Reuseable FH Knuckles Grocery Totes NOW AVAILABLE!!!

We are SOOOOO excited to announce that reuseable Flint Handmade Knuckles grocery totes are NOW AVAILABLE!!!

Choose from red or blue!  Only $3 each!

Each non-woven polypropylene tote is 15" tall and 13" wide with an extra large 10" gussett and a board bottom.

These totes are perfect for trips to the grocery store, farmers' market, beach, playground, crafting socials, you name it!!!

Get your Knuckles grocery totes from the Flint Handmade Shop inside The Lunch Studio or at any Flint Handmade event!  Totes will also be available very soon on our Flint Handmade Etsy Shop.

UPCOMING FLINT HANDMADE EVENTS
Craft Supply Swap at The Lunch Studio from noon-3pm on Sunday, August 7, 2011

SPECIAL BONUS: If you purchase your tote at a Flint Handmade event, you can trade in a reusable tote you already own from a chain retailer (e.g. Meijer, Wal-Mart, Target, etc.) for $1 off your Knuckles tote!  We want to get as many Knuckles totes into the Flint community as possible! 

Flint Handmade at Maker Faire Detroit!

Flint Handmade will be leading a demo at Maker Faire Detroit on how to make upcycled bottle cap wrist pincushions!

Look for the Handmade Detroit Craft Faire within Maker Faire on Sunday, July 31 at 12:30pm for our demo!

Special thanks to Handmade Detroit for inviting us to participate!

FREE Knuckles Grocery Totes to the First 25 Swappers!!!

It's ALMOST here...the Bi-Annual Flint Handmade Craft Supply Swap!

On the first Sunday of every February and August, Flint Handmade hosts a FREE Craft Supply Swap at The Lunch Studio in Downtown Flint!

At our very first Swap in August 2009, we had about 10 people in attendance.  In February 2010, we had about 20 people.  We had 40 people in August 2010.  And, in February 2011, we had OVER 100 PEOPLE in attendance!

We're aiming for 150 people to attend our 5th Craft Supply Swap on Sunday, August 7 from noon-3pm at The Lunch Studio!

In order to accomodate SO MANY people, we are moving the Swap onto the sidewalk and changing things up a bit! 

Here's how it's gonna work:

Noon: Swappers sign in at the Flint Handmade Registration Table INSIDE The Lunch Studio! 

The first 25 Swappers to sign in get one of our BRAND NEW Knuckles reusable grocery totes for FREE in their choice of blue or red! 

Additional totes can be purchased for $3 each.

If you brought supplies to swap, a Flint Handmade volunteer will take your donations and sort them onto the appropriate tables outside.  We will have a table for yarn, a table for fabric, etc.

12:30pm: Swappers who donated supplies get first dibs! 

These Swappers will get a special hand stamp to identify them for early access to the Swap.  :)

1pm-3pm: The Swap opens up to all Swappers!  Whether your brought supplies or not, you get to take as much as you like! 

The Flint Handmade Registration Table INSIDE The Lunch Studio will be open during the entire Swap and you must sign in to participate. 

The Lunch Studio will be open for business, so you can grab lunch inside at anytime and then head back outside for some more swapping!

In case of rain, we will move the entire event indoors, but it might be a little crowded, so be prepared!

If you have any questions, please email us at flinthandmade@hotmail.com.

Craft City at Buckham Alley Fest Recap!

WE ARE SPEECHLESS!

Buckham Alley Fest was such a HUGE success!

Approximately 2000 people came downtown for a night of music, food, drink, art and craft!

Check out the photos from Flint Handmade's Craft City!

Ms. Christa's Rockin' Accessories

Flair in Her Hair (L), Goose + Trisser (R)

Miapolia

Kyla Renee

Made with Luv

Lisa Napier Sews

For more, check out our Craft City Photo Album on Facebook and the Flint Journal article about Buckham Alley Fest.

Can't wait to do Buckham Alley Fest again next summer!

Not Buying It Update 6: June Results

Posted by Crystal Pepperdine, Founder and Executive Director of Flint Handmade

JUNE RESULTS

Money Saved: $1,000

The breakdown would show money spent on gas, groceries, toiletries and other necessities as usual, so I won't bore you with the details.

Projects Completed: LOTS!

Most of my projects in June involved ridding my house of the clutter that comes along with "Buying It" and, therefore, accumulating way too much unnecessary stuff.

 1) "KILL MY TELEVISION"

I gave up commercial television in 2005.  However, I kept my TV and used it to watch movies and shows on DVD, videocassette and, briefly at the end of 2010, streaming Netflix via Roku player.

After fewer than 6 months of my Not Buying It Project (as well as reading an excellent book called The Age of Missing Information by Bill McKibben), I decided that I didn't need a TV at all...or a VCR...or a DVD player...or a Roku player.

All of my VHS box covers went to Kate Kehoe of Chicaloo Photography and More to make into awesome upcycled notebooks. 

I donated all of my videocassettes to Alternative Community Training, an organization in Missouri that employs disabled persons to clean and refurbish the tapes for resale.  It cost me $25 in postage to ship the box to Missouri, which put my over my spending limit for the month, but it was worth it.

I donated dozens of DVDs to Flint Handmade for our DVD Sale. 

2) BECOME AN EBAY and HALF.COM SELLER

I am now a seller on eBay and half.com!  I posted dozens of DVDs, CDs and books on half.com and made almost $200 total.  I will be posting my Roku player and more items on eBay soon.

I have decided to use eBay/half.com money to purchase a secondhand spinning wheel and chairs for my patio!  I was inspired by my beau, who sold his unnecessary TV and used the proceeds to buy a grain mill from Lehman's, a company that sells non-electrical appliances and supplies. 

3) DONATE BOOKS TO THE FLINT PUBLIC LIBRARY

Some of the books I owned did not come up in the half.com system, so I just decided to donate them to the Friends of the Flint Public Libary.  They accept donations on the first Saturday of every month from 10am-noon.

4) VISIT FRATZ CONSIGNMENT and WEARS LIKE NEW

In addition to ridding myself of DVDs, CDs and books I no longer use, I am also letting go of a lot housewares and clothes. 

I have consigned 20+ household items with Fratz Consignment and 40+ articles of clothing at Wears Like New.  Money I earn from these sales will also go into my spinning wheel account.

I have now been "Not Buying It" for over 1/2 year and there are no signs of slowing down!  Wish me luck for the rest of July!

Craft City at Buckham Alley Fest THIS SATURDAY!

Flint Handmade is taking over the sidewalk next to the Rutherford Parking Structure during Buckham Alley Fest THIS Saturday, July 16, 2011 from 6pm-midnight in Downtown Flint for Craft City!

Craft City will be a fully contained DIY community within Buckham Alley Fest! Visitors to Craft City can participate in a variety of unique, creative activities:

• Enroll in a class at Craft City Unversity to learn a new handcrafting skill.  
• Donate your old craft supplies to the Craft City Recycling Center for future Flint Handmade Craft Supply Swaps.
• Visit City Hall to get a FREE 'Key to the City' from the Mayor of Craft City.

The first 25 visitors to Craft City Hall will also get FREE goodie bags with buttons, stickers and other treats!

Plus, the Shopping District of Craft City will feature 50+ vendors selling handmade goods such as jewelry, bath products, purses/bags, toys, clothes, paper crafts and much more!

If you are interested in volunteering for Flint Handmade in Craft City, please email us at flinthandmade@hotmail.com.

For more information, visit Buckham Alley Fest.

Flint Handmade at ART FROM THE HEART for July 2011 ArtWalk

Flint Handmade will be at ART FROM THE HEART at The Lunch Studio THIS FRIDAY from 6-9pm for the July 2011 ArtWalk!

We will be promoting Craft City at Buckham Alley Fest and selling Knuckles merch...including our new reusable grocery totes for only $3!!!

PLUS: If you bring a chain retailer grocery tote to trade in, we'll give you $1 off your Knuckles tote!

We hope to see you there!

Seeking Quilts Loved by Multiple Family Generations!

Flint Handmade is now accepting submissions for the 2011 Flint Festival of Quilts!

We are seeking quilted pieces to display at The Lunch Studio!  Quilts can be newly made or well-worn and well-loved!

We will feature a wide range of quilts made in the 20th and 21st centuries by members of the same family. Everything from baby quilts made by parents for their children to quilted blankets finished by the grandchildren of the women who began then decades before will be on display.

The styles and patterns of the quilts can vary greatly, but they all must share the common thread of having been made for, passed on to or finished by different generations. Whether connected by blood, marriage or simply love, a family can be defined anyway you want, so we encourage all submissions! 

If you would like to display a quilt, please email a photo and brief description of the piece(s) to flinthandmade@hotmail.com by 5pm on Friday, August 19, 2011.

This a FREE FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE showcase. At least one piece per person will be automatically accepted, provided it fits with theme of connecting families across generations.  You do not have to have made the quilt yourself to submit it.

For more information and photos, check out our blog posts from our Contemporary Fiber Art Exhibition at the 2009 Festival of Quilts and our Progressive Patchwork: Eclectic and Eco-Aware Quilts Exhibition at the 2010 Festival of Quilts.

Greater Flint Arts Council
Flint Festival of Quilts in Downtown Flint
September 9-10, 2011 from 9am-5pm

The quilt pictured above is called "Such is Life" and was made by Michelle Stolz of Aisle 3 from fabric she found at a Flint Handmade Craft Supply Swap. "Such is Life" was inspired by Michelle's 2-year old son, Milo, and was displayed in the 2010 Festival of Quilts.