Biz Buzz

Thanks to everyone involved with tonight's Baltimore Biz Ladies Meetup. Enormously helpful as anticipated. Super Special thanks to Grace of Design*Sponge, Megan & Leslie of Double Dutch(don't forget to visit them for 1st Fridays tomorrow!!!) & Kat of Gilah Press. Wonderful event, I learned a few new things, was reassured of a few old things, met some good new people, saw lots of familiar faces, and ate too many cookies. Up late working, after feeling inspired by a big AVAM room full of business gals. Still glad to be making and doing, perhaps fearing the tax man just a bit more...and most of all, grateful to have a place worth crawling out of my hole for! Go Biz Ladies!!! Go Design Sponge!!! Go Baltimore!!!
GOING TO BED!!!!

In case you didn't make it to tonight's meetup, you can find all the good stuff online HERE.

Baltimore By Hand

While this is old news to many of you, I thought I'd take one more moment to procrastinate today in between packing the last of the backorders (backordered that is, after artscape wiped me out) I thought I'd give a shout out about the new crafty blog in town. In case you didn't hear, crafter/jeweler Christy Zuccarini has taken up a new post at Baltimore Sun online and will maintain a daily (or almost) blog about Baltimore crafty craftersons (or who/whatever she darn well pleases)... sounds promising! You can read the blog HERE, and see Christy's own handiwork HERE.

To all of you lovely and patient people who ordered shirts from THIS or THIS SHOP last week, when I secretly had nothing to sell you (half kidding- it was just in the mail, on the way to our printshop, not yet with a design on it) fear not! Everything is back in stock, and will ship today or yesterday even! Attention: It's Wednesday, We're over-caffeinated, overly eager, and nearly back on track.

New things happening in the holler...

Despite the ripening smell of Hampden's overweight youngsters polluting Roosevelt Pool, and the sticky popsicle flavored heat blanketing baltimore these days, we here at Red Prairie Press are (semi)recently bathed, keeping cool(ish), and hard at work (sort of).
Check out the new Men's shirt, and two new paintings... some ladies stuff to follow too! If you've been to any craft fairs in the last 2 months, you'll have already seen the new apparel...you may even own it... but now you can see it on your computer too. NEATO!
Please note the "previous" and "next" buttons are temporarily messed up in the art section, sorry! Please be patient with us as we fix that. (you'll notice that the titles/info of the paintings are wrong, if you use these buttons to scroll through. oops!)

Call for Entries

Bowie of Print & Pattern blogging/website fame is putting out a book with top publisher laurence king and needs your submissions! The aim of the book will be to celebrate the creativity in surface design and stationery today. They'll (hopefully) feature patterns, cards, papergoods, scrapbooking, textiles, ceramics, badges, in fact anything with a great printed surface. in the USA the book will be distributed by chronicle books. if you would like to submit images for the book, view details HERE.
Deadline for submission isn't set in stone, but ideally, she'd like to get all entries in two months or earlier.

Good luck!

Biz Ladies Meetup- this thursday! RSVP!

Don't forget to RSVP for the first ever Baltimore Biz Ladies Meetup, hosted by Design*Sponge.

For more info, see my previous post! This is absolutely, 100% a do-not-miss opportunity for any woman interested in the business of... well...business. Specifically art and design, specifically woman-run and independent.
Sound good? Come out to AVAM on Thursday night. You don't have to say a word. Just listen if you'd like, or ask as many questions as you can think of!

Maryink

Don't usually post on weekends, but I missed yesterday, and this morning found something you should see if you have a spare moment. Check out this video interview of our fellow T-shirt makers, and craft fair goers, Maryink from Nashville, TN!
Wonderful people deserve wonderful videos! Also- they make great shirts, have similar inspirations, and in genereal, it's nice to see other people's studios, don't you think?
Happy Weekend!

Join Our New Mailing List!

This mailbox is from Dean's Custom Mailboxes. It's one of those things you find when you're googling something and you get sidetracked...but it's about to serve an excellent purpose! We have a new mailing list system, and need your help reorganizing! To add your name to the NEW e-list and receive (a small, limited, reasonable number of) our rants about New Tshirts, New Paintings, New Products, Sales, and craft fairs coming to your town... CLICK HERE!

If you'd prefer not to receive our emails... do anything but click HERE. Seriously. That would be catastrophic for you. Don't do it. Don't look! It's something you won't want to see. Seriously. Don't click there.

Unless you want to.

Old Pal for Sale

You know that story of the little engine that could... you know... pulling more weight than was possible for an engine of that size... over the big hill? "I think I can, I think I can..."
Well... this is sort of like that, except a press instead of an engine, and lots of tshirts, instead of a hill.
Otherwise...totally the same.

Oh, except also, we're getting rid of it.

Don't get me wrong, it's not like we don't still love it. We just want a bigger one, that will print more colors! So we're selling this old friend, which has been loyal, dependable, and good to us for almost three years. This press was my first and only purchase on Ebay, and my first step into starting a business, and quitting my last job...and if I remember correctly, part of the reason we named our business RED prairie... I LOVE this press. You know how people love their cars? It's like that.
However, sometimes you need a safer car, with better gas mileage, and you have to let go of the (beautiful) old junker that you will secretly always love more. So.....it's like that.

In happier news, this means we get to search for a new press. Anyone have one they love? We're looking for a 4-6 color, 4 station, freestanding masterpiece with enough character to sufficiently make us forget the pain of our goodbye. (Let's not use the word "replacement," when you know Old Red is irreplaceable).

Groggy Blogger

So, the cat and I are both currently on antibiotics, and we're both dragging stupidly around the house today staring into space and at each other. I'm attempting to do work, he's attempting to break the guinness book of world record for highest number of places napped in one day... only one of us is succeeding, and it's not me.
Instead of printing when I'm under the weather, I'm obsessing over these kid headbands featured on Etsy today, made by Lou and Lee. The most obnoxious comment we ever get at craft fairs is (in regards to baby onesies) "oh my GAWD you HAVE to make these for ADULTS. Why don't you? they would totally sell" (it's that last part that gets me just a tad.... the countless helpful hints from others who do NOT, when given the chance, ACTUALLY purchase the things they are demanding. This is the most negative I might ever be on this blog... but being exhausted, and coming from a three day marathon of helpful hints...they are fresh on my mind). That rant spoken, I will be a complete hypocrite and say...I would TOTALLY buy one of these for myself. i wonder how far they stretch?
Though it would look way more adorable on someone smaller, cuter, and less sick than I. Luckily, I think I know just the little lady for the job...

Some Blurry Artscape Memories

Thanks to everyone that came out to artscape this weekend. We had so much fun in the Charm City Craft Mafia booth meeting all of you and wilting gracefully with each other. Thank you for buying shirts during a recession, and for telling me that you read this blog. It means far more than you know... and most of all, it ensures that I feel obligated to put more on here!
Anyway, despite the heat, we met some wonderful people, saw a few of the shows that opened on Thursday night, including the midway, the sondheim semi-finals, Penned, and the outdoor lounge- which included my favorite sculpture at artscape: the pants ramp, and did some of the best people watching we've had all year! I came home Sunday night exhausted and happy to be back in Baltimore again after our two week stint in NH earlier this month (really... more details to come, i swear).
Although it steals our soul and beats us over the head with a nasty sunburn every year, we LOVE LOVE LOVE that artscape happens here in Baltimore. It's the largest free arts festival in the COUNTRY, and brings out thousands of people that would otherwise have not seen our shirts. This year, it also included so many familiar faces with the addition of the DIY and Midway sections that it felt like Baltimore might just have borrowed our souls this year instead of stealing them.... and used them to decorate.
(SAY WHAT?) In conclusion, What a cool city we live in, I wish I had seen even more of artscape, you are all heroes for braving the heat and sweaty crowds.

A bit of a sad Update: my favorite sculpture, The Pants Ramp, was accidentally destroyed in the take-down of artscape on Sunday night. Go HERE for more information, and to show support for all of the people that built the ramp in the hottest days of summer. It was slotted to be up for a whole year, but was partially torn apart. There is word of a rebuild though. You should help! what else are you gonna do!?

Biz Ladies Meetup- BALTIMORE!!!!!!

We at Charm City Craft Mafia are ELATED to announce that Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge fame will be coming to Baltimore in less than two weeks to do a Biz Ladies Meetup. These events are, if you can't tell from the title, an exclusively female thang. However, having been to one in Portland, OR, I can tell you they are INCREDIBLY helpful and worthwhile. Speakers are to be announced soon, but there will be some advice on running (and even starting) a small business, tax and legal organization, consigning/presenting products for wholesale relationships with shops, etc.
Ladies of all levels of knowledge on any of these things should feel welcome to come. It's free, and fun, and not intimidating at all. Come meet the other renegade women in the area, eat some snacks, and drink some drinks.
Best of all? GET INSPIRED AND MOTIVATED by your fellow biz ladies!!

DATE: Thursday, July 31st
TIME: 6:30pm- 8:30pm
LOCATION: american visionary art museum, 800 key highway (click here for directions)
RSVP: email here with subject line "BALTIMORE RSVP"
BRING: biz ladies meetups are a pot-luck affair so bring a small snack with you or a drink (ie: a liter of soda or a bag of cookies), a notebook (you'll want to take notes- i promise), your sweet self!

Photos without Explanations

(from Nogeeshik & Angie respectively, on their trips to the shire)

Artscape Is Coming!

In case you've been living with your head in the dirt,
ARTSCAPE- Baltimore's biggest arts festival is this weekend in Bolton Hill/Mt. Vernon. Throughout the weekend, there will be countless performances, happenings, installations and things to see, purchase, eat, participate in, wear, gawk at. Craft Mafia is proud to have helped with the new DIY section of "new wave" craft; Red Prairie Press is happy to be a part of the CCCM booth IN that section. Phil is happy to be a part of the new "Midway" section of installation and performance art on Charles Street (Jenny's "Belly of the Beast" and Kelley's "Hydra" sculptures pictured above are just 2 of a great number of things not to be missed. We also recommend Phil's "Sneak-a-Peep" and Kristen's "Thunderupagus")

here are a few things I think you should consider attending:

TOMORROW, July 17th
-Sondheim Prize* Semi-Finalist Exhibition Opening in the Decker & Meyerhoff Galleries (fox building) at MICA 6-8pm (I'll have paintings on display)
-Midway Show Opening on Charles St. (Phil will be there with his "Sneak-a-Peep" Machine)

FRIDAY, July 18th- SUNDAY, July 20th
- Exhibitor booths open
- Brand new this year, DIY at Artscape debuts. Charm City Craft Mafia (and Red Prairie Press) will take part!
- Art Cars appear
- Fried Food Abounds
- Performances (both music and art) throughout the weekend
- Fashion Shows

*Also, speaking of the Sondheim prize, we were sorry to have missed the announcement of the winner, but wanted to send out ecstatic congratulations and cheers for winner Geoff Grace. Couldn't have been given to a nicer guy, and I'm pretty thrilled to see what he comes up with this year! If you haven't already, Go check out the Finalist show at BMA. Not to be missed!

Back in Action

what a hard post to write.
oh dear.
i'm going to burst into a happy weeping ball of sloppy tears if i talk too much about our wedding. Also, i might actually explode trying to recreate it in my head. I've never been so happy, and I've never been so deliciously exhausted.

Might I offer that before this week, never before did anyone experience love or fun? Seriously. Not like this. I'm certain of it.
I love my wonderful family, I love my outstandingly talented friends, I love their friends, and their families, I love New Hampshire, and Maine and most of all... I love my husband.

More to come. Much much more. (so much you'll be sick of hearing about it, and perhaps stop reading this blog even).
For now I will say that we are safely home from our trip to New England, and back in full swing of chaos. We will need a while to upload, scan and retrieve photos from everyone who took them, and process everything that's happened. In the meantime, I've stolen this photo of our wedding ceremony from my friend Nicole.

Lots of things to look forward to this week in baltimore. Artscape is Friday-Sunday in Mt. Vernon, and a number of my paintings (some of them new!) are in the Sondheim Semi-Finalist show at the Fox Building at MICA, which opens thursday night 6-8pm.

Talk to you soon!