Funky Finds Event Sponsors

 We are so lucky to work with the following businesses that have generously supported & are sponsoring our upcoming event, the Funky Finds Holiday Shopping Experience!

Quackerbox Creations, Ltd. screen prints t-shirts & other promotional items. They have been the best & most reliable screen printers we've ever worked with. They have great prices, great service & great quality! Quackerbox generously donates event tees to each of our event vendors. They also donate the printing on additional t-shirts that we sell at the event to raise money for The Humane Society of North Texas. Check out their Facebook page for samples of their awesome work. (photo: Spring event tee printed by Quackerbox)

Creative Collective Fort Worth is basically a year-round Funky Finds! You walk into the Creative Collective store to find hundreds of hand-crafted & vintage items from various artists, crafters, designers & pickers. They are currently in the process of renovating their new space that will feature 18,000 square feet of collaborative co-op space providing micro boutique, co-working and co-business opportunities. If you are interested in selling your wares at Creative Collective, you can submit a vendor application online. Visit their Facebook page for current updates.

Walking into The Artful Bead stores is like walking into Heaven for those who love to make jewelry! With locations in Fort Worth and Carrollton, Texas, The Artful Bead offers a one-stop shopping destination for jewelry making supplies including quality beads, wire, chain, findings, and tools. Each store also offers a wide variety of classes almost every day for every skill level. Their staff is amongst the best, both friendly AND knowledgeable, so stop in asap!!! Visit their Facebook page for more info & photos.

Tea in Texas Magazine is a truly unique publication. Billed as a cultural travel publication designed to enhance the enjoyment of unique travel & fine living in the Lone Star State, Tea in Texas offers information regarding tea, craft events, and travel information. I always look forward to reading about the featured destination in the bi-monthly magazine. You can view their latest issue (Sept/Oct '13) online. This issue is a real treat as it is their annual quilting issue!
*Each swag bag at our event will include a Sept/Oct '13 issue!*

Keep Fort Worth Funky is THE place for all things local & funky! Founder James Zametz is dedicated to promoting local happenings, local bands, and other funky things in Fort Worth. Keep FW Funky was born from the fact that the city is rapidly becoming a Music, Art, and Cultural Mecca for like-minded people who want to support local, live more sustainably, and eat healthy, toxin-free food. By saying "Keep Fort Worth Funky" you are saying: You support Local Business, Local Art & Artists, Local Farmers, Local Music, Local Activists, Local Activities, and all things that are unique to this city!!! Follow Keep FW Funky on Facebook to learn about all the funky things happening in your back yard.

BUST Magazine provides an uncensored view on the female experience. Each magazine is filled with interesting articles & interviews that aim to empower women. BUST shows that being a feminist is not a negative thing. It's all about celebrating strong, smart women whose rights are equal to those of men. BUST also celebrates hand-crafted & often includes modern craft tutorials, recipes & other awesome goodies! BUST also hosts craftaculars in New York & London. Smart. Fierce. Funny. Proud to be female. *Each swag bag at our event will include a full issue!*

Founded in 1976, Plaid Enterprises, Inc. offers quality crafting products, such as Mod Podge and Martha Stewart Crafts amongst others. The Plaid website & blogs are filled with tons of craft projects & inspiration, as well as frequent product giveaways.
*Each swag bag at our event will include a full-size bottle of Martha Stewart paint!*

Quirk Books is an independent book publisher based in Philadelphia, PA. Founded in 2002, Quirk Books publishes 25 strikingly unconventional books every year. Their book list includes lots of terrific craft books like Pom-Poms! and Craft-a-Day. The website also features apps and exclusive content you can download for FREE!  
*Each swag bag at our event will include a copy of Pom-Poms!*

 

Our sister company, Right On! Graphics, offers graphics & print media that are high-quality AND affordable. Our product list includes business cards, vinyl banners & much more. We NEVER use templates - all graphics are custom-designed to fit your needs.

Petticoats on the Prairie

Joe and I recently trekked out to West Texas, where I am originally from, and attended a wonderful event called Petticoats on the Prairie. I have wanted to attend one of these events for quite some time & we were lucky enough to squeeze in a quick family visit along with attending the event held in Colorado City, Texas. I don't think people around the world, as well as many Texans, realize how vastly different the landscape throughout Texas is or how quickly it changes. We drove from the Piney Woods of East Texas, which is lush with trees, through the Metroplex (lush with concrete & traffic), to West Texas featuring mesquite & wind turbines, finally to arrive in the cotton-dotted Western Plains (ie: so flat you feel you can see for 100+ miles)! As a born & bred Texan, it still blows me away to see the different landscapes. (photo from Petticoats on the Prairie Facebook page)

We opted to attend the event on Friday & arrived right at noon when general shopping began. I am glad we did as I have a feeling it was slim pickings come Saturday! The event was held at the Mitchell Co. Fairgrounds which seemed to me to be the perfect setting for this event that had a strong Western flair. The vendors sold a wide variety of things that included hand-crafted items, vintage & new items. We saw so many gorgeous displays throughout. I wanted to highlight a few of the many terrific vendors we had the pleasure of meeting. (That's me on the right; Joe down below)

Outside near the entrance was an Airstream trailer that the Rhinestone Gypsie's Vagabond Boutique started out in. These ladies offer a wide variety of on-trend clothing in sizes small to 3X which is pretty rare. They offer a number of Texas-based artisans' jewelry, art & other treasures. It's so wonderful to see women entrepreneurs helping out other female business owners! They have two store-front locations in Texas (Merkel and Abilene), but also sell online through their website & Facebook.

Joe & I were both drawn to Old Sole Boot Company. They offer high-quality vintage boots for both men & women & there were some real beauties for sale! We also loved the hand-crafted custom furniture offered by Canon's Custom Furniture. Cody Canon is a real talent when it comes to hand-crafting gorgeous sturdy pieces. Basement Creations, featuring unique jewelry & accessories, had a great set up. I loved her bright creations & really appreciated that everything was displayed in such a way that it was easy to view each piece. I also loved the beautiful children's goods created by Espee Trading Co. out of Midland, Texas. The luxury nap mats looked so comfy & I LOVED the quilted bronc! Texas Trash and Treasures was also a definite funky find. This couple's whimsical art pieces looked to be a hit with many customers. And I couldn't resist purchasing the Monkey Farts soap by Made to Lather!

If we had to pick our favorites though, Joe's would definitely be In a Pickle Foods based out of Fort Worth. I don't know how we haven't come across these delectable treats before, but thankfully we discovered them at Petticoats! I was busy shopping at the booth next to In a Pickle so I didn't get to sample all the goodies, but Joe purchased the Sweet & Spicy Pickle Chips and the Bread & Butter Pickle Chips. Both are DELICIOUS!!! Joe has been rationing them out & is already talking about getting more!

(photo from the In A Pickle Foods website)

While Joe was taste testing 'til his heart was content, I was sniffing away at the Screen Door Vintage booth. Austin-based friends Charity & Jen (pictured) offer a wide variety of scented candles in various vintage containers. I loved their products because, hey, everyone loves a candle, right? And also because once the candle is used up, you are left with an adorable vintage container that can be repurposed. The duo had created a special scent aptly named Colorado City that smelled like Autumn which I loved! Screen Door Vintage also has a Facebook page with more info & photos.

Thank you to the wonderful event organizers & all the talented vendors who set up at Petticoats on the Prairie!
We had a delightful time in West Texas!!!

GIVEAWAY: Kast Concrete

Kast Concrete features concrete knobs created by Grey Hensey, a full-time furniture designer in Atlanta. The knobs are cast in rubber molds resulting in a smooth finish. Grey was quoted in the Wall Street Journal saying, "Everyone is using raw materials like metal, wood and concrete, but by creating a glassy look, I'm trying to expand people's perceptions of what concrete can be. It doesn't have to look like a sidewalk, it can be delicate and refined."

According to Kast Concrete's ScoutMob Shoppe, Grey's endeavors started with a simple project in school, designing and making concrete tiles. But Grey became fascinated with the utilitarian material and began experimenting with concrete, perhaps a little obsessively.

Kast Concrete makes a straight-forward commitment that I believe we can all get behind.

Kast Concrete is committed to modernizing timeless design, through exquisite concrete decor.

Kast Concrete is committed to its unique customers, through timely, friendly service.

Kast Concrete is committed to American handmade, through each 'hand-kast' product.

Kast Concrete is committed to the planet, through concrete recycling.

Sounds pretty great, doesn't it!? Check out the four styles of knobs Grey is currently offering, each available in your choice of light grey or charcoal color.

*** GIVEAWAY - Closed - Congrats Serenap95! ***

PRIZE: One lucky winner will receive a set of six Kast Concrete knobs in the style & color of their choosing ($48-51 value).

TO ENTER: Leave a comment on this post noting which style of knobs you like best.

EXTRA ENTRY (optional): Follow Kast Concrete on Pinterest, then leave a comment on this post noting you have done so.

EXTRA ENTRY (optional): Follow Kast Concrete on Twitter, then leave a comment on this post noting you have done so.

ENDS: Sunday, October 27th at 9pm CST.

4th Annual Trick Your Pumpkin Contest

ETA: Voting is now open through October 30th, 12pm EST. Check out the fabulously funky five finalists & vote now!

One of our fall event sponsors, Plaid Crafts, is hosting the 4th Annual Trick Your Pumpkin Contest! Will yours be spooky, boo-tiful or frightfully fun? Submit a photo of your most creative pumpkin by October 25, 2013, and you could win a $250 gift card to Michaels along with a Mod Podge and FolkArt Prize Pack, and bragging rights of winning the 4th Annual Trick Your Pumpkin Contest! Find all the details on this page of their website.

Receive $10 off your $45 purchase with the following promo code: 1045SEP13. Shop here!