THANK YOU BALTIMORE!

A huge THANK YOU to EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU who came out to shop, browse and meander around St. John's Church this Saturday for PILE OF CRAFT! Thanks ALSO to all our great sponsors and friends who helped us spread the word about the show! We could not be more thrilled with all the good press and the outstanding turnout! And of course thank you to all of the amazing vendors who filled the space with their beautiful handmade wares, and sweated along with us for 9+ hours!

We raised just about $300 for Village Learning Place. So that $1 raffle ticket you bought really did pay off! And Congrats to that very lucky lady, Robyn, who's name was drawn as the winner!

And we can't forget Magnolia Photobooth Co. who made the day EXTRA special, capturing hundreds of magical moments in the photo booth!

See some photos from the day on our flickr group! And feel free to add some to the pool if you'd like!

Baltimore, we said it before and we'll say it again....WE LOVE YOU!

Two Words: PHOTO BOOTH.

I'm getting BEYOND stoked for this years Pile of Craft.
We're getting some big help promoting from local papers (Baltimore City Paper, Washington City Paper, Baltimore Sun...) Blog mentions, radio mentions, radio ADS, print ads... I'm looking forward to seeing everyone!

At the last minute, we decided to add on a special treat this year - a FREE, that's right... FREE Photobooth!!!!!
I met the folks of Magnolia Photo Booth Co. at Renegade in Brooklyn a couple weeks ago and couldn't resist trying to talk them into coming out for the Pile. Luckily, it wasn't hard. One of them was going to be nearby in Baltimore anyway, and they hopped on board.
Magnolia's photobooths come equipped with helpful attendant as well as a basket o props to make your photobooth experience all the better. We can't WAIT to see all the photos folks take this weekend!

Meet Pile of Craft Vendor, Holland Cox!

Sewing is my absolute favorite thing to do, so being the designer and owner of Holland Cox is literally my dream job. I use colorful fabric to make handbags and accessories that are whimsical and fun while still being stylish and modern.

Fabric inspires me - bright colors, bold patterns. Current and vintage fashion, interior design, art history, people walking down the street - anything that catches my eye gets filed away for inspiration later. And my favorite place to buy fabric is the local chain G Street Fabrics, but I've found some amazing deals from fabric sellers on Etsy, too!

If I were to have anything for dinner tonight? Hmm... I've been having the strongest craving for chicken pad thai lately.

I'll see you this weekend but my handbags are also available at www.hollandcox.com and my accessories are at http://handmadeclassics.etsy.com.

Meet Pile of Craft Vendor, 2 hawks 2 fishes

2 hawks 2 fishes hand prints tea towels, cards, shirts, bags, and prints, with inspiration coming from music, nature, and of course, Baltimore.

My best bargains for making my work is the wealth of beauty and diversity that makes Baltimore so great.


If I could have anything to eat or drink tonight, I'd be eating red bean soup and drinking tea. (*Diclaimer - 2 hawks 2 fishes did write the answers to these blog questions before it turned over 90 degrees.)

I plan on seeing you at Pile of Craft this Saturday but you can also find my work for purchase online at http://www.etsy.com/shop/2hawks2fishes or at the store Ecosumo in Fells Point.

THANK YOU!

Thanks to all who came out for Baltimore's Etsy Craft Party Meetup & Picnic Friday evening. We had a TON of fun meeting you all, and crafting together. The "Baltimore Hearts Etsy" Banner looked superb, the Flamingos sparkled in the grass, The pom poms & feathers flew, the picnics were eaten and cupcakes devoured.
We hope to see everyone at our NEXT event: PILE OF CRAFT - This Saturday June 26th from 10am-5pm.
JUST ANNOUNCED- We'll be having an extra special PHOTOBOOTH!!!!!!

More vendor profiles coming all week.
Thanks Baltimore for supporting craft.
We're glad you join us in the belief that handmade and local are the way to go!!

ETSY CRAFT PICNIC - TONIGHT!!!!

TONIGHT- June 18th 6:00 PM
Where:
Roosevelt Park, in Hampden 21211
Falls Rd & W 36th St
(Picnic will be located near Poole Street - across the park from Falls road)
Baltimore, MD 21211
Bring a blanket and a picnic, and join us! Members of the Baltimore Etsy Street Team and Charm City Craft Mafia will be in attendance.

Craft Supply Swap - Bring your unwanted, but useful craft supplies & trade for others!
Craft Projects for all! - A banner project, a paper project, painted glass!

Families and friends welcome - kid friendly, too!
All are welcome! See you there!

Meet Pile of Craft Vendor, pidge pidge!

I run pidge pidge out of a cozy third floor apartment in Rochester, NY with my boyfriend and grumpy cat, Pigeon. My sewing machine and I are sandwiched between an old rickety floor loom and a giant stack of fabric in a tiny red room. There you'll find me hand embroidering quirky pet portraits, weaving scarves (including lightweight summer scarves) and listening to archive episodes of This American Life.

For my scarves, I am always inspired by the different color combinations and fashion sense of my customers. I keep a notebook at craft shows to jot down ideas for scarves. In my studio you'll also find countless piles of magazine cutouts, photos and bits of nature I look to at the start of each design. I find inspiration for pet portraits on my walks to work in the morning (so many neighborhood pups walking their owners)!

I love the clearance bins at local yarn shops - odd leftover colors and other fibers that might be less popular for knitting often work great for weaving! I also search yarn lots on ebay and good ol' craft stores.

If I could eat anything tonight, I would probably crave veggie dumplings, pad thai and anything with peanut sauce every single day. It might be a sickness.

You can also find pidgepidge at my etsy shop: www.pidgepidge.etsy.com and other craft shows through the year. I'm based out of Rochester, NY but am slowly expanding my travel circle.

Sign Language at Whole Gallery THURSDAY.

CCCM's own Phu Pham will be taking part in Sign Language - A show opening at the Whole Gallery this Thursday, June 17th from 7 - 9 pm at the Whole Gallery, H&H Building (405 W. Franklin, 3rd Floor). Sign Language was curated by Hannah Brancato and Jessie Unterhalter, and features 40+ artists using signs, banners, and flags.
Awesome!

Meet Pile of Craft Vendor, Hillery Sproatt of Anschtecka & Hillery!

My name is Hillery Sproatt and I am a partner with Annika Blomberg in Anschtecka & Hillery. I make prints, drawings, and embroidered objects. You can visit my website and blog at hilleryrs.com.

I am most excited by spots and specks, details and forgottens, things left on the street and beneath beds. I am a collector of small things and I try to be attentive to the relationships formed by otherwise disparate objects and images. I often make believe that tiny worlds exist in the smallest things and if we look long enough we might get to see something truly special.

For much of my work, I use reclaimed materials, cutting room scraps, and found books. My mom has a clothing company called Rebe. She designs some of my favorite women's clothing and handbags! I often get my best fabric scraps from her. You can check out her newest collection on her website at myrebe.com.

If I could have one thing to eat tonight, it would definitely have to be Thai food. My favorite!

If you're looking to catch up with me after Pile of Craft, I sell much of my work at ReForm School, which is this amazing hub of curated handmade objects in Los Angeles, CA. You can visit their site at http://www.reformschoolrules.com/. You can also shop for my goodies along with Rebe at the Renegade Craft Fair in San Francisco or on my website at http://www.etsy.com/shop/hilleryrebe.

Meet Pile of Craft Vendor, Elisa Shere Jewelry!

My shop name is Elisa Shere Jewelry and I am a silversmith. I work with recycled metals - such as sterling silver, vintage beads and gemstones and most recently I've combined my two loves - ceramics and metals. My jewelry is made entirely from scratch (by me) using raw materials, which means I have a lot of control over the creative process, which I love.

Right now I get a lot of inspiration from the 23 acre farm I am lucky to live on in northern Baltimore County. I take lots of walks with my pups, where I see tons of flowers blooming, pebbles, and rustic/distressed surfaces on barns, and other out-buildings. These inspirations are featured heavily in my work.

In terms of best bargains for making my work or just in general, Etsy can be a great place to find cheap vintage beads, and other creative materials. Also, Goodwill and Craigslist.com are great for everyday stuff. And there's always Ikea :)

If I could have anything to eat or drink tonight, it would be a glass of wine, but I'll have to wait 3 months for that since I'm expecting.

Check out more of my work on my website at: www.elisasherejewelry.etsy.com or locally at Red Tree in Hampden and The Muse in Frederick.

Meet Pile of Craft Vendor, Tasha McKelvey!

Tasha McKelvey
I throw on the potter's wheel or use slabs of clay to hand-build my clay forms - then I add that little something extra.  Right now I am making lots of bird pottery, ginkgo pottery and some slab pieces with a faux bois (woodgrain) texture.  I also have a line handmade ceramic jewelry.

Inspiration comes from Fairy Tales and Story Books from my youth.

The best bargains (whether it is for my work or just in general) always comes from Thrift Shops.

If I could have anything to eat or drink tonight, it would be Framboise - Raspberry Beer from Belgium.

Of course you will see Tasha at Pile of Craft on June 26th from 10am-5pm but if you want to catch up with her again, you can find her online at http://www.tashamck.com/tashamck/Shop.html and http://www.tashamck.com/tashamck/Where_to_Buy.html.

ETSY CRAFT MEETUP in BALTIMORE!!!!!

Are you coming to the Etsy Craft Meetup in Baltimore on Friday!??

When:
Friday, June 18, 2010
6:00 PM
Where:
Roosevelt Park, in Hampden 21211
Falls Rd & W 36th St
(Picnic will be located near Poole Street - across the park from Falls road)
Baltimore, MD 21211
Bring a blanket and a picnic, and join us! Members of the Baltimore Etsy Street Team and Charm City Craft Mafia will be in attendance.

Craft Projects for all!
Families and friends welcome - kid friendly, too!
All are welcome! See you there!

This Weekend- HonFest & The Ultimate Happiness!

Two fairs in walking distance of each other are taking place this weekend, and we have members in both!:

Ultimate Happiness Craft Fair + Concert
June 12
1pm-6pm Craft Fair +paper cut art workshop
2pm on light live music
6pm on concert featuring Caleb Stine + others
At Diverisform
3138 Chesnut Ave., Hampden
(32nd Street & Chestnut Avenue)


HONFEST
June 12 + 13th
11am-9pm
Crafts, Music, Contests, Food and more!
36th Street, Hampden
(between Chestnut Ave & Falls Road)

RAFFLE BASKET to benefit VLP!

Do you know that at BOTH Charles Village Festival AND Pile of Craft, you will have a chance to win this big awesome raffle basket, chock full of hand-made and independently published items from your favorite Charm City Craft Mafia members?
Here's a sneak peak from above at what this basket holds in store!
I spy:
-A sewn fabric flower pin from Bake Sale Designs
-Indie Comic Books from Spaghetti Kiss
-A stuffed beast from Cotton Monster
-A hand sewn recycled cotton children's tee from Sweet Pepita
-A scarf, t-shirt and Calendar from Red Prairie Press
-Stationary from Bowerbox Press
-A sweet ceramic tile from Kiss my Crafts
-A hand pulled print from Illegible Ink
-Hand thrown ceramics from Pink Kiss Pottery...
and much more!

All proceeds go to Village Learning Place in Charles Village.
Come by a ticket for your FIRST chance to win this weekend at Charles Village Fest, and then buy more at Pile Of Craft!!

ETSY CRAFT MEETUP in BALTIMORE!!!!!

Friday, June 18
6pm
Roosevelt Park (falls road & 36th street)
Hampden, Baltimore, MD 21211

Bring your craft supplies, Picnic Basket & blanket and come craft en mass with a crowd of other Baltimore crafters to celebrate the birthday of Etsy.com!

Help us make a big banner to show Baltimore's Crafty Pride!

No experience required. Only enthusiasm!
RSVP HERE
Help us promote the event on FACEBOOK HERE.

The craft meetup that gets the most attendees wins Etsy awards & prizes!!

Charles Village Fest THIS WEEKEND 6/5

It's time once again for the annual CHARLES VILLAGE FESTIVAL! This Saturday(11-9) and Sunday (11-6)
Start the summer right ... enjoy continuous live entertainment on two stages, a variety of local crafters, beer/wine and food vendors. For the kids, enjoy the kids games and face painting. They'll even have a local neighborhood garden walk for those of you who would like to stroll about, taking in the scents and sights of the neighborhood. Admission to the two day event at Wyman Park Dell is free.

Charm City Craft Mafia member Bowerbox Press will be setting up her letterpress papergoods tent and debuting our Pile Of Craft raffle basket featuring donated items from all the CCCM crafty members. Proceeds of raffle tickets will be donated entirely to the Village Learning Place on St. Paul Street in Charles Village, and we will be announcing our winner at the end of Pile Of Craft - June 26th! Tickets are just $1!!!!

More info on Charles Village Fest at:
www.charlesvillagefestival.com