Will you be caught dead?

You may already be planning to hit up Oceanside's fifth annual street fair in celebration of Dia de los Muertos. While you are down there, take some shelter from the sun and head down Artist's Alley, between Pierview and Mission Ave, where the Oceanside Craft Mafia will be hosting it's first annual craft fair and trunk show in conjunction with the holiday. Plan on being wow'd by members' handmade products. Find original items including jewelry, pottery, hand made cards, baby goods, and much, much more. And, though it may seem early, time does fly and this is a great way to kick off your holiday shopping and support your local economy.

The Oceanside Craft Mafia's Trunk Show is Saturday, November 1st from 7 to 9:30 pm. The Trunk Show booth space is by reservation only and will feature drinks, appetizers, and of course fabulous hand made goods. For information contact info@oceansidecraftmafia.com. Not down for the late night shopping? Find the same great vendors on Sunday, Nov 2nd from 10 am to 2 pm. Follow the chalk art and live music or just map it. Artist's Alley is located at 212 N. Coast Hwy, Unit D, enter through the alley, in Oceanside, CA.

The Oceanside Craft Mafia is a culmination of jewelers, paper crafters, potters and stitchers.  The group embraces the morals and creative achievements of the members of the Austin Craft Mafia (www.craftmafia.com), who began the now national crafters organization.
 
In addition to offering moral support to one another, the OCM works together to creatively market their individual companies and products.  By pooling resources they are able to help one another become more successful in an inundated indie craft market.  It's as much about being a family as it is building business. They rely on one another to inspire, assist and care for one another, and always adhering to strict personal and business ethics.  
 
The real glue that brings this group together is the hope to personalize the consumer market.  We literally have the world’s market to shop from thanks to the World Wide Web.  But so many of our options are impersonal and mass produced.  The OCM supports hand-made and artisan products and believes strongly that they are better made and life enriching.

For more information about the Oceanside Craft Mafia and it's members please visit: www.oceansidecraftmafia.com

Oceanside Craft Mafia | Trunk Show

Oceanside Craft Mafia | Trunk Show
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

The Oceanside Craft Mafia is a group I started locally to help find other like minded artist|business owners. We are having our first group event November 1 & 2 in downtown Oceanside. First a trunk show, on Saturday November 1st from 7pm - 9:30 pm we will be serving wine, appetizers and hopefully have some acoustic tunes. On Sunday Mainstreet Oceanside put on the Dia de los Muertos Festival or Day of the Dead on Pier View Way in Oceanside this is a free event from 10 am - 4pm. We will have a studio space in the Artist's Alley.
Come down and join us for the exciting events.

Oceanside Craft Mafia Member, Sandee Manuel is at upcoming show

S143
Brings Reinventing the Wheel to San Diego!
Saturday, September 27: 7-11 pm
1660 Logan Avenue
THE VENUE
S143 will build a temporary sanctuary for Reinventing the Wheel amongst the concrete surfaces, high ceilings, and open beams of The Logan. This renovated warehouse adjoins graphic design and marketing firm Miriello Grafico, providing a perfect backdrop for the exhibition.
THE ART
Artists and bikesmiths will evaluate the role of the wheel through painting, restored vintage and hand-built bicycles, sculpture, photography, and video installation. Artisans include Acamonchi, Thatcher, Josh Higgins, Jorge Tellaeche, Gabriel Salcedo, Keikichi Honna, Sandee Manuel, Sean Ward, Mark Klammer, Eneri Abillar, Anthony Bareno, Amy Burkhart, Jeff Faeth, Stacy Kelley, Tocayo, Sean Kelley, Ron Miriello, Tony Greene, and Aki Kaneko.
Y MAS
A group ride from Velo Culture bicycle shop’s new location in South Park will bring scores of riders to the show. Contact Velo Culture to join in on the fun. Sounds will be provided by Gabe Vega, Mr. Biggs, and Will Redd.
Sanctuary143 welcomes all ages to this free event.
Download postcard

Hi Octane Jewelry will be at Primer Nationals Labor Day weekend

Primer Nats08LO
Originally uploaded by aliciadesign

Come see us and check out our new designs. We have lots of cool new pieces. Primer Nationals is Labor Day Weekend at Ventura County Fairgrounds.

Naughty Secretary Club's Book is Out

Naughty Secretary Club Book Cover
Originally uploaded by Naughty Secretary Club

Jennifer Perkins is one of my inspirations. She left her job as a secretary to return to her childhood love of jewelry-making and started a company called Naughty Secretary Club. Where she transforms fun kitsch items into colorful jewelry. In her new book,
"The Working Girls Guide to Handmade Jewelry." She shows us how to create some of her ultra-cool resin designs. If you want to order a signed copy you can order it from The Naughty Secretary Site. I regularly read The Naughty Secretary Blog, where Jennifer posts lots of helpful hints for start-up businesses.
I first heard about Jennifer's jewelry years ago when a friend forwarded her site to me. The name stuck with me. Years later when I was looking for ways to promote my internet based jewelry company Hi Octane Jewelry I came across a couple online articles that talked about her company, and I found out they had started a group called the Austin Craft Mafia. Which I immediately looked up and found out they started a site and group devoted to helping people just like myself, called the Craft Mafia. After being unsuccessful finding a Craft Mafia group in my area. I decided I needed to start one. So the Oceanside Craft Mafia was born. The Craft Mafia has been an invaluable resource for finding tips on all avenues of starting a crafting business.

Christmas is Delightful in July

The gals had a great time at the X-mas in July event in Oceanside. Olivia, Stephanie and Leah owners of Happy Baby Slings, Devilish Grin and Peez & Ques sold their great wares! The Artisan Commitee loved the handmade products the Members of the Oceanside Craft Mafia had at their booth. If you missed them you can still find their stuff on their websites!

Happy Baby Slings
http://www.HappyBabySlings.com




Devilish Grin and Little Grin
www.devilishgrin.etsy.com












Peez & Ques: Recycled Stationery
www.peezandques.com

They came, they conquered, they slept

Oceanside Craft Mafia members, Alicia (Hi Octane Jewelry) and Leah (Peez & Ques) are tired after a great weekend in San Francisco for the Renegade Craft Fair. Saturday and Sunday at the first West Coast Renegade event was awesome! Lots of enthusiasm from vistors, great smiles and products from vendors and groovy tunes from d.j's and a punk rock marching band (Mucca Pazza). What's more to say than "wonderful!"

For the vendors it was work! Very hard work! But boy did we love it! By far the best craft show ever! And with this being its first year out west, it has no where to go but up! The vendors were really all individually exceptional! We were also so glad to meet familia from the Los Angeles and Sacramento Craft Mafia!

If you missed Renegade this year be sure to keep your radar pointed to their website for next year's dates. As a vistor or a vendor you will not be dissapointed. You can still check out all the vendors on the Renegade website.
Alicia and Brad also got featured on another blog. You can see it here. You can see it here. Mikkelina's Thoughts

Renagade FINALLY is hitting the West Coast!

We are glad to announce the Rengade Craft Fair hosts its first annual "west side" event this month at Fort Mason in San francisco. To say Renegade's arrival to the West Coast was highly anticipated would be a gross understatement! Events in Chicago, and New York boasts hundreds of applicants and tens of thousands of shoppers! The San fransisco event is sure to hold its own with Renegade's recognition amongst crafters, artists and those who support handmade.

California is a big state, but if you are in San Fransisco, plan to be, or up for a flight or road trip, The Renegade Craft Fair will not disappoint. You'll find the Oceanside Craft Mafia representin' the O.C. Look for founding members, Alicia and Leah at their booth for HiOctane Jewelry and Peez & Ques recycled stationery. They'll be selling goods galore, but only in between trips outside to take in the amazing views of the Golden Gate Bridge!

The San Fransisco Renegade Craft Fair will be held Saturday and Sunday, July 12 and 13th from 11 am to 7 pm at the Fort Mason's Festival Pavilion. For more information check out www.renegadecraft.com

Oceanside Craft Mafia does X-mas in July

This year marks the 31st annual Christmas in July Artisan Fair in Oceanside, California. Among many fabulous artists, crafters, designers, musicians, and foodies, you'll also find the Oceanside Craft Mafia. Representing the familia this event are Happy Baby Slings, Devilish Grin and Peez & Ques.

The fair draws over 20,000 attendees each year for this, the largest fundraiser for the Old Mission Montessori School. And who can blame the shoppers and onlookers. With lovely ocean breezes, there's no better way to escape the heat of July while perusing the over 175 vendors showing their wears. For those of you who support handmade, you'll be glad to know that all the vendors in attendance are required to hand-make their items. The artisans themselves have set the fair's standards maintaining the highest levels of craftmanship.

Find the Oceanside Craft Mafia and their fellow vendors under the beautiful trees of the historic Mission San Luis Rey. 4070 Mission Ave. in Oceanside. July 12th and 13th, from 9 am to 5 pm. Admission is free but a $2 parking donation is requested. For more information call (760) 757-3232.

Blog-tabulous

Our very own Alicia from Hi Octane Jewelry is a guest blogger on Indie Delights. A great source for indie crafters, artists and designers, Indie Delights showcases great hand-made products from around the globe. Our hats go off to Megan, a fellow craft mafiaso for putting so much hard work into the site and we thank her for inviting Alicia to blog.

To catch what Alicia is blogging visit http://disquietingdesigns.com/blog/?p=134

Or see her great Hot Rod inspired jewelry on Hi Octane's site.

OCM Donates to the Spring Line Up Show

The Oceanside Craft Mafia is helping out the Familia and has created this cool basket to donate to The San Diego North Park Craft Mafia's The Spring Line Up!  This spectacular craft and entertainment show will be held at the historic Silver Gate Masonic Hall in North Park, San Diego, CA on Sunday, March 30th.  A large amount of buzz was generated by their successful Holiday Hit List, and this show promises to be even bigger and badder with live bands, craft demos, food and drink, a fashion show and more!   Click this link for more info...

There’s a New Boss in Town: The Oceanside Craft Mafia

The Oceanside chapter of the Craft Mafia is proud to announce that they are rip, roarin' and ready to go. A culmination of jewelers, paper crafters and stitchers, the members of the Oceanside Craft Mafia (OCM) are official after establishing their group last month. The group embraces the morals and creative achievements of the members of the Austin Craft Mafia who began the now national crafters organization.

In addition to offering moral support to one another, the OCM works together to creatively market their individual companies and products. By pooling resources they are able to help one another become more successful in an inundated indie craft market. It's as much about being a family as it is building business. They rely on one another to inspire, assist and care for one another, and always adhering to strict personal and business ethics.

The real glue that brings this group together is the hope to personalize the consumer market. We literally have the world’s market to shop from thanks to the World Wide Web. But so many of our options are impersonal and mass produced. The OCM supports hand-made and artisan products and believes strongly that they are better made and life enriching.

The OCM hopes to grow in the future, but as of now you'll find 5 members:

Alicia Hanson, Co-founder of the OCM and owner of Hi Octane Jewelry, creates an original line of revv'd up hot rod jewelry with her husband Brad Johnson. They are hot rod enthusiasts and metal smiths that love the Southern California Lifestyle.

Leah Mirbaba, fellow co-founder of the OCM and owner of Peez and Ques, creates a unique line of handmade cards using old magazines, mailers, junk mail, and even old greeting cards. Her Cards let you feel good about giving them to others because being 100% recycled you are also giving back to mother earth.

Member Christine Cardenas, owner of Cotton Candy Paperworks, creates a handmade line of one of a kind items such as cards the shape of 3-d boxes, school days scrap books and cool name and birthday banners.

Meagan Smithyman, owner of Bitey Beanie, creates an original line of fuzzy head munching monster beanies. They come in different colors and are uniquely well adapt at chomping on the heads of unsuspecting people.

And the newest member of the OCM, Jenni Brett, owns Sailor Jenny jewelry. Traveling the world in the Navy, Jenni has collected treasure and trinkets along the way and creates one of a kind jewelry.

In their first year together you'll find the OCM donating their products and time to local charities, fundraisers and events. They also strive to support other local indie businesses; crafters, artists, designers and musicians. Whether you live in Oceanside or anywhere on the coast of Southern California keep your eyes and ears open for the Oceanside Craft Mafia. And remember to support hand-made and support your local economy; it’s good for your town and it’s good for mother earth. Visit www.oceansidecraftmafia.com to learn more.