Cruise on over to Etsy.com & check out the Crafty Bastards picks on the homepage.  Start the handmade shopping early and buy online now!  The Crafty Bastards picks will be featured on the homepage for about an hour, but you can still find them in the Crafty Bastards gift guide for a few more days.

Meet the makers and buy from them in person tomorrow at Crafty Bastards from 10am-5pm at the Marie Reed Learning Center in Adams Morgan.  See you there!

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.

Pinecone + Chickadee is a collaboration between a graphic designer and musician. Together this creative duo silkscreen their art onto greeting cards, journals, apparel and accessories.

On top of creating adorable fantasy settings, their stationary line is printed on recycled paper.

Their clothing is often organic.

And their inks are water-based and earth friendly.

You can find Pinecone + Chickadee at booth #55 at Crafty Bastards.

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.

More and more crafters are infusing their creations with the color green. And I don’t mean that literally. At this year’s Crafty Bastards you’ll find many items made with the environment in mind.

Maryink is one such vendor. Finding inspiration in nature and vintage imagery, Maryink sells hand printed clothing, accessories and home goods that make for a folksy yet modern look.

You’ll find their designs printed on organic cotton and bamboo shirts and their dye water based, all for a softer footprint on the Earth.

Find Maryink at booth #58

Tomorrow my twins start Pre-K and my life as I know it will change. No more dragging around a huge Target canvas bag full of fish crackers, potty seats and changes of clothing.

My life needs a new bag. I need something big enough for an embroidery project, ipod, cell phone, audio recorder, etc., but small enough that I don’t look homeless. Let’s see if any Crafty Bastards will have what I am looking for on October 3rd.

I have totally wanted one of the awesome messenger bags from Pear for a few years! Pear creations are designed and sewn by twin sisters Mary and Tracy Kruger. Check out Pear in Booth #84 on the Vendor Map (pdf).

Oh! Wait! I have also been coveting these bird bags by Jennyjen42. I love the little stories that her bags tell. You can find her in Booth #115 on the Vendor Map (pdf).

For a more sporty feel, I would go with one of these messenger bags. Vaya Bags is a one woman company that makes handmade bike messenger bags and accessories out of recycled bicycle tubes and recycled sailboat awnings. Find Vaya in Booth #149 on the Vendor Map (pdf).

For a day when I am just going to go for a walk, I could take one of these super cute clutches by Moth Designs. Find Moth Designs in Booth #17 on the Vendor Map (pdf).

Check out these and over 120 more vendors at Crafty Bastards on Saturday, October 3rd, 10am-5pm. The fair is outdoors on the grounds of the Marie Reed Learning Center at 18th & Wyoming in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, DC. And even if you aren’t in the area, you can still shop from all of these amazing vendors online, right now!

Oh! And I couldn’t help but show you a few of my favorite bags on Etsy right now. Take at look at these!

The vendor gallery for Crafty Bastards 2009 is up and ready for your browsing pleasure. Use the options at the top to sort by category and vendor name.

Click an image to see the artist statement, additional images and website (Etsy Minis and social media links coming soon, too!).

Vendor booth numbers and event map will be added soon so you can plan your shopping route with ease! Stay tuned!