OMG...I am still alive and kicking ...promise!

OMG its November and I haven't posted anything in the last two months!!!!! Just a huge sign that this school year has completely taken over my life! Yeah, this really needs to get a grip on what it is that I do and am! New Principal in town and a course I haven't taught for a while, and huge class sizes are really starting to get to me! I promise I am making in my sweatshop, just don't have the time or energy to post anything about it. I will make a promise right now, to make this change in the immediate future! Especially since I just found out what a huge impact I have on the economic status of our fair city. Check out this video from Baltimore ignite...you may see a familiar group in her pics. OK...I promise to post new product pics and this holiday show schedule as it currently stands!

Art Star in Philly!

In May, I'll be joining my BEST buddy Jen Menkhaus in a booth at Art Star. They've been posting the other vendors. I'm hoping we'll have the same beautiful weather we had last year. Plan on coming to Philly for the art festval. At Penns Landing, May 15-16.

Squidfire THis Saturday!

Yes, there's another chance to shop handmade for the holidays in the Baltimore area. The Squidfire Art Mart moves from its original location at the Lyric Theater to a larger arena, the DuBurns Arena on Boston Street in Canton.This event is this Saturday, December 12 from 11 - 6. This new space not only has parking but guarantees more vendors that get to have a 10 ' X 10' space! Look for more mini- boutiques instead of just table top stores! Members from BEST that will be participating in this show include greenstarstudio, dandelion blu, thebrokenplate, sugar paperie, sweetpepita, jennyjen42, Yummy & Company, worndress, jenmenkhaus, Lana Bella, JerseyGirlDesign, CEK Custom Designs, & Tlane.

All Organic Striped Scarf by Sweet Pepita

wavio the Knitimal by greenstarstudio

mini flower brooches by jenmenkhaus

Blue Bird Broken Plate Ring by The Broken Plate

Bazzart

Make your plans today if you are in the Baltimore area during Thanksgiving weekend! At the American Visionary Museum for an evening and one day event. You can Beat the crowds and come that Friday night for an opportunity to get the first shot at the original creations by 50 regional artists and craftspeople prior to the Saturday Bazaart extravaganza. Spend a relaxing evening strolling among Bazaart artisans and their wares while nibbling light fare and enjoying a special beverage. Location: American Visionary Art Museum, Jim Rouse Visionary Center, 3rd Floor. Admission to Preview Party & Sale: $20 at the door.

Saturday • November 28 • 10AM-5PM • FREE ENTRY: BAZAART: Artful Holiday Shopping
American Visionary Art Museum's Annual Holiday Marketplace of original creations by 50 regional artists and craftspeople. Painting, sculpture, paper crafts, metalwork, jewelry, textiles, mixed media, and other work that simply defies categorization! FREE ENTRY. Location: American Visionary Art Museum, Jim Rouse Visionary Center 3rd Floor. Note: Bazaart shoppers are welcome to tour the entire Jim Rouse Visionary Center for Free! Ongoing exhibitions include the Cabaret Mechanical Theatre automata, Baltimore Screen Painters, Emily Duffy's Bra Ball and more.

Jennyjen will be there along with some of her BEST buddies : greenstarstudio & tigerlillyshop

BEST MAkes it a HIT!

Yay! BEST wins the Mobbie Award for Outstanding Art & DIY blog in Baltimore! Won't you come and help BEST celebrate tonight at Metro Gallery? Say around 7 or 8? I'll be there! Thanks so much again to all of our wonderful readers and the Baltimore Sun!

Sweet Treasury!

Thanks Erica for including Otis in this sweet collection!

The Washington Examiner’s ARTS ON FOOT

The Washington Examiner’s ARTS ON FOOT

sponsored by Wines of Argentina

7th and F streets, NW in Penn Quarter

ART MARKET

Thursday and Friday, September 10 & 11; 11 AM – 7 PM

FESTIVAL

Saturday, September 12; 11 AM – 5 PM

Marking its 17^th anniversary, The Washington Examiner’s ARTS ON FOOT sponsored by Wines of Argentina is one of Washington, DC’s most unique celebrations, and is considered by many to be the city’s premier outdoor festival. Spanning four city blocks, the event kicks off the Fall arts season and showcases the best that Downtown DC has to offer.

Held in the vibrant Penn Quarter neighborhood, the festival features three Restaurant Sampling Courts with top DC restaurants; the O Organics^TM Cooking As Art Pavilion with chef demonstrations; the World Market^® Wine Area with tastings and intimate seminars; two stages featuring eclectic music and performance; two Cultural Corridors, supported by The Pink Line Project, offering cool hands-on activities for children and adults from galleries, theaters, museums, and more; and a juried Art Market, open on Thursday and Friday, September 10 & 11, too, with 100 exhibitors selling pottery, jewelry, paintings, photography, textiles, graphic arts, wood work, and other fine art. Also, check out the Neighborhood Showcase of Penn Quarter cultural organizations and venues presenting special programming throughout the festival day.

Pick up the Official Festival Program in The Washington Examiner on Thursday and Friday, September 10 & 11, and at the Art Market and Festival on September 10-12. Visit www.artsonfoot.org for exciting festival developments and updates and become a fan of The Washington Examiner’s ARTS ON FOOT Facebook page, too.

Admission and many activities are free; rain or shine.

Metro: Gallery Pl-Chinatown

Arts on Foot Website :

http://www.artsonfoot.org

Facebook Page :

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Washington-Examiners-ARTS-ON-FOOT-sponsored-by-Wines-of-Argentina/12396670752

and yes...jennyjen42 will be there along with her BEST buddy sweet pepita ...we'll be in booth 28 ...very close tot he doors of the National Portrait Gallery! Stop on by!

Thanks For Stopping By! Artscape a Huge Success!

Well I'm back from the beach. Went straight from Artscape so I wasn't able to make any posts. Here are some great pics from tigerlily from the event! Thanks Allison! And thanks everyone who stopped by! It was the best show I did all year long! I'll be updating my shop...you can see how empty it is! That's how great Artscape was! Now onto Crafty Bastards in the Fall!

Trade Your Art Supplies for a 10% Discount!

Please help the BEST crew help Art with a Heart, Inc. carry out their mission by bringing craft supply items to one of the BEST artists at Artscape. As a "thank you" for your donation, BEST is offering a one-time 10% discount off a single item purchased at Artscape from one of our participating BEST artists. Please bring any unused craft (or office) supplies or gift card to our BEST tent at Artscape or to any of our participating artists at Artscape to receive the discount. One discount per person, and the offer is only valid on purchases made at Artscape on July 17, 18 & 19th. Our booths are located on Charles St. in the DIY section - we will be in booths 16-21 and also in the Artists Market along Mt Royal in booth E114. We look forward to seeing you there!

They need:

* Deco Markers / Paint Markers
* Elmer's Glue
* Erasers
* Fabric Glue / Fabric-Tac
* Hot glue guns and glue sticks
* Glue sticks
* Markers
* Masking tape
* Mod Podge
* Paint brushes
* Pencil sharpeners
* Pencils
* Single hole punchers
* Scissors
* Scotch Tape
* Tacky Glue
* Aluminum foil
* Beads
* Disposable/plastic bowls
* Elastic string
* Glitter glue
* Jewelry hardware
* Mat board
* Mat cutter
* Mini hot glue gun sticks
* Paper towels
* Puffy paint
* Screw gun
* Sculpey clay
* Self-hardening clay
* Tag board/poster board
* Thread
* Watercolor paper
* Wire

All donations will go to Art with a Heart, Inc. See you there!

Economically Friendly Items for Sale!

We're into the Artscape countdown! Jennyjen42 will be at Artscape, July 17 - 19, in the Mt. Royal area of Baltimore with her BEST buddies. Look for us in the DIY section close to Mt. Royal Ave on Charles Street. I will be posting items for sale as well as other attractions associated with Artscape all this week on my blog and facebook. Today's features are my economically friendly items that are $20 or less! Look for these birdy bird products:

felt lined padded eyeglass cases for $15

Lined zipper pouches $15

iron on birdy bird patches $4

set of 4 coasters $20

Great GRapes WIne Fest THis Weekend

Great food, fine wine, fantastic weather forecast at Oregon Ridge for Great Grapes... and shopping?!Yes! I will be there as well sharing a big tent with my BEST buddies! We will be there for the entire weekend selling handmade, along with local vintners, organic farmers selling local cheeses, specialty food items and so much more. Stop by and see JennyJen42 with these other BEST members: CEK Custom Designs, Sweet Pepita, Jersey Girl Design, Shelly Daly, Yummy and Co., Sugar Paperie and The Broken Plate, all together under one tent! BEST member Tarabu will be selling at the event too! Be sure to stop by our tent to enter the wine fest giveaway.

Details:

12-6pm this Saturday and Sunday.

Adult Admission & Tasting Glass: $18 advance online or $22 on-site includes a souvenir wine glass, unlimited samples, all performances and cooking demonstrations.
Designated Driver Ticket:$15 advance online or onsite and includes admission into the event ONLY.
Group Tickets:$16 (per ticket) for groups of 20 or more and must order by phone
800-830-3976.
Kids - 12 and under are FREE!

Oregon Ridge Park

13401 Beaver Dam Road

Cockeysville, MD 21030

Art Star Pics

Thanks to everyone who came out to artstar! I had a great time. The weather was perfect and my booth mate...Shannon of sweet pepita...was a perfect match! We'll be back again next year if you'll have us!

SquidFire's 2009 Spring Art Mart

Saturday May 9, 11-6pm

Mt. Vernon Square (Between Charles and Cathedral Streets)
Baltimore, MD 21201

Click here for map

Join over 50 of the best local and regional crafters and artists as they display their handmade wares in the most beautiful park in the city. The event goes on rain or shine. I'll be there as well as a number of my fellow BEST buddies. I'll be posting more this week on who will be there. Hope to see you there!

Giveaway Reminder

Just a reminder, as if you need one, that springtime is almost here! To celebrate, B.E.S.T. put together this mega-giveaway of springtime goods just for you. All you need to do is be on their mailing list and leave a comment on the original post here about a favorite work from one of the many talented BEST artists. ( and yes, jennyjen is one of them) If you are not on the mailing list yet, you are missing out on giveaways and newsletters delivered straight to your inbox (we promise to not be annoying, we only send you mail a few times a year.) So, what are you waiting for? Sign up now!

In this giveaway you will find work from these great BEST artists
1. Jersey Girl Design 2. A Stone's Throw 3. nfall2rt designstudio 4. Greenstartstudio 5. Yummy & Company 6. Herekitty Pretties 7. The Baker's Wife 8. The Giving Tree 9. Zetta 10. Tigerlillyshop

Bijou Handmade Market

Bijou Handmade Market is a small showcase featuring regional craft artists that are creating innovative handmade craft items. Alternatives Museum Shop at the DCCA presents four Baltimore-based craft artists on Friday, March 6, from 5-9 pm:

• bowerbox press: books and letterpress cards handmade with the highest of standards

• The Broken Plate: fun, colorful, one-of-a-kind jewelry and more made from broken plate fragments

• Jennyjen 42: originally designed fabric bags and home accessories inspired by birds and other whimsy

• Sweet Pepita: urban, green, unquestionably hip children’s clothing made from recycled and organic fabrics


Presented by Alternatives Museum Shop and the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts during Wilmington’s Art on the Town. Enjoy live music, gallery opening receptions, open artist studios, food & drinks, shopping, and more!

Tigerlily Patch at ACC

I am a bit tardy of my ACC posts....only 3 days away. Opens this friday to the general public....two of our BEST members are selling their wares as new exhibitors this year at the ACC craft shows. Alison of Tigerlily Patch will also be there. Her beautful jewery is the talk of BEST at all ofour shows. So go look for her! I'll be there with my two day $20 pass!

Sweet Pepita at ACC!

I have to present one of BEST finest on today's blog post for my ACC entry of the day. Shannon Delanoy of Sweet Pepita, who currently lives in our fair charm city makes beautiful wearable art with recycled green, trade free materials. She can make the most of your old tee shirts! Its great way to hand over those old punk rock shirts to your little ones in a more modern, hip and conscious way! She is one of ACC's new entrants and can be found in the alt craft booth. I guess I can whisper that there has been some talk of some future colloborations and booth sharing with sweet pepita and jennyjen!

Looking for some Pink for V day?

Here are some of favorites Pink Ideas for V-day from the BEST team

Just Rosy Magnet Set - Pretty in Pink by Block PartyPress

printable lotus stationery by three wheel design

Bon Jovi short- sleeved infant t-shirt by Sweet pepita

Heart of Hearts - Handmade Lampwork Bead by Dorset Hill Beads

Magenta leaf Broken Plate Pendant by The Broken Plate Pendant Company

Cherry Blossom (this is the pick of the week) by dandelionblu

Pink Lily, 1 1/2 inch button ring by Tigerlily shop

lily card by the book room

felt pointy flower brooch by jenmenkhaus

Thanks Baltimore Magazine!

I love the BEST support

Tale of the Green Hat!

I have to tell you about this wonderful story about my green hat that I got from Sarah and Phil of rocksandsalt on etsy. They had the booth behind me at Handmade Arcade this past November. Allison (Tigerlily of BEST) and I noticed that everyone who tried on one of their hats, looked absolutely perfect! Now that's a hard product to make! And I mean it, everyone looked so hip and so perfect in their hats. I had my eye on this green one ( you can see it on my pic ) and I asked them about it. They gave me an awesome price on it since I was a vendor...and then showed me another one that had the smallest flaw..I have to admit this...I couldn't see the flaw that Phil was pointing out. And They gave me an even sweeter deal. It grew to be my up most favorite hat that I have ever owned!
Sad part of this story is that it got lost, walked away...not sure what happened while I was doing another craft show in Baltimore. My heart sank and the end of my 2008 was pretty much a symbol for how 2008 was for the USA.
I wrote to sarah and phil and told them my disheartened story. And guess what! They found another one, in the same color green and they sold it to me for the same sweet price! Thanks You Guys! I have been so happy about joining this diy, made handmade movement because these stories and connections! 2008 was actually awesome for me in this world! And now I fully look forward to exciting 2009!
So check them out! Here is a sampling of their awesome hats! Thanks Again Rocks and Salt!