Shop handmade, get crafty, and support a local charity in one fell swoop this weekend at Shop Crafty, presented by The Lone Star Ladies. Shop Crafty replaces the Ladies' annual Shop Austin show, and while it still features their signature hand-selected vendors, there's a bigger emphasis on getting crafty for vendor and shopper alike. more ›

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Fashion, art and music collide this Friday at the Mohawk for the first ever Pixel Pop event. The brainchild of From the Mind of Adi, Electric Promotions and Team Fabrication, Pixel Pop is a fusion of live fashion, visual art, comic books and local music. more ›

Jennifer Perkins and her fabulously kitschy line of jewelry, Naughty Secretary Club, have long been synonymous with all things Austin and all things craft. Along with her fellow Austin Craft Mafia members, Jennifer helped pioneer the diy resurgence and put Austin on the map as the craft mecca that it is today. Jennifer talked to the Austinist about this weekend's event and filled us in on what we'll see from NSC (And the other Craft Mafia ladies), why she's so excited for Renegade in Austin, and what she'll be picking up for herself in between demos at the Stitch Lab and selling wares at her booth. more ›

BabyBolt is a super-hip children's clothing-and-accessories line run out of Austin. Becka Spellman, the line's creator and designer, began making her own baby clothes after receiving too many baby blue bibs and booties. Becka took a break from stitching up some creations to tell us about BabyBolt's history, what she's excited about seeing this weekend, and how'd she'd look in a handmade cape. more ›

Figs and Ginger is an eco-friendly jewelry company from Asheville, NC, run by Elijah and Rhonda Wyman. Their sterling silver jewelry has attracted attention for sweet and simple designs as well as their eco practices. They are seasoned Renegade vendors, and took a moment to share some details with us - including their love for the open road, Renegade Craft fair, and sustainable living. more ›

Bicycles, smiling faces, roosters and lidded eyelids are just a few of the illustrations that grace the pottery from Chicago based Circa Ceramics. The duo creates lovely, functional ceramic pieces with an added twist - a screen printed image that has been fire glazed for added staying power. We grabbed Circa Ceramics before they headed down to Austin to get the scoop on their background, their favorite type of clay and what they'll be spending their hard earned dollars on this weekend. more ›

No canvas is too small for Austin jewelry designer Christy Klug. In fact, in her most recent work Klug draws directly onto enamel before casting and setting the handmade "stone" into intricately designed precious metal findings. Klug's work, which is available in galleries across the country, is bold and modern without being garish. Her love of jewelry design flourished after studying stained glass at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Revisiting her fine art credentials, Klug is among 900 artists participating in Arthouse's FIVE x SEVEN art show and sale taking place this week. more ›

Based out of Austin, Squid Ink Kollective is a screen printing shop run by Brian Maclaskey and Lynnea Edwards. They sell their fabulous designs printed on hoodies, linens, tees, totes and more - their way of making art accessible to everyone. The shop offers high quality screen printed items at affordable prices, but it's their cheeky sense of play that really makes their work stand out. We got a chance to talk to Brian about the history of Squid Ink Kollective, CatTaurs and the exciting and interactive item they'll have at their booth this weekend. more ›

Next weekend marks the first ever Renegade Craft Fair here in Austin. The renowned craft fair, which is recognized as one of the major players in the craft renaissance, started with events in Brooklyn and Chicago in 2003, and has since expanded to nationwide DIY dominance and even a brick-and-mortar store. Thousands flock to these events to see some of the best work from the indie craft world - crafty superstars from across the country will be showcased alongside some of Austin's finest. more ›

If you're looking for a way to spend that well deserved tax refund, look no further than the Lone Star Ladies Present: Shop Austin event. Back in its second year at Saengerrunde Hall (located in downtown Austin next to Sholz Garten), the event boasts over fifty local vendors, purveying all the handmade goodies your heart could desire. more ›

Each year there seem to be more craft fairs and art bazaars offering their locally, handmade goodness as an alternative to the mall shopping scene. We're certainly not complaining - it's hard for us to find holiday joy in line at Wal-Mart on X-mas Eve. We'll be bringing you more details about upcoming holiday art fairs in the coming weeks - until then, check out our rundown of the crafty happenings taking place this weekend. more ›

There are many skills your average crafter possesses. Decoupage. Knitting. Some light carpentry. But if there's one thing every crafter knows how to do, it's hustle, y'all. Case in point? Etsy.com, a ginormous online catalog of handmade creations. Open since 2005, Etsy allows entrepreneurial crafters from all over to set up shop on the interwebs. And in October of 2008, our fair city got its very own street team: Etsy Austin. You can check out these ladies, and their stationary-making/metal-fabricating/hat-stitching compatriots this weekend during the East Austin Studio Tour, at Smith Studios on 1406 Smith Road (stop 60 on the tour map). more ›

It's the type of thing indie film dreams are made of: four girls, all crafters, long to open their own craft studio. Girls pool their money for an Airstream trailer. Girls move in with crafts. Girls take "craft trailer" on the road, teaching children and adults alike the joys of coil baskets, stampmaking and bookbinding. (Shhh - did you hear that sound? That's the sound of Drew Barrymore purchasing film rights!) The WonderCraft is the real-life lovechild of Austin crafty ladies Beth Hempton, Albrecht, Jen Bryan and Kim Sae-Eua, whose mobile craft trailer "Stella" makes her debut this year at East Austin Studio Tour. Stella will be parked at 628 Allen St. as guests of Courtney Gray/Creative Side Jewelry Academy (stop 45 on the E.A.S.T. map). more ›

Bonnie Rue is the type of gal you wanted to be BFF's with at summer camp. The one who snuck copies of Sassy into chapel, the one with a forearm covered in lanyards and friendship bracelets, the one making zines out of photos and Xeroxed leaves. In short, Bonnie is the type of gal who would one day grow up and create Model Citizen, a line of T-shirts, dresses, hoodies, yoga wear, jewelry and accessories emblazoned with funky, punky iconography. Think screaming tigers, pink guns, gooey cupcakes, vintage sewing machines - basically, where the lethal and the domestic intersect. Bonnie's opening her home and studio, located at 1304 East Cesar Chavez Suite A (#17 on the EAST map), for the East Austin Studio Tour. Visitors will be able to scope out her wares and even do some early holiday shopping. more ›

Fall is here and we know you're still struggling to decide between renting that sexy witch costume or using last year's sexy black cat costume. Consider a more creative option, and head over to Mixx on Saturday night for Electric Promotions and Twogroove's Mixx Make: Pre-Halloween Craftacular. The productive party will feature opportunities to make masks with help from the WonderCraft, using among other things, decorations from Sublime Stitching. Costumes of some sort are encouraged, and photographer Trevor Ray Thompson will be there with a photo-booth to document everyone's haunting garb. If you show up hungry, consider entering the gummy bat and worm eating contest - the winner will take home VIP passes to Flip Scene's Halloween Bash at the Mohawk. more ›

In 2006, photographer and craft fair founder Faythe Levine traveled to fifteen cities to interview the crafty movers and shakers around the country. At the end of her trip, she had enough material for a movie and book. Levine's documentary, Handmade Nation, is premiering in Austin at the Alamo Drafthouse this Sunday. A weekend-long celebration of all things hand-crafted begins on Saturday with a book signing at Domy Books. Levine will be accompanied by a number of artists who are featured in Handmade Nation including the fabulous Whitney Lee, who has perfected the art of latch-hook porn (slightly NSFW). more ›

Fledgling event producers The Lone Star Ladies are organizing Shop Austin!, an independent craft, design, and art showcase that will take place on Saturday at Saengerrunde Hall. Participating vendors include jewelry artist Christine Terrell of Adaptive ReUse, belt buckle creator Lucy Blue, and mixed media and fine art painter Sarah Fox. The event will hopefully fill some of the void left by the temporary disbanding of the fabulous Stitch craft and fashion show (please come back soon!). This weekend's Shop Austin! will feature over thirty vendors, complimentary facials, a cupcake cafe from Hey Cupcake!, food from Greenling, and chair massages. more ›

The second annual Maker Faire is taking place at the Travis County Fairgrounds this October. The event, which features all things hand made, crafted, and engineered, relies on local do-it-yourself-ers to show up and show off their projects. The professional tinkerers behind Craft and Make magazines are currently accepting project submissions for the event. Maker Faire is a showcase for projects in many arenas including science, art, craft, engineering, food, music, and green technology with a focus on interactive exhibits that emphasize the process of making things. The deadline to enter is Thursday, September 4th, so start polishing up your Tesla Coil, dusting your fleet of crocheted creatures, and taking pictures of your art car. Proposals can be filled out online, and selected Makers will be notified by September 18th. more ›