Holey Hearts!

Thanks to Emily of By Emily for leading a fun Crown Town Handmade Make Out Craft Session last night! We stitched up these pretty fabric valentines at MoNa (FYI: Plaza Muse has recently changed its name to MoNa). I used some old calico fabric with yellow and teal flowers that my dad had stored away for years. I love how these came out!



These stitch up quickly, so there is still plenty of time if you want to make one for your sweetie:Fabric Window Valentinesinstructions from The Purl Bee.

Crown Town Handmade + Queen City Crafters

Crown Town Handmade will be teaming up with another local Etsy team, Queen City Crafters, to provide instruction for a Nationwide Handmade Workshop on Thursday, December 1 from 6pm-9pm. Our local Charlotte event is at the West Elm on Metropolitan Ave. Stop by to make and decorate an origami ornament for yourself, and one for the charity tree. Myself, Shelley, Liz, Rachel and Martha from Crown Town Handamade will be there to instruct & help!

Now That's What I Call 1920's!

While planning our Crown Town Handmade member holiday party, a Roaring Twenties Prohibition Party, I've come across some fun 1920's hairstyles and music! Enjoy!

Music
I bought this New Orleans 1920s Jazz album off of iTunes for the party. It's kind of like a Now That's What I Call Music of the twenties, but anyhow, these are the kinds of songs on the album...




Hair
I hope to incorporate one of these styles into my 1920s starlet costume. My hair is very straight so I'm not sure if I'll be able to pull it off.

Tutorial by ilovegerado.


Tutorial by LisaFreemontStreet.


Tutorial by LisaFreemontStreet.

Starlet Fashions
I have a long navy stretch velvet dress I found at Salvation Army awhile back, and I'm trying to come up with some type of white faux fur caplet or stole to wear with it. I have a rhinestone vintage brooch that would look nice as the closure.

Happy Halloween!!

Here are a few images from our last Crown Town Handmade Make Out: Zombie Makeup & Zombie Walk. There were many in attendance who transformed themselves into scary zombies and terrorized the Plaza-Midwood neighborhood! So much fun!


From our rooftop patio spot at Plaza Muse we could see the skyline.Vanessa gave us some insight on applying makeup correctly and got us thinking like zombies.






"Like" Crown Town Handmade and see more photos of the Zombie Make Up Session on Facebook!






Dan and I met up at Snug Harbor after the zombie walk. This photo was captured by Carolina Nightlife at Snug's Thursday night party: "Shiprocked!"

Oh yeah, and if you're wondering about my shirt, watch this: Zombie Kid Likes Turtles.

Join our 2nd annual Zombie Walk!

We caught us a witch during the October 2010 CTHm Zombie Walk!

Join Crown Town Handmade for our 2nd Annual Zombie Makeup Lesson & Zombie Walk! This event is part of our ongoing series of monthly Make Out craft nights and is free to the public! Join us October 27th, 7:30 pm at Plaza Muse in Charlotte (1200 Central Ave, 28204). We'll be on the on the rooftop patio overlooking the Charlotte Skyline (weather permitting).

From last month's Make Out:

I wanted to share the Pom Pom Necklace I made at the last Crown Town Handmade craft night (spooky thermal camera style). Vanessa of Corvidae Jewelry was a great teacher, Beadlush graciously donated the jewelry components for this craft, and Plaza Muse welcomed our group as we made ourselves at home in their gallery space. What a great community we have!

Shake Your Pom Pom!

Photo from D.I.Y. Pom Pom Necklace by Cateaclysmic.

Have you got the balls to make pom poms? Balls of yarn that is!

It's that time again for another Crown Town Handmade Make Out! Come join us this Thursday in our new craft night spot, Plaza Muse (1200 Central Ave., Charlotte NC, 28204). Please note that seating is limited, so you may want to bring a pillow to sit on.

Join Corvidae Jewelry artist Vanessa Ross as she guides you through the simple, fun process of making handmade pompoms. After getting the hang of crafting these fuzzy guys you will have the option of turning them into a wearable art piece. Supplies will be provided including cotton yarn, wire, pins, jewelry findings, needle and thread. However, feel free to bring your own yarn if you would like a special color or fiber.

Shake Your Pom Pom Event Page
Thursday, September 29
7:30pm - 9:30pm

Lookie, Lookie: CTHm has a new web site!

Today Crown Town Handmade launched their brand new web site:

www.crowntownhandmade.com

The site was built by Laura O' Neil, with lots of help from Yvonne Brown and the Crown Town Handmade membership committee. Many hours were spent organizing ideas and thinking through ways that this site could best serve Crown Town's members and also the Charlotte area crafting community. I love it and couldn't be happier with the results! Click around and check it out!

My Crown Town Handmade Inaugural Address

I'm excited to announce that I'll be the new leader of Crown Town Handmade for the upcoming year! I'm honored to be taking the reins from our founder, Amanda Aileen, who has been a truly inspirational leader over the past year and a half.

I've learned a lot about leadership and running an organization from Amanda. She was a stranger when she contacted me and a few others through Etsy about a new group she was putting together in October of 2009. It's hard to believe that our small group didn't even have a name at that point- just a handful of people with ideas, itching to connect with other crafty entrepreneurs. The economy was at an all-time low and we were all in need of new energy and encouragement for our micro- businesses. Our Prize Pack Giveaway was our first group project.

It's amazing how far Amanda has taken Crown Town Handmade since that time. We now have around 40 members, hundreds of friends and fans in our community, and we host well-attended free monthly Make-Out Craft Nights for the public. We have been involved with events at the Mint Museum of Craft + Design, hosted an official Etsy craft party and formed strong relationships with supportive local shops like Beadlush and Century Vintage. Features in Creative Loafing and Charlotte Magazine helped to spread the word of our group and attracted new members. Internally, we hold monthly business workshops to help our members become better entrepreneurs. Our online discussion board has allowed us to pool our craft show experiences and share opportunities, and some of our members have utilized our growing internship and skill share programs. We have been able to do all of these things because Amanda created and maintained an organized and active leadership structure.

Crown Town Handmade has certainly brought renewed energy to our members and our community. Connecting with this group was, for me, the spark that made things really start happening with my own business. I hope that I'll be able to give back to the group all that it has given me. It's my turn to steer Crown Town Handmade and build on what has already been created. I am excited and ready for the challenge!

The Big Crafty was Great!

See our water jug weights on our tent corners above? They worked like a dream. (The fire marshal did come around and inspect everyone's tent weights, as I expected.)

This is the first time I've requested an outside space at this event, and I'll definitely do it again. The three ladies selling closest to me yesterday were members of Crown Town Handmade, which made for a good time with friends! There were lots of other Crown Town members selling at the event this year too. The weather was nice and hot, with a few light showers sprinkled in. So good to see everyone in Asheville again and meet some new faces as well!


I tried out some new packaging- white logo boxes that I've been designing and making. They seemed to go over well.

I can honestly say that this was all around the least stressed I've been while doing and prepping for a craft event. I must be getting more comfortable with the process, better at time management, and more realistic with my expectations about how many items I can physically make at one time. I've come a long way!


Amanda tried out a new display idea- a natural stick clothes rack. She had to balance the weight out on the rack when things sold, but it worked out great!

June Make-Out> A Little Necking

If you're in the Charlotte area, Join Crown Town Handmade on Thursday, June 30th at 7:30 pm at Amelie's French Bakery for our monthly Make-Out session! Our teacher this month is Rachel Lock of My Art Event. Rachel will be leading the group in making soft summer scarves from recycled t-shirts.

Materials will be provided, but feel free to bring any old shirts or stop by the thrift shop to grab a few in your favorite colors. Make Outs are always free but of course we're happy to accept donations to keep the crafting alive. Stop by the Facebook Event Page and let us know if you can join us. See you there!

2424 N Davidson St
Charlotte NC, 28205

Inkable Images

We had a great turnout for the most recent CTHm Make-Out Craft Session, and everyone did great work! I taught "Carve a Stamp, Print a Postcard". My creative participants came up with all kinds of inkable images, including: stamped labels for canned jellies, business logos, self portraits and animal shaped stamps. Here's what the workshop was all about. I snapped these photos between instructions.

Carve a Stamp, Print a Postcard!

image from www.dickblick.com

Join Crown Town Handmade on Thursday, May 26th at 7:30 pm in the Atrium of Amelie's French Bakery for our monthly Make-Out session, hosted this month by Sarah Terry of Stitch Machine (me!). Transform one of your original drawings or doodles into a reusable printing block stamp! Once you finish carving your stamp, ink it up for a test-run and print on a postcard that you can drop in the mail. You'll be amazed at how professional and interesting a simple doodle can become!

Small drawings by Sarah will be available for carving if you need some inspiration. There will be time for sketching, but any drawings or logos you bring should be 4" x 6" or smaller.

Supplies will be provided, including soft blocks and cutting and tools. Feel free to bring any paper materials you'd like to print with your stamp creation. If you have past printmaking or scrap booking experience, we could always use extra linoleum cutters, soft dark "B" drawing pencils, and stamp ink pads. This event is always free, and Crown Town Handmade accepts donations to help cover material costs. See you there!

***Amelie's is located at 2424 North Davidson St #102. Just go through the bakery and out the back door and find our group out in the atrium! ***

If you're not in the Charlotte area, follow this tutorial I wrote for Farthing Collective Blog so you can make a stamp/block print at home!

Things for Mom

I took advantage of last week's Paint that Mug-Make Out to paint a plate for Mother's Day (May 8th). I hope my mom likes it! I baked it in the oven yesterday to set the paint, so now it is ready to be used!



A few weeks ago I showed you the start of a new logo I was doing for my mom's business, Speckled Bird Farm, and here is the finished product.

I'll be heading back to my hometown this weekend for Caldwell Farm Fest, where I'll be splitting a booth with my mom. (Very appropriate for mother's day, don't you think?) My dad's band will be playing, my brother will be there camping all weekend, and my cousin is organizing the festival, so it will be an all around family affair. If you live in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area and like camping, please come hang out! Should be a good time!

Paint That Mug!

Above mug created by Aya Rosen from LoucheLab.

>>UPDATE: This event has been moved to Amelie's French Bakery<<

Join Emily of By Emily this Thursday 4/28/11 at Crown Town Handmade's monthly Make Out Craft Night for a chance to display your artistic skill. All you need is a plain piece of china (porcelain, glazed ceramic, or china will do). You'll paint your piece and take it home to bake in the oven to set the paint so you can use! Supplies will be provided, but feel free to bring your own pieces to decorate.

Emily (of By Emily) creates handmade kitchen accessories using designer fabrics and mixing bold colors and prints. From aprons to oven mitts to pot holders, these accessories are fashionable and functional. You can find out more about Emily and check out her items at madebyemily.etsy.com or facebook.com/byemily.

Optional BYOB, $5 corking fee per container/6 pack. Sodas for sale.
UPDATED Location: Amelie's French Bakery, 2424 N Davidson St., Charlotte NC, 28205
RSVP to this event on Facebook and see who's already attending.

(And if you don't live in the Charlotte area, here's a painted mug how-to from the Etsy Blog: Hand-Painted Teacup Tutorial.)

Meet my intern Stephanie!

Stephanie is Crown Town Handmade's intern that all of us members share, but for now she is working at Stitch Machine. She made a series of lovely videos yesterday showing how to wear different hair accessories. What a natural beauty! See more of her videos within the listings of my Etsy Shop.



Just so you know, Stephanie will be posting on this blog as brassmimosa. She made last week's WWWList.

Make Out Recap: Soda Can Rings

Here's the one I made.

We had a great turnout for Crown Town Handmade's most recent Make Out Craft night! About 25 people gathered around Elizabeth of studio-e on 2/24/11 to learn how to make flower rings out of soda cans. Elizabeth had gathered an impressive collection of cans of all colors for everyone to use. We crimped wire, cut petals out of aluminum and learned how to use pliers to get the look that we wanted. Each person's creation was 100% unique!


Elizabeth demonstrates the best way to bend wire to form a ring.

Join us for the next Make-Out!

Elizabeth of studio-e will be teaching our Make-Out Craft Session this month. I am really looking forward to her coke can flower ring session because I gave one of her creations to a friend as a gift earlier this year, and it will be fun to make my own! This event is open to the public, so please join us! (Last month we had some new-to-craft guys there stitching up embroidered valentines for their sweeties, so everyone really is welcome!)

Patchwerk Playhaus is located in the back room of Century Vintage, 1508 Central Avenue in Charlotte (28205). Enter through the alley between Snug Harbor and Sherwin-Williams.

WWWList: Anti-Valentine's Breakup

Why does it seem like breakups always happen at the worst time- like around the holidays, Valentines Day, or Birthdays? Holiday or not, breakups always suck. But on the plus side, it can be liberating to discover that the world is your oyster once again. And the idea of dating new people and knowing that anything could happen can push you to you get all-dolled-up like nothing else!

So here's an Anti-Valentine's WWWList dedicated to all of my recently single friends. Shake it off. Let's go dancing!

MASQ Black top with PVC detail

Vintage 1980's Ungaro Pencil Skirt

Vintage Acme Red Pink Cowgirl Boots

Black Lace Top

Aw, Screw It poster

Black Diamond Ring from ExboyfriendJewelry.com

Glitter Mysterium Tunnels for Gauged Ears

Vintage Faux Pearl and Swarovski Necklace

Crown Town Handmade Intern Search

Crown Town Handmade is looking for 1-3 interns who would like to work with several of our artists to apprentice in a variety of mediums and to learn about running a crafty business. The intern would work 10-16 hours each week and would rotate to a new artist every 2 weeks. The entire internship will last 12 weeks, allowing the intern to work with 6 Crown Town Handmade artists.

The purpose of this internship is to allow the intern to apprentice under multiple artists in order to learn things not traditionally taught in a formal learning environment and to expose the student to what it takes to turn one's art/craft into a business. The intern will also have access to CTHm's monthly member workshops.

Interested applicants should contact Amanda Fisher at verabellevintage@gmail.com with a cover letter and resume.

1960's Cocktail Party Pictures

As promised, here are some photos from the recent CTHm 1960's Cocktail Party & Craft Swap, taken by Amanda from Verabelle.


Crown Town Brady Bunch Pic