A few questions with Matt Hollis, one of the vendors at our Holiday Booty Market on December 15th in Washington, D.C.

1. What do you make and do you have a website?

Abstract/Organic Photos, Sculpture & Paintings
enoughforall.com



2. Why do you make things?

Just a way to filter all my inspiration and awe about the world into
something tangible to re-inspire myself and hopefully others



3. When did you start making things?

I really started making the most things in early high school,
when i got bored with just clay, my ceramics teacher gave me
access to a magical supply closet and i began making crazy conglomerations



4. Why buy handmade?

Adds personality and everything is a one-of-a-kind



5. What craft supplies would you take to a deserted island?

My knitting bag, sketchbooks, pens, & watercolor crayons



6. What crafters or artists do you love?

Alexander Calder is a bigtime favorite of mine, elegant simplicity,
plenty of humor and just the right bit of menace..



7. What new craft/skill do you want to learn?

i'd love to get into glassblowing someday...



8. Tell us something funny about yourself.

I have a big studio but i usually do my best work on the floor
or the kitchen counter

I have been asking everyone, "Are you making ornaments for our Craft Mutiny Ornament Drive?" And I usually hear, "Um. I don't make ornaments." Dude, I would have said that 4 months ago, too. I have actually never had a Christmas tree in my house as an adult. I wasn't sure if it was laziness or what, but never have. The traditional ornaments and holiday decorations just doesn't appeal to me. They are still in the realm of "country crafts" and that just blah. So I decided to turn the holiday ornament on its head with my line of Zombie Plague Ornaments, see:






And then, I started making the Creepy Santa Head ornament:





See, with some felt and imagination, the possibilities are totally endless. I say, let's make our own, new, modern holiday traditions. There is no reason why zombies can't be the new mascot for the holidays? Who knows, 50 years from now, Christmas could be about worrying about the zombie apocalypse. Wouldn't that be fun!?


So don't tell me you don't make ornaments! Everyone has their own idea of what the holidays should look like, so show us yours! We are taking donations of both traditional and non-traditional ornaments at our Holiday Booty Market on December 15th. Bring 1-5 ornaments to our show, ready to sell. Put them on our tree and we will sell them and donate the proceeds to charity.


Saturday December 15, 2007 * 12-6pm
Hilda's @ National City Christian Church * 5 Thomas Circle

Beth makes supercool plushies like Astro-NOTs and Mummsies! I am eyeing her mustache pins for potential stocking stuffers!





1. What do you make and do you have a website?

I mostly make stuffed monsters, but I also try to paint my monsters. But I like it better when I can hug them. I have a shop on Etsy which is magpiedc.etsy.com and a blog at magpiedc.blogspot.com where i try to post pictures of things in process.



2. Why do you make things?
I have to be doing something. All the time. I had a roommate tell me once "I hate how you watch movies" because I'd be watching and knitting, or watching & doing the cross word. i can't sit still.



3. When did you start making things?
I was lucky to grow up in a crafty family, my dad was a potter and still paints, my mom is a quilter, both my grampas were wood workers. Pretty much everyone in my family used their basement as a "work room"



4. Why buy handmade?

It's more fun to have a one-of-a-kind item, i
think. And the fact that you can also meet the source/artist from which it came and validate their art and possibly give them the chance to make a living not sitting behind a desk and a computer is fantastic!

5. What craft supplies would you take to a deserted island?

Hm...there's no limit to this? I could go on then. Well, definitely a sewing machine...although not practical for a sandy island 'tho. Yarn, knitting needles. Good, fine tipped black pens, a sketch book. needle, thread...i'd better stop there.



6. What crafters or artists do you love?

I love my Craft Mutiny crew. I like the variation we have amongst everyone. I love people like Susie G. from Boygirlparty. I think her illustrations are the TOPS!

7. What new craft/skill do you want to learn?

when i was little, my dad had 2 potting wheels. One kick and one electric. I'd like to throw pots again. I'd also like to try printmaking. I took a lithography class in grad school which was
pretty awesome. I have a lot of respect for such process-driven work. My stuff is a lot of slamming stuff together.



8. Tell us something funny about yourself.

I had a choir teacher tell me to stop singing in front of my entire choir in 7th grade. I can't sing in front of other people now.

A few questions with Laura Teeler, one of the vendors at our Holiday Booty Market on December 15th in Washington, D.C. (One more week!)

1 What do you make and do you have a website?


mostly i make purses out of vintage, unusual and reclaimed fabric. i don't have a website (anyone wanna make me one?). i have a myspace page (http://www.myspace.com/latebloomdesigns) and soon to come an etsy page tho.


2 Why do you make things?


why not? because it's fun. a creative outlet. because i think of things i want to exist that i can't find. because there is something beautiful about a handmade object, imperfections and all (especially as a gift). poverty.


3 When did you start making things?


it's very natural to make things and be arty and crafty when you're, like, in elementary school. i guess i never really grew out of that. my sister and i would alter thrift store clothes when we were in high school. the first time i made stuff to sell was for the first crafty bastards, so that was in 2004.


4 Why buy handmade?


better quality. made with love. support d.i.y. just the special, unique, wabi-sabi-ness of having something created by an individual in a factory-farm world.


5 What craft supplies would you take to a deserted island?


hmm, the dreaded desert island question. just kidding. if we're talking electricity-less then i'd say... knitting needles and yarn. needle, thread, fabric. the print gocco is a very handy and fun little device. nicely portable. a polaroid camera and film. beads and beading supplies. drawing paper and pencils. scissors, duct tape, glue - all very handy.


6 What crafters or artists do you love?


i am constantly impressed and inspired by what i see other crafters doing. there is really so much great stuff out there. just to name a few: rachell sumpter, susie ghahremani (boygirlparty), wonderland q, friend or foe, daisy lacy, tinymeat, smallthings, andrea haffner, elizabeth scott (es designs) jewelry, matt hollis.


7 What new craft/skill do you want to learn?


gosh, so many things. printmaking. more with silver and jewelry-making. i want to start making lampshades. woodworking and wood inlay. actually i'm pretty interested in trying anything crafty. learning traditional arts and crafts and adapting them in new and unexpected ways.


8 Tell us something funny about yourself.


everything about me is a little funny. a few months ago i sewed through my finger on the sewing machine. although i guess that's more gross and painful than it is funny. don't worry, i changed the needle though.

We've got less than a week to go until our rocking crafty fun craft fair! Do come by and enjoy some free cookies and kids crafts while you shop for that special gift! I will be there with a load of yarn, spinning kits, and handknit goodies! Perfect for the crafters in your life!





1. What do you make and do you have a website?
I make yarn! And dye all the wooly things I can find! For non-crafters, we have handknit hats, mitts, scarves, etc. My website is: http://woolarina.com.


2. Why do you make things?

I can't not make things! I get antsy if I have to watch tv or a movie without at least my knitting!


3. When did you start making things?

My mom taught me to knit when I was small - I remember an awful pale wintergreen hat I made! I started selling stuff right before the first crafty bastards - my friend and I just had too much dyed yarn and knit hats to keep, so Woolarina was started!


4. Why buy handmade?

I like knowing that a person stands behind their products. Why get mass-produced stuff from Walmart? I think handmade + local buying are important... I was shocked when I noticed my frozen broccoli was coming from South America. Why?! Imagine all the gas it takes to ship stuff from around the world! Buying handmade is sort of like this - I'd rather support a person or local business to get me what I need than some rich executive somewhere!


5. What craft supplies would you take to a deserted island?

I think probably a sheep, spindle, knitting needles, and some dye! (I totally need to be surrounded by COLOR! ;)


6. What crafters or artists do you love?

Lately I have been loving Montessori by Hand, and I am always drawn to Wee Wonderfuls. (Check out her gnomes!) HAh - I have more sewing/embroidery patterns than I will ever finish!


7. What new craft/skill do you want to learn?

I'd love to learn how to sew clothing. Or finally get around to those sewing patterns I have!


8. Tell us something funny about yourself.

I rarely ever finish projects for myself. For the past four years, my winter hats and mittens have always had loose ends I never sewed in. I also have a sweater with an end sticking out of the neck. Partly due to laziness, and also so I could tell which was was front.

We all can't wait to see what Artisan Confections brings to our fair! We are drooling just thinking about their chocolates!







At Artisan Confections, everything we create is governed by two simple passions: fine art & fine chocolate.


Each hand-crafted chocolate is itself a work of art, composed of the highest quality French Valrhona chocolate, fresh butter and cream, the purest liqueurs and extracts, luscious fruit purées, and local organic botanicals. Time-honored techniques and painstaking craftsmanship transform these all-natural ingredients into exquisite morsels of flavor, form, and texture.


Unlike many chocolates made in this country (including the well known luxury brands), those created by Artisan Confections contain no artificial preservatives. Even sugar, a natural preservative, is kept to a minimum to allow the pure flavor of the fine quality chocolate and fillings to shine through. What they do contain is plenty of fresh butter, cream, and other perishable ingredients -- which means that they should be consumed by the date on the package, within a short time after they were produced at our Arlington, Virginia workshop.


Tempting as it may be to save these little works of art to admire, display, and marvel over, they are meant to fulfill the sense of taste as well as sight. We at Artisan Confections want you to savor the complete chocolate experience, and we think you will appreciate the difference.


---------------


Be sure to get to the fair early to snag a box! Artisan Confections will only be with us from Noon-3 PM!

60 Bugs is another of our founding members, and always comes up with awesome stuff to buy! Check out her stuff - just five days away!!




1. What do you make and do you have a website?

I hand-embroider and gocco print on t-shirts and accessories for babies and kids, but have been doing more "grown-up" stuff lately, like reuseable coffee sleeves and throw pillows. I'm embarrassed to say that my website is on hiatus, and has been for a LONG time. But someday I will update it, I swear! It's www.60bugs.com.


2. Why do you make things?

I have always been a hands-on/DIY kind of person, but I initially started 60 bugs because I was tired of all the lame clothes for kids! I've got 2 boys, and making them fun, unique stuff is really satisfying. Plus I've got fidgety hands, so it's good to keep them busy doing something creative.


3. When did you start making things?

Wow, I was pretty little...elementary school? My mom taught me fun origami stuff when I was pretty young, and I distinctly remember my oldest sister embroidering "Elton" on her jeans (heh, it was the 70s, people!), which was probably the first time I appreciated and admired the process of hand-embellishing things.


4. Why buy handmade?

I always crave unique, well-made stuff, and you can't really beat handcrafted goods in that department.


5. What craft supplies would you take to a deserted island?

Needles, hoops, embroidery floss, wool felt, gocco printer, ink, pencils, paper, good scissors and millions of shirts in all colors and sizes. Wait, would I be able to export the shirts? Maybe just millions of shirts in *my* size.


6. What crafters or artists do you love?

All my fellow Craft Mutineers are rad! Jenny Hart from Sublime Stitching was definitely an inspiration for me to start selling the stuff I make.


7. What new craft/skill do you want to learn?

Heh, I just started sewing with the machine I got THREE YEARS AGO. I'd love to learn how to make something more complicated than a pillowcase. It WILL happen one of these years.


8. Tell us something funny about yourself.

I am a total Guitar Hero NERD. Well, I think it's funny, anyway. It actually interferes with my crafting sometimes!

What do you make and do you have a website?

I hand print cards and shirts and anything else that is blank at my kitchen table with a Print Gocco. My stuff is usually about zombies and ghosts and pandas and other things that worry me. I sell my stuff on Etsy at http://www.tinaseamonster.etsy.com, but blog at http://www.ilikeseamonsters.com


Why do you make things?

It is a creative outlet. It is an obsession. But mostly to make people laugh.


When did you start making things?

I recently read in this is my baby book: "Tina is two and just drew her first picture. She says it is a monster". This says it all.


Why buy handmade?

I buy handmade because I like to be surrounded by odd things. I like to impress people with my quirkiness.

What craft supplies would you take to a deserted island?

Gocco. Ink. Felt. Needle. Thread. I would make zombie xmas tree ornaments all year long.


What crafters or artists do you love?

I admire anyone who can draw. I am awful at it, but know that if I could I would be a force of nature. I really love Elloh on Etsy ( http://www.elloh.etsy.com). Her ability to capture what we love about pop culture is truly lovely.


What new craft/skill do you want to learn?

Quilting. A few years ago I saw an exhibit of weird crazy quilts in London and ever since then I have been dreaming of snuggling up with giant zombie quilts. I want to write weird junk on blankets that people will pass down to younger generations. I want to take the old arts and crafts and make them modern and funny and completely brilliant. This is my dream and I am sure I will do it. Now I just need to find the time.


Tell us something funny about yourself.

Even though my website is called I Like Sea monsters, I still cringe when I see one. The commercials for that new sea monster movie, Water Horse, almost made me vomit yesterday. Oh and I really don't believe we have ever landed on the moon.

Four more days! Moira from Bookish Lady is one of our vendors - check out her great prints and notebooks!



1. What do you make and do you have a website?

I make handmade journals and other books, and I also make letterpressed cards and posters. My website is bookishlady.com


2. Why do you make things?

I collect lots of little scraps of things, and especially interesting paper, so I enjoy making those into special new things. It's a good way to recycle. My favorite part is seeing the finished project come together.


3. When did you start making things?

When I was tiny! My mom taught me to sew when I was in elementary school, and I used to make lots of crafty projects with my sister. Our masterpiece was a diorama of paper mermaids with sparkly outfits in an underwater scene. It was covered in plastic wrap to give it a watery
effect.


4. Why buy handmade?

Lots of reasons! You'll get something more interesting than mass-produced goods in a huge chain store. Often when you buy handmade you buy local as well, and that's good for the environment and your local economy. Lots of crafty people are recycling old things into
their crafts, so you're supporting that, too, instead of bringing more crap into the world. And how can you resist something made with love?


5. What craft supplies would you take to a deserted island?

Hmm. Paper scraps. Letterpress blocks. Glue. Yarn and ribbon. My collection of old books, for inspiration.


6. What crafters or artists do you love?

Orly Cogan is probably my favorite artist. Imogene from Baltimore is a great collective. There are tons of great artists working in letterpress, but Hatch Show Print in Nashville is the classic. Melissa from Dearest Inez and the Makery in Louisville, KY is a sweetheart.


7. What new craft/skill do you want to learn?

Hmm. Screenprinting, maybe. I'd like to be able to screen onto my books. I'd like to get better at sewing and at letterpress, too. I have a ways to go to be able to produce the kinds of things I really admire.


8. Tell us something funny about yourself.

Once I got my hair caught in a fan, and had a bald spot for awhile.

What do you make and do you have a website?

I make all sorts of things. Lately I've been making a lot of polymer clay ornaments, pendants and rings. I started experimenting with belt buckles last week. I also knit and play around with my Gocco printer.


Why do you make things?

Keeps my hands busy. Compulsion. Stress relief.


When did you start making things?

Started as a child and never stopped.


Why buy handmade?

Vanity. Wear something handmade and compliments will likely follow you all day. Plus, it's an easy way to support artists and small business owners.


What craft supplies would you take to a deserted island?

Knitting needles, yarn and duct tape. Lots and lots of duct tape.


What crafters or artists do you love?

Way too many lovely and talented crafters to list them all. Of course my fellow mutineers and all the Booty Market vendors. I'm super excited to meet Block Party Press. She does amazing things with polymer clay.


Liz E. of Trees. She's extremely talented and the best booth partner EVER! Her pillows, pots, prints and clothing are all well designed and her prices are very affordable. Plus she explores two of my favorite themes: Birds and Trees.


What new craft/skill do you want to learn?

Photoshop. Feels like my hands are tied not knowing how to use it. Glass blowing, letterpress and cable knits are on my to do list.


Tell us something funny about yourself.

My last name?

What do you make and do you have a website?

Pillows, pottery, and I reconstruct vintage clothing.


Why do you make things?

Why? That's a tough question to answer. It's an inner urge. I have an obsession with textiles, vintage, new, cotton, felt, you name it.


When did you start making things?

I've been sewing since I was little. I took a pottery class way back in high school and then found out about Hinckley Pottery Studio in Adams Morgan and have been taking classes there for years.


Why buy handmade?

Because all handmade goods have a bit of love from the maker. Plus a lot of sweat, tears, and sometimes blood.


What craft supplies would you take to a deserted island?

My sewing machine would'nt be much use without electricity so I'd opt for needle, thread, and some sturdy fabric. When I ran out of those materials, I'd have to channel Bear Grylls and come up with alternative ways to craft and survive.


What crafters or artists do you love?

My late Nana who made all of our dolls' clothes when we were little. Contemporary crafters: Friend or Foe, Mike Pappas, Petey Mo, Sara of Pile of Craft, maryink, deadbird, kirkature. I could go on for a while.


What new craft/skill do you want to learn?

I'm a decent sewer of easy shapes like rectangles, squares, etc but I really want to learn how to make my own clothes from scratch so I need to tackle patterns.


Tell us something funny about yourself.

I often get up at 4 or 5am just to craft. I don't know if that's funny or just weird.

Our Holiday Booty Market is finally here!!! Come and pick up the most rad one of a kind gifts at the National City Christian Church on the lower level in Hilda's Gift Shop. Our indoor show is going to be warm and cozy and full of snacks and music and fun. Goodie bags for the first 100 shoppers!

And don't be afraid of the weather! Weather.com says that the wintery mix in Washington, DC isn't supposed to start until around 6 p.m., right when our fun ends.

How to get there?
Directions

The Holiday Booty Market will be held inside at Hilda's on the lower level of the National City Christian Church. National City Christian Church is located in northwest Washington D.C. where 14th Street intersects Massachusetts Avenue at Thomas Circle. Hilda's is located on the ground level of the Church off the 14th Street courtyard.

Take the Metro:

* Orange and Blue Lines: Take the Orange or Blue line to McPherson Square. Walk two blocks north on Vermont Avenue to reach Thomas Circle.
* Red Line: The next-closest Metro stations are Dupont Circle and Farragut North:
o From Dupont Circle: Walk 5 blocks southeast down Massachusetts Avenue to reach the church at Thomas Circle.
o From Farragut North: Walk 4 blocks east on L Street, walk one block northeast on Vermont Avenue to reach the church at Thomas Circle.

Take the Bus: You can reach the church easily by bus or Metro. Metro buses 52, 53, and 54 all stop right at the church on 14th Street.

Drive. Street parking is sometimes hard to find, but meters are free on Saturdays.

Check out this year's vendors!

Our ornament drive was a great success - we'll update you once we've got total figures!

Before that, we have some left over ornaments still for sale - we are reducing the prices to get them out fast - I hope to ship them out way before Christmas, so order soon! They are in sets of 2-8 ornaments. Order a whole set and send with christmas cards! Or tie to the top of gift wrapping!

Get them soon! :)

You can't go wrong with holiday monsters!

And I already have my mini-mitten! Beth MagpieDC does this all by hand! She rocks!

This little box has some scrapbooky surprises inside! Super sweet!

Festive birdies from Liz of Trees!

already gone: