The Crafty Bastards Arts and Crafts Fair is coming to Silver Spring, MD on Saturday, June, 28th, and we need volunteers to help us make this Crafty Bastards the best yet!

We’re looking for volunteers to help us by working in 3-5 hour shifts at the fair. While there is no monetary pay, you will receive FREE MOVIE PASSES, a FREE CITY PAPER TEE, and get to SCREEN YOUR CRAFTY T-SHIRT FOR FREE at the exclusive volunteer party. We promise lots of FUN while working with a great group of like-minded crafty folks.

The Volunteer Party is scheduled for Wednesday, May 28th at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center; more details to come soon.

If you’re interested in volunteersing or have any questions, please email Kimberly at craftybastards@washingtoncitypaper.com.

Ballston Arts and Crafts Market kicks off this Saturday from 10am-4pm. Buy handmade lovelies for mom while the kiddies rock out during a special Rock-n-romp featuring Exit Clov, Carol Bui and Gist from noon-4pm.

Disclosure: There are several Crafty Bastards bloggers participating in the Ballston Arts and Crafts Market. Kristina Bilonick organizes the monthly event. Tina Seamonster will be there tomorrow with the Craft Mutiny and Susan Hsu is playing with her band Exit Clov. It’s gonna be awesome.

SquidFire’s Spring Art Mart, also this Saturday, will take place at Mount Vernon Park in Baltimore from 11am-6pm.

If you’re in Charm City, swing by and check out the handmade goodness from artists like the Broken Plate Co., Sweet Pepita, Rebound Designs, Woolarina, DeNada Designs and more.

Vendor list and directions available on SquidFire’s website.

And of course, the mammoth Artomatic opens today. 1,000 artists. 10 floors, and 28 days of mad crazy artiness. Visit Artomatic.org for details. You can view photos we posted from Artomatic 2007 here.

See something exceptional at Artomatic? Send your images to craftybastards@washingtoncitypaper and tell us about it.

Lots to do and see this weekend. Get out and enjoy the spring market season!

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.

The Takoma Park JazzFest is coming up on June 15th, and they’re searching for crafters and artists to participate.

I haven’t been to a Takoma Park festival in a few years, but I remember the crowd being laid-back and pleasant, and there’s that quaint old town friendliness that flows throughout Takoma Park…

JazzFest, now in its 13th year, has about 90 10′ x 10′ spaces available for crafter/artists. The cost is $65 for all crafters, artists and resellers, or $30 for community organizations and non-profits. The Takoma Park Farmers’ Market is next to the festival site, so theres a built in crowd to start with.

This year’s festival theme is “A Taste of New Orleans”. Expect lots of jazzy, R&B, Zydeco, and boogie-woogie musical acts, and there will be a booth dedicated to the Tipitinas Foundation, which collects donations for displaced/homeless New Orleans musicians.

For more information visit tpjazzfest.org.

While their website is under construction, if you’d like a booth at the fair, contact Bruce Krohmer directly at 301-838-8909 or jazzybruze@aol.com.

In the coming weeks, in honor of Earth Day and every day green living, KB the Car-free Crafter will be sharing her secrets to living car-free as a crafter with a busy agenda.

Anyone who has ever applied to Crafty Bastards knows how fierce the competition can be. Last year’s show got 400 applications for 100 spots! That said, don’t be afraid! Ok, be a little afraid, but don’t be so terrified that you don’t try. As a veteran Crafty Bastard, I always get asked for application tips. I decided that it would also be cool to ask former and current Crafty Bastards judges for their thoughts. Lucky for you, I am not going to charge for this advice. Instead, here it is, totally 100% free!

There are two main components to the Crafty Bastards application. Vendor statement (only 300 characters!) and photos of your work. But before we can even get to these things, the first thing that you need to do to get into Crafty is to make something interesting. I can’t stress this enough. If you are new to crafting and think you have a brilliant idea, totally Google it. There might be 10 other people making the same thing and if this is the case, you need to make sure you can put your own spin on it. That said, having a very distinct brand identity is also a really good place to be when you start applying to shows. So, step 1. Know who you are and make something awesome. Easy.

Step 2: Vendor Statement.

If you know who you are and make something awesome, your vendor statement shouldn’t be too difficult. You only have 300 characters to work with, so this is the hard part. Let’s break down my vendor statement from last year:

Tina Seamonster silk screens shirts and cards in small batches at her kitchen table with a Print Gocco. She is inspired by her life as an urban mom of twins in DC. Her designs are mostly about overcoming fears (of zombies, etc!), dealing with stress and living life with humor above all else.

The first thing that I do in my vendor statement is establish my brand identity. This is who I am. Then I immediately tell you what I make and how I make it. One former judge thinks that explaining how you make your items is very important. He says: “One tip that I have is to explain, explain, explain. We received more than a few applications that didn’t really specify the crafter’s role in their work. For instance, if you sell screen-printed shirts, explaining that you draw your own art, burn your own Gocco screens, source your own t-shirts from Africa, and hand mix your own inks from natural pigments is much better than leaving it up to the judges to guess. ‘Cause they just might assume you sent an image to the screen printer and — viola — 2 weeks later 400 shirts show up. And that isn’t gonna win you fans. Explaining why you’re all DIY is good.” Obviously you can’t explain all of that in 300 characters, but you get the point!

So, I explain first who I am, then what I make and how. Next I tell you where I am coming from. This might not matter for everyone, but for me, my crazy lifestyle as a twin mom living in the city is key to what I do, so I mention it. If your crazy lifestyle as a traveling lion tamer is important to your handmade flutes, then let us know! And lastly, I explain the style and subject matter of my work. This is not at all a hard and fast rule to creating the perfect vendor statement. We all have our own style. Maybe your statement will be funny or provocative or memorable in some other way. Just make sure you make every word count!

Step 3: Photos.

The dreaded photos. I hate this part. I truly do. But it is so so important. My first advice is to former Crafty Bastards. Send new photos. Don’t assume that because you got in last year or every year that you can send old photos. I nearly made this mistake a few years ago. Don’t do it! As much as you love or are still selling a million of the same items from last year, do try to show something new. That said, former judge Liz of Trees can say the rest better than I can:

First off, and I can’t stress this enough, submit bright, clear photos of your work! Judges look at hundreds if not thousands of photos when jurying a show. Not only do you want your work to stand out, you don’t want to contribute to their eye strain! You are being judged by your submissions and if the judges can’t see how great your work is because the photos are too dark or too fuzzy, you won’t get into the show. Also, if your work is highly detailed with say 10 different decorative stitches on a skirt, make sure this comes through.

Second, show variety in your work. If you make hand-knit scarves as well as kitten booties and iMac cozies, send in a photo of each so the jurors can see the breadth of your work. Don’t just send in three separate photos of scarves.

Third, I’d recommend showing your work in action. If you make pottery, take a photo of someone enjoying a steaming cup of cocoa in a hand-thrown mug or if you make pillows, take shots of them on a couch or with your cat napping on them. It gives the viewer context.

Fourth, inject your personality and style and vision into your photos. If your craft consists of making fun, irreverent clothing, take photos of people wearing the clothes doing fun, irreverent things! If your artwork is somber or goth or melancholy, take your oil paintings to a cemetery on a cloudy day and stage a photo shoot.

Thanks Liz!

A few more photo tips. If you make shirts for the whole family, I suggest that you show that in your photos. Many indie crafters only make shirts in standard sizes. But if you make stuff for plus sizes, as well, try to convey that in your photos. If you make stuff for babies and kids, too, make sure you have a whole family wearing your gear. You don’t need models, just use your family!

Rather than just taking a photo of your stuff on the kitchen table (dude, I have totally done this before), create a memorable world with your photos. Spooky Daddy did this last year with his army of skull bunnies. He was also bold enough to include himself in one of the photos. This makes sense for him because HE is his brand. Smart move and awesome if you can pull it off.

In the end, you do not need professional photos. All you need is good light, interesting backgrounds and a little imagination.

Hopefully I have made the application process a little less scary. Please leave your own tips or questions in the comments. All questions will be answered! Good luck!

And if this didn’t help at all, you can still check out last year’s vendor gallery if you want to see more photos or read more vendor statements.

Tina Seamonster blogs her life and craft at http://www.ilikeseamonsters.com. She is a veteran of all four Crafty Bastards shows. She thinks that unicorns whine too too much.

Crafters:Applications for Bust’s Spring Fling Craftacular are due tomorrow!

Tina posted application and vendor info here. The show is Sunday April 27th in Brooklyn and will feature talented crafters, an all day dance party with an open bar and an entire room set aside for dancing and mingling. Visit the Craftacular site for more info and to apply.

Fiber addicts: Get your fix tomorrow afternoon from 2pm-6pm in Takoma Park at the Homespun Yarn Party.

Visit the Yarn Party blog for more pictures and interviews with the spinners, dyers and other vendors.

The Charm City Craft Mafia is accepting applications for the 2nd annual Pile of Craft. The show will be held in Baltimore, MD on Saturday, June 21st from 10am-5pm.

Non-refundable application fee is $10. If accepted, vendor fee is an additional $55. Vendor spaces are 8 ft. in. length. Chairs and an 8 ft table will be provided. The deadline to apply is May 1st, 2008.

Applications and more details can be found on the Charm City Craft Mafia web site.

You can read the review and see the pictures we took at last year’s Pile of Craft. Plus, watch Kim Dorn’s video interview with Pile of Craft organizer Rachel Bone to learn more about Charm City Craft Mafia and get the walk through experience:

Towson University is hosting its annual Tigerfest on Saturday, April 26th, and they’re giving artists and crafters an opportunity to have booth space to sell… and it’s cheap!

$50 will get you a 10×14 space where you can sell your wares to Towson University students and the local community.

This is Towson University’s biggest spring event, and with an estimated 10,000 people attending, it’s a great place to gain new clients and make some $$. Word on the campus street is that the Roots will be playing… but nothing is confirmed yet.

Tigerfest hosts a huge stage with live nationally known musical acts, food, games and giveaways.

Towson University’s Tigerfest 2008

Location: Burdick Field, Towson University

Date: Saturday, April 26th

Time: 3pm-10pm

To Apply: E-mail Jenna Irving at Jirvin2@towson.edu or call 410.704. 4429.

Sponsored by Towson University’s Campus Activities Board

A few weeks ago, Sean Hennessey and I drove out to Baltimore to visit the The American Craft Show in Baltimore. This is an annual show put on by the American Craft Council (ACC) whose mission statement is: to promote understanding and appreciation of contemporary American craft. Sean and I were on a mission to meet CircaCeramics and Margaux Lange, both in a section labeled as ‘New Wave.’

Lacey Jane Roberts

Walking over to the ticket line, I was hopeful as I spotted Lacey Jane Robert’s hot pink knit fence. But as I stood in line reviewing the exhibit map, planning my strategy, I was shocked to find how little space the New Wave artists were given. But I was determined. I walked past booth after booth of the same sea of scarves, jackets, bags, scarves, all reminders of why I don’t usually visit this show, and found the New Wave corner.

So what does ‘New Wave’ mean? Well, according to a press release dated January 14, 2008, the American Craft Council describes them as: artists typically labeled ‘indie’ as they usually exhibit and sell their work at small local craft shows.

Small local craft shows? Seriously? Is that why they were given so little space at this event?

The press release goes on to explain: The New Wave Craft section which will feature the 15 artists together will be positioned among the 700 booths of professional craft artists who will present their high-quality, handmade jewelry, furniture…

The New Wave artists were all crammed together in a fenced off area and barely had three feet of space each. Sadly, this section, the only reason I wanted to visit this show, seemed like it was all thrown together as an afterthought.

I’ve been a big fan of Chicago based Andy Witt & Nancy Pizarro, aka CircaCeramics, for a very long time: Gocco and ceramics, genius! Andy makes the 3D objects and Nancy does the surface decoration, and I frequently covet their work on Etsy where they’ve also had some fabulous articles written about them in the Storque.



CircaCeramics

At Crafty Bastards 2007 I had wanted to sneak away from my booth to see Margaux Lange’s work but I didn’t have a second to spare, so a few weeks later I bought this necklace as a little gift to myself when I reached a milestone on Etsy. Getting to meet Margaux in person and see more of her work was awesome, and I hope to cross paths with her at some point again in the future. Be sure to visit her blog where she writes more about her work.



Margaux Lange

There were 13 other artists featured in this section including artwork by Dolan Geiman, letterpress by Yee-Haw Industries, and clay work by SODA.

When I wasn’t talking to Nancy, Margaux, or Andy, I did a little exploring and ended up finding some familiar faces and new favorites.

Caitlin of Rebound Designs is a member of Craft Mutiny and this was one of her biggest shows ever. She had a full size booth among all the regulars, and her display looked fabulous! Caitlin’s booth was a perfect example to show that ‘indie’ and ‘professional’ can be used in the same sentence.

Rebound Designs

Not far from Caitlin was the ‘Searchlight’ section. It was obvious that the organizers put a lot more thought into the way their space was designed and presented. Even though they were hidden at one end of the show, it was set up to look like a spacious gallery that was designed for the space, rather than an afterthought. Here are some of the amazing talents in that section:

Jung Yeon Choi

Haley Reneé Bates

Also notable in the section was jewelry by former Crafty Bastard Megan Auman, works in string by Maggie Casey, and glass sculpture by Andy Paiko.

But one of my very favorite finds at the show was the work of Elizabeth Perkins. What struck me most about her work was the combination of fiber arts and glass, materials and techniques. Is it even possible to make lace more delicate than lace? Described on her website as: cast glass using the pate de verre method. They are replicas of tatting, lace, and doilies made by my great-grandmother and her sister. The colors are inspired by 1940’s lingerie.



Elizabeth Perkins

It’s admirable that the American Craft Council is finally acknowledging a new generation of crafters, but overall it seems like this event isn’t quite caught up with the current revolution of hand made. From the look of the majority of the booths, the ‘professional craft’ style represented seems to be a little bit stuck in the 80s. And quite possibly the same people that named the area ‘New Wave’ were the ones listening to new wave music in the 70s and 80s.

Rania Hassan once coated herself in baby oil and rolled in cheeto dust. Imagine if she’d lost the bet? See the results on her blog,
goshdarnknit.com.