Events and Press

November 21, 2007

DIY Shopping for the holidays

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Gift Guide
DO-IT-YOURSELF ALTERNATIVES IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO GIVE YOUR GIFTS A PERSONAL TOUCH; LOCAL ARTISANS SHOW YOU HOW
By Jennifer Herrera
Twas the night before Black Friday, when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; the cell phones were silenced by the bedside with care, In hopes that they'd alarm when daybreak would near ... So you're off for two days, on account of the Thanksgiving holiday; what better way to spend it than waking up at the butt-crack of dawn for day-after-Thanksgiving sales? Is there any other way to shop for Christmas gifts these days? Sure, online shopping is still a good way to beat the insane crowds — but are you, too, like Linus and think the whole gift-giving deal has reached over-commercialization? Don't fret, we've got you covered. The following is a nifty guide to the alternative this season; the local DIY scenesters that offer a homemade substitute.
THE ALAMO KNITTING SOCIETY
Twenty-four-year-old Krista Moreno doesn't look like she'd carry a pair of knitting needles in her Dickie's bag. But she's an avid knitter and the founder of the Alamo City Knitting Society, which she organized nearly a year ago after reading Debbie Stoller's Stitch 'N Bitch series. Knitting is relaxing and "a great time-killer if you're bored," says Moreno. Being the mother of a 16-month-old means that Moreno doesn't actually have much time to kill, but is in serious need of a way to beat the stress of her hectic life. The Alamo City Knitting Society is tagged "not your Grandma's knitting circle," although Moreno says the organization has enlisted tattooed 20-somethings and suburban grandmothers. As long as you show an interest in knitting (whether it's cross-stitch, traditional knitting, or crochet) they couldn't care less about your age, appearance, or sex. Not too good with knitting needles? Check out myspace.com/alamocityknitters and come out to Learn to Knit night — in no time you'll be knitting your holiday gifts.
THE ALAMO CITY CRAFT UNION
Imagine five women armed with scissors and needles. It's not a cat fight waiting to happen, it's the ladies of the Alamo City Craft Union. Laura Salazar, president of ACCU started the group nearly a year ago, just about the same time they birthed the idea for this October's DIY Factory event. Each member either has their own website or Etsy page, and participates in events such as Hecho a Mano or Stitch (Austin's annual craft bazaar). The group is a co-op, says Salazar, and members "put in what they can." Missy Ozuna, vice president of ACCU, is not in it for the money she earns from her custom-made jewelry and apparel, but for the satisfaction of knowing she can create a product. With a strong belief in the value of homemade products, the ACCU truly are the alternative. "I am so sick of this corporate, cookie- cutter identity being stuffed down my throat," says member Blanca Rosa Braswell-Tucker. "If I have to make my own clothes to not be wearing the same things that everyone else is wearing then so be it — it feels better anyway." When it comes to the crafts scene, Ozuna says that, "So many people go to Austin, but we really have to look in our backyards — there's a lot of creativity, it just needs to be cultivated." Salazar added that group members are definitely influenced by the city, specifically its Mexican culture — as featured in Ozuna's señorita shoulder bag found on her etsy page. Salazar adds that she hopes in the coming years the ACCU will branch out and sell their products outside the Alamo City. Is Grandma looking for a pair of vintage record earrings? If so, check out ACCU's site at myspace.com/alamocitycraftunion for links to each member's page.
SAN ANTONIO CRAFT MAFIA
The San Antonio Craft Mafia consists of six members ranging from crafters to artists working in the following media: assemblage, collage, painting, photography, jewelry, clothing, accessories, and home decor. The SACM is the most unique of all 40 Craft Mafias in the U.S and beyond — each imaginable artistic niche is covered. Full-time collage-assemblage artist and SACM president Katherine Brown says that she sells about 80 percent of her work online. (Check out her found-object artisan belt buckle; for $55 you, too, can own a Pearl beer-bottlecap buckle.) Brown and the rest of the group are excited about the January opening (if only Christmas came a month later) of their boutique and gallery cleverly titled "Bodega" in The Blue Star Arts Complex, where each member's work will be featured. SACM member Patti Hinkley will also be opening her own store geared towards children in La Villita. Additionally, the group plans to launch a junior Craft Mafia in the near future for the next generation of crafters. Featuring found-object inspired jewelry to one-of-a-kind children's clothing, each member's site can be found at the SACM's website, sacraftmafia.com.

AGOSTO CUELLAR
Local vintage-shop owner Agosto Cuellar of the ever-so-awesome Jive Refried has a passion for fashion and he's not afraid to show it. As Cuellar states, his style is based on recycled fashion, something he calls Reinvintage (a term local designer Angelina Mata coined in 2001 and now uses for her new ready-to-wear line). Concerning the local San Antonio fashion scene, Cuellar energetically says, "It's emerging." He believes San Antonio is in a "good position." "We've sparked something, we're building momentum — we've created a revolution." Cuellar's newly established DIY fashion group is a support system for budding fashionistas/os and established designers such as Mata. So far there are five members in the group and Cuellar wants it to be inclusive. He intends to recruit fashion students from the University of the Incarnate Word and the International Academy of Design & Technology. This past weekend Cuellar hosted the fashion show Projections 2008 at Loft 120, where eight aspiring students presented five original garments each in a runway show. Due to the positive response the inaugural show received, Cuellar intends to continue producing annually. Do you dream of multi-colored shades of polyester? If so, stop by Jive Refried at 919 South Alamo or visit Cuellar's blog at jiverefried.blogspot.com.
RED BAKLAVA
Tremmell Brown (he prefers to be called Red Baklava, thank you very much) carries at least one camera with him at all times. He's been an avid photographer for the past 18 years. Recently his work's been featured at Bihl House, One9Zero6 gallery, and Blue Star. "There's a lot of different [photographic] styles in the city," says Red, but his work has a distinct, eclectic edge. With a background in art photography, Red has a firm distaste for photography that is "serious, dry, with no flavor." He opts for "creative, free, non-restrictive" images that capture a unique take on his surroundings. The idea behind Red's brand-spanking-new MySpace group (it's been around merely a month), the Indie Photog Squad of San Antonio, is to show a "street, edgy, raw" side of the city. The targeted audience, says the site, is "local independent photographers that share a desire to break the mold of conventional photography." According to Red, the response to the site has been "blazing." Red wants the group to meet on a monthly basis and exchange ideas. His goals include traveling shows, presenting work at local galleries, and possibly having a group show during next year's FotoSeptiembre. On an even larger scale, Red wants to see more groups like Indie Photog Squads pop up all over the world. Looking to purchase some of Red's work? Check out his website redbaklava.com. Or if you're interested in joining the Indie Photog Squad visit myspace.com_indie_photog_squad. •
Upcoming open-air craft market options:
Mercado de Paz/Peacemarket
10am-6pm Sat-Sun, Nov 23-24 Free
Esperanza Center 922 San Pedro (210) 228-0201 esperanzacenter.org
Local artisans' creativity is on display at Mercado de Paz — handmade gifts and artesanía with themes of peace, social and environmental justice, and cultural diversity.
Hecho a Mano/Made by Hand
6-9pm Nov 30 (preview) $15 each/$25 per couple 9am-6pm Dec 1
Noon-5pm Dec 2 $2 suggested donation
Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center 1300 Guadalupe Street (210) 271-3151 guadalupeculturalarts.org Hecho a Mano offers a wide range of fine art, including ceramics, jewelry, woodwork, fiber arts, furniture, metalwork, clothing and other handcrafted items.
ETSY:
Your one-stop shop If you're big into the arts-and-crafts scene and still have not heard of etsy.com you should be ashamed of yourself. The site is tagged as "an online marketplace for buying and selling all things handmade." Conceived in early 2005, etsy has become an eBay of sorts for the craft community — there are approximately 550,000 registered users with 60,000 individual artists selling more than 800,000 handmade creations. The easy-to-use site allows visitors to check out the Treasury, a member-curated gallery of short-term lists of hand-picked items, the amazing Geolocator (great for all you supporters of the local crafts scene), which allows you to pinpoint a specific place/seller to buy your goodies from, and 30 categories of items to choose from (we recommed the Geekery category). For fun, click on the "color" button on the website to find products matching whatever color you choose on the dot-color-spectrum. If you have about six hours to kill, we recommed you visit etsy.com before you succumb to the malls this holiday season.
— Jennifer Herrera

So Patti and Katie were on the NBC affilate's morning talk show, SA Living. They had a Hallween/Day of the Dead inspired table setting/scape. And they did 2 quick on air crafts.

San Antonio Current

October 17, 2007

DIY Factory promotes independent artists

By Jennifer Herrera

The ladies from Alamo City Craft Union and Alamo City Craft Mafia have brought the do-it-yourself mentality to a whole new level with the DIY Factory, an event spotlighting more than 40 vendors selling handmade items ranging from jewelry and ceramics, to accessories, original art, and more.

"It is your traditional crafts but it does have kind of a modern, alternative feel," says DIY Factory organizer Missy Ozuna, who is also head of the Alamo City Craft Union.

Acknowledging the fact that everyone likes a little something for free, Ozuna and the gang are giving away, to the first 75 people through the door, hand-sewn goody bags with vendor samples, stickers, magnets, and more. Also offered will be a Day of the Dead themed make-'n'-take table where guests can create their own Mexican sugar skulls. The DIY Factory will also feature a fashion show with emerging to established artists including works by Paris Ann, Agosto Cuellar, and Kate Colgan, to name a few.

The idea behind the event came to Ozuna while on a trip to Austin for last year's annual Stitch fashion show and guerilla craft bazaar. She was with her mother and two fellow Alamo City Craft Union members when the idea hit. "We were driving back thinking, 'We don't have anything like that in town — let's do it,'" says Ozuna. And in less than a year, the DIY Factory was born. "We're doing this as a community project with an emphasis on local artists."

Myriam Lanau, a member of the San Antonio Craft Mafia, jokes that they talked about organizing an event such as the DIY Factory within their group, but scheduled it four years down the road. Katherine Brown, president of SA's Craft Mafia added that when Missy and the Craft Union came to her, the Craft Mafia instantly offered their support and help.

The DIY Factory is being tagged as a "celebration of creativity that will bring together a diverse group of cutting-edge independent craftsters, artisans, designers, and musicians." Ozuna and her crew intend to hold the event every year but are sure to plan months ahead the next time around. "It's been a learning experience, definitely," says Ozuna. "Next year will go a lot smoother."

The 12-member DIY Factory organizing crew is visibly excited to be working on the event. They bring to the table a vast knowledge of the local craft scene and know exactly what their event has that others may lack.

"This is really a first of it's kind [in San Antonio]. I mean, we have Hecho a Mano and the Peace Market, but we don't have anything like this," says Ozuna. The difference with the DIY Factory is its focus on local independent artists, from the vendors to the seven bands lined up (ranging from free-form jazz to acoustic to Tejano-punk).

When it came to choosing the vendors, the crew was faced with quite a dilemma. Some 80 applicants entered and only half were chosen. Ozuna stressed that she wanted to maintain a balance in the work made available at the event, with a fair amount of each handmade item present. They received a lot of applications from vendors selling jewelry and had to cut more jewelry vendors than anyone else. "I don't think there was one applicant that we did not like their work, "says Brown. "There was not one person that submitted crap."

Their goals for the future of DIY Factory is to tap into the South Texas craft scenes, expand in size of venue space and vendors, and bring in the next generation of DIYers. Annele Spector, member of the organizing crew, said it best when describing the basis of the event present and future: "It's about being different, unique — having a voice."

http://www.210sa.com/content/view/3078/19/

If you're looking for a craft market selling afghans and paintings of the Alamo, you might want to head to a church fair in the Hill Country.

THE RUNDOWN

WHAT: DIY Factory
WHEN: 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 20. All ages until 10 p.m. After 10 p.m., you must be 18 or older; after midnight, you must be 21 or older
WHERE: The Venue, 800 Lexington Ave.
HOW MUCH: $5; free for kids younger than 10
INFO: thediyfactorysa.com

If you're looking for knit skulls, bottle-cap jewelry, beanies with devil's horns and handsewn bags, then the DIY Factory is your kind of event.

"This is kind of geared to a different crowd. These are handmade and traditional crafts but they have a modern twist on them," said Missy Ozuna, general organizer and member of the Alamo City Craft Union.

The group teamed up with the San Antonio Craft Mafia, the Alamo City Knitters Society and some other artists to hold an event similar to those in Austin and Dallas.

"There's nothing like this in San Antonio so far. We've gone to Austin; we've traveled out of town. There's a handmade revolution kind of sweeping across the country, and we're not seeing much of it in San Antonio," Ozuna said.

Most of the crafters range in age from 18 to the mid-30s.

Besides more than 40 vendors selling their wares (most items are priced at $20 or less), there will be a fashion show at 9 p.m. featuring handmade clothes. Music will be provided by Ledaswan, Psychics, ElectroChemists and five other bands.

San Antonio Express News

By: Elaine Ayala

They're young, creative women who appreciate art, skill, craft and the one-of-a-kindness of made by hand.

A few generations ago they might have been members of quilting bees or sewing clubs, devoted to learning the skills of their mothers and their mothers before them.

In 2006, they're decidedly hipper and more likely to be called fashionistas, artists, designers, photographers and independent businesswomen.

They're modern-day crafters, specifically, members of the San Antonio Craft Mafia, a new affiliate of their far more-famous cousin the Austin Craft Mafia, whose founders are TV personalities and well-established businesswomen who've crowned 40 chapters in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

They've spawned the DIY Network's "Stylelicious" and the new "Craft Lab," which premieres later this month.

Like them, the San Antonio Craft Mafia started as a support group and collective — six women who gather for dinner, drinks and networking.

They embroider, blow glass, construct, assemble, paint and sew. They use paper, cloth, clay, beads, needles, thread, paints and found objects.
They make purses, vases, jewelry, clothing, belts, cards and collages.

Their goal is to make a living doing so. A few already do. Their immediate goal is the Stitch Fashion Show and Guerrilla Craft Bazaar in Austin this November. They want to impress.

They're part of a major U.S. trend.

The National Craft Association says theirs is a $14 billion-a-year industry. Magazines, books and TV shows are devoted to it.

The greatest compliment any of them can be paid is, "I've never seen anything like that before." Read more about them at www.sacraftmafia.com.

Crafter: Katherine Brown
Creations: Found-object jewelry, belts, wall sculptures
Roots: A fine arts graduate of UTSA, Brown hunts for found objects in flea markets. Her pieces are substantial and may contain old decanter labels, brass and copper tags, vintage tin cans, clock parts, antique amulets and old glass beads. Some come from trades she makes with other artists around the world via MySpace. She teaches classes on collage and found-object construction, lately at the Laredo Center for the Arts. Some of her pieces are 'happy mistakes.' Goal: to write children's books.
Online: www.artkatstudio.com

Crafter: Adriana Saucedo
Creations: Glass beads and glass-bead jewelry
Roots: 'I was always creative when I was little,' says Saucedo. But she became an insurance claims adjuster instead. 'I got lucky and got sick and had some idle time,' she says. Starting with small sculptural pulls for ceiling fans, her glasswork has grown into sophisticated, delicate glasswork for necklaces and bracelets. Lately, she's making a lot of Día de los Muertos-inspired work. 'I am so blessed to be able to express myself and my heritage through glass,' she says on her Web site. With a mandrel or blowtorch, she designs beads, color atop color. She never took a class, 'so there was a lot of trial and error. But I got good early on.'
Online: www.agirlandherglass.com

Crafter: Luana Alvarez
Creations: Polymer-clay pots, vases, coasters, beads, jewelry; sketchbooks and journals
Roots: Alvarez was creative as a child, encouraged by parents who were educators. She was an early entrepreneur, too, selling handmade barrettes and friendship bracelets in elementary school. 'For 10 years (when married) I didn't create. Then I gave up boys for Lent,' she jokes, which unleashed her talents. She works in polymer clay because it's functional, versatile and can be baked in a conventional oven, even a toaster oven. She puts the clay through a pasta machine, inlaying different colored clay thinly atop other clay. She bakes it onto glass or tin, sometimes using stamps and metallic paints to create her designs.
Online: http://lageekgirldesigns.com/index.html

Crafter: Denise Valdez
Creations: Sewing and embroidery
Roots: Valdez, founder of the San Antonio Craft Mafia, learned to sew from her mother, whose works were obvious to anyone who saw her five children. 'We all had matching outfits,' Valdez says dully. Her own work isn't as structured. 'I might start out making a shirt and end up with a purse.' Embroidery can be intricate and time-consuming, depending on the stitching required, she says. Over the years, she has done shirts, pillowcases and kitchen towels. The freelance graphic artist, who'll soon move to Maryland, has a goal: 'A year from now, I want to be an independent businesswoman,' selling her work online and at major craft fairs. Her advice to fellow crafters: Keep up with trends, and remember there's a market of depreciation in crafts. Too much of a good thing brings down prices.
Online: www.myspace.com/misguidedcrafts

Crafter: Myriam Lanau
Creations: 'Luck boxes,' postcards, note cards
Roots: Armed with an art degree from UTSA, Lanau has had a series of shows in San Antonio. But 'I'm an artist with a day job,' she jokes. Goal: 'to live off what I create.' Mantra: 'You've just got to find your niche and be a student of pop culture, which is why I don't do polymer angels and unicorns.' For inspiration, she subscribes to European magazines, pays attention to celebrity fashion and studies color trends. Her 'luck boxes' are uniquely hers. The size of a pack of cigarettes, they contain small objects such as seashells, postmarked stamps, tea light candles and coins. First made for friends, she now sells them.
Online: www.cabanaboyproductions.com

Crafter: Cece Garcia
Creations: T-shirts, purses, sewn and constructed belts
Roots: Garcia has been designing clothes since she was a girl, learning to sew at 12. Even though her 'parents said art won't take you anywhere,' she studied fashion design at the University of the Incarnate Word. She has been making T-shirts for years, but this year decided to open an online store featuring her original hand-painted tees.
Online: www.ceceblue.com

September 11,2006

Group offers DIY, arts

by Jessica Castillo

Fully loaded with hot glue guns, needle, thread and creativity is a new group that has sewn its way into the city: The San Antonio Craft Mafia (SACM).

A craft mafia is a group of independent business owners who have come together by a shared zeal for Do-It-Yourself crafts. According to their website, San Antonio Craft Mafia aspires to be a home for independent crafters, fellow DIY-ers and artistic people who want to learn or share knowledge of crafts such as knitting, sewing, reconstructing, painting, jewelry and found art.

San Antonio Craft Mafia was founded in April 2006 by artist Denise Valdez. She stumbled upon the idea while purchasing fabric online from a fellow mafia member.

What makes the San Antonio chapter different from other groups is that each member contributes a different talent. Six talented artists complete the membership: Adriana Sauceda, a glass/bead artist; Cece Garcia, a T-shirt designer; Luana Alvarez, a ceramic artist; Katherine Brown, a collage-assemblage artist; Myriam Lanau, an artist/photographer and Denise Valdez, an embroidery sewer.

One of my goals is having a group with variety, Valdez said .

We have six [members] and its a perfect size. I can see in a year or so getting in some more people who are all accomplished at what they do, Lanau said. Lanau received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in photography from UTSA in 1997. She also specializes in drawing.

Katherine Brown will replace Valdez (who will soon be moving to Maryland) as the new leader of San Antonio Craft Mafia. She graduated from UTSA in 1999 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, with a specialization in printmaking. As a student, Brown received a foreign study abroad scholarship in Florence, to study in Italy and specialize in digital printmaking.

Through printmaking, I was able to do [what I love] with collage, etching, and different types of printing methods, Brown said. UTSA taught me boundaries; what to experiment with and what I can come up with. I would look for things I havent seen that would be challenging and different.

The original Craft Mafia was fashioned three years ago in Austin, Texas by nine female entrepreneurs who shared the skill for Do-It-Yourself crafts and owned an independent business. Since then, Craft Mafias have grown into a nationwide trend with 38 establishments in cities including Houston, Los Angeles, Omaha, Seattle and Anchorage.

To establish a Craft Mafia group, you must notify the Austin Craft Mafia. Thirty days are allotted to round up three members who represent three separate businesses, generate a website and create a logo. Austin Craft Mafia must then approve. Only one Craft Mafia can be established per city/town.

According to San Antonio Craft Mafia criteria, to become a member, a person must have a small business, a personal web site (that must be maintained), and time.

We have an application and I ask [applicants] to send pictures of their work, then we set up a personal interview. I get with the other girls and get their opinion. I want everyone to get along. We are all looking out for each other, Valdez said.

There is no age requirement to join SACM. Age isnt a factor. If you are serious about promoting your business, we just have to make sure everyone has the time because certain events do take up a lot of it.

San Antonio Craft Mafia meets once a month at Candlelight Coffeehouse, located on St. Marys Street, where they discuss their progress on present projects, upcoming events, and ideas. The group has been invited to participate in Ladyfest, Oct 19-21 celebrating females in the fine arts.

SACM will also participate in the 4th annual Stitch Fashion Show and Guerilla Craft Bazaar, created by three members of the Austin Craft Mafia, the event will be held at the Austin Music Hall on Nov 11, 2006.

Objectives that SACM wants to accomplish include working with local shops to sell their merchandise and possibly teach craft workshops.

To find more information on San Antonio Craft Mafia and their unique designs and to apply for membership, go to http://www.sacraftmafia.com or http://www.myspace.com/sacraftmafia.


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