The Makanda Spring Fest this Weekend!!

Finally the weather in Southern Illinois is nice enough to be outside every day!

This weekend, another event is happening. In Makanda, IL on the Boardwalk, the Makanda Spring Fest will be in full swing. Saturday and Sunday all day. Featuring live music, roasted, candied almonds and pecans (mouth watering...), and of course fun arts and crafts. Usually a very eclectic mix of hand made and then some not so hand made. But check out the shops...

The Trading Post for incense and gifty items
The ever adorable Dayshift for all hand sewn purses, clothing, baby items, and some vintage. This shop is absolutely amazing, and you should surely take a trip there and visit soon!!! See Mary HERE!!
The Smelly Hippie for your tie dyes and hippie gear
and Visions for glass jewelry, paintings, and other nice quality art.

So, come and support local artists and see some locals!!

Next Weekend!! May 1-3 Many Important Events!!!

First off, if you have forgotten, the Paducah, KY Quilt Show is happening this weekend. So check it out if you haven't already. Also this weekend, there were tons of great garage sales happening today. (I had fun, I will tell you...). There was a sale at the SIUC Arena Parking Lot, more of a flea market. This year, the prices were fortunately LOWER than last year. Found lots of goodies there too.

So, for next weekend, there are a couple events so far...

My event at Eastern Illinois University called Celebration is happening May 2-3. The event takes place from about 10-4 each day. Saturday, there's a free concert following the event. I have been keeping busy with creating goodies, and hope to post pictures if people let me take them.
(find info in the page margin to the right------>)

Next, there is the Carbondale DAWF (Downtown Art n Wine Festival) I will unfortunately miss the first session, but there are two more sessions this year.
(find info in the page margin to the right------>)

Any more events, let me know in a comment below...

Art Walk and Magazine - Carbondale, IL

On May 2nd from 7-10PM, Carbondale will host the second annual Art Around the Square event in which establishments all over Carbondale invite visitors to view and purchase art by regional artists.



Faculty member, Gregory Wendt will be one of those artists. His work will appear at “The Tree house” 104 ½ East Jackson , on the corner of Washington .



You can preview some of his work, as well as that of others from The Tree house at: http://magcloud.com/browse/Issue/14480. Click the “preview” button to peruse the magazine. (BTW – this is a very cool tool our students and faculty should know about).



For more info and a list of artists and venues also check out: http://www.artaroundthesquare.com Historic Town Square Business Coalition and HeartlandArts.Net

Soap Displays {by SANTO SABÃO} by Beth Bacchini

This soap maker has an amazing sense of packaging her items. The packaging on them makes them so professional-looking. It also brands her items and lets people know that they either work well together, or that they are all from her own creations. Her colors are all clean and subtle, and earthy too!
Please visit her on flickr HERE...

The Black Spot Books Schedule of Events for 2009

Here are the shows that this cool etsy artist has or will be attending this year...
See her website here...
3 April 2009
FIRST FRIDAY FASHION FAIR! Featuring such Etsy sellers as: Lollycrisp Vintage, The Black Spot Books, Warsaw, Konane, Goldmine Vintage, and more!

http://www.facebook.com/wall.php?id=1601766725&banter_id=1347784159#/event.php?eid=72170006423&ref=share

21 April just before 6am on Action News (channel 6) there will be a 90 second feature on my books!

25 April 2009
a festival by the river YAY! hoots and hellmouth and trolly rides and loads of goodness!
http://www.fishtownshadfest.org/

May/June Photography at The Memphis Taproom

16 May 2009
A wacky event upon the cobblestoned streets of Kensington wherein people create curious bicycle sculpture and ride over a lump of dirt!!! Oh yeah, and there will also be artists of all kinds decorating the rest of the street!
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=50058035851&ref=ts

30-31 May 2009
Art Star Craft Bazaar
http://www.artstarphilly.com/
sharing with warsaw.etsy.com

4-6 June 2009
Philadelphia Center for the Book Hybrid book gathering bit.
http://www.philadelphiacenterforthebook.org/activities.html

6,7 June 2009
Renegade Craft Fair
http://www.renegadecraft.com/brooklyn-artists?site=bk
sharing with anne arden macdonald ardent1.etsy.com

Thanks to this lovely and pro-active lady, I found this great video she put together. See her photostream here...

BagItDesigns Upcoming Show Schedule

MAY 9-10 ALAMEDA, CA - MOTHER'S DAY SHOW
MAY 16-17 OAKDALE, CA - CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL
JUNE 6-7 WALNUT CREEK, CA - WINE & ART FESTIVAL
JUNE 27-28 SAN ANSELMO, CA - WINE & ART FESTIVAL
JULY 3-5 PRESCOTT, AZ - PRESCOTT RODEO DAYS
SEPT 12-13 LITTLE FALLS, MN - ARTS & CRAFTS SHOW
SEPT 18-20 WISCONSIN DELLS, WI - WO-ZHA-WA ARTS & CRAFTS FAIR

They really seem to have a great show schedule. They opened their etsy shop in March of 2009, so please take a look at their HUGE INVENTORY!! Believe me, they have more under their belts than what these 2 images depict. Visit them HERE...

"We are three sisters, with studios in three different locations, working together to produce bags and accessories from hundreds of unique fabrics. Each bag is handcrafted by one of us from patterns we have created. All of our bags are lined with carefully selected coordinating fabrics.

WE ARE A GREAT SOURCE FOR UNIQUE GIFTS. We have a large inventory of novelty themed fabrics, so if you know someone who’s “into” something (aren’t we all?) we probably have a fabric for that special interest. If we don’t have it in stock, we’ll know where to get it."