The Craft Connection Blog

Carol's FabricArt to be at a holiday event next Sunday in Rancho Murieta

A Murieta Artisans Holiday Festival will be held Sunday, Nov. 15, at the Rancho Murieta County Club in Rancho Murieta. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Fine art, jewelry, pottery, outdoor art and more are promised at this event, which also features a charity raffle. For each canned good you bring, you'll get one free raffle ticket. FabricArt by Carol Brown will be among the artisans. Carol is a resident artist at Bold Mark Gallery & Studio, which is located in downtown Sacramento. Her art is shown and for sale on Second Saturdays in Sacramento. The Craft Connection newsletter Download Ccfall2009forWeb, which offers free listings of area arts-and-crafts events,  didn't include this one, but we will next year! 

Photo Show - A 'First Saturday' Event

Two craft boutiques kick off today!

Today, Thursday, Nov. 5, marks the beginning of two Sacramento-area craft shows. At 3 p.m., the Crafty Treasures Christmas to Remember craft show starts at this location: 7777 Sunset Ave., Fair Oaks 95628. It's the 4th annual and is boutique-style, hand-made only. To make it easy for shoppers and vendors, Crafty Treasures events have a centralized check-out system, with all forms of payment accepted. Hours are 3-8 p.m. today, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 7. Today at 4 p.m. is the start to the Holiday Boutique in Folsom at 213 Saddle Court. This show offers a variety of one-of-a-kind gifts and home decor. Hours are 4-8 p.m. today, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. Holiday Boutique continues next week, Nov. 12-15, with similar hours. Crafty oldtimers might remember Mary from the Krafts Factory? Well, she's helping with this show as a coordinator and a vendor. 

Downtown Sacramento Partnership announces 'I HEART ART, Holiday Edition' Craft fair

A holiday carnival, called the Carnival at St. Rose, is being planned by the Downtown Sacramento Partnership for Nov. 27 through Jan. 3 at 7th and K Streets in downtown Sacramento. As part of the carnival festivities, an "I HEART ART, Holiday Edition" will be held Sunday, Dec. 6, from noon to 8 p.m. Booth fees are $50, with insurance liability covered. In addition to the holiday bazaar Dec. 6, during the length of the carnival, vendor spaces will be available on a daily basis. Information on how to be a vendor is online here. Scroll to the bottom of that Web site for the applications in pdf. Thank you to Annie Stuckert, the Downtown Sacramento Partnership's events coordinator, for e-mailing the information. Her direct contact information is 916.442.8575, extension 206. Her e-mail is astuckert@downtownsac.org. From her comments, it also sounds as if the spring/summer "I HEART ART" Thursday Craft Fairs in Cesar Chavez Plaza will continue in 2010. 

Take a mid-week craft fair break.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, Nov. 4, will be the 9th annual Fall Craft Fair at the CalPERS Building, 400 P Street, downtown Sacramento. Hours are 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Everything for sale will be handmade/handcrafted only. The $55 cost for a space goes directly to March of Dimes. If you're interested in participating in next year's spring and/or fall craft fairs, talk to Marilyn tomorrow, who coordinates the events. 

Sacramento made NY Times Sunday edition, and they like us - even our art!

It's all positive, including our art scene, in the New York Times' "A Weekend in Sacramento" article and multimedia show. Maybe you'll see yourself in one of the photos? It's not too late to buy the paper, and see the full-page coverage of "36 Hours in Sacramento." It's a keeper. 

30 spaces left for Natomas Craft Fair Dec. 5; $25 booth fee

Marianne Bland of the SactoMetro Etsy Street Team has organized the 1st Annual Regency Park Elementary School Craft Fair in Natomas for Saturday, Dec. 5, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Booth fees are $25, with chairs provided. To get the application and contract, e-mail Michelle DeLeon at shelld@sbcglobal.net. Marianne reports the following: "The location has good foot traffic, is in a main residential area with lots of homeowners, is near a couple of well-traveled dog parks, located also near highways 5, 99 and 80. The school will be marketing it to all the parents of the children that go there as well as in the newspaper and on Craigslist." More information about this craft fair is also on the SactoMetro Etsy Street Team's blog here. Haven't heard about the team yet? Just as their name suggests, it's "a group of artists and craftsmen from the Sacramento, CA, metro area." Not only are they so very creative, but they're really smart and really nice, and just had their first in-person meeting. On the agenda was Search Engine Optimization, online promoting and photos. Look for more information about this group in a posting soon as The Craft Connection blog is planning to participate in Marianne's "30 posts in 30 days" event! 

Multicultural Conference at Sacramento State Offers Spaces for Crafters

The deadline has been extended until Monday to apply to be a vendor at the 16th annual Multicultural Education Conference Saturday, Nov. 14, from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., at the California State University, Sacramento, University Union. Spaces are $30 for a table. This free conference is sponsored by the Bilingual/Multicultural Department and cosponsored by the Serna Center and Project Citizen. Please read the original posting at the IndieSacramento blog. "This is a conference about multicultural education framed around social justice, so there are certain items that seem to sell a lot better than others," e-mailed Dr. Claudya Lum. She said the audience would be mostly teachers, community members, faculty and staff.

Furlough Friday Fun

It's Furlough Friday again, and here are some ideas if you're not already working that second job, out doing errands, taking a break and sleeping in - on this foggy Sacramento morning. The Crafty Treasures Fair Faire started yesterday, and continues for a full day/evening from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. today and then from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow. The location is Loomis at the Historic Blue Goose Fruit Shed on 3550 Taylor Road. It's an easy place to find - right off of I-80. Here's a map. It's a boutique-style show, with a central area for checkout, with a variety of payment options (cash, check, credit cards). Another option is spending time in the classrooms at Piece of Mind Bead and Jewelry Studio in the Natomas area. You're welcome to come in on any Friday to use the classrooms and finish up your projects, and get some help at the same time. Shop hours are 12 noon-5:30 p.m. The location is 4147 Northgate Blvd., #2, Sacramento. 

Sculpture, paintings, ceramics, photography, jewelry, etc. - meet the Grass Valley, Nevada City artists in their studios

This weekend and next is the 2009 Western Nevada County Open Studios Art Tour & Sale. From 10 a.m.-5 p.m. is a self-guided tour of 87 artists in 56 studios! Download the directory and map at this link. Or, start at The Center for the Arts, 314 West Main St., Grass Valley, where you can grab the free brochure and map. The Center for the Arts also features an exhibit of the artists' work. In addition to their art, artists will offer refreshments, and of course, hospitality, at their studios. Judy C. Newcomb, artist - stippled pen and ink, also offered demonstrations. She and Diane Wittman-Punteri, an oil and watercolor artist, said in all they had 470 visitors during the event last year. When you visit, sign up for their daily prize drawings. Jerianne Van Dijk, a fine artist and illustrator, had for sale not only her art, but also the Emma Lea Tea Books, of which she is the illustrator. Bea Huber, an oil and pastel artist, offered free postcards of her paintings, which range from Mono Lake to Bodie and mountain and lake scenes from the Tahoe and Mammoth areas. If you're interested in participating in the 2010 event, the application and other information are online already, with a June 25 deadline. (The gourd dolls are from the 2009 Spring Gourd Art Festival and Gourd Sale.) The 2010 event is May 15-16 at Leiser Farms in Knights Landing, about an hour north of Sacramento.)