Welcome to the family, Kachina Herbs!

The Hollywood Craft Mafia is proud to introduce the newest mafiosa in South Florida:

This lovely lady is Kelli, the supersmart genius behind Kachina Herbs, offering tea, salves, toothpaste and other products designed to treat anything from muscle pain to respiratory disorders. This is no casual "smell this, feel better" stuff -- Kelli practices clinical aromatherapy, researching uses of herbs and essential oils around the world and using her findings to create some seriously successful products. And she really knows her stuff--she's written a book on safe application of aromatherapy, and teaches a certification class right here in South Florida.

Some of our favorite Kachina Herbs swag: her toothpaste in flavors like mint, cinammon and peppermint, packaged in "old school, like our grandmothers used to use" jars; skincare salves suited for even the scaliest of skins; and her unique blends and synergies of essential oils that have been used to treat acne, excema and even psoriasis.

Kelli's working on building her Etsy store now, but you can always find her at her myspace, too. Stop by and welcome her to the craft mafia family!

Uncommon Thread Wearable Art Show

This is something pretty cool that someone in nearby Baton Rouge contacted the New Orleans Craft Mafia about:

There's a call for artists out for the Uncommon Thread Wearable Art Show, which will attempt to merge fashion design and visual art. Put together by the people at Culturecandy.org and the Baton Rouge Gallery, this juried competetion will be judged Suzanne Perron, who has previously worked for Vera Wang. Artists will be judged on craftsmanship, innovative design, dramatic detail and use of alternative materials.

Artists from all over the country are encouraged to submit proposals. Entry forms and more info can be found at their website. The deadline for entries is September 17. Accepted entries will be presented in a staged dance performance, and there will also be a musical collaboration, combining a local DJ with a string quartet.

Pretty awesome, huh? I hope some Craft Mafia folks submit entries. Maybe if I can find the time I'll come up with something myself.

Cut Out + Keep

I first met Cat Morley on the Readymade magazine forums. Later I found her on MySpace and began to follow her blog at www.cutoutandkeep.net. Cat is a crafty computer whiz from the U.K.

I am telling you all this because, it just so happens that Cat recently launched a site (not so much a site as a new "home" for crafty types. The Cut Out + Keep site has all kinds of free crafty goodness - from craft projects to Cat's blog on all things artistic, to a forum where you can post your own questions and projects. And get this - Cat even writes and designs her own online magazine called Snippets.



Check it out, sign up for an account, post some projects, and as it says on the logo "don't run with scissors."

Meet the (Sacramento) Mafia!

In honor of the Sacramento Craft Mafia's first-ever show, indie*galore presents A Week of Mafia Madness!

Keep reading over at indie*galore all this week to learn more about a mafia member each day!

And a few mafia members have already been written about previously: Sacred Snatch, My Punk House, Little Lovelies and Mohair Circus.

Please click on over!

whats up in the 'burgh?

Pittsburgh Craft Mafia is rocking out this summer! We're holding Craftology classes every month featuring different speakers on issues like Craft Show Basics, Selling and Merchandising Online, Legal Issues, Website 101, and a lot more!

We're also sponsoring Crafterbation nights where we get together with local crafters and hang out, talk crafts, network, or just come out to enjoy Tuscany Cafe's awesome long island iced teas.

News From A Crafty Broad

When I'm not dreaming up new goodies for Ciara Loves You! and holding up my blog duties for the Hollywood Craft Mafia, I'm usually traveling for my day job as a travel writer. Most recently, I had the amazing experience of cruising along the Black River and Solimoes Rivers in Brazil, both parts of the Amazon. Swimming with dolphins, spotting parrots and toucans, narrowly avoiding a sloth attack (seriously) -- the trip was just beautiful. And so were the goodies I got to bring home: jewelry handcrafted out of local materials by the women of the Novo Airao village.

It's DIY, Amazon-style! Everything here is local: wood carvings from area trees, incredibly sturdy string that you could just peel off of a certain type of palm, and some of the most colorful beads I've ever seen, actually hollowed out seeds from fruits like assai.

And I really couldn't resist showing off my new BFF, the sloth:



Hope this crafty news from abroad inspires you as much as it did me, to use the materials close at hand to create totally new and beautiful works of art! Who else uses natural materials in her/his crafts?

Get Made in Sacramento

If you live in or near the Sacramento area, please be sure to stop by one or both of our upcoming events and Get Made!

Sunday, June 24th, 2-10pm
Get Made, Sacramento!
The Sacramento Craft Mafia is holding their first-ever showdown at Willemina's Restaurant & Bar. Stop by for lunch and shopping from 2-10pm. Tunes provided by the Tip Top Trio. Come get some kick-ass handmade jewelry, housewares, wearables, and more.



Larger View


Stop, Shop, and Stroll!
Second Saturday, July 14th, 6pm-10pm
The Coffee Garden
2904 Franklin Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95818
(916) 457-5507


Larger View

SF Craft Mafia Meets Glasgow Craft Mafia!

from left: Jessica, Jo, Barbe

A couple of weeks ago, I and Jessica were fortunate enough to meet up with a Craft Mafia sister from "across the pond".

Jo is from the Glasgow Craft Mafia. She & I had become email pals when their chapter started and we exchanged links. She told me she was coming to San Francisco on holiday and we planned to get together. Gifts were exchanged, Thai food was eaten and fun was had by all. It was great to talk with her about how the Glasgow chapter got started, and learn about how the craft/DIY scene is growing in Scotland. I hope to visit Jo and the rest of the Glasgow Craft Mafia someday!

St. Louis Craft Mafia

While sorting my google alerts I stumbled across a fun little article in STL Today called Maverick Designers that mentions the St. Louis Craft Mafia. Whoo-hoo!

New Orleans Craft Mafia June updates

The New Orleans Craft Mafia is celebrating our 2-year anniversary this month. The NOCM was founded in June 2005, just months before Hurricane Katrina changed life in New Orleansforever. We're happy to have made it through the tough times... now we're stronger than ever before! We couldn't have done it without your support!

Our monthly show, the Crescent City Craft Market is coming up this Sunday, June 10th. We'll have some special ties and other guy stuff, just in time for Father's Day! Just check out these ties made by art by mags!

Congratulations!
Congrats to member Heather Macfarlane of Unique Products, who was recently awarded a grant from the ARTDOCS Rx grant program, which was created to help local artists rebuild studios, replace equipment and purchase art supplies. Heather is using her grant money to purchase a glass kiln through the New Orleans Creative Glass Institute.

The HOME Fleur De Lis record clock from art by mags! was featured in a recent issue of New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles Magazine. Check out the feature here, or order your own clock at our webshop.

Charity Fundraiser for Desire NOLA
In conjunction with the current charity fundraiser at her blog, MissMalaprop.com, Mallory of dismantled designs will be donating a portion of her sales in June to Desire NOLA, a non-profit group that gives grants to small businesses in New Orleans.

For every regular item sold in her Etsy shop or at the Crescent City Craft Market, she will be donating $5, and for every Fleur-De-Lis themed item purchased, she will donate $10 to the fundraiser. Learn more or donate directly here.

The Sacramento Craft Mafia on the Etsy Podcast!

While snooping around the Etsy blog this morning I happened across this video of various Etsy vendors at the Maker Faire this past month. If you watch closely towards the end you can see an interview with Jenn (Indie Galore and Rosebud Designs) from the Sacramento Craft Mafia! Whoo-hoo! Speaking of the Sacramento Craft Mafia we ladies of the Austin Craft Mafia and Stitch wanted to say thanks to Amy from Pepto Girl Industries for blogging about Stitch!

Our Mission?

The Austin Craft Mafia™ established the Craft Mafia™ site and network to link and cross promote sister groups in other cities, share web traffic, and provide helpful information to other professional craft designers and groups.

The Craft Mafia™ is an organization of independent business owners who represent multiple creative disciplines in fashion, jewelry, handmade goods, fine art, writing and craft design. The Craft Mafia™ serves as a model for independent business owners to assemble with other entrepreneurs in their own communities to amplify their individual vision through the power of a collective. The Craft Mafia™ offers resources for small businesses through their website, books and television.books and television.The Craft Mafia™ website represents and links to all affiliated groups that have adopted the Craft Mafia™ name.

Since it's development in Austin, other Mafias have popped up across the globe, check them out!