New Flint Handmade Swag for the New Year!

Flint Handmade is ringing in the New Year with NEW merchandise featuring our NEW logo!

Join us at craftLAB on Sunday, January 3, 2010 from noon to 3pm at The Lunch Studio for our official Flint Handmade Swag Launch Party!

Totes are $10 and notebooks are $5. Visit http://www.flinthandmade.com/ for more information about our new swag!

Flint Handmade merch will be available at all Flint Handmade events and at The Lunch Studio. We will also be taking advance orders for FH tshirts. See us at an event for more details!

Much love to local art student Yasmin Ladha for designing our awesome "knuckles" logo! Check out Yaz's bio at http://www.flinthandmade.com/ under featured artists.

We hope to see YOU on January 3rd!

Crafty Holiday Gifts!

Happy Holidays to all of the friends of Flint Handmade!  We hope everyone is enjoying this festive season.  :)

We want to know what kinds of crafty gives you gave and/or received this year!  Email your pics to us at flinthandmade@hotmail.com. 

To get us started, check out this pic of April (aka Dazey Destroyah) and her brand new sewing machine!

April can't wait to use her cutie pink sewing machine to make more roller derby gear!

Send us your crafty holiday pics and we'll post them here.  : )

We ROCKED the Holiday Craft Market!

WOW!!!  WOW!!!  Thank you to EVERYONE who came downtown on Saturday for the third annual Flint Handmade Holiday Craft Market!

We had over 400 people in attendance...our largest crowd yet!  Over $8,000 in sales were transacted in just 6 hours!  Way to support the creative economy and local businesses!!!

We are so proud to be a part of Flint right now and you should be, too!

Check out some pics:

April and her Roller Derby Stockings!

International Pop Sensation Tunde at the FH Raffle Table!

Heidi of Madge & Gert has the BEST candles in Flint!

Morgan of MorganSmorgasbord has awesome lip balm!

Sarah watches over the International Robot table. :)

Leanne and her awesome Dorabean products!

Brooklyn and Jess of From the Hipp!

Sarah Reed Photography :)

Mimi and Ken of Mimi Marta!

We love Jason of Kill Taupe!!!

Ashley of Butter Bean, Inc. Such a cute pic!

Steph feeds baby Olive behind all of the Frankenstitch Production Monstas. :)

Anna and Olivia of Radically Random have great earrings!

Tunde helps Michelle of Aisle 3 decide what to try to win in the raffle!

Kids love handmade!

Flint's First Family supports son Bennett's Jewelry Storm beading!  That's Carrie, Dayne and Emery...wearing a monsta from Frankenstitch Productions on his head!  :)

FYI: We have TONS more pictures from the Holiday Craft Market on our flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/flinthandmade. Check them out!

Handmade Harvest Brings Crafty Goodness to Black Friday!

Thank you SOOOOO much to everyone who came out for Handmade Harvest on Black Friday!  We had about 100 people in attendance!  Almost $2000 was transacted, so it was a GREAT sneak preview for the Holiday Craft Market on Saturday, December 5!

And now, pictures from Handmade Harvest!

Katie and Becky

Steph's Monstas

April and Her Roller Derby Christmas Stockings

Jackie and Glen Check Out the Raffle

Happy Kids with Bead Ornaments

Check out TONS more pictures from Handmade Harvest at our BRAND NEW flickr!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/flinthandmade/

Hope to See YOU on Black Friday! :)

Want to shop the day after Thanksgiving but dread the long lines, parking mayhem, and frantic shoppers?

Come to Handmade Harvest, a FREE family-friendly alternative to the chaos of "Black Friday" at The Lunch Studio! Ten local Flint Handmade vendors will be selling their unique handmade goods, including jewelry, children's toys, paper crafts, purses/totes and much more! Flint Handmade encourages everyone to give handmade gifts for the holidays, so this is a great opportunity to find something special for the friends and family on your shopping list!

We'll even make it easy and comfortable with FREE goodie bags for the first 25 shoppers, FREE craft activities for the kids, and FREE cider and donuts for all. The Lunch Studio will be selling delicious soups and sandwiches to keep your tummy full while you shop!

Along with all the shopping and free stuff will be a LIVE AUCTION to raise funds for Flint Handmade. The auction will start at 1pm with items valued at $5 to $50 from our featured vendors, local businesses and other friends of Flint Handmade. Bidding will start at half the retail price.

Handmade Harvest is on Friday, November 27, 2009 from 11am-3pm at the Lunch Studio in Downtown Flint (444 S. Saginaw, Flint, MI 48502). We hope to see you there!

Flint Handmade seeks to nurture a local handmade economy and environment in Flint by organizing and promoting craft markets, offering opportunities for social crafting and creative expression, and educating the public about the personal and commercial value of handcrafting.

Madison Academy Craft Show!

Posted by Crystal

Flint Handmade had a great time tabling at the Madison Academy Craft Show on November 7! A big thank you to Jennette for inviting us and for being such a huge supporter of Flint Handmade!

Me (l) and my friend Gwen at the super cute Flint Handmade table!  My beautiful JUNK was also on display. :)

Susan (l) of Susan's Knit Knacks gets some help from her daughter, Charise, and son, John.  I hope I spelled their names right!

Heidi of Madge and Gert (http://www.madgeandgert.com/) has the most AWESOME soy candles!  She will be vending at Flint Handmade: Handmade Harvest on the Friday after Thanksgiving.  :)  We hope you join us!

Holiday Papercrafts at The Flint Public Library!

Posted by Crystal

So, I went to another AWESOME craft workshop at the Cody Branch of the Flint Public Library! Jackie taught us how to make these nifty paper ornaments with just paper circles, glue, and ribbon. Too cute!

That's Jackie holding up the ornament made by her husband, Glen!

For instructions on how to make these fun and easy ornaments, visit http://www.allfreecrafts.com/christmas/card-ornaments.shtml OR come to the FREE Lean and Green Workshop at the West Flint Branch on Monday, November 16, 2009 from 6pm-7:30pm. Maps and directions are available at http://www.fpl.info/about/branches/index.shtml.

All materials are provided at the workshop, but if you have specific paper you wanted to use, you could just bring it along. Hope to see you there! :)

Soap Making: Cleaning Up with Flint Handmade!

We had an awesome time making soap on Sunday!  This was our last of three Handmade for the Holidays Creativity Workshops funded by Flint Club. We love you, Flint Club (http://www.flintclub.org/)!

Ali Misner of Alexandria's Soap Garden (http://www.asoapgarden.etsy.com/) taught everyone how to make all natural soap. Check out the pics!

Ali giving instructions before we get started. :)

Safety first when working with lye!

Christa bought the cutest crocheted bat from Sarah Mascara while we waited for the lye to reach the right temperature.

Amy, Kathy and Michelle (l-r) prep the soap molds by lining them with plastic bags.

Ali carefully pours the lye into the pot while Christa stirs and Becky watches.

Susanna, Dawn, Beth and Jennifer (l-r) smile for the camera while stirring their soap to mix the natural oils with the lye. We see you sticking your tongue out, Susanna! ;)

Thank You, Flint Club! We all really appreciate the Opportunity Knocks grant you awarded to Flint Handmade. Lots of people got to learn new skills and express their creativity because of YOU! :)

Amy of Flint Handmade is an INSPIRATION!

Flint Handmade wanted to share this awesome email we got from Becky Clark! Becky has sold her gorgeous jewelry at Flint Handmade events and attended the No Sew Tote Bag Workshop faciliated by FH Committee Member Amy Kelsey of www.MadeWithLuv.com.

Well, Becky was SO inpired by Amy's excellent instruction at the workshop that she sent us the message and photos below. Enjoy!

Dear Flint Handmade,

I was inspired by Amy. I've had the book "Simply Sublime Bags" that she used at the workshop to make the no sew tote for a couple of years and never made anything from it.

I decided to get it out and try something. I made the keyhole clutch on page 53 with a fat quarter and less than an hour of work.

Here's another one from page 32, the caution bag. I made it from poison stickers my husband had laying around the barn.

Thought I'd pass some pictures along. It was fun to make. Tell her Thank You.

Becky


Ok, this is Flint Handmade again!  Thank YOU, Becky, for the message!

Anyone else out there want to share a crafty inspiration story on our blog?  Email it to us at flinthandmade@hotmail.com!

Bang to a Different Beat = HUGE SUCCESS!

Wow!  We had an awesome time at Bang to a Different Beat!  Thanks so much to everyone who came out to raise funds for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  :)

Overneath performed a high energy set during the fashion show.  :)

The models had fantasic hairstyles by Summerset Salon Day Spa. Some models wore or carried items made by Flint Handmade vendors!  Here's a model carrying a bag by Ms. Christa's Rockin' Accessories.

Stereoluxxx performed a super dance friendly set. They are such talented and fashionable guys. ;)

The Flint Handmade girls (l-r: Michelle, Crystal and Amy) were well behaved at the beginning of the night...

 ...and then vamped it up at closing time!  :)

If you noticed in the above pics, Flint Handmade member Amy began the night in a new sweater dress from the mall...

...and then bought an even newer dress made ENTIRELY by hand by Always the Forest! Doesn't she look fly?!?

And, of course, our vendors had sweet merch for sale.  Check 'em out!

Stephanie of Always the Forest with her husband, Billy.  So cute!

 Christine (l) of CLKcreative and Anne. Such pretty smiles!

Theresa (l) of TiLT Creations and her mom, Peggy. We love moms who support HANDMADE!

Christa (l) of Ms. Christa's Rockin' Accessories and Miranda.  Christa was so sweet and let Crystal of Flint Handmade wear a pretty white and yellow flower in her hair to match her yellow polka dot dress! :)  Too bad the flower didn't show up in any of the photos!  lol  We'll get you a pic of the flower, Christa!

Amanda (r) of Amanda's Creations and Shawn.  We love the patchouli soap!

Heather of The Heathermonster Creations at her adorable table...also wearing a pretty hair flower from Ms. Christa!

Unseelie Designs! We'll have to get a picture of you at your table next time, Amanda.  :)