Bloomingdale Holiday Market Sunday, December 5th, 4-9pm Big Bear Cafe (1st and R streets NW) I know you’re thinking of really making this year a handmade holiday right? You’ve probably already gathered your ingredients for all the cookie platters you plan to make for parties, clipped all the necessary recipes from various resources and maaaaybe [...]

You probably know Jay McCarroll from the first season of Project Runway. You probably don’t know how multi-faceted he is. Did you know he also designs fabrics? He does. Check out this awesome, maybe slightly druggy woodland life hanging out in the overcast woods fabric. This year, he’ll be at Crafty Bastards with his embellished [...]

Sometimes it’s hard to believe Jon Wye is one person. Quietly and cleverly building an empire with belts, t-shirts, wallets and wrist cuffs, Jon is quickly taking over the pants of many a DC citizen. Jon makes beautiful belts in his obsessively clean craftsmanship from leather that he prints himself in his workshop in Capitol [...]

Katie Wagner might have the coolest job ever. Playing with legos and books for a living as Moonlight Bindery, Katie bridges the world of construction with the fantastic art of bookbinding. She also uses unexpected surfaces like chalkboards to create journals for those of us with capricious whims; or just a good love of chalk. [...]

I had the pleasure of meeting Eve VanDalsen at Arts on N this past August. Eve constructs bags and wallets built to last (and last and last) out of beautiful leather remnants. She is a rockin’ lady who moved here recently from Detroit, and will soon be on the move again, this time to Luanda, [...]

So perhaps you’ve been to Crafty Bastards and you’ve decided you’d like to try your hand at doing a show. Where do you turn? Well, like pretty much everything else, the internet is a good place to start. There are large, clearing-house type sites like ZAPP where you can sign up for a regular digest [...]

There are few things greater than finding someone to match your sense of humour. Scratch that…there is nothing better than finding someone with a compatible sense of humour. That’s why I love these vendors oh so much! Tina Seamonster, ace marketer, blogger, and mother to two girls who make me re-think my stance on kids, [...]

I make no bones about how much I envy creative couples. I think it’s awesome when people inspire, create and produce art in tandem. Local artists, Rania Hassan and Sean Hennessey ( of Gosh Darn Knit and Scenic Artisan respectively, have been married for over 5 years and each create their own art that blends [...]

Holy smokes! So many awesome clothing vendors at Crafty Bastards this year! As soon as I get a chance, I’m making a bee-line to The Garbologist’s Wife (Booth #106) for her splendid upcycled creations! Plus, this lady understands that cuteness doesn’t have to stop at size tiny! Also on the upcycled tip is The Devil [...]

For years I would see these amazing vintage blenders in this great antique shop in Takoma Park (before it was flooded and they moved to a new location) only they weren’t blenders. I mean, they *were* but someone had repurposed them into fetching lights! It has to be Minda Merinsky right? Her work has grown [...]