the writing and photography of Neil Kramer

Tag: arts and crafts

Buy Handmade This Holiday Season!


Long-Time Blogger Friend/ Sexy Poster Girl Saucy Britches, Photo by Peek Photo

The Second Annual Blogger Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair will be held on Saturday, November 22, 2008.

I love that so many of you are creative and talented people who can MAKE THINGS.  I suck at it.  One day, if I can ever find it in my closet, I will show the wooden “duck” note-holder that I made in woodshop in the seventh grade.  One afternoon in class, while sanding it down, I accidentally shaved off the duck’s head, leaving only the clothespin as “the beak” attached to a misshapen body.  After it was shellacked (poorly), it should have won an award as the ugliest object ever produced by a human being.  I think I gave it to my mother as a mother’s day gift.  Going to woodshop was like a prison sentence to me.

But you — you have talent!

Last year, right before the annual Blogger Christmahanukwanzaakah Online Holiday Concert, I took the Homemade Pledge and decided to honor those of you who make cool stuff with a special First Annual Blogger Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair.  It was a lot of fun.

The Second Annual Blogger Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair will be held on Saturday, November 22, 2008.

Any blogger who wants to sell his wares on that day’s is welcome to submit.  It can be your painting, jewelry, knitting, or photography, or whatever.  All you have to do is email me a JPG of ONE SAMPLE OF YOUR WORK, and a LINK to your Etsy account or webpage where you sell your work.  It is up to you to set up your own prices and sales.  I am just the showman, who dazzles the customers with lights and music, like a 21st Century Pink Floyd, while you convince them to buy the over-priced concert t-shirt.

Buy Handmade this Holiday Season.

(coming next week — information about the Third Annual Blogger Christmahanukwanzaakah Online Holiday Concert)

The First Annual Blogger Holiday Online Arts and Crafts Fair

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Arts and Crafts Fair Poster Girl Villanovababy

Welcome to the first ever Blogger Holiday Online Arts and Crafts Fair. 

This is your opportunity to be introduced to the artistic work of some of your favorite bloggers.  It’s the holiday season… the time for gift-giving.  Why not give a unique and handmade gift to your loved ones and friends this year — and support a fellow blogger at the same time?  I think you’ll find a varied group of artists, photograhers, and crafty folk represented here on this page.

Feel free to browse, both here and on the participants’ shopping pages.  You don’t have to buy.  Just enjoy looking at the work of those who are more talented than you, artistic geniuses who make you feel like an uncreative loser.  Ha Ha, of course that is a joke.  You don’t feel bad at all.  They’re ARTISTS.  Chances are that you drive a much nicer car. You get the last laugh!  Thank god for business school!

Of course no arts and craft fair would be complete without some food and entertainment.  Please nosh on our delicious homemade bagels, courtesy of Deb from Smitten Kitchen and Ari from Baking and Books. 

The Battle of the Homemade Bagels —

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Deb’s Homemade Bagels

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Ari’s Homemade Bagels

Sure, they’re only virtual bagels, but they’re COMPLIMENTARY.  That means they are free!  Woo-hoo! 

There are also two concert areas on the fairgrounds, keeping you entertained as you shop. On STAGE ONE, rock out with British indie band Arctic Monkeys, as they stop by the arts and crafts fair during their west coast tour.  On STAGE TWO, our more intimate staging area, we are proud to present one of America’s finest songwriters, Mr. James Taylor.

I hope you enjoy the Arts and Crafts Fair.  The doors are now open!

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Gemstone necklaces from Gillian   
(blog — Tiddleywinks)

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Photography from Lisa Duvall
(blog — Fat Chick Running)

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Artwork by Kyra
(blog — Shaping My Way)

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Photography by Schmutzie
(blog — Milk Money or Not)

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Gift Tags by SAJ
(blog — Secret Agent Josephine)

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Photography by Leesa
(blog — Piece of My Mind)

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Artwork by Angie
(blog — Evangelinethan)

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Photography by Susannah
(blog — Ink on my Fingers)

CONCERT STAGE ONE – Arctic Monkeys

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Work by Liz Elayne
(blog — Be Present, Be Here)

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Photography by Mary
(blog — Maliavale)

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T-shirt by Dave
(blog — Blogography)

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Jewelry by Sara
(blog — Moving Right Along)

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Photography by Stacy
(blog — Jurgen Nation)

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Gumball the Kitten Magnets by Bethany
(blog — Bethany Actually)

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Artwork by Ellen Bloom
(blog — Los Angeles is my Beat)

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Photography by Heather
(blog — Nabbalicious)

CONCERT STAGE TWO – James Taylor

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Purse by Abigail
(blog — Abigail’s Road to Nowhere)

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Photography by 180/360
(blog — 180/360)

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Custom Made Felt Pins by Ms. Sizzle
($5 plus shipping – email her at sizzlesays at gmail dot com)
(blog — Sizzle Says)

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Photography by Sarah
(blog — Sad and Beautiful)

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Baby/Toddler Clothes by Sarah
(blog — Susu g)

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Photography by Di Mackey
(blog — Woman Wandering)

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Fiber Quilts by Caron
(blogs — All and Nothing, And Still Counting)

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Painting by Stacy Elaine
(blog — Pudgy Pigeon Enterprises)

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Handmade Hats and Aprons by Leahpeah
(blog — Leahpeah)

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Artwork by AscenderRises
(blog — Ascender Rises Above)

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Photography by Aimee
(blog — Greeblemonkey)

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Art Journal by V-Grrrl
(email her at veronica at v-grrrl dot com for prices)
(blog — V-grrrl in the Middle)

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Baby Clothes by Jen Lemen
(blog — Jen Lemen)

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Purses by Jaynette

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And for those who would rather donate money as a gift, how about getting a cow or a water buffalo for a needy family via The Heifer Project? (thanks Not Fainthearted!)

Get Ready for “The First Annual Blogger Holiday Online Arts and Crafts Fair”

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The meal is over. We’ve given thanks. We’re feeling spiritual. So, what do we do the next day? We fight over parking spaces in the mall and push old women out of the way so we can get our grubby hands on the latest “Touch Me Elmo” before the next person.

Is that any way to shop for Christmas and Hanukkah gifts? Do you really want to give your hard-earned money to Best Buy, home of “The Computer Salesman who Knows Less Than My Mother?” Do you really want to be stuck eating at the adjacent-to-the-mall Olive Garden ONCE AGAIN! (eh, screw you, Olive Garden lovers — tell it to my hand).

There is a better way. You can help support cool bloggers in their artistic endeavors. At the same time, you can give your friends and relatives very special, unique gifts — made by hand in someone’s kitchen in Tulsa, not in a sweatshop in Thailand.

Announcing —

The First Annual Blogger Holiday Online Arts and Crafts Fair!

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photo by OMSH

I love artistic people, especially those who are crafty or in the visual arts. I cannot draw. My photographs suck. The only class I ever failed in school was Woodshop. I hated it. I was scared of using the saw. I ended up with a ridiculous-looking final project — a “chicken” paper holder without a chicken head. I wonder if my mother still has it at home? I am in awe of your artistic talent.

The Arts and Crafts Fair will be held next weekend,  November 30 – December 2, right here.  This gives the artist time enough to send the purchase before Hanukkah and Christmas.  To participate as a vendor, it is is very easy:

1) Send me a photo of one of your art pieces or crafts as an example of your work. This can be your knitting work, your photography, your paintings, etc. — as long as you created it and want to sell it as Holiday gifts! NONE of this has to be holiday-themed at all. It can be anything you want. The photo is just a sample of your work.

2) Send me a link to your online store, Etsy, etc. and to your blog. At your own store, you can sell anything or as much as you want. The fair is here to introduce others to your work.

3) Write a description of your work, if you want to.

All the links will go back to your blogs or stores, where you must deal with the shipping, etc. This exciting event is open to all bloggers, and artists of all skill levels. Show your stuff and promote your work!

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This event will be a highlight of the Holiday season. If you need a gift, come on by! Even if you aren’t in a gift-buying mood, stop by and window-browse. The event will be more than just artwork and crafts here at Citizen of the Month. There will be food, laughter, and juggling (all virtual, of course). Artists, knitters, photographers who sell their work — start sending me a photo of your work today!

(and I mean YOU —Ascender, Caron, Ellen Bloom, Susannah, Leahpeah, Leesa, Ms. Mamma, Nabbalicious, Stacey, Kyran, 180/360, Sarah, SAJ, Stacy Elaine, Liz Elayne, Stepping Over Junk, V-Grrrl, Jen Lemen, Di, Abigail, Schmutzie, Kyra, Shoe of Salvation, etc. — did I forget anyone?)

(Coming up next — the announcement of the biggest event of them all — The 2007 Blogger Christmahanukwanzaakah Online Holiday Concert)

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