My Three Things

Anyone who lived in the D.C. area during the '80s and '90s remembers the great old radio station WHFS and Weasel the DJ. Weasel had a daily feature called "My Three Songs"; in this game, he would present three songs that had a common thread, theme, or leitmotif, and the object was for the listeners to guess what it was.

Here are three items by Etsy artists. What do they have in common? Give your answer in the comments below!

First, we have these delicious looking made-to-order caramels with sea salt and chocolate by La Bella Caramella. Yum!



The second item is this nice bright clutch by Redrubyrose.



Finally, we have this sweet whale ring by B.E.S.T.'s own tigerlillyshop.



What do they have in common, hmm?

Bijou Handmade Market 5-9 pm, Friday, March 6, 2009

A few of us at the Baltimore Street team will be packing up and heading to Delaware! We will be participating in a show at the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts in Wilmington which is conveniently located only a half hour from Philadelphia and an hour and a half from Baltimore. Here is more about the show, hope to see some of you there!

Bijou Handmade Market is a small showcase featuring regional craft artists that are creating innovative handmade craft items. Alternatives Museum Shop at the DCCA presents four Baltimore-based craft artists on Friday, March 6, from 5-9 pm:

bowerbox press: books and letterpress cards handmade with the highest of standards

The Broken Plate: fun, colorful, one-of-a-kind jewelry and more made from broken plate fragments

Jennyjen 42!: riginally designed fabric bags and home accessories inspired by birds and other whimsy

Sweet Pepita: urban, green, unquestionably hip children’s clothing made from recycled and organic fabrics

Presented by Alternatives Museum Shop and the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts during Wilmington’s Art on the Town. Enjoy live music, gallery opening receptions, open artist studios, food & drinks, shopping, and more.

They Don't Often Bite

They Don't Often Bite: Drawings and Prints by Jodi Hoover
March 7th - April 26th, 2009

Opening- Saturday, March 7th 6-9 pm

Minas Gallery & Boutique
815 W. 36th St.
Baltimore, MD 21211
info here

(I have quite a few pieces of Jodi's work, and they're all really beautiful. Check out her etsy shop as well!)

Sites to See - Indie Craft Fair Guide

I can't believe it, but it's time to start thinking about spring craft shows. (It feels like we just finished with the holiday shows!) Well, whether you're applying for shows or just looking to do some crafty shopping, check out the new Indie Craft Fair Guide!

Go West!

Applications for Renegade are now open!

Indie Fixx Shout-Out!

Thanks to Jen over at Indie Fixx for including BEST in her blog post about Etsy Teams today!

image courtesy of Indie Fixx.

Springtime giveaway!

Hooray! Springtime is almost here (just don't look outside right now.) To celebrate, we put together this mega-giveaway of springtime goods just for you. All you need to do is be on our mailing list and leave a comment here about a favorite work from one of the many talented BEST artists. If you are not on the mailing list yet, you are missing out on giveaways and newsletters delivered straight to your inbox (we promise to not be annoying, we only send you mail a few times a year.) So, what are you waiting for? Sign up now! The sign up page is on the right hand side of the blog.In this giveaway you will find work from these great BEST artists
1. Jersey Girl Design 2. A Stone's Throw 3. nfall2rt designstudio 4. Greenstartstudio 5. Yummy & Company 6. Herekitty Pretties 7. The Baker's Wife 8. The Giving Tree 9. Zetta 10. Tigerlillyshop

Happy Birthday Latina!

aka Angelicgems.

Favorite Shops: TracyChong

Other B.E.S.T. members have blogged here about their love for art made from paper cutouts, and now it's my turn. I am a big fan of the pop-up cards in tracychong's Etsy shop.

First of all, I love the sweet design and fresh colors in this Chain of Hearts card.



Tracy says of her art, "Many years ago, my cousin introduced me to the art of origamic architecture (pop-ups) by Masahiro Chatani. I was fascinated by how a single piece of paper could transform into a beautiful three dimensional object with just a series of cuts and folds. Today, I design my own pop-up cards and it is even more rewarding to see a design in my mind, and with the same cuts and folds, have it come to life from a blank sheet of card."

Her Welcoming Spring card is gorgeous too--this is the kind of card I would buy for someone else but then wind up keeping for myself because I just love that picket fence!



Finally, here's a masculine yet mushy I Love U card in brown and cream.



You don't need to wait for Valentine's Day to give one of these beautiful cards.

Random Baltimore Photo

For more information, please click on the image.