The holiday season might have crept up on YOU, but local craft show organizers have been hard at work setting up so many shows in the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore areas. Every weekend between now and the end of the year you will be able to go and buy local and handmade. Crafty Bastards veterans can be found at all of these events so mark your calenders!

11/15, Holiday Heap, Baltimore MD
Holiday Heap is an indie craft fair featuring a jury-selected group of more than 50 of the country’s most renegade crafters, selling their own handmade jewelry, screenprinted apparel, stuffed toys, cermaics, knitwear, paper goods and so much more! Come this Saturday (November 15th) to St. John’s Church at 2640 St. Paul Street from 10am - 5pm for Holiday Heap. For more info, check out their Web site.

11/28-29, Bazaart American Visionary Art Museum, Baltimore MD
A Holiday Marketplace of original creations by 50 regional artists and craftspeople. Painting, sculpture, papercrafts, metalwork, jewelry, textiles, mixed media, and other work that simply defies categorization. FREE ENTRY. American Visionary Art Museum, Jim Rouse Visionary Center 3rd Floor. More info.

12/6, Craft Mutiny Holiday Booty Market, Washington, D.C.
Start your holiday shopping off right, by buying handmade from the 20 coolest indie crafters in Washington, D.C. There will be snacks and music and free goodie bags to the first 100 shoppers! This cozy little show is at Hilda’s in the National City Christian Church on Thomas Circle from 12-6pm. This event is sponsored by Dekka and Chipotle. List of vendors coming soon at their Web site.

12/7, Creative Alliance Merry Mart, Baltimore, MD
No manic mall madness necessary! Do your holiday shopping at The Patterson from 11am-5pm! 35 + handpicked artists sell some the best of Baltimore-made items. Gorgeous turned vessels, elegant jewelry, whimsical stuffed critters, origami lights, felt applique, hand knits, housemade soaps, wacky fly swatters, photos in jars, totally cool totes, and mucho more. More info.

12/7, SquidFire’s 2008 Winter Art Mart, Baltimore, MD
Join Squidfire and many other vendors at the Lyric Opera House (110 West Mount Royal Avenue – Baltimore, MD 21201) on Sunday December 7, 12-6:30pm. Check out the vendor list on their Web site.

12/13, Craft Mutiny Holiday Trunk Show, Washington, D.C.
Get your last minute indie holiday shopping done with Washington, D.C.’s favorite indie craft collective Craft Mutiny, at Design Within Reach Georgetown (3307 Cady’s Alley N.W.) on Saturday, December 13th from 10am-5pm. Buy handmade goods and meet local crafters at this one-day event, hosted at the slickest home store in D.C. One-of-a-kind goods for sale include clothing, stationary, prints, jewelry, handspun yarn, plush items and more. List of vendors coming soon at their Web site.

12/14, BEST Trunk Show Double Dutch Boutique, Baltimore MD
More info coming soon!

12/21 Black Cat Rock-n-Shop, Washington, D.C.
Hunting for that perfect holiday gift? Looking to augment your hardcore collection with some essential records? Searching for the perfect T-shirt? Stop right there, my friend! Rock-n-Shop is where it’s all at. This twice-yearly junk sale offers more than the standard fare…for one thing, it’s not all junk. To reserve a space please contact Maegan.

> Top of the post image is of Scandinavian Reindeer - Set of 6 Gocco Printed Holiday Cards by papermenagerie.

Tina Seamonster’s new podcast, Hello Craft, is collecting your stories of making and buying handmade. That was a plug.

1. Is there a specific product that you will be selling at the fair that you would like to talk about?

I will be selling mostly concert posters I was asked to do from around DC and some from NYC, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. Some of the latest work has been posters for My Morning Jacket (including super limited-edition variant versions), Silver Jews, and Melvins. I also was asked by the AIGA in Florida to do a poster endorsing a candidate. I decided to do a poster for Barack Obama which is a play off of an AC/DC album. We will be selling the poster with profits going to the Obama campaign.

2. Does this product have an origin story? Did the idea come to you in a dream or through a portal or other strange way?

The Obama piece took a lot of directions. I originally wanted to do a “serious” piece about the election. Being in and around DC, there are so many issues that I have opinions on, yet articulating those opinions in a graphic manner is difficult for me. My sketch book has varying degrees of imagery from the passive to the angry; pictures of tree depicting hope to a sketch of Bush and McCain hugging with the words “Fuck You Buddies” under it. In the end, I decided to do something that made me and my friends smile. I used the AC/DC motif because of the constant attacks by the Republicans calling Obama a rockstar and figured it is better to embrace the name than run away from it.

3. What famous personality (alive or dead, real or imagined) would most likely be found wearing/holding/admiring this product? Why?

Maybe Henry Rollins? He likes both AC/DC and Barack and would possibly get the humour of it. Even if he did not smile.

4. Convince me that this piece should be one of only 3 things I could take with me to a deserted island!

It is made of paper and can be used to start a fire, the metallic silver ink can be used to signal planes and you can fend off tigers by giving them paper cuts!

Charm City Craft Mafia just announced that applications for their winter craft fair - Holiday Heap 2008 - are now available online.

Holiday Heap will be November 15th, 2008 from 10-5pm at St. John’s Church in Charles Village (Baltimore). 40+ of the country’s most crafty vendors will be carefully chosen by a panel of jurors to sell their wares and thousands of shoppers are expected, much fun is guaranteed! Click the words “apply now” below to do just that:

APPLY NOW!

Applications are due October 5th. Jurying and acceptance status will be emailed by October 15th. There is a non-refundable $10 application fee required to complete the application process. Accepted vendors will pay an additional $65 for a space. (includes an 6 foot table & 2 chairs).