Two Shows With You Until The End

Living in Austin you get things that others just don't. For instance is it December and 67 degrees outside. We also have a wealth of talented artists that you can buy from out at two art shows that have become well love holiday traditions.

First up the new kid, which has been 10 years in the making The Blue Genie Art Bazaar.

The show runs from December 1st-24th Sunday - Thursday 10am-10pm, and Friday- Saturday 10am-midnight. It is indoors at the Marchesa 6406 N I H 35 # 3100Austin, TX 78752. There are over 130 artists featured, and I am proud of how many of those are Etsy Austin team members.

Then there is the granddaddy of them all The Armadillo Christmas Bazaar that is now 35 years old. The event takes place at the Palmer Events Center 900 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, Texas. I love that Austin has had a handmade tradition this long. The show runs December 15th-24th 11am-11 pm everyday. Check out the site for music, and ticket information. There is certainly something that you will knock your socks off here. Drop by and check out an institution. Shop local, buy handmade, and have a safe and happy holiday.

Holiday Handmade Artist's Market

It is down to the wire. You have holiday gifts to buy, you know you do. Drop by the Holiday Handmade Artist's Market at 1412 South Congress Avenue Austin, TX 78704 December 18-19 from 11:00 am- 7:00 pm. You will find handmade goods that will wow your loved ones, and get to meet members of the Etsy Austin Team. South Congress is a great place to spend an afternoon get some lunch, and shop for the gifts that make people feel bad they didn't get you something better. Hope to see you out.

Cherrywood Art Fair

Cherrywood Art Fair is another really great place to find EtsyAustin handmade goodness this weekend. It's free to attend and features live music and a silent auction in addition to over 80 local artists, including several of our wonderful teammates!

Hope to see you there!

Holiday Handmade Aritists Market

Drop by the Holiday Handmade Artist's Market at 1412 South Congress Avenue Austin, TX 78704 December 11-12 and 18-19 from 11:00 am- 7:00 pm. You will find handmade goods that will wow your loved ones, and get to meet the artisans who made each one.

Feto Soap will be out. Who makes the most amazing balms, they are like jiant tubes of chap stick for your hands. You or someone you know needs something that she makes.

You will also see me, Hammer It Out, with a few new things, and a bunch of old favorites

South Congress is a great place to spend an afternoon get some lunch, and shop for the gifts that make people feel bad they didn't get you something better. Hope to see you out.

Wheatsville Arts Festival

This weekend, December 4th & 5th, several EtsyAustin team members will be participating in the Wheatsville Arts Festival. In addition to tons of handmade goods, there will be Live Music all day! It's Free to attend and also offers Valet Parking. It's an outdoor show and if the weather is anything like today, it will be perfect. The festival is located just north of the UT campus at 3101 Guadalupe St. Hope to see you there!

'Tis the Season EtsyAustin Wunderkammer

An eclectic mix of offerings from EtsyAustin

Save the Mooses pairedhearts $6.00	Simple Bamboo Baby's Nig... OldRags $30.00
Earrings - Fine Silver Shell... LindenLeafStud... $25.00	Moonrise Charmed Meadow 88editions $125.00
Stainless Steel Book Ends hammeritout $17.00	Handmade Silver Lizard Ring wildmoondesign $45.00
as seen in Good Housekeeping... BethHempton $46.00	Hand Painted Christmas Ornam... HandPaintedPet... $14.95
Necklace - Elephant Charm, W... lindesigns $32.50	Organic Longhorn Orange Ruff... HappyBanyan $48.00
Blissful Buttercream Lip Bal... lipglosserie $3.00	heavy link bracelet senufa $350.00
The Littlest Love Cat- Valen... AudreyLopata $15.00	Whimsy is Wonderful print Imburton $13.00
Small Custom Ornament ShabbyandSweet $4.00	Pillow Covers CraftChi $35.00

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The Holiday Gift and Handcraft Faire

This Saturday November 27th you can catch some Etsy Austin team members in San Antonio. This show looks like a lot of fun there will be actual reindeer and penguins on site, as well as a tree lighting and a chance to make any last minute updates to your list with Santa. With so much to see and do it will be a great place to spend the day with your family. The Holiday Gift and Handcraft Faire will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa 9800 Hyatt Resort Drive San Antonio, Texas 78251. The show will run from 12:00 pm - 8:00 pm, and is free to the public. It is indoors, and will be a great place to pick up some gifts for the holidays in a beautiful setting.

I am sure you will find something for everyone you know from LipGlosserie who makes lip balms in flavors from refreshing mint to sweet butter pecan.

AJ The Purple both knits and creates prints that are sure to warm both your heart and your neck.

Crab Apple Designs will have you covered with stationary, journals, and pins. Wonder Woman pins folks.

Linden Leaf Studio will be displaying her modern hand hammered silver, copper and brass jewelry that would be a great gift for anyone.

Robo Roku will be out with magnets date books, and you can even order shoes with the original characters they create.

You will also see Hammer It Out with hand hammered stainless steel home goods.

We hope you come to this fun family event and check out the wonderful gifts you can give this holiday season.

This Program was Brought to You By

The 3rd Annual EtsyAustin Craft Riot is a wrap and was a huge success! Thanks to everyone who came out and made it so, and the extremely talented vendors who created such an awesome mecca for handmade shopping! People were lined up over an hour before the doors opened each day.

Kudos to our lead coordinators, Beth Albrecht of Paired Hearts and Debbie Carroll of Debbie Carroll Designs, for many months spent plotting, planning and organizing, plus the numerous other EtsyAustin members, friends and family who volunteered their time to help pull it all together.

And of course where would we be without the support of other local businesses? An enormous thank you to all of our fabulous sponsors who made Craft Riot bigger and better than ever! A full list of our sponsors can be found here and this year's shining Platinum Sponsors were:

On behalf of the EtsyAustin team, thanks again to everyone for their support! Oh and mark your calendars... only 363 days until Craft Riot 2011!

Meet Craft Riot Vendor: Tina Lewis

Tina Lewis
Facebook Pottery page: http://artist.to/tinalewispotteryceramicart/
Blog: http://tlceramics.blogspot.com/ Website: tinalewis.etsy.com

Give a brief product description.
Wheel-thrown or handbuilt pottery and ceramic art.  I use porcelain and stoneware to create useful pottery, beads and ceramic art.  Most of my work is glazed with my studio mixed glazes. 

How did you get started? 
 I started making with clay in high school and took enough art in college to get into ceramics class.  After a 25 year break I startee making in clay again in 2007.   

Where do you get your inspiration? 
Everywhere, history, art, other craftspeople and artists. 

Describe your workspace/workroom. 
I am lucky to have a home studio in a converted 2-car garage.  
It has glass sliding doors onto a patio and lots of room for my kiln, wheel and supplies. 

What has been your favorite winter holiday gift to make or receive? 
I like to give bowls, berry bowls.  I like to receive anything hand made, useful and/or art. 

Meet Craft Riot Vendor: Pixie Worx

Julia Chambers

My own website with galleries: http://PixieWorx.net

Crochet Blog: http://aberrantcrochet.wordpress.com/
Store: www.PixieWorx.etsy.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/AberrantCrochet
Everyday Blog: http://TheDifferenceBetweenADuck.wordpress.com 

• Give a brief product description.

I'm a juried and published crochet designer who occasionally has a few digital projects on the side.  Sometimes my 13 year old daughter and I collaborate on projects.  She draws and works with polymer clay.  My handmade products, patterns and supplies are largely related to advanced crochet design.  I use a variety of custom tools, fibers and techniques to achieve my one of a kind designs and lecture occasionally on the variations these elements of the art achieve.  Working with 3-dimensional fiber is different than working with a flat surface and the way we perceive color changes based on texture.  My most popular items are my soft and stylish newsboy and eared hats, and my gothic jewelry designs and during the Fall season, my spider webs and costume accessories.  However I create anything from tapestry crochet wall hangings to muffatees and about 1/3 of my business is driven by customer requests, from scarves and headbands to guitar straps.  I also carry crochet patterns of my designs and supplies and hope to be adding handmade crochet hooks to my product line soon.  ZombiesAtPlay is for cannibalized parts that receive a new after-life.

• How did you get started?

I've been crocheting and creating all my life.  My crochet tutelage began at the age of 5, with my left-handed Mom and two crafting gurus as grandmothers for guides. I was immediately enraptured by the hook, and crochet has been with me ever since.  My grandmother always supported in me the idea that I could do anything outside of the box if I really wanted to.  And that set me free.  I began seeing that I could crochet with almost any fiber and turn it into almost any shape.  It became what I call today yarn sculpting.  Selling my work was almost an accident.  I crochet constantly anyway - it's very meditative to me.  Even when they were little, I often had to wait somewhere for my kids with their various projects, classes and activities.  And after a car accident, I spent over a year weekly seeing doctors and in physical therapy to regain use/strength of my left hand.  Then and now, I often have my yarn with me and crochet while I wait, even getting input from whoever's around.  It was good therapy too!  People started noticing what I was making and wanted me to make one for them too.  Before I knew it, I was selling my crochet!  

• Where do you get your inspiration?

I'm not sure I always know.  All my crochet work is designed by me - often without even knowing for sure what I'll make until the yarns are in hand.  Much of my work designing hats, however, is influenced by the needs of chemo patients.  There have been many victims in my family, my grandma Dorothy being quite an example as she crocheted herself a new hat everytime she went through a round of chemo and lost her hair.   I now often crochet with their needs in mind; choosing the softest, highest quality materials I can find for the tenderest skin going through chemo. Things that are easy to care for and yet don't look like chemo caps and are more comfortable for their sensitive skin.  I've heard from too many women, I just want to look in the mirror and see a pretty lady again.  I don't want to look like I'm dying.  I’ve also received a lot of highly appreciated input from survivors over the years that has led to the development and creation of these unique designs.  I guess my inspiration in part comes from the need for comfortable beauty during times of stress.  I truly wish to infuse my creations with healing and joy and make a difference for others.

• Describe your workspace/workroom.

Most of my work is very portable, so my workspace is anywhere I can get a seat.  I am often seen working while waiting for appointments or my kids.  My local coffee shop is also nice.  Otherwise my couch or kitchen table. I look forward to having a real studio someday.

• What has been your favorite winter holiday gift to make or receive?

If we're being specific to holiday fare....  Some of the kids from school got eared hats from me one year and then wore them on a ski trip over Christmas break.  Apparently the ski instructors really liked their funky hats and they received a lot of comments from other skiers.  They were the coolest (and warmest) kids on the slopes and came back from their trip on top of the world.  It's smiles like that I strive to give people through my designs.  That felt pretty good for a mom who lives in Central Texas and hasn't even skied in some 25 years.

Meet Craft Riot Vendor: Gem Junkie

Kelly Owens Pratlett
GemJunkie
Blog: http://gemjunkie.tumblr.com/
Facebook Fan Page http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/GemJunkie/340693226989
Twitter http://twitter.com/gemjunkie

Give a brief product description.
Gemstones and Jewelry Supplies online, handmade earrings and necklaces in person
What is unique about your product? I try to choose really fun, bright, colors and whimsical shapes for my supply shop so that the selection is different than what the average jewelry supply shop carries. What makes my handmade jewelry unique is the price point. All my earrings sell for $5/pair. I do this because I think it's really important for women to have fun, funky, unique accessories that don't cost a small fortune. I love variety and I like my customers to be able to afford variety as well.

How did you get started? 
My sister saw a necklace that she loved in an Anthropologie catalog. It was over $100. She couldn't afford it and she thought she might be able to make something similar. So, she did some research online, ordered some supplies and a month later she taught me how to make jewelry. The rest is history.

Where do you get your inspiration? 
I am inspired by everything: nature, gemstones, bead stores, other artisans, my family, magazines. There is style everywhere and you can use what you see and morph into something totally your own.
 About a year ago, my husband allowed me to take over the second half of our office. So, I hung one of those old accordion-shaped drying racks on the wall. Then, I hung hundreds of strands of beads, in rainbow order, onto the rack. I call it my "inspiration wall". Any time I get stuck and need an idea, I just stare up at all the gems and beads hanging there and something calls my name. It's instant jewelry-making gratification!

Describe your workspace/workroom. 
My workspace is one of our spare bedrooms. It has a vintage couch, a teal-blue accent wall, two desks (one for making jewelry and the other for packing orders) and more shelves than you can shake a stick at.

What has been your favorite winter holiday gift to make or receive?

There's not one single thing I recall having made as a gift that stands out in my mind. However, there is something I do every year that always makes a great gift. It's kind of a story. Every year, before Christmas, I listen to my mom and sister talk about the things they want or wish they could make, jewelry-wise, that is. And I usually keep a little list going. Then, come December, I choose from the ideas they've been "wishing" for and teach myself how to make one of those jewelry items for each of them. Sometimes it's the same for both of them and sometimes each gift is totally different. I figure I know it's something they'll enjoy because they commented that they wanted it and it's extra-special because it was handmade by a family member!