A plea, from me.

Hey there, campers! Heather from HVM Designs here. I kind of wish I was camping right now.

Look what I did to my full length mirror today!

It's a pretty break, isn't it? You're wondering how I made it break that way, right? Well.

I have this really elaborate way of photographing my work for my etsy listings. I basically take self portraits, using the mirror behind the camera, so that I can see the preview screen of my camera while attempting to set up the shot. I feel pretty strongly about having human models, rather than static displays, because things get more hits in my shop when there's a someone modeling them.

The full-length mirror/tripod/self-portrait method is fine when I'm photographing necklaces or earrings, but it gets a lot more complicated when the items are rings and bracelets. I need two hands free to make this whole crazy scheme successful. So, in trying to get a shot like this:

I broke the mirror.

Here's my plea: if you are local, and have nice (and that definition is broad- you don't have to have long, perfectly manicured nails or anything- check out my hand, above) hands, and are available during the day, I need a model. I need this person really soon, and possibly, if it works out well, once a month or so on an ongoing basis. I can pay in my work, baked goods, or any other barter type dealie (that's legal).



You can email me at hvmdesigns AT gmail DOT com if you're interested! Thanks!

Quit Your Day Job: NewDuds

CHECK THIS OUT.
An inspiring article on the Etsy Blogs about a team called "New Duds" in Winooski, VT.

To-Do this weekend!

Saturday, June 27th 8pm
Caleb Stine - CD RELEASE
8x10 Club
10 E Cross St
Baltimore, MD 21230-4004
Charm City's most humble and amiable musician is putting out a new album. Caleb Stine says this new album (‘Eyes So Strong And Clean’) is more about rock than some of his previous (more folk/country-inspired) work.
Although we love us some folksy oldschool Caleb Stine... we also love how he branches out all over the place and does everything well, and with admirable enthusiasm. We pretty much salute everything he does.
So, if the man says he wants to play rock n roll, we're all ears.
Performing also: The Mad Sweet Pangs, Honey Island Swamp Band and FRITT


Sunday, June 28th 1-3pm
School 33
1427 Light Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21230
P: 410.396.4641 F: 410.625.2634
Artists-in-Residence Open Studios
Current Studio Artists include: Anne Chan, Rosetta DeBerdardinis, Amanda Engles, Matthew Freel, Aaron Yamada-Hanff, Seon Kim, Kathleen MacKinnon, James Murphy, and Bill Tamburrino
Check out the studios of School 33's resident artists this Sunday, and visit the facility while you're at it! We hear they've been hard at work building a printmaking studio!!
In conjunction with the Federal Hill Jazz Festival

Thank you!

Thanks to everyone who braved the morning storms and crazy road blocks to come out to Pile of Craft! We hope you enjoyed the show; we were thrilled with the turnout and honored to share the space with so many of our talented local crafty colleagues. Thanks again, Charm City!

Pile Of Craft is - THIS SATURDAY! - June 20th

See you tomorrow at Pile of Craft!!!!!
10am-5pm
2640 St. Paul St. Baltimore, MD 21218
40 Baltimore crafters.
Art. Snacks. Coffee. Music.
The chance to buy local, and handmade.

Hello Craft is a group "dedicated to the advancement of independent crafters and the handmade movement, as well as empowering small business owners and educating the public to the benefits of buying handmade and teaching the joys of making. Hello Craft aims to bring together crafters and makers to learn and grow as a community." Sounds like our kinda people!
After an enormously successful event they organized, called "Summit Of Awesome" this spring, We are thrilled to say that the ladies of Hello Craft are appearing again at Pile Of Craft to interview shoppers (on a voluntary basis, of course) on their favorite purchases from the fair, and hand out information on their future events. We are avid readers of their blog, and followers of their podcast. Check it all out HERE: www.hellocraft.com

Imogene and Annie at Pile Of Craft!

There is a heaping handful of good jewelers working here in Baltimore. I'm hardly a jewelry connoisseur, but I'm smitten with many of them anyway. I am absolutely biased in choosing Annie Chau of Imogene as one of my top favorites. She made special wedding necklaces for all of my bridesmaids last year (see the more bird-shaped of the 2 necklaces above), and has been a great person to talk shop with over the years. Annie's new line of more geometric gem-spotted jewelry is beautiful and has been featured on the Modish & Oh Joy blogs this season. Come check it out, along with some one-of-a-kind pieces from Annie - in person at Pile of Craft on Saturday!!! We're super happy to have Annie as a vendor!

Youthlight Shines

My husband introduced me to freelance photographer Marshall Clarke years ago at MAP's annual fundraiser Out of Order. His kindness was striking and sincere. My husband, a college professor, had recently sent his students to help Marshall with the Youthlight Photography Project

The Youthlight Photography Project is a comprehensive thirty-five week after school photography and media literacy program targeting youth ages 11-18 and is based in the Baltimore City communities of Hampden and Southwest Baltimore. Youthlight delivers a comprehensive, creative, youth-centered after school program to address the artistic, emotional, and cognitive development of middle and high school participants. Youthlight achieves these goals by providing students with a safe space to create, positive adult role models, empowering activities, leadership development, and alternatives to violence and high risk behavior.

Girl with Space Candrea, age 15

At the time, I was tutoring kids after school at the Hampden Family center. It was no surprise, then, to run into Marshall one evening there at the center. My students, suddenly renewed with energy at the sight of him, alerted me to his presence shouting, "Hi, Mr. Marshall!"


Youthlight student taking photo

The Youthlight Photography Project empowers middle and high school age youth to document their lives, explore their creativity, build leadership skills, and encourages them to engage as activists in their neighborhoods through the creation of photographic images and community media.

You see, Youthlight provides these kids with much more than an education. It gives them something to create, something that they have artistic control over, something to be proud of.

The Charm City Craft Mafia is so proud to be sponsoring Youthlight Project at this year's Pile of Craft! Come meet and talk with Marshall and his students about the work they're doing. The students, of course, will be exhibiting and selling prints. And be sure to purchase a raffle ticket for a chance to win a basket of way crafty goodness from Mafia members and the Baltimore Etsy Street Team. All money raised will be donated to Youthlight.

We cannot wait to see Marshall's students shine.

Pile of Craft is this Saturday at St. John's Church in Charles Village from 10am to 5pm.

Your chance to WIN!

At Pile of Craft this year, we will be auctioning off two baskets full of awesome craft goodness! The tickets are only $1 each and all proceeds benefit Youthlight, an after-school program that provides middle and high school youth in Baltimore with access to quality, in-depth photography instruction, media literacy education, and leadership training. (Students from Youthlight will be at Pile of Craft as well to talk about their program and sell their prints so be sure to stop by their table!)

Some of the goodies in our raffle baskets include...
Handmade pins and barrettes from HVM Designs
T-shirt from Sweet Pepita
Felt brooch and earrings from littlest bean
Eyeglass case from JennyJen
Rodeo girl print from 2hawks2fishes
Screenprinted ties from Spaghetti kiss
Helping hands from Pink Kiss Pottery
Little Monster from Cotton Monster
and more exciting items from Bowerbox Press, Carlybird Weaves, illegible ink, Kiss My Crafts, Phampershand Press and Red Prairie Press!

Bright Colors at Pile Of Craft

Green Star Studio


The Littlest Bean

One thing I love about craft fairs is the bright colors you are surrounded with from all the different booths. I'm always looking forward to seeing work from The Littlest Bean and Greenstar Studio for that reason. Lucky for me - BOTH will be at Pile Of Craft this Saturday- June 20th! 2640 St. Paul St., Baltimore, MD 21218. 11-5pm.
Wanna see the whole list of vendors?
CLICK HERE

Sounds of the Mafia

The Charm City Craft Mafia will be featured this week on WYPR's The Signal! The program airs today at noon and 7 PM.

Weekend Roundup

ART
Friday:
Midnight Movie Series @ The Charles, this week featuring The Serpent and the Rainbow, directed by Wes Craven

Towson Arts Collective 2nd Anniversary Exhibition
Juried by Doreen Bolger, Director of the BMA
Reception from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
From June 12-July 25, 2009
Towson Arts Collective
406 York Rd / Lower Level
Towson, MD

Saturday:
Rectified, Closing reception at Gallery 4
7 - 10 PM
Featuring work by Julianna Dail, Gary Kachadourian, Ron Longsdorf, Jackie Milad
H&H Gallery, 4th Floor
405 W. Franklin St. 4th
http://www.galleryfour.net/exhibitions.html

Sunday:

Hoffberger School's Female Painters, classes of '09 and '10 at the Sub-Basement Artist Studios
Featuring work by Amita Bhatt, Eo Ryoung Choi, Nina Glaser, Sarah Jacobs, Hwa Hyung Kim, Kim Manfredi, Katherine Mann, Michel Modell, Jennifer Mullins, Katherine Rohrbacher and Ye Gin Song.
Opening reception on Sunday at 2:30 pm
118 N. Howard Street

MUSIC
Friday:
Controlled Storms, Red Sammy, THE CARIBBEAN, The Expanding Man @ the Hexagon, 9 PM

The Agrarians, AK- Slaughter, Krestovsky, & Dr. Tuborg @ Joe Squared, 10 PM

The Bellevederes, Satabdi Express, the Higher Hands @ the Windup Space, 9 PM

Saturday:
avocado happy hour, lands and people, happy family, ineveryroom @ The Hexagon, 4 PM (Matinee show--BYO Grill goodies!)

The Stalking Horses, the Sobriquets and the Milagro Saints @ Joe Squared, 10 PM

The Degenerettes CD Release w/Pariah Piranha, Baby Aspirin @ The Windup, 9 PM

HYBRID ACTIVITIES
Friday:
No Scrubs, 90's Night @ The Ottobar, 9 PM

Saturday:

The Genius Party via Publishing Genius Press @ The Load of Fun Theatre (LoF/T), 8 PM
$3 admission//free admission with correct answer to trivia questions
Featuring:
Readings by Shane Jones, Jen Michalski, Justin Sirois; dance tunes by Stephanie Barber; a performance by Ric Royer; exquisite corpse, Jeopardy, and other genius-like activities.

TaxLo-Sonar Summer Party @ Sonar, 8 PM
With noise, dance, electronics, and feedback from: Dan Deacon, Black Dice, Thieves Like Us, Dat Politics, Martyn, Scottie B, and Awesome Color.

Ben Piwowar at Idle Hour Tonight

New (small) Paintings by Ben Piwowar
The Idle Hour
201 E. Fort Ave
TONIGHT - June 11, 2009
8pm to midnight

Hey Covergirl!

... or guy. Check out Sleeveface. So cool. And perfect for the vinyl junkie photographer in your life.

Some of my favorites...


Nancy And Lee


The Turning Point

PILE OF CRAFT 2009 IS COMING!

Get ready, Baltimore! PILE OF CRAFT 2009 Is coming to Baltimore in just TWO WEEKS. Can you even stand the wait!???

Saturday, June 20th
11-5pm
St. John's Church (2640 St. Paul St., Baltimore, MD 21218)
FREE and open to the public

Shop handmade and have fun at this year’s Pile of Craft, a DIY art and craft show. There will be over 50 amazing, local, crafty vendors showing off their astounding apparel, jewelry, accessories, ceramics, paper goods, fine art and so much more!
Drinks and snacks will be available from Red Emma’s Coffee Shop.
Visit the Pile Of Craft page HERE for more info and to check out the vendor list!

To Do this Weekend!

THURSDAY, JUNE 4
Marching for Digits: Drawings by Nicole Shiflet
John Fonda Gallery at Theatre Project
Thursday, June 4, 2009 at 6:30pm
45 West Preston St.
City/Town:
Baltimore, MD

FRIDAY JUNE 5 6-10pm
Built in Baltimore at Shine Collective

Local designers with all new stuff! Charm City Surf Co. tees by John Marsh, Polycraftic Jewelry by Christy Zuccarini, KalaiKai jewelry by Karen Garalde, Veri Hedi Jewelry by Hadieh Shafie, Vintage by Alana Madill, Umlaut Bags by Michelle Li . Valentina Black jewelry. Vintage inspired jewelry by Leslie Kamali. All new Shine tees & more!



SATURDAY & SUNDAY JUNE 6 & 7
The Charles Village Festival!
festival hours
Sat, June 6: 11am - 9pm
Sun, June 7: 11am - 6pm
garden walk
Sun, June 7: 11am - 4pm
music
Both days, all day!
kids games
Sat, June 6: 11am - 4pm
Sun, June 7: 11am - 4pm
Gale Force by Erin Fostel
SATURDAY JUNE 6
EVERYBODY DRAWS: Invitational Group Exhibit
June 6 - August 1, 2009
A summer show featuring the work of 25 artists.
Opening Reception Saturday, June 6, 5-9pm

Fleckenstein Gallery & Archival Framing
3316 Keswick Road • Baltimore, MD 21211
Phone: (410) 366-3669 Fax: (410) 366-3316
info@fleckensteingallery.com

SATURDAY JUNE 6
Rufestival at the Metro Gallery
"Metro Gallery is hosting an outdoor festival June 6th, 2009. We will be celebrating our 2 year anniversary. The event will be hosted 2 doors down from the gallery in an outdoor lot (1704 North Charles Street). A portion of the proceeds will be going to the Franky Fund . In a short 2 years the Metro Gallery of Baltimore has opened its doors to over 100 visual artists and over 500 musicians. As one of the first multi-use art-spaces in Baltimore it has gained both local and national attention. Innovative musical line-ups coupled with unique contemporary art installations has made Metro Gallery a destination spot in Baltimore."

If'n Books Demo

Heather's post below reminded me of this way-cute video I found a while ago, of a Buttonhole Binding demo/dance party. Great fun, check it out!

Yes, I do realize...

...that I am terribly biased to this particular genre of craft, but even if you've never considered hooking, check out this video- it is incredible.  Who knew crochet could be such a full contact sport? 

Via whipup.