Will you be caught dead?

You may already be planning to hit up Oceanside's fifth annual street fair in celebration of Dia de los Muertos. While you are down there, take some shelter from the sun and head down Artist's Alley, between Pierview and Mission Ave, where the Oceanside Craft Mafia will be hosting it's first annual craft fair and trunk show in conjunction with the holiday. Plan on being wow'd by members' handmade products. Find original items including jewelry, pottery, hand made cards, baby goods, and much, much more. And, though it may seem early, time does fly and this is a great way to kick off your holiday shopping and support your local economy.

The Oceanside Craft Mafia's Trunk Show is Saturday, November 1st from 7 to 9:30 pm. The Trunk Show booth space is by reservation only and will feature drinks, appetizers, and of course fabulous hand made goods. For information contact info@oceansidecraftmafia.com. Not down for the late night shopping? Find the same great vendors on Sunday, Nov 2nd from 10 am to 2 pm. Follow the chalk art and live music or just map it. Artist's Alley is located at 212 N. Coast Hwy, Unit D, enter through the alley, in Oceanside, CA.

The Oceanside Craft Mafia is a culmination of jewelers, paper crafters, potters and stitchers.  The group embraces the morals and creative achievements of the members of the Austin Craft Mafia (www.craftmafia.com), who began the now national crafters organization.
 
In addition to offering moral support to one another, the OCM works together to creatively market their individual companies and products.  By pooling resources they are able to help one another become more successful in an inundated indie craft market.  It's as much about being a family as it is building business. They rely on one another to inspire, assist and care for one another, and always adhering to strict personal and business ethics.  
 
The real glue that brings this group together is the hope to personalize the consumer market.  We literally have the world’s market to shop from thanks to the World Wide Web.  But so many of our options are impersonal and mass produced.  The OCM supports hand-made and artisan products and believes strongly that they are better made and life enriching.

For more information about the Oceanside Craft Mafia and it's members please visit: www.oceansidecraftmafia.com

Wear Your Ride Well!

I am very enamored with the new breed of eco-crafter. So much fabulous junk exists in this world and it is just begging to be re-fashioned. Alicia and Brad of Hi Octane Jewelry are no exception to this excellence in recycled craft.

The hot rod inspired jewelry Alicia and Brad create begins from drawings which they then make into molds. The final sterling silver products are divine! But from my view, that of the obsessive recycler, their best jewelry is made from old car parts. Using emblems from cars that now spend their golden years in junk yards and scrap heaps, they clean each old car emblem carefully. They then attach hardware to the emblem so it can relive its days of glory on the open road, only now, it rides around your neck! Each necklace is completely handmade, recycled, and finely finished. Really, what more could you possible want!?! So maybe your first love was a Mustang, or even a Buick (don't worry, I won't tell); what better way to commemorate the former 4-wheels of your heart than to wear a piece of it around your neck.

You can see all of Hi Octane Jewelry's designs on their site. But you may want to contact them to see what car emblems they have in stock.

http://www.hioctanejewelry.com/

Renegade: We heart you!

Wow! Renegade showed us how a craft fair should be! This weekend was fabulous. Alicia & Brad of Hi Octane Jewelry and myself (Leah of Peez & Ques) had a great time in San Francisco while participating in the first annual west coast Renegade Craft Fair. We arrived back in Oceanside last night around 4 am. It may be sleep deprivation, but I'd like to think this giddy fuzzy feeling in my head is the crafty high I'm still feeling from two days of creative bliss!


The vendors who joined us at the for the event were really quite outstanding. So much creativity, quality and attention to detail. There were handmade and naturalbody products by Biggs & Featherbelle, hand sewns satchels by Blissful, representation by the Los Angeles and Sacramento Craft Mafias and topped off with veggie burgers and vegan almond icecream! Really so much talent. If you haven't already, cruise by the Renegade website and browse its vendors' websites.

And, just when we thought we could love the Renegade event any more, they brought in the band. Not just any band...Mucca Pazza, a punk inspired marching band. By the way Mucca Pazza, I think we are all very curious what your rehearsals must be like. I'm guessing organized, fantastic chaos... you must You Tube that for us!!!

To all the vendors at Renegade, it was an absolute pleasure. You were all superb, and friendly to boot! I do hope to bump into you all again soon!

Enjoy these pics from Alicia and Leah of the Oceanside Craft Mafia: