Holiday Heap: A Not-to-miss Craft Show & Raffle!

The Charm City Craft Mafia's 5th Annual Holiday Heap Craft Show will take place Saturday, December 3rd at St. John's Church (2640 St. Paul Street) from 10am-5pm. This year's fair will have 65 of the best local and national crafters, as well as a yarn-spinning demonstration by Three Ravens. This year the Charm City Craft Mafia's raffle will support Arts Every Day, a Baltimore non-profit whose mission is to strengthen learning by making arts education and cultural experiences an integral part of the education of all City Schools students. The raffle will feature two baskets heaped full of goodies plus a third raffle to win illegible ink's "The Animal Alphabet" print (a 24x36" linocut with watercolor detail) perfect for an alphabet lover of any age or your favorite K-8 teacher!

Can't wait to see you there!

Tis the Season: Apply to Richmond's Handmade Holiday

I still have to carve my pumpkin but that doesn't mean I can't start thinking about the upcoming holiday shows.

Actually, I've already applied to two in the first week of December but now it's time to make the decision about the second week. Will Baby Boy Beachler arrive early? Can I brave a car ride to Richmond if I'm one of the lucky ones accepted to the Richmond Craft Mafia's Handmade Holiday show? (Their Spring Bada Bing show is one of my absolute favorites - even our pups love the early spring trip down from Baltimore.)

While I have until October 24th to decide, that doesn't mean you shouldn't start applying now! Good luck!

Last Chance: Apply NOW for Holiday Heap

On a whim I decided to google "last chance," and wow, what a mistake that was. The first two pages list how it's the last chance for meaningful relationships, having children, adopting fuzzy little pets, saving your soul and of course, a slew of pitifully lonesome songs...

Apply NOW for the Charm City Craft Mafia's Holiday Heap 2010! This year's awesome INDOOR indie craft show will be held December 4 from 10-5pm at 2640 St. Paul Street (St. John's Church), Baltimore, MD 21218.

There is a $10 application fee and then accepted vendors will pay an additional $75 for an 8' space. (includes one 8 foot table & two chairs).

The deadline for applications is October 8, 2010 at midnight. If you have questions, please email charmcitycraftmafia@gmail.com.

I know some of those Crafty Bastards!

I don't know why I seem to be cursed but it happens every year. For some reason I'm always out of town the weekend of DC's Crafty Bastards Arts & Craft Fair (Drool!). Unfortunately, it means I'm going to miss some of favorite crafter buds:

beth pohlman jewelry: My go-to, "work function," geometric necklace. Enough said.
Biggs & Featherbelle: Just opened their Tequila Bar Lime & Salt soap this morning.
Brainstorm Print & Design: It is only natural to swap prints with Jason and Briana at craft shows (seriously, every time!).
Carlybird Weaves: Bought a blue dress just to go with my navy/ochre button cuff.
Cotton Monster: Who doesn't want a room full of those sweet little faces?
jennyjen42: If you know my prints, you know I'm a sucker for owls and that's why I have a collection of owl shoulder bags.
Pinkkiss Pottery: Only 13 weeks and 4 days left until my little man is born which means I can start using my favorite sushi plates again.
Red Prairie Press: What don't I own from Rachel Bone?
Spaghetti Kiss: My brother pouts when I don't buy him a shirt from Mikey's collection. That reminds me, his birthday is coming up.
Squidfire, Inc: My soft, big wheel tank was a summer staple this year.
Sweet Pepita: Coming soon! Shannon is busily working on my custom baby gear this fall.
The Broken Plate Pendant Company: I could be obsessed. At least three pendants and 2 set of earrings from the china of great-great grandmother and even Martha Stewart.
The Candy Thief: I dream of hot chocolate when I pull out my leaf-inspired, wool headband.
the littlest bean: All my neutral tops are cheered up when I add a colorful felt brooch.

So, promise you'll stop by Adams Morgan this Saturday from 10am-5pm for me! I'll be doing what any self-respecting pregnant woman would do in my position. Enjoying a weekend with the Pittsburgh in-laws and therefore stuffing my face with a Primanti Bros. sandwich. Okay, that made me drool a little, too.

Swim your way down to Squidfire's 10th Art Mart

Well, I hope we literally don't have to swim to Fells Point tomorrow morning but the forecast does call for some early morning thunderstorms (that I would normally say are quite romantic if I weren't peddling my prints) and a wee bit o' wind. I'm not made of sugar, though, so why don't you join illegible ink and 50 other local and regional crafters at Squidfire's 10th Art Mart from 11am-6pm in Fells Point?

Hey Mom, do you want me to add anything else to my list for you on Mother's Day?

March Madness is CRAFT MADNESS

When Pile of Craft rolls around, I'm finally feeling that spring has finally sprung!

See you at Squidfire

Join Squidfire and 60 other talented artists and crafters for an all day shopping experience tomorrow. The Du Burns Arena in Canton will be transformed into an alternative shopping center when DIY/Indie crafters from all over the east coast descend upon Baltimore to offer you the most unique, handmade gift ideas. Hope to see you there! illegible ink is in Booth #6 (right near the entrance).

Squidfire's Holiday Art Mart

Saturday, December 12th: 11am-6pm
Du Burns Arena
1301 S Ellwood Ave

Mark your Calendar - December 5, 2009!

[Insert Jaws theme song.] The Charm City Craft Mafia is thrilled to announce the 3rd Annual Holiday Heap - an Indie craft fair right here in Baltimore! Holiday Heap 2009 will take place at St. John's Church - 2640 St. Paul St., Baltimore, MD 21218 - on Saturday, December 5th, 2009. The fair will run 10am-5pm.

The Mafia is accepting applications through midnight, OCTOBER 5th. You can find the application form HERE. There is a $10 non-refundable fee to apply, and a $65 vendor fee if accepted by the 15 person jury. Please note: your application will not be complete until you pay the $10 fee.

Applicants will be judged on craftsmanship, originality and skill. The Mafia looks for great photos, easy to navigate websites (if applicable), good price points. They try to gather a group of both local and faraway vendors that work together to create the best and most unique shopping experience. So, apply now!

Thank you, Richmond!

The Richmond Craft Mafia outdid themselves this year with their Spring Bada Bing show at Plant Zero on Sunday. (I am incredibly grateful to the boss ladies of craft for hosting illegible ink at the show.) I met some great fans - a set of sisters who I wouldn't hesitate to hire as marketing reps and a young woman who made my day by telling me my prints "made her day."

The good feelings continued into my work week back in Baltimore as I eye my latest crafty purchases:

My new "Roll with it" print from Brainstorm.
(Good news for you - they are coming to Charm City's own Squidfire Art Mart on May 9th.)

I can't wait to wear my Poppy Tank Smock in brown from our fav, Red Prairie Press.
(I am eyeing her kitchen utensils tank dress next.)

And finally, the perfect card for my sister-in-law's upcoming May wedding from Holly Camp Cards. My husband also got the wine-juggling octopus!

Thursday Night Q & A

Question: What do mushrooms (edible and not so edible), hearts, crabs (blue and some that already hit the hot water), flowering cactus and fortune cookies all have in common?

Answer: They will all be available this Sunday at the illegible ink table at Plant Zero in Richmond. Snap them up and send them as a card or frame one for yourself. Enjoy!

Got refund?

Being the responsible person I am, the first thing I would tell you to do with that refund is make an extra payment towards your mortgage, car or home loan... and the second thing I would tell you to do is come down to Richmond this weekend for Spring Bada Bing and visit me at Table 60. (To sweeten the deal, if you do come visit me and mention this blog, you'll get a FREE cookie print with $10 purchase.)

But what you could also do with that extra money is head to Sotto Sopra for Dollar Pasta Night. For $1.00 you can choose from spaghetti alla Bolognese, rigatoni with eggplant and mozzarella, and penne with salmon and pernod. Of course, there is a catch but it is worth it. The restaurant is asking diners to make a donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and/or Our Daily Bread to qualify for the pasta deal.

Deadlines Approaching!

Hello Baltimore and Beyond! Get your crafts crafted and your websites updated - the spring craft shows are racing in like a lion!

Bada-boom! Apply now for the 2009 Spring Bada-bing. The deadline is this Friday - March 6th!


The Art Star Craft Bazaar is an annual juried arts & crafts retail show in Philadelphia, PA. Artists & crafters who create handmade, original work (in all mediums) are welcome! The deadline is April 1st.




The Renegade Craft Fair is a unique, DIY event showcasing over 300 artists and crafters throughout the year in four US cities (Brooklyn, Chicago, Los Angeles & San Francisco). The deadline for Brooklyn's Renegade Craft Fair is March 27th.


Artscape 2009
The largest FREE public arts festival in America, features 150+ artists, craftspeople and fashion designers and visual art exhibits! The DIY @ Artscape section continues to support the emerging DIY trend by creating an entire section of the site dedicated to hip and talented new wave crafters. This is a separate area with a separate application. The deadline for the DIY @ Artscape section is March 31st. Apply here!

Good luck!