A great cause and yummy yummy treats!

Since I closed my business, Amet and Sasha, I've been a wee bit silent on the crafting front. And why is that you might ask? Because I'm exploring food, baking to be exact. I'm even heading off to pastry school this spring. Can you believe it??!? Well, maybe you can, but my head's still spinning.

One of my new projects is a food blog. It's just a wee baby of a blog, but if you like to eat, which I'm pretty sure is almost all everyone, then maybe just maybe you'll like my wee baby of a blog.

But this is not why I'm writing. I'm writing because this month I'm taking part in a wonderful cause. It's a fundraising effort for a school lunch program in Lesotho. What's in it for you?? Amazing prizes. No, seriously... good good stuff. So please visit me and see how you can win some great food-related prizes while helping with a fantastic cause.



If you have a blog and would like to help me tell the world about the raffle please do. There are SO many food bloggers out there donating to the cause. I'm donating a huge box of amazing brownies. Other people are donating things like Le Crueset products, cookbooks, classes.... so many great things.



I hope your holidays are warm, cheery and full of many many tasty treats!

Portland Craft Mafia Holiday Bailout Game!

Would you like to win everything pictured below?

Then play the PDX Mafia holiday bailout game! All you have to do to be entered to win all the above goodies is find the Portland Craft Mafia logo in each of the shops listed below. When you have found each listing on Etsy containing the Portland Craft Mafia logo email the shop names and item links to portlandoregoncraftmafia@yahoo.com. If find them all you will be entered to win EVERYTHING you see in the picture above. That's right it is winner takes all! Keep it all for yourself or give as gifts to those you love during the upcoming holiday season.

The hunt will last 11/15/2008-11/29/2008. The winner will be randomly drawn from all correct entries. The lucky winner will be announced no later than December 1. The entire box of goodies will be mailed out with plenty of time before the holidays.

So what all are you getting you ask? You will win a hand poured candle, two book journals, two pairs of earrings, a mini glass mobile, hair accessories galore, several magnets, a hand carved stamp and more!

Ready to start the hunt? Check out the participating stores below and look for our logo in one of the listings. Email your list to portlandoregoncraftmafia@yahoo.com by 11/29/08!

Hunt for our logo in these partcipating shops:
Autumn Comfort Candles

BeBe Babies and Friends

Ex Libris Anonymous

Flapper Girl

Kenton Beadworks

Leah's Glass Creations

Mode Noir

Sjane

Happy holidays from the Portland Craft Mafia!

Steph from Long Beach Craft Mafia, we heart you big time!

Thank you thank you Steph for making this quarter's Craft Mafia ads. They're super adorable.



And plus you really came through in a pinch. We really appreciate it. You did a fantastic job!

Petaluma Craft Mafia Presents: Mafia Made "Holiday Craftacular!"

Dreams of holiday tinsel and Sugar Plum fairies waltzing through your head? Have you ever wanted to meet Bumble the abominable snowman from "Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer?" Stir that together with a little Nightmare before Christmas and you have Mafia Made HOLIDAY CRAFTACULAR! You can bet your candy-cane striped toe socks, we've got another crazy show planned!

The Petaluma Craft Mafia is pleased to announce our first annual holiday show, "Mafia Made HOLIDAY CRAFTACULAR" to debut on Saturday, December 13th from eleven to five at the Petaluma Veteran's Hall.

Our first show CRAFTALUMA was such a success, we keep getting requests for when we would have another show, so we decided to put together a holiday show with some of the most talented DIY'ers, crafty crafters and kick-ass artisans we could assemble - that includes you!

We will have plenty of crafty how-to demos from many of our inspiring and talented vendors. Mojo talented and local live entertainment from the ever-fresh and pretty dang crafty themselves, Bluebellies and adorable Gabby LaLa. You'll be thrilled to know that the Petaluma Craft Mafia plans to have another crafty raffle. **Vendors, (please send us your swag and any goodies you would love some lucky person to have to promote your wares and your crafty company). Swag bags to the first 50 folks through the door. Our theme is a Retro Winter Wonderland with a hint of kitsch and a bit of underground fantasical Holiday flavor going on -remember, this ain't your dear granny's craft show. Bumble the Abominable snow man may drop by and take pictures with the young folk...and you never know who else....

Get your Holiday Shopping done in one fell swoop, and come away inspired by our crafty cast of characters this year at Mafia Made HOLIDAY CRAFTACULAR.


** VENDORS: Vendors, applications are now available, Send me an e-mail (here or at cheryl@petalumacraftmafia.com) and I can forward you an application. FYI: This show is for Crafty, DIY, craft and art, items only, no re-sale or multi-level marketing items, thank you! Vendors you may apply online right HERE.

** SPONSORS: Please contact cheryl@petalumacraftmafia.com if you are interested in sponsorship and/demo table.

Show attendees and adoring public: We heart you! Thanks for coming out to support your crafty famiglia and their friends at CRAFTALUMA, and making our first show such a success. We couldn't have done it without you!

HOLIDAY CRAFTACULAR starts at noon and admission is 2 dollars. You will get a raffle ticket for a chance to win one of our awesome crafty prizes, and if you bring a toy for our "Toys for Tots" you will automatically get another chance at the raffle. Children under 16 are free. Crafto'licious swag bags for the first 100 folks through the door!

Come on down and meet Petaluma's Crafty First Famiglia under the mistltoe for some crafty fun and great music. We'll have a jolly 'ol tins'o'licious time!

Cheers,

The Notoriously Crafty PCM


"Mafia Made" HOLIDAY CRAFTACULAR
Saturday, 11-5 December 13th, 2008
Petaluma Veteran's Memorial Hall
1094 Petaluma Boulevard South
Petaluma, CA 94952

Craftoberfest in Sacramento!

The lovely ladies of the Sacramento Craft Mafia present Craftoberfest on Saturday, Oct. 11 from 10-4 in downtown Sacramento.

Check it out if you're in the area:

Portland Craft Mafia's Kick Off Show This Weekend!!

The new Portland Craft Mafia familia is having their first kick off show this Saturday September 27. If you are in Portland or the surrounding areas check it out!

The San Diego North Park Craft Mafia is looking for vendors for the Holiday Hit List 2008!

Time flies when you are having fun crafting, and the holidays are approaching fast! We are already busy planning the spectacular 2008 Holiday Hit List and we are looking for vendors! This will be a super HUGE event -- to be held at the NTC Promenade at Liberty Station in Point Loma on Sunday, December 7th. If you have a crafty independent business and are in or planning to be in the San Diego area the first week of December, then you don't want to miss out on this opportunity! All of the details can be found here on the San Diego North Park Craft Mafia website. Hurry -- you only have until October 3rd to apply! This is going to be an epic show with entertainment, giveaways, craft demos, fashion show, and more!

The Naughty Secretary Club: The Working Girls Guide to Handmade Jewelry is here!

Sorry for the mass note but I wanted to let the world know that my new book The Naughty Secretary Club: The Working Girls Guide to Handmade Jewelry is out today!!!!!

If you love kitschy jewelry and especially love making it yourself then might I suggest you run right out to your local Borders or Barnes and Nobles and snag yourself a copy (remember if they don’t have a copy PLEASE ask them to order one), order it off of Amazon or get a signed copy at Naughty Secretary Club!

Also if you could help me spread the word about my book I would love you forever and ever! Re-post this bulletin, Twitter about it, if you make some jewelry from the book add it to our Flickr group, if you have the book and heart it please leave an Amazon review, mention the book on your blog. Every little bit helps!

If you are going to be in Austin on August 30th, please stop by Craft-o-Rama from 3pm-6pm for the Naughty Secretary Club Book Release Party!

Xo,
Jen

P.S. enter the word BOOK into the coupon/voucher field when you check out at Naughty Secretary Club and get 25% off your entire order all August long!

We done did it!

I know, I sound like a Hee-Haw reject, but I guess my brain is a little fried from Craftaluma, and we sure are proud! Thanks everyone, our attendees, the fabulosa entertainment, our sponsors my entire crafty famiglia, our local newspaper who gave us an awesome interview, and all of you crafty vendors, you sweet craft things you, who make our hearts sing!
We even got our very own song from the Bluebellies, who just rawk along with the rest of our entertainment. Hint: "Just say no to puff paint" we loved it.

I'll post video or photos later. I'm done crafted out for now, folks.

Rest, work play and then on to the next show, Petaluma Craft Mafia presents, "Mafia Made Holiday Craftacular!"

Craft Emergency Relief Fund

For those of us in the New Orleans Craft Mafia, the flooding in the mid-west is striking a familiar chord.

The Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF), helps artists affected by disaster. It is an amazing resource for helping craftspeople recover from tragedy. Artists can either receive help directly through CERF, which accepts monetary donations, or through fellow artists via the discussion forums.

After Hurricane Katrina, I personally received some awesome assistance from fellow crafters/artists through the discussion forums. People as far away as Germany sent me fabric scraps to help me start rebuilding my business. One kind woman even sent me a replacement sewing machine!

You can view the forums and find a way to directly help someone in need by going to:

http://craftemergency.org/forums

If you prefer a less direct approach, you can donate to CERF by visiting :

http://craftemergency.org/support/contribute

new members for Manchester

We've been plotting and planning ways to open our doors to more people for quite some time now and Manchester Craft Mafia is delighted to announce that are finally ready for new members so if you're in our corner of the world and want to join in let us know - full details here

If you're not in our corner of the world but fancy a little piece of crafting action anyway, we are working with our neighbours the Manchester Craft & Design Centre to help them create their Garden Party. We need your bunting so get cutting, stitching, knitting, crocheting and other 'ings' now. All contributions very happily received. Here's what to do.

Sunday, Crafty Sunday !

The San Diego North Park Craft Mafia is now hosting monthly craft shows the first Sunday of each month! For every show we will be featuring various local indie vendors for plenty of shopping enjoyment. Our next show is June 1st from 12-5 at Filter Coffee House at 4096 30th St. in beautiful North Park. Coffee and shopping -- what a lovely way to spend a leisurely Sunday afternoon!

If you are in the San Diego area, and would like to participate in the next Sunday, Crafty Sunday event, check out our FAQ's page with the link to the application.

Handmade Parade has a brand-new site!

Yep, you heard it right, Handmade Parade has a brand spankin' new site, at www.handmade-parade.com.

Handmade Parade started out as a neighborhood craft show. There's also a Handmade Parade blog, where we brought you the best of handmade holiday shopping this past holiday season. Now Handmade Parade has evolved into a virtual Craft Show of sorts, where you can purchase handmade merchandise from all over the world!

There will be new artists added all the time, so check back often! And if you are interested in joining the Handmade Parade revolution, email thehandmadeparade@gmail.com.

P.S.) I designed the site. Do you like it???

CRAFTALUMA: Venue Change

Gather round crafty-cool crafters and craftoholics, due to a plethora of crafty applications, The Petaluma Craft Mafia has been forced to change our venue from our beloved downtown Phoenix Theatre, to the Petaluma Veteran's Hall. Both great venues.

Though we can't stay away from the Phoenix, so expect the PCM to host trunk shows at the Phoenix and a few charity events as well this year.

The new address for Craftaluma, "The Greatest Show on Earth" is:

CRAFTALUMA
Petaluma Veteran's Memorial Hall
1094 South Petaluma Boulevard
Petaluma, CA 94952

(by the bowling alley) ! Huzzah!

Come on down and meet the "notoriously crafty" Petaluma Craft Mafia. (We promise to behave).

See you there!

p.s. Bonus ..plenty o' parking now.

Mucha Muchacha Jewelry from L.A. Craft Mafia will be at Renegade Craft Fair - San Francisco

I'm so excited that my application was accepted and that I'll be a vendor at Renegade Craft Fair-San Francisco! Renegade Craft Fair - San Francisco is happening on July 12th and 13th. What is Renegade Craft Fair, you ask? "The Renegade Craft Fair is a unique DIY event held 4 times a year in Brooklyn, NY, Chicago, IL and San Francisco, CA. RCF has gained a reputation over the last five years as being the biggest, best and the most well-known of all the DIY craft fairs out there. Each individual fair draws hundreds of applicants and tens of thousands of shoppers from all over the country and abroad! At the RCF you'll find all sorts of cool handmade stuff ranging from comic books to craft kits, silkscreened posters to reconstructed clothing."

I can't wait!

Craftaluma

The Petaluma Craft Mafia is proud to announce that our own homegrown "Craftaluma" will take place on Sunday, June 29th, 2008 from noon until 5:00 PM. The show will feature local crafters, artists and passionate do-it-yourself-ers (DIY'ers) with hand-made offerings ranging from toys, home accessories, purses, clothing and other accessories, stationery and hand printed greetings, paintings and baby products, bath and beauty products to jewelry, and much more. Shoppers will also get a chance to , participate in crafty demos, make n' takes. Peek into the future and have your fortune told by Madame Kat. See local artists at work. Digg the tunes of local musicians and bands. Awesome goodie bags for the first 50 attendees and raffle tickets are available. Admission to non-vendors is 1 dollar.

Attention Crafty Vendors, wish to strut your awesome crafty stuff? Applications are now available for your convenience to submit online at http://www.craftaluma.com. Vendor application deadline is June 10th. For more info, please see our website or contact petalumacraftmafia@yahoo.com.

Craftaluma, "The Greatest Show on Earth."
June 29th, 2008
Time: 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location: The Petaluma Veteran's Memorial Hall
1094 South Petaluma Boulevard
Petaluma, CA 94952

Book Review: Beadalicious by Sonya Nimri

As both a jewelry designer and a collector of vintage jewelry, I love Sonya Nimri's fun and simple approach to DIY jewelry design in her new book, Beadalicious. She encourages her readers to recycle old jewelry into something fresh and new in their own style. Sonya arms them with the know-how to complete every project in the book and includes a brief education on beads, tools, jewelry findings and best of all, techniques for jewelry construction. Jewelry styles range from funky to minimalist and the simple instructions allow for beginners to complete any of the projects. My favorite designs are the "Bohemian Wrapsody Ring" and "Amber Drops" earrings. Infused with a sense of whimsy, many projects in the book offer related side bars with recipes for things like "Queen Bee Soap" and "Moroccan Mint Tea". There is also an "Extra Goodies" section where you can find instructions to make things like a headband made out of buttons or your own romantic beaded hair comb. This book and the fun projects inside will make gifting to your favorite people a snap!

The Chicago Craft Mafia Presents Hand May-ed!

This Saturday, May 3, the Chicago Craft Mafia will come out in full bloom for our Spring extravaganza, Hand May-ed! We've teamed up with Zola Jones Design, creator of the Bumpy Ride Bag, in his shop at 1944 West Montrose Ave., Chicago. Hours of the event are 11 AM-5 PM.

Also returning in May for the CCM--The Craft Racket, our quarterly networking meeting, open to all Chicago craft artists!

Bazaar Bizarre & Maker Faire SF

Maker Faire and Bazaar Bizarre are happening THIS weekend!

Maker Faire is a two-day, family-friendly event that celebrates the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mindset. It's for creative, resourceful people of all ages and backgrounds who like to tinker and love to make things.

72 Crafters! A smorgasbord of handmade items, many cleverly made with recycled materials. Something for everyone—jewelry, toys, lotions, art, glass, fiber arts, ceramics, handbags, baby items, even crafting supplies.

Saturday May 3rd, 10am-6pm
Sunday May 4th, 10am - 5pm
Bazaar Bizarre & Maker Faire SF
San Mateo Fairgrounds

Check out the other vendors here and here. Hope to see you there!

Big time Stitch news!!

So I'm sure all of you have been wondering where the $%^$^&$*&%^* we've been... I know, I know... we've been a bit mum over here. Quite simply Stitch 2007 was awesome and amazing and wiped us out! We just needed a little break. Well, we're back and we're gearing up for our next show. When will that be you ask?? Well, we're changing things up this year...or next year to be more precise. The next Stitch will be held in April of 2009! Maybe it's the dreamy Texas spring, maybe it's exhaustion from 2007... who knows. But we're very excited about this change. We're hoping that with the spring weather on our side this will open up the possibility of an indoor outdoor venue. We also have a ton of other ideas up our sleeves and as our plans get nailed down we'll bring you all of the latest news. Until now, sit tight... we'll be back soon with tons more Stitch news.

L.A. Craft Mafia's April Meetup!

Psssst! Here's the scoop:

Tuesday April 22nd 2008 at 7pm
Bigfoot Lodge
3172 Los Feliz Blvd
Los Angeles, Ca 90039
323-662-9227
www.bigfootlodge.com/LAhome.html
There is plenty of well lit metered parking on Los Feliz Blvd that's free after 6pm. There is also loads of free parking on the neighboring residential streets.

The craft for the night will be: Stuffies! If you have a favorite fabric or pattern go ahead and bring it along. Also, bringing your own tools is always appreciated but we will have tools on hand for your use;)

Don't forget to post it on your Myspace, tell your friends and blog about it!

Handmade with an Atitude

The Sacramento Craft Mafia makes the cover (of the Scene section) of the Sacramento Bee! Read it here.

Left to right: Melody Claussen-Furry, Katie Reeves, and Amy Cluck. Photo by Michael Allen Jones.

Digg this -Felt Baron as seen in Giant Robot!

Crafty lady Tami Lovett-Brumfield of Petaluma Craft Mafia is featured in the current issue of Giant Robot! (see pic top right.) Crafty cool editor Erik Nakamura couldn't pass up this funky-fresh table stocked with felted home grown produce at Tami's booth. We think he has fine taste: Crunchy carrots with toothy grins, apples and oranges that smile winningly from their crates ... no wonder Mr. Nakamura found them irresistible. A veritable Farmer's Market of softies at booth number 49!

The Felt Baron had already sent most of her crop of sweet apples, oranges and ice cream sandwiches off to good homes by the time Erik and his shutterbug skills got down to business. Good eye mate! We love you Giant Robot. What felty goods will Tami be crafting up is anybody's guess, but we'll keep you posted right here!

It's that time of year again - Spring Bada-Bing time! The Richmond Craft Mafia is now happily accepting applications for our annual spring show. Now in it's third year, the show will be held at Plant Zero in Richmond on Sunday April 20, 2008 from 11 am - 4 pm.

Click here to apply.

Or if you won't be able to make it there are plenty of other ways to be a part of this awesome show. Check the site for info on sponsorship and/or zine advertising opportunities or to contribute to our swag bags!
Contact:
For Sponsorship/Advertising - crystal@richmondcraftmafia.com
Zine contributions/ads - deanna@richmondcraftmafia.com
For Swag Bags email - nicole@richmondcraftmafia.com

http://www.springbadabing.com

We are super excited to be hosting over 60 vendors this year! Yay!

Planet Zero on April 20th is the place to be!!

Now Accepting Vendors!

Down to Earth - Earth Day Craft Show
The show will be held on Saturday, April 19th, 2008 from 10am to 5pm at Sacramento News & Review Parking Lot (1015 20th Street, Midtown Sacramento).

Contact Katie Reeves or Erika Ashley Garcia for details and application!

Craft Con 2008

I am super-duper excited because I just found out that this year's Craft Congress (now known as Craft Con) is being held in San Francisco!

Straight from the Craft Con site:
Craft Con is a business development conference for the craft community. People who make things of all types, of all backgrounds, will come together to talk about the business side of crafting, how they market themselves, and the philosophies behind it all. The conference will be held April 4-6 in San Francisco, California.

Last year's Craft Congress was the first event of its kind, bringing together an amazing group of craft promoters from all over the country and as far away as England to network, share ideas, and discuss the future of the resurging movement.

I just applied and I'm crossing my fingers that I get in, since there is limited space available. It's really terrific how crafters are coming together to network, share business advice, and figure out how to spread the word about DIY culture. Yay for Craft Con!

The Sacramento Craft Mafia Infiltrates Sacramento Parent Magazine

Congrats to Missy and Tammie who are representing the Sacramento Craft Mafia in this month's issue of Sacramento Parent Magazine! And a big thanks to Lisa M. Thibodeau for writing an amazing article. I just love all of the mafia references!

And look, Missy's littlest made the cover:

Photo coutesy of Alexandra Frankel Photography

Photo coutesy of Alexandra Frankel Photography

You can check oout the article entitled She's Crafty online (if you live in Sacramento, you can pick up an issue of Sacramento Parent at Safeway, WalMart, or your local library).

You'll also want to check out Crafty Mama: DO Try This At Home!, featuring Missy's bunny pillow tutorial:

And Online Extra, the "The Gabu" Crocheted Creature Tutorial by Tammie:

There are quite a few moms in the Sacramento Craft Mafia and it's nice to see that Sacramento offers a hip and refreshing magazine for parents!

Design our next ad!!

Hi Mafia Members!!
We're having a contest to design our next ad appearing in NEET magazine. The winner will have their names posted on the ad and you'll be blogged about. It's a great way to get your design skills out in front of people and drum up more business.

Here are the details:

Size: 350w x 454h, 72 dpi

Send it in by March 15 to mafia@craftmafia.com.

I will then post the ads for voting and the winning ad will be used. Be sure and ad your name somewhere on the ad so you receive credit for your design.

Please tell all of your members about this awesome opportunity to get some ad design experience! And remember this opportunity is open to Craft Mafia members only.

New website for Mucha Muchacha Jewelry

Hey all, I have a new website and I'm really excited about it! You can see my new logo, learn a little about me, find out what shows I'll be selling at, shop for awesome jewelry and read my blog all in one place. Do you love it?
www.Mucha-Muchacha.com

Craft Mafia gets a mention on daytime TV!

Our friend Mark Montano's book "The Big-Ass Book of Crafts" has just come out and can be found at both indie and major bookstores everywhere. Today, Mark was on the show "In the Loop with iVillage" and mentioned Craft Mafia being everywhere!! Mark Montano and our friend Auxy Espinoza (she photographed everything in the book) will be chatting people up at their book signing at Skylight books in Los Angeles on Saturday March 15th at 5pm! Be sure to go get your copy signed!

I just donated...did you?

I just donated $2 to an awesome cause, plus now I have a chance at winning some incredible prizes, including an I Heart Felt book, Handmade Nation T-Shirt (you pick size), Handmade Nation Pocket Mirror, 3 Sublime Stitching iron-on transfers, and Handspun Yarn from yarnpunk!!

What are you waiting for? Proceeds support the making of The Indie Craft Documentary, which aims to educate the public about DIY, indie businesses, and crafting.

Craftaluma, "The greatest show on earth"

The Petaluma Craft Mafia is hosting it's first craft show this summer (exact date and time TBA). We're very excited to announce "Craftaluma" the Greatest Show on Earth." Or, at least we're gonna knock ourselves out trying to make it the greatest craft show west of the Mississippi! I know we've got our work cut out for us.

We plan to have a live band, carnival concessions and maybe a fortune teller/palm reader. Actually I just thought of that. But hey, whats a carnival craft show without a fortune teller? I've had this carnival theme since the holidays, and believe it may have inspired a scary clown dream I had a few weeks ago. Why is it clowns can be so scary?

We'll post more info and online applications once we get things finalized. In the meantime, we just wanted to invite our crafty mafia famiglia and all you other crafty types to Craftaluma, here in the land of butter and eggs which is Petaluma.

Crafty sisters, please send us your awesome swag, cards, postcards, samples etc. Dress us up in your crafty goodness. General admission to crafty shoppers is $1.00. Raffle tickets are available.

Just don't send in the clowns!

Contact cheryl@petalumacraftmafia.com for more info.
Cheers!

FREE Valentine Pattern from Roxy Craft!

Hey guys & gals, you should definitely chack out the new free pattern from Roxy Craft!

"I <3 U" Crochet Heart Ornament Pattern
Just in time for V-day! Make this little quickie in time to give to anyone on your Valentine's day list. Works up in about 20 minutes...less for you old pros! You could make enough to give one to everyone you know!

Spring Line Up in San Diego March 30th -- call for vendors!

Hello fellow mafiosas! The San Diego North Park Craft Mafia is ecstatic to be announcing our huge spring spectacular show—the Spring Line Up! It will be held on Sunday, March 30th at the Silver Gate Masonic Hall in North Park. This event promises to be enormous, and of course will be completely entertaining. Are you are planning on being in the San Diego / Southern California area on March 30th, and are interested in joining us to be one of our many fabulous vendors? Then check out the online application here . The deadline for applications is February 22—don't delay! We would love to have you be part of our Line Up!

Petaluma Craft Mafia Hatches a Half-Dozen

Since forming the Petaluma Craft Mafia with my other two founding members Dee and Anna, our crafty little famiglia has grown by double this past month. In the land of butter and eggs, commonly known as Petaluma, we are hatching creative DIY chics as fast as a hen lays eggs. In livestock speak, our famiglia head count is now a half-dozen and counting.

Yay!

We are pleased to welcome Tami Lovett-Brumfield of the Felt Baron . Tami makes the cutest felt and fleece creatures you ever did see. And she is an absolute sweetheart. We are proud to have her as part of our crafty little famiglia!
It's a great way to start the new year with an expanded famiglia. I am confident she will contribute positive juju to our already harmonious and crafty famiglia.

Welcome ladies, we have much craftabulous mischief to create!

Happy New Year!

P.S. 2007 photo Cheryl Aronson. Petaluma Landmark of "The Hatchery."

I Made it! Market in Los Angeles on Saturday Feb 9th!

I Made It! Market
It's a handmade/indie craft show with 16 Los Angeles
area artists. Screenprinting, fused glass, homebrew, comic
books, children's clothes... it's a diverse group of
vendors.

It's on Feb 9th from 12-4pm at
Billy's Coffee Shop 114 West 5th
Los Angeles, CA 90013.

Free Admission!

For more info go to: www.imadeitmarket.blogspot.com or
www.LosAngelesCraftMafia.com

The San Diego North Park Craft Mafia has expanded!

We are so very pleased to announce the addition of our new members:

Amy Smock of  Designs de Luna
Margaret McLean of  The Wee Set
Meagan Rae Longtin of  Meagan Rae Designs
Karen Jorgenson of  Altered Provisions
Lisa Yednorowicz of  Old Cake Paintings
Sarah Sweeney of  Piedras and Pretties Collection
Stefanie Histed of  Made With Luv

Check out their websites NOW! They are all so fabulous!

New Orleans Craft Mafia wants your swag!

The New Orleans Craft Mafia is proud to sponsor the Alternative Media Expo, presented by Antigravity Magazine. This will be the sixth edition of the Expo, and this year's event will feature over 70 exhibitors with 'zines, comics, films, crafts, photography and handmade clothing, independent record labels and artists with CDs and records, indie and grassroots organizations, filmmakers and much more!

The Expo will take place on Saturday, February 23rd, 2008 from noon-7pm at the Contemporary Arts Center (900 Camp St.) in New Orleans, LA. The admission fee for this all-ages event will be $5.

The first 150 paid attendees through the doors will receive limited edition cotton tote swag bags, courtesy of the New Orleans Craft Mafia, filled with freebies and product samples. These bags present a great opportunity to get the word out about your business, band, or organization. Vendors exhibiting at the Expo are also encouraged to participate in the swag bags.

Some swag suggestions include, but are not limited to: coupons, stickers, buttons, magnets, pens, etc. We ask that you do send actual swag items and not just promotional materials such as business cards or flyers. You may attach business cards, etc., to any donated swag, of course. If you are interested in sending in swag material, we ask that you send in the full amount of 150 items.

We will also be accepting product samples, which may include, but are not limited to: CD/DVD samplers, comics and zines, small jewelry or accessory samples, t-shirts, blank notecards or stationary, or other small samples of your products. If you choose to send in samples, we ask that you send a minimum of 25 samples.

The deadline for sending in swag & samples is Friday, February 15th, 2008.
Items may be sent to:

New Orleans Craft Mafia swag bags
c/o Claverie Crafts
P.O. Box 9399
Metairie LA 70055-9399

For more information on contributing to the swag bags, please email mallory [AT] neworleanscraftmafia.com

Tiny Yarn Animals: Amigurumi Friends to Make and Enjoy

I am really excited about the new book Tiny Yarn Animals: Amigurumi Friends to Make and Enjoy by Tamie Snow of Roxycraft! Tamie's little yarn animals are so darn cute, I'm going to have a hard time waiting until it comes out in August! The good news is, you can pre-order your book now on Amazon!

And if you still can't wait, Tamie still has plenty of patterns that don't suck on her web site: www.roxycraft.com

The Sacramento Craft Mafia is planning to throw Tamie a book release party. So stay tuned for details!