Yelp's Totally Bazaar at Monroe Street Market

Ring Bling is a featured seller at Yelp's Totally Bazaar this Saturday, December 14 at Monroe Street Market in Washington, DC! Shop outside the big box this holiday season - RSVP at Yelp to support local artisans and win free #Smashburger for a month!

 

Hope to see you there!

CupcakeCamp DC

I had the great fortune to attend a fantastic event last Saturday. Apparently, CupcakeCamp is an event spreading across cities all over the world (Check out http://cupcakecamp.org/ for their worldwide directory!) and DC is one of them! Basically, the idea is that bakers, whether amateur or pro, sign up to create their signature cupcakes which the attendees get to sample. Both the attendees and a formal panel of judges decide on the best of the best. And all the proceeds for the event benefit a charity. In the case of the DC CupcakeCamp, it was DC Candlelighters, a childhood cancer foundation.

So what was my take on all this?

They had me at cupcake.

My cupcake selections (left to right): Lavender lemon, salted caramel, key lime, pumpkin spice, chai latte, and toasted coconut.

CupcakeCampDC attendees (at the Continental in Rosslyn)

The winners!

The first place winner of the 2012 CupcakeCamp DC was Joel Gill of Josie's Confections for his ingenious Chicken & Waffle cupcake. To Joel, congrats!! And since I couldn't get my hands on one before they were all snatched away, where can I get these??

Etsy Craft Party 2012

Have you seen the latest event posting from the crafter's mecca that is Etsy? On Friday, August 24, Etsy is hosting a Craft Party: A Global Celebration of Meeting and Making.

Deets direct from Etsy:

Craft Party is a time to get to know your neighbors and exercise your creative spirit. Craft Parties take place around the world when communities come together to participate in art, craft, design and DIY in every form. Anyone can organize a Craft Party and anyone can participate — the power is literally in your hands!

This year's theme: Wish You Were Here

We encourage you to work together on projects that reflect your hometown. Think about local and regional crafts, music, style and food; ways to pay tribute to a notable landmark or place; an activity that tells local lore through handmade means; or any creative project that has local flavor. It's up to you to decide how you showcase the theme at your party — go wild!
Etsy and our special sponsor, Michaels, will provide every party that has at least 25 participants signed up with a free box of craft supplies. The deadline for RSVP sign ups is August 12. The more people signed up for your party, the more generous the box of supplies! (Of course, we encourage you to continue garnering RSVP and participation right up till the big day too! We set this deadline, so we can get the box of supplies to the party organizers in time.)
We will also provide every event organizer with a free, downloadable Craft Party Kit containing how-to project instructions and templates, party decor ideas, and other tips for hosting your own party, plus a few surprises.

Get involved

To organize or find a local event, visit the Etsy hub on Meetup Everywhere. Add your event — big or small, public or private — or find one nearby to join.

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There are a ton of groups already formed so check out the Meetup page for your local group. Or start your own Meetup if no one has already! For those residing in Washington, DC and the surrounding area, I would suggest joining this group (already over 25 strong!). This is such a great idea to bring likeminded people together and garner that sense of community. Hope to see you there!

This Week DC: Handi-hour at the Renwick

Calling all DC crafters: If you're free this Wednesday evening, come check out the Handi-hour at the Renwick Gallery. For $20, you get two beers, live music, and all you can craft. The theme of this Handi-hour is all about mail art. For details, check out the Renwick Gallery's calendar page or see below:

 

When Wednesday, July 11, 2012, 5:30 – 8pm Categories After Five, Demonstrations, Performances, Workshops Location Renwick Gallery Event Location Grand Salon Cost Admission is $20 at the door, cash only, and includes two drink tickets, snacks, and all you can craft. Ages 21 and older. Note This summer, the Renwick Gallery’s Handi-hour goes “postal modern” with the National Postal Museum. Join us for craft projects themed around making and sending beautiful mail while sipping on craft beer from Churchkey/Birch and Barley and listening to live music by Brad Pugh of Practically Einstein. The Sit ‘n’ Knit corner is available for all skill levels if you want to work on a project or learn from the beginning. Attendees takes a scavenger hunt through the permanent collection galleries for fun and crafty prizes. Check out the American Art Museum's YouTube Channel for how-to videos on our featured crafts at here.