a peek behind Lark Studio...

Cancer is a bitch

The founder of the San Antonio Craft Mafia, Katherine Brown, is fighting glioblastoma otherwise known as stage 4 brain cancer. The San Antonio group has been touched deeply by her illness and are holding a benefit for Kat and her children. Please help in any way you can. Have friends or family in San Antonio? Please tell them about the the event and encourage them to go. Have a blog? Feel free to repost. For more information about Kat and her illness you can read articles in the San Antonio Express News and The Handmade News.

Let the holiday crafting begin!

Okay, first just let me say that I am NOT one of those people who thinks that the holiday season starts on November 1. It amazes me each year just how early holiday decorations and such come out in the retail world. But, with turkey day only a few days away I guess it is officially time to get cracking on handmade holiday gifts and decorations.

Patricia, a graphic designer and owner of A Little Hut has started a great series on handmade gift tags on her blog. I luve the clean lines and simplicity of the wrapping and tags she has featured (all of her work with paper is great - please take time to puruse the rest of her blog and website). So far, all of the tags she's featured can be made with items most folks already have around the house...or buried in their craft supply stash.

Each year I try and choose a theme for gift giving and wrapping. Of course, handmade gifts are the theme this year and with inspiration from Patricia's clever tags, it will be the theme of wrapping as well.

(All photos used with permission of A Little Hut)

Promoting crafts here in Richmond

I'm a city snob. Richmond, like any other city here in the US, is usually defined by its suburbs. More of the things you need are usually outside the city limits than inside. "The greater Richmond area", while I know is a valid term, is a term nonetheless that irritates me. It gives an false since of what or where Richmond begins or ends.  Without fail, when I tell people I live in "south side", they want to know where in Chesterfield I live. I don't. I live in the City of Richmond proper and I love it. I try my best not to trek out to the burbs unless it is absolutely necessary. I take the bus. I walk to the grocery store. I know who my city council reps are and what and where the districts are that they represent.

I say all this to show that I like my hometown and I'm all about promoting what there is to do within the city limits. A few weeks ago I came across a neat feature on Google's website - creating your own Google map. I decided to take a stab at it and create a map reflecting Richmond's crafty side. (Click on View Larger Map below to see it in all its glory)

View Larger Map

The map will be posted in the sidebar of this blog as well as on the RCM website. It is a work in progress, so if you feel something else should be on the map, email me and I will add it.

One place where I let the snobbery slide is my work with the Richmond Craft Mafia.  A good portion of our members are suburbanites and I try not to hold that against them!  Part of RCM's mission is to support crafts in general in Richmond and to help create a sustainable marketplace for independent artists/crafters.  To help with this, I am updating the links page on the RCM site to help promote area crafters.  At RCM, we get plenty requests from people looking for unique items here in Richmond and wanting to buy local!  If you sell art or craft here in the area (yea, including you suburbanites), and you want a link on the RCM website, please provide your info here in the comments (name, business name, web address) or email me.  I'll get them up as soon as I can.  I do ask that you link back to the RCM website and/or blog in return.

The Mafia rules

Here's the latest Richmond Craft Mafia group photo courtesy of Jay Paul for Brick Weekly magazine. Brick is running a story on our upcoming event - Spring Bada-bing.

Spring Bada-bing: The BOSS of all craft shows is this Sunday April 22nd from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm at the lovely Marquee here in Richmond. This years show will be bigger and better...with over 60 independent designers and DIY crafters from across the country. Admission and parking are free! We will have free swag bags for the first 200 customers.

Come get your shop on this Sunday and help us rub out the mass produced!

Oh Godfather...

My husband and I had recently decided that in 2007 we would make it a point to see, in concert, all of the living R&B/Soul/Funk legends. Our list contains such greats as Al Greene and Chuck Berry...with the Godfather of Soul, Mr. James Brown, holding the number one spot.

As you know, I make things out of record album covers. About 3 months ago, I made a notebook from one of JB's early records. I was holding on to it so I could take it with me to get autographed when we saw him next year...

For those who love music, any type of music, James Brown will FOREVER be remembered. His influence has left an indelible mark on all types of music, and as long as there are artist who are true to their craft, James Brown will live on.

Rest in peace my brother.

The end of one thing, the beginning of another

Ahhh... the end of the 2006 selling season. I was at the last crafts selling event this weekend for Lark Studio, Christmas on MacArthur. MacArthur Avenue is the cutest block of local, "mom and pop" shops smack dab in the middle of one of Northside Richmond's nicest neighborhoods. This 1 block has just about everything you need - a bakery, a coffee shop, yoga studio, book store, a bar, pet store, restaurant, convenience store and of course a Mason Hall.

I got to hang out with my friend Kirsten, owner of Baa Baa Yarn, and my booth buddy for the event was fellow mafioso Nicole of Soleil Rouge. The weather was cold, the coffee and warm apple cider warm. There was a steady crowd all day, and folks were in a festive shopping mood.

With a craft business, and especially during the show season, I walk the fine line between producing items to sell and truly just being creative. I'm not saying that there is no creativity in what I produce for sale, but it is production (making 2+ of the same item). Now that the shop is basically stocked until spring, I can let go of the "production" mentality. I plan to will learn how to use my new serger and sewing machine and will do more with my Embellisher. My blog posts will be more frequent and I'll share all the creativity I find!

Mafia Monday: Beth Allums

Beth is the force behind The Monkey and Me and makes funky, unique wares for your little monkey (for those who don't speak MOM, monkey=child)! She is a mother, artist, teacher, fellow Richmond Craft Mafia member and all around cool crafty chic.

Beth is the featured artist on the WAHM Spotlight blog this week. Head over and check out the interview.

Embellisher Queen - Fiberella

On Friday I had the pleasure of taking a class from Fiberella - aka Paula Scaffidi. The class/workshop was hosted by my local sewing machine store and featured Paula showing about 20 avid sewers how to let our creativity flow using the Babylock Embellisher.

I purchased my Embellisher last fall, and have yet to use it. I took it out of the box and plugged it in - but that has been about it. Needless to say, I was stoked to have an Embellisher to play with all day under the tutelage of Paula.

The Embellisher is a needle felting machine. It has seven barbed needles and uses no thread. The needles force fibers to fuse (if they are willing!) I dig that concept because in essence you can create your own fabric. Needle felting machines are just gaining in popularity in the US, so there aren't many "experts" on the techniques one can use on the machine. Paula, however, is one of the experts. We learned several different techniques while we created textile sketchbook pages.

My first ever needle felting attempt was a random direct application of some varigated mohair wool onto some silk noile. Once it was down, it began to look like a school of fish. So with some not-so-good free motion stiching on a regular sewing machine, I decided to make them fish. It's a sketchbook page in progress...

Another technique we learned was how to create a very stable felt that could be used for dimensional applications. The flower petals are a felt I created using layers of rose and camel colored roving onto a water soluable stabilizer. The stem is silk needle felted to the page. Again, the not-so-good free motion stitching around the flower.

Speaking of not-so-good free motion stitching, in my 15+ years of sewing, I've never dropped my feed dogs. Go figure. So, in the upper corner, you will see my absolutely first attempt at free motion. The nice swirls were after some coaching and practice.

If you are textile junkie, you should seriously consider checking out the Embellisher. No matter what your poison, some needle felting can only open up more creative possiblities for your art.

Mafia Monday: Leah Kramer

I'm a big fan of social circles.  I think they are very important, no matter what the "social" part is...books, wine, crafting, gaming, you name it.  Recent research has also shown that large social circles can lower your risk for certain diseases.

One of my circles is the Craft Mafia.  The "familia" consists of some of the craftiest folks around the US and Canada.  If you are anything like me, you need a source of inspiration to keep you going creatively.  These folks do that for me.  My plan is to bring you snippets of their crafty goodness each Monday.  First up - Leah Kramer, Boston Craft Mafia.

If you are crafty at all, I'm sure you know Leah.  No?  Can't recall the name?  Well, what about Craftster.org?  Yep, I thought so.  Leah Kramer is the founder of the online craft community known as Craftster.  Craftster started in August of 2003 and has grown to include over 72,000 (yes, that's 3 zeros) members.  Craftster was my first exposure to the online crafting community.  I stumbled upon it back in 2004 right after I started my business.  I have met many local crafters through the site...some of which help me form the Richmond Craft Mafia.  Craftster is a friendly, supportive online community where people share their crafts.  There are tons of projects, ideas, and general craft community information to be found on the site.  It is not unheard of for people to be "lost" in Craftster for hours on end...there's just THAT much stuff out there!

Leah was a computer programmer at the time she started Craftster.  But, don't be fooled...she's a self-proclaimed craft junkie as well.  In addition to running Craftster, Leah organizes the "not your granny's craft fair" - Bazarre Bizarre in Boston, Massachusettes.  She also is co-owner of Magpie, a retail shop in Somerville, Mass that sells wares from local artists, crafters and indie designers. And if that's not enough, Leah Kramer just released her first book. The Craftster Guide to Nifty, Thrifty, and Kitschy Crafts: Fifty Fabulous Projects from the Fifties and Sixties is a hip collection of easy-to-make, fun-to-wear, and stylish-to-display crafts from a bygone era.

Leah Kramer is a source of inspiration for me. She has proved that a little, crafty idea can turn into something big.