SF Mafia Made Show 2007!! Resounding Success...

Got Craft? Oh, yeah. Our crafty sisters down in the little city by the bay, put on a kickin' show this week-end. It was Petaluma Craft Mafia's first show -ever, and our extended famiglia hosts were very welcoming and VERY talented. All of the vendors rocked. I found myself wanting to spend all the Lincolns floating around in my oatmeal can full of greenbacks. Oh, yes. The hidden dangers of being at a Craft Show of this caliber; spending everything you make.

People of San Francisco, you were very so good to us! Thank you for your awesome support, your compliments and respecting craft as much as we do. Met a lot of wonderful customers, friends and future clients. It blew me away! Luckily, the SF Mafia provided us vendors plenty of donuts and coffee or I would have blown away!

I'm told we had over 900 people at the Mafia Made Trunk show on Sunday! It went by in the blink of an eye. But I know I was there, because now I have to get busy and make more product and we have this awesome goodie bag full of schwagg and presents to prove it! Thanks Craft Gym for the awesome demonstrations! If y'all have never been to Craft Gym, you better exercise your crafty muscles and sign up for a class. I walked away with this awesome necklace that Barbe Saint John of Saints and Sinners made. She just rocks and I could never get tired of her jewelry. And I learned some great tips and tricks from some of my sisters, such as Jessica at FutureMoMo: "Bring everything, Cheryl." By the time we remembered to take some photos and get some footage, we were getting pretty depleted on our wares.

Not only were our famiglia in SF gracious hosts and so helpful, but they were so kind. You know, when you meet rock star caliber crafters like our SF sisters, you never know. We were not disappointed.

There is no greater compliment than when my fellow graphic designers buy and dig my product. Several of my customers were designers themselves, and asked me questions about my design process and packaging. One lady was a student at the Academy of Art, fashion design. She was interested in purchasing some of my display pieces and props,and asked if I could make some for her. Very wonderful experience over all. Several customers wanted custom invitations for holidays and parties. It's amazing what can happen when you finally peek your head out of the office!

After a delightful meal at Jennie Low's and gallons of lychee tea, (which has magical restorative powers), I came home and collapsed into bed with my comped copy of CRAFTzine.

Thank you again San Francisco, and our sisters, the San Francisco Craft Mafia. You put on one heck of a show! xoxo
Look out Petaluma, the PCM has taken notes, and we're puttin' on the craft and plan to take over Petaluma soon!

Moxieville's latest: Got Ring Bling?

mox*ie - mok'se (adj.) 1. verve, style and grace in the midst of turmoil. 2. spirit and courage.

Okay, so you think you've got moxie? Well, sometimes having a little moxie goes hand in hand with having a big, ol' chunky ring on your finger and making a real statement. Any Queen worth her salt, or Ghetto royalty knows that.

While I don't see myself turning into a jewelry maker anytime soon, (anytime soon!) Anna, (of Siren Suds) has been after me to make jewels with some of my original illustrations, forever. See what a little collaboration can do? I must admit, I kind of like it. Though, to be honest, it takes a lot of time and focus to learn any new craft well.

And yes, Siren Suds logo, (y'all know that serene mermaid with the cotton-candy colored locks). Siren Sud's Sea Siren, will also get cast into a g-normous ring or necklace too. So look for Moxieville's baubles on our site and possibly the Etsy site too.

If I get ambitious, I'll cast some Petaluma Craft Mafia rings too. Roosters, sultry eyeballs. You get the picture.

You're all familiar with the tradition of the Don, or Capo Cramine? I promise I won't make you kiss my ring!

Mama Mia! Cookin' with the Petaluma Craft Mafia

It's no secret the crafty chicks in Petaluma love cooking, which is a good thing, 'cause we also love eating. Though we've posted tantalizing hints at our cookbook on the PCM web site almost two months ago, our famiglia has decided to change our cookbook a bit and include the entire community of Petaluma.

We figured that since so many of us have been touched by cancer in some way, (I lost my 62-year old mother to cancer late last February), that so many people in our community might want to donate recipes and stories about their family. And they are pouring in, along with some awesome photos!
Our only concern is that the book is gonna be G-normous, so we might have to get selective and pare it down, and perhaps do our own craft famiglia book separately.

If you're just itchin' to add to your cookbook collection, this is gonna be one big spicy meatball of a cookbook - but don't fret- there are plenty of vegetarian recipes too!

Our goal is to raise awareness about the cancer that "whispers" - Ovarian Cancer. Never did I think somebody so close to me could fall to cancer let alone ovarian cancer. And ladies, ovarian cancer does not run in my family nor does it's gene related cousin breast cancer, it is one of the deadliest cancers and spreads very quickly with barely a symptom until it's at the later stages.

If you check out the symptoms at ocrf.org and find yourself experiencing them, and your doctor casually dismisses them - please get a second opinion or insist on an ultrasound and CA-125 test. It could save your life. Unfortunately, my adorable mother is a cattle rancher's daughter, and is unusually stoic and stubborn. Couple my mother's stoic stubborness with her internist's casualness = disaster. She was finally diagnosed a year later at stage 3. By this time her symptoms couldn't be ignored and she was in such deep pain.

Okay, I'm down from my soap box. I feel very passionate about this. Heck of a way to start my first Craft Mafia blog, isn't it?

We're donating our profits from our cookbook to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, ocrf.org, and Hospice of Petaluma. The cookbook should be ready by early next year.

Happy October, and happy birthday all you Librans. Hope you've all been better at staying out of the Halloween candy than I have! :)

Ciao Bellas