Does this totebag from Richmond Threadlab look familiar? If so, it may be because you caught our Instagram feed a couple of weekends ago when we hit up our local Handmade Holiday Craft Show (just like we did last year). The fair is a bi-annual craft-stravaganza put on by the Richmond Craft Mafia (we went to their Spring version earlier this year too). It’s always filled with tons of cool artists, crafters, and other handmade magicians from the Virginia-ish region. And thanks to most of them having Etsy shops, you guys can sort of virtually shop along with us. So here’s some the cool stuff that we came across, starting with some of the new guys that we haven’t spotted at previous events.
Spade Moderne had tons of graphic pillows and tea towels that we loved, but what caught Sherry’s eye most was this mistletoe brooch (though you could totally cheat and make it an ornament too). Knowing Sherry she’d stick it in a shadowbox and call it holiday art.
Also calling our name from the printed-fabric arena were these screenprinted tea towels from Tiny Peepers. And to live up to their name, there was also this hipster-tastic onesie that kinda made me wish Clara still wore onesies…
Check out this sweet 2013 calendar from Flytrap Studios. Can you believe we already have to start thinking about 2013 calendars? Where did the year go?
These fabric rattles from Tributary Handmade were also pretty darn cute. But I think the true brilliance is that fact that they sell silent versions as well. Plus, the one on top (with the pears and apples) is the same fabric that we used for Clara’s 17 week photo way back when. Memories.
Tributary Handmade also had these cools dolls that for some reason kept reminding me of the Beatles. I think they’d go great in a little boy’s room – especially the mustached and suspendered man in the middle. I’m talking to you Weston Bower.
Nearby we also spotted a bunch of pillows, bags, and things made out of old grain and feed sacks from Jessica Reed Artifacts. Of course the Christmas spirit of the room meant that we were most drawn to the stocking.
Found Studio had these fun mixed media paintings with mason jars as the subjects. They’re like the Warhol soup cans of the Pinterest era.
They also had a bunch of smaller paintings available. We especially liked this long one with the pennant banner (and that small green bicycle).
A lot of booths are starting to become very familiar now that this is our third consecutive visit to one of these local craft fairs. But the cool thing is that most of them are always doing new stuff, so it still feels new. Like Funnel Cloud Studio now has a New Jersey version of the state prints that we admired previously…
And clay-master Tasha McKelvey had these cool clay gnome ornaments this year. It kind of makes me think a gnome-themed Christmas tree would be funny. Or a tradition of “find-the-gnome” each year when you decorate the tree.
It’s always good to see Phil Barbato (and his wife Meghan) at these things. We’ve purchased his artwork in the past, but it was his Baby Octopi that got our attention this year. I love that this one has a gold tooth (at least, that’s how I’m choosing to interpret it).
Matt Butler had us cracking up over his bacon print at past events (it says “either you love bacon or you’re wrong”), but this year it was this print that had me chuckling. Truth in comedy, right?
Matt also has a few bike-themed items, which you know I can appreciate. He does these custom printed Toms shoes, and I think it’s really cool that they connect to create one image.
Suzanne of Silver Tree Art had lots of fun and colorful stuff as usual. Sherry spent a good five minutes browsing through some of her “wisdom cards” that are like cheerful little spirit-boosters.
And Sherry was also struck by these cool layered necklaces by Lucky Accessories.
Of course we couldn’t afford to purchase everything that we admired that day (heck, we couldn’t even cram it all into this post). But we didn’t go home empty handed. I bought part of a Christmas gift for a coffee lover in my family thanks to a local shop called Lamplighter Roasting Company. And yes, their bag design is just about enough to make me want to get over my aversion to java-flavored anything.
Sherry also snagged a couple of those wisdom cards that she was so enamored with. They now sit on her desk as pretty daily reminders.
And we also raided Funnel Cloud Studio a bit. No, I didn’t let Sherry bring that Jersey print home, but I did give into her addiction to all things shiny and animal related with these gold and silver prints. Gold armadillo for the win. And you know we love our rhinos (see our blog header for evidence).
Meanwhile I convinced her that we had to have Funnel Cloud’s awesome new poster: Things That Are Awesome.
We don’t have a spot picked out for it – we’re thinking guest room – but I’ve already clocked about thirty minutes just discovering all of the intricate little drawings (and secretly evaluating whether I agree with their awesomeness or not). We even had guests over for the holidays and all of them were drawn to it – just standing there staring. So we think it’ll make an awesome addition to that room.
Now we’ll pause to send a huge thanks to all of the awesome artists who make these cool local craft fairs possible. Your talent runneth over, and we love Sherry loves bouncing from booth to booth. Literally, I think she was bouncing for a good part of the fair. You know what they say: giddy wife, giddy life. Wait, that’s not the expression?
Anyone else hit up any craft fairs or get any handmade gifts to give this year? Got any favorites from the items that we shared above?
Katie says
I work in downtown DC and there was a holiday market up for the first 3 weeks of December (I first went there after seeing you guys at Living Social!). Since there were different vendors there depending on the day, I walked through a couple of times a week and almost never left empty handed! Just this morning I was thinking… I wish that holiday market was still open! Thanks for sharing some of your finds. Silver Tree Art is on vacation, but hopefully when she gets back I can snatch up some of those wisdom cards, too!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw that’s sounds so cool! We saw that set up on the corner on our way out of Living Social and wished we had time to stop by!
xo
s
Michelle | Letters from Boston says
Love that!! So many great things — esp. the positive affirmation notecards. I should try to find something similar up here in Boston. There’s got to be something, right??
YoungHouseLove says
Happy hunting!
xo
s
LeCheech says
Or you could DIY! :)
Meghan, RVA says
Hi Michelle!
I’m Meghan (Phil Barbato’s wife, and the Handmade Holiday co-chair.) There are DEFINITELY some great shows in the Boston area. I wish we lived close enough to get to them, because lots of our more-northernly-based crafty friends have such good things to say. Two great ones I know of are the Bizarre Bazaar and the SoWa Market. Our fellow plush-makers from a company called Zooguu (http://zooguu.com/) vend at both shows. Another great way to find shows is google your city + “indie craft fair” and see what pops up.
Happy shopping!
:)
Meghan
Anika says
Meghan – that’s such a helpful idea! Thank you!
Andrea J says
I gave some handmade gifts this year! My sis and I made a TON of jam this year (from fresh local produce–I worked at the local farmers market last summer!) and I got the itch to make chocolate truffles, which were DELICIOUS when they were finished (http://instagram.com/p/Ttm2nbvGY-/). I also folded boxes out of card stock to put them in (http://instagram.com/p/Tm-UqFvGQu/). My family loved it all!
I’m liking those bicycle TOMS shoes. Thanks for the links to all the artists so we can peruse their wares ourselves!
K says
How do I find one of these cool craft fairs in Minneapolis?!?
YoungHouseLove says
Not sure (Google?) but I’m sure MPLS would have some great stuff! Anyone Minnesotans have any suggestions?
-John
Meghan, RVA says
Hi K!
I’m Meghan (Phil Barbato’s wife, and co-chair for the Handmade Holiday show.)
As I mentioned in a reply to Michellle (sorry if you’ve seen it already!) a great way to find shows is google your city + “indie craft fair” and see what pops up.
If there’s a local-ish vendor (or three!) you know of, you can also look for shows by stalking their website, Etsy shop announcements, Twitter, or Facebook feeds. A lot of artists will put their show schedule somewhere in there (though I’ll confess, we’re not so hot at doing that ourselves. )
There must be TONS of great stuff near you, Minneapolis is such an amazing city!
Good luck,
-Meghan
renee says
Hey K,
There’s the No-Coast Craft-a-Rama twice a year, spring and December. Here’s the link:
http://nocoastcraft.com/nocoast/
Have fun!
Renee
Brenda says
Those gnome ornaments are awesome! So many neat crafts.
Tasha McKelvey says
Thanks from the Gnome-Maker! -Tasha
Amanda says
I was excited to go to Biz Baz this year, but was very disappointed. There were a few cool things, but mostly it was the domain of 60 year old women with gaudy jewelry and too much perfume. I’ll hit up craft mafia next time.
Jessica G says
Our whole Christmas was handmade this year. It was a tiny bit stressful and involved a lot of list-making for supplies, gift-making order, etc…but it ended up being super fun! Everyone seems to have loved their gifts and it was pretty quick since we had 16 or so people to buy for. :)
Tracie@MiddleClassMod says
So cute! I love craft fairs. We live in a town that is second only to Stars Hollow in the amount of crazy festivals/goings on but we do have an awesome craft fair that I love (some of the others are more…interesting).
I’m digging those state prints myself.
Ashley says
I bought the bacon print from Matt Butler last spring. I am in love with his jellyfish print Toms. I wasn’t able to get down to Richmond for the holiday show, so thanks for sharing pics. I just bought the things that are awesome poster and can’t wait to find a place for it in my home!
meg says
i have a gnome/mushroom/woodland creatures/fairy-themed tree! it’s beautiful. i’m totally digging that things that are awesome poster–great finds, guys. thanks for sharing!
Alisha says
that sounds dreamy! Wish could see pics…
Anna in Ohio says
I crocheted dish cloth sets for each family this year. Took a while, but it was so much fun to pick out the yarn for each person and it was nice to give them something handmade.
Donna says
I have the wisdom poster from Silver Tree Art hung in our kitchen. I love the daily reminder to breathe!
Meghan, RVA says
Hey guys! Thanks for the write-up! :)
Yes, that is a gold tooth on the Baby Octo.
Merry Christmas!
Rebecca @This Nest is Best says
I love supporting local crafters! We bought some handcrafted notecards and a bowtie this year at a similar event. And I event got my own crafting on and made sugared almonds, cocoa mix and marshmallows for gift baskets this year!
heather says
All of this is very cute! I didn’t make any homemade gifts this year, but Santa did put a piece of Maine made pottery from my favorite potter (Georgetown Pottery) in each stocking along with some handcrafted beer for my brother in law (Maine also). So that counts for something haha.
Also, you know I couldn’t get that nugget of the latest Young House Love Wisdom go by without making this up – right?
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e349/dncektn/gwgl_zps453f5648.png
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahahahahhahahahahah!
xo
s
karen says
oooo..lots of eye candy :))
Christina @ Homemade Ocean says
Ohhhhh I love it all….especially those anchor Toms!!! I am going to bookmark this and come back when I actually have moolah!!!!
Mary @ Ms Redo says
My fave is the mason jars art, how awesome is that?! Glad y’all had fun at the fair. I think Sherry should have the NJ art, but the cool things pic John got is … cool! Happy New year and no I’m not making any resolutions, I haven’t kept one in nearly xx years so I quit! Love y’all ~ Mary
Kasey M. says
Looks like the Silver Tree Art shop is on vacation for the holidays. Can’t wait until it’s back up on January 2nd. I want to grab a print or two for my frame gallery!
Megan @ Rappsody in Rooms says
What a great fair! And thanks for the share…haha. I just had to do that rhyme! I might have to make a road trip from Lynchburg one of these days for this craft fair. It’s great looking! Love the poster by the way!
Ally says
All great finds…the amount of talented artisans out there is incredible :)
Those handmade dolls are adorable (I think I see Ringo way in the back :)
As Christmas gifts, I purchased 3 custom made Esty items this year – all of which I first spotted on YHL! And every one was a BIG HIT – so thanks very much, $herdog & Jboom! :)
xox
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, so glad they were a hit.
xo,
s
Kirsty says
My pet greyhound Smidgen and I were very excited to spot greyhounds in that Things That Are Awesome print!
YoungHouseLove says
They’re definitely awesome!
xo,
s
Funnelcloud Rachel says
Hi Kirsty – So glad to find another greyhound owner and I love your dog’s name! I am also a greyhound owner (to a 6 year old red fawn named Gravy), so of course I was going to include greyhounds on Things That Are Awesome! :)
Hilary says
Just because I’m a nerd and English teacher I thought you should know… The grammatically correct plural form of octopus is octopuses. Normally the i ending to makes plurals is correct when it comes from a Latin root, but in this case octopus is a Greek root. So there you go. haha
YoungHouseLove says
Who knew? So interesting!
xo,
s
Funnelcloud Rachel says
I actually looked this up as I was drawing Things That Are Awesome – didn’t want to make a grammatical error! However, I did not know that the rule had to do with Latin vs. Greek root – thanks for educating me!
Kathy says
Your Awesome poster is really telling me that you should color in the black-and-white pictures!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man that would be fun!
xo,
s
Sophie says
I received a gorgeous handmade gift for my birthday this year – a ceramic TARDIS money box (I’m a big Doctor Who nerd)from my best friend.
It’s about 10 inches tall, glossy blue and absolutely perfect in every way. Of course it has that extra little touch knowing that someone put so much effort into making it!
YoungHouseLove says
So sweet!
xo,
s
Rachael says
Totally random question for you Young-Housers. Do you know of any home blog conferences, similar to Alt or Haven, that are coming up in 2013? Or a re-occuring one? I get to go to one for work and I’m trying to find as many as possible before I make a decision. Any help would be much appreciated!
YoungHouseLove says
We hear Haven is definitely happening again in Atlanta this year! We had fun there last year! Hope it helps.
xo,
s
Veronica says
That last poster is truly AWESOME!
Know what else is awesome? The YHL book that I got from my boyfriend for Christmas! Oh happy day :)
YoungHouseLove says
Woo hoo! Go boyfriend. Hope you’re enjoying it!
-John
Jaine says
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year, from England (via Riyadh, Saudia Arabia)
I love giving & receiving homemade gifts, I have always believed that more thought has gone into them. My 4 kids came up with advent boxes for me this year along with a coffee to wake me in the morning. The boxes were actually a countdown to seeing husband/Dad over the holidays.
One of my daughter’s made her Dad a Darlek pen holder , his face just lit up as he opened the box.
Donna says
I totally never noticed there was a rhino in your blog header.
Cait Edwards says
Love those metallic animal prints!
Our family decided to do all handmade gifts this year. We wanted to be more deliberate in our gift selection and to invest in our local communities by purchasing from local artisans. I posted a few of the gifts I made on my blog yesterday
http://champaigntoast.com/2012/12/27/a-handmade-christmas/
Kirsten says
This is great timing! I’ve been agonizing about what to give the cousin whose name I drew in our annual cousin gift exchange (luckily I have a little extra time, as they’re traveling over the holidays), and that guitar tea towel is PERFECT. The color even coordinates with their kitchen! I just snatched up one of the last two in stock. Thanks for helping me check the last thing off my gift list!
Blanca says
Hey guys, I always read your blog but never comment… :(
I thought that because it’s Christmas, it would be a good time to leave a quick line saying how much I adore your blog and you all.
Keep up the good work and congratulations for all your success with the book!!
Love,
Blanca
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks so much Bianca! We love you right back! Thanks for reading.
xo
s
Amanda K. says
i predict that the onesie will spark pregnancy rumors AGAIN! :)
my brother-in-law is a certified coffee snob and he LOVES lamplighter. he asks for it every christmas, birthday, etc. enjoy!
Sarah Gerke says
Love these! Such great ideas.
I was so excited, I got your book as a Christmas present!!! Definitely one of the best. Can’t wait to scour through and pick out my next projects on our new house!
XOXO
Sarah
Dina says
I got to the Flytrap tea towel and I had to stop and comment because the owner (Jody) is a good friend of mine and has done such an awesome, awesome job with her business. I actually bought 4 of those tea towels to give as presents, and I think I own about 50 Flytrap products myself. SO exciting to see her work on my favorite blog! Anyway I hope you guys are having a nice holiday. I was (pleasantly) surprised to see you still blogging this week… I hope you stick to your resolutions and take more vacations this year!
Heidi says
I think I need that Things That Are Awesome poster – or two, or three, for sharing awesomeness of course. Forget thing, I KNOW I need that poster.
Sarah W says
The dolls from Tributary Homemade remind me of a pattern I used for a doll I made my nephew last year. It was from Martha Stewart, and the pattern was called “Black Apple Doll” (easy to find on Pinterest). It was such a cute pattern and so easy to adapt for different babies’ interests. I made a lumberjack for my nephew, though without the axe it would have just looked like a little hipster doll.
It’s great that people can just buy the little guys if they’re not so sewing-inclined!
Anika says
These are such fun and unique finds – I wish I lived closer to Richmond. Thanks for the great gift ideas!
Samantha says
I’m sooo jealous of your Rhino print! I’ve been waiting and waiting for her to list that in the Etsy shop so I could order one. I finally messaged her directly about it… and she sold out completely at local art markets :(
I’m happy it was so successful for her, but really sad for me and my rhino-less walls!
Funnelcloud Rachel says
Hi Samantha! I hope to print more of those rhinos soon – just as soon as the post-holiday chaos settles down a little! Thanks for your patience! :)
Erica says
Craft fairs are one of my favorite things. It bums me out that Las Vegas, as big of a city as we are, doesn’t get many. Looks like you have some pretty fab artists in your neck of the woods. That Things that are Awesome poster is pretty fantastic.
Caitlin says
Ha! Some of us must have been on the same wavelength with the gnome Christmas! We made personalized gnomes for each family member out of polymer clay and I made a gigantic gnome hat for the tree topper. The inlaws thought it was a bit strange :)
Pictures: http://www.walkerwhimsy.com/2012/12/a-phegnomeinal-christmas-part-one.html
YoungHouseLove says
So cute!!
xo
s
Heather W. says
Just went to the FunnelCloudStudio etsy shop and ordered the cutest gold fish print for my half bathroom. Can’t wait to put that baby in a white frame and hang it up! Thanks for the hook-up… =)
YoungHouseLove says
Of course! So glad you sent some business her way :)
xo
s
Katie says
Your comment about “finding the gnome” every year at Christmas made me think of something new I discovered this year. A friend introduced me to the Christmas pickle. It’s a glass pickle ornament that “hides” in the tree. Whoever finds it wins! Apparently it’s actually a thing, but my family was all clueless about it. You heard of it? It seems to be more common in the Northeast.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, it’s lots of fun! We have a pickle!
xo
s
Sue says
Just wondering if anyone else is having trouble getting into the Jessica Reed Artifacts site?
YoungHouseLove says
Looks like it might be down right now? Hope it’s back up soon!
xo
s
Jane @ The Borrowed Abode says
Rachel at Funnelcloud is one of my most favorite handmade artists ever – and I got a copy of Things That Are Awesome this Christmas. I was so stoked to see you guys got one too! It’s so much fun to look at.
I got a Jessica Reed flour sack tote bag at the show (so awesome!) and had trouble getting into her site too, so I emailed her and she said that she’s been mostly selling at craft fairs but some of her things were for sale on another site. Maybe contact her via her Etsy shop? hawksanddoves.etsy.com?
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip Jane!
xo
s
Tabbitha @ Turnip Tootsie says
As Red Riding Hood might say, “What great things they have!” The Richmond Crafts Mafia has some seriously cool crafts. My fave was the 2013 calendar. I’m headed towards Etsy now!
<3
T
Shelley says
The gnome (or tomte as I would call him) would be perfect on my Scandinavian inspired tree! The jultomte brings gifts to good little Swedish boys and girls! :)
YoungHouseLove says
So sweet!
xo
s
Brynn says
I used to go to craft fairs here, but they are nothing like what you have. True true crafts. I would love to get my hands on those positive affirmation notecards!!
Thanks for showing us all the cool stuff, and giving out the links.
Crystal @ 29 Rue House says
I feel the same way about coffee and that bag would almost make me want to buy some…almost.
The words of wisdom cards seem like a nice thing to have around and I love those little boy dolls. They’d be so easy to carry around or stick in their pockets. They would also be cute in a shadowbox too! :)
Catherine says
I’ve been reading your blog for about 2 years, and it’s definitely one highlight of my day! I get so much inspiration from your many projects and renovations. I just received a copy of Young House Love as a Christmas gift, and I can’t wait to start reading!! Thanks for such an enjoyable, light-hearted, practical blog!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Catherine! Hope you love the book!
xo,
s
Michelle says
I found Matt Butler through your last post & bought the ‘YOU ARE > EVERY BODY*’ print. It currently hangs in my bathroom & we love it. I feel so validated!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha so funny! Great minds think alike!
xo,
s