Santa and ETSY in Craftville!

It is with our greatest hopes and sincerity that you had the most wonderful holiday season and start to 2012!  After a very crafty and constructive several months- Craftville is reemerging from cherished time with friends and family. And we have news!

While Craftvillians everywhere were busy making and vending and giving and gifting an array of handmade items, treats and decorations…we were surprised and delighted to receive a couple of gifts! We made the Nice List in 2011! We’re convinced it’s because an inspired father and daughter team made all the ornaments for their Christmas tree together from back issues of Nashville Arts- and attributed it to becoming regular Craftvillians at our Craft Table! 

We are excited to announce we are an ETSY Team Grant recipient! We are proud that our many programs, events and vending opportunities draw your participation so that they pay for themselves! This is what allows us to do so much and charge very affordable fees for vending and workshops, as well as your donations at our Craft Table events. Our “staff” is completely comprised of volunteers, and we always have great helpers! Not to mention all the great craft supplies that are donated to us! 

However, on the business side of things, we do have growing financial needs as we reach the last stage of our 501c3 filing process. We considered bartering with the IRS and our lawyer to pay the required filing fees in aprons and beadwork.  Unfortunately, we thought that probably wouldn’t work though we don’t quite understand why- who doesn’t love a good apron?

courtesy of scrapdash's posterous - an awesome quilting blog!

So we were ecstatic when we were notified in the beginning of December that we were awarded a Team Grant from Etsy to assist with these costs! THANK YOU THANK YOU Handmade Etsy Santa!  Craftville, the organization, has evolved out of such a spectacular response to our original Etsy Team vendors and activities! We remain dedicated to providing opportunities for both affordable vending and professional development opportunities. And one of our key goals for 2012 is to expand this website to highlight and promote our Etsy team member stores.  

We immediately ran to offices of Almon Law to visit our pal (and lawyer) Noah to sign by laws- and PAY him! We are so appreciative to work with such a fun individual who has been so generous to work with a start up nonprofit and all that entails. Thanks, Noah for believing in Craftville and seeing us through our growth process.

We also received a generous and unexpected private donation for Christmas! All of this puts us one step closer to the vision that is Craftville. We are grateful for such support and faith. Not just in what we do, but in recognizing YOU, your talent and the multiple ways that craft serves our Nashville community.

We span all ages, genders, backgrounds, skill sets, and interests. And we all agree that it’s worthwhile to make stuff, share knowledge and stories, and to be stewards of the hands that make handmade. We are all Craftvillians.

December Pop Up Shop- It’s a WRAP!

Wow!  Hard to believe we have reached the last of our Saturday Pop Up Shop series at Porter Crossing Art Market!  We THANK YOU THANK YOU for participating as a vendor…shopper….crafter…helper. This has been an amazing experience for us!

But it’s not over til the fat lady…shops!

It’s not too late to shop local and handmade for the holidays! Craftville will be hosting...

Owlette Collective 

Paperlights

say ooh 

Sunshine Aprons

Book Cellar miniture handbound bookarts

Little Creatures by Emma Klingbeil

…to name a few! We'll also have some intricately beautiful handturned metalwork jewelry by Michelle Hester, Rag Bags by Mel's Designs, accessories by In Robyn's Nest, aliRage...and MORE!

We will have the craft tables set up with everything you need to make these gorgeous paper snowflakes if you missed them at Hillsboro Village Art Walk last week.

They make lovely seasonal decorations all Winter long and are great host/hostess gifts for all those holiday parties you have lined up!

To celebrate our last vending event of 2011 and help you along with your holiday preparations…we’re having a Wrap Party 6-8pm!  Not only can you buy your gifts- you can wrap them onsite, too!  We will have what you need to make your own creative gift paper and embellishments!

Have a lot of left over holiday wrapping paper you are tired of looking at but don’t want to throw it away??? Bring it! Have a few things you bought already but need to get wrapped- bring those, too!

The coffee and beverage bar will be open, the music will be playing, and the shop will be merry and bright! So stop in to finish up (or start!) your shopping, support local vendors and get your items wrapped and ready to go! Craftville is your one stop holiday shop this Saturday!!!

Christmas Craftacular!

Get the season started off right with Craftville's Craft Night at Clothing Xchange during tomorrow's final Hillsboro Village Art Walk of 2012! 

Here are a few pics from one of last year's holiday Craftville Craft Nights at the old Open Lot. We sure had some good times there!

Is it just me, or are craft supplies super exciting??

Mmmmm, I just can't wait! 

Event runs 6-8pm on 21st Avenue South, with free parking behind Cornerstone Financial after 6pm.

Santa and his Elves will be at POSH Boutique taking pictures and collecting toys for underprivileged kids. Please consider bringing an item for a child in need; a little giving goes an extra long way during the holidays. 

And as always, the Village Merchants' Association is providing a HUGE holiday gift basket to one lucky drawing winner, so make sure you enter your name at one of the many participating merchants!!

Hope to see you tomorrow night at the Hillsboro Village Art Walk!

 

<3

Emily Sue

P.S. Do you have a great idea for a Craftville event? Want to share your own DIY project? Teach a workshop? Host a Craft Night of your own? Let us know! Just email teamcraftville@gmail.com or leave a comment in the field below. ;)

Another Holiday Success

As expected, Craftville had an excellent Pop-Up Shop experience at the November Porter Crossing Arts Market. Here are some pics showing off our supercute storefront. :D

We just LOVE the bright, bold colors inside the Porter Crossing Entertainment District. This historic space will soon be available to rent as a commercial storefront or restaurant, but instead of letting it sit empty, the owners decided to open it up to the local maker community by hosting a monthly arts market. Isn't that spiffy?

We are soooo proud of our excellent Etsy Team members and their amazing items! Below is local bookmaker Katie Gonzalez of the incredible Linen Laid & Felt. Not only is Katie a vendor, but she also volunteered her time at the November Pop-up Shop. Thanks, Katie!

Photo by Camilla Spadafino <3

Isn't she the sweetest??

Above are colorful and clever items from Owlette Collective, local makers of modern clothing and accesories for little ones. We just adore their roll-up crayon holders. Too cute!

Below are a few of the incredibly beautiful, highly detailed miniature book accessories from Laura Matthews, a professional book restorer. In her spare time, Laura handcrafts tiny, fully functional books, then turns them into earrings, necklaces, cardholders, and other charming handmade items. 

Laura's line is called Book Cellar, and though she doesn't have an Etsy store, her work will be back at Craftville's next Pop-Up Shop on Saturday, December 10th, 12-9pm. Mark your calendars!

The Craftville team will once again offer holiday DIY make & takes, including 3D paper snowflakes and colorful handmade ornaments. Hope to see you there!

Until then, happy crafting C:

<3

 Emily Sue

Craftville(Food+Fashion+Green)= East Nashville

Saturday is the next Porter Crossing Arts Market and Craftville Pop Up Shop in East Nashville, Noon to 9pm. Located at the Porter Rd and Greenwood Ave intersection, this month's event is all local, all awesome, all day and night!

Porter Crossing Arts Market - East Nashville from Rob Cheplicki on Vimeo.

 Lotsa local vendors offering clothing, art, jewelry and vintage finds. The coffee bar will be open inside the Craftville Pop Up Shop. Grab a caramel apple cider and make your own DIY Autumn wreath at the craft table with natural elements and recycled materials!

Craftville's storefront will be hosting some super local neighborhood vendors including Rag Bags by Mel's Designs, AliRage baby must haves, *gorgeous* hand-turned metalwork jewelry by Michelle Hester, foodie gifts and the popular PaperLights will be taking custom orders for the holidays! 

And if that's not local and soul satisfying enough for you, in the evening The Family Wash will have great local music line up with proceeds supporting Urban Green Lab, one of our favorite fellow nonprofit projects focusing on sustainable communities. I do not want green eggs and ham, I want green pint and pie! It's a perfect match for our DIY, handmade, waste not want not, reuse, repurpose, recycle, cottage industry creed.  We're just prettier and more colorful :) 

What a line up! So c'mon down to East Craftville! We've got you covered!