Last year, we didn’t get to post all the Q&As of vendors who participated in the 2007 Crafty Bastards fair, so here they are now!

Art School Dropout is aptly named, as its creations seem to exude irreverence for everything formulaic, and to embrace, instead, a love for all colors and creatures that tickle the momentary fancy. These creatures include everything from hot pink octopi to the delightful “Funny Little Man” (pictured below).

According to Jessee Maloney, making crafts helps to calm the mind and keep her fingers happy. All hand-cast plastic pieces are made in-house with handmade silicone molds. All embroidered bags are hand-drawn on the computer, stitch by stitch, and also embroidered in-house on Maloney’s own personal machine. To see more Art School Dropout crafts, visit the website, where you can even get gift certificates!

Art School Dropout

1. How long have you been making things?

As a business… almost 4 years now - otherwise I’ve been making things my entire life, my mom and grandma made sure I knew how to sew at a young age and they both did art projects with me all the time.

2. What is your earliest/favorite crafting memory?

My earliest crafting memory is of making little dolls out of my mom’s scrap fabric, I would sew them up in weird shapes and put little ribbon and scrap fabric cloths on them. They always fell apart since I wasn’t that great at sewing. Sometimes I wouldn’t even make the dolls, I’d just made little clothes to go on my fingers and basically have finger puppets.

3. Why do you make things?

It’s very calming for me. I’ve been told many times that I’m a happier person when I get to make things all the time, and my husband says it’s my therapy.

4. What sort of things do you make?

I make jewelry, small accessories, handbags, pouches, stuffed toys, pillows, screen printed things, embroidered items (hand and machine embroidered) plus loads of other stuff… not all for my business, and I ALWAYS want to learn to do more. I get very fidgety if I can’t learn something new every so often.

6. Inspirations?

I love colorful Japanese art, clothes and toys. Plus I really love the simple designs of the 60’s and 70’s. And lately I noticed that I get a lot of inspiration from my two little sisters. When making my jewelry I think, “Would Ashley or Cori wear this?”

7. Craft supplies you can’t live without?

My sewing machine, scissors, wire, x-acto knife and 3-in-1 pliers.

8. Describe your work area.

My work area use to be my entire house, and it was a horrible mess!!! I feel very embarrassed to even own photos of that. I seriously work on 5-10 projects at once! But now since I just got married and we’re trying to save up for a house, I’ve had to down grade. I now work in a 4′x6′ area at the end of my bed in my bedroom. It consists of a table, two bookshelves and a bunch of drawers. In that area I make all my jewelry and package orders. I do all my casting and sewing in the basement. In 2 months I’ll have a proper craft room that I’ll probably want to show off.

9. Family? Pets? Plants?

I don’t have any pets but I do have a husband named JC. He’s extremely supportive of what I do, and always jokes that one day he’ll be able to quit his job and I’ll support him. And anyone who’s ever seen my booth at a show knows all about my little sister Cori who tags along to almost every show and even helps out! She’s a very crafty girl. She’s growing up though, so I don’t know how much longer she’ll think its ‘cool’.

10. Favorite color or pattern?

My favorite color right now is Teal, and my favorite patterns are Damask (old looking wallpaper pattern) and woodgrain.

11. Have you been a Crafty Bastard before?

I’ve done the show before… but I’m assuming that’s not what the question meant. Or is that what you’re asking?

12. Tell us about other crafters you love and your favorite handmade purchases.

The crafter I really love is Heidi of My Paper Crane. I own over 25 of her plush toys, plus I’ve bought even more as gifts, and Heidi is so talented and sweet. My other favorite is Danielle Maveal I LOVE her jewelry, I’m not normally a jewelry type of girl, but I wear her necklaces all the time. And she also is a very nice, talented person!

14. What is one thing everyone should know how to do themselves?

How to sew on a button, I’ve sewn so many buttons on people’s clothes over the years! It’s crazy. What would they do if I wasn’t there?

I have always felt like sort of a one trick pony when it comes to crafting. I gocco. I used to do other stuff, but when I got my Gocco Printer about 5 years ago, I stopped doing much else. Nothing matches it when it comes to ease of use. And my lifestyle only gives me small units of times with which to make stuff, so the Gocco makes sense.

But this past month, I decided to venture out and commit to two art projects that would require that I use up lots of Gocco screens and bulbs. Like, lots. This was getting expensive and stressful, so I decided it was time to learn something new. I started researching ways that I could transfer lots of words onto wood. Stories from my blog, twitter posts, all kinds of stuff. I wanted each piece to be relatively one of a kind, I wanted the freedom to be able to randomly make a piece of wall art the way I would jot down a note in my Moleskine notebook. I wanted to be break free from the Gocco.

A call to the factory where I was buying irregular bits of wood for these projects helped me discover the wood burning pen/tool. You know, the kind of thing that Boy Scouts use to draw deer heads on patches of leather? Apparently everyone’s older brother had one of these things. Still not sure what I am talking about? Here’s the page from the catalog that I ordered mine from:

You can totally pick these up at any craft store for about $35, but those places stress me out with all the scrap booking stuff, so I try to stay away! For about another $20, you can pick up a set of alphabet stamps! This was my first idea, to burn in my silliness one letter at a time. That was until the woman taking my order told me about the transfer tip for the tool. It sounded too good to be true. With the flat tip of the pen, one can transfer laser prints onto word, fabric, leather, whatever. Just reverse any text, heat up the pen to 750 degrees and you are in business!

My first night of learning was stressful. Here I am working on my first transfer:

And after about an hour of working on it, this is what I got:

Not great, but not bad either!

Note to self (and Crafty Blog readers): Do not ever try to learn a new craft 15 days before needing 40 new pieces for two different venues. Don’t do this to yourself. Even if the instructions on the box make it look like anyone can wield the wood burning/transfer tool, know that it is not this easy. And if you only have two hours a day to perfect your new craft, odds are you will not perfect it in time to actually finish said 40 pieces. Ok. End rant.

My second night of trying out the tool yielded slightly better results, if still not perfect. Here is a “finished” piece:

Each time I use the tool, I learn something new and get better at it. This past weekend I got some help with my twins and was able to work for about 3 hours uninterrupted and finished about 6 pieces (photos to come once Artomatic opens!).

I am energized by my ability to pick up something new and encourage everyone to step out of their crafting comfort zone and try something different.

What is your dream skill? Mine is actually quilting, oh my, who has time for that?

Tina Seamonster blogs her life and craft at http://www.ilikeseamonsters.com. The title of this blog is what she was burning into wood today.

Each week we feature an advertiser from the Crafty Bastards Classifieds. This week the honor goes to:

Plastic Heaven!

Craftiest Bastard of the Week

Earth Week was last week, but it’s never too late to celebrate earth-friendliness. Plastic Heaven makes t-shirts, jewelry, accessories and tote bags — all while promoting the word of peace and eco-friendly consumer lifestyles!

Pictured above is a t-shirt featuring a phrase that Plastic Heaven’s mother used to teach: Want Not Need. The Plastic Heaven website includes a new line of t-shirts featuring historical icons of peace. Check it out at the Plastic Heaven website!

Crafty Classifieds for goodies like this and more!

Make stuff? Place a Crafty Bastards ad, it’s FREE!

It is totally too bad the Crafty Bastards application doesn’t require video submissions. Check out Cousin Loomis’ plea for Spooky Daddy to get into Crafty Bastards:

I would totally watch Sesame Street again if Cousin Loomis replaced Elmo. Ok, maybe not Elmo, maybe just Telly or Grover.

Are you making creative videos with your handmade goods? Be sure to share them with us by emailing us at craftyupdates@washingtoncitypaper.com.

Hey Crafty folks! Do you sew baby bibs? Make kid-friendly plushies? Mix your own skin care line? Then you’d be a geat fit for the Celebrate Mama! festival.

Celebrate Mama! will take place on Saturday, June 7th, from 11am to 4pm at Lafayette Elementary School (5701 Broad Brance Rd. NW). This free, yearly, family-friendly celebration brings together products, services and information for mamas at one big event.

This year’s Celebrate Mama! is open to new vendors, sponsors and entertainers. If you’re interested in selling your wares at this event, contact Janine Boyle at Boyle422@verizon.net.

Last year, we didn’t get to post all the Q&As of vendors who participated in the 2007 Crafty Bastards fair, so here they are now!

Readers of this crafty blog would probably agree there’s little that art + craft can’t do. For The Cupcake Girls, art + craft managed to keep a group of friends together as they traversed the Atlantic over the years. Consisting of 6 members, The Cupcake Girls’ story began in London where they first met in art school. They were determined to keep in touch through their work, and eventually set up shop (literally!) along the East Coast where they run their website and Etsy shop.

The Cupcake Girls create a diverse array of delicate, colorful, vintage and edgy, yet sweetly schoolgirlish goods. Starring Courtney England, Lillian Gu, Ann Higgins, Marilyn Steranko, Jenny Lyn Estil, Rachel Goldstein, The Cupcake Girls took a moment to answer some of our questions.

1. How long have you been making things?

Courtney: I’m not sure. I have always tried to make things. But it wasn’t until art school in London where it kicked in really.
Lillian: Since I was a little kid, around 5 or 6 years old.
Ann: Since elementary school.

2. What is your earliest/favorite crafting memory?

Courtney: Shrinky dinking and the Easy Bake Oven.
Lillian: Folding origami with my mom.
Ann: Pillows with scraps from my grandmother’s quilts

3. Why do you make things?

Courtney: I don’t know. Maybe nervous energy?
Lillian: Crafting really relaxes me. Initially, it was a way for me to relieve stress.
Ann: I like Inventing things

4. What sort of things do you make?

Courtney: notecards, necklaces, paper collages, doodles
Lillian: sewing kits, felt plushies, bulletin boards, wall art
Ann: tampon holders, pouches, pillows, and ribbon flowers

5. Any success stories you’d care to share?

Courtney: We have been around for almost a full year now (June 16th is our anniversary). We have Crafty Bastards ‘07 under our belt. We are aiming for 4 craft shows this season. So far we have been accepted to Richmond’s Spring Bada Bing and Brooklyn Renegade Craft Fair. We have also been in several blogs like poppytalk, cuteable, design sponge, modish which is super exciting!

6. Inspirations?

Courtney: Yoshitoma Nara, music, funny friends and artsy friends. Oh and my funny friends.

Lillian: My mom… She can knit, crochet, embroider, sew. I’ve always been in awe of her creative abilities and by how easy she makes it seem.

Ann: My grandmother. She loves to sew and makes quilts and pillows all the time.

7. Craft supplies you can’t live without?

Courtney: x-acto blade, cutting mat, PVA(glue), computer, pencils
Lillian: Felt, that’s my favorite
Ann: fabric…

8. Describe your work area (photos please!)

Courtney: It’s all over the place. When I see really orderly craft spaces I get real jealous.
Lillian: Painting at the kitchen table or stitching felt while on my comfy couch.
Ann: I converted my computer room Into a craft room

9. Family? Pets? Plants?

Courtney: I am cat sitting my parents’ cat, Sammy. I am also trying to keep some cat nip alive. And my boyfriend lives in England.

Ann: I live with my boyfriend and our 4 children, Tootie, Kittie, Peter, and Dexter (dogs and cats).

10. Favorite color or pattern?

Courtney: green and stripes
Lillian: pink, brown, florals
Ann: My fav color Is orange, but I don’t use It a whole lot

11. Have you been a Crafty Bastard before?

Courtney: Yep! We were proud bastards in 2007!
Lillian: I was a Crafty Bastard
Ann: Yep, we were last year…we hope to be one again. Yay!

12. Tell us about other crafters you love and your favorite handmade purchases.

Courtney: I have been following Frecklewonder for a few years now. She is my hero. Now that I know my way around etsy and flickr. I have many more heros on there too.

Lillian: I have a beautiful handmade tote, which was a gift, that I love love love!

13. What is one thing everyone should know how to do themselves?

Courtney: Everyone should know how to brush and floss their teeth as well as wipe their own ass, definitely!

Ann: Everyone should know how to sew a button on. Man, woman and child…everyone!

Vendor status notifications for the spring Crafty Bastards festival were sent via email this afternoon. If you completed an application, but don’t see the notification email from Crafty Bastards, please do the following:

1. Check your junk mail/spam folder. The email was sent from: Crafty Bastards
2. Still not there? Email craftybastards@washingtoncitypaper.com and let us know.

The Crafty Bastards jury judged a field of over 200 applications from crafters of all types and was limited to accepting approximately 60 vendors for the Silver Spring festival. Don’t be discouraged if you didn’t get in! Keep making things and applying for craft shows. Set up a shop on Etsy and tell people about it. The indie craft community continues to grow by leaps and bounds and we encourage everyone to keep on crafting!

Applications for Crafty Bastards DC will go up in May. Stay tuned.

KB’s car-free thrift store shopping post yesterday reminded me of something I always forget. You can shop vintage on Etsy.com! Well, the shopping is car-free, but the shipping isn’t. Still, vintage on Etsy goes beyond crafts and supplies. One of my favorite vintage items to search for are eye glasses. Just search for the words: vintage eye glasses. You will get lots of weird stuff, but in the mix you will find all the granny specs that you are looking for.

Take a few minutes to wade through the listings and you will find a really nice assortment ranging from $10 to about $40. Take them with you to your eye appointment, get your own lenses added and you will be so green! Not to mention you get super cute specs without paying $300 for designer frames.

I bought this pair last month for just $10. They were purchased from a retired ophthalmologist who found them in his closet. They were sample glasses that were never used and dated from the 60’s or 70’s.

Here is another pair that I found this morning for $35:

I am thinking about picking these up because they remind me of my great grandma:

And lastly, the Chigal shop seems to always have vintage eyewear:

Ok, enough shopping for me today. I promise I will be back tomorrow to show you something that I am actually making!

Tina Seamonster rarely sleeps. She blogs her life and craft at http://www.ilikeseamonsters.com.

Almost any activity can be green-ified if you do it car-free. See, here’s an example:

Thrift Store Shopping: Already Green
Car-free Thrift Store Shopping: Even Greener!!!

Shopping at thrift stores for materials, fashion finds, books & housewares is a great way to give new life to items would otherwise be headed to a landfill. Reclaiming these items to wear, sew, decorate your home with or screen print on makes you feel great. It’s like a treasure hunt! The thrill of thriftstore hunting can be addictive, as most of you already know.

So, what’s better than salvaging items from their doom and using them to make cool stuff? getting there via public transportation!!

Here’s a little list of metro and bus accessible thrift stores in the DC metro area:

Goodwill of Arlington 6136 Arlington Blvd - From Rosslyn Metro (Orange/Blue) Take the 4H bus towards Seven Corners and get off at the Willston Shopping Center (before Seven Corners)

L & N Thrift 1830 14th Street NW - Columbia Heights Metro (Green) or 54 bus

Georgia Avenue Thrift Store 6101 Georgia Ave NW - 70 bus towards Silver Spring (runs up and down Georgia Ave, can be picked up near the Shaw/Howard University stop on the Green Line)

Odd-Even Thrift Shop 3400 Rhode Island Ave - from Rhode Island Ave. Metro (Red) catch the 84 bus towards New Carrolton and get of on 34th Street.

Montgomery County Thrift Shop 7125 Wisconsin Ave - 2 blocks from Bethesda Metro

The Thrift Shop 2622 P St NW - G2 bus, or a nice walk down P from Dupont Circle (walking towards Georgetown)

Opportunity Shop - St. Albans 3001 Wisconsin Ave NW - N4 bus to Wisconsin Ave. & Massachusetts Ave.

Got more thrift stores to add? (like that newish one that just sprung up in Mount Pleasant that I couldn’t find online!)

Please let us know about them (and how to get there) in the comments section!

green and love, xo,
kb the car-free crafter

Kristina Bilonick organizes the Ballston Arts & Crafts Market, which easily reachable without a car by taking Metro to Ballston or bus 38B from Farragut Square.

Each week we feature an advertiser from the Crafty Bastards Classifieds. This week the honor goes to:

ChrisCreatures Asian Food Plushies!

Craftiest Bastard of the Week

ChrisCreatures is your place to get Asian food plushies and more! These plushies - all hand-sewn, unique, and one-of-a-kind - are perfect for desk mascots or as pretend play toys. (The only downside is you can’t really eat them)

According to Chris, who makes them: “I love making plushies of yummy foods, anything related to music and breaking, and things that make me chuckle.” Chris is a speech therapist for kids by day, and a dancer and sewing gal by night.

See more Asian Food plushies at the ChrisCreatures Etsy Page!

Crafty Classifieds for goodies like this and more!

Make stuff? Place a Crafty Bastards ad, it’s FREE!