So, February 10th has come and gone, and the CPSIA is now in effect. We were all given a year reprieve, which means they have a year to figure out how to allow us to comply without putting us out of business. We do still need to put pressure on elected officials to put the law into effect in a way that makes sense. If you value your ability to make/ purchase handmade for kids, please download the action kit and spread the word!
Read more about the current state of the CPSIA here.
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.
Let's play the same game with three Etsy items. Can you guess what these three items have in common? Answer in the comments below!
If you're like me, you've been eying the news of the bushfires and worrying about the people and animals affected by this horrible event. Well, here's a start - you can view and bid on auctions or donate here, at Handmade Help, you can donate to help the animals here, at the RSPCA, or if you're feeling crafty you can make a joey pouch to donate by following the tutorial here.
One of the things I love about living way up in Monkton, MD is the small town feel. I can shop at farm stands, eat at small, family-owned diners, and get my morning coffee at the very funky, cute Filling Station on York Road in Sparks.
The Filling Station offers everything you'd want from a coffee shop--organic, free trade brewed coffee, espresso drinks, and pastries---without leaving you with the feeling like you've been in the same setting a million times before. The shop is a converted gas station and has kept a lot of the building's original features. It backs up to the woods so you can enjoy your drink outside at the picnic tables or inside as well. They have snacks and a good breakfast and lunch menu, served up by very nice people.
Next time you're heading out of the City to go tubing on the Gunpowder Falls or biking the NCR Trail, be sure to stop by and check out The Filling Station!
The Filling Station 14910 York Road Sparks, Maryland 21152 410-771-0006
Bada-boom! The 2009 Spring Bada-bing: The BOSS of all craft shows is here! Join the Richmond Craft Mafia for their 4th installment of the largest indie craft show in VA. The show will be on Sunday, April 19th at Plant Zero in Richmond's southside and, as always, will showcase artists and designers from across the country selling high quality, original handmade goods.
2009 Vendor applications are now being accepted. Click here to apply now!
I took a pottery class in college and I loved it, but I found it wasn't my medium for creative expression. I enjoy the practical side of art too much. So when I saw the Baltimore Clayworks was offering a course entitled Architectural Ceramics for the Home, I thought that was something I could really get into.
Here are two pieces by the instructor, Lars Westby:
Architectural Ceramics for the Home
This 12-week course will focus on the creation of ceramic work that may be incorporated into the home as both architectural embellishment and functional design. Projects may include cabinet knobs, backsplash tile, sinks, planters and wall sconces to name but a few. Students will utilize simple plaster press and slump molds supplemented with hand-built and thrown embellishments to realize their designs. Students should come prepared with project ideas which the instructor will help them to realize. The glaze palette will utilize both cone 6 oxidation and cone 10 reduction glazes. This course is open to both hand-building and wheel students, previous clay experience is strongly recommended. Instructor: Lars Westby ST3 – Tuesday, 7-10pm, February 10 – April 28 Fee: $325 Members; $345 Non-members
The Baltimore Clayworks is a non-profit ceramic art center housed in two historic buildings in Baltimore, established in 1980 in Mt. Washington Village.
In case you missed this on Hello Craft news. Sounds awesome!
May 1st - 3rd, 2009 Hello Craft’s SUMMIT OF AWESOME Convene * Learn * Show Washington, D.C.
Mark your calendars! Hello Craft is excited to announce our 1st ever Summit of Awesome to be held the first weekend of May in Washington, DC. We’ve got lots of fun activities planned and exciting events we can’t wait to tell you about! If you’re an indie crafter, from dabbler to pro, this is the place to be in May.
The Summit of Awesome will officially begin Friday, May 1st with seminars, workshops, and other fun surprises running through Sunday, May 3rd. There will be informal tours of DC’s coolest indie shops and a welcome reception for early arrivals on Thursday, April 30th.
Join the email list and we’ll let you know when it’s time to register. In the meantime, email hellocraftinfo@gmail.com with any suggested seminar topics, workshops and other fun things you’d like to see at Hello Craft’s Summit of Awesome.
Volunteers Needed! Hello Craft is looking for volunteers to help us at the Summit of Awesome. If you are free on May 1st, 2nd or 3rd and want to work with a rad group of crafters, please email us at hellocraftinfo@gmail.com.
Before Colgate and other companies like it set up industrial shop, soapmaking was a home industry--and for me, it still is. I’m lucky enough to have a space totally dedicated to run my home business. And the best part of the space is the fragrances infused in everything, which makes coming to work an enjoyment every morning. It is seriously the best smelling room in the house!
After the holiday, I did some re-organization of my soap room to find a better & more effective layout, and here it is:
Pots, pans, molds, scales, cutters and other tools of the trade are stacked up on the top of the shelves, where I also keep the mean & dangerous lye-caustic soda (Oils + lye (with some water) = soap + glycerin). On the middle shelves, I keep cured soaps that are ready to be wrapped, other finished products, and raw materials. Soapmaking vegetable oils and butters go on the lower shelves.
I use the cold process method of making soap, which means that I don’t cook the soap over a heat source. Rather, I stir the soap until it thickens, pour it into molds, and allow it to sit quietly for 24hs before I remove it from the molds and cut it into bars. Then, I allow the soap to cure for several weeks on the curing racks.
Curing racks above. When the bars nice and firm, I put them on another shelf until I'm ready to wrap them, opening space for more soap to cure. I make most of my soap in small 3-pound batches and I do this so I can make many different scents and still have room to walk around my workspace. (On the picture above you also see a bookshelf filled with fragrances and essential oils, followed by storage units packed with containers for my body products)
I keep the “assemble table” in the middle of the room so it’s easy
to grab products from the shelves, pack them up and fill orders The packaging shelving is right there, too. (below)
And finally, a picture of my worktable (below). This is is where I house my microwave, mixer and utensils used to prepare lotions, creams, whipped body butters, deodorants, etc.
So, February 10th has come and gone, and the CPSIA is now in effect. We were all given a year reprieve, which means they have a year to figure out how to allow us to comply without putting us out of business. We do still need to put pressure on elected officials to put the law into effect in a way that makes sense. If you value your ability to make/ purchase handmade for kids, please download the action kit and spread the word!
