This Weekend's Agenda

Saturday, December 17, 2011 from noon until 5 at Revolution Live, 100 SW 3rd Ave, Fort Lauderdale is the Indie Craft Bazaar "Let it Sew!" craft show.  The timing couldn't be better for shopping for holiday gifts so make sure to come on out and support local artists and crafters.  There will be over 60 of us there peddling our handiwork.
Or, if Saturday doesn't work for you, there is a Last Minute shopping option at Undergrounds Coffeehaus from 2-8.  You will find Undergrounds at 3020 North Federal Highway, Unit 5a - look for the Mardi Gras Balcony - next to Robert Hittel books in the Hi-Life Plaza - Plaza 3000

Craft Mafia girls getting ready for a road trip to Sarasota

On December 10th, Christine and I will head out on our first Craft Show vending road trip!  We are going all the way to the west coast (west coast of Florida, that is).  We are both vending at the sixth annual Atomic Holiday Bazaar on Saturday, December 10th and Sunday, December 11th at the SQR Municipal Auditorium in Sarasota. If you are interested to take a short road trip too, click here for all the details.

I'm super excited because I've heard so much amazing stuff about this show throughout the years and I am thrilled to get to finally be a part of it.  Also exciting, my pink red-heeled sock monkey is featured on the back-side of the flier!  Too bad I sold her at the last show (oops).  I've got another pair of pink socks... I better get to stitchin'...

Cheers - Shelley

New Date & Location Announced for Odd Duck Bazaar 2012

Odd Duck Handmade Bazaar and Indie Craft Fair is moving to a new location. On March 31, 2012, at the downtown Hollywood Central Performing Arts Center, you can expect a day of unique handmade crafts, art, food, live music and more. Admission is $5 for adults and children under 12 get in free. This indoor & outdoor event, with more than 70 vendors, takes place from Noon until 6:00 pm.

Rules are non-existent when it comes to indie arts & crafts and that's what the Hollywood Craft Mafia strives to represent at the Odd Duck Bazaar. Through an extensive selection process, we cherry-pick each vendor, and ensure the audience with a worthy variety of handmade goods. If it can be sewn, cut, painted, glued, sculpted, hammered, drawn, or knotted, more than likely it has been sold at an Odd Duck bazaar. Opposed to mass-produced, local artisans reconnect the mainstream with hands-on activities and aesthetics. The aspect that unites Odd Duck participants are the many creations pushed beyond traditional techniques and boundaries. The Hollywood Craft Mafia is currently accepting applications for artisan vendors, food vendors, and sponsorship. Visit www.oddduckbazaar.com for further information or contact the Hollywood Craft Mafia with questions at info@hollywoodcraftmafia.com.

Sweater Hat & Leg Warmers Tutorial

This up-cycle craft is a great way to continue the love of a favorite sweater. For the tutorial example, we have a child who out-grew last season's winter wear. We took one sweater, transformed it in a few simple steps, and now have a hat with leg warmers for next season!

First, you will need a few tools to get you through this project: measuring tape, scissors, pins, chalk, and a sewing machine. You'll also need one sweater and thread.

GETTING READY: Turn the sweater inside out. Place it neatly on a flat surface.

DETERMINING THE WIDTH: Measure the head of the person, for whom you will be making the hat for. Subtract about 4 or 5 inches then divide that number in half. This will give you the measurement for the opening of the hat when it is laying flat, two sides together. In our example, the child's head is 20" around. 20 - 4 = 16. 16/2 = 8. See figure A to place your measurement. Mark your width with chalk.

DETERMINING THE LENGTH: We made a cone shaped hat, but you can make your hat as long as you want. The standard height is about 8 inches. Determine how long you want your hat, then make a mark at that height, in the center. On our example, we made the center mark at 4" (see Figure B). Then you will sketch a semi-circle with chalk (or cone shape like our example). Go pin crazy on the inside and outside of the chalk line, pinning both sides of the sweater together. This is when you will want to make sure you line up any patterns in the sweater (see Figure C).

LETS GET SEWING: Sew on the chalk line using a strait stitch on the stretch setting. Do not sew the bottom opening of your hat! In our example, we did not need to stitch up one side of the hat because we used the sweater's original stitching.

CUT IT OUT: Trim around your stitches about a quarter-inch. You should now have what looks like a hat inside out! Lastly, use the zig-zag stretch stitch over your quarter-inch edges to keep the sweater from unraveling (see Figure D). Turn the hat right side out and you're done!

MATCHING LEG WARMERS: Cut the sleeves off the sweater, close to the armpit (or at desired length). Sew a zig zag stretch stitch around the raw edge, but don't sew the two sides together (see figure E and F). Turn them right side out, and you're finished.

Looking ahead to the Craft Show Season

Christine and I have been busily working on some upcoming events that we aren't quite ready to announce, but there are some exciting future plans that we can share with you now.  We've committed to vending in a couple of shows this fall and figured we'd tell you about it now so you can get them on your calendar early.  Christine (Belle Adore) will be vending at a new south Florida show called Art: Sunny Side Up which will be held the Hilton 100 Fairway Drive, Deerfield Beach, FL 33441 on September 11th from 10-4pm.  You can find out more on their blog or facebook page.

It is exciting to see new indie shows.  There is no need to tell you how much we love the indie craft scene, so seeing it growing just warms my heart.
I'll be vending my Kitschy Aprons & Softies at Stitch Rock in Delray on October 1st.  Stitch Rock is held at the Old School Gymnasium 51 N. Swinton Ave, Delray Beach, FL  33444 and will be from noon to 6.  You can find out more on their website or facebook page

Then, in December, Christine and I are gonna take a road trip over to Sarasota to vend at the Atomic Holiday Bazaar on Dec 10th & 11th.
Mark your calendars!
Now I'm off to go make stuff....

Free Crafting (plus wine & food too!) in Pompano on Friday night

Please join the Hollywood Craft Mafia Friday evening from 6-9pm at the Uncorked East Village event which is also the grand opening for Swipes Lovin' Wipes. 
Reasons to join us:

• you can paint your own wine glass
• you get to keep that wine glass and even use it to sip some wine
• Hors d'oeuvres (yummy)
• Socialize with good folks
• listen to some good music by the Sosos

Click HERE for the facebook page

2607 East Atlantic Blvd

Pompano Beach, FL

Changes in the Mafia

Dear Handmade Community,

This is not a "Dear John" letter, just a little note to let you know that things are changing for the Hollywood Craft Mafia. First, let us assure that Shelley and Christine are still manning the helm and planning amazing crafty events and goodness for our community.

However, excited to focus on personal projects, Alexis and Tina are planning to move on to other pastures. It is with a conflicted and heavy heart that they both leave, there has been so much success with the Craft Mafia it's hard to walk away. They both plan on still being involved and supportive of the HCM and the handmade community; Alexis will still help create promo materials from time to time and both will volunteer for HCM crafty events whenever they get the chance.

There will also be other changes. The jam packed calendar we announced in April will be re-evaluated and more information will be announced as it becomes available.

Odd Duck was an overwhelming success and we more than doubled the number of attendees from the year before. The positive feedback we got from patrons and vendors alike made all our hard work very worthwhile. With each one of our events, the Hollywood Craft Mafia has contributed to the growing artisan community in south Florida and that will not change one bit. Thank you for your continued support of all things local and handmade.

Mucho!,

Tina / workingirl www.workinggirl.etsy.com
Alexis / When Bunnies Fly - www.alexiscolbert.com / Los Colores - www.loscolores.org
Shelley / By Shelley Faye - www.shelleyfaye.etsy.com / Kitschy Aprons - www.kitschyaprons.com
Christine / Belle Adore - www.belle-adore.com 



Going forward.... If you'd like to stay up to date with the Hollywood Craft Mafia, check back here, like us on facebook, follow us on twitter or sign up for our email list.
If you'd like to follow Alexis on her solo projects, sign up for her email list, like her facebook page or check out her site.
If you'd like to follow Tina on her solo projects, check out her etsy store or email her at workinggirl_crafts@yahoo.com

So, How'd it go?

It has been a little over a week since our big annual event, the Odd Duck handmade Bazaar and I'm still on a little bit of an adrenaline high.  I have begun writing this post several times and I'm just at a loss for words in how to describe the event. It was fantastic!  We had a few glitches that were out of our control, but for the most part... the day went smoothly, the weather was fabulous and most everyone had a great afternoon.
I'm just going to leave it at that and let you hear from some of the other folks how wrote about the show:

http://sflaguy.blogspot.com/2011/04/odd-duck-bazaar-part-two.html
http://opulentodditiesblog.blogspot.com/
http://wantneedxoxo.blogspot.com/2011_04_01_archive.html
http://justbecausebyleelee.blogspot.com/2011/04/odd-duck-bazaar.html
http://anniescupboard.blogspot.com/2011/04/odd-duck-craft-show-2.html
http://mermaidscloset.blogspot.com/2011/04/preparing-for-odd-duck.html
http://thereformatory.blogspot.com/2011/04/blog-post.html
http://www.corvusonline.net/corvuschatter/viewtopic.php?f=3&p=151412
http://belleadore.blogspot.com
http://designedbydiana.blogspot.com/2011/04/odd-duck-bazaar-2011.html
http://rachellovespeace.blogspot.com/2011/04/theres-odd-duck-in-all-of-us.html        

and if you are one for visuals, check out our flickr group page for pics (you can add yours too!):

bit.ly/oddduckflickr

Did you go to our show?  We'd love to hear about how it went, feel free to leave a comment or a link to your blog post.

Cheers!

Lapel Stick

Lapel Stick is a temporary, non-toxic, acid-free, fabric adhesive that goes on in seconds and dries clear for Quilting, Sewing, Crafting, and Embroidery. Lapel Stick replaces baste stitching, pinning, tapes, spray adhesives, and stabilizers. No more messy sprays or getting stuck with pins, and it won't gum up your needles or machines! LAPEL Stick is water soluble and safe to use on cottons, wool, polyester, blends, felt, linen, and leather.

Lapel Stick is also great for unruly collars, gapping buttons and fallen hems. Get one for the craft room, and another one to keep on hand for clothing emergencies. For more info, check out http://www.lapelstick.com/.

If you're one of the first 100 to arrive at the Odd Duck Bazaar, there might even be a little someting in your goodie bag from Lapel Stick!

Swipes

Swipes are a wipe made especially for adults, with no harsh ingredients and no baby wipe smell. Swipes Lovin Wipestm are the result of a partnership between CEO Vera Lund and CFO Maxine Gomez. With Vera's expertise as a licensed esthetician and Maxine's experience as a healthcare professional, Swipes, Inc. is built upon a core belief in pure, natural ingredients and earth-friendly business practices.

All-natural Swipes are unique. They are biodegradable, compostable, septic safe and truly flushable. They are made with Aloe, Vitamin E and pure water, but are free from alcohol and chlorine. And you can choose Swipes Lovin Wipestm with a fresh, mild cucumber fragrance or, to be as discreet as possible, use the unscented version. They are as good for you as they are for the environment.

For more info on Swipes visit their website http://www.swipes.com/.

Lisa Ann Photography

The Hollywood Craft Mafia is pleased to announce that our event photographer this year is Lisa Ann Sander.

Lisa Ann is a lovely combination of an old-fashioned, service oriented, family photographer and a modern photography expert. She walks you through the experience from start to finish. Starting with a private consultation in your home to begin planning your portrait by discussing clothing options, determining areas of your home to display your portrait, and setting up all the necessary details for your session.

The session can take place in your home, or out on location. Sessions usually last between 1-2 hours. Lisa Ann provides a fun and unique experience to create natural expressions and authentic moments.

Within one week of your portrait session, Lisa Ann will schedule an appointment to meet with you in your home to view your images. During this time you will select your favorite images, and choose from an array of framing and mounting options. Together you will design your custom portrait that will fit perfectly in your home and enhance your decor. Specialty products will be available to share your images with family and friends.

Due to the level of service provided, a limited number of sessions are available each year. Maternity and newborn sessions are given priority scheduling to ensure precise timing.

Keep an eye out for Lisa at Odd Duck!

The Beer Soap Company

The Beer Soap Company is the creation of Jamin and Zaidat, and is a small family run business. I love the versatility of this soap! It’s great for guys, since it’s made with beer. It’s great for ladies because it smells amazing and has a gentle luxurious lather. The bars also last a surprisingly long time, especially for a handmade soap.

If you want amazing soap that lasts, makes your skin feel fabulous, and supports the handmade movement, buy Beer Soap Saturday, April 9th 2010 at the Odd Duck Indie Craft Fair and Handmade Bazaar. Or visit http://www.thebeersoapcompany.com/.

Pearl Art and Craft Supply

Pearl was the first craft store I ever explored as a child. Its numerous rows of mysterious paints, pens, canvas, and other indefinable items were so captivating to me then, and they still are today. Pearl carries the largest selection of screen printing and block printing supplies in Broward County, as well as a vast array of acrylic, oil pasted, and watercolor paints for the fine artist. If you’re not sure if they have what you need, stop by the store or visit http://www.pearlpaint.com/.

Pearl is also a great place to host or attend a workshop. The Hollywood Craft Mafia hosted our Etsy Crafty Party there, and more recently, the Fast and Dirty Fabric Printing Workshop. Check with the customer service desk for more info, and be sure to stop by the DIY table Saturday at Odd Duck. There will be a Pearl employee there to help you with your DIY craft and answer any questions you may have about my favorite art & craft supply store! See you at the Duck!!

Cornerstone Paper Crafts

I love shopping on the internet. I love the convenience, the variety, and have I mentioned the convenience? The thing I don’t always love about shopping online is that it’s faceless. You have no way to know if you’re supporting a large multinational corporation, or a single mom of five with your business.

Well Cornerstone Paper Crafts has a face, and that face is Maevan. I’ve spent some time talking to Maevan, and I can tell you she is as vibrant, interesting, and whimsical as the beautiful papers she sells at Cornerstone. I love when I get to combine shopping indie with shopping online. Convenience that sooth my conscience is a beautiful thing, and so is this paper! Check out Maevan’s beautiful shop at http://cornerstonepapercrafts.com/.

Funky Finds

Funky Finds is a second year sponsor of the Odd Duck Indie Craft Fair and Handmade Bazaar. They provide a fabulous amount of resources for indie artistist and crafters to promote and sell their work. Check out the Funky Finds blog http://funkyfinds.blogspot.com/ featuring the work of various artists, crafters, and designers worldwide, as well as events & giveaways. Contact them here: http://www.funkyfinds.com/contact.html if you’d like to be featured. If you offer Funky Finds readers a discount or special offer & they’ll include that with the feature, as well as in the monthly news letter.

The Shops @ Funky Finds is an affordable and easy-to-use venue that allows artisans to sell their handmade & vintage goods. They offer Four Shop Levels to suit your needs, and a customizable home page.

Funky Finds is also the home of Right On! Graphics, bi-weekly giveaways, Funky News, Funky Ad Space, and Funky Finds Events including their two day craft fair the Funky Finds Spring Fling.

Go here to read about everything Funky Finds can do for you http://www.funkyfinds.com/services.html !

16 Days until the Odd Duck Bazaar

I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am about this year's Odd Duck!  Ok, I'll try.  I've already been losing sleep over it and it is still 16 days away.  Last year's event was fun but this year we've added so many new things that I cannot wait to see it all come into place.  Last year we had 62 vendors, this year we have over 80.  Last year we had one (very talented) guy put on an acoustic performance.  This year we have three bands!
Last year we had two rooms packed full of vendors of handmade art & crafts, this year we've added a full 50 foot tent and a tiki hut into the mix.
Awesome thing is, we were able to add all this extra stuff and still keep the admission price the same as last year.  Only 5 bucks and the parking is free.
We are located in the same place as last year, the Old Davie School museum located not far west of the Turnpike and East of University on Griffin Road.  Get there early because the first 100 people to pay their admission get a free hand-screen printed re-usable tote bag.
See you Saturday April 9th at noon!

Raffles Galore

We are all getting very excited as the Odd Duck Handmade Bazaar and Indie Craft Fair April 9th date approaches! We've already raised $1500 in fabulous raffle prizes and can't wait to show them to you on the big day! It's not too late to get in on this unique marketing opportunity, as there is exactly ONE WEEK LEFT to accept donations. With all donations, the business is announced and advertised in conjunction with the donation. I don't know about you, but I'm definitely taking advantage of that unbeatable exposure! Some of the items donated so far include spa certificates, restaurant gift cards, music, clothing, festival tickets, dental package, toys, art, jewelry, and more. Remember, visit the raffle table to purchase your tickets! See you at the Duck!

Cheers,
Christine

Diaper Duty

I love our sponsors, because they represent what the Odd Duck Bazaar is all about: creating community, supporting the little guy, and being green in the process. Diaper Duty is owned and operated by the fabulous Veezie, who is basically the epitome of the DIY spirit. Her dedication to the handmade movement and green living is topped only by her dedication to her kids and yours.

Another great thing about Diaper Duty is that you can be green on a budget without all that diaper washing. Cloth diaper service from Diaper Duty actually costs less than disposable diapers. Check out the pricing link on http://www.diaperdutycds.com/. Save the Earth, save your baby from diaper rash and plastic diapers, save some money, and save Veezie from workin’ for the man.

Reclaim2Fame

One of my favorite things about the handmade movement is finding new and fascinating handmade stuff, and getting to know the people who make it. The inaugural Odd Duck was already a heart warming day, but meeting Will and his vintage & recycled robots made the show even more special for me.

His creations bring new life to old view finders, vintage tins, and other seemingly random bits and pieces. Even with being new to the indie craft scene, Will is friendly, open, and enjoys spinning yarns about the origins of his creations. It’s so exciting to meet a new (to me) crafter with so much talent, warmth, and love of what they do. I’m sure it doesn’t hurt that everyone else loves Will and his robots too!

Check out on www.reclaim2fame.etsy.com, or visit him Will and his creations in person at the Odd Duck Bazaar. I’m hoping he brings the Foible, his four foot long, steam-punk dragon, so be on the lookout for that enormous piece of fabulousness.

Trying out the Lapel Stick

I just tried a new product called the Lapel Stick. The description claims it replaces baste stitching, pinning, taping, spray adhesives and stabilizers, and I found this to be accurate. The product comes packaged looking like one of those glue sticks I use with my children during crafting projects, and the consistency of the sticky material also seemed comparable. I used the Label Stick to finish the crown in this blog photo. I found the stick to be very easy to use, and it did indeed replace pre-pinning and ironing during my sewing project. However, I found it a bit awkward to avoid getting stickiness on my fingers while trying to keep the fabric folded within for a neat seam. After making two crowns, I had to wash my hands. Other than that, there was no residue leftover on my crown and if I wasn't telling you now, you'd never know I used it in my project! It is non-toxic, biodegradable, and fragrant free. Not only is it safe for all fabrics and water soluble, but it claims to not gum-up sewing machines either. I liked using the Lapel Stick because it saved me time, so I will definitely keep this in my sewing kit!

You might be wondering why it is called the Lapel Stick. The card insert also promotes using this product for fashion emergencies, fallen hems, gaping buttons, popping collars, slipping straps, and stopping a run in tights or nylons. Although I did not try using it in all these other ways, I have to admit it is a pretty nifty product. Anyway, I just had to share this little discovery and if you have any experience with it, please feel free to respond with your comments.

Cheers,
Christine
Belle Adore Boutique
Hollywood Craft Mafia

Don't miss out on Saturday the 26th!

This Saturday, February 26th is jammed pack with two great crafty events! Start your day in Plantation's Liberty Tree Park, located at 7421 NW 5th Street at a Green Day Environmental Expo. This is a family friendly event with loads of shopping, raffles, live music, demonstrations, a bicycle parade and more! Shopping includes handmades, plants and foods. Hollywood Craft Mafia's own Christine Klein of Belle Adore Boutique will be there as a vendor. The event takes place between 9a and 3p.


Then, skip over to Fort Lauderdale to see two more of our own Hollywood Craft Mafia members, Tina Wright and Shelley Mitchell, who will be volunteering at the 2nd Annual Swap-O-Rama-Rama. If you haven't been to this event before, don't miss out this year! Start going through your closet and drawers now and dig out all those clothes you never wear. Bring them to the Swap-O-Rama-Rama between 1p and 5p and get $5 off your $10 admission. You give your unwanted clothes away and then shop through the loads of other clothes on racks and take what you want. You can try clothes on, get them altered at the sewing machines, or even screen print on them to make your items completely unique! Arrive between 5p and 11p with your bag of clothes and admission is $10. Lastly, there will be an ever-so-fabulous fashion show at 10p. Everything takes place at IWAN's the Bubble, 810 NE 4th Ave, Fort Lauderdale.

Time to clean-up your crafting space!

Given up knitting? Taken up beading? Tried decoupage and you're over it? Whatever your reasons may be, this is a great opportunity to take your unwanted crafty supplies and give them to someone who will put them to good use! The Hollywood Craft Mafia is hosting a craft supply swap at Undergrounds Coffeehaus on Sunday, February 20th from 4p to 6p. Hope to see you there!

Radio-Active Records

There’s something to be said for local indie music stores, and there’s even more to be said about great local indie music stores. Radio-Active Records definitely qualifies as great. Not only do they carry a huge selection of vintage vinyl and shiny new turntables, they support handmade by hosting events like the mini Odd Duck Retro & Geek Show and sponsoring the Odd Duck Handmade Bazaar and Indie Craft Fair.

After a brief hiatus, live shows have returned to Radio-Active Records! Check out the blog to keep in touch http://radio-active-records.blogspot.com/, or just head over to the Gateway Plaza in Ft. Lauderdale to check out the free, all ages show by the Whole Tones February 19th from 7pm-10pm.

Remember to show your love to Radio-Active Records on Record Store Day, April 16, 2011!

Retro Indie Market - Tomorrow- Boynton Beach - South Florida

Two of our very own Craft Mafia girls will be vending tomorrow at the Retro Indie Market in Boynton Beach.  Shelley will be there with her Kitschy Aprons and a few choice softies and Tina Wright (workinggirl) will be there with her jewelry created from vintage papers and handcrafted art books and notebooks. 

Whole Foods Market Plantation

Whole Foods Market Plantation is the named sponsor of the Odd Duck Handmade Bazaar and Indie Craft Fair for the second year running, and we couldn’t be more thrilled! Catherine and the staff are wonderfully supportive of the show, wearing buttons, displaying postcards, and hanging an enormous poster right in the front window. But being and Odd Sponsor is just a small part of what Whole Foods does to nourish our community.

This month, Whole Foods Market Plantation will help you find gluten free goodies in the store, or transform a fattening dish to a healthier version, then help you teach your kids the importance of living green (after reading The Lorax by Dr. Seuss.) Check out the event calendar for more information on cooking classes, Kid’s Club events, and local charities that Whole Foods Plantation supports. http://wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/plantation/store-calendar/

Be sure to stop by the store for one of these great events and be sure to check the front window for our giant Odd Duck poster within the next couple of weeks!

Only 1 day left to Apply for the Odd Duck Bazaar!!!

This event only happens once a year!  Don't miss your opportunity to vend at south Florida's amazing Odd Duck Handmade Bazaar and Indie Craft Fair.  If you think you've got what it takes, click here and submit your application right away because the deadline is midnight January 15th. 

10 days and counting

There are only 10 days left to apply to the 2011 Odd Duck Indie Craft Fair and Handmade Bazaar! It's at the same charming location: the Old Davie Schoolhouse Museum,on April 9th. The Hollywood Craft Mafia is very excited about the new changes for this 2nd annual independent show. Don't miss out on all the fun and apply before it's too late! Click on the title of this post to go directly to the Odd Duck website.

Cheers,
Christine

In Memory of Leslie Schloss from Sweet Magnolia Original's

Leslie Schloss of Weston, sole-creator of Sweet Magnolia Original's, passed away in her home at age 55 on December 31, 2010. Sweet Magnolia Original's was a participant of the Hollywood Craft Mafia's Odd Duck Handmade Bazaar in 2010, and Leslie will be missed by the handmade community. She was comforted, and is survived by, her husband and partner of 37 years, David, children Stephen and Allie, and dog Benny. Her incredibly full and bright life was cut short too soon and without any reason or rhyme, but her fire will burn inside every being she touched. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in her memory to the American Cancer Society . Funeral service Monday, January 3rd, 1pm at Levitt Weinstein Memorial Chapel 3201 NW 72nd Ave, Hollywood, FL 33024 (954)963-2400. Interment to follow at Lakeside Memorial.

Happy New Year

On behalf of my fellow mafia sisters,
We hope you all have a Very Happy New Year! Wishing you a year of health, wealth and wisdom.
We've got some exciting things planned for the upcoming year and look forward to sharing it all with you. Stay tuned folks...