Have you read this?

I was sent this link for an article in the New York Times on the Handmade Consortium- if you have a vested interest in the DIY movement you should take a look at it. (Even if you are not a crafter or maker but just wondered how the whole thing got started you should read this, too.)



http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/16/magazine/16Crafts-t.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5070&em&en=f6aed7d6861c7a73&ex=1198040400



by the way, have you pledged to have Handmade Holidays at http://www.buyhandmade.org/ ?



and have you checked out What Would Jesus Buy? http://wwjbmovie.com/



Happy Holidaze,

Amber

This Weekend!

Junius Heights 1st Annual Historic Home Tour and Arts & Crafts Bazaar
This Sunday, 11/11/07

Come see Chromosapien, Enju & Superchica-- And get a jumpstart on your Holiday shopping by supporting local and unique artists! It will be at the Garden Cafe on Junius St., Dallas.
For more information please check out http://www.juniusheights.org/

Stitch Guerrilla Craft Fair & Fashion Show

This Saturday, 11/10/07 in Austin

Harrilu will be at Stitch (booth 408). Come to shop, check out the entertainment and a fashion show by independant designers. The show will be at the Austin Convention Center. Find out all the details at http://www.stitchaustin.com/

Pledge to buy handmade!

Start off the holidays on a good foot- take the Handmade Pledge! By promising to only buy handmade goods this holiday season, you are not only going to get lots of hugs and kisses from the recipient, you will also support the indie community. Handmade Holidays are the way to go!

You don't know where to buy handmade goods, you say? Start out with these local shows:
*Bishop Arts Hoedown- Thursday, November 1st in the Bishop Arts District of Oak Cliff. contact julie@themakesite.com for more info
*Junius Heights Arts and Crafts Bazaar, November 11th at the Garden Cafe on Junius St., Dallas- coinciding with the Junius Heights Home Tour, come out and meet local artists and do some shopping.
***Hipsters Handmade Holiday Bazaar*** at the Dallas Market Hall on Dec. 1st with love bands, crafts, and demos. www.urbanstreetbazaar.com
*Deck the Halls- being thrown by Armhole and the Texas Tarts, you can't miss this party at the Sons of Hermann Hall on Sun., December 2nd. contact jacky@texastarts.com for info.
*Winter Art Fair- December 8th at the Alex Sanger Elementary School at 8410 San Leandro Dr. Dallas, 75228 call (972)749-7600 for more info.
*of course, you will always find a treasure at the Deep Ellum Sellums which occur every second Saturday of the month on Elm Street in Deep Ellum from 8:30-11:30p.m.

and you can always make your own creations, as well! You don't know how to start? Take a class at Make Studio at 313 N. Bishop Ave. and impress your loved ones! Julie will teach you everything from sewing and silkscreening to jewelrymaking and fused glass!

contact us at dallascraftmafia@yahoo.com for more info.

This has been a crafty PSA from your local Craft Mafia. signing off--

We're Back & Ready For More!

The Girlie Show was wonderful! I had a ball meeting so many of the Girlies and shopping the show! It was truly a fun show, so well run -- with great music and really quality vendors! We're all gearing up for more great shows over the next couple of months, so stay tuned for more! We'll be toting our wares in and around Dallas, Texas and beyond!

Halloween is just around the corner! We have just started utilizing our etsy shop and have a few seasonal items for sale! Check it out: http://dallascraftmafia.etsy.com/

I love the felt monsters that Superchica made-- really fun and festive decorations that are handmade with Halloween love!

Craft Recipe: Jack-o-Lanterns

There are so many ways to make fun carved pumpkins these days! I am a fanatic when it comes to carving.

First, I draw a design on a piece of paper and hold it up to the pumpkin to trace-- using a pushpin to poke a hole every couple of centimeters so that I can remove my paper and see my design in holes on the pumpkin.

Next, I cut the top making a key-hole shape (it keeps the lid from falling in) at the top and scoop out the insides using a pumpkin scoop or a big serving spoon. When I'm done scooping, I take the pumpkin to the sink and rinse it out-- it gets rid of some of the stringy bits and makes it less sticky to work on. I also try to carve out a flat space for my candle/light. Cut a small hole on the backside of your pumpkin an inch or so down from your top for a vent-- it helps from the top of your pumpkin lid going black!

For the carving, I use pumpkin saws, carving knives, or kitchen knife to cut out my design. Other great things to use are electric drills (they make perfect polka dots!). Another fun thing to do (if you are a carving fool like me) is to use carving tools just to remove part of the pumpkin shell/skin -- it creates a cool glow effect with a lit candle. These do last a lot longer-- but I recommend electric/battery powered candles on these.

To preserve, I use vaseline or petroleum jelly around the cut edges-- it seals it and keeps it from deteriorating so quickly.

Other fun things to add and do: Paint! Add it to a carved pumpkin or use it for a no-carve solution! Great for small children!! I have been known to spray paint or use other acrylic craft paint a pumpkin to match a theme-- from 60's to a disco ball. Think about using glow sticks or strobe lights to fill your pumpkin-- very fun effects! you can also use fake finger nails for teeth or pipe cleaners and styrofoam balls for antennae or crazy eyes! Using other bits of the pumpkin for tongues and eyeballs are easy to! just use a toothpick to secure it to your pumpkin.

We're Girlie Girls!

The Dallas Craft Mafia will be participating in the 2007 Girlie Show in Oklahoma City! This is a show put on by women for women crafters, but you don't have to be a girl to shop it ;) The show will be on October 12th from 8p.m. to 12a.m., and 13th from 12p.m. to 5 p.m. Come on out and shop and party with us. Support your local craft familia!

Show Pics and thoughts.

So that was fun! We are so thankful to all of you that came out to see us and support The Dallas Craft Mafia. It was really encouraging to see new faces and get a chance to chat and hang out. Thanks to our guest vendors: Creme Tangerine, Texas Tarts and MH Dog. Rachel McBride provided the Yummiest Vegan cookies!!! Thanks!







We hope you had as much fun as we did and that you'll come see us again soon. Check out our individual websites for updates on shows, sales and new merchandise. The DCM is working hard to become a driving force for Indie Craft in DFW. XOXO Judy

The Trunk Show is This Weekend!

I have been scurrying around all week getting ready for our Trunk Show this Saturday at Make Studio. We will be showing our wares and having a lot of fun. Come by to register for our raffle, shop or just to meet the Mafia! In addition to Harrilu, Chromosapien, Enju & Superchica (the Mafia), you can meet & shop MHDog, Creme Tangerine and Texas Tarts.

Project Make will also be showing off their creations in a fashion show at 1pm!

Click here for a map to Make Studio

Be sure to sign up for our newsletter so you can get up-to-date info on all our events and news!

It should be a lot of fun-- I hope to see you there!

:) Megan (harrilu)

The website is up!

Alrighty folks. I'm happy to say that our MySpace page is a GO!

Visit our MySpace!

Add us to your friends list. :)

~Judy

*the world needs more good news*

An anonymous person posted a comment asking if we know the date of our Dallas Craft Mafia Trunk Show. Indeed, after much consideration and collective brainstorming, we gals have the dirt on our show! The event will be on Sat., September 8th from 10a.m.-10p.m. at Make Studio in Dallas' historic Oak Cliff. We are starting small and have already selected our vendors: please understand, if you are interested in being a vendor we will have these shows every few months, and applications will be posted the next go-round.





This trunk show will feature the works of Enju, chromosapien, Harrilu, and Superchica, along with a few local guest artists! We will have a Project Make fashion show, so please come out and show support for your local Craft Mafia! Fun will be had by all :)





We have a new website as well! Super Judy of Superchica fame has assembled a mighty fine website. Check it out at http://www.thedallascraftmafia.com/. And please sign up for our monthly newsletter while you're at it.





Cheers,


Amber

Dog Crazy

Its not too hard to notice that I'm more than a little dog-crazy. I don't have children, so my 2 hairy mutts end up getting the full wrath of my maternal instincts.

In the wake of the huge dog food recall and all of those poor people who lost their furry family members, I have been paying a lot more attention to the ingredients listed in my pet food and their treats. I have found a great source of dog treats that are organic and that my dogs flip for--called TheChocolateLab. She bakes each batch using organic ingredients that are good for my dogs and that are also really creative. She based her ingredients and recipes from what her dog likes and what a vet recommends and approves.

Some of my favorites are Looks Like Lobster tastes Like Chicken and the Jive Turkeys. She features all sorts of recipes-- from the Carob dipped to Pupcakes. Check out http://www.njchocolate.com/ or http://thechocolatelab.etsy.com/ for more information and a full listing of her pet goodies.

I really like that these are organic, and I have also used them for gifts for friends with new pets or for someone brave enough to pet-sit for me.

---Megan (Harrilu)

Art and television.

Hello fellow crafters and craft lovers. Well, we've entered August and for me that means higher temperatures and less motivation. The craft wheels have to keep turning though and tonight there are 2 great events in Dallas. One is First Thursday in the Bishop Arts District and the other is a trunk show at The House of Dang. If you live in the D, definitely hit one or both. Here's a link to info:
http://www.themakesite.com
http://www.myspace.com/thehouseofdang

Now for something else.... Has anyone stumbled upon the new channel called OvationTV? It's the only network devoted to art and personal creativity with the best of performance, people, art, music and film. So far I've seen a wonderful program about Mark Rothko (one of my favorite painters) and last night I saw a another great show about Degas and his sculpture The Little Dancer. Everyday there is something I'm really interested in. If you have cable or satellite tv you should be getting this channel.
http://www.ovationtv.com

One more thing. Recently my husband and I had a great discussion about art and music and wondered if painting is dead. By that I mean, could it be possible that everything that can be done in the realm of canvas painting has in fact been done? I plan to write an article about this for the DCM newsletter soon. Think on it and share if you like. :)

Enjoy your day.
Superchica

We're putting on a show!!!

So, the rain has let up a little- just enough for us to get some serious planning done for the fall. We will have our first craft show in September! Yay! I've wanted to host an event for a while now, and who better to have in the group than Super Julie, who has hosted a few big craft shows in Dallas.

We are also working on a new look for our website. We have a logo in the works and a fresh face to be revealed soon!

Rainy Days are for Crafting

Wow! the rain has been never-ending lately. It just doesn't feel like summer without hearing kids at the pool next door and super sunny days. But, I'm not exactly complaining. I don't miss 100 degree heat and fried foliage.

With all the time indoors, I've spent a bit too much time staring at my house. It's definitely put me in the mood to redecorate my space. So, I recovered a lamp shade and made a couple of cushion covers. Its amazing how the small changes can make such a huge difference!

Recovering a lamp shade is super easy-- here's how I did it:

• I used a paper bag and cut it so it was 1 large piece of flat paper (cut out the bottom portion) to make a pattern for the fabric/paper that I wanted to use.
• I pulled my lampshade off my lamp-- luckily it is white and pretty plain (if you have pleats, or a designer fabric that would show through, carefully take off that layer, leaving the posts and under layer/lining on the shade).
• I started on the bottom left of the paper and carefully rolled the lamp shade, marking the top and bottom with pencil on the paper bag as I rolled -- this shows you the shape and amount of fabric you will need. If you have a big shade, you may need to find a larger piece of paper or tape the bags together to form one piece.
• After making it all the way around on the shade, I cut out my pattern that I had made
• Using the pattern, I cut about 1/2 inch from the top and bottom of the pattern so that there is fabric to wrap around the top and bottom edges of the shade. I also cut the fabric approx 3/4 inch longer than your template (for a nice clean seam).
• Using Fabric glue (You could also use spray mount), I spread small amounts of the glue as I rolled the shade--carefully glue the fabric on, by placing the shade down on one end and rolling it slowly, smoothing out wrinkles and bubbles as I went-- similar to how I created the pattern.
• Once I made it all the way around, I folded the fabric onto itself, making a clean neat edge to glue down for your seam.
• For the top and bottom, I cut small slits around the edges around the top and bottom and applied more glue to wrap them into the inside of the shade, creating a nice round edge.

That was it! Pretty easy-- takes a bit of time, but much cheaper than a new lampshade, and if I wanted to go further, I could use trim to cover any imperfections I left at the top and bottom rims of the shade.

Being indoors so much has also inspired me. In the last couple of weeks I've been working on new designs that I want to test to print on fabric. It is a bit of a different process than some of the other items I print, but I have a real desire and interest in fabrics and wallpaper and hope that I can experiment with it enough to make a few designs I love. We'll see. I really want something fun and original that would actually turn into something else fun to buy or use.

Fingers crossed the rain stops soon!

Megan

Harrilu
http://www.harrilu.com/

Craft- The Next Generation

Hello fellow crafters and craft supporters!
What's up this week? Well, speaking for myself I've had a crafty few days and yesterday I had a chance to pass on a little of my craftiness. When you were a kid did you know you were creative? Did someone open your eyes to the world of art and craft? I remember a project that I did in kindergarten. It was very simple really, but I loved it. Our objective was to take a large piece of construction paper and create a collage/mixed media piece using fabric, buttons, pipe cleaners and other little objects. I made a bunny. He was orangey and brown with green and mustard buttons all over. I used a lovely piece of vintage fabric (which at the time was not vintage) to fill his body and pieces of bric-a-brac to outline it. This was a really meaningful project for me (obviously) and to this day I can still see that bunny and somehow I'm still working with vintage fabrics, buttons etc.

A young friend of mine visited me in my studio yesterday. She's only 8 years old, but there is really something special about her. She describes herself as very creative and told me about how she's fascinated with the Mona Lisa. Well, that was just about all I had to hear. I invited her to join me for a few projects and my hope was to give her an outlet to express herself and explore various kinds of crafts. At the end of the day we had made several sculptures and partially completed a little dress and some embroidery. I'll be meeting with her again to complete the projects and I hope that I've been an encouragment to her.

Here's a fun project I came up with when I was about 8 years old....
Work on a metal or glass surface that is non-porous and easy to clean. Using markers (not perm) draw a circle or square onto the surface and fill it in with lots of color but not a specific design. Then squeeze regular white school Glue on top of the colored shape you've just made and using a cotton swap or your finger, mix it all around, but keep it in some sort of circular or squarish shape. You should see the colors from the marker mixing with the glue. The glue should be thick, maybe a 1/4 of an inch. When you're happy with the color you're done. Let it dry overnight and the next morning peel it off and punch a hole in it. You have a cute little pendant. It's a fun project for kids that is easy to wash up with soap and water.

That's all for now. Have a great week.
~Superchica

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a blog.

Helloooo, Dallas! It is time to get to know your friendly neighborhood crafters. We're five DIY badasses with an agenda. We're all in The Dallas Craft Mafia for a reason: to promote our businesses and thus help each other rise to superstar status in the craft world. (we hope.)

We are also motivated to help those around us. We will hereby promote craftivism as a goal of the DCM- that is, volunteerism through crafting- within the group and beyond. We have selected a few programs with which we will volunteer our time and efforts to make our world a better place :)

We are going to accomplish a lot, and you will see more of us around!

G'day,

Amber