Tuesday, May 31, 2011

CALL FOR SCRABBLE TILES!

Flint Handmade needs your Scrabble tiles for a super top secret project!


If you have Scrabble tiles to donate, just bring them to craftLAB on Sunday, June 5 from noon-3pm at The Lunch Studio.

We're hosting a Basic Crocheting Workshop that day, so bring your cotton yarn and crochet hook if you want to join in the creative fun!

If you can't make it to craftLAB, but still want to donate Scrabble tiles, just email us at flinthandmade@hotmail.com and we'll make arrangements.  :)

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Second Saturday Giveaway: May Winner!

We want to thank everyone who commented on our May Second Saturday Giveaway featuring Nicole Stevens!

The awesome commenters for May were Sandy, TheVelvet Box, Ann, sarah, MissAli, Andrea, Amber, Missy, Sarms, Hayley Morris, V, xoxotoe, DesiAnima, Anne and Re-Zip It. We loved your ideas for craftroom organizing!

Just for commenting, all of you will receive a FREE Flint Handmade button in your choice of red, blue or yellow! Ask at the Flint Handmade table at any of our events and we'll make sure you get your button.

And now, the moment you have all been waiting for! The randomly selected winner of the Set of 4 Ceramic Pendants is...


...Hayley Morris!!! Congratulations!

Hayley, send us an email at flinthandmade@hotmail.com and we will make arrangements for you to receive your Set of 4 Ceramic Pendants! You have 30 days to claim your prize. :)

We want to encourage everyone to participate in the next Second Saturday Giveaway to be posted on June 11, 2011!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

CALL FOR VENDORS: Flint Handmade Craft City at Buckham Alley Fest!

Flint Handmade is taking over the sidewalk next to the Rutherford Parking Structure during Buckham Alley Fest on Saturday, July 16, 2011 in Downtown Flint for the First Annual Flint Handmade 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.
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 vending your handmade goods at Craft City during Buckham Alley Fest, please CLICK HERE to complete the brief online application.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Basic Crocheting Workshop @ craftLAB on June 5, 2011!

Join us for a FREE Basic Crocheting Workshop at craftLAB on Sunday, June 5, 2011 from noon-3pm at The Lunch Studio!

Sarah Richter (aka Sarah Mascara) of yarnscratch will be teaching us how to make a crochet stitch sampler.


The crochet sampler above starts with the chain stitch and then goes on with 3 rows of single crochet, 3 of half-double crochet, and 3 of double crochet.

We will have some supplies available, but please bring cotton yarn and a hook (Size H-J) if you can!

Sarah will also explain how to switch colors when crocheting and, if time permits, get us all started on making a cotton dishcloth!

She hopes to have the time to show us how to crochet in the round, too.  If you ever want to crochet a doily, round pot-holder, or toys, that's the first step!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

FLASHBACK: Art Battle and Art from the Heart!

Flint Handmade is craving the beautiful weather of summer!

Here's a FLASHBACK to the Flint ArtWalk in August 2010 featuring an Art Battle and Art from the Heart at The Lunch Studio!










Saturday, May 14, 2011

Second Saturday Giveaway: Win a Set of 4 Ceramic Pendants from Nicole Stevens!

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

For our May Second Saturday Giveaway, we are doing something a little different.

Since beginning the Second Saturday Giveaway Series in September 2010, we have only featured crafters who sell their wares at shows and/or online.

But, we know A LOT of crafters who make amazing handmade goods to give as gifts or to trade or just to keep for themselves.

From now on, Second Saturday Giveaways will feature vending and non-vending crafters to highlight the diverse ways that crafters express their creativity and love of craft. :)

So, this month, we are focusing on Nicole Stevens. Nicole is a freelance book reviewer in Davison who adores trading her handcrafted items.


This is Nicole with her embroidery hoop collection in one corner of her HUGE dedicated craftroom! I didn’t bring a tape measure, but the room has to be at least 15 ft x 25 ft.

Nicole is pictured with her cat, Fred Fred, who was VERY keen on being involved in the photo shoot.

I asked Nicole to tell me about her workspace:

“I'm really lucky when it comes to my workspace... I have a room that it pretty much dedicated to crafting! I have a 10 foot "L" of counter space and half a closet of storage.

I painted the room a bright green, because there are no windows and I wanted something bright and inspiring. The whole room is filled with artwork and crafted items that I've gotten from friends and trades and things. It's busy and cluttered and inspiring!”

Nicole wasn’t lying about the room being filled with artwork and crafted items!

In addition to her collection of embroidery hoops, she has a collection of Dotee Dolls that she trades with crafters all over the world. The dolls were the creation of a crafter from Australian named Dot.


According to Nicole, Dotee Dolls must have some kind of loop on the top and tail on the bottom. They cannot be sold, only given as gifts or traded for other Dotee Dolls.

Nicole keeps a map to remember the states and countries where the crafters live with whom she has made trades of Dotee Dolls and other crafts.


She was given the map and all of the state magnets as a gift. When she makes a trade, she adds the state magnet to the map. Her goal is to make trades with crafters in all 50 states.

When she trades with someone in another country, she prints a picture of the country and adds that to the sides of the map. So clever!

Another clever idea of Nicole’s is where she stores all of her craft tools…


…in a Lazy Susan kitchen utensil caddy! 

(For the record, I am not a huge fan of the term Lazy Susan.  Susan wasn't lazy when she created a spinning turnable...SHE WAS BRILLIANT!  So, I am renaming them Brilliant Susans.  )

The Brilliant Susan caddy lives on the L-shaped desk that Nicole has in her craftroom:


I wanted to take a picture of Nicole and her adorable little dog in front of the desk, Eevee, but Fred Fred had to jump into the shot, too!

Behind Nicole, on the right, are all of her beading supplies on the right.

On the left are two inspiration wall boards that she created and green plastic organizer bins under a knickknack shelf that she built with her dad.


I had to get a close up shot of the little owl collection that Nicole keeps on her knickknack shelf. She also has wooden frogs and when you run the stick over their backs, it sounds like a frog!

You may have noticed how well organized Nicole’s craftroom is. I fell in love with the system she uses to store her stamps.


She uses the hutch from her grandfather’s old printing desk. The drawers are a perfect depth for the stamps and ink pads!

Nicole is has so many varied craft interests that I had to ask her how she got into crafting:

“My mom has always been really creative- she and my grandma made a lot of my clothes when I was really young. Growing up, we were the house all the neighbor kids wanted to visit, because we always had sidewalk chalk, or paints, or some other crazy project my mom dreamed up for us.

She taught me the basics of sewing when I was a lot younger, but it wasn't until I was out of high school that I really started crafting. I love the idea of being able to create something that no one else has.”

Nicole has a TON of stuff that no one else has…


…including a travel embroidery bag that she designed and sewed herself! (Of course, Fred Fred had to get in on the picture!)

Nicole also said that her box of embroidery floss is her favorite craft tool/material right now:

“I've gotten really hooked on embroidery lately and I love having all my colors organized and ready to go when I am. A close second would be my mom's sewing machine... because it is SO much nicer than mine and it has a zipper foot!”

Nicole’s sewing machine is still very nice. She keeps it upstairs and sews with her mom on occasion.


You may have noticed the Harry Potter movies in the above photo? Nicole is an unabashed Harry Potter fan from way back!

When I asked her what she likes to do while she crafts, this is what she said:

“If I'm embroidering I'm most likely sitting on the couch watching TV/movies. Lately it's been a lot of 'Glee' and (as always) the 'Harry Potter' movies. We just got On Demand with our cable though, so I'll be able to watch lots of different movies now.

If I'm sewing it's almost always show-tunes. I'm not really sure why, but that's what I always choose. :) Any other craft it's just whatever music I feel like off my iTunes playlist. My favorites change daily.”

But, wait, there’s more Harry Potter!

I asked Nicole about the projects she would like to work on in the future:


“My next project for myself is finishing my costume to wear to the 'Deathly Hallows, 2' premier in July. I'm drafting a pattern for a box-pleated wrap skirt and also piecing together an outfit for my (very understanding) husband.

I always have embroidery projects going and also have plans to learn to crochet... I've got a couple awesome friends who have offered to teach me.”

Before I left, I had to grab one last shot of Nicole in the storage closet adjacent to her craftroom with the crochet hook organizer that a friend made for her and her plastic bins of yarn for when she starts learning to crochet.


I told you this gal was organized! And, check out the awesome YELLOWBRICK RD sign in the background!

My final question for Nicole what she would name her company if she ever decided to sell her crafts:

“I'm a member of several online craft communities (such as Craftster.org) and my handle is always PirateColey. "Coley" because of my name, and "Pirate" because I worked the Michigan RenFest for years as a pirate. I doubt I'd actually use that as a company name, but you never know... :)”

Well, whether you know her at Nicole, Coley or PirateColey, this gal is one crafty lady and she has donated some AWESOME handcrafter jewelry for the May Second Saturday Giveaway.


“I've donated a set of four ceramic charms and a chain they can be worn on. They're all done in glazes and were made at Sandy's Ceramics on M-15 in Davison (shameless plug!). Since I've never actually sold any of my work before Crystal estimated them at $40... so we'll go with that. :)”

For YOUR chance to win the Set of 4 Ceramic Pendants (valued at $40), just complete steps A and B:

A) Follow Flint Handmade via the blog, Twitter, Google Reader or whatever newfangled "following application" tickles your fancy. Or, if you don't do the whole following thing, email us at flinthandmade@hotmail.com and we will add you to our email list.

B) Leave us a comment in response to this blog post by 5pm on Saturday, May 21, 2011 answering the following 2 questions:

1) How do you follow us?

2) In honor of Nicole’s outstanding skill for craft supply organizing, we want to know: What is your favorite craftroom organizing tool or tip?

Please be sure to answer BOTH questions to qualify for the drawing.

The winner will be selected at random and posted on the blog within one week after the deadline. The winner will have 30 days to claim the prize.

We hope to hear from YOU and we hope you enjoyed our May Second Saturday Giveaway!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

2011 Spring Craft Market Recap!

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

Much love to everyone who vended, volunteered, promoted and/or shopped at the 2011 Spring Craft Market! 

We had 500+ people in attendance and transacted over $10,000 in just 6 hours in Downtown Flint!

Flint City Derby Girl Brenna (r) checks out some derby embroidery by Sarah of yarnscratch.

Molly of Studio 217 Squared smiles with all of her gorgeous glass pieces.

Yours truly rocks a Knuckles shirt made at a Flint Handmade Yudu Screenpring Demo while vending my beautiful JUNK.

First time vendor Kyla of Kyla Renee had an AMAZING table display!  Special thanks to her boyfriend, Josh, for wrangling the goodie bags for me in the morning!

Steph and baby Olive with all of the monstas of Frankenstitch Productions.

Alaina of Itty Knits shows off her adorble knit children's hats.

Sidewalk vendor Aimee of Somebody Else's Closet enjoys the sunshine.

Casey of Fartsy Arts volunteers at the Flint Handmade table at Brown Sugar Cafe.

David of Boy Gourmet with art prints on canvas.  Greetings from FLINT, Michigan!
  
A. Chantial of Mitten Made with her fabulous crocheted goods.

Michelle of Aisle 3 sold out of most of her stock of awesome upcycled creations before I got over to the The Loft to take a photo!

For more photos, check out our 2011 Spring Craft Market Set on Flickr.

For an excellent recap of the Spring Craft Market by one of our shoppers, visit the Hands Occupied Blog.

See you all at the 5th Annual Holiday Craft Market on Saturday, November 26, 2011 in Downtown Flint!

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Vendors for the 2011 Spring Craft Market!

Our indoor vendors for the 2011 Spring Craft Market are:

Aisle 3
Alexandria's Soap Garden
Aromaholic
beautiful JUNK
Burnt Desserts
bydeets
Cheryl Oz Designs
Chicaloo
Christine's Beadworks
Fiddlebump's Apothecary
Frankenstich Productions
Friends for Quilting
Handmade is Heartmade
Heaven Sent Crafts
Hip to Piece Squares
ittyknits
Jon Meyer Designs
Kyla Renee
Lisa Napier Sews
Lydia's Vintage
Made with Luv
Madge and Gert
Michigan Artisans
Mitten Made
Re-Zip It!
Roy Peterson
SEEDS Studio
Stick Nymph
Studio 217 Squared
yarnscratch

Weather permitting, we will also have many outdoor vendors, too! Cross your fingers for sunshine on Saturday!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Generation T craftLAB Recap!

We had a great time at the Generation T T-Shirt Reconstruction craftLAB on Sunday, May 1!

Check out the pics!

April (l) and Ali showed up in already transformed t-shirts!

April helps Tonya (r) reconstruct her Flint City Derby Girls t-shirt.

Ali (l) and Sarah look through the Generation T book.

Amber uses the wrist pincushion she made at craftLAB in April to work on her t-shirt.

Front Row (l-r): Nicole, Christina, Mary
Back Row (l-r): Theresa, Tonya, April, Ali

Special thanks to April for leading this craftLAB!

If YOU have any idea for a craftLAB workshop that you would like to lead, please email us at flinthandmade@hotmail.com

We are setting up our 2012 Calendar of Events and we would love to have new workshop facilitators get involved!