Please take a moment to fill out our Shopper Survey so we can make sure next year’s Crafty Bastards is even better!

Even though the show is over, there are still lots of ways to celebrate Crafty Bastards!

Add your photos to our Crafty Bastards Flickr pool! We wanna see what you bought, what you ate, who you met and how much fun you had.

Is there something that you meant to buy, but just didn’t get back to? You can still shop with our vendors via the Crafty Bastards Vendor Gallery.  You can also connect with your favorites on Facebook or Twitter, and make purchases from their online shops.

Also the winner of this year’s Craftiest Bastard contest will be announced soon. Be sure to follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook or sign up for our newsletter in order to find out who the winner is and get all our updates.

All photos courtesy of Rachel Carrier.

Wondering how to get to the fair? Then check out this handy guide for directions and public transportation information.

Still need plan out your shopping route for tomorrow? Use this vendor map to help you plan how you’ll navigate the fair to hit up all of your favorite vendors.

While shopping tomorrow be sure to keep in mind who you would like to give your vote to in the Craftiest Bastard Contest. You can either vote when you get home and back in front of a computer here, or cast your vote in person at the fair at the Washington City Paper booth.

Don’t forget to visit the new additions to this year’s event like the Young & Crafty Vendors, the Crafty Farm and all the added amenities like the stroller valet.

Take a peek at what others are saying about Crafty Bastards, like The Washington Post‘s Going Out Guide, The Washington Times and TBD.

And don’t forget to pick up this week’s issue of Washington City Paper where you can snag the official Event Guide.

Here is a sweet schedule that Ben Claassen III of Dirt Farm did for the Crafty Bastards guide in this week’s paper.

I just got a new bike, and need to know more about them.  The Bike Rack’s demos will be a great opportunity to learn everything about how to keep your bike in tip top shape.

Halloween make-up? Duh. I’m sure the make-up artist from Markoff’s Haunted Forest will be flattered if someone tries to fight me for the first spot.

The Textile Museum brought in their demo stuff today. I got a sneak peak,  and let me tell you, you are going to have an incredible time printing with their designs.

Greater Goods will be on hand for a composting demo.  Seriously, you will learn how to cut down on waste while making nutritious soil for your garden.  Don’t forget to grab a guide and head down there for a Crafty Stampede stamp.

Now, this last demo is after my own heart. The men from DC Men Knit will demo how to knit and crochet.  We prepared mini balls of yarn (eeeeeeeee!)  and will have so many knitting needles and crochet hooks on hand for you to start practicing your skills for autumn projects.

Get ready everyone. I’ll see you tomorrow at the demo square!

This year Washington City Paper is hosting the Neighborhood Stampede, an awesome scavenger hunt with more than $800 in prizes.

Playing is easy. This Thursday pick up a copy of the paper which will contain the entry form. Then visit each of the 12 participating businesses and ask for a validation stamp at each. When you come to shop at Crafty Bastards on Saturday you can drop off your completed entry form at the Washington City Paper booth.

And while you’re visiting the businesses to get your stamp, you can also take advantage of the special discount deal or coupon at each place.

Here’s a list of the participating businesses:

• Stroga
• Garden District
• RCKNDY
• Biagio
• Capitol Hemp
• Tattoo Paradise
• Rita’s Ice
• Miss Pixie’s
• Greater Goods
• Morton Fine Art
• Meeps
• Toro Mata

The first 100 people to turn in a valid completed entry form will receive a FREE goody bag. And the grand prize winner will receive a myriad of gift certificates and tickets including two tickets to David Sedaris, 10 Landmark movie passes, two tickets to Cirque du Soleil, more than $600 in gift certificates ($50 prizes from each of the 12 participating businesses above), a limited edition Crafty Bastards t-shirt and a limited edition totebag.

Head downtown now to catch the final hours of DC’s Downtown Holiday Market, which runs until 8pm tonight.  If you’re looking for something to get the guys on your list, be sure to check out Jon Wye‘s booth for belts, wallets, shirts and more.

DC folks: swing by the Adams Morgan/ U Street area and check out the handmade selections at Meeps, Nana, Smash, and Junction.  If you’re in Baltimore, head to the Hampden neighborhood for shopping at Red Tree, Double Dutch, Atomic Pop, Squidfire, Shine Collective and more.  And, total bonus: scoot on over to Christmas Street for pure holiday decoration overload.

For the fiber addicts on my list, I’m heading to Fibre Space in Alexandria and Stitch DC in Georgetown.

Chocolate makes a great gift & the truffles from Artisan Confections featuring designs by local artists are on my list to pick up.   They also offer classes for $65, which includes,  “a little bit of wine, a little bit of knowledge, and a whole lot of chocolate to take home.”  Yum!  In addition to their diverse line of chocolates from around the globe, Biagio Chocolates in DC carries several locally made brands:

Artisan Confections – Arlington, VA
Christopher’s Confections – Alexandria, VA
Fleurir Chocolates, Hartfield, VA
J Chocolatier – Georgetown, DC
Wanders Chocolatiere – Manassas, VA
Robert’s Chocolates – Alexandria, VA

And of course, I’ll be checking Miss Pixies for cute vintage items my crafty friends can incorporate in to their booth displays.

Time to get moving to get all the shopping done.  Before I go, here’s the list of 2009 Crafty Bastards that listed Virginia as their home state.

Inedible Jewelry: http://www.inediblejewelry.com/
Philip Barbato: http://www.etsy.com/shop/philbarbato
Tasha McKelvey: http://tashamck.com/
Robert Ullman/Atom-Bomb Bikini: http://rkullman.blogspot.com/
this chickadee: http://thischickadee.blogspot.com/
popidiot: http://www.popidiot.com/
Michael Brown – UC Studios: http://www.ucstudios.com/
Moonlight Bindery: http://www.etsy.com/shop/moonlightbindery
molly miller by appointment:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/mollymillerbyappt
imoM / MousyBabe: http://mousybabe.com/
Minda Merinsky: http://www.etsy.com/shop/MINDASART
Richmond Craft Mafia: http://www.richmondcraftmafia.com/
Steve Strawn: http://www.splutphoto.com/
DB PUPPET: http://www.dbpuppet.com/

You can get a listing of all the local Crafty Bastards (DC/MD/VA) in the City Paper’s Shop Local Directory by clicking Crafty Bastards under the partner heading.  Or, just go here.

And I leave you with this holiday message from the sisters of imoM.

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.

But first, I wanted to spotlight one of last year’s new vendors. Final Approach take vintage hardshell suitcases and redesign them into traveling pieces of art. Jon Pemberton’s clever recycling of old suitcases combined with his use of color and sense of humor make him one of my favorite vendors at the fair.

The case that I got from him last year is my most prized possession. The awesome thing about Final Approach is that every piece is one of a kind and his booth has something for everyone. No really, I’m not just saying that.

You will totally love Final Approah. Find them in Booth #86 at Crafty Bastards on October 3 from 10 am to 5 pm at the Marie Reed Learning Center in Adams Morgan.

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!

If you don’t already follow Crafty Bastards on Twitter, you can do so here.

Steve Strawn has a story to tell. It is a fascinatingly beautiful tale of robots kicking the crap out of us. Since he is the world’s only photojournalist war correspondent sending back photos from Great Robot War, I was lucky to get the chance to ask him a few questions about his photography. Here we go:

Question: How long does it usually take to set up a scene for your photos?

Answer: It can take from minutes to days, depending on the inspiration, complexity, and the amount of stuff needing to be blown up. In particular, if something is to be destroyed, the setup needs to be much more meticulous, because the ligthing needs to be exact.

Question: Are you constantly searching for new toys to use?

Answer: All the time. My wife is convinced it is an excuse to just go ahead and buy more toys. It kind of is.

Question: Your robots are very simple, unlike most toys in stores today, where do you get them?

Answer: They are from Stikfas, who makes these wonderfully unbranded and incredibly articulated toys. They are not Power Rangers, they are not Transformers, they are some ambiguous robot from another world who is perfectly posable.

Question: Do you build/make any of the items in your photos?

Answer: I am starting to build more of my figures. There’s a lot that goes into my shoots that is hand-built, and a lot that is store bought. I do want to get away from the store-bougth stuff more for creative and lawsuit reasons, though.

Question: Do you have a true fear of the kinds of attacks that you are creating in your photos? Are they therapy? (That question isn’t meant to be rude, most of what I make is about zombies, even though I am not afraid of zombies. I am really afraid of sharks and seamonsters, actually!)

Answer: Robot invasion scares the shit out of me. Zombies are scarier because they were once people, and now they are something else, and for some reason that is far more terrifying than an automaton that’s here to tear us up. That being said, a zombie can only do so much damage, a robot can blow shit up hard, and really wreck things badly. And yes, it is therapy.

You can pick up some of Steve’s work at Crafty Bastards on September 28th at the Marie Reed Learning Center, 2200 Champlain St NW, Washington, District of Columbia, DC. Check out more of Steve photos at www.splutphoto.com

Tina Seamonster blogs her life and craft at I Like Seamonsters.com. Her biggest fear is men with shark heads. What the hell does that mean?