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 to encompass tableus (dig that dino-light!). Only, make sure to not put that blender in your kitchen, for fear of confusing a friend who only wants to make margaritas! Flip the switch at booth #21 this year!

I love pottery. A lot. But sometimes I have trouble rationalizing a chunk of money on something my cat will just (purposely) knock over. What can I say, she’s vindictive.With Tasha McKelvey you have the option of wearing her pieces! She makes jewelry that compliments her other utilitarian (but still beautiful!) pottery pieces.

A word to the wise about Tasha’s stuff, get there EARLY! Last year I tried to get in her booth and it was packed. I almost don’t want to tell you where her booth is. Ok, it’s #31, but wait for me, will ya?

Any company that sites the Melvins as an ingredient to their creativity is A-OK in my book. Hogmalion & Company has the sort of tongue-in-someone-else’s cheek kinda humor we all love. Sock Monkey wine-covers, Che-a-Pet plant holders and wine stoppers with the visage of newly minted Chief Justice Sotomayor.

This will be your one-stop-shopping place for the friends you know all too well … and maybe the family members of which you might want to get under the skin of. Just a little. This year, Hogmalion & Co are at booth #7 at Crafty Bastards. Which is the 3rd of October. Which is a Saturday, but you knew that already, right?

I have to move soon and the most redeeming thing about it is that I will have a new space to decorate. I’m planning to score some accessories for my new home at this year’s Crafty Bastards Arts and Crafts fair.

Bright Lights Little City makes fantastic lighting with reused materials like cocktail umbrellas. Perfect for lighting up a dark corner in any room. You can see Bright Lights Little City at Booth #110 on the vendor map.

Girls Can Tell features accessories for your kitchen like these screen-printed  hand towels. Often featuring diagrams of objects like bicycles or cameras, these accessories will teach you something as well as serve useful in the kitchen. Find Girls Can Tell at Booth #23 on the vendor map.

Trees has pillows made from vintage fabrics, buttons and recycled materials. They deserve a spot on any couch. Pick one up at Booth # 139 on the vendor map.

Jessica Knapp’s wall art is a must for living up a dull room. Her “Plushkill Forest Taxidermied” animals can be found at Booth # 83 on the vendor map.

You can visit these vendors and more at the 6^th Crafty Bastards which takes place on Saturday, October 3^rd at the Marie Reed Learning Center in Adams Morgan.

Have I mentioned that we have over 30! new vendors at the fair this year? Yes, I think I have mentioned that. Well, it is still true. While I can’t promise that you will love super love all of them, I can promise without a doubt that you will love Berkley Illustration. The magical pairing of animals in suits in Ryan Berkely’s drawings is truly a gift for any occasion. I totally plan on stocking up on his silly/awesome prints to give as gifts. What better than this as a gift for your brother’s wedding?

And, this print is a perfect baby shower gift. If you want to make a statement about how awesome YOU are, you will check out Berkley Illustration in Booth #44 at the fair.

This year’s Crafty Bastards Arts and Crafts Fair is on Saturday, October 3rd from 10am to 5pm at the Marie Reed Learning Center in Adams Morgan.

Read Etsy Success Stories: Berkley Illustration to learn more about this awesome vendor.

Artist and designer Amalia Versaci loves zippers. She loves zippers so much that she seeks out vintage zippers and spends hours figuring out new ways to use each and every part of it.

And her work is paying off.

Amalia will be offering her unique zipper jewelry and accessories at Crafty Bastards. What is so very neat about Amalia’s designs is that she takes a found and used object, the zipper, and turns it into something fun and new. This is often called upcycling.

The other great green thing about her designs is that she uses every part of the zipper, coming up with new and creative ways to make zipper jewelry and accessories.

Check them out for yourself at booth #10

If nature is near and dear to your heart, why not honor the great outdoors with forest inspired jewelry by Figs and Ginger.

Choose from a fawn ring or a bird or mountain necklace, knowing that Figs and Ginger strive to use the most environmentally sound production practices in their jewelry making, so nature is left in tack for future generations to enjoy.

Each of Figs and Ginger’s pieces are made from a minimum of 50% recycled/reclaimed silver and/or gold and all of their printed materials and mailers contain a minimum of 50% post consumer recycled content.
Each piece is made by hand and much of their work is inspired by the simple beauty found in forests, both imaginary & real.

Find Figs and Ginger at booth #22.

Twitter is buzzing with this year’s Crafty Bastards vendors working hard on products for the fair on Saturday, October 3rd. I found myself enjoying the feed this morning, clicking through to see all the photos of new stuff. Then I remember that I likely should be making something, too. Some of what I have seen recently:

From Folktale Fibers (Booth # 2 at the fair), a yarn preview:

Read more on their blog or follow them on Twitter.

From Something’s Hiding in Here (Booth #60 at the fair):

Follow Something’s Hiding in Here on Twitter or check out their photostream for their progress.

From Home Sweet (Booth #5 at the fair), some hand stamped fabric is drying:

Check out more on her blog, or follow her on Twitter.

Vendors, keep posting your process (or lack of!) to @craftybastards. I am watching and will be posting more.

Remember that you, too, can follow Crafty Bastards on Twitter. This is a good idea for two reasons. One, you can see what the vendors are working on. Maybe get inspired to make something yourself (or to buy something!) And two, you will be able to get special sales and codes sent directly to you during the show in a few weeks.

And now, you can also follow the vendors directly via links in the vendor gallery, like so:

Ok. I should totally go make something now.

I consider many friends as seasonal knitters, meaning they prefer to knit when the weather gets cold.  With winter on it’s way, there will be plenty of awesome yarn to choose from at this year’s Crafty Bastards!

Folktale Fibers has absolutely beautiful yarn make from sustainable, animal-friendly fibers. She has a preview of some yarn that will be for sale at this year’s Crafty Bastards on her blog. Pick up some whimsical yarn at Booth # 2 on the vendor map.

Not only does Woolarina sell knit goods and patterns, they also have yarn spinning kits! Make your own yarn at Booth #81 on the vendor map.

For some environmentally friendly yarn, check out molly miller by appointment. Purchase some handspun yarn made from recycled fibers like soy byproducts and plastic bottles at Booth #2 on the vendor map.

If you’re a DC knitter, you’ll love Neighborhood Fiber Co. who creates fibers inspired by the vivid colors of the District’s neighborhoods. With each skein hand-painted or kettle dyed, you can be certain you are making a unique purchase. Neighborhood Fiber Co. will be at Booth #28 on the vendor map.

You can visit these vendors and more at the 6^th Crafty Bastards which takes place on Saturday, October 3^rd at the Marie Reed Learning Center in Adams Morgan.

With companies popping up faster than you can say “ironic t-shirt” it’s good to recognize there are still people out there screening their own shirts and making their own designs.  If you’re in the market for some new togs, get ye to Crafty Bastards on the 3rd of October and check out some of these artists to cover your back:

Gnome Enterprises has the eternal struggle of bear vs. tractor for you to display. Gnome Enterprises will be at Booth #141 and they are a new vendor this year!

For a slightly more surreal sark, check out these designs by Pop Idiot

Find their pop culture inspired shirts at Booth #101 this year!

Local Favorites from Baltimore Squidfire have been owning the t-shirt game for years.

Find them at Booth #29 this year at Crafty Bastards on Saturday, October 3rd. Download the vendor map to plan your trip to the fair!

If you have kids or know people who have kids, you are completely worried about the amount of plastic in our lives. I often see my twins’ bedroom with the a million and one Polly Pockets and huge Dora play house and wonder what all this bright orange material is doing to us.

Enter Helicopter Studios. A brand new vendor at this year’s Crafty Bastards, they make these fantastic chilren’s playsets. Take a look.

These handmade playsets are not only amazingly beautiful, but also completely portable.

The idea that my kids could have a cityscape or a countryside or a campfire kit and then close it up into a little bag to take with them is just brilliant. And the fact that there is no orange plastic in site is double plus awesome.

I talked to Shannon Duffy about how she came up with these and just how long they take to make. Shannon says:

I have my Master’s in metals and had been working with metal for the last 10 years or so. While living in NC, we bought a house with a studio and I moved from a remote location to home. I also, have two young children who were home with me all day at that time. So, working in metals was not the best choice of mediums due to fire, chemicals and intense concentration. I decided to try something different that I could do around them and put down and pick up without a real problem. Sewing it was.

I came up with my first one which was the race track, and then it just evolved from there. My landscapes are by far my favorite to make, I worked at an architecture firm for a few years building scale models. I think that’s where they came from to start. Plus, just being an earth/nature lover, I really wanted to present something that evoked imagination. There are so many crappy plastic battery operated toys that leave no imagination.

Also, as a parent I am always trying to organize toys and keep the chaos down so I love the way the totes work as beautiful storage too!

I would say new ideas that go to the prototype stage take about four to six hours to produce.

Even if you don’t have kids, you are going to love Helicopter Studios. A great concept, amazing color choices and lovely craftsmanship make these playsets something not to miss at this year’s fair. Check them out in Booth #91 at the Crafty Bastards Arts and Crafts Fair on Saturday, October 3rd from 10-5 at the Marie Reed Learning Center.

Have you ever been completely overwhelmed by the amount of t-shirts that are available in thrift stores? Well the Sardine Clothing Company has given this material of the masses a second chance at life as a T-skirt.

Each skirt is 99.9% recyled and 100% unique as no two skirts are alike. They are both fashionable and eco-friendly.

The Sardine Clothing Company offers kids sizes as well as adult mini, regular and long. No matter which length you seek, you’ll have fun finding the perfect T-skirt that represents you at Booth #111 at this year’s Crafty Bastards on Saturday, October 3rd.