THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!!!

A whole lot of heartfelt Thank Yous coming at ya.....

THANK YOU to all our vendors for trucking your amazing wares from up and down the east coast to the beautiful old church in Charles Village and spending your day with us! Your beautiful set-ups, high-quality creations, and smiling faces make all the hard work worthwhile!

THANK YOU to ALL our awesome SPONSORS: Ma Petite Shoe, Hamilton Tavern, Chop Shop, Carma's Cafe, Alpha Graphics, Double Dutch, Trohv, Charm City Cakes, Breathe Books, The Laughing Pint, Artist & Craftsman Supply, Washington City Paper, Hello Craft & Crafty Bastards!!  You made the show WAY more awesome with all your support!

THANK YOU to everyone who generously donated to our raffle basket, both vendors and sponsors, AND to everyone who purchased a raffle ticket! Together we raised about $300 to benefit Great Kids Farm! And congrats to our very lucky winner, Sue Bornemann, who was overjoyed when she found out she had won not one, but ALL the items in the basket!

THANK YOU to Kinderhook, our adorable roving snack vendors for providing delicious snacks to all our vendors and to the Gypsy Queen food truck and Hula Honeys for feeding the masses outside the show!

THANK YOU to Red Emma's for keeping 2640/St. John's Church a great venue for events and shows in Baltimore!

and finally,

THANK YOU BALTIMORE for continually coming out to shop and bringing your hard earned dough to help support all things handmade at Charm City Craft Mafia's shows!! We most definitely could not have done it without you!

A BIG THANK YOU to one of our sponsors...Hamilton Tavern

Hamilton Tavern

5517 Harford Road, Baltimore, MD

Located right on the main strip of the up and coming Hamilton Neighborhood off Harford Road, the Hamilton Tavern makes for the perfect neighborhood bar. Decked out in a rustic farm decor you can choose to sit indoors with the intimate yet casual crowd, at the bar with the bustle of the bartenders and chatter of the locals or outside during the warmer months soaking up the summer air and sipping a cold beverage.

 Start your meal with a pint or two from their delicious tap selection or request a cocktail from their fully stocked bar. Happy hour is from 4:30-6:30 daily but don't stop in on a Tuesday, sadly they will be closed!

Chef Sarah Dudeck made the Tavern famous for the "Crosstown Burger", it's a must have for anyone who hasn't been to the Tavern yet but be sure to order it with sticky sweet bacon and a farm fresh egg! You won't be disappointed. Stop in on a Monday for "Burger Night" and get your burger, fries and a pint for just $14!

Don't go into a burger rut though, you will miss out on all their other tasty treats, like the pork schnitzel sandwich above! The Tavern menu is always changing depending on what's seasonal, fresh and locally available. During the summer they even incorporate produce from their own roof top garden! Yum.

Friendly staff, a bustling atmosphere, delicious food and great drinks are all wrapped into this corner tavern on Harford Road. If you haven't stopped in yet I highly suggest you take a night, make a date and go!


The Charm City Craft Mafia thanks you Hamilton Tavern for your support of Pile of Craft!  

Vendor Spotlight: Planted

List your shop name and give a brief description of your work and process. 

Shop name: Planted

We craft terrariums and other types of planted goodness. Zach starts by screening and washing various types of stones, gravels, and chipped terra cotta. He selects a vessel--usually vintage glassware--and thoughtfully layers the soils to create stripes of color. From his eccentric collection of over 50 of succulent varieties, Zach plants and arranges a miniature landscape within the vessel.

What type of music do you listen to when you're hard at work?

Andrew Bird is currently on heavy rotation on our studio playlists.

What is your favorite summer ritual?

Our favorite summer rituals are crabbing on the Severn River and homemade popsicles of fresh, in-season fruits from the Waverly Farmer's Market. 

A BIG THANK YOU to one of our sponsors...

Ma Petite Shoe is a one-of-a-kind, independent boutique located at 832 W. 36th Street in Hampden that specializes in the world's most fabulous shoes & artisan chocolates from around the globe!  Owner Susannah Siger has an impeccable sense of taste & style. 

You'll find a charming atmosphere and friendly customer service as you shop for not only shoes & chocolate but also fun socks & baby shoes for the wee ones!

  

My favorite are the mustache ones!

A perfect baby shower gift!

Perhaps Dad would like some chocolate for Father's Day...

This BACON BAR would be a great gift for my dear ol' Dad! 

Check out the Chocopologie bars with yummy flavors like fresh mint, mocha coffee, caramel & hawaiian sea salt!

Ma Petite Shoe now has private label earrings that I LOVED!  I had to buy these for myself while I was there today.  They were a steal...made in the USA, wood/laser-cut for only $14.99!

The Charm City Craft Mafia thanks you Ma Petite Shoe for your support of Pile of Craft!  

A BIG THANK YOU to one of our sponsors....

Located on the mainstreet of Lauraville at 4321 Harford Road, Chop Shop is a friendly and funky salon that can satisfy all of your beauty needs- hair, skin, and body! 

Recently selected by Baltimore magazine as 'Best of Baltimore' 2011, Chop Shop goes way beyond your average beauty parlor. In addition to their great hair cuts, coloring, and waxing Chop Shop also offers a variety of awesome events including Stitch and Bitch Sundays, and houses a 20-seat movie theater (available to rent!). Described by Baltimore Magazine as 'kitschy-cool' Chop Shop will get you looking fabulous while having a great time!  Take it from me, this is where I proudly get my hair cut by Lisa!  It's always a fantastic cut and I leave feeling like a superstar!

 

Gift cards make wonderful birthday presents, and Men's haircuts are just $16 in case you want to treat Dad for Father's Day!

The Chop Shop also utilizes part of their space as a gallery, so be sure to check out all of the wonderful local art on display while you're there!

                    Lisa Hawkes, Owner

Call 410.426.2300 to to set up an appointment with Lisa, Shannon, Nicole,

Arika, or Bill the barber.

Thank you, Chop Shop for your continued support of the Charm City Craft Mafia!!

POC's Raffle Basket to benefit Great Kids Farms!

Pile of Craft is just a few days away!!!  One of our favorite parts of hosting these awesome craft shows is helping raise funds for local non-profits. We are pleased as punch to announce that this year’s good cause is Great Kids Farms!   “Great Kids Farm provides opportunities for Baltimore City Public School students to understand and participate in every aspect of food preparation - from seed to fork - and prepares them to lead 21st century sustainability efforts.”

Raffle tickets to benefit Great Kids Farm 
cost only $1 each 

and can be purchased at our Craft Mafia Info Table, which will be located outside St. John’s Church this Saturday! Look for a pop-up tent with balloons! Please help us support this great cause AND buy yourself a chance (or two or TEN chances!) to win an AMAZING assortment of handmade goods donated by CCCM members as well as many of our talented Vendors AND our fabulous sponsors! ALL this and MORE could be YOURS!

Here is JUST A SAMPLING of a few of the items you’ll find in this show’s Raffle Basket:

*$100 value gift certificate good for one 45 minute session with Susan Wis-Bohlen Chopra Center Certified Ayurvedic Consultant & 6 paperback books from Breathe Books

* $20 gift card for Artist and Craftsman Supply

* A fat quarter of Rachel Beckman’s Stilts and Giraffes fabric

*Mini Bar soap sampler from Biggs and Featherbelle

*Handmade Eyeglass Case from Jennyjen42 

*Hand Screen Printed Guitar Tea Towel from Tiny Peepers

*One-of-a-kind, handcrafted dandelion tuft necklace from Yummy & Company 

* Two Prints from Found Studios

* T-shirt and a print from Red Prairie Press

*A handmade stuffed monster from Cotton Monster

*AND SOOOOOOOO MUCH MORE!!!!! You'll have to come and check it out in person!!

The winner's name will be drawn at random after 5pm when Pile of Craft is over and will be called to come pick up the raffle basket!! GOOD LUCK to everyone and THANK YOU to all who donated! See you Saturday!! 

Vendor Spotlight: Transient Bag Co.

List your shop name and give a brief description of your work and process.

Transient Bag Co. formed as a company, in the spring of 2008, with one goal in mind. Producing quality products at fair and affordable prices 

All products are constructed 100% in house, using top quality materials. The company goal is to provide you with the highest quality products, while proving that hand made products can be just as good (if not better) as what you would receive from one of the larger faceless companies out there. Transient Bag Co. strives to do all of this while still matching, aesthetics, durability, AND price. 

Transient Bag Co began as (and remains) a small company, making hip pouches for friends. Over the past four years Transient grew into a company producing and providing a full line of products to customers all over the world. At it's peak, Transient supplied over 40 dealers worldwide. As of late the company has scaled back to 3 dealers and a webstore. Now producing smaller batches of bags in lower quantities, allowing for a wide range of custom products! This company was started solely by myself (Alex), but over the years I have received a LOT of help from friends, and a few employees. From cutting fabric, to production & helping piece together orders. Currently I am back to a one-man show, and working out of my home workshop. SO yes, when I say products are produced "In-House" I mean it! 

This company started small, and from scratch. I chose not to hit ground running with big courier bags, and then throw in some smaller products later as an after thought. Everything Transient produces has been thought through and planned, specifically with you in mind. 

Transient Bag Co. doesn't outsource, and we never will. Your love of Transient products, and support, keeps this company afloat. NOT budgeting for ads on MySpace. NOT by having someone the products for pennies on the dollar, and turning THEIR hard work, into a way to make a quick buck. Hard work, applied to something that I love, and the appreciation, and support, of and for the cycling community, will allow for than enough to survive. If it can't be constructed in-house, it won't me made.


What type of music do you listen to when you're hard at work? 
I listen to a little bit of everything when I work. It really depends on the day, sometimes I think my neighbors must think I'm crazy going off the range of things they hear coming out of my workshop. From NPR related podcasts to, Sludge Metal, Pop-punk, Hip-hop, Bluegrass and/or Jazz amongst others haha. 


What is your favorite summer ritual? 
When I'm not buried in work? Spending time with friends, working and tinkering on bikes & mopeds. Impromptu rides to go swimming on those unbearably hot Baltimore summer days. Nights with friends @ Benji's Drive-in!

Where else can we find your work (online or stores). 
Transient Bag Co Products can be found Locally at Baltimore Bicycle works, in Dallas TX @ Transit Bicycle Co, and Last but not least in Los Angeles @ Orange20 Bikes. Not to mention the assortment of products offered in the web-store to cater to everyone else around the globe!

Vendor Spotlight: Yummy & Company

List your shop name and give a brief description of your work and process.
Yummy & Company;  I create one of a kind and limited edition handmade jewelry.  My designs are inspired by lots of things... cyanotypes, textiles, the outdoors,  and architecture to name a few.  A lot of my time is spent sketching and dreaming up ideas for motifs.  Ironically, though, when I get into the studio, I try to begin each piece organically and without a predetermined idea of what the outcome will be.   I've found this to be the best way for me to work!

What type of music do you listen to when you're hard at work? 
Music is a big part of my work.  I love how in an instant it can change the emotional landscape and trajectory of my work.  Right now I'm a little smitten with Willam Fitzsimmons, his work is dreamy, full of melancholy and he has a kick ass beard!  I listen to Tosca when I want to get lost in my work,  and Rodrigo & Gabriella is great when I want to just be overwhelmed by guitar awesomeness!

What is your favorite summer ritual?
I love summer and the arrival of fresh tomatoes and spinach.  I start my garden each year with the anticipation of a yummy harvest!  I also look forward to the first Margherita of the season!   Celebrating any sort of occasion and getting together with family and friends is my idea of fun! 

Describe your studio. What makes it a creative space?
My studio is in the house,  meaning I don't confine it all to one room and if it's nice out, I will set up shop on the front porch. (My hubby is a saint for putting up with this!)   I work odd hours, so it is nice to be able to just start working whenever, and wherever, rather than having to make a special trip to the studio.    When necessary though, I will invade my husband's shop- he's got every tool you could ever want to play with!   

Do you have anything new that shoppers can look forward to?
I've started to mix my clay work with vintage pieces- the end results are always a fun surprise!

Where else can we find your work (online or stores). 
The best place to find my work is at shows like Pile of Craft! Here's a link to all my upcoming shows.  I also have work at .925 the Silver Store in Fells Point, Art & Artisan in Ellicott CIty and Paradiso in Hampden, and you can always find my stuff on ETSY

Vendor Spotlight: DA Metals Jewelry

List your shop name and give a brief description of your work and process.
My name is Devienna Anggraini and I am the creative force behind DA Metals Jewelry. My jewelry is made out of 22k gold vermeil, sterling silver and baked industrial enamel. It is a two-part resin that is baked-to-cure to ensure the ultimate curing process and bring out the most saturated delicious color!

What is your favorite summer ritual?
One of my favorite things to do in the summer is to visit the surrounding beaches in New England, where I live with my awesome hubby and two adorable (most of the time) 3 and 5 year old kiddos. We also love going camping and kayaking together! My MOST favorite thing about summer is the homemade mojitos, of course! YUM! 


Do you have anything new that shoppers can look forward to?
We will be bringing a lot of new designs to the show - so please come stop by and say hi! You can find more info about us at www.dametals.com!

Vendor Spotlight: A Fiber Circus

List your shop name and give a brief description of your work and process.

My name is Rachel Beckman and I sell under the name A Fiber Circus. The majority of my work consists of handwoven textiles as housewares (tea towels, rugs) and accessories (pins, scarves, buttons, etc.), but I also sell digitally printed fabric of my illustrated patterns.

Describe your studio. What makes it a creative space? 

I have a small (very small) room in my apartment that was fated to be a weaver's studio. I have it set up for maximum organization; the only way I can really get things done is if all of my tools and supplies are in their proper place and I can see all of my options laid out before me. Along one wall is an old linen closet with a million shelves- perfect for storing my yarn, all organized by color and fiber content. I have a table set up with a cutting mat, serger, sewing machine, and computer, peg boards on the wall for the little stuff like scissors, and in the center of the room? My loom! It's a tight space, and I have another loom on the way, but keeping it all tidy is my key to letting creativity flow.

Do you have anything new that shoppers can look forward to? 

Part of my goal in making all of these items from handwoven material is to create long-lasting textiles that everyone can enjoy and make a part of their daily life. In the works are more gender neutral products and color schemes, and I'm very excited to have bow ties available for the first time at Pile of Craft!

Vendor Spotlight: Specks & Keepings

 

List your shop name and give a brief description of your work and process.

I have an online shop called Specks & Keepings. Specks & Keepings is a curated shop filled with fine handmade objects and design. It is a showcase of thoughtfully made goods that inspire.

What is your favorite summer ritual?

I like treating myself to Mr. Yogato (very nice yogurt) far too much in the Summer. And swimming is always nice as well...

Where else can we find your work (online or stores)?

Aside from selling my work at craft shows throughout the country and online, I am pleased to have some of my pieces for sale at the Museum of Craft and Folk Art in San Francisco. I am also working in collaboration with Unison, making dolls and mobiles out of their wonderful prints. 

A HUGE Thank you to one of our Pile of Craft sponsors...

Pop on in Trohv’s “Pop Shop!” You will find clever gifts for your POP! Father’s Day is June 17^th!  Books on grilling, bacon, cocktails plus handmade ties, shiny barware, delicious cologne & bath products are just the beginning of the marvelous mention-ables you will find for Dad at Trohv.  And what Dad doesn’t love a gift certificate or a witty card?  Holla! Score! Ding, our Father’s Day shopping is DONE!  Whew!

While inside Trohv you'll be BEAMING & instantly sporting a SUNNY disposition when you check out all the fun decor & gadgets to compliment your summer entertaining!

Grab sweet pick up items for host/hostess gifts and summer birthdays!  I will also warn you that you may feel a strong urge to throw yourself a party after getting inspired at Trohv!

Trohv is located in Hampden at 921 W. 36^th Street! You must also visit Trohv DC at 232 Carroll Street NW Washington, DC 20012.  Open all 7 happy days of the week!

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The Charm City Craft Mafia sincerely thanks Trohv for sponsoring our shows through the years and for loving handmade & supporting local artists!  Whoot! You guys rock!

Vendor Spotlight: Bmore Papercuts

List your shop name and give a brief description of your work and process.

One of a kind hand made Papercuts from mailing envelopes.

What type of music do you listen to when you're hard at work?

Splendid table radio show and Pandora right now its a mix of Shakira and First Aid Kit .

What is your favorite summer ritual?
Favorite summer ritual - swimming in any body of water available 

Vendor Spotlight: Horrible Adorables

List your shop name and give a brief description of your work and process.

My shop is called 'Horrible Adorables' and I make strange faux taxidermy creatures that are both a little sweet and a little creepy.  Each idea begins with a few fast sketches of animals with a hodgepodge of different features that wouldn't normally go together.  Then I start laying out my next sculpture from one of the initial ideas.  They constantly shift in appearance and evolve as I work on them, having antlers added or maybe even a couple of wooly pom-poms for a rad hairdo.  Once I have the sculpture carved, they are covered with colorful wool felt 'scales.'  

Describe your studio. What makes it a creative space?

My studio is filled with things that I find inspiring.  Colorful fabrics, a herd of vintage glass deer, a rescued pair of taxidermy squirrels destined for the landfill but now dressed to the nines with miniature top hats, and of course lots of artwork!  I surround my workspace with the things that I love and hope that some of that wonderful aesthetic finds its way into the things that I create.  

What is your favorite summer ritual?

I love being a vendor at these craft fairs!  It is a fun way to kick start summer and I usually turn them into mini vacations since I so often travel out of state to attend them.  The other vendors and customers are always super awesome and I usually leave the show having made new crafty friend!