Handmade Ryan Gosling

Oh, Ryan.... Gotta love this parody of the perfect handmade boyfriend! If you have a few minutes to spare, head on over to Handmade Ryan Gosling- it's pretty funny!

This one is so dead on!!!

Random Baltimore Photo

Photo by Clare of Fiorella Jewelry

Random Baltimore Photo

1840's Plaza;  Photo by Abby from Abigail Leigh Handbags

Yellow And Black for Preakness

 Some yellow and black items from BEST members in honor of Preakness!  Click on the title to comment on this treasury or click on an item to be taken directly to the Etsy listing.

HIghlandtown Wine Festival

Drink some wine and come visit BEST members Whoop, Becca & Mars and Design by Night this Sunday at the Highlandtown Wine Festival. The wine festival celebrates the tradition of home wine making and will be held on the corner of Conkling and Claremont Street.

 

The Highlandtown Wine Festival features a homemade wine competition, wine tastings, children's activities, arts, crafts, food and music.
When: Sunday, May 20th
Time: 1-6 pm
Where: Corner of Conkling & Claremont
Admission: $25 (includes souvenir wine glass, antipasta and five wine tastings)

The Spring Thing this Weekend!

The second annual Spring Thing craft show, put on by Washington DC’s Craft Mafia, is scheduled for May! This year’s show will feature over 40 local vendors showing off their creative DIY house wears, baby goods, jewelry, hula hoops, art and more.

Come visit BEST members Open Eyes Press, Design by Night, Fuzzy Mug, Jill Popwich Designs, Susan Brandt, Found Studios, Sugar Paperie, NAMOO, Damn Good Doormats and Yummy & Company.

Local charity Lucky Dog Rescue will be there for furry love and adoptions, and live music by Dave Tief will be provided early on in the show. So come out and pick up some unique crafts while enjoying the Spring weather!

When:
May 19, 2012 @ 11:00 AM - 5:30 PM

Where:
St. Luke's Episcopal Church Parking Lot
1514 15th St NW
Washington,DC 20036
USA

New Member Interview - Dee Dee Dzy Jewelry

BEST has recently welcomed 14 new members to the group, so over the next few weeks we'll be introducing each new member with a little interview.  Please take some time to welcome them and check out their creations!  Our first new member is Delia of Dee Dee Dzyn Jewelry:

Tell us about yourself.
My name is Delia Benn. I am married and have three grown up children and four precious grand children. I was born and raised in South Africa and emigrated to the USA 22 years ago. After 18 years in sunny Southern California, we moved here to Pikesville.

I have always loved doing craftsy things and, as I love jewelry, I was drawn to experimenting with beads. Once I started, it became an obsession and I just love learning new techniques.

What made me decide to sell my creations? It's an expensive hobby and I got such good feedback from family and friends that I decided to set up shop on Etsy.

How did you come up with your business name?
I call my shop DeeDeeDzyn because, as a child, I was sometimes called DeeDee and it sounded more catchy than my name.

What creation are you most proud of making and why?
I like to make crochet lariats and chokers and, my latest thing is spiral beading. I would so love to learn to work with metals, but that will, hopefully, come later.

What's the ugliest thing you've ever made?
When I look at some of my earliest pieces that never sold, I realize how far I've come and how ugly they really are. I'm now pulling them apart and using the materials for other pieces.


What do you do when you're not creating?
When I'm not creating, I'm either babysitting, reading or blogging. You can see my blog at http://www.deedeedzyn.blogspot.com/

What do you love about Baltimore?
After the beautiful weather in California which didn't vary that much during the year, I love the four seasons and the unique beauty each one brings. I also love all the culture that is available, but most of all, I love it that my four grandchildren are here and live a block from me.

Links for Delia and Dee Dee Dzyn Jewlery:
Etsy Shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/DeeDeeDzyn
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/DeeDeeDzynJewelry
Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/BennDel
Pinterest http://pinterest.com/deedeedzyn
Website http://www.dzignjewelry.com
Stumble Upon http://www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/deliabenn

Favorite Shop: Bigfoot Press

As a small business owner, I pretty much rely on a sprinkling of hand-written notes and strategically placed dry erase boards to get me through the day (if it's not written down somewhere, I will probably forget to do it).

Although I'm pretty addicted to sticky notes, I absolutely love Bigfoot Press' clever array of handmade notepads, and recently made a home for the one pictured above ("Lucille Ball Pocket Notepad").

Made using vintage magazine and book pages, these little notepads are like one-of-a-kind art objects for your desk!  Visit their Etsy shop to get the full selection.


Written by Open Eyes Press.

What I Am Working On - Kelly Sapp

It is no secret that I loved octopuses.  I do.  I love to give each octopus a story and a personality.  It's fun for me to sit around and doodle various themed cephalopods when I have nothing else to do (which is rare being a mother who travels for conventions). Recently I decided to expand my brand into some cool reversible jewelry and zipper pouches which are now available in my Etsy store.

Written By: Kelly of  Kelly's Keychains

Recipe: Lemon Buckwheat Pancakes w/ Strawberries & Mint

May is the start of strawberry season here in Maryland, and there is sure to be an abundance of locally grown ones at your neighborhood farmers market.  If you can resist eating them right out of the basket, you might want to try this amazing-sounding recipe for lemon buckwheat pancakes with strawberries and mint, courtesy The Etsy Blog.  This easy-to-make breakfast staple is livened up with the addition of Meyer lemons, and a strawberry/mint combination that sounds pretty delectable.  Bon appétit!

Photo courtesy The Etsy Blog.

Written by Open Eyes Press.

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Mother's Day is just around the corner.  Can't decide what to get Mom this year/  how about some local handmade goodness! Here are some Mother's Day gift idea treasuries created by our members and featuring our members to help you find the perfect gift for Mom!  Just click on the treasury title to be taken directly to the treasury list.  Do you want to buy an item in one of the treasuries or want get more information?  Just click directly on the item to be taken to that item's Etsy listing!