SCF Ticket Giveaway!

Have we got a treat for you!


We've got three sets of tickets to send you and a friend to the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival this weekend! And we won't even make you jump through hoops for them. See how merciful we are?

Simply post a comment on this blog post, or on our Facebook fanpage, and we will choose three lucky craft-lovers at random! Don't forget to include your e-mail address so we can contact you! Looking forward to seeing
You this weekend!

Besitos,
Vanessa

Sugarloaf Crafts Festival! 29-31 January

Craft Season Heats up with Sugarloaf Crafts Festival in Chantilly, Va.
More than 250 Craftspeople to Display Handmade Creations January 29-31

Craft lovers will find a reprieve from the cold winter weather through the warmth of handmade creations at the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival in Chantilly, featuring more than 250 of the nation’s finest artists and craft designers at the Dulles Expo Center from Friday, January 29 through Sunday, January 31, 2010. The bustling marketplace will feature thousands of handmade items in every medium, including affordable and innovative functional and decorative pottery, sculpture, glass, home décor, furniture and home accessories, leather, fiber and textiles, fine art and photography.

Sugarloaf Crafts Festival artisans will be showcasing their one-of-a-kind work that will keep visitors warm through the blustery winter months. Dozens of the jury-selected artists at the show will display and sell wool sweaters, fleece-lined jackets and coats, alpaca wraps, thermal gloves, hats and caps – in a wide range of styles, from traditional silhouettes to contemporary flair. When it’s cold outside, artists are finding inventive ways to help keep their customer’s homes warm; at the show, they will be showcasing homemade candles, handcrafted andirons, elegant fireplace screens and whimsical hearth accessories.
The kitchen is often the warmest place in the house, and scores of Sugarloaf artists bring the joy of crafts to home-cooked meals with a full range of cooking and serving pieces – from earthenware pots perfect for chili and soups and one-of-a-kind whimsical mugs for hot cocoa, to casseroles, bowls and platters that are as functional as they are beautiful.
Also keeping visitors warm at the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival will be more than 15 specialty gourmet food exhibitors offering the season’s most popular treats, from chocolates and hearty soups to ciders and cocoa, jams, chutneys, and syrups.

Sugarloaf’s vibrant marketplace is complemented by a diversity of family entertainment. Throughout the show, master artists will demonstrate their expertise in paper making, copper spinning, ceramics, and furniture making. The Festival will also include eclectic musical performances by pianists Bob Geresti and Ngu Mbandi and acoustic guitarist Don Thomas. Children can become a part of their favorite fairytale adventures with special puppet shows from Middle Earth Studios.

The Sugarloaf Crafts Festival will be held Friday, January 29 and Saturday, January 30 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Sunday, January 31 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Dulles Expo Center, located at:

4320 Chantilly Place Center

Chantilly, VA

Adult admission to the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival is $7 when purchased online, $8 for adults at the door, and free for children under 12. Admission is good for all three days, and free parking is available.

For more information about the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival, directions, or to purchase discount admission tickets visit www.sugarloafcrafts.com or call (800) 210-9900.
Additional show information, artist profiles, and special offers may be found on Sugarloaf’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sugarloafcrafts.

About the Sugarloaf Craft Festivals:
For over 30 years, the nation’s most talented artisans have sold their contemporary crafts and fine art at Sugarloaf Craft Festivals, rated as one of the top craft experiences in the country. Last year, more than 250,000 visitors purchased over $20 million in fine arts and crafts directly from the artists at Sugarloaf festivals.

Holiday Goodness, Pt. 1

I've been toiling away, making my last-minute holiday cards and handmade gifts for anyone that I will be seeing this week.


Holiday Wishes card:


Snowman Joy card:


Winter Plaid card:


I got the Martha Stewart Encyclopedia of Crafts book for the Holiday, and I am swimming in crafty inspiration!


Ninnyboy and I are making homemade gift baskets for our families: We just finished bottling our own beers!


(FYI: Martha doesn't teach you how to make beer. In her book, B is for beading.)

The finished baskets will be posted soon!

Besitos,
Vanessa

Things We Love: Etsy's Gift Guide

As an absolute foodie (and self-proclaimed fattygirl), I was so excited to see that Etsy created a gift guide dedicated to the aesthetic, and way of life, of slow food.

Besitos,
Vanessa

"Slow Food" On Etsy Gift Guide, December 2009
Slow Food, the global, grassroots movement that connects the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment, is right at home on Etsy. The vision of a "slow planet" is rooted in appreciating local farmers, gathering friends, telling stories, and taking some time out of our day to express our gratitude. These values, applicable to a wide range of consumer goods, is what Etsy is all about. Create a meaningful food experience from garden to table with each of the selections below. For more tips and inspiration, shop the Plants and Edibles Category and check out Slow Food articles on Etsy's blog.

Meet Your Maker: Maggie Mudd Photography

The DC Craft Mafia would like to send a big Thank You to Maggie Mudd Photography for working the room during our Holiday Heist Craft Show!


Her work is beautiful and she almost effortlessly brings a warm and inviting atmosphere to her subjects.


Talent for Hire
"I've designed my blog as a way to network with anyone living in Washington, DC, Maryland or Virginia in search of a budget friendly photographer. I photograph people, simply put. I come from a journalistic approach, paired with a background in choreography.


"This allows me to give direction to my clients, and lead my photo sessions in a way that creates unique images whlie keeping the photographs honest and natural.


"I photograph family, maternity, infant, engagement, "Love Birds", and senior portrait sessions. My focus is in wedding photography. I love to surround myself with joy and romance... photographing weddings is the best way for me to do that."


Jane of All Trades
"I have my degree in modern dance from Point Park University and I have been many things in my life; a dancer, a teacher, an FBI agent. I have always secretly been a photographer as well, and now I’m putting that passion before all the rest."


Why we love her
"Life is too short not to enjoy every second of it. My intention for my photography is for it to serve as a way to preserve these fleeting moments. I’ve made it my job to archive monumental occasions as well as any other wonderful, ordinary day you want to hold on to with a photograph."

Contact Maggie if you need a great (and affordable!) photographer for you and your family! She's still looking for weddings to photograph at reduced rates. "My wedding portfolio is growing, but is still small. I am searching for couples who are willing to trust me with the honor of photographing the most important day of their lives."

Email Maggie directly at maggiemuddphotography@gmail.com, and find more of her beautiful work on her website, and on her Facebook page!

Besitos,
Vanessa