This Week's Events

Thursday, February 3
Updated: Canceled due to bad weather
Crafting from the Collection, 6-7:30pm
Amon Carter Museum of American Art, 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd., Ft. Worth, TX

Friday, February 4
Wim-min Art Exhibit, 6-9pm
Rose Marine Theater Art Gallery, 1440 N. Main St., Fort Worth, TX

Saturday, February 5
Maker’s Market, 9am-1pm
Annmarie Garden Sculpture Park & Arts Center, 13480 Dowell Rd., Dowell, MD

One Stop Winter Art Extravaganza, 10am-6pm
BA Glassworks - Home & Studio, 2123 Silverado Dr., Dallas, TX

All You Need Is Love + Cool Art: Trunk Show, Noon-6pm
Larry Pile's Residence, 1207 N. Windomere, Dallas, TX

Valentine’s Pop-Up Shop, 10am-5pm
Back to Basics, 29 Old Ford Rd., Bethnal Green, E2 9PJ

Hip Happening Valentine's Art & Craft Bazaar, 11am-5pm
Sellwood Masonic Temple, 7126 SE Milwaukie Ave., Portland, OR

Updated: Postponed 'til next weekend
Flea Harvey's, 10am-5pm
Lee Harvey's, 1807 Gould St., Dallas, TX


Saturday, February 5 & Sunday, February 6
Brooklyn Flea, 10am-6pm
1 Hanson Pl. (at Flatbush Ave.), Brooklyn, NY

Sunday, February 6
The Love & Rummage Trunk Show 3, Noon-5pm
the workroom, 1340 Queen St. W., Toronto, ON

Royal Palm Place Arts & Crafts Festival, 11am-5pm
Downtown Boca Raton, FL

From Blues to Hip Hop Exhibit, 2-4pm
Plaza of the Americas, 700 N. Pearl, G-207, Dallas, TX

Summer Ellis Bijouterie

Canadian-born Summer Ellis creates wonderfully romantic, contemporary & exquisite jewelry pieces in her Texas studio. The Garden Party line is known for its unique blends of gems, pearls & colors that create her “romantic naturalist” signature look. I love the sparrow earrings because they are diverse incorporating both silver & gold. I also like the Abeille necklace featuring a bee charm. And the vintage glass cabachon necklace is perfect for spring! Summer Ellis also offers an extensive ready-to-wear collection featuring gorgeous necklaces & earrings. The Harp earrings are stunning. Receive a 15% discount & free shipping in the Continental US with coupon code FF15. Offer expires February 12, 2011.

*GIVEAWAY - Closed - Congrats Elaine! Summer Ellis Bijouterie is giving away one Rose Bud necklace (winner's color choice) with a sterling silver chain. To enter, visit Summer Ellis' website & leave a comment on this post noting your favorite design. For an additional entry, "like" Summer Ellis on Facebook & leave a comment noting you have done so. Giveaway ends at 9pm EST, Saturday, February 12th.

Funky Five: Valentine's Day

1. Pewter Heart Button Bracelets by Amy Peters' Studio

2. Recycled Wooden LOVE Sign by Oh Dier

3. Paper Valentine Heart Tee by EmersonMade.

4. DIY Felt Valentine Envelopes by The Crafting Chicks

5. Natural Love Blank Card by Yvonne4eyes

Spaceships and Laser Beams

The handmade market seems to be flooded with cute items for girly girls. But what about the boys? They want cool handmade stuff, too! Thanks to the Etsy collective Spaceships and Laser Beams there's more boyish items to choose from. This group illustrates DIY party supplies just for boys & they have developed a special-edition cupcake wrapper for Valentine's Day that boys are sure to love. It can be hard to find Valentine's cupcakes that appeal to boys, so the idea behind this cupcake wrapper is to look at Valentine's Day from a little boy's perspective: Ewww. Girls. Ewwww. Kissing. Ewwww. From far away, the wrapper looks as though it's turquoise with red hearts. But up close you realize those aren't hearts at all - they're germs and cooties. Awesome! This unique perspective was illustrated & designed by Andrew, the only male designer in this collective. And, the icing on the cupcake so to speak, is that 5% of all sales are donated to the YMCA Strong Kids campaign that aims to help young boys grow in to strong young men. Visit the Spaceships and Laser Beams blog that covers all things boy party related.

Kutz

Kutz is a great resource for crafters looking for unique embellishments, but are short on time. As a scrapbooker, I love finding small items to enhance my layouts; however, I don't have the budget to purchase tons of die cutting machines. Kutz is the perfect solution for my dilemma. The owner, Cyn, offers a variety of die cut shapes made of felt, cardboard, and paper. You'll find multi-colored felt hearts that are perfect for a number of Valentine's Day craft projects. The big set of floral pieces (pictured) includes 120 mix & match pieces that will certainly come in handy while crafting. Cyn also offers larger pieces, such as the felt owl on branch, that are ready to spice up pillows, handbags & more. And the intricate felt butterfly & silhouette are simply beautiful. Visit Cyn's blog, Just-kutz, that features a great wreath tutorial. She also has another Etsy shop, CynContemporary, that offers handmade pillows & tote bags.

Wedding Idea & Inspiration

Spring & summer are always busy with weddings. Lately, I have come across so much great information regarding handmade wedding touches. I thought I would share some of the resources & ideas I've discovered around the web.

Crafting A Green World shares the Hottest Sustainable Wedding Trends for 2011 according to Recycled Bride.

Elsie Flannigan launched a blog, Le Wedding Party, dedicated to wedding inspiration.

The Austin Wedding Blog is full of eye candy & inspiration!

Crafting A Green World shows how to create an easy DIY bridal bouquet.

Craft Gossip has added a DIY Wedding category to their site. This is a great source for tons of wedding ideas.

Purchase a copy of Handmade Weddings - More than 50 Crafts to Style and Personalize Your Big Day from Chronicle Books

100 Layer Cake is another great site to find pertinent wedding info & ideas.

Etsy Wedding highlights exceptional handmade wedding items. (pictured: signs by Shandrus Creations)

Recycle Your Wedding - Buy & sell everything for your wedding via Recycled Bride or Ruffled who also has lots of inspiration on their blog.

Modern Wedding is an Australia-based website that has tons of wedding info, as does their blog. (pictured: cookies by Sweet Couture)

Craftzine posted a DIY Wedding Projects Roundup featuring a variety of how-tos.

Emmaline Bride also has great handmade ideas for brides.

K is for Calligraphy offers lovely stickers, including Save the Date stickers, perfect for soon-to-be-married couples!

If you're in need of paper and/or envelopes for your DIY invitations, Paperworks is a great source that I've used before with great results.

Planning a wedding is a lot of fun, but can also be stressful. Here's a few tips on how to stay calm before your wedding.

This Week's Events

Wednesday, January 26
Opening Reception: Casting On: Knitting in Manitoba, 6:30-8pm
Manitoba Crafts Museum & Library, 1B-183 Kennedy St., Winnipeg, MB

Friday, January 28
Cultural District Gallery Crawl, 5:30-9pm
Pittsburgh, PA

Friday, January 28 & Saturday, January 29
Handmade Music: Luthiers Exhibition, (F) 7-10pm, (S) Noon-6pm
West End Cultural Centre, 586 Ellice Ave., Winnipeg, MB

Friday, January 28 through Sunday, January 30
Sugarloaf Crafts Festival, (F/S) 10am-6pm, (Sun.) 10am-5pm
Dulles Expo Center, Chantilly, VA

Saturday, January 29
Liverpool's Big Vintage Fair: The Winter Sale!, 11am-4pm
LJMU Student Union, Maryland St., L1 9DE Liverpool, UK

2nd Annual Indie Wed, 10am-4pm
Ravenswood Event Center, 4043 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago, IL

Saturday, January 29 & Sunday, January 30
Brooklyn Flea, 10am-6pm
1 Hanson Pl. (at Flatbush Ave.), Brooklyn, NY

Le Garage Sale, (Sat.) 10am-5pm, (Sun.) Noon-5pm
Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Rd., Austin, TX

Saturday, January 29 through Thursday, February 3
NY Internat'l. Gift Fair, 9am-6pm most days
Jacob K. Javits Conv. Ctr., 655 W. 34th St., NYC; Piers 92 & 94, 711 12th Ave., NYC (55th St. & 12th Ave.)

Milk & Honey Naturals

Milk & Honey Naturals features products that are organic, vegan, and of course handmade. Courtney Cascante says her creative process is sporadic & would seem hectic to some people. Inspired by new places & foods encountered when traveling, she gets the creative bug & begins creating until she is simply worn out. Using environmentally-friendly products, Courtney whips up products like Rosemary Lavender soap and Amber, Clove & Nutmeg soap for men. The NY Black & White Snickerdoodle soap (pictured) sounds especially delightful, as does the Revitalizing Mint Chocolate Rosemary soap. If you're looking for a nice gift, don't miss the Organic Exotic Handmade Soap Gift that is made up of four soaps of your choice. Receive a 10% discount with coupon code FUNKYFINDS10. Expires February 28, 2011.

N.E.E.T. the book

N.E.E.T. Magazine is an eco-friendly, free online publication that began in December 2005. Each quarterly issue is packed with independent, handmade, DIY, eco-friendly and vintage fashion & design for everyone.

To celebrate the 5th anniversary, the first ever printed N.E.E.T. the book has been released in both soft & hard cover. With the theme of ‘FIVE’, the book features five sections with five inspiring N.E.E.T. people, designers, bloggers, photographers & homes, with interviews by five writers, in a N.E.E.T. retrospective. Also, you have the option of choosing one of five illustrated covers by, you guessed it, five different artists.

Place your order this month & you will receive free shipping*. This offer is good for one-time use & cannot be combined with other promotional codes, offers, gift cards, or used for adjustments on previous codes. *Offer valid through January 31, 2011, & is applied toward the shipping total in the following amounts: US $6.99, GBP £3.99, EUR €5.99, CAD $7.99, or AUD $9.99. Coupon codes listed on graphic.

MemoryScrapbooks.com

We know a lot of our readers enjoy all sorts of fun crafts. One fun craft that we come across every so often is scrapbook making, which is my personal favorite hobby! Making a scrapbook is a good way to keep in touch with your favorite pictures and memories. They also make great gifts for those special people in your lives.

If you are thinking of starting a scrapbooking project, as either an experienced veteran, or as a first timer, you may want to stop by MemoryScrapbooks.com. This site offers everything you need to complete your scrapbooks, including Pioneer Scrapbooks, which are some of the best on the market. Pioneer is known for its amazing quality & for the fact that they provide you with products that are archival quality. When protected by Pioneer, your prized pictures won't smudge or fade. (pictured - Rhinestone Faux Suede Scrapbooks)

MemoryScrapbooks.com also offers a number of supplies that you can use to get yourself going or to add embellishments. Some of these products include: Color gel ink pens, red-eye remover pen, colonial cut craft scissors, & scrapbook glue runners (pictured), just to name a few. There are lots of exciting items at MemoryScrapbooks.com. You never know what you may find, so stop on by! If you do, let them know that Funky Finds sent you!

This Week's Events

Tuesday, January 18
State of the Art Center Potluck & Ceramics Seconds Sale, 5:30-7:30pm
Main Line Art Center, 746 Panmure Rd., Haverford, PA

Wednesday, January 19
STEAMPUNK by Art Nouveau Events, 8pm-2am
The Lounge, 517 Clematis St., West Palm Beach, FL

Friday, January 21 through Sunday, January 23
Vogue Knitting LIVE
Hilton New York, 1335 Ave. of the Americas, New York, NY

Friday, January 21 through Tuesday, February 1
For the Love of Craft - Opening Reception, 7-10pm
The Cre8ery Gallery, 125 Adelaide St., Winnipeg, MB

Friday, January 21 through Sunday, March 20
The Plush Team in Candyland - Opening Reception, 6-10pm
Hot*Pop Gallery, 213 N Broadway, Milwaukee, WI

Saturday, January 22
Chicago Craft Social, 1-4pm
Catalyst Ranch, 656 W. Randolph, Ste. 3W, Chicago, IL

Urban Folk Circuit, Noon-5pm
Reggie's Rock Club, 2105 S. State St., Chicago, IL

Saturday, January 22 & Sunday, January 23
Brooklyn Flea, 10am-6pm
1 Hanson Pl. (at Flatbush Ave.), Brooklyn, NY

4th Annual Downtown Venice Craft Festival, 10am-5pm
Miami Avenue in Downtown Venice, FL

Sunday, January 23
IAM Small Works Auction, 7-10pm
611 Creative, 611 N. Broadway, Oklahoma City, OK

Armed With Style

Armed With Style features a collection of beautiful genuine leather cuff bracelets created by Texas-based designer Caron Walior. I had the opportunity to see Caron's designs at The Funky Finds Experience in November, so I can tell you first-hand that these accessories are of the highest quality. The cuffs are available in a variety of styles, colors, sizes, & textures ensuring there is something for just about everyone. Whether you're looking to celebrate Mardi Gras in style or wear your heart on your sleeve, Armed With Style has you covered! The red & brown crystal cross cuff is beautiful & I love the bright green flower.

*GIVEAWAY - Closed - Congrats blandrews13! Armed With Style is giving away a leather cuff bracelet (winner's choice). To enter, visit Caron's Etsy shop & leave a comment on this post noting your favorite design. For an additional entry, "like" Armed With Style on Facebook, then leave a comment on this post noting you have done so. Giveaway ends Saturday, January 29 at 9pm EST. Please leave a valid email address so I may contact the winner!

Taylor House

Chaucee Stillman will soon be closing her Etsy shop Taylor House. The reason for her closing on January 20th is that she will soon be leaving to study abroad during the Spring semester in Israel. Wouldn't that be an amazing experience!? So every item that she can sell before then will help with living & travel expenses. This is the perfect opportunity to purchase something nice for yourself or a loved one while helping out this ambitious & motivated student. Chaucee creates a variety of lovely hand-knit cowls perfect for cold weather days. The Chloe cowl is beautiful & available in a wide array of colors. I also love the chunky Alice cowl in pink. Check out all the great designs offered & be sure to place your order before January 20th!

Funky Five: Be My Valentine

1. Shiny Headband by Mary Poppins Presents

2. Owl Always Be Near Pendant by Sunday Afternoon Housewife

3. Love Birds Card by Caroline Creates

4. Be My Valentine Tile by Tilesmile

5. Red & White Necklace by Blackbead's Treasure Chest

Elle Dee Design

Elle Dee Design features high-quality children's goods that capture the playfulness & innocence of childhood. Although we just finished with the insanity of the holidays, Valentine's Day is only one month away! And what better way for your little one to celebrate the day of love, than by wearing the cutest Valentine's Day outfit? The brother & sister set features an adorable pillowcase dress with a matching necktie shirt. These designs are also available as separates. The pillowcase dress can be adjusted as your little girl grows & the boy's necktie shirt is available in various prints. Don't miss the festive sets of heart hair clips to complete your young one's ensemble. Visit Elle Dee Design's main website for many more children's items, including crocheted booties that will make your heart go pitter patter!

Paper Monkey Press & Design

I've been a fan of Paper Monkey Press & Design for years. Located in Pittsburgh, PA, this small letterpress & design studio produces unique, high-quality products. They are currently offering the perfect Valentine's day gift, a set of personalized note cards wrapped in special Valentine's packaging. This set comes complete with your loving message on one of the delightful monkey heart cards, which I love! The set includes 25 flat cards with envelopes for just $25, plus shipping. To order, just type BEMYMONKEY in the PayPal notes section along with the wording for your love note. Make sure to order by February 7th to ensure delivery by the 14th.

Upcoming Events

Thursday, January 13 through Saturday, January 15
Oklahoma City Winter Quilt Show, 10am-5pm
Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens, Oklahoma City, OK

Saturday, January 15 & Sunday, January 16
Brooklyn Flea, 10am-6pm
1 Hanson Pl. (at Flatbush Ave.), Brooklyn, NY

Sunday, January 16
Dr. Sketchy's OKC 2nd Anniversary, 6-10pm
The Boom, 2218 NW 39th St., Oklahoma City, OK

Don't forget to plan ahead with our Handmade Events Around the World calendar page!

Bento Box Gifts

Bento Box Gifts is the go-to source for gifts that are uniquely packaged, turning a little thing into a special event. Inspired by a Japanese bento box lunch, with its little compartments of exquisitely presented food, a Bento Box Gift is a box full of the niftiest items, each nestled into its own compartment. Mimi Kolb, who has a background in advertising & graphic design, scours the world for neat little items that are sure to make the recipient feel special. The XXOO box is filled with big-hearted sentiments perfect for sweethearts & friends. Of course, this would make a great Valentine's Day gift! If you're looking for a memorable baby gift, there's a baby bento box that fits the bill. And who doesn't need an extra dose of good karma (pictured)? Bento Box Gifts are also available through The Shops @ Funky Finds. The Shops features limited-edition boxes available in selected boutiques, plus bestsellers from the main site.

Merci-Bleh-Bleh

Merci-Bleh-Bleh features unique greeting cards & other paper goods created by Portland-based artist Irina Beffa. She illustrates, designs, prints & hand-assembles each piece. The unicorn rainbow explosion is the perfect example of Irina's bold, colorful, playful and definitely funky style. If you're looking for cards that aren't the typical frilly style so often found, ones like Congrats on Your Papoose are just right for you! And, since it's a new year & all, why not treat yourself to a Magical Mystery mini wall calendar? Just as 2011 has double ones, each image features doubles. The technicolor vibrance is sure to make you take notice each month of this wonderful new year!

Chicago Craft Social - Ticket Giveaway

Chicago Craft Social is a series of periodic events that allows creative types to get together, enjoy some dessert, and spend an afternoon whipping up a nifty project to take home. The next event will be held Saturday, January 22, at Catalyst Ranch. Projects, leaders to teach you, and supplies are provided, as well as goodie bags & hourly door prizes. Seating is limited, so tickets are available for purchase in advance.

If you are in the Chicago area & are interested in attending, we are giving away ONE FREE TICKET! There's three ways to enter to win:

1. Sign up for the Chicago Craft Social newsletter, then leave a comment on this post noting you have done so.

2. Follow the Chicago Craft Social on Twitter, then leave a comment on this post noting you have done so.

3. "Like" Chicago Craft Social on Facebook, then leave a comment on this post noting you have done so.

Giveaway ends at Noon EST, Monday, January 17th.

*Giveaway Closed - Congrats Amanda Hatcher-Miller!

The winner will be notified immediately via email from info@funkyfinds.com with a coupon code, so be sure to check your Spam folder!

Upcoming Events

Saturday, January 8
OCH New Year Art Market, 11am-4:30pm
Zeitgeist Multi-disciplinary Arts Ctr, 1618 Oretha C Haley Blvd., New Orleans, LA

Roc Day Celebration, 9am-4pm
Lee Dam Arts Center, 201 S. 9th St., Marysville, KS

Handmade Market, Noon-4pm
The Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL

Saturday, January 8 & Sunday, January 9
Brooklyn Flea, 10am-6pm
1 Hanson Pl. (at Flatbush Ave.), Brooklyn, NY

Plan ahead with our Handmade Events Around the World calendar page, a valuable resource for crafters & shoppers alike!

Augustina Finch

Augustina Finch is the creative endeavor of Samuel & Hanna Robertson. Like those on a faraway excavation, this duo scrapes, sifts & sorts through the archeology of paper to unearth stories to be retold in frames, folds & forms. Their products are essentially a collection of hand-sewn vintage paper envelopes & greeting cards that are made from the pages of old discarded books & magazines. Each unique & one-of-a-kind set of five is handsomely packaged, stamped & individually numbered by hand. There's such a wide assortment of images that there's surely something for everyone. This husband & wife team also makes up the Portland-based indie folk-pop band called The Woodlands. Their debut album has received international praise, press & film placement. Receive a free download of the song "Summerland" when you sign up for The Woodlands newsletter.

*GIVEAWAY - Closed - Congrats Very Married! Augustina Finch is giving away a set of five envelopes & cards. To enter, visit their Etsy shop & leave a comment noting your favorite set. For an additional entry, "like" The Woodlands on Facebook, then leave a comment on this post noting you have done so. Giveaway ends at 9pm EST, Saturday, January 15. Please leave a valid email address so I may contact the winner!