Los Angeles Craft Mafia

Crafty Chica products

2008-07-23T08:40:00.000-07:00

Kathy Cano-Murillo is touring to promote her new Crafty Chica line of craft products. One of the stops on Crafty Chica's Sparkle Tour is in Glendale, Ca, here's the info:

Tuesday, August 19, 6 – 8 p.m.
219 N Glendale Ave., Glendale CA 91206-4455
(818) 291-0944

I'll be there, so send an email if you'd like to meet up at the store!

L.A. Craft Mafia July Meetup!

2008-07-22T12:32:00.000-07:00

Here’s the crafty night/meet up info for July:

Tuesday July 29th at 7pm-10pm
location tbd, but probably saints and sinners

The craft will be: Crafty Show and Tell – Bring your latest project to crafty night! It can be that knitted hat you just finished, the beaded bracelet that is almost done or your favorite completed project ever. If you haven’t completed any projects, that’s okay too, just come out anyway and chat and laugh with us!

See you all there!

Silent Art Auction Fundraiser for Handmade Nation

2008-07-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

I finally got to meet the lovely Faythe Levine at Renegade Craft Fair-San Francisco this last weekend and she asked me to pass this info along to all of you! Come out, buy some art and support Handmade Nation!

Poketo & Handmade Nation present:
Silent Art Auction Fundraiser
Saturday, July 19 2008 6-10pm
FREE
Media contact: Faythe Levine
email: indiecraftdocumentary@gmail.com
mobile: 414. 403. 0599

Poketo Headquarters
510 S Hewitt #506 Los Angeles, CA 90013 (5th floor)

Event Details:
Los Angeles based creative business Poketo, is hosting a silent art auction fundraiser for the independently produced documentary Handmade Nation (currently in post-production) in their downtown headquarters. The silent auction will include the work of 30 emerging and established artists including Keith Shore, the Polaroid Kidd (aka Mike Brodie), Monica Canilao, Nikki McClure and Jill Bliss to name a few. All proceeds will go towards production costs for Handmade Nation. Winning bidders will need to be present to purchase artwork which will be taken home at the end of the event, cash and credit cards accepted. There will be light snacks and a cash bar for the duration of the event.

Event Highlights 6-10pm:
6:00 gift bags to the first 50 guests, art preview
7:00 screening of 20 minute work in progress clip from Handmade Nation
7:30- 9:30 silent auction event & cash bar
9:30-10:00 hang out, drink and if you missed it we will be screening the 20 minute work in progress clip from Handmade Nation again.
10:00 winning bidders must be present to purchase artwork (cash or credit cards will be accepted)

Projected Event Goals:
First time director Faythe Levine has been independently funding Handmade Nation with the help of credit cards, community fundraising and private donations. Additional financial assistance is needed to help with post-production cost including editing, animation and original musical scores. Levine hopes to raise a minimum of $5,000 through the silent auction sales.

Participating Artists:
For additional information on artists please contact Faythe Levine
Alena Hennessy, Amy Rice, Catherine Ryan, Catia Chen, Chris Crites, Dawbis, Daria Tessler, David Stein, Diem Chau, Emily Eibel, Erika Somogyi, Jen Corace, Jill Bliss, Kate Bingaman-Burt, Katy Horan, Keith Shore, Kelly Lynn Jones, Kim Weiss, Kime Buzzelli, Leah Chun, Lisa Congdon, Lisa Solomon, Merrilee Challis, The Polaroid Kidd (aka Mike Brodie), Monica Canilao, Nikki McClure, Pete Yahnke, Pippi Zornoza, Renee Garner, Sarah Anderson, Sarah Neuburger, Stephanie Syjuco, The Little Friends of Printmaking, Tom Vadakan, Tracy Bull, Veronica De Jesus, Will Bryant and Xander Marro.

Gift bags will include work from:
Apenest, Art School Dropout, Bubble Roome Soap, Cara Taylor Designs, Cursive Design, Dog & Pony Show Designs, EKRA Recycling Artist, Ex Libris Anonymous, Foxy & Winston, Handmade Nation, Happy Owl Glass, Matty 8080, Pearl & Marmalade, Poketo, Princeton Architectural Press, Supermaggie, The Great Lakes Goods and Zeichen Press.

About Handmade Nation:
"Handmade Nation: The Rise of DIY Art, Craft & Design" is a independently produced and financed documentary about the indie craft community, slated for a 2009 festival release. Over the course of it's production Handmade Nation has received national press including multiple mentions in the New York Times, American Craft Magazine and was a "blog of note" on Blogger.com.

In addition to to the documentary, Handmade Nation the book will be released by Princeton Architectural Press, in November 2008. Written by director Faythe Levine and co-author Cortney Heimerl, the book features 24 makers as well as 5 essays from community members. Pre-ordering information will be available at the event.

Documentary Synopsis:
A new wave of craft is capturing the attention of the nation. It has emerged as a marriage between historical technique, punk and the D.I.Y. ethos while being influenced by traditional handiwork, modern aesthetics, politics, feminism and art. It is no longer just about cross-stitching samplers or painting floral scrolls on china. Instead, it has increased its realm to embrace an emerging movement of artists, crafters and designers working in traditional and nontraditional mediums and methodologies to intervene in mass-market consumerism, to challenge the familiar and to attempt creative and economic freedom. This movement created by craft forges a new economy, lifestyle and burgeoning art
community that is based on creativity, determination and networking.

The heart of the new wave of craft is the community. Artists, crafters, makers, organizers, critics, curators, cultural theorists and historians come together to create a community that shares the desire to produce change through the passion to create. By sharing ideas and encouragement they work together to nurture entrepreneurialism, preserve feminine heritage and wield great economic power. Through websites, blogs and online stores individuals in this widespread community can stay virtually tight-knit while boutiques, studios, galleries and craft fairs connect to the greater public to inspire and to promote.

About Poketo:
Poketo is a producer of limited edition artist-designed lifestyle goods, and an ever-expanding network of international artists. Founded by Ted Vadakan and Angie Myung, Poketo promotes the work of emerging and established artists through beautiful, accessible art objects: wallets, apparel, stationery, housewares, design objects, prints, and more. Through functional, design-driven wares, Poketo takes art off of gallery walls and makes them part of your everyday life.

About the Filmmaker:
Faythe Levine is an artist and organizer based out of Milwaukee, WI. She is currently working on her first documentary film Handmade Nation: The Rise of DIY Art, Craft and Design which is slated to premier in 2009. She is the co-author of a book under the same title published by Princeton Architectural Press that will be released in November 2008. Faythe is also the founder and coordinator of Art vs. Craft, co-owner of brick and mortar space Paper Boat Boutique & Gallery and does freelance curating and design work. She also plays the musical saw in the experimental musical group Wooden Robot (featured in the clip of Handmade Nation). Her work has been reviewed in the New York Times, Utne Reader, Venus Magazine, Paper Magazine, and American Craft Magazine.

Related Websites:
Event Host: Poketo, www.poketo.com
Website: Handmade Nation, www.handmadenationmovie.com
Blog: www.indiecraftdocumentary.blogspot.com
Documentary Clip: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH2HWPfwpOw
Flickr set: www.flickr.com/photos/indiecraftdocumentary/sets/72157605009759159/
Card Design by: Kate Bingaman-Burt of www.obsessiveconsumption.com

Event Sponsors:
Poketo
Craft Magazine
Three by Three

Spreading L.A. Craft Mafia Love

2008-07-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

We recently decided that we'd learn to screen print so that we could offer up our logo at the recent Swap-O-Rama-Rama that took place on June 28th. Yup, people could choose to adorn their new found clothes with our logo! We decided that we'd burn our own screen for printing and have a crafty brunch at my house while we were at it. We snacked, had drinks, purchased a Speedball brand screen printing kit, applied photo emulsion to the screen, hit the screen with our acetate transfers, burned the image into the screen for an hour in my closet, rinsed, dried and started our test prints.

Santa Clarita Craft Lab!

2008-06-30T12:49:00.000-07:00

Yaaay! Tomorrow is the grand opening! Be sure to check it out. Here's the info for her grand opening straight from her website: "Come celebrate Santa Clarita Craft Lab's Grand Opening on Tuesday July 1, 2008! We will have Make & Takes, Refreshments, and Lots of Fun! We open our Studio at 11 am! We will be offering Make & Takes for the first two weeks of our Grand Opening! Come join in on the fun with Santa Clarita Craft Lab's Classes, Workshops, Crafting Retreats, Kids Classes and more!"

We are located at:
Santa Clarita Craft Lab
21618 Golden Triangle Rd.
# 203
Santa Clarita, CA 91350
(661)255-7526"

Swap-O-Rama-Rama tomorrow in Venice!!

2008-06-27T08:40:00.000-07:00

We're super excited about tomorrow's Swap-O-Rama-Rama! We'll be there handing out handmade L.A. Craft Mafia patches, flyers and we'll even be there to screenprint our awesome logo on your new found duds. Look for our table!

Saturday June 28, 2008, 11am to 5pm
Venice Center for Peace with Justice and the Arts
2210 Lincoln Blvd
Venice, Ca
90291

What's a Swap-O-Rama-Rama you ask?

"A Swap-O-Rama-Rama is a clothing swap and series of do-it-yourself workshops in which a community explores creative reuse through the recycling of used clothing." There will be silk screening stations as well as sewing stations to re-fashion your new duds! We at L.A. Craft Mafia are sooo excited about this event and hope to see you all there!

Thanks!

2008-06-25T10:53:00.003-07:00

thanks for coming out and making it the best meeting yet! there are some more photos on our myspace page

and did you know? Shirts are here!

$15- we'll be posting them in etsy soon, but if you want one NOW, just email us (losangelescraftmafia (at) yahoo.com)

you too could be THIS happy:

June Meetup!

2008-06-14T20:16:00.000-07:00

Tuesday June 24 2008 at 7pm
Bigfoot Lodge
3172 Los Feliz Blvd
Los Angeles, Ca 90039
323-662-9227
www.bigfootlodge.com/LAhome.html

There is plenty of well lit metered parking on Los Feliz Blvd that's free after 6pm. There is also loads of free parking on the neighboring residential streets.

The craft for the night will be: Stained glass candles! Hosted by member Morgan Kessler of www.iwishihadapenguinfriend.com
All materials will be provided.

Don't forget to post it on your Myspace, tell your friends and blog about it!

The Renegade Craft Fair - San Francisco vendor list is up

2008-06-11T12:15:00.001-07:00

...and there is major talent in the mix. Be sure to click and go check out the vendors online shops!

www.renegadecraft.com/sanfran/index.html

book binding workshop

2008-06-09T12:42:00.000-07:00

The Nucleus Art Gallery is putting on an event to show you how to make your own books. Normally, we don't do advertising for classes, but this looks like a good opportunity to make a professional looking product. see the details below"

Date & Time: June 22, 2008 (Sunday), 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Location: Nucleus
Instructor: Patrick Williams
Materials to bring: Listed below
Cost: $55 if you bring your own materials. $80 with materials included.

To Register: http://www.gallerynucleus.com/event/149

"Ever wondered how books are made? Ever wanted to make your own for whatever reason? All it takes is a bit of know-how. Once the trade of highly skilled master craftsmen, the handmade book has been virtually replaced by mass production. But you don’t need to be a master craftsman to make your own books. With a few basic supplies and a few little tricks you can make whatever you like. We’ll talk over the basics of perfect binding, sewing signatures/pamphlets, Japanese stab-stitch (and variations), and creating hardbound covers. Learn what you need to know in order to make your own personalized portfolio, sketchbooks, notepads, gifts, and more!"

easel tutorial by Morgan

2008-06-08T18:37:00.000-07:00

This is a tutorial of some really neato easels that I made to display my artwork. I made about 8 and it took a long time, be warned. All you need are some square wooden dowels, a piece of wood about 4" by 3", glue (glue gun would be easiest), a hand saw, and some sand paper.

here's your base. I got a longer piece of wood, so I

had to cut it

cut a piece of your dowel the size of your

artwork. I chose 8"

cut your second piece so that it is about half

the size of your longer piece.

You need to sand it so that it has an angle

of about 30 degrees. To do this, try to cut it

at the right angle and keep sanding it down

until it fits just right. It doesn't need to be perfect

because the glue will give you some wiggle

room

now sand the bottoms of the dowels so that

they would rest evenly on the base

the top is the easiest part. Cut it to whatever

length you need. (if your artwork is wide, cut it

longer so the paper won't bend around the

sides of your easel)

you will have 3 pieces cut in total

time to glue! I used superglue and it wasn't very strong.

I redid most of the joints later with my glue gun.

Start with this piece and then glue on the longer dowel.

Then add the last dowel to the top.

it should look like this from the front.

and from the side

Don't forget to add something fun to the front

so that your art doesn't slide off.

I chose really pretty rocks

the finished piece! What's nice about them is it

gives it a cool, handmade look.

and I think the little doodahs in the front are

the best part

good luck!

new work from Mucha Muchacha...

2008-06-04T17:50:00.000-07:00

finally... I'm posting one pic of my own recent work! I'm headed to the 3 day Temecula Balloon and Wine festival this weekend and have so far made an additional new 300 pieces of jewelry to sell at the festival. I'll still be cutting glass, designing and firing until the last hour that I have to pack up and leave for the festival. Every single piece is unique and I can't wait to see them all together in the sun. I'll try to remember to get a pic! The weather should be nice and the wine will be good;) I'll be adding new work to my store soon www.muchamuchacha.etsy.com!

Craft Magazine release party for issue 07!

2008-06-04T06:15:00.000-07:00

Chocolate and Steel

2008-06-02T22:24:00.000-07:00

Our friend Christine Street is an L.A. based jewelry designer that creates sweet silver jewelry under her company Chocolate and Steel. Her work includes images based on her own original illustrations. Here's more about her work:
"I specialize in fine silver jewelry that uses reclaimed silver. Most of my pieces are created using PMC (precious metal clay). PMC uses silver that is reclaimed from film negatives and x-rays. That silver is ground to a powder and mixed with an organic binder that makes is malleable like clay. So, when I work with it it is in clay form. After I have created something wonderful for you I fire the piece in a kiln and the organic binder burns away completely and what is left is just the pure silver. MAGIC – wha-la! The final piece is polished, oxidized, brushed, and so on and so forth.

With metal clay I am able to translate my organic inspirations onto an industrial material. So goes the name "Chocolate and Steel"...the combination of organic and industrial, soft and strong, sweet and solid. Now an independent designer living in Los Angeles, I wake to discover new inspirations everyday. I will be forever grateful for this opportunity to do what I love. I have many hobby-like activities, but creating jewelry is my passion. "

You can see more of Christine Steel's passion here: www.chocolateandsteel.etsy.com

Need some crafty action this weekend? Go to the Alternative Art Market in Pasadena!

2008-05-30T13:34:00.000-07:00

L.A. Artist Melissa Moss

2008-05-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

Melissa Moss is a local artist whose paintings and story offer visual and spiritual inspriration. How many of us have crafty or artistic talent and long to use those talents full time? Here's her story: "I used to take the slow lane into work. I didn’t care if I was inhaling the fumes of a semi if it meant I would get to work later. Each day my soul seemed a little heavier. In 2002, my amazing husband helped me realize that not only was I miserable at work, I was miserable just thinking about going back. So after a few freak outs, I left the publishing world to study color psychology and during my course work, discovered my true passion…painting. Color is my primary artistic element. I’ve studied the meanings and associations of colors and their subtle shades and tones and use this knowledge to convey the mood of each painting. After living in Chicago and New York, I’m currently happy living in sunny Los Angeles." You can lift your mood here: www.melissamoss.etsy.com

Thanks to Sonya Nimri and everyone who came out...

2008-05-29T11:16:00.000-07:00

it was a good time. We loved meeting everyone and crafting with you. A BIG thank you to Sonya Nimri who came out and showed everyone how to make awesome jewelry! Another thank you to Lori Petitti and friends from Hip Line Media who came out and gave us info about the upcoming Swap O Rama Rama that they are hosting on June 28th! You can read more about the Swap O Rama Rama here : www.hiplinemedia.com/html/news.html You can see pics of the May meetup on our myspace page. We'll see you all next month!

TOMORROW!!

2008-05-26T13:31:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone, our next meetup will be at 7pm on Tuesday May 27th at Saints and Sinners Lounge in West L.A. This month's meetup will feature author and all around crafty lady Sonya Nimri hosting a bead demo. Sonya is the author of "Just for the Frill of It" and the new "Beadalicious". You may also know her from her fun website www.sonyastyle.com

L.A. Craft Mafia Meetup!
Tues May 27th 2008 @ 7:00pm
Saints and Sinners Lounge
10899 Venice Blvd
W. Los Angeles, Ca 90034
www.SaintsAndSinnersLounge.net
There's plenty of parking on the neighboring residential streets

Jennifer Perkins from Naughty Secretary Club shows us how to make our own Resin Bracelet!

2008-05-21T14:54:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Perkins is our crafty hero since she always gives such good crafty business advice and manages to be so charming. Ms. Perkins has a book coming out soon so keep an eye open for it at your local bookstore. All the instructions you need to make your own Resin Bracelet are right here. Go grab your old ice cube trays and copies of your favorite old pics because this is going to be fun!
*NEW* Naughty Secretary Club Resin Bracelet

Los de Abajo Printmaking Collective - Drawing the Line

2008-05-18T00:05:00.000-07:00

Kay Brown • Judith Durán • Antonio Escalante • Emelda Gutierrez • Chie Izuma • Sojin Kim
José Lozano • Poli Marichal • Don Newton • Marianne Sadowski • Victor Rosas

The Avenue 50 Studio is proud to present the Los de Abajo Printmaking Collective in an exhibition of experimental prints. In Drawing the Line, the Collective merges the centuries-old medium of printmaking with non-traditional media. Their groundbreaking techniques challenge traditional conceptions of printmaking.

Each of our artists is enamored of line. At times playful, the lines Kay Brown and Emelda Gutierrez utilize takes the edge off misfortune, drawing us into a whimsical world. While Judith Durán juxtaposes the celestial with the emotional, questioning our capacity to admire or feel, José Lozano discusses hidden demarcations, uncomfortable feelings, unease, and desconfiansa. Chie Izuma finds the natural formation of line in our bodies to be of utmost interest. Her imaginative combination of clay with paper identifies the organic lines surrounding us. Antonio Escalante, Poli Marichal, Don Newton and Mariana Sadowsky look at line through political eyes, speaking, respectively, to the US/Mexican border; the environment; political line; and line as an absurd division in landscape. Sojin Kim speaks metaphorically about drawing lines to distinguish us from others. Victor Rojas is concerned with how divisions in our mind create social divisions.

Drawing the Line is indicative of this group's determination to experiment and take printmaking towards a more provocative direction. Please join us.

Avenue 50 Studio, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit art gallery
131 No. Avenue 50
Highland Park, CA 90042

May 10 through June 8, 2008

Avenue 50 Studio hours:
Tue-Thurs 10:00-12:00; Sat-Sun 10:00-4:00 or by appointment

Latino Student Film Festival on May 17th 2008

2008-05-17T00:05:00.000-07:00

It's today!

The Latin American Cinemateca of Los Angeles presents the 1st Annual Latino Student Film Festival. The one day festival is open to student filmmakers in the Los Angeles area to screen their work in a community environment. Student filmmakers from middle school to college are eligible to submit their short films (up to 10 minutes in length) in the categories of animation, documentary and narrative/non-narrative. All films will be screened MAY 17TH at Abraham Lincoln High School Auditorium 3501 N. Broadway Los Angeles 90031.

Mamacita's Market Saturday May 17th 2008

2008-05-16T21:23:00.001-07:00

Mamacita's Market is tomorrow at Ave 50 Studio. What is Mamacita's Market?

" Well Mamacita's Market is not exactly a store, it is a traveling Market place that works with different locations and is orientated for women. It is a venue for designers and artist to showcase their products and work. Shoppers and trend setters get to purchase orginal, designer jewelry and clothing from the designer. What makes this special is that these are products that aren't available in the everyday commercial shopping malls. These are artists and designers that usually make one of a kind pieces or a series and you basically have to get it while it hot."

Vexing - Female Voices From East L.A. - Starts Tomorrow!

2008-05-16T13:23:00.001-07:00

VEXING: FEMALE VOICES FROM EAST L.A.

PUNK
May 18 - August 31, 2008
Opening reception Saturday, May 17

Claremont Museum of Art
In the Packing House
536 West First Street
Claremont, CA 91711

PHONE: 909-621-3200

The Claremont Museum of Art is pleased to present Vexing: Female Voices from East LA Punk from May 18 to August 31, 2008. The Museum will host an opening reception at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 17th, with live performances by Vexing artists Teresa Covarrubias, Angela Vogel, Lysa Flores and Alice Bag (Museum Member’s reception begins at 6 p.m.).

The burgeoning punk rock music scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s in East Los Angeles provided an electrically charged, creative climate. This scene created an atmosphere where performance mixed with poetry, and visual culture was defined by an aesthetic and an attitude. Artists and musicians interfaced and blurred the lines of actions, documentation, photography, sound and style. Taking its name from the all-ages music club The Vex, once housed within East Los Angeles’ Self Help Graphics and Art, Vexing is an historical investigation of the women who were at the forefront of this movement of experimentation in music, art, culture and politics, while exploring their lasting legacies and contemporary practices. This documentary-style exhibition will include photo, video and audio archives of the era as well as studio work encompassing painting, installation, writings and performance.

In an artistic environment fueled by exchange and experimentation, music played a pivotal role in defining new images of self. This exhibition documents a vital moment of artistic and musical interchange in Los Angeles, with women staking out a position between and within punk rock, East LA and the downtown art scene. Vexing not only considers their significant contributions to the cultural landscape of LA, but also examines the multiple scenes and identities they negotiated. These women have also served as a model for subsequent generations interested in alternative social movements as a platform of expression, as well as the post-identity conceptual practices of today.

Participants include musicians Alice Bag, Teresa Covarrubias, Angela Vogel, Monica Flores, musician and artist Exene Cervenka, artists Diane Gamboa and Patssi Valdez, photographers Dawn Wirth, Louis Jacinto, Linda Posnick and Frank Gargani, recording label founder of Fatima Records Yolanda Comparan Ferrer, printmakers Richard Duardo, Jessee Vidaurre and John Miner, and filmmaker Jimmy Mendiola. Representing a newer generation of artistic producers influenced by these women are musician/artist Lysa Flores, artists Shizu Saldamando and Sandra de la Loza, photographer Chris TV, performance group Butchlalis de Panochtitlan, and bands The Sirens and Go Betty Go. Vexing also includes special concert footage and interviews courtesy of Pete Galindo, Willie Herrón and Lysa Flores from the forthcoming documentary on The Vex, and an excerpt from the forthcoming documentary “Eastside Punks” by Jimmy Alvarado, Pat Perez and Jake Smith.

Research and reproduction support provided by the Chicano Studies Research Center at UCLA. This exhibition is co-curated by Pilar Tompkins and Colin Gunckel. A catalog will accompany the exhibition, with essays by Josh Kun, Michelle Habell-Pallán, Isabel Castro-Melendez, Colin Gunckel and Pilar Tompkins.

The MONSTER series!

2008-05-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

Oooooh...new work from I Wish I Had a Penguin Friend! This awesome linocut is part of Morgan Lee Kessler's MONSTER series. The series also includes Dracula and Frankenstein. Be sure to pop by her site to buy one before they're all gone!
iwishihadapenguinfriend.blogspot.com

Mucha Muchacha's interview with Kelly Malouf

2008-05-13T20:25:00.000-07:00

Kelly from Kelly Malouf Designs interviewed Nichole Moraila from Mucha Muchacha. Be sure to check it out.

kellymalouf.com/blog/2008/05/10/my-interview-with-nicole-owner-of-mucha-muchacha/