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.