Vendor Q&A with Sarah Cecelia

What is your craft all about? I make sterling silver jewelry for the ladies including necklaces,
earrings, pins and bracelets. I love making pieces that are pretty and
feminine but still clean and modern.



How did you get started in your craft?
I made the jump to jewelry a little over a year ago. My initial
inspiration came from a cheap necklace when the "metal" paint started
to come off. I decided to make a solid metal version myself and got
completely hooked. I started out at the library studying all the books
I could find on the subject and began developing my technique.



What is your favorite piece you will have with you at the Handmade Mart?
I will be debuting some new winter themed pins that will be great for
cardigans. Think snowflakes!

Visit me at booth #18!

Vendor Q&A with Zelma

What inspires you to make what you make?
I craft in the spirit of my grandmother Zelma. She fled her farm in Latvia during World War II and lived in a refuge camp in Germany for several years. During that time, she had no choice but to be resourceful. There’s an amazing picture of my mother in Germany as a toddler wearing a beautiful dress crafted from a men’s plaid coat. My grandmother taught me the importance of recycling and that pretty things can come from the most unexpected materials.



What is your favorite piece/product you will have with you at the Handmade Mart? My fabric boa scarves make me happy. They’re dramatic, fun to wear, and made entirely of reclaimed fabrics. I love to put together random colors and textures. Each scarf is truly a unique creation.



Where can folks find your craft outside the Handmade Mart?
You can find me at www.zelma.etsy.com. I invite you to visit my Etsy shop often—you never know how Zelma might inspire me!

Visit me at booth #16!

Vendor Q&A with Mary Ellen Doran

What is your craft all about?
DC based artist Mary Ellen Doran has developed a unique line of hand linked chains and gemstone jewelry. There are many variations in size and design of the chains. Some chains contain links that are as small as 6 to one inch and some are made from links measuring larger than two inchs each. This link style has been incorporated in bracelet and earring designs where high quality gemstones are utilized for spectacular individual pieces.



How did you get started in your craft?
I come from a long line of crafters. My paternal grandfather turned wood, my maternal grandmother and all her sisters knitted and/or crocheted; my father worked in stained glass for years, designed his own latch hook rugs, and is currently making rosaries; my mother has always been into textiles – sewing, stitching, etc. she currently crochets lap blankets for hospices. As a child we were pulled out of school every Fall for three weeks to travel to a huge artisan show in Gatlinburg, TN where I fell in love with Craft – master woodworkers, glass blowers, ceramicists, and the like laid down a foundation in my soul. So when I found myself a stay-at-home mom, taking time off from my graphic design career, I had to find a non-toxic, easy clean up craft (which was not my norm) – so I started studying and playing around with jewelry concentrating on chain making. Months later I found myself with a new chain design that I was satisfied with and a low budget to get more supplies so I started selling stuff to my friends to feed my habit. The habit keeps growing and thankfully so has the support. Today, I look to my foundations of watching the Masters and strive for the highest quality possible in each piece I produce. I hope that those that buy my chains will be wearing them and enjoying them 10 or more years from now.



What inspires you to make what you make? I believe to understand your art you have to understand the roots from where it comes. So I read books and visit exhibits in art, art history, craft, and jewelry design on a regular basis to see what has been done before and use that to try to produce something new and exciting. My most recent research has been on the sterling silver designs of tribes in China in the 18th and 19th century. I also watch and read about the current design trends to see what contemporary artists are producing.



What is your favorite piece/product you will have with you at the Handmade Mart?
My craft started to get too “pretty” for me. So for the past year, I have been working on pieces that have rough edges and a little more weight to them. I wanted to provide a big splash of monochromatic color without relying on one single bead. I am very pleased with the current results in the horizontal “Wrapped” neck pieces and matching vertical earrings. I take tiny top-end gemstones and create a mass of color. The dance of light produced by the hundreds of facets in the tiny stones shows off these beautiful natural colors – but in a much more edgy and a bit more dramatic way.

Visit me at booth #47!

Vendor Q&A with Wild Hare Fibers

How did you get started in your craft?
I've been involved in some aspect of fiber crafts almost my whole life, beginning when my great-grandmother taught me to crochet when I was just three years old! She owned a spinning wheel that had belonged to her grandmother, and I remember being fascinated by it when I was small. I eventually inherited it, and while it isn't spinnable, it inspired my desire to spin and master the process of raw fiber to finished product.



What inspires you to make what you make?
I believe my desire to create with fiber is inborn. I'm fascinated by the process and the possibilities. While I draw the colors and forms of the natural world for inspiration, the excitement of designing and creating something new and bringing various ideas and techniques together keeps me passionate about the things I create.



What techniques do you use?
I'm a handspinner, creating both 'regular' and 'art' yarns. I also knit, crochet, weave, dye, felt and sew, and love to combine various techniques in one piece.



Where can folks find your craft outside the Handmade Mart?
My yarns and dyed fibers may be found online at http://www.wildhare.etsy.com, where I also offer tools such as spinning wheels, and kits to DIY. My finished pieces are primarily available at shows and festivals such as this one. My yarn has appeared in Spin-Off Magazine, and several of my knitting patterns have been published in Knitter's Magazine. I'm also available for lessons and workshops.

Visit me at booth #1!

Vendor Q&A with Miss Fortune Hoops and Surprise! Hoops

What is your craft all about?
Our whimsical dance hoops and colorful hair falls are designed to activate the kid in people of all ages. The Hoop is a powerful fitness and dance tool, that has been credited with helping people all over the world find their unique talents, connect with the cosmic flow of the universe, or at the very minimum put a smile on their face! But these handmade hoops are much different than the flimsy pieces of plastic that one generally finds commercially available. Covered with exquisite fabric or intricately taped patterns, our hoops are moving pieces of art! Our colorful hair pieces are a fun way to coordinate your hair with every outfit, and are perhaps the quickest and safest way to temporarily transform your look to match your every mood. Our unique creations are customized for both children and adults in mind, or as we like to say KIDS OF ALL AGES.



What is your favorite piece/product you will have with you at the Handmade Mart?
Says Katie, "My favorite product that I have right now is my Rainbow Chakra Hoops. These hoops are created using every color of the rainbow and accented with either black or white tape." Beth says, "Each one I make is my favorite! Until the next one."



Where can folks find your craft outside the Handmade Mart? Surprise! teaches hoopdance classes all around DC and always has handmade hoops and clothes with her at her classes. Check: www.surprisehoops.com for her schedule. Miss Fortune Hoops are also found here: missfortunehoops.etsy.com.

Visit us at booth #40!

Vendor Q&A with Jenny Wren Jewelry

How did you get started in your craft?
A good friend made me a pair of earrings, many years ago, for my birthday. I loved them and asked her to show me how she made them. That was the beginning of my love affair with beaded jewelry and I have been making jewelry ever since.



What inspires you to make what you make?
As a child I always loved to make things with my hands. Coloring, painting, sewing, paper maché, collage, etc. As a graphic designer, I’m inspired by shapes, colors and composition. My personal history with art and design informs my jewelry making.



What is your favorite piece/product you will have with you at the Handmade Mart?
My new favorite creations are my pieces made from recycled felt. I have felt cuffs and pendants, detailed with contrasting stitching and embellished with rubber rings or beads.



Where can folks find your craft outside the Handmade Mart?
You can find my jewelry on etsy at jennywrenjewelry.etsy.com.

Visit me at booth #24!

Vendor Q&A with the littlest bean

How did you get started in your craft?
I purchased a few pieces of felt for a project I was working on... I sat down and started cutting, and haven't stopped since. At my first show, I only sold brooches; now my line includes jewelry, hair accessories, mobiles, and wall pieces.



What inspires you to make what you make?
I love colors. I never get tired of combining them to see how they will interact and change.

What is your favorite piece/product you will have with you at the Handmade Mart?
I am loving the flower headbands... people are so happy when they put them on, most walk away wearing their purchase.



Where has your craft taken you?
In a little over a year I went from hobby crafter to full-time crafter, as well as mom to two! I've been fortunate enough to travel to some great shows, meet amazingly talented crafters, and a become a part of wonderful craft group, BEST - baltimorecraft.com



Where can folks find your craft outside the Handmade Mart?
You can visit my site,littlestbean.com for a list of shops, and I have an etsy shop as well jenmenkhaus.etsy.com.

Visit me at booth #21!

Vendor Q&A with Lemon Cadet

How did you get started in your craft?
I've been sewing by hand for as long as I can remember. My first project was a little purse out of scrap fabric. My mom explained to me how to make the buttonhole slightly wider than the button, and my love of a needle and thread has not waned since. My mom also taught me how to use a sewing machine and I use both interchangeably. Although I have a master's degree in photography, I keep coming back to more traditional crafts.


What inspires you to make what you make?
The Lemon Cadet designs are inspired by things outside and the silly stuff my daughter does. I'm also thrilled by all the new fabric prints available. Sometimes I get ideas just from looking at fabric. I love vintage and reproduction fabrics and I love to mix them with modern elements.



What techniques do you use?
I've been stuck on applique for a few years now. Just like photography, it's a very involved process that requires a lot of steps. I use that time ironing and cutting and then ironing again to think. I have a full-time job as a teacher and that kid I mentioned before so I need some downtime.



What is your favorite piece/product you will have with you at the Handmade Mart? I've been moving away from applique into creating my own designs for kids. I should have a few pinafores for toddler girls available will be taking custom orders.

Where can folks find your craft outside the Handmade Mart?
I have stuff at a few consignment shops and children's boutiques but I'm always on Etsy (http://www.LemonCadet.com).

Visit me at booth #32!

Vendor Q&A with Curls Studio

What is your craft all about?
We create and self-publish original art and storytelling for the comic strip, Curls, and the comic books, Kid Roxy, Black Magic Tales, and The Legettes. We also have illustrated greeting cards, notebooks, handmade plush dolls, and other merchandise that feature Curls Studio's stable of characters.



How did you get started in your craft?
Curls Studio started doing craft shows last year and also participates in comic book conventions such as New York Comic Con, Baltimore Comic-Con, and Small Press Expo. We started because we wanted to share the characters we create and develop with the world.

What inspires you to make what you make?
I am inspired by merging many art disciplines such as photography, design, illustration, animation, and filmmaking into one creative mass that tells a story.



What techniques do you use?
My best ideas come from my brain and then are transferred to my hand onto paper with the aid of a pen or pencil. From there they can go on to be stuffed dolls, comics, greeting cards, or anything else we'd like to create.

What is your favorite piece/product you will have with you at the Handmade Mart?
We are very proud of our latest 36 page comic book, The Legettes. It's a futuristic burlesque tale in a universe where analog and digital are at constant battle.



Where has your craft taken you?
This year our comic books became available at comic stores in New York, California, Texas, Florida, and Oregon. Curls Studio has also been touring all over the east coast and we like to visit different venues and meet people to get the word out about our books and characters. Who knows where we will be next?

Where can folks find your craft outside the Handmade Mart?
You can find Curls Studio online at www.curls-studio.com or http://curls-studio.blogspot.com. We also have an Etsy shop, which can be found athttp://cartooncarolyn.etsy.com. The webcomic, Curls, can be found at www.curls-studio.com/curls and is updated every Monday and Thursday.

Visit Curls Studio at booth #17!

Holiday Shop-n-Stroll: Volunteers Wanted!

The Holiday Shop-n-Stroll is looking for volunteers to help us with vendor load-in, on the day of the fair, from 7am-10am.

Crafters, craft-lovers, and early birds are welcome to join us.

All volunteers will be provided breakfast, and will receive a free, limited edition, Holiday Shop-n-Stroll tote bag.

All interested volunteers should email us at handmademart@gmail.com.