!….

    Like

  26. Fungsi Avatar

    This is awesome and I’m so excited for this! But most of all, I’m astonished that you’re still 28 turning 29… realizing how immature I am…

    Like

  27. Meg Avatar

    What a fun idea! I, too, love a good “birthday challenge.” When I turned 30 last year, I intended to blog for the full year about how “30 is Not a Dirty Word” and set up 30 challenges for myself. It lasted less than two months, haha. Judging by your past successes, I’m sure you will make it much further with this venture!

    Like

  28. Allison Avatar

    I am anxious to see all of the projects you come up with! Your projects to date have inspired me so much and I know these are going to be just as awesome.

    Like

  29. Elizabeth Rosemond Avatar

    I let this post marinate in my brain overnight, so that I’d be able to comment without sounding like an idiot.
    You’ve inspired me. BIG TIME.
    I’ve been reading for years, maybe 6 or 7. I’ve always enjoyed my daily read and I’ve always been inspired by your creativity and (seemingly) boundless energy.
    But this post is game changer for me. I have a small crafty shop; I love it. Lately, I’ve been feeling bored and a little bogged down. I’ve felt like a slave to the products I don’t love and I’ve lost sight of why I started the business in the first place. I love to make things. But I can’t make things that I love if I’m focused on selling things that I don’t. I’d been tossing around that idea of making a change, but I was afraid I’d lose customers.
    After reading this? BOOM. Decision made. I thank you for sharing and for inspiring.

    Like

  30. Sarah Avatar

    I love this! Can’t wait to see what you create!

    Like

  31. Mel Avatar

    This is so exciting!! I love your blog, and I have one of your stamps! It’s exciting to see your constantly evolving and following/testing/growing your passions. It’s also refreshing to see someone trying a lot of different things; so often I hear that you should focus on just one thing, but it’s nice to see that you can love a lot of crafts without locking yourself into any one of them.

    Like

  32. Elise Avatar

    Seriously, Elise. You are so beyond awesome. So inspirational! I can’t wait to see what projects come out of this!

    Like

  33. Elyse Ashley Avatar

    This is such a creative and inspiring idea! I am super excited to follow along and see what you come up with!
    I wish you so much luck…So cool.
    Elyse Ashley

    Like

  34. Little Miss Joey Avatar

    Congratulations, Elise!
    I love the concept and the brand, absolutely genius!
    Best of luck in this new adventure 🙂
    Really can’t wait to see what you come up with monthly 😀
    x

    Like

  35. Filiz Avatar

    Brilliant! I love your creative ideas and I can’t wait to see what’s in your shop! Best of luck and happy of birth year to you!!! 🙂
    http://www.marmaramaiden.com

    Like

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