The Cut Throat world of Ice Cream!

So I spent the weekend at the Renegade Craft Show in Brooklyn.
It was my very first craft show and I learned an extremely valuable business lesson:
NEVER CROSS THE ICE CREAM MAN.

yup...you read right. There was an ice cream man out front of the craft show selling ice cream all day long on Saturday. I'm sure he was making a killing, and for a moment I was considering buying a truck upon my return to Richmond.
Please note the precious drawings of happy children on the back, the delicious swirl cone on the side...try to imagine the repetitive loop of the music, that will no doubt be in my head until next year's Renegade.
This ice cream truck is a utopia of summer fun, what could possibly go wrong?

Well, A Juice Truck could roll up on the ice cream man's turf! And the juice truck people could be bullied and threatened by the ice cream man. He could inform them that if they didn't move their truck he would slash their tires.
But, of course, juice lovers are not easily influenced by others.
(obviously, or else they would drink coke.)
So they wouldn't move. They would stay strong.
...but their tire would buckle under the pressure.

so like i said...NEVER CROSS AN ICE CREAM MAN.

Craft Show Envy

As I sit here uncraftily in my PJs sipping coffee and writing this blog entry, Tasha, Beth, Nicole, Deanna and Los Dos Kellys are livin' it up at Renegade. (Yes, I am a lovely shade of envious green right now...) Though, I did check the weather forecast for Brooklyn and it looks as though there is a solid chance of dampness today and tomorrow: so everybody send them dry and sunny thoughts, OK? See, even when I'm jealous, I can still think of others....

...um, and all my work is on paper. Rain, rain go away!

Since I'm twiddling my thumbs here in Richmond, I thought I would take this opportunity to pimp a show that Tasha and I are both doing next Saturday: Charm City Craft Mafia's Pile of Craft!

Behold their singing, dancing and totally clickable logo!



I'm really excited about this event for two very silly reasons:

1: My booth is right by the coffee shop. It's like they know me!

2: The booth next to me is My Paper Crane, who I sorta have a Craft Crush on. I mean, who doesn't love sad toast plushes? I'm also looking forward to seeing some of the vendors I met at Spring BadaBing: The Broken Plate & Devoted Bee.

So, yeah, it might not be Renegade, but there will be air conditioning and I'll be ridiculously caffeinated. Good times!

Gettin' down with our bad selves

Whoa. So, when was the last time you saw a three tiered green jello mold laden with chunks of pineapple and mini marshmallows? Ha! I saw one this weekend because, lucky for me, I belong to the Richmond Craft Mafia and our collective craftiness goes way beyond the skilled use of a glue gun. It seems that new member Kelly McCants of Modern June takes her culinary craft every bit as serious as her sewing skills! I won't mention what ultimately came of this lovely lime masterpiece. Let's just say its demise was reminiscent of a certain scene in Good Fellas... Sometimes we really embrace those mafia roots. You don't want to know.



You're probably wondering what sort of event is worthy of a multi tiered jello mold? A seventies-style summer potluck planning session for Renegade, Brooklyn, of course. Heeelllloooo! You did know we are having a RCM group booth, right? Yes, that's right...we will be represented at Renegade this year! Just look for the soopa fine booth set up orchestrated by organizational master Tasha McKelvey and you'll also find Miss Dada Haus, Miss Monkey and Me, Miss Modern June, and Miss Soleil Rouge in attendance. The rest of the Richmond familia will also have work at the show but we personally will be languishing in flaming hot Richmond and bitching about how we wish we could have gone. It's going to be so much freaking fun it's not even fair. But it's also going to be a LOT of work and us girls who are seething behind - oh, I mean staying behind - do sincerely thank our craft sistahs for taking on the project and making us all famously wealthy.



Oh, and I hope a certain airline pilot comes along and sweeps a certain craft mafia girl off her feet. She needs to have a little fun. You know who you are. hehe

Show Season and Introductions

Its that time of year when we have craft shows coming out our eyeballs. Okay, not literally because that would be kind of gross. Mostly we like to pick the hottest weekend of the year and stand outside all day answering dumb questions (example: "Didju make awll this?") and fending off the crazy folks (my personal speciality because the crazy loves me so much. )

Sometimes craft shows can be a lot of fun and you make money and people are really nice. Other times it's a long slow descent into hell. This weekend is the Ashland Strawberry Faire and it will be Keen's third year and Monkey and Me's second. It's not a bad gig for a traditional craft fair. The people in Ashland are really genuinely interested in handmade things and many are actually interested in spending money.

All that aside, it's probably one of the best people-watching events we attend all year. I mean, EVERYONE comes out for this one. Hillbillies, kids, old dudes in kilts, crazy people, sane people, artists, everyone. It's worth going just to watch the sheer number of people who are willing to buy dog strollers (!!) for their tiny dogs. Dog strollers! It's madness and I look forward to it every year.

This weekend the Richmond Craft Mafia will also be gathering to work out the details for our completely fabulous group booth for Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn next weekend! This is really a great thing and we're all nervous and excited about it. More info on that to come...

One more order of business, even though it was already posted, I just wanted to welcome (again) the new members of the RCM family:

Bee's Knees Studio

Modern June

Missing Monsters

We are so happy to have them! Go check out their websites, yo.

There's still time!

The 9th annual National Arts Program in Richmond will run from July 2 - 20, 2007. This year the program will host two exhibits and contests: Creative Reflections - an adult exhibit combining City and School employees and the general public showcased at the Pine Camp Arts & Community Center and Youth/Teen Showcase - an exhibit featuring the work of 5-17 year olds on display at the Science Museum of Virginia.

The adult contest is divided into three categories: amateur, intermediate, and professional. Prizes will be awarded in each category ranging from $10 up to $200. Craft mediums are accepted for this show! The registration deadline is June 13th and there is no cost to enter.

For more information, you may call (804) 646-3674 or visit the National Arts Program website or the City of Richmond Parks and Recreation website.