Showing posts with label craft supply swap. Show all posts
Showing posts with label craft supply swap. Show all posts

Thursday, February 9, 2012

February 2012 Craft Supply Swap Recap

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

Wow...what an amazing event!  Over 100 people attended our 3rd Annual Winter Craft Supply Swap!

The Lunch Studio was PACKED with enthusiastic Swappers!

Flint Handmade Member Amber of Handleber drove up from Westland!

Flint Handmade Member Hayley of Hayley's Paper Love checked out paper, of course!

Flint Handmade Member Robert of Sweet Jimmy struck a pose with knitting needles and his red Knuckles grocery tote.

Flint Handmade Members Sarah (l) of yarnscratch and Dana browsed the selection of craft books.

Flint Handmade Member Miranda (r) of Ellie Belle Boutique and some new firends got in on the swapping action!

Lots of great FREE supplies!

Love when people bring their Knuckles bags!
   
Even babies love swapping!  Check out the thread spools "necklace" this little tyke picked up!

More babies!  My nephew, Henry attended his first of many Flint Handmade events...awesome hat, dude!

Special thanks to all of our WONDERFUL voluteers!  From left to right: Jodi, Amy, Michelle, Russ, Antonia, Danielle, Juanita and Becky.  We could not have done it without you!

MARK YOUR CALENDERS
4th Annual Summer Craft Supply Swap
Sunday, August 5, 2012 from Noon-3pm
The Lunch Studio in Downtown Flint

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Second Saturday Giveaway Returns in February!

As mentioned in our December 2011 Second Saturday Giveaway post, we take January (and July) off from Second Saturday Giveaway.


In the meantime, we encourage you to start cleaning out your craftroom to prepare for our 3rd Annual Winter Craft Supply Swap!

Second Saturday Giveaway will return on February 11, 2012!

Thursday, January 12, 2012

3rd Annual Winter Craft Supply Swap Schedule and Announcements!

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

Are you READY TO SWAP?!?


Here's the schedule for our 3rd Annual Winter Craft Supply Swap on Sunday, February 5th:

Noon: Swappers sign in at the Flint Handmade Registration Table inside The Lunch Studio and receive a number in the order of arrival.  The first person to arrive gets #1, the second person gets #2 and so on.

If you brought supplies to swap, a Flint Handmade volunteer will take your donations and sort them onto the appropriate tables.

We're tight on space since it's too cold to use the sidewalk for tables like we did at the Swap last summer, so fabric, yarn and some other supplies will be in the small back room of The Lunch Studio.

12:15pm:  Swappers #1 through #5 get to take whatever they want from the back room while remaining Swappers get to help themselves to front room supplies (scrapbook paper, craft books, patterns, etc.)! 

Every 15 minutes (or when the back room clears out), the next 5 Swappers will be called by number to help themselves to the supplies in the back room.

As more Swappers arrive, volunteers will place their items on the appropriate tables.  Occasionally, we may need to ask all Swappers to have a seat for a few minutes while we restock and tidy up the tables.

2:30pm:  The volunteers will start packing up any remaining supplies.  We will store the more popular supplies to bring out again for our 4th Annual Summer Craft Supply Swap on August 5, 2012. 

Any leftover supplies will be donated to a local charity.  If you think you might want something, now is the time to grab it!

3:00pm:  The Swap ends and we have to clear out of The Lunch Studio!

Here are some helpful general announcements about the Swap:

1) Remember to bring your own tote bags or you may purchase Flint Handmade grocery totes for $3 each at the Swap.


2) You may take as much or as little as you like (within reason) whether your brought supplies to swap or not.  "Within reason" generally means no more than 4 grocery totes of supplies, but we are flexible.  If you are unsure, ask a volunteer.

3) The Swap is FREE!  Of course, we are a nonprofit organization, so donations are always welcome and a donation jar will be available at the Registration Table.  :)

4) Members get early access to the Swap!  If you are a member of Flint Handmade, you are welcome to join us at 11:30am for first dibs.  New members are welcome!  Download our membership brochure HERE.

5) If you are not a member, please be sure to arrive no earlier than 11:55am.  We promise there will still be LOTS of supplies for you to take!

6) The Flint Handmade Registration Table inside The Lunch Studio will be open during the entire Swap and you MUST sign in to participate.

7) The Lunch Studio will be open for business, so you can grab lunch at anytime and then do some more swapping!

8) If you would like to volunteer at the Swap, please email us at flinthandmade@hotmail.com.  We need volunteers for 2 shifts: 11am-1pm and 1pm-3pm.  Volunteers will receive a special thank you gift!

9) Please make sure that any supplies you bring are clean and in good condition.

10) Our Swaps are held on the first Sunday of very February and August from Noon-3pm at The Lunch Studio, so if you can't make this Swap, you can always join us later in the year!

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

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Craft Supply Swap in February!

Mark your calendar and start cleaning out your craftroom!


We'll be running the Craft Supply Swap a little differently this time...and including a special incentive just for members

More info coming soon!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

August 2011 3rd Annual Summer Craft Supply Swap Recap!

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

We had an outstanding turnout on Sunday, August 7 for our 3rd Annual Summer Craft Supply Swap! 

Approximately 70 people showed up to donate their unused craft supplies and to help themselves to the donated supplies from others...ALL FOR FREE!

The first 25 swappers received a FREE Flint Handmade Knuckles grocery tote in their choice of blue or red!

This was the first time our Swap was on the sidewalk in addition to the regular location inside The Lunch Studio!

Jessica gives the thumbs up to the Craft Supply Swap!

Anna (l) and Beth smile at their special find: a pattern for making Sesame Street hand puppets! 

Nayyirah filled two totes with FREE craft supplies! 

Claire (l) and Mary check out the great fabric. 

Special thanks to our AMAZING volunteers! From left to right: Amy, Emily, Michelle S., Kyla, Ali and Michelle G.  We really could not have done it without you!

For more photos, check out our August 2011 Craft Supply Swap album on Facebook.

We also encourage you to check out the blog posts about this very Swap from Michelle of Aisle 3 and Anne of The Handmade Gift Guide!  Thanks for such awesome recaps, ladies.  :)

Join us for our 3rd Annual Winter Craft Supply Swap on Sunday, February 5, 2012 at The Lunch Studio from noon-3pm.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

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.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

FREE Handmade Magnet for Our First 101 Blog Followers!!!

We are VERY excited to announce that we have reached 101 official followers on our blog!!!

As a special thank you, we will be giving away LIMITED EDITION Flint Handmade Knuckles magnets to our first 101 followers!

We worked with our dear friend Kate Kehoe of Chicaloo Photography and More to create three fantasic magnet styles using scanned fabric as the background!  You get to choose the one you want!


To receive your magnet, send an email to us at flinthandmade@hotmail.com with the following information by 5pm on Sunday, July 10, 2011:
  • Name
  • Address
  • Blogger Profile/Google Friend Connect Name 
  • Magnet Color Preference (Please list first, second and third choice.)
Magnets will be available for pick up at two upcoming Flint Handmade events: 
If you can't pick up your magnet in person, we will just drop it in the mail to you after the Craft Supply Swap.  :)

Thanks to all of our followers for helping us reach 101!

P.S. Much love to Kate Kehoe for the magnets...visit her Chicaloo Etsy Shop for more great magnets in similar styles!

P.P.S. We are planning another special thank you gift when we reach 201 followers, so please become a registered follower TODAY!!!

Thursday, January 27, 2011

You know the community loves you when...

...someone from your email list randomly prints your Craft Supply Swap email and posts it on the bulletin board at JoAnn's!



Flint Handmade would like to thank the anonymous craft lover who posted this for us at the Courtland Center JoAnn's last year. 

We appreciate your support!


If anyone else wants to print and post promotional materials for our upcoming Craft Supply Swap on Sunday, February 6 from noon-3pm at The Lunch Studio, please feel free! 

Email us at flinthandmade@hotmail.com and we'll send you the flyer in JPG and/or PDF.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Not Buying It Update 1: Measuring My Success

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

I want to thank everyone who has been so supportive (online and in real life) of the Not Buying It Project I am undertaking in 2011. 

I really appreciate the positive feedback I am getting in person and the comments you left on my first post about my choice to opt out of the cash economy and into the creative economy.

I know we are only 6 days into the new year, but I already feel so much more connected to my creativity. 

Ideas are swirling around in my brain about all of the crafty projects I want to do with the materials I already have on hand or hope to pick up at the Craft Supply Swap in February.  


I have already started working on pistachio shell flower brooches (shown above) and my next project will be picture frame dry erase boards with pretty fabric behind the glass.

I have been thinking about how I want to measure my success at the Not Buying It Project.  I decided that it's not enough for me to just tally up all the money I am hoping to save.  I want to take a more holistic approach, so I will be measuring my success according to 5 variables:

1) Money Saved - My goal is to purchase a $1,000 Certificate of Deposit at the beginning of each month when I get paid.  In the past, I have tried to save whatever money I had leftover at end of the month, but it's better to just save it upfront.  As long as I don't have to tap into the CD or take money out of my Savings Account, I will have met my Money Saved goal for the month.

2) Pounds Lost - Those of you who know me personally know that my weight tends to go up and down.  I feel fairly comfortable with my current weight, but I would still like to lose about 15-25 pounds.  My goal is to lose 1 pound per week until I reach a weight/size that feels completely comfortable.  So, I am going to be thinking very carefully about which groceries are a necessity and which groceries are a luxury. 

3) Bags Donated - I own a lot of stuff.  Most of my possessions (e.g. my book collection, craft supplies, kitchen gadgets, etc.) contribute positively to my life.  My home is well-decorated and comfortable and I don't feel like I really need anything else at this point in my life.  However, my garage and especially my basement are cluttered with items that are of no real use to me, but could be valuable to others if I just took the time to clear out these areas and donate what I don't want to Goodwill.  My goal is to donate at least 1 bag (about the size of a 13 gallon trash bag) per month, if not more, to those in need.

4) Projects Completed - I have a lot of craft projects and projects around my house/yard that need to get done.  Since I won't be spending time buying things and figuring out where to put them in my already cozy home, I think I will have more time to do all of the projects that I have been wanting to do.  My goal is to finish 5 craft or house/yard projects per month.

5) Reserves Spent - I got a $400 bonus at the end of 2010.  I decided to keep it tucked away just in case there is something that I absolutely feel I cannot live without in 2011.  I was mostly concerned that there would be gifts that I wanted to buy for my loved ones or craft supplies that I needed to finish a project.  My goal is to use as little of this money as possible.

At the start and end of each month, I will post a simple "by the numbers" chart to track my monthly and total year-to-date progress.  For the begining of January, the chart is as follows:

January 2011 Start
Money Saved: 0 (Total Saved: 0)
Pounds Lost: 0 (Total Lost: 0)
Bags Donated: 0 (Total Donated: 0)
Projects Completed: 0 (Total Completed: 0)
Reserves Spent: 0 (Total Spent: 0)
 
At the end of January, I would like the chart to look like this:
 
January 2011 End
Money Saved: $1,000 (Total Saved: $1,000)
Pounds Lost: 4 (Total Lost: 4)
Bags Donated: 1 (Total Donated: 1)
Projects Completed: 5 (Total Completed: 5)
Reserves Spent: 0 (Total Spent: 0)

Wish me luck!

P.S. I want to take a moment to acknowledge my gratitute to Judith Levine who wrote a book called Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping.  I checked this book out from the Flint Public Library about 5 years ago and fell in love with the idea of going a year without buying anything unnecessary.  I am so glad that 2011 is finally going to be that year for me!

Since I couldn't stand the idea of buying a book about not buying anything, I got my own copy of the book through PaperBackSwap.  I would encourage anyone else who is interested in giving up shopping to read this book immediately!


P.P.S. Here's another Swap you may be interested in!  :)

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Craft Supply Swap August 2010

Posted by Crystal

Flint Handmade hosted our 3rd Craft Supply Swap in August 2010.  We had our highest turnout yet...about 40 people showed up to swap FREE craft supplies! 

FH Director of Technology Michelle of Aisle 3 shows off the fabulous fabric she picked up.

Mother and daughter both want the FREE beads!

Becky of AudreyBelle1910 prepares to stuff her sweet FH tote with FREE supplies!

Nicole checks out the awesome fabric tables.

Mary rocks her FH shirt and scores some needlepoint patterns!

Ali's friends from Mexico had never been to a Craft Supply Swap before...they LOVED it!

Pat (l) of Pat's Arts shows off her cute bag from Made With Luv.  Becky grins at the NEW style of FH tote that she won in our FREE raffle...and points to one of her AudreyBelle1910 pieces that Pat put on her bag!

Mary (l) and her daughter, April, show multigenerational love for FH!

Steph's daughter, Olive, is planning a future career in silk flower crafting and arranging.  ;)

My haul!  I got SO MUCH GOOD STUFF at this Swap!  Fabric, lace, ribbon, glue, buttons, magnets, stamps, etc.

Our next Craft Supply Swap will be on Sunday, February 6, 2011 from noon-3pm at The Lunch Studio!  See you there!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

No July craftLAB, but Craft Supply Swap in August!

There will not be craftLAB on Sunday, July 4 in observation of Independence Day.

Join us on Sunday, August 1 for the Craft Supply Swap!


Check out the posts from our swaps in August 2009 and Februrary 2010

Trust us.  You want to take advantage of this opportunity to destash your craftroom...and then score some FREE supplies to restock!

P.S. If you can't make it to the swap, but still want to donate supplies, just drop them off under the info table by the front door of The Lunch Studio.