If you’ve ever thought, "How nuts would it be to have bands, crafts, and even live puppetry (because why not) all at the same time?" then head on over to Lucy the Poodle's CRAFT NITE! at Skinny's Ballroom tomorrow night. more ›

If you mixed together the things that make Austin great - music, food, crafts, and tech - you might get something close to the Bleet-Up. more ›

Some jewelry is worn once and relegated to be forgotten in the bottom of a treasure chest, but this is not the case for Kelly Hankamer's Twinkle Tooth Designs. Equal parts vintage inspired and uber-modern, Hankamer uses original molds and high-quality materials to create jewelry that pushes beyond basic hook-and-eye, pendant necklaces. In fact, we like to think of it as wearable art. E.A.S.T. affords you a rare opportunity to get inside not only the trained jewelry maker's studio, but also inside her head as she showcases works-in-progress, original design blue prints and completed pieces at her workplace inside Doghouse Studios. more ›

There are many great art related happenings taking place all around town this weekend, here are a few of the highlights... On Saturday evening, Domy Books is celebrating yet another opening in their gallery space. This time around, local stitcher extraordinaire, Jenny Hart, is presenting a new exhibit of drawings based on year-book photos from her small town high school. The pencil line portraits are decorated with embroidery-like embellishes, suggestive of Hart's work with her company, Sublime Stitching. Saturday's reception is free and starts at 7pm. more ›

The fifth annual "Art in the Garden" spring show and sale takes place this weekend, just in time to pick up some handmade Mother's Day gifts. Presented by the Handmade Austin Women collective, this family friendly event boasts an eclectic and high quality mix of craftmanship including milliner and clothing designer Chia, ceramic work from Melanie Schopper and unique handmade jewelry from Jaime Jo Fisher, among others. In addition to handpicked artisans, attendees can enjoy marionette matinees and musical performances throughout the day. more ›

• Heartbreaking story from San Antonio, where a mother told the police, “I just killed my babies.” The boys were 1 and 3 years old.
• Yikes! Former coach, teacher, school board member in La Porte, Texas has been accused of allegedly downloading and sharing hundreds of images of child pornography, some of children perhaps as young as 2 years-old.
• A report on that Tuesday town hall meeting about the future of UT’s Cactus Cafe.

For all of us who like to run with scissors, the impending arrival of The WonderCraft is exciting enough to make us put down our glue guns and celebrate. The WonderCraft will host craft classes through out Austin at various locations including cafes, stores, and community centers. On Friday, The WonderCraft is celebrating their launch with The All Austin All Handmade Bash at the Beauty Bar. Proceeds from the $2 cover go to Austin Dog Rescue and the first 100 guests will get a tote filled with goodies from Sublime Stitching, The WonderCraft, Funky Finds, Aldea, and others. more ›

Like the myriad of exhibitors at the year's Maker Faire, the arts and crafts offerings will be far from ordinary. At the center of all the craftiness, Swap-O-Rama-Rama will give everyone a chance to become a fashion designer. Anyone attending Maker Faire is encouraged to bring a bag of clothes to alter, modify, or exchange at the Swap. Local designers will be helping out with sewing stations, on site screenprinting, and all manner of clothing mod tricks. There will even be a Swap-O-Rama-Rama reuse fashion show. more ›

This year's SXSW Music lineup seems to be taking shape a bit more quickly than last year, as bands have taken it upon themselves to announce showcases publicly before the official list release by SX organizers. This is a departure from prior years, but since festival officials aren't complaining, we assume they're happy to let the hype build as the acts trickle in. This week's top twelve additions: more ›

Image from Ringo Deathstarr’s MySpace It’s no secret that Austin is home to one of the most prolific artistic scenes in the country, Live Music Capital of the World or not. Any weekend in the city promises a number of day time occurences and a plethora of evening events. A quick browse through this weekend’s notifications leads one to fun activities for the kids at The Flying Theater Machine’s Wang Dang Doodle Hour or a... more ›

Division Day Beartrap Island (Eenie Meanie) Formed in Santa Cruz in 2001, Division Day honed their craft in a small sound-proofed bedroom. They put together an EP, The Mean Way In, in 2005, and have earned a bit of blogosphere recognition since then thanks to their catchy indie pop hooks and knack for a good cover song. Beartrap Island, their first full-length, is full of toe-tapping, old fashioned sing-a-long start and stop rock'n'roll that... more ›

If you missed out on the initial deadline to participate in this year's inaugural Maker Faire Austin festival, you're in luck! The event organizers have set a new deadline of Thursday, September 6, thereby affording you a comfortable two and a half weeks to come up with your very own zany creation. For an idea of what to expect, the MAKE blog highlights some of the inventions recently previewed at Austin Children's Museum, including hyperbolic... more ›

Maker Faire, the annual Bay Area festival that revels in Do-It-Yourself (DIY) ingenuity, is expanding to Austin this year. The two-day, family-friendly event will showcase some of the coolest shit—arts, crafts, wickedly geeky science projects—you've never seen in your life; think Dorkbot but hulked out. What else would you expect from a festival organized by the staffs of Make and Craft magazines? If you're a "Maker" and are interested in showing off your zany (or... more ›

As you make those New Year's resolutions, you may wonder how to get more involved in the Austin community for 2007. January is National Mentoring Month, and one way to mentor here in Austin is through a volunteer teaching position at Citizen Schools. The Boston-based nonprofit arrived in Austin last year, and helps children in lower-income middle schools to prepare for the rigors of high school and college. They've already won 2006 and 2007 Fast... more ›

I swear, the last few previews are the hardest to write. It's not that I'm having trouble with them, it's just that I have SO much other stuff to do - shopping, packing, making sure I'm well-rested enough to cope with three days of non-stop awesomeness and the scorching heat that comes along with it. But my flight leaves tomorrow, so I promise I'll have the last few previews up by tomorrow morning when... more ›

New music by Cursive, Kelis, Amy Millan, and more more ›

Think crafts are for Girl Scouts and grandmothers? Leah Kramer wants you to think again. Leah combined her computer programming skills with her love of off-beat crafts to create Craftster, an online community for those who like to dress their irony in glitter. Think crocheted pirates and pot-holder couture. Leah will share her crafty goodness tonight at the Work*Shop, where she’ll discuss her new book, The Craftster Guide to Nifty, Thrifty, and Kitschy Crafts. She... more ›

Summer doesn’t officially start for a couple more weeks, but the lazy, hazy days are already upon us. Time to unfurl the beach blankets and unpack the frisbees. But what about the (rare) rainy days? Or the days when even a dip at Barton Springs can’t beat the heat and you don’t dare leave the comfy confines of your air-conditioned home? Those are the days to stay inside and revisit your summer-camp youth with some arts and crafts. A slew of new books aimed at the hip crafter offer heaps of ideas to keep you a happy camper. more ›