Craftaluma's "How The Craft Was Won!"

Howdy-do Craftistas and DIY'er Sharpshooters!

Summer is here at long last. The Petaluma Craft Mafia is in the mood for a show! We've branded a smokin' hot show for you this summer on August 21st at the Petaluma Art Center for Craftaluma's "How The Craft Was Won!"

The Petaluma Craft Mafia has teamed up with the Petaluma Art Center and we are pleased to announce our first outdoor craft shindig! Craftaluma's "How The Craft Was Won" outdoor Indie Bazzare.
Per usual we are anticipating a whole passel of crafty talented vendors! Sublime, irreverent, kitschy and just well made crafts of local and independent artists who will inspire you to get your craft on.
Not your granny's craft show, but we know she'd be pleased as punch with the amazing craft found here. So join us, and if so inspired by our pioneering, glue gun waving cowgirl, please dress in your favorite cowgirl threads or throw on a pair of boots.
Along with awe inspiring crafts, we will have live music and treats!!

*** Vendors will need to apply to Craftaluma's "How The Craft Was Won" show at the links here or below. Keep in mind that this is an outdoor venue. Tents, tables and chairs are not provided.

Crafty FYI ** In addition, we are hosting our annual holiday show this year. Craftaluma's "Holiday Hoe-down" will be December 3, 2011 at the Petaluma Veteran's Hall. When registering for August's "How The Craft Was Won" you will save 40 dollars by registering for both show in advance.

* Applications are due by August 7, 2011. Thanks in advance!

Hold your glue guns folks, this show is smokin' hot!

With love and glitter,

Your Petaluma Craft Mafia


** Register for CRAFTALUMA'S "How The Craft Was Won" here:
http://www.petalumacraftmafia.com/craftaluma/howthecraftwaswon.html
http://www.petalumacraftmafia.com/craftaluma/index.html

Meet The Famiglia: Jenna Hales

Meet swell gal and crafty entrepreneur Jenna Hales. I met Jenna through a Craftaluma Show a few years back, she was a vendor and a hoot. She's one of those women you are happy to have in your circle of awesome gal pals as well as professionally. Jenna is a PCM sister and a new mama to her son, baby Kai. We welcome her, her positive spirit and great energy to the Petaluma Craft Mafia.

Business Name: sparklejenna
Website: www.sparklejenna.com

What kind crafty goods do you make? " I make jewelry, plushies, paintings, other crafty objects."

How did you get into this line of work? "I've always been crafty. My mom was always making creative projects when I was growing up and it just seeped into my bones. I can't imagine not working on something crafty, I would go nuts!"

What is the typical work day for you like? "Everyday is different, especially since becoming a mom. I also have a freelance graphic design business (www.totallyswell.com) so depending on which balls are in the air on any given day, I adjust my schedule accordingly. I could spend time on the computer or at my crafting table or a combo, although I can say making things with my hands brings me more fulfillment, even if graphic design is creative it's just not the same as busting out the scissors and glue or sewing machine."

What/who inspires you? "I find creative inspiration everywhere. It could be a magazine, a combination of colors on a sign or a favorite blog. I am inspired by people who follow their dreams. Kelly Rae Roberts is pretty awesome, she built a thriving creative business in just 5 years and shares the steps she took on her journey openly which I really admire. Many artists or crafts people can be so secretive about how they gained success, it's refreshing to have someone out there who is willing to be a mentor for those of us who are up and coming."

Favorite thing about your work? "My favorite thing about my work is the satisfaction I get from doing it and seeing other people connect to it."

What is the single best piece of business advice you know now,that you wish you knew when you were just getting started? "Even if you feel like you don't have the time, do something small everyday to build your business, small steps grow in to something much bigger with time."

What’s in your fridge? "Sweet hot mustard, chicken strips, pie, baby food."

Who’s your favorite poet? "Mary Oliver."

Favorite guilty pleasure? "Cotton Candy."

What’s playing on the I-pod? "Greyboy Allstars West Coast Boogaloo."

What is your favorite way to unwind? "Cuddles with my family, which includes my two dogs."

How do you feel contemporary American women entrepreneurs have influenced American culture and craft? "Craft has blown up over the past few years, thanks to the pioneering spirit of some amazing crafty ladies. I think craft is much more prevalent than it was even just a few years ago."

What about the world still holds wonder for you? "My son, seeing him grow and change is the most amazing experience of my life. I feel very blessed to be his mama."

You’re having a dinner party, as the head of the table, who would you love to invite and have seated on your left, and another choice on your right? "Hmmm, my grandpa and my brother both no longer living."

If you had the chance to sing a live duet onstage, who would you choose to sing with? What would you sing? "That's a tough one. I'd probably throw up and pass out before I ever made it on to the stage, maybe Ebony and Ivory with Michael Jackson - he was weird, but he was rad."

When you die, what would you like inscribed on your headstone and what music would you choose? "I don't know about the inscription, I kind of feel like the whole point is for other people to put what is meaningful to them - after all it won't matter to me :) If I had to choose music, maybe the soundtrack from the movie Amelie."

Where do you see you and your business heading in the coming year? Any goals or particular wishes? "I would love to continue to develop my glitter paintings and maybe even get something licensed!"

What absolutely just makes your day? "A fun surprise in my mailbox!"

Craftaluma 2010: "The Usual Suspects" Holiday Show!!

Happy Holidays from the Petaluma Craft Mafia! Folks, we are not in the habit of taking candy from a baby, nor nicking the smiles from your bright and shiny faces. Life has us all busy and spread thin, and isn't always roses and red meat - some days it's green salad and scrambled eggs. However, have had so many requests about when our next show is going to be, we could not let you down! No siree.
So Craftaluma, the much anticipated craft show of the year hatched here in Petaluma is ago with the choicest, freshest talent in Petaluma and beyond. We get so much supportive feed back on our shows, vendors and music talent so you my dear friends, could be clinically inspired and happily sated by the crafty Indie vibe you have become accustomed to at Craftaluma. (Not to mention getting your last minute shopping done). And if so inclined, pick up a little something wonderful for yourself for the holidays - hey, what happens at Craftaluma, stays at Craftaluma. We didn't see nothin'!

Our fifth annual show, Craftaluma's "Usual Suspects" Holiday Show is chock-full of crafty DIY wares so meaty in creativity, you'll need a machete to wend a swath through our talented vendors to help you with your shopping list and be creatively inspired.

This year the Petaluma Craft Mafia is teaming up with the amazing Petaluma Art Center for Craftaluma. The venue is centrally-located and beautiful. The team at PAC is having it's annual staff salon show for craft shoppers to oggle as well. We think Art and Craft make a beautiful team.
So please join us for the best craft for miles around, fantastic music to groove to, cupcakes and friends.

Do you prefer your craft rare or well-done? Craftaluma has you covered. Pass the horseradish.

**Vendors: Please email me at cheryl@petalumacraftmafia.com for more info. Our website is being updated and we will have online applications shortly.

Please drop by and say "howdy" to our "Usual Suspects" the creative team in the Petaluma Craft Mafia. See you all there! ;)


CRAFTALUMA "The Usual Suspects" Show
December 12, 2010 from 11-5
The Petaluma Art Center
230 Lakeville Street
Petaluma, CA 94952

Rivertown Revival Benefit at Brixx

In case you missed our first "Dine & Donate" fundraiser to benefit the Rivertown Revival, you have another opportunity coming up this Thursday on June 24th, at BRIXX!

We had a blast planning our first fundraiser last week at Central Market, and we had a great turn-out, thanks folks! However, if you were out of town, hiding under a rock join us this Thursday at 16 Kentucky Street at BRIXX for delicious eats, good wine and some faboo music!

See you there!

RR Dine & Donate at Central Market, July17th!

In case you haven't heard, the River Town Revival has made a soul savior out of me. Or would that be a soul savor? I'm helping out the cause and pumping my extra faith and energy into what is surely going to be one of SoCo's best events of the year! Our event is in need of much funding still, as it is run strictly by volunteer basis only, as I write this blog. That means, lots of fund raisers, barn dances and BBQ's with locally raised food and the like. Which to me, sounds like a bit of heaven!

Next week, a favorite and much lauded local restaurant, "Central Market" and Chef Tony is graciously hosting our third fund raiser of the year for River Town Revival. Local diners can feel good about eating delicious food grown and prepared locally with a loving touch, and at the same time help River Town Revival supply our event with much needed items such as hay bales, wheel barrels, signage, kiddie activity tables and the like. All the while, dining from the savory menu from Central Market.

Donation envelopes for your discretion are available, and you can choose how much you can donate. If you can fund us a couple of hay bales, wonderful! If you can provide us a glorious tent to raise the Crafty roof in, we'll knit you a River Monster doll. Promise! Or, if you'd prefer, we'll felt you a crafty horse-head, hey it's a mafia tradition. All donations are tax-deductible.

A soul-savory fund raiser indeed! So, this thursday evening, around supper time, I hope to see you all turn out to join the Friends of the River and River Town Revival for dinner, dessert and donation! I know you will. I'm keeping the faith.

P.S. please feel free to download the poster above and spread the dine & donate gospel.

Bless your muddy souls River Puppies,

Peace, love and sludge,
Your Crafty Soul Saviors
The Petaluma Craft Mafia

Oh, we so purdy!

It's been too long since our web site, created in 2007 got updated with a fresh look. When we first became an official family, back in 2006 or was it 2007? Anyhoozles, we had about 30 days to put it together. Ms. Moxieville, aka, your's truly, had never designed a web page before, and was sweating bullets. Thirty days, no HTML experience, yikes. Well, somehow, I rose to the occasion, and quickly put together a color scheme and design that was both, clean, campy and sophisticated. We got loads of compliments, and still do! Heck, who doesn't love a good tarantella and to hear poultry noises? For those urbanites who have never woken-up to a rooster crowing, tune into the Petaluma Craft Mafia homepage, and you too can enjoy what I grew listening up to every morning as a child!

Fast-forward a few years, we decided it was time to put our fresh faces on our website with a new look. So, while Memorial day week-end is tempting me out to play, the beer is on ice, the oysters barbecueing, I've got work deadlines, and a few projects that are pro-bono for some local events around town, yet, here I am futzing around on our blog.

We get loads of compliments on our old site, but as I'm updating our web page with member bios, it has occurred to me we've grown and improved a lot since 2006 - learned much about the industry, taken some risks, influenced and inspired so many local craftisans in town, have more diversity, energy, talent and sophistication . We know what we want, and our new look should reflect that. We don't want to go with the tried and true steam-punk look, ever popular again, with it's bold eroded fonts, texturey parchment backgrounds and firmly "Americana" stamped look. It's too easy, and so 1990's- and 1890's too, for that matter. Le Sigh. Besides, if I wanna see anymore of that, I just read Trader Joe's "Frequent Flyer" and see what's on special. Yawn.

So we're toying with a few looks. The later roughs are remnants of our original site and colors, but with more goodies. The second, is more feminine and urban. Since all of us are really creative country girls with adventurous hearts, I'm leaning towards the first comp of the homepage. That and the fact that I'm ready to move on from our old color scheme, is motivating me to experiment a bit. And incorporating images of our hometown of Petaluma, was a no-brainer, but we don't want to O'd on that either. Too gimmicky. We love our town, but we are not the chamber of commerce, though, we have been told we've put craft and a fresh DIY Revolution on the map, here in P-Town.

Decisions. Next time we post, I'm sure I'll have taken the identity a whole new direction, but for now, stay posted!

Peace, love and glitter,

Your PCM

River Town Revival

Not only does Petaluma have a Craft Mafia, it's also got a river, running right smack through the heart of our town. To some it's a muddy slough, but none-the-less, it's a river by golly, and this summer it's going to be fun on the banks, with a whole host of artsy craftsy folks who love art, food, a fantastic gypsy fortune teller, music, and funky boats. The Petaluma Craft Mafia is rolling up our sleeves, and building our own floating structure, a gypsy Gondola. While we won't win any prizes for speed, our boat is built for style.

This is the first year of River Town Revival. So show some support for our river and join us and our community for what we are sure is going to be a spectacular annual event this July 24th.

Love, peace and sludge,
The PCM