Long Beach Craft Mafia will set up temporary shop at gift shops Songbird and Open in Long Beach for their first group trunk show on Saturday, December 12, 2009. The all-day affair will take place from 10:30am – 7pm, and will feature a raffle, free workshops, bake sale, and a truly unique assortment of handmade holiday gift items by some of the best indie crafters Long Beach has to offer.
After the jump, all the details you'll need to get the most of this cheerfully crafty holiday happening!
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The Retro Row location is the perfect fit for the group – “Songbird is a gift store that has something for everyone–it is 'cheep' and cheerful, with bright colors and fun, quirky gifts for all,” Jennifer Hill (owner of Songbird) says, “I love the entire craft movement, and get inspired by being around other crafty and creative people.”
The holiday gift boutique will be set up at Songbird, at the corner of Junipero and 4th. You can pick up presents for everyone on your list, including hand-stitched felt dinosaurs and cacti by Lexi Lee of Little Bit, fashion items by Marc Anthony Coronado of Ain Soph Aur, upcycled and laminated map wallets by Kelso of Kelso Doesnt Dance, funky one of a kind jewelry by Jen of RadCo and Nicole Montoya, crayon sculptures and food-themed hats by Tamara Zielinski of CrayonFawn (as recently seen on Entertainment Tonight!) and much, much more. The emphasis is on handmade items you can't find at the mall, presented by the artisans that created these original pieces.
“Retro Row is THE Long Beach destination for independent and innovative design,” shares Liz Abbot of Leatherette Heart,” a lot of us have merch in stores there. It's totally fitting that the Long Beach Craft Mafia bust out their first trunk show in this area. I know when I get my shop on, it's on 4th Street.”
When you've finished shopping the boutique at Songbird, picked up a delicious snack from new member Janice Sprenger at the bake sale there and entered to win the raffle prize (a free gift basket full of goodies from Long Beach Craft Mafia members), take a short walk down 4th Street to Open for some hands-on workshops. The free classes will be held from 12-4pm, and will include quickie fun crafts for all ages. Yours truly will be hosting a papercrafted greeting cards workshop alongside member Klai Brown's paper fan workshop, and all workshops are sure to be a hit with any experience levels, including eager kids and unsure adults looking to get their crafting feet wet.
The first Craft Mafia was founded in 2003 by nine crafty buisness women in Austin, Texas. The group originally came together through a shared love for craft, DIY ethics and mutual respect. As the Craft Mafia developed it became a forum for networking, promotion and shared ideas. Since it's development in Austin, other Mafias have popped up accross the globe. The Long Beach Craft Mafia is a southern California chapter of the world-wide Craft Mafia group. The local chapter exists as a marketing and networking tool for local independant arts and crafts businesses. Membership provides opportunities for growing members' individual businesses through participating in craft shows, hosting events for the community, and sharing information about arts and craft techniques as well as successfully running a do-it yourself style business.
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The Long Beach Craft Mafia holiday trunk show takes place on Saturday, December 12, 2009. The bake sale, raffle and holiday shopping will take place from 10:30am to 7pm at Songbird, at 2240 East 4th Street, Long Beach, CA 90814, and the free craft workshops will take place from noon to 4pm at Open, at 2226 East 4th Street, Long Beach, CA 90814.
For more information on Long Beach Craft Mafia, visit the website.
