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!

Print More, Baltimore!

Sunday FUNday is usually all about football but this Sunday somewhere between the hours of 3pm-7pm, I plan on taking a break from the flat screen to check out Baltimore Print Studios!

Baltimore Print Studios (BPS) is hosting their grand opening at 18 W. North Avenue (between Maryland Avenue and Charles Street). They will be doing hands-on letterpress and screenprinting demos in addition to providing shop/studio access information and tours.

BPS is owned and operated by Kyle Van Horn, a Baltimore artist, designer and printer, with the assistance of Kim Bentley, a DC/Maryland designer and printer. This is a welcomed addition to the Station North Arts & Entertainment District - and I'm not just saying that as a printmaker whose office just happens to be across the street from BPS.

Update your iCal: 2010 Print Fair

The month of March really didn't seem to roar in like a lion and go out like a lamb. In fact, when thinking about my work at illegible ink (or even the weather), it seems like the opposite would be true. There are artist residencies to finish up, print deadlines, show application deadlines, marketing updates, etc. that are all popping up at the end of this month. With all the carnivorous deadlines, I've decided the best way to tackle them is to also balance them with fun.

Hmm... what would a Baltimore printmaker have fun doing this weekend? Well, it just so happens the Baltimore Museum of Art will be hosting the Baltimore Fair for Contemporary Prints & New Editions, Saturday, March 27 and Sunday, March 28, from 11am - 6pm. Tickets range between $12-$30 depending on membership and daily/weekend rates.

Discover limited-edition portfolios and single-image prints from 14 major contemporary art dealers, galleries, and presses from around the U.S. There will be a DIY Marketplace where attendees can learn about the do-it-yourself printmaking phenomenon directly from the artists! There will also be an afternoon panel discussion, New Directions for Printmakers. In this discussion, printmakers will address career options for recent printmaking graduates, which now range from the traditional track of becoming master printers for established print shops to self-publishing as a means of establishing oneself in this ever-evolving field. 

Let the fun begin!

Top Ten NEW Print Ideas for 2010

The craft shows will be in full swing in April and I've got to get carving. Sticking loosely with a Top Ten list, this is a list of my new illegible ink print ideas for 2010. (Ideas are listed in alphabetical order - thus, the word "loosely.") But I need your help! Leave a comment with your favorite idea (or a new idea) and win a limited edition illegible ink card set (value of $20). Winner will be chosen at random on 03/01/10.

1. Amaryllis
2. Bicycle (or perhaps a tricycle)
3. Butterflies (similar to the sea shells series of prints)
4. Dinosaurs (similar to the alphabet series of prints including allosaurus, ankylosaurus, brontosaurus, stegasaurus and tyrannosaurus)
5. Football
6. Fish (also similar to the alphabet series)
7. Jellyfish
8. Orange Tabby (this one is non-negotiable; a print dedicated to my sweet Hoppers)
9. Rhino
10. Wagon (designed for my soon-to-be-new nephew: the little red wagon that could)

Thank you and good luck!

Crafters Uniting in Hope for Haiti

As more unsettling news pours in from Haiti, I have pulled together several places where you can find indie crafter-sponsored sales whose proceeds go to charities supporting Haitian Relief. Between now and February 1st, illegible ink will be donating 20% of all Etsy sales to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund.

Baltimore Etsy Street Team (BEST) Haiti Relief: The BEST members have joined together and decided to donate portions of their Etsy sales to Haiti Relief. Click here to see the full list of participating shops and their charities.

Craft Hope for Haiti: The fine ladies of Craft Hope have created an Etsy shop where crafters can donate items to benefit Haiti relief efforts through January 20th. Over $4,000 has been raised in the first few days. All proceeds from the sale of handmade items will go to Doctors Without Borders in Haiti.


Haiti Relief Fundraiser: Each day, crafter and blogger-extraordinaire, Jen Wallace of Indie Fixx, will share a new batch of items you can bid on via the comments. The highest bidder will win the item and pledges the amount bid towards the Red Cross International Response Fund. The item will then be sent out in the mail to you from the artist, crafter or designer who donated it.

You can also give directly to the Red Cross on their website here or donate $10 to Haiti relief by texting “Haiti” to 90999.

5 Days Left to Vote!

Some exciting news for the last week in January: I just nominated myself for the Baker Artist Awards.

The Baker Artists Awards celebrate Baltimore's artists on the Web with an ongoing exhibition of its diverse artistic practice. As a Baltimore artist, I am eligible to win the significant Mary Sawyers Baker Prize or maybe bragging rights as Baltimore’s Choice.

Go to www.bakerartistawards.org and sign up now to vote for your favorite songwriters, painters, printmakers, bookbinders, sculptors, composer, filmmaker, performance artist, dancer - and a few who reject all attempts to be classified.