STL CRAFT MAFIA MAG july 09
Featured Member:
c.bunny binx
the STL CRAFT MAFIA
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shop 8 our members
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July 09 Welcome to our first edition of the STL Craft Mafia Mag, a new, monthly publication by the St. Louis Craft Mafia. Inside you’ll find the latest news on STLCM events, interviews with our members, and much more. Our Featured Member this month is Karen Miller of C. Bunny Binx. Check out our interview with her on page six. Our next big event is Big Ass Indie Art & Craft Show (2) at Mad Art Gallery. To find out what’s new with Big Ass 2, flip to page four. Find out where to shop for STLCM crafty goodness on page eight and check out our member list to find your favorites in the back end of the mag. Last, and never least, don’t forget to share: pass the mag onto your pals by hitting the “share” button at the top of your screen! ~ The St. Louis Craft Mafia
upcoming events July 31st‐August 2nd Big Ass Indie Art and Craft Show @ Mad Art Gallery August 5th Girl’s Guide to the Galaxy Midsummer's Night Out @ The Firebird August8th Tower Grove Farmer’s Market @ Tower Grove Park August 22nd The Market in the Loop @ The Delmar Loop September 12th Tower Grove Farmer’s Market @ Tower Grove Park September 26th‐27th Strange Folk Festival @ Community Park in O’Fallon, IL
Big Ass Indie : Deuce Following up on last year’s success, Big Ass Indie is bringing their Big Ass back to Mad Art Gallery July 31st through August 2nd. We got the dish about the main event, just for you. How did BAIAC get started? We saw a need for more than one large scale craft show in St. Louis so we came up with the idea of Big Ass Indie Art and Craft ....and the rest is history. In 2009 We are branching out with two shows One July 31st August 1st and August 2nd and a holiday show the weekend of December 5th After the success of last year's show, what have you changed to make Big Ass 'deuce' even bigger? Some changes we have made are an expanded participating artist and crafter list and Bigger, Assier entertainment with the addition of Leslie Hall and the Ly's. Nationally known crafting superstars, artists, and performers will be at the show to perform as well as sell their wares. Who is this Leslie Hall person and where can I get some gold spandex pants? Born in Ames, Iowa Leslie grew up near the first water tower west of the Mississippi. She truly grazed the fields looking for a home to shelter her truth . After graduating from Ames High School Leslie went on to 4 years at the School of the museum of fine arts, in Boston. She and the Ly's now travel the country in snazzy gold spandex pants performing fantastic art and music selling fantastic crafts. (For more information, visit http://www.lesliehall.com) What can St. Louis expect for opening night? Last year's kick off was quite the party! Friday night will be full of big ass entertainment. Lolla VanElla, Clownvis Presley and Michelle Mynx are scheduled to perform as well as Leslie and the Ly's. Admittance is free cash bar. This is an evening not to be missed. Opening Friday 7-11pm Mad Art Gallery 2727 S. 12th Street. St. Louis, MO.
c.bunny binx This month’s featured artist is none other than Karen Miller of C. Bunny Binx. Read her answers to our quick five questions below and be sure to visit her shop to check out her work after the jump! 1. Tell us a little about yourself and your creations: I’m just a regular St. Louis woman in her 30s who works at a local university in a minimally important administrative way. I try to stay out of trouble and not be too loud – though sometimes I blow it. I make tiny, useless things for a good reason. The philosophy of C. Bunny Binx is that I’m “Bringing back the knick knack”. In my own small way, I hope to re introduce the artful practice of accumulating distinct and singular pieces that clutter up a house with memories and character.
2. What is your favorite piece of your own? My favorite thing is a pom pom goldfish in a bowl that I made when I first started C. Bunny Binx and I made things exclusively from yarn. I will not sell him, but he’s featured on a greeting card.
3. Who or what gives you inspiration? My inspiration comes from a time when dime stores and card shops overflowed with silly chotchkies to be bought on a whim, vintage party favors and Easter basket fillers, lawn ornaments, folk art, 1980s miniature toys, the colors in 50s and 60s commercial pottery, all things small and wonderful, and the flora and fauna of the backyard garden.
4. Explain your art what exactly is it you do? I would be more likely to describe what I do as folk art or craft than art. I make small figurines out of paper clay. It’s a biodegradable, non toxic, air drying clay made of pa per pulp, volcanic ash and talc. When they dry, I paint them using watercolor techniques, since they are paper. They are then finished with an acrylic varnish.
5. What is your favorite project you've finished so far? I am recently very fond of the Flower Hat Gang – silly ill shaped birdies with flowers for hats.
You can find C. Bunny Binx on Etsy at http://www.cbunnybinx.etsy.com and read Karen’s blog at http://www.cbunnybinx.blogspot.com.
shop Shop for STL Craft Mafia crafty goodness at Cranky Yellow! Located in the alternative arts district on Historic Cherokee Street, Cranky Yellow stocks paintings, prints, music, kooky films, buttons, science books, handmade goods, greeting cards, folk-art, apparel, graphic-tees, bags, plushies, zines, action figures, vintage curiosities, patches, jewelry, records, carnival toys, hats, animal skulls, found objects, trinkets, strange lamps, pop religious icons, little boxes, driftwood, cool antiques, bits of broken things, posters, doll parts, 80's euphoria, masks, accessories, cute-crap, and other junk type magic! Cranky Yellow Publishing 2874 Cherokee Street Saint Louis, MO 63118 http://www.CrankyYellow.com Open Tuesday - Sunday (12am - 6pm)
the family
All Along Press
http://allalongpress.com/
AlleyKat Pinstriping
http://www.pinheadlounge.com/alleykat
Beqi Clothing
http://beqiclothing.com
Cate Anevski
http://cateanevski.com
C. Bunny Binx
http://cbunnybinx.etsy.com
Cranky Yellow
http://crankyyellow.com
The Creative Brush & Double M Designs
http://ally21.etsy.com
Destroyed by Design
http://destroyedbydesign.bigcartel.com
Evil Little Girls
http://evillittlegirls.deviantart.com
Fatt Daddy Leather
http://fattdaddyleather.blogspot.com
GalactiCat
http://www.galacticat5.com/
Hoag’s Bags
http://hoags75.etsy.com
Houseshoe Mamas
http://houseshoemamas.com
Hypercraftive
http://www.hypercraftive.etsy.com
Iram‐Inal
http://iraminal.com
Jane Linders
http://freewebs.com/janelinders
Julie Birkemeier Photography
http://www.juliebirkemeierphoto.etsy.com
Lauren B
http://madebylaurenb.etsy.com
Lock & Key Press
http://lockandkeypress.etsy.com
Miss Lemon
http://miss‐lemon.com
Red Anvil Art
http://redanvilart.com
Rodeo Revival
http://bruk66.blogspot.com
Senora Muertos
http://senoraalegremuertos.etsy.com
Smellgood
http://smellgood.etsy.com/
Scarlett Garnet
http://scarlettgarnet.com
South City Slings
http://southcityslings.etsy.com
Squaresville
http://squaresville.etsy.com
SuperChick Studio
http://superchickstudio.com
Suzanne Shenkman Designs
http://suzanneshenkmandesigns.com
The Fancy Lamb
http://thefancylamb.etsy.com/
TwIsTeD
http://www.twistedhandmade.com
the STL CRAFT MAFIA
www.StLouisCraftMafia.com
the STL CRAFT MAFIA www.stlouiscraftmafia.com