CRAFTERNOON: A Guide to Getting All Artsy and Crafty with Your Friends All Year Long

Saturday, February 20, 2:00 – 4:00pm – Esther K. Smith!
For our first Crafternoon of 2010, we will welcome the absolutely wonderful Esther K. Smith. Esther is the author of the beloved How to Make Books,

as well as the delightful Magic Books and Paper Toys and the just-released, utterly lovely bridal DIY guide The Paper Bride. Esther will demo a few projects from her books and share her paper folding and book making wisdom with our group. As always, my wonderful co-host Jessica Pigza will pull an incredible selection of books related to all things paper, letterpress, and more.

My husband Rufus and I were lucky enough to get a tour of Purgatory Pie Press, the letterpress company Esther runs with her husband, Dikko Faust. We shot some video with them, which Rufus is diligently editing as we speak, so check back here in mid-February for a behind-the-scenes tour of an amazing crafty place.

In the meantime, go make some valentines! The big day of love is right around the corner.

My best friend, Christine Poreba, is a wonderful lady. She can craft with the best of them (I’ve been wearing the t-shirt necklace she made me for Christmas at least once a week since she gave it to me and she was my first Crafternoon co-host here in Brooklyn), she’s a gifted poet and she is a very kind and thoughtful friend. At the beginning of the month, she and her talented photographer husband, John Mann, traveled to Portland, Oregon, where John has an exhibit at PDX Contemporary. (The exhibit closes this Saturday, and I’m sure it’s fantastic, so go check it out if you are in the area.)

While they were there, they made the requisite pilgrimage to Powell’s. And there, in the craft section, on display, was Crafternoon! She took a picture to prove it to me.

It’s an honor to be featured so prominently on the fair shelves of such a famous bookstore! It makes me feel warm inside. And just today when I was looking through my iPhoto album, I came across this photo:

This is one of the covers I made for the Crafternoon book proposals I sent out so long ago now. Seeing this picture reminded me of what an amazing journey Crafternoon has been. From small parties hosted with dear friends, Crafternoon has transformed into big gatherings at one of my favorite places in all of New York City. And from ten book proposals with hand sewn, recycled denim covers (sewn with the assistance of my lovely mother), it has become a book you can buy at a wonderful place like Powell’s. It fills me with awe, and it makes me truly grateful. And it is proof that dreams can be achieved, with heart, persistence and a little help from wonderful friends.

Hope you’ll pay a visitation to Spacecraft’s ornamentation decoration station or WORD’s writer-bookstore collaboration in the beautiful Brooklyn nation!

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Saturday, December 5th: Holiday Ornament Extravaganza at SpaceCraft in Brooklyn
Time: 1:30 to 3:00
 
Join me for an afternoon making ornaments for all the things in your life that need festive decorations. We’ll be crafting up some clothespin ornaments and adorable Christmas bagels, too, in the warm and cozy Spacecraft space!
 
Location: Spacecraft, 355 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
 
Admission: $5
 
Link: http://spacecraftbrooklyn.com/
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Sunday, December 6th: WORD Holiday Open House

3-5 pm:
Lev Grossman (The Magicians)
Maura Madden (Crafternoon)
Michelle Knudsen (Dragon of Trelian and Library Lion)

The word on the event, according to WORD:

“Some of our favorite authors will hang out with us at the store,helping with gift-wrapping, recommending their favorite titles and personalizing signed copies of their books for your gift-giving needs! Get a head start on holiday shopping – join us for this festive two-day open house. Refreshments will be served.

Facebook RSVP here.

Location: Word, 126 Franklin Street, Brooklyn, NY
 
Link:     http://wordbrooklyn.indiebound.com/event/holiday-open-house-0

November and December are gearing up to be the Crafternoon-iest months of the year. I’ve got two ‘noons each month in NYC, each with a completely different theme, and all of the delightful details are below.

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Saturday, November 14th – Handmade : Crafternoon at the New York Public Library
Time:  2:00 to 4:00pm
 
November’s Handmade: Crafternoon will be all about basic book making (both sewn bindings and not). Along with my co-host, Jessica Pigza,  our special guest will be the amazing, prolific artist Mike Perry. He will share his book arts expertise, and we’ll have lots of supplies on hand to share so that you can make your own handmade book!
 
Location: Stephen A. Schwarzman Building , 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue, Margaret Liebman Berger Forum (Room #227, located in the northeast corner of the second floor)
 
Admission: FREE
 
Links:  http://handmadelibrarian.com/
http://www.mikeperrystudio.com/info
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Sunday, November 22nd: Second Annual Charitable Crafternoon at WORD
Time: 2-4pm
 
Join me for an afternoon of crafting for a good cause. Crafters of all ages are welcome to help us make Thanksgiving cards and decorations for the food pantry at the Greenpoint Reformed Church.
 
Want to do some crafty homework? Donate a handknit or crocheted hat, scarf, or pair of mittens. And we’ll have some yarn and knitting needles on hand if you need to add a few rows to a scarf or a pompom to a hat.
 
Location: Word, 126 Franklin Street, Brooklyn, NY
 
Admission: Please bring two cans of food or a handmade winter accessory to the event. And feel free to bring other snacks and beverages to share with your fellow crafters.
 
Links:  http://greenpointchurch.org/ministries/emergency-needs
            http://wordbrooklyn.wordpress.com/
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Saturday, December 5th: Holiday Ornament Extravaganza at SpaceCraft in Brooklyn
Time: 1:30 to 3:30
 
Join me for an afternoon making ornaments for all the things in your life that need festive decorations. We’ll be crafting up some clothespin ornaments and adorable Christmas bagels, too, in the warm and cozy Spacecraft space.
 
Location: Spacecraft, 355 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
 
Admission: $5
 
Link: http://spacecraftbrooklyn.com/
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Saturday, December 12th – Handmade: Crafternoon at the New York Public Library
Time: 2:00 to 4:00pm
 
Join us as we welcome Heather Ross, author of Weekend Sewing and two other textile mavens: Denyse Schmidt, author of Denyse Schmidt Quilts; and Liesl Gibson of Oliver + S, will all be on hand to talk about their creative work. And as usual, we’ll have lots of Library books to look at, as well as a spread of materials on hand so you can get started stitching if you wish.
2:00 to 4:00pm
 
Location:Stephen A. Schwarzman Building , 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue, Margaret Liebman Berger Forum (Room #227, located in the northeast corner of the second floor)
 
Admission: Free
 
Links: http://www.nypl.org/blogs/2009/09/18/december-12ths-handmade-crafternoon
 http://heatherross.squarespace.com/weekend-sewing-gallery/weekend-sewing-photos-by-john-gruen/
 http://www.dsquilts.com/
 http://oliverands.com/