The BEST Fall Virtual Giveaway!

The Baltimore Etsy Street team is excited to announce our new Virtual Giveaway! In preparation for the holiday season we have decided to giveaway $10 gift certificates from each of the following Street Team Members shops!

SweetPepita
BlockPartyPress
JenyGwen
JerseyGirlDesign
JillPopowichDesigns
JennyJen42
TigerLillyShop
BennyAndHeidi
BowerboxPress
ElisaShereJewelry
CEKCustomDesigns
JenMenkhaus
VWStudios
DorsetHillBeads
DandelionBlu
WynnStudio
Miscelena

SugarPaperie
SpaTherapy

TheBrokenPlate
GreenStarStudio

Holy Smokes! That's a lot of cool stuff you can win, worth $200! All you have to do is join our mailing list (if you have not done some already) AND visit a participating artists shop and leave a comment here about your favorite item(s). Winner will be chosen at random on Thanksgiving Day - just in time for Cyber Monday! Good Luck!

(photo courtesy of JenMenkhaus)

You are SO Front Page - Part 1

Or, how to make an Etsy Treasury!

Step 1: Enter the Treasury.
Step 2: Look in the upper left portion of your screen. Find the number of lists that are currently in the Treasury.

IF THAT NUMBER IS LESS THAN 333:
Step 3: Scroll to the bottom of the page. You will see a box at the bottom where you may type in the title for your Treasury List. Continue on to the other sections in this tutorial that show you how to fill your list with items.

IF THAT NUMBER IS MORE THAN 333:
The Treasury is full and will not allow you to create a new list. You must wait for enough lists to expire so the number falls below 333.
Step 1: Sort the lists by "expiration" (click on the "expiration" tab).
Step 2: Count backwards from the end to find out when the 333rd list will expire. Come back to the Treasury a few minutes before that list is set to expire and wait for it.
Step 3: As soon as you see the box appear at the bottom of your screen, click inside so that you see your cursor blinking. You should have a list. Now, type in your title, and you're ready to continue on to the other sections of this tutorial that show you how to fill your list with items.

More to come, from the sweetestpea's awesome Storque article!

Featured Seller: Prunus Persica

This Etsy favorite of mine also happened to be a great local talent… that is, until she moved to Key West, Florida. So thankfully, we will still be able to see her fabulous designs, via prunuspersica.etsy.com!



From her little shop on Charles Street in the heart of Federal Hill, Abigail of The Gilded Peach created stunning gemstone creations full of sparkle and beauty. She incorporates fantastic, high quality gemstones into one-of-a-kind designs; everything from delicate earrings to chunky necklaces, as well as custom designs!


Her jewelry is sure to continue to shine in the Florida sun…best of luck, Baltimore will miss you!

Post written by JerseyGirlDesign

Random Baltimore Photo

For more information, please click on the image.

Flick Finds - Yummy Candle

Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake candle, from Candle Confections' photostream.

Join the Baltimore / Maryland Crafters flickr group, hosted by The Broken Plate, and we may feature you and your work in an upcoming BEST blog. So if you're crafty (and you know you are), and you live in or around Baltimore, look us up. We know you're out there, so show us your stuff!

Don't Forget!

The first of the series of five Maryland Lawyers for the Arts workshops is today! This one is called "Protecting Your Work: Copyright" with Ober|Kaler attorney and MLA Board member Cynthia Sanders. "Pictorial, graphic, or sculptural" works are protected by federal copyright law. But that protection isn't unlimited. Find out where those sometimes shifting boundaries lie and what you need to do stay on the right side of them.

The workshop will be held today, September 27th at Maryland Art Place (Power Plant Live! 8 Market Place, Suite 100, Baltimore 21202), 2:00 to 3:30 pm. Admission is Free.

Crafty Bastards, this Sunday

Crafty Bastards, a twice-yearly event, will be held this Sunday, September 28, 2008, 10am-5pm at the Marie Reed Learning Center at 18th & Wyoming (Google Maps) in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, DC.

There will be lots of local and nationally-known artists, so it's a good chance to see some familiar faces as well as work by artists who don't normally show in the area.

Stop by and see BEST members Sweet Pepita, The Broken Plate, Jenny Jen 42, Dandelion Blu, Bowerbox, Block Party Press.

Complete vendor list here. See you there!

Congratulations, Tigerlillyshop

Allison's shop has reached a huge milestone - 4000 sales!

She'll be doing a giveaway for this rainbow silk button bracelet and kimono ring. Just visit her blog and leave a comment. Contest ends today, September 26th at 4:55pm eastern time. Good luck!

Friday Finds: Bird Watching Edition

I love Autumn-- the colors, the sounds, the smells; everything is golden and warm and vibrant. It's this time of year that always gets me thinking about long walks in the wilderness and wishing I could enjoy that exploration all the time. These etsy finds are on my wish list for year-round bird watching!


i'm so enchanted by these fabric peace cranes. A perfect addition to a fall dinner table, perhaps. By LaurieCoyleDesigns


this pillow had me at "hello"... the blue & brown motif (my favorite color combo) and the state bird of Maine; how could i say no? By TrackandFieldDesigns

i dream of these earrings... sweet little birdies swinging freely off my lobes (tweet, tweet). By joannarutter

kwilson544


i want to fill an entire room with these birds. I love all the trinkets & embellishments adorning him. By BirdAndMoonStudio

Personal Vocabulary

Personal Vocabulary opens tonight, September 25, 2008 from 5-7:30pm at the Maryland State Arts Council's James Backus Gallery. Curated by Anna Fine Foer, the exhibition features paintings and works on paper by Maryland artists who have received a 2008 MSAC Individual Artist Award.

Exhibiting Artists:

Seth Adelsberger
Tom Block
Alyssa Dennis
Melissa Dickenson
Sue Johnson
Chris Siron
Nora Sturges
W.C. Richardson
Jessica van Brakle

Exhibit runs September 25 - December 18, 2008
Gallery Hours: Monday - Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed State holidays. More info here.

Twenty Things - Jen of Indie Fixx

Twenty Things you didn't know about Jen Wallace, blogger at IndieFixx. Be sure to check out her shop as well!

1. I was kissed by a killer whale when I was 10.
2. I want to visit Hawaii, not for all the usual reasons. I just want to see big wave surfing.
3. Also, I want to take a tango vacation to Argentina and I really can't dance.
4. I love to eat arugula like it's potato chips.
5. Ewan McGregor doesn't know it yet, but he's going to be my 2nd husband (I'm still married to my 1st).
6. I've been a vegetarian since I was 13. Meat is gross and bad for the environment.
7. My brother says that I am definitely going to be a crazy cat lady when I'm old. I say my brother is going to be that crazy old man with all those dogs and motorcycles littering his yard.
8. At least once or twice a week I stay in my jammies all day long...one of the perks of working from home.
9. I'm very bossy...ask anyone I know, they will tell you.
10. My husband says I'm unemployable...it's a good thing that I work for myself. My boss is a bitch though!
11. I love to listen to surf music while I work, it's very conducive to concentration.
12. One of my pet peeves: when people don't do what they say they're going to do.
13. I have an obsession with bags and jewelry. I just don't ever think I will ever feel I have enough (all indie made, of course).
14. I recently gave up white refined sugar. I have a sweet tooth and I thought I'd never be able to do it, but I did...it's been 2 months. I have lots more energy and way less headaches. I do miss eating chocolate though...
16. One of my favorite books is All the King's Men. I've read it about 4 times.
17. I just tried to switch over to using baking soda to wash my hair, to get away from all the bad chemicals in shampoo that actually strip your hair. There is a 2 week adjustment period...I made it 10 days before I broke! My husband swears by it, so I'm going to try again in the winter.
18. I read a lot and can go through 2-3 books a week. Strangely enough though, I haven't been reading all that much this summer.
19. I am definitely not a morning person, but more of night owl.
20. Coffee is my friend! And I'm kinda a coffee snob.


Would you like to be featured? Email your twenty things (keep it clean, please!) to baltimoreetsy (at) gmail (dot) com. Be sure to include your photo, name and URL.

Baltimore Book Festival

The 13th Annual Baltimore Book Festival, which is the mid-Atlantic's premier celebration of the literary arts, will be held Sept 26th-Sept 28th at the Historic Mount Vernon Place centered on the 600 block of North Charles Street.

The book festival organizer will feature a "crafts corridor" that will inspire children's interest in arts through many free hands-on projects! The Children’s Book Store Stage, featuring many well known children’s book writer, The Story Book parade, featuring costumed characters Hedgie, Curious George, and Clifford the Big Red Dog.

The event is free to the public and is featuring both nationally known and local authors including: Dr. Cornel West, Naomi Wolf, Walter Moseley, Congresswomen Linda and Loretta Sanchez, Iyanla Vanzant, Daniel Mark Epstein and Omar Tyree. It will also have poetry readings, children's activities, cookbook demonstrations by chefs such as Martin Yan, George Duran and The Hearty Boys, live music and more than 100 exhibitors and book sellers.

More information here.

Indie-pendent Business - Baltimore Thai Yoga

Ahhhhh....

As a crafts person, I can't tell you how many times I have, after a marathon craft session, found myself hardly able to move...my back gets sore, I'm always hunched over like a little old lady...you know the feeling, right?!

Well, for weeks, my friend Jim, couldn't stop talking about his Thai yoga session with Theresa Lummino from Baltimore Thai Yoga..."It's so great, she stretched the #&%*! out of me, I feel like a new person, blah blah blah..."

So I finally went...and by golly he was right! What a treat...I felt like a new person, my neck kinks were gone and I felt like I grew two inches! Theresa is super friendly, I felt like I'd known her for years after I left! So, if you're feeling crunchy, and you too want the #&%*! stretched out of you, contact Theresa at information@baltimorethaiyoga.com ...you'll be glad you did!

Theresa's studio is located in Mt Washington.

Post written by jenygwen.

Bright-Shiny New: An Exhibition of Emerging Artists

Looking for some new art to adorn your bare walls? Head over to Paperwork Gallery and check out “Bright-Shiny New.” Purchase work from Baltimore’s up and coming, as well as from the city's more seasoned artists. City Paper just bestowed upon Paperwork the honor of “Best Place to Buy Art,” so don’t miss your chance!


Print by Daniel Wallace


Detail from Paper Installation by Jaime Bennati

Featured artists:

Jaime Bennati
Jessie Lehson
Joseph Letourneau
Janna Rice
Allison Wade
Daniel Wallace

Through October 30, 2008

Paperwork Gallery is located at
107 E. Preston Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21202

Post written by DandelionBlu

Featured Seller: Marcus Berkner

It's so hard for me to browse around on Etsy, the urge to spend is overwhelming. I gave in a few months ago and bought a necklace for myself from Marcus Berkner Jewelry. I was totally in love with the delicate swirls and tiny garnet accent stone. He has several similar pendants, differing in shape or stone.


Climbing Vines Garnet and Silver Pendant

Since I've been to his store last, he's added some unique new pieces. I really think these earrings are calling to me...


Sun and Moon Earrings- Amethyst, Citrine, Sterling Silver

Post written by Robotz

Random Baltimore Photo

For more information, please click on the image.

Fabric-Covered Magnets

Lots of us have leftover fabric. I have an idea for something to do with all those scraps—let’s make fabric-covered magnets!

First, gather your supplies. You need a flat surface, Mod Podge, and a brush or sponge. You also need a vinyl-coated magnet sheet—not the ones with adhesive on top. You can buy these at any craft store, or even on Etsy.


Take your fabric scraps and lay them out on the sheet. I’ll use these Japanese-themed fabrics.


Paint the backs of the fabric pieces with Mod Podge and press them flat onto the vinyl side of the magnetic sheet, being sure to smooth out the lumps while at the same time not distorting the image.


Now, paint the top of the fabric with a coat of Mod Podge. Don’t worry; it will dry clear. When it dries, paint another layer on top. I stop here, but you may want to do one more layer if your fabric is particularly textured, or you want a shiny finish.


Once it dries, you can cut them out any way you like. Make sure the edges are firmly stuck to the magnet—if not, another coat of Mod Podge might be in order.


So, there you have it! Sayonara!

Post written by BennyAndHeidi

Friday Finds - End of Summer Edition

Ah, the last few days of summer. Here in Baltimore, it's still warm, there's oodles of fresh local produce to taste, but the nights are cool, and there's hints of reds in the trees.

This print reminds me of long drives in the country. By budanART.

Delightful tree pendants in an array of summer-to-fall colors. By our own blockpartypress.

This bracelet works with sundresses or sweaters. By DesignedbyRJ.

I have no idea what to do with them, but I adore seeing lots and lots of gourds. By ara133photography.

Take your summer garden into the fall with this beautiful bag. By gardenhouseboutique.

Juliet on Rachel Ray!

Congrats, Juliet!!!! Your work looks great on her!

Twenty Things - The Broken Plate

1. I am a big chicken who is scared of flying, spiders and roller coasters among other things.
2. I love going out to eat by myself (although I never get to do it anymore.)
3. I have seen 2 famous people in the Airport, John Waters and Annie Leibowitz.
4. I was voted Most Likely to be a Millionaire in high school. (Ironically, it was probably because I sold a lot of hemp jewelry to the stoner kids.)
5. My favorite dessert is a brownie sundae with coffee ice cream and extra peanut butter from Friendly’s or a Macaroni Grill brownie.
6. I spend almost 10 years working in photo labs; the smell is nostalgic to me.
7. If I was not a crafter, I think I would study to become a chef.
8. I drove cross county once in the hopes of finding a city that I would love to move to. It only made me like Baltimore more.
9. It makes me crazy that I can never reminder which is worse, a storm watch or a storm warning.
10. I love breakfast sandwiches.
11. I HATE those giant blow-up holiday lawn ornaments and fantasize about shooting them with a bb gun.
12. I somehow think life is easier for tall people.
13. I have been stuck on number 13 for 2 weeks.
14. We decided Nolan’s name via text messages between Detroit and Baltimore .
15. I shot a Vanilla Ice concert (with my camera, of course)
16. I am allergic to my own dog and spend pretty much all of my time at home sneezing and playing with her.
17. I have a crush on Martin O’Malley.
18. I have AWFUL handwriting!
19. I love reality TV. (wince)
20. I am doing this list right now to avoid doing the things I have to do like clean the house and do my laundry. Can I make it 30 things you don’t know about me?


Would you like to be featured? Email your twenty things (keep it clean, please!) to baltimoreetsy (at) gmail (dot) com. Be sure to include your photo, name and URL.

City Paper's Best of Baltimore

Congratulations to Annie of Imogene - Best Jeweler


and Ali of Pistol Designs - Best Etsy'er


Way to go, ladies!!!

WE SURVIVED BUMBERSHOOT 2008!!!

It was a loooong 3 days for the dandelion and this chickadee at the festival- full of non-stop bumber action. While we were in a much quieter area then the main Indie Market, it still was a constant flow of traffic. It was a change from the traditional craft dedicated venues we were used too, a lot more "lookey-loos," packs of teenagers roaming and roughly handling merchandise, and hoards of beer soaked Stone Temple Pilot fans milling around waiting for the next show. Despite the slower sales, and over stimulation, I did pretty well and managed to pay for my trip and my husband's, plus a little "walking around money" to spend in Seattle.


Our wares and display survived the cross-country shipping and cramming into suitcases. We survived the extra fees for over weight bags, the stress of waiting for our boxes to arrive in Seattle, and the "scavenger hunt" we had to go on to retrieve our canopy and shipment of goods. I do have to say that our display may have rivaled others- AND we dragged it from the East Coast!


The festival itself was awesome, an overload of music, art, performance, and handmade goods that overtook the entire Seattle City Center for three full days. The headlining acts included Beck, STP, and Death Cub for Cutie. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see any of the main stage performances, as you had to get into the line for passes very early on. But we did enjoy a water opera, and aerial performances by Australian based Strange Fruit.



As night fell each day we recreated our little home away from home as the festival ran till 9pm! Quite lovely no?


Will we do it again next year? That remains up in the air as we try to recuperate and get back to East coast time, but I can say I'll take any excuse to visit Seattle again!

Post written by DandelionBlu

You're so Martha

Because whether you secretly love her or you follow her avidly, we all know she's the craftiest. Now, with green style guru Danny Seo, author of the Simply Green book series, Martha inspires us with the coolest green projects and sustainable $25-and-under store finds. You can do them, too! 25 Eco-Chic Ideas for Your Home

A Dozen Echoes

Definition Gallery presents “A Dozen Echoes,” an inspiring ensemble of a dozen female artists from across the United States. Each artist explores the unifying circumstances of being a modern woman in the 21st century while simultaneously reflecting on women’s past roles in history and culture. The gallery selected the artists for their ability to convey these personal and universal experiences with painstaking detail. The exhibition demonstrates a mastery over a variety of mediums; from traditional glazes to contemporary photography.

My friend Sylvia Ortiz is among the featured artists. Come see her amazing work!



Through September 27, 2008. Definition Gallery is located at 1800 Fleet Street in Fells Point, Baltimore

Post written by bennyandheidi

Happy Birthday, Val!

aka Bowerbox

Workshops at Maryland Art Place

We are so excited to find out that Maryland Art Place and Maryland Lawyers for the Arts have teamed up to host a series of professional development workshops for practicing artists. From September through October, you can sign up to attend any of these talks and information sessions for free.

Protecting Your Work: Copyright Issues
Saturday, September 27, 2008 from 2:00pm-3:30pm
with Ober|Kaler attorney and MLA Board Member Cynthia Sanders

Marketing Your Work
Saturday, October 11, 2008 from 2:00pm-3:30pm
with art consultant/dealer and MLA Board Member Ann Clark Prifis

Protecting Your Work: Navigating Contracts
Saturday, October 25, 2008 from 2:00pm-3:30pm
with Gorman & Williams attorney and MLA Board Member Michael Yang

All workshops are free and open to the public, but remember, seating is limited, so call 410-962-8565 to reserve your space today!

For more information, please visit: www.mdartplace.org

Hampdenfest Wrap-up

Thanks to all of you who stopped by! We had a great time and collected tons of supplies for Art with a Heart. You all are the best!

Random Baltimore Photo

For more information, please click on the image.

8th Annual American Landscapes

Here is a very good reason to spend the day in Annapolis. Pour over luscious and dreamlike depictions of our country in this national juried exhibition at Maryland Federation of Art's Circle Gallery. This is where we live. Amazing, isn't it?


Untitled by Geoffrey Delanoy


Horse in the Mist by Keith Auerbach, Louisville, KY

The opening reception for the 8th Annual American Landscapes is today, September 14th from 3-6pm. The show runs through Oct. 12.

Gallery Hours: Tues-Sunday 11-5pm
For more information, visit www.info@mdfedart.org

Maryland Federation of Art
18 State Cir.
Annapolis, MD 21401
410/268-4566

Craft Therapy

Crafting has really gotten me through some hard times.

A few winters ago, I was going through a divorce and many other changes in my life, and I passed a lot of time sitting in the basement with my dogs, crocheting tons and tons of granny squares. I found the predictable circular patterns of the crochet comforting and the yarn warm and soothing to touch. After that winter, I was left with all those squares and I put them together into what I call my Divorce Afghan.


When I look at it, I think about corny (but true) ideas like learning from adversity, being proud of personal growth, and the importance of keeping my sense of humor when things get tough.

I continue to count on crafts to serve as a stress reliever, pacifier, escape, and many other things----how about you? Has crafting ever saved your sanity, too?

Post written by bennyandheidi