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.

This Saturday in Downtown Silver Spring is the Holiday-Shop-n-Stroll. Handmade Mart and FRESHFARM Markets are teaming up, meaning there will be approximately 50 artisans and crafters selling their handmade products plus local  produce from the farmers market vendors. For those inspired to get crafty at the event, Art Spring (the Pyramid Atlantic Art Center retail store) will be hosting an ornament-making workshop.

It’s a shoppers paradise for those looking to support local/handmade, plus a quick stop for all those Christmas shopper slackers who still need to begin their holiday shopping. You can find everything from silk-screened cards and posters, to jewelry, to handmade soaps and body products. Here are some of my favorites.

b-kao, hand-sewn clothing and accessories made from reconstructed vintage materials:

This Chickadee, really cute handmade home decor & more:

Pretty Little Fings, plush goodness:

FuzzyMug, pet inspired note cards, journals and cards (plus custom pet portraits!)

When: Saturday, December 5 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Downtown Silver Spring, MD on Ellsworth Drive (between Georgia and Fenton Ave.)
More info: Vendor Q&A’s can be found on the official Handmade Mart blog and the vendor gallery is on the Pyramid Atlantic Web site.

Following the list of DC crafters I posted last week, below you will find links to all the Crafty Bastards in Maryland.  I’m working on the Virginia crafters.  Stay tuned.

But first, one of my favorite ways to buy handmade: craft shows!

Craft shows are a great place to find handmade gifts and come with the added bonus of buying directly from artist.  Over on Hello Craft, I posted a round up of all the holiday craft shows I want to shop this year.  The list includes a few not-to-be-missed local events like this Saturday’s Handmade Mart Holiday Shop and Stroll in Silver Spring (where I’ll be sharing a booth with market organizers Kimberly Dorn & Debbie Lee-come say hi!), and Holiday Heap in Baltimore presented by the Charm City Craft Mafia.

Also, DC’s Downtown Holiday Market kicks off this Friday and runs daily from noon-8pm through December 23rd.  Next Saturday, you can scoop up handmade goods at the Squidfire Winter Art Mart in Baltimore.  And, last minute shoppers, be sure to check out the Holiday Booty Market on December 19th.

And now, as promised, all the 2009 Crafty Bastards that listed Maryland as their home:

Crafty Bastards: Maryland Edition

60bugs: http://www.etsy.com/shop/60bugs

Alitas Jewelry: http://www.etsy.com/shop/alitasjewelry

Amy Klainer: http://www.etsy.com/shop/AmyKlainer

BEST: http://baltimorecraft.com/shop.html

beth pohlman jewelry: http://www.etsy.com/shop/bethpohlman

Biggs and Featherbelle: http://www.biggsandfeather.com/

b-kao: http://b-kao.com/

Block Party Press: http://www.etsy.com/shop/blockpartypress

Brown Paper: http://www.etsy.com/shop/brownpaper

Carlybird Weaves: http://www.carlygoss.com/

Cotton Monster: http://www.cottonmonster.com/

Dandelion Blu Jewelry: http://www.etsy.com/shop/dandelionblu

DIRTFARM!: http://www.bendependent.com/

Dots, Lines, and Polygons: http://www.dotslinesandpolygons.com

Elisa Shere Jewelry: http://www.etsy.com/shop/elisasherejewelry

Fisticuffs Leather:  http://fisticuffsleather.com/

Folktale Fibers: http://www.etsy.com/shop/folktale

Jaime Zollars: http://jaimezollars.com/category.php?new=1

jennyjen42: http://www.etsy.com/shop/jennyjen42

Maganda Design: http://www.etsy.com/shop/magandadesign

My UglyKitty: http://myuglykitty.com/

Neighborhood Fiber Co.: http://www.neighborhoodfiberco.com/

Pellinore Press: http://www.pellinorepress.com/

pistolstitched: http://www.pistol-stitched.com/

Rebound Designs: http://www.rebound-designs.com/

Red Prairie Press : http://www.redprairiepress.com/

spaghetti kiss: http://spaghettikiss.websiteanimal.com/

squidfire, inc.: http://www.squidfire.com/

Sugar Paperie: http://www.etsy.com/shop/sugarpaperie

Sweet Pepita:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/sweetpepita

The Broken Plate Pendant Co.: http://ibreakplates.com/

The Devil Made Me Do It: http://thedevilmademedoitclothing.com/

The Garbologist’s Wife: http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheGarbologistsWife

The Littlest Bean: http://www.littlestbean.com/

Tigerlillyshop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/tigerlillyshop

tlane: http://www.etsy.com/shop/tlane

Woolarina: http://woolarina.com/

Happy shopping!

Image Credit: Spruce Springstein Soap by 8th Street Soap Kitchen.  Buy online or in person at Handmade Mart this Saturday.

In case you haven’t heard, holiday shopping season has arrived.  Since you are reading this, I’ll assume you’re not the sort that rushes to big box stores at 4am the day after Thanksgiving.  If you’re like me, you want no part of the mind-numbing mall experience and would rather avoid our nation’s gross display of holiday consumerism altogether.

But you still want to give gifts and you want them to be meaningful.  If you’re not making the gift yourself, you prefer to buy handmade from someone else (even better if they live in your area).  You shop on Etsy, but sometimes have a hard time finding locally made items that appeal to your sensibilities.  I know.  It’s tough being a discerning handmade consumer.

I want to help.  This post is the first in a series focused on buying handmade in the DC area.  Check back over the next few weeks for shopping guides to local craft markets, stores that carry handmade goods and links to the 2009 Crafty Bastards vendors from the DC-MD-VA region.

First up, the District of Columbia’s finest.  This list features the 2009 Crafty Bastards vendors that listed DC as their home:

8th Street Soap Kitchen:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/8thStreetSoap

blugrn design:  http://www.blugrndesign.com/shop/

Catherinette:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/catherinette

craftgasm:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/craftgasm

Daisy Lacy:  You can find her stuff at Smash!

Dirty Pictures: http://www.ant-hive.com/dirtypictures/

goshdarnknit: http://goshdarnknit.com/

Jenny Wren Jewelry: http://www.etsy.com/shop/jennywrenjewelry

Jon Wye:  http://www.jonwye.com/

Kelly Towles:  http://www.kellytowles.com/

Kristina Bilonick: http://www.kristinabilonick.net/

Les & Oscar: http://www.etsy.com/shop/lesandoscar

Sean Hennessey:  http://dcsean.com/home.html

tigerflight: http://www.etsy.com/shop/tigerflight

Tina Seamonster:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/tinaseamonster

Stay tuned for the Maryland & Virginia Crafty Bastards lists.  Be sure to tell us about your favorite local artists and where you find handmade items in the comments.

Image Credit: Gocco-printed Happy Holidays Bike Card by TwoGuitars.Etsy.com. Not local, but still awesome.

With Crafty Bastards just days away, Hello Craft is busy getting ready to offer you some amazing fun during this, the most awesomest craft fair ever.

Stop by the Hello Craft booth (#126) during Crafty Bastards to enter a handmade giveaway, make a button, sign up for a membership or just say hi!

Hello Craft’s handmade raffle giveaway includes some really neato prizes. While the raffle is free, there is a suggested donation of $1 per ticket to help support Hello Craft. With your entry you’ll have a chance to win a Hello Craft membership, entrance to the next Summit of Awesome, one of two Etsy prize packs, a Knit Outta the Box kit, a book journal from Ex Libris Anonymous, prizes from Sublime Stitching, Jaime Zollars and more!

Then, after strolling through Crafty Bastards and buying handmade, why not try your hand at making something handmade? Hello Craft will also be hosting the Make Something Awesome Area (booth #134-137). This making and crafting area is the perfect spot for you to stop in, sit a spell and flex your crafting muscles. Follow directions for projects from Etsy, Knit Outta the Box, Mary Ellen Doran and more. Or or use the materials to come up with one of your own!

Also don’t miss these fun and exciting demos happening throughout the day at Booth 129.

10 am – Knitting Lace with Laurie Gonyea of Knit Outta the Box
11:15 am – Bike Tune Ups with the Bike Rack
12:30 pm – Hoola Hoop Making with Surprise Hoops!
2 pm – Bike Tune Ups with the Bike Rack
3:15 pm – Hoola Hooping with Surprise Hoops!
4:30 pm – Small Book Making with Esti Gerson

Do you like handmade goods and eco-friendly products? What about winning prizes? Everyone loves winning prizes, right?

Well, be sure to stop by cosa verde‘s booth (#127) at Crafty Bastards to enter for a change to win a super awesome prize pack worth over $350. There are four prize packs in all, worth approximately $1500 of environmentally-friendly goods, all handmade by cosa verde members.

cosa verde is an online showcase connecting independent and emerging artists with environmentally-conscious consumers. Members of cosa verde work specifically in recycled, organic, cruelty-free or other sustainable materials.

The handiwork of over 30 cosa verde members, and all the items up for grabs, will be on display in the cosa verde booth, where Crafty Bastards shoppers can sign up at the booth for a chance to win!

Items in the prize packs include panel paintings by Dolan Geiman, an upcycled teacup from trixiedelicious, a stool made from repurposed wine barrel slats from Stilnovo, and bicycle tire belts from re-bicycle. Other items include organic clothing, handspun, cruelty-free yarn, original jewelry designs and earth-friendly bath products. The drawing is free to enter, but cosa verde suggests a $1 donation, where all proceeds will go to plant trees through Trees for the Future.

Moneybag pillow from Chakra Pennywhistle, bicycle tire belt from re-bicycle, panel painting by Dolan Geiman, paper pouches by La Alicia

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.

I recently found and can’t stop thinking about these awesome converted toy guns by River Wraith.

Can you believe this is a converted Nerf gun, made of plastic? It has been painted, aged, and sealed with a gloss. The gun no longer fires Nerf bullets. It is strictly a prop or costume gun. For just $28.00, this gun makes me want to write and film my own little space opera.

And look at this one!

Seriously, these are amazing. Check out River Wraith for even more.

Bohemian Babydolls!

Bohemian Babydolls Unite! These are some incredibly cute handmade summer dresses and jewelry for your shopping pleasure. The dresses are available at SMASH! in Adams Morgan. You can see a greater selection of babydolls, vinyl and other fineries at the Smash! Records website!

Crafty Classifieds for goodies like this and more!

Make stuff? Place a Crafty Bastards ad, it’s FREE!

Crankbunny video on Flickr

You can read more about her animation process and tools in this storque article, and visit her website here.