Get Yo' Craft On!

Don't miss the Oceanside Craft Mafia's CraftTopia this Saturday, May 16th from 3-7 pm. It is a great way to support handmade and your local economy. Shop for yourself or pick up some gifts for those birthdays that just keep coming! Either way, you'll walk away with one-of-a-kind doo-dads you won't find anywhere else. See you at Jitter's on Saturday! 510 North Coast Hwy, Oceanside, CA 92054

Book Fiend with a Craft Habit

Why is it, when you go to the local book super-store, they have books on craft, but it's crappy craft? I've always known there are great books on craft out there, but they always seem to elude me. Jennifer Perkins, of our sister chapter the Austin Craft Mafia, has been highlighting great books of craft on her blog. Most importantly, these books are of an entrepreneurial spirit and help the artist in us craft our business skills. You already know how a blow torch and jewelers' saw works, and now you will know how to market the products you make with those handy skills.

To get a quick overview of the books check out Jennifer's blog:

http://naughtysecretaryclub.blogspot.com/

Thanks for keeping us inspired Jennifer!

Twirl Your Mind Around This!

Oceanside Craft Mafia Member Sarah Davis is donating one of her adorable tutu's for auction to "Royal Slumber Crop." This event is hosted by Scrapbook Royalty, a non-profit organization that does scrapbooking events to raise money for local charities. Visit their website at www.scrapbookroyalty.com. Twirlin' in Tutus is also donating a percentage of their sales that come through the event!

Scrapbook Royalty is selling raffle tickets for a georgous hand carved wooden surfboard amongst other raffle prizes. The tickets are $10 a piece and of course are a donation, you can see the board and all the great donated raffle items at www.sbrauctions.blogspot.com. Please spread the word about the raffle you don't have to be present to win.

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.

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

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.