Summer 2012 Craft CSA: May Subscription!

We are so excited to share the May Subscription of our Summer 2012 Craft CSA with all of you!

Craft CSA Subscriber Andrea picked up her bag at the May craftLAB on Quilling!

Our Featured Crafter for May 2012 was Dieshawn Holmes of Angelic Soaps and Gifts.

Dieshawn received $50 to develop and create handmade items for our 10 subscribers.  

She decided to make 20 bars of lemongrass sage soap.

Each of our 10 subscribers received two bars of the soap, a printed newsletter and two Bonus Crafts!

The Bonus Crafts for May were a felt flower ring (Value $5) from Amber of Handleber and a illustrated greeting card (Value $4) from Nicole of Sloe Gin Fizz.

Craft CSA Subscriber April was VERY happy to receive her featured and bonus crafts at the 5th Annual Spring Craft Market!

If YOU are interested in becoming a Subscriber, Featured Crafter or Bonus Crafter for Summer 2013, please email us at flinthandmade@hotmail.com!

Craft CSA: Announcing Featured Crafters! Seeking Bonus Crafters!

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

We are very excited to announce the Featured Crafters for the FIRST EVER Flint Handmade Craft CSA!

Summer 2012 Craft CSA (May-September)
Featured Crafters

Dieshawn Holmes of Angelic Soaps and Gifts
Nayirrah Shariff of Crochet Science
Hayley Morris of Hayley's Paper Love
Heidi Seman of Madge and Gert
KC Khirfan of Papercrane Studios

Congratulations to our Featured Crafters!

We are also seeking Bonus Crafters!

In addition to the handmade item from our five Featured Crafters, we are also hoping highlight even more local crafters in our Craft CSA by including special Bonus Crafters!

If you live in Michigan and are interested in donating 10 small, handcrafted items to be included in the Craft CSA to help promote your business, please contact us at flinthandmade@hotmail.com.

We have space for 25 total Bonus Crafters to participate in this excellent promotional opportunity! 

So far, the following crafters have signed up to be Bonus Crafters:

Miranda of Ellie Belle Boutique
Steph of Frankenstitch Productions
Rebecca of Frozentree Creations
Amber of Handleber
Missy of MAH Hemp Jewelry & Accessories

As a Bonus Crafter, your first name, company name and email/website will be included on all print and electronic materials for the month of the subscription in which your bonus craft is enclosed.

We hope YOU will become a Craft CSA Bonus Crafter!

P.S. All of the 10 Craft CSA Subscriptions have already been claimed, but if you are interested in being added to the waiting list, please fill out the form HERE.

Craft CSA

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

Ok, folks, I am seriously excited about a new idea in the world of arts and crafts!

I'm sure many of you have heard of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), where individuals pay a set dollar amount upfront to purchase a seasonal "share" or "subscription" in a local farm to help with the start-up cost of seeds, equipment, etc.  In return, these shareholders or subscribers receive a box of produce from the farm for an agreed upon number of weeks.  What you get in your box each week is a fun surprise!

Well, get ready for a Flint Handmade Craft CSA!

We are basing our Craft CSA on the Community Supported Art Detroit (CSAD) project by ArtServe Michigan, which I read about on Michigan Radio's website.  CSAD is based on a similar successful project in Minneapolis-St. Paul where shareholders receive fresh, local art instead of fresh, local produce!

We have 10 subscriptions available and our CSA subscribers will receive fresh, local crafts from Michigan artisans!

For a one-time fee of just $50, our subscribers will receive 5 handcrafted goods (one per month) from 5 different crafters from May through September of 2012!  Goods may include knit/crochet accessories, jewelry, bath and body products, papercrafts, fabric items, etc.  Goods may have a farm, garden or food theme in keeping with the spirit of the CSA model.

The 5 participating crafters will each receive a $50 stipend to develop and create 10 new items, one for each subscription.  Remaining funds will support Flint Handmade's mission to promote creative expression and commerce in Downtown flint.

If you are interested in purchasing one of the 10 subscriptions, please fill out the SUBSCRIBER APPLICATION online. 

We encourage you to apply right away as subscriptions are available on a first come, first serve basis. Once we receive 10 subscribers, we will email you with payment information.  In the event that we receive more than 10 subscriber applications, we will start a waiting list. Subscriptions must be paid in full on or before April 15, 2012 or the subscription will be made available to the next person on the waiting list.

If you are interested in being one of the 5 participating crafters, please fill out the PARTICIPATING CRAFTER APPLICATION online. 

Participating crafters must apply by March 15, 2012 and will be selected based on quality of work and uniqueness of idea for their CSA craft contribution.  Crafts related to farms, gardens or food are encouraged. We also want to ensure a variety of craft mediums are represented. 

All crafters from Michigan are encouraged to apply, but preference will be given to crafters who live in Genesee, Lapeer, Livingston, Oakland, Saginaw, Shiawasee or Tuscola County.  Selected crafters will be notified via email on or before March 31, 2012.

Email us at flinthandmade@hotmail.com if you have any questions.

P.S. The awesome Craft CSA logo above was designed by Yasmin Ladha and will be one of the available designs for screenprinting THIS SUNDAY (March 4, 2012) at our FREE Yudu Screenprinting Demo for National Craft Month!