Richmond Craft Mafia - off the record...

The Richmond Craft Mafia is pleased to announce it is collaborating with GayRVA.com to bring you a fabulous holiday event. The Divine Design and Craft Boutique, is a holiday gallery to benefit the Gay Community Center of Richmond. You've probably seen or even visited the GCCR and not even realized it: Diversity Thrift, Thursday night Diversity Bingo, and the GCCR Gallery all share space in the rainbow-bedecked building on Sherwood Avenue, right by The Diamond. Please visit us during the opening reception Friday, November 13, 7-9pm for some great shopping for a great cause.

Opening reception: Friday, November 13, 7-9pm
Gallery open daily: November 14-December 6
Location: Gay Community Center of Richmond
1407 Sherwood Avenue, Richmond, VA 23220
804-622-4646

Handmade Nation Screening in Norfolk

2009-10-05T13:59:00.003-04:00

Handmade Nation, the new documentary about the indie crafts/DIY movement is going to be showing at the Naro in Norfolk, VA. The screening is at 5:15pm on Saturday, October 24th.

Please see the movie’s website for a full description, the director’s blog, and more. Also see the Naro’s website for location and ticket info.

I was lucky enough to get to see Handmade Nation in August in Philly while I was at the Buyer's Market of American Craft. I also got to meet the director Faythe Levine and get a copy of Handmade Nation the book autographed by her. The Richmond Craft Mafia's founding date and our indie craft show Spring Bada-Bing are mentioned in the indie craft timeline in the book.

Thanks to the 7 Cities Crafters for posting the screening info!

Great News about Handmade Holiday!

2009-09-23T16:50:00.004-04:00

Great News! The Richmond Craft Mafia has decided to extend the area that we are accepting applications for Handmade Holiday from a 30-mile radius of our fair city to a 50-mile radius of Richmond!

So anyone who lives say 32, 39, 42, 47 or even 50 miles from Richmond who were unable to apply for Handmade Holiday can now submit their application by October 10th just like crafters who live 14, 22 or 28 miles from Richmond or even the folks that are located in the city itself, yay!

Click Here to Apply!

Handmade Holiday Application

2009-09-05T11:15:00.001-04:00

Handmade Holiday Craft Show

What: A Juried Indie Craft Show in Richmond, Virginia.

Why: Buy Handmade, Buy Local!

Who: The Richmond Craft Mafia, The Visual Arts Center of Richmond and some of Richmond's most talented indie crafters.

Where: The Visual Arts Center of Richmond (formerly the Hand Workshop) on Main Street.

When: Preview Party, Friday Evening, December 11th - 7-10pm
Open to the Public - Saturday - December 12th 10 am - 5 pm

How: Applications for Handmade Holiday Craft Show will be available online from September 5 - October 10th. Applications are only available online. Only crafters living in the Richmond, Virginia area will be eligible (applicants must be within a 50-mile radius of the City of Richmond). Please read and fill out the application carefully - only complete applications will be considered.

Click Here to Apply

Application - Deadline October 10, 2009

Have you heard of SoopSee?

2009-09-01T00:05:00.002-04:00

For a while I was feeling like my internet presence was all over the place. I mean, I had my Etsy shop and a blogger account and social networking accounts. I had purchased a domain, but with my very-limited-web-page-making knowledge, I couldn't do much more than post pictures that never quite seemed to be the right size or in the right place.

What's a girl to do?

Well, luckily I stumbled into an article on The Storque about SoopSee .com. SoopSee aims to unite all of your listings, shops, photos and scribblings under one roof (or rather, one website - your website). Although it's still in Beta testing, SoopSee offers a lot of features that are really helpful. With a free basic account, I was able to choose from 6 webpage themes, pull in listings of my choice from my Etsy shop, and then pull in my blog posts. I can even get stats about my Etsy shop! It was easy, and put all my information on a SoopSee.com domain.

However. . . I had already been giving people the domain I had purchased earlier, and I didn't want to have yet another web address to ask folks to remember. This is where the beta testing came in handy.

While SoopSee is in beta testing, you can sign up for a Sooper account at a 66% discount for the life of your subscription. That means that for $4.99 per month (as opposed to the regular $14.99 per month) you can use your existing domain name with your SoopSee account. You can also choose from additional themes, link multiple etsy shops, link multiple blogs, and split your listings into different sections.

I went ahead and signed up for the Sooper account since the discount is only available while SoopSee is in beta testing, which could end at any time. Because I'm not very technologically savvy, I had a few problems when trying to link to my existing domain, but I emailed the folks at SoopSee and they responded REALLY quickly and helped me fix my problem. I mean, they were REALLY quick.

And there are a lot of great ideas that they are working on for the future, such as being able to import images from your Flickr photostream or link to shops you have on non-etsy websites. You can find more information at SoopSee.com or follow them on Facebook and Twitter. And you can check out some live examples of SoopSee user pages here.

**In light of the article about SoopSee on The Storque they've opened up registration to anyone with an Etsy shop - even though they're technically still in a closed beta phase - but will be limiting signups in the near future again to ensure a good service for those registered.

Call for Richmond Crafters & Designers - Handmade Holiday 2009!

2009-08-24T16:13:00.006-04:00

The Richmond Craft Mafia's
Handmade Holiday
Indie Craft Show
will be back again this year
at
The Visual Arts Center of Richmond
on
December 11 & 12, 2009!

Applications will be accepted starting on
September 5, 2009.

So all you Richmond Area Crafters & Designers get your business info and pictures ready to submit for consideration!

The show is juried again this year and is still limited to Crafters & Designers living in a thirty mile radius of Richmond, Virginia. Sorry everyone else!

Stay tuned for more details in the coming week!

Bizarre Market - 2nd Annual Jonny Z fest

2009-08-03T21:45:00.005-04:00

Hey local crafters! Want to come sell your wares in a fun and FREE venue? Don't miss the

2nd Annual Jonny Z Festival

This Saturday, August 8th!
A celebration of art, music and community.
Sponsored by Art 180 and Chop Suey Books.
Fun for all!
12pm-5pm
200 Block of Shields Ave.(Between Grove & Hanover)

A block party featuring the Bizarre Market, live music & WRIR DJ's, children's activities, raffle drawings, and a mobile mural unveiling by young artists from St. Andrew's School. In memory of our friend, Jonathan Zanin.

Bizarre Market vendors welcome! To sign up, email: info@chopsueybooks.com

If you have anything to sell, please plan on attending as a vendor. Set up begins at 10 am that morning. Once you have arrived, we will sign you in. It is free to set up, but we ask that you donate 10% of your earnings to ART 180. Bring a chair, table, and change. Remember, this Bizarre Market will be outside of JOE'S INN, not Chop Suey.

Call for Vendors

2009-05-23T10:20:00.001-04:00

It's another Metro Market at Metro Space Gallery!

What we are looking for:
Talented folks who want to show it off for two days!
1st Friday, June 5th & Sunday, June 7th

This is a juried market, and a committee of folks will hand pick a great range of different wares to make sure there is a wide variety of nice things to see. This is a huge opportunity for you to get your goods in front of the masses. Last year they estimated over 7,500 people attended the "Broad Appetit" event and the weather wasn't even that great! If you call 2,500 people a pretty good turn out, Friday the 5th will not disappoint you either.

Where:
Metro Space Gallery
119 West Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23220
(804)643-7125

When:
1st Friday, June 5th, 2009 (6:00pm - 10:30pm) and Sunday, June 7th, 2009 (12:00pm-5:00pm) during the "Broad Appetit" when Broad Street will be closed to all street traffic - except our favorite kind - foot traffic!

Why:
The last couple of markets have been a great success! This Market helps to support the efforts of True Love Press in its journey to purchase silk screen equipment, lumber and storage components for Richmond's only community printmaking cooperative.

How:

1. DEADLINE for submissions: Monday May 27th. There is a flat fee of $50 for the weekend, whether you are here one day or both.

2. Please send a couple of images to : heykateguesswhat [!at] gmail.com
(if you cannot get us an image, you will not be considered)

3. Be sure to include the words: JUNE MARKET VENDOR in the subject line

4. We will send a list of accepted vendors out on Thursday May 30th, 2009 along with all the special directions with set up and break down times and such. We will be allowing early drop off during the week to make it especially easy on our selected vendors.

Vendors, heads up!

2009-05-19T15:35:00.001-04:00

A call for Artists! Arts & crafts show

paal invites you to our inaugural Arts and Crafts Show in beautiful Old Towne Petersburg, Virginia. Opening night will be held during November’s , which promises to bring many shoppers and diners into the Old Towne area for the entire evening. This extraordinary event, held at PAAL and the Union Train Station, will feature 50–60 juried painters, printmakers, sculptors, jewelers, photographers, and artisans of fine crafts. The weekend will provide a great time for shoppers to purchase one-of-a-kind holiday gifts for family and friends!

The Arts & Crafts Show is proudly sponsored by the Petersburg Area Art League and the City of Petersburg.

Entries must be received by June 1, 2009. You can download a brochure with all details and an entry form here, or stop by PAAL.

Natalie Chanin is coming to Richmond!

2009-04-29T11:32:00.006-04:00

You probably know Natalie Chanin from her wayyyy too awesome Alabama Chanin project: she's known for her crafty, artful, thoughtful repurposing of old into new, creating beautiful clothing and objects using hand stitching and sustainable fabrics...

But did you know she's going to be in Richmond art the Visual Arts Center's Art:24 event for two workshops, and you're invited??

About Natalie Chanin and her visit to Richmond

The Visual Art Center’s ART:24 event May 15-16, 2009, celebrates the tradition in art in everyday life. Our special guest will be the internationally renowned designer and textile artist Natalie Chanin.

Natalie first appeared in national media such as Women’s Wear Daily and Vogue with her Project Alabama couture line, which drew on the use of disappearing Depression-era stitching techniques from her native Alabama to turn old T-shirts into gorgeous garments.

She still creates couture pieces, but has re-imagined her company as Alabama Chanin, with a renewed emphasis on sustainability and green and ethical practices as a way to recapture and share traditional ways of creating beauty from everyday things. She has added ready-to-wear clothing, books, housewares and kits to her line, and shares her techniques around the country in her extremely popular workshops.

In addition to being an amazing and accomplished textiles artist, Natalie is a compelling storyteller and filmmaker, a wonderful cook, and a tireless champion of living a life that is beautiful and delicious as well as ethical and sustainable.

We are thrilled to have her with us for ART:24, when she will conduct one of her famous full-day studio workshops as well as a smaller sampler session. Natalie will also have a trunk show where she will sell her clothing and project kits, and have her book, Alabama Studio Style, available for purchase and signing.

Full-Day Studio Workshop
Spend a day with internationally renowned designer and textile artist Natalie Chanin. During this workshop you will blend heirloom stitching techniques with an ethical, sustainable process to create a beautiful handmade piece. Along the way you’ll share stories and laughter, enjoy tasty Southern fare and make new friends.

The workshop will be held in the VisArts’ fiber studio in a reclaimed dairy in the historic Fan District. The session will include an Alabama Chanin kit, all the materials and tools you’ll need to work on it, and a catered luncheon celebrating Southern foodways. Please plan to stay afterward to enjoy a cake and champagne reception and celebrate your wonderful day.

Date: May 16
Time: 9 AM - 4 PM
Cost: $450

Friday Afternoon Workshop

This afternoon workshop offers a taste of Natalie Chanin’s famous stitching and construction techniques, as well as her commitment to green and sustainable practices. The session will include an Alabama Chanin bandana kit and all the materials and tools you’ll need to work on it. The workshop will be held in the VisArts fiber studio.

Date: May 15
Time: 1 PM - 4 PM
Cost: $75

Note: These sessions are part of the Visual Art Center’s ART:24, which celebrates art in everyday life. Visit the ART:24 page for a schedule of events on May 15-16, and plan your visit so you can join in the fun.

Registration: Please call us at 804/353-0094 to register. Full payment is due with registration. Class size is limited, so please register early. You may ask to be put on a waiting list if the class is full. Read our class policies here.

Hope we see you there!

Show shout out!

2009-04-20T10:38:00.003-04:00

Photo Credit Mark Gormus / Times-Dispatch

We had a very successful Spring Bada Bing!
Thanks to all that came out and made it the best one yet!

Check out this great article at the
Richmond Time Dispatch Website.

Spring Bada-Bing Crafter Interview with April Scott Kids

2009-04-17T14:45:00.003-04:00

April Scott Kids
www.aprilscott.etsy.com

Describe your business and work:
I make simple little girl's dresses out of bright, vibrant fabric. I particularly enjoy mixing weird fabrics which don't necessarily match.

How long have you been a crafter or designer?
I have loved making stuff since I was little. Notable early projects include pom-pom Tribbles (from Star Trek) with plastic googly-eyes, and an embroidered Holly Hobby apron.

How did you get started with your craft?
My mom taught me how to sew when I was growing up.

What are your influences?
Guns and Roses & Styx

Do you have a particular item you want featured?
Rainbow Windowpanes dress because it is my most popular! Description: Child dress available in sizes Newborn through 4T. A-line dress adorned with bright overlapping squares in a rainbow of colors. Simple! Fresh! Modern!

What do you like best about Spring?
The sun and hearing the birds talk

250 reasons why you should come to our show!

2009-04-17T08:28:00.000-04:00

SWAG! Lot's and lot's of swag. We have been busy swiping, I mean, gathering the loot for months now. Some of if might have fallen off the back of a truck, with the Mafiosi you never know for sure. So here is the deal, get there early! Show starts at 11:00 and the swag bags go fast.

Erica, our RCM buzy bee, has some darn fine swag.
I wish I had seen that maybe some would have gotten lost!
Check out Bees Knees Studio for peek at the artful goodness to come.

Memories to You, sent us some great magnets. Love them.
Check out the memory boards in her etsy shop!

Here is the mother load of all swag, Day Dream Silk Screen
sent us a hugh assortment of coolest t shirt, catalogs and coupons!

Happy Hound sent a bunch of great gift tags!
I know I can't wait to wrap something up.

I was so sorry that Miss Cleo Dee was not coming to the show but I was thrilled to get some goodies from her!!! My kids thank you for the dyi squid patch! Missin' the squids already.

Here is some of my Modern June swag,

check your bags for great coupons.

We take our swag seriously! See you at the show.

DIY Wedding Craft Tutorials

2009-04-16T19:00:00.011-04:00

Love is in the air here in the Richmond Craft Mafia, so we'd like to share some easy ways to make your wedding special (and save a little money too!).

Invitations

There are tons of ways to personalize a plain jane store-bought wedding invite kit. Here's what my husband and I did for ours:

Materials:

Printable invitation blanks (there are many various kits available at craft stores and major retailers)

Decorative paper

Stamp & inkpad

Scissors or paper trimmer

Hole punch (they make special-sized ones for scrap-booking brads)

Scrapbooking brads

Instructions:

Follow the printing instructions included with your invite kit. Most kits will come with a template of some sort that you can use with your word-processing software. Make sure to test your invite on plain paper first, as perfect alignment can take a few tries. Leave ample empty space at the top of your invite for the decorative embellishment.

Stamp your image in rows on decorative paper and then cut them out. You can also measure & pre-cut your paper if you wish. If you have access to a paper trimmer, this will go much faster than trimming with scissors and give you a lovely straight line. You can also use an exacto blade and a ruler for a clean sharp edge.

Align your paper cut-out in the top center of your invite and use the hole-punch to puncture both the embellishment and the invite at the same time.

Attach the paper cut-out with scrapbooking brads. (If you buy extra brads, you can easily coordinate your RSVP cards with your invites by putting a brad in the corner of each one.)

Take a look around the craft store and get creative! I bought a new stamp and a jar of paper flower confetti and made all kinds of variations for my TV spot:

Just remember that whatever you design, keep it pretty simple, because you'll have to make one for every guest.

Boutonnieres

If you're feeling moderately crafty, you can also make your own boutonnieres. We made one for everyone in our family wedding party and presented them at our rehears

al dinner, rather than buying everyone a silly engraved thing (that no one really wants anyway). Everybody loved them! we had a fall wedding, so we incorporated acorns and other seasonal items to make each one unique. Since it's spring, I've chosen some springier materials for this demo.

Materials:

Artificial flowers & greenery (look for paper-wrapped w

ire stems rather than plastic)

Floral tape

Ribbon

Corsage pins

Scissors

Wire-cutters

Separate flower and greenery bunches into individual pieces. Leave a few inches of stem to work with.
Start with a large flat leaf or bed of greenery.
Select a focal flower and intertwine its stem w ire with that of the leaf.
Add a few smaller accent flowers or berries by wrapping their stem wires around the main stem.
Double up or cut off any excess so that stem is about 2”-3” long.
Wrap stem in floral tape.
Finish it off with a bow (optional)and a corsage pin.

RCM on WTVR this Friday!

2009-04-16T18:45:00.004-04:00

Tune into Virginia this Morning on WTVR (CBS channel 6) between 9 and 10am this Friday for some fun and easy DIY wedding crafts with little old moi, Bee's Knees Studio.

I will be doing a quick tutorial for easy invites and, if time permits, home-made boutonnieres.

Let's play a fun game: take a sip of coffee every time I stammer or say "um" or "like." I guarantee you will be quite caffeinated at the end of it.

Tweeting Spring Bada-Bing 2009!

2009-04-16T18:21:00.003-04:00

Follow us as we countdown to the big day and tune in for a live feed from the event. Come out and tweet with us from the show on Sunday!

twitter.com/springbadabing

Spring Bada-Bing Crafter Interview with illegible ink

2009-04-16T13:07:00.003-04:00

 illegible ink
www.illegibleink.com

Describe your business and work:
The name behind my work emerged from the fourth grade experience. When learning cursive, my teacher gave me a C+ on my report card, noting that I was “taking liberties with her cursive, making it too creative and therefore, illegible.” Years later that creativity remains thankfully intact and proves that one teacher’s “illegible” liberty-taking is very much a creative gain! I've been printing since 1998, using both traditional and modern printmaking techniques to communicate through beauty and color, delicate lines, quirky patterns and whimsical images. I use a variety of media to create my finished prints and card sets, including handmade papers, water-based printing ink, watercolors and soft pastels.

How long have you been a crafter or designer?
I guess you could say I've been formally printing since Kindergarten. My first framed print was of autumn leaves and it still hangs in the entry way of my parents house! Since then it has been joined by mushrooms, gerber daisies, snapdragons, pansies and a whole zoo of animals. I've joked with my mom she needs to add price tags so when they have get-togethers, she could work on some additional sales. I would give her a commission!

How did you get started with your craft?
For a long time I used to commute 2 hours each day between Baltimore and DC (and yes, that was using public transportation). Too tired to print in the evening and usually recovering from the week on the weekends, I decided to quit the commute, settle down and get involved in my community. So, 15 months ago I started working at Arts Every Day- a local non-profit dedicated to bringing arts education, arts experiences and arts integration to Baltimore City students. With the whittled down commute, our rowhouse dining room became the illegible ink print shop. (You would be amazed at how well a small printing press can quickly turn into a rolling buffet.)

What are your influences?
Inspiration comes from a variety places including vacation photographs, local produce stands, books on library sale racks, and talking with fellow Charm City crafters during happy hour. I have always made prints with someone in mind - whether it be family or friends. A couple weeks ago a co-worker and I were talking about fortune cookies and I turned that idea into a really fun print.

Do you have a particular item featured?
A favorite item would have to be my "Animal Farm" series. George Orwell probably did not intend for a kid-friendly linocut series to be named after his 1945 political satire, Animal Farm, but I couldn’t help being inspired. This retro-infused series is more about carefree, barnyard fun than creating a “Horn and Hoof” nation. Individual linocuts are printed on 5x7" decorative paper and are priced at just $6.00. Each animal looks great in a simple IKEA frame or paired in larger groupings. I can just imagine the conversations my kitchen creation is having while I'm cook dinner!

What do you like best about spring?
Springtime is all about new-ness (ideas, materials and prints.) It means fresh smells, testing recipes, spring cleaning, and more green (in our patio pots as well as my skirts)!

Spring Bada-Bing Crafter Interview with Beth and Kinsey Rice of Tributary

2009-04-16T10:02:00.003-04:00

Beth and Kinsey Rice of Tributary

www.tributary.etsy.com

We do a variety of different goods including clutches, kitchen linens, printed cards, aprons and more. We’re inspired by nature and organic lines. Lately, we’ve been focusing on items for the household ever since we’ve been married. I love the being surrounded by handmade things at home.

How long have you been a crafter or designer? I (Beth) have been doing Tributary for the past three years, but have been sewing for six years.

How did you get started with your craft? My husband (Kinsey) actually taught me to sew better. Before sewing, I used to do a variety of other crafts like knitting, paper crafts, and jewelry.

What are your influences? Nature, vintage printed fabric, ceramics, organic lines and forms, gardens, and vegetables.

Do you have a particular item you want featured? This image is of an embroidered tree scene in a wooden embroidery hoop. I really like the idea of hanging up a little piece of nature inside. The cost is under $20 and is a great way to show off a handmade look.

What do you like best about Spring? Plants in the garden begin to grow and fresh vegetables!

Spring Bada-Bing Crafter Interview with Carly Goss of Carlybird Weaves

2009-04-16T09:55:00.002-04:00

Carly Goss of Carlybird Weaves
www.carlygoss.com

Carlybird Weaves is a one-woman weaving business located in the Historic Woodberry neighborhood of Baltimore. We (okay, I have the most fabulous intern in the world--Rachel--so I have to say "we") hand weave cuffs, scarfs and other fashion and home decor items. My aim is to pay tribute to the long tradition of weaving by giving historic patterns a new life in modern, fashionable society.

How long have you been a crafter or designer? I went to college for fine art and have been artistic since I was a child. I've been weaving since 2001, but I didn't make the switch to full-time artist/crafter until October of 2008. How did you get started with your craft? I started college at MICA in Baltimore thinking I would be a painter, but on my very first visit to the fiber department, before I was even enrolled, I saw the loom loft and new I would spend a lot of time there.

What are your influences? Every weaver who came before me is an influence. Every contemporary is an influence. Music plays such an important role in my life that it's effect on my work cannot be underestimated. I've been singing 200 year old shapenote music since I was a teenager. The ways the harmonies work in these old songs and the way the community of singers exists is not unlike a woven piece of cloth.

Do you have a particular item you want featured? I've attached an image of a Spice and Lemongrass scarflette. This line of scarves is lightweight, simple and elegant, and this particular one is perfect for the transition from winter to spring. You get the little bit of extra warmth you need on a rainy day without the bulk of a full length scarf. Scarflettes are also a great way to dress up a little for all those spring weddings!

What do you like best about Spring? I love to go outside in the morning wearing a sweater and to be able to take if off 20 minutes later because it's so warm. The surprise when I still haven't allowed it to sink in that it's spring is so lovely.

Spring Bada-Bing Crafter Interview with Freshie & Zero

2009-04-15T12:02:00.002-04:00

Freshie & Zero
http://www.freshieandzero.com

Describe your business and work:
Freshie & Zero jewelry is handcrafted in Nashville, TN by “Freshie” Beth Lawrence while her dog, Zero sleeps nearby. Mainly drawing inspiration from geometry, she uses wire and a hammer to create jewelry that is simple yet bold, modern but classic. Each piece is formed from sterling silver or gold-filled wire and hand hammered for a unique texture. Semi-precious gemstones, freshwater pearls, and irregular wire wrapping add a dash of color and delicate edginess.

How long have you been a crafter or designer?
Since I can remember – I started selling my creations when I was about 10 or 11!

How did you get started with your craft?
I have always made jewelry, but I after being so busy with school and my other art endeavors, including drawing, painting, and photography - I had forgotten all about my jewelry making days of childhood. In 2001, I was living in Atlanta and working two jobs, when I got laid off from one of them. The job I still had was working in a craft gallery and I thought the jewelry we were selling (for a lot of money) would be so easy to make, so I went to a bead store and bought some supplies and started making jewelry again for extra cash. My goal was and still is to make jewelry but sell it at an affordable price. I initially started out recycling vintage earrings and pins and adding them to beaded necklaces, but my style has evolved over the years into the simple hammered shapes that I am creating now.

What are your influences?
I love the simple shapes used by designers like Orla Kiely, Angela Adams, and Lotta Jansdotter – I think there is an element of a line drawing in a lot of my work, so I really relate to their aesthetic. Geometric forms are so versatile – for example, I have several different circle-shaped necklaces, but they are all different sizes, or repeat in a different way, so each one appeals to a different person. It’s fun to watch people pick out their favorite!

Do you have a particular item you want featured? I love the Simple Post earrings – they are actually my best selling item! They are long and sexy but since they’re so skinny, they seem small, and they’re light as a feather!

What do you like best about Spring?
Dodging tornados! Just kidding. I just bought my first house with my husband in the fall, and spring has been so fun since we had no idea what our yard would look like. Every day we find a new plant blooming or a new tree sprouting leaves. We have two dogwood trees – who knew? I have never realized how beautiful dogwood blooms are. It’s like seeing spring for the first time.

Spring Bada-Bing Crafter Interview with the DC Craft Mafia

2009-04-14T23:55:00.004-04:00

DC Craft Mafia
dccraftmafia.com

The DC Craft Mafia is a group of diverse crafters looking to bring craftiness to the capital masses. Our current members include Novelty Kitten , Erica Burns Designs , BeadJewelry by Shopgirl , Arty4ever , Ugly Kitty , Pollyscoots , NinnyCat Crochet & Knit A Go Go. We make a variety of crafty wares including handmade jewelry, accessories, housewares & art.

How long have you been a crafter or designer?
Our members range from a few years of professional crafting to many, many years. However, most of our members say that they have been fascinated with creativity ever since they can remember, like back in the day when all they had were popsicle sticks & Elmer's glue!

How did you get started with your craft?
See above...(popsicle sticks & glue, duh)!

Do you have a particular items you want featured?

Pillow Covers-Two gorgeous pillow covers made from Light Blue Bird on Gold with Brick Red Japanese Flowers cotton japanese import fabric. This is a japanese import medium weight home decor cotton fabric.

The silhouette of a super sexy Lambretta and the words "sweet ride" grace the front of this buckle. A print of this digital image is coated with durable resin inside a brass-finish frame. Buckle measures approximately 3" x 2" (7.6 x 5 cm). Fits belts up to 1 3/4" (4.4 cm) This listing is for the buckle only--belt not included.

This boxed set contains one each of the following: .5 oz tin of Dolce de Limone Lip Balm, .5 oz tin of Tangerine Dreamsicle Lip Balm, 1 oz tin of Blithe and Balmy Body Balm, 1 oz tin of Sensual Healing Body Balm, 4 oz bottle of Deep Relaxation Massage/Bath Oil, and 4 oz bottle of Soak On It Bath Salts.

Sexy hat 100% Acrylic Colours: Coffee/Pink

What do you like best about Spring?
Cherry blossoms, baseball (Go Nats), warm weather & the start of craft show season

Spring Bada-Bing Crafter Interview with Jennyjen42

2009-04-14T14:43:00.003-04:00

Jennyjen42 www.jennyjen42.blogspot.com www.jennyjen42.etsy.com

Describe your business and work: Jennyjen42 is a unique line of handmade gifts that are fresh, practical and have a fun sense of spirit and nostalgia to them. Featuring narrative pillows and hand bags inspired by the bird parties that are frequently held around JennyJen’s bird feeder in her back yard in Baltimore. Jennyjen products accessorize wardrobe and home in a fun range of campy to classic at affordable prices.

How long have you been a crafter or designer? I started out as a painter 25 years ago and turned to crafting as jennyjen42 3 years ago.

How did you get started with your craft? I loved sewing since I was in Junior high. I played around with making pillows about 10 years ago and then the felt applique products began 4 years ago.

What are your influences? Charlie Harper is my major influence for my birdy birds! as well as the birdy that have parties in my backyard and the birds I see in the city.

Do you have a particular item you want featured? "Birds on the Wire Pleated Bag" This is one of my newest designs for the spring. I love the pleated bag design by Amy Karol that I added my own birdy designs to the front and some extra pockets on the inside. Everything is stitched on my sewing machine. Machine washable and reversible! I great bag for the spring! This bag also comes in a fresh pink color scheme. All pleated bags are $70.

What do you like best about Spring? The songs of the birds and the fresh colors of the trees and flowers!

Spring Bada-Bing Crafter Interview with Lala's Pequenos

2009-04-14T09:56:00.006-04:00

Lala's Pequenos

www.lalaspequenos.com

Describe your business and work:
I design baby and children items that are handcrafted with comfort and cuteness in mind.

How long have you been a crafter or designer?
It feels like I’ve been designing”since I was in the womb. My mother says that I came out knitting myself a blanket. I wake up needing to create. Whether its pancake sculptures for the kid’s breakfast or an Easter dress for a niece. The urge to make beauty out of the everyday has been passed down from my grandma. Before Lala's Pequenos I owned a floral designed studio for 5 years. Basically, I played with flowers all day!

How did you get started with your craft?
After moving to Costa Rica to manage our rain forest preserve, I had the opportunity to have clothes made for my children at very affordable prices. When we moved back to the US, I realized that I had to learn to sew to be able to continue making clothes for them. This love of sewing blossomed into a little business that has been growing for two years now.

What are your influences?
Good design that is both functional and pleasing to the eye. That can be found everywhere! From architectural design to natural design. I also love looking at cultural influences. The baby noonie I created was inspired by little baby sacs that a native America Hupa Indians carry.

Do you have a particular item you want featured?
One item that I would love to be featured is the organic noonie in Green Swirls. It is made from organic cotton twill on the outside and lined with the softest organic sherpa. The bright green color is so fresh and bold. It’s an item that you’ll want to keep and pass down. As with all of my products, 20% of the profit goes to take care of our 1500 acre rain forest mountain in Costa Rica.

What do you like best about Spring?
Spring is a way for the soul to wake up. As the flowers blossom so do new ideas. It’s an opportunity to renew, refresh, and revive!