The Handmade Mart, Holiday Shop-N-Stroll is this coming Saturday in Downtown Silver Spring.
From those that brought you the Handmade Mart in June of this year, this Fall market teams up local crafters with the Silver Spring FRESHFARM market. Starting at 10am until 3pm, browse for some holiday gifts and stock up on your fresh produce, all at the same time.
For a vendor list, complete with many of your favorite local crafters head on over to the Handmade Mart site, and start making your list.
A while back I learned about Art House Co-op and the Sketchbook Project.
It’s a simple concept really. Sign up, get a sketchbook, fill it with art, send it back. The sketchbooks make a humongous library of sketchbooks that can be checked out and enjoyed by everyone.
I decided to sign up mostly because I thought it was a pretty nifty idea and to try and make myself get back into sketching. Because nowadays my sketchbooks are more notebooks or ideabooks.
I have several.
They lie around the house in various places, so at a moments notice, when that really great idea hits, I can pick the one up closest to me and start jotting, sketching, and planning away.
I figured the Sketchbook Project would make me be more focused and a bit more formal in laying out ideas and projects. Tomorrow was the original deadline. So far, none of the pages in this notebook have been used.
I got word today that they are extending the project deadline until the 4th of January. Go creative types. So, I’m recommitting myself to the project. I will meet this new deadline. I will fill the sketchbook with brilliant ideas, images and colors. I will share my progress in this space for all to admire.
But for now, I face down this blank page.
As the season turns and the leaves change I find myself wanting nothing more than to curl up on the couch with a warm blanket and catch up on my Netflix and Hulu queue. It is the ultimate in comfort and helps make the transition of the season a little bit easier.
I also find this time perfect for crafting. It’s a great way to catch up on the pile up of projects that have been sitting all summer, or time well spent in getting a good head start on holiday gifts. But what about settling in and trying a new craft?
You might be an expert knitter or killer silk screener, but have you ever wanted to try book making or needle felting? Dabbling in a new craft and learning a new skill can help stretch your creative muscles and make your main hobby even stronger.
Usually when trying a new craft, there’s an impulse to go out and get all of the different materials and shiny tools that are required for the new process. It can be a down right expensive endeavor, especially if the new craft leaves you cold.
That’s why how-to kits are especially amazing. They provide you with all the materials and tools needed to make a one-off project. You can have the luxury of trying a new and shiny craft without the long term commitment. So here are some choice indie how-to projects to get your juices flowing and your hands busy on those warm blanket, tv watching days:
Read the original post over on Indie Fixx
I picked up the latest issue of Bust Magazine today and immediately flipped to page 48. Why page 48 you ask? Well, because yours truly has her very own byline right there on that very page!
Here’s a sneak peek at the full article on mending your clothes. Learn how to darn a sock, sew a seam and even replace a zipper.
So run, don’t walk to your nearest book store and pick up a copy today!
Check out some awesome Indie rock posters over on Indie Fixx.
