Saturday, January 30, 2010

Petaluma Craft Mafia's Spring Fling NLP!


Happy (belated) New Year! It's the last day of the first month of the tenth year in 2010. Confused? Us too! The last of the Christmas tree needles are falling off , and the stores are already lined with Valentines, and heck, even Easter candy. I've got the peeps to prove it. Whatever sort of holiday candy is currently lining the shelves is how this crafty lady keeps track of the months. While January is giving us the slip, you can beat the Petaluma Craft Mafia is busy planning a super crafty year.

We're gearing up for a wonderful 2010. We've got some swell new members to add to an already motley crafty assortment of creative bon-bons. Everyone in our famiglia creates such diverse work, we have a knotty knitter, (Judy, this hysterical image above is for you), a vintage jewelry maker, a re-purposed clothing designer, a lady who just sews the cutest vintage pillows and plushies, and a woman who saves vintage items and consigns them, makes cooool t-shirts. I mean, if life is like a box of chocolates, your Petaluma Craft Mafia is the ultimate assortment of sweets without the tooth-ache.

Petaluma's crafty first famiglia is hatching a whole host of fun things to do this year, and we'll be sure to keep you posted.
One fun event, is our Naked Lady Party we are holding at crafty Mafia sister Alison's vintage consignment shop on Kentucky Street. Sorry, folks, this is a private party in March, and a great way to dust off winter and welcome spring. Our crafty famiglia and a few assorted friends who we adore, as NLP parties can get pretty chaotic fast if you get too many women in one room trying on clothes and sipping cocktails. So if you here lot's of hootin' n hollerin' it's just us, the normal noises!

But, even if you don't get an invite to this event, don't fret folks, you too can host your own NLP, add some new clothes to your wardrobe, and clean out your own closet, and help your wallet stay fatter in the process. I mean, how can you beat that?

Some simple guidelines for hosting your own NLP. Most importantly, have fun and don't invite too many folks, or it can get quickly overwhelming, especially if space is at a premium. Remember, the goal is to find clothes, get feedback from your fellow naked ladies, and leave with some gems, and give some gems. I'd recommend inviting peeps whom you know you admire their taste in threads, vintage or current, or swapping is not going to be nearly as fun.

Music, get the mood going with some music that will keep you grooving as you dig through piles, and pull jumpers over your head. Food, snacks or a MUST. Trying on clothes with your gal pals works up an appetite and can get fatiguing, as any woman knows. A few libations both alcoholic and non-alcoholic for tee-totaler friends to switch it up.

Last but not least, privacy. Yes, you want to be sure to schedule time for when it's men's poker night, and the kiddy's are at a sitters so as not to distract you. Hey! Trying on other's cast-off is not only green, and a great way to get a new wardrobe, but it requires focus.
It's also a great time to think about others. Have some separates or suits that would work well in a more professional setting? Put together an outfit that would benefit a woman of modest means trying to re-enter the work force. There are numerous agencies you can donate the back-to- work items to, who would greatly appreciate it.

Stay tuned here, We'll be reporting back on our Craft Mafia Naked Lady Party.

Ciao, Ciao!

Your Petaluma Craft Mafia

Monday, January 18, 2010

New Orleans Craft Mafia unleashes our new website!

The New Orleans Craft Mafia has just unleashed our fresh new website design -- check out our new look!



We've had the same design pretty much since we started our group back in 2005. Five years later, and we thought it was about time for a change! We've gone through a lot in these five years... forming just before Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent levee failures ravaged our city, and we've had members come and go since then. We've maintained a group e-commerce shop, which has since closed and we've sponsored many craft events around town. We've remained strong and we're poised for even bigger and better things. We're dedicated to keeping the spirit of indie craft alive in the Crescent City!