Spotlight on Coyan Decor!

The Cotillion is proud to showcase the newest venture for one of the hot members!
Check out Megan Coyan and her new line Coyan Decor on Columbus Underground!.

Local designer and Parsons School of Design graduate Megan Coyan is launching a line of high-end woven fabric for home interiors that’s made in the good ol’ USA.

Coyan Décor’s debut collection, called Ironwork, is lightweight cotton upholstery fabric featuring bold colors that pop against a rich ebony warp yarn.

“The patterns were influenced by ironwork in fencing, gates, churches, etc.,” said Coyan. “I’ve been photographing ironwork on my travels since I was a teenager. I have always loved the strong lines and curves created by such a dark, hard metal, and I’ve translated that strength into a far warmer, softer medium...”
Read the rest here about Megan's amazing effort to create these great fabrics.

Definitely something to keep your eye out for! You can also check out more of Megan's beautiful scarves & other wares on her Etsy Site!

Viewfinder!

What happens when you combine the Junctionview Open House with our Annual Holiday Craft extravaganza? Viewfinder!
Junctionview Studios has invited the Crafty Cotillion to come and play, creating a one of a kind event that features handmade goods, fine art on the walls, and open studios throughout the building.
More details coming soon.

"BIG" at Lindsay Gallery!

Hey, crafties! Come see some art knitting!

Cotillion member Alissa (that's me) is having a show with the amazing Morris Jackson! Please come! It will be a par-tay!


You can RSVP on Facebook!

Craftin' Outlaws CU Podcast!

Check out this podcast from ColumbusUnderground.com about the upcoming Craftin' Outlaws show. These ladies did a great job of organizing and promoting the event and I hope everyone is getting excited!

Handmade Expo!

Crafty Cotillion Members Featured in Crafts Report!

We are so excited that Crafty Cotillion members Olivera (Wholly Craft), AmyD, Alissa (Creatrix Jane/Liberty Handknits), Emily (Umbrella Girl Productions) and Amy N. (Sweet Stella Designs) are featured in July's Crafts Report magazine! Writer Nancy LaFever did an excellent job of capturing a

 slice of the alt-craft scene in Columbus. 

Can you believe that the Crafty Cotillion has been hanging out and talking about making things for over 2 years?! It seems like just yesterday we had out first meet-up in the back room of the Surly Girl Saloon, having drinks and sharing ideas about our craft and how to build a sense of community. 

Now, the Crafty Cotillion has some amazing national exposure! We hope that folks will take note of what we're doing here in Columbus and apply it to their city or hometown. 

You can check out the article here, although you may need to purchase an online subscription to see the magazine in its entirety. 

A Craft Revolution!

Check out the article about some of Columbus' hip crafters in the Life & Arts section of today's Dispatch! Also noteworthy is the additional info about upcoming indie craft events in Columbus. This has been a great week in the press for the Crafty Cotillion!

It's refreshing to see that publications such as the Dispatch take note of the independent stuff happening around our city and really see the value in it. Hopefully, articles like these will turn more people on to the idea of buying local, handmade products.

Our Crafty Pals Did It Again!

Just wanted to say congrats to Wholly Craft and What the Rock, who, for the second year in a row, won votes in Columbus ALIVE's annual Best of Columbus poll. What the Rock won for "Best Gift Shop" and Wholly Craft snagged the "Best Craft Store" category.

In addition, Rivet was a runner-up in the "Best Gift Shop" category and our favorite local hang-out the Surly Girl Saloon won the "Best Bar Food" category.

Keep supporting those awesome local businesses!

craftin' showdown

Since 2005 artist and crafter, not to mention Cotillion member, Liz Rosino, aka Lucky Kat, founded Craftin' Outlaws.
Columbus's first alternative craft fair as a platform for selling her unique product line of rockabilly style clothing and hand painted decor.
4 years later, her brainchild for bringing independent handmade wares to the Columbus masses has grown by leaps and bounds.
Craftin' Outlaws has grown so large that Liz chose to make the move from Skully's to BOMA, (bar of modern art) to better accommodate her 60 vendors and the hundreds if not thousands who come annually to shop and support our craft community.
In doing so, Skully's has moved in on what Liz has worked so hard to create
By starting what they are calling their "4th annual alternative craft fair". The flier distributed to
promote this event is even reusing the same font used these past 4 years by Craftin' Outlaws, and mimicking the application from last years show.
So please don't be confused.
There is still only one true independent 4th annual craft show in town.
Show your support and help spread the word.

Crafty Vendors at COMFEST 2008!

Ah, it's almost Comfest time again! And you know what that means...beer, tasty food, live music, good vibes, and the one-of-a-kind vendors that criss-cross their way through Goodale Park in Columbus from June 27th-29th.

While you are navigating through the seemingly endless sea of tents with people selling their wares (with a beer in one hand and a turkey leg or a veggie dog in the other!), make sure to stop by these booths for some quality unique & handmade items created with love!

Wholly Craft!
Etsy Team Columbus (MooganCreations, Sweet Stella Designs, Mara M., Jewels of Luxury, Miss Megan Mac, Out of the Pink Sky Designs, Arteest, Gems by Jules, Adornables by Lyn)
Mary Martineau
Lucky Kat
Mary Moon
Starfish Designs
Umbrella Girl Productions & TakeWrning
What The Rock!?
Rivet Gallery
Chop Chop Gallery

Crafting For A Cause!

On the evening of May 15, Rachel Widomski was seriously injured by a hit-and-run driver outside of Haiku restaurant. Rachel’s severe spinal cord injuries will leave her paralyzed for life. Please join us in a city-wide fundraising effort to help support Rachel and her family during her long road to recovery.

We have set up an Etsy shop called HaikuHelp where we will be selling handmade goods from crafters in Columbus. 100% of the proceeds will benefit the Rachel Widomski Medical Trust fund.

For more info or to hear Rachel's story, please visit haikuhelp.com.

If you would like to contribute your handmade item to the HaikuHelp Etsy shop, please contact AmyD or Amy N.

Best of Columbus!

Congrats to the following Crafty Cotillion folks for their Best of Columbus 2008 wins in the Columbus ALIVE:

Best Bar Food: Surly Girl Saloon
(our favorite spot!)

Best Gift Shop: What the Rock!?

Best Craft Store: Wholly Craft!

And, for scoring multiple honorable mentions:
Runner up for Best Art Gallery/Best New Store: Rivet

City Sampler: Columbus

City Sampler: Columbus (a special version of The Sampler) will feature items exclusively from crafters, DIYers and awesome businesses from Columbus and the surrounding area!

The Sampler is going local! We're creating samplers that focus on business from specific cities, towns, and regions! Along with the samples, we'll be providing all kinds of fun and interesting information and materials about the cities we're featuring!

The Sampler has spent the last three years distributing the very best handmade and indie communities have to offer. It has been really great collecting items from artists, crafters, musicians, and alternative publications all over the US, and the world! Now we'd like to try to go local - and we'd like you to be a part of it!

City Sampler: Columbus will be a new and fun way to experience both the city and The Sampler. We'd like to invite you to send us samples of your work or your product along with some promotional items, so that we can distribute them to people who are interested in supporting local businesses!

There are many benefits to contributing to the Sampler, and we know that the City sampler will provide you with an equally great opportunity!

If you send us Samples - the minimum being 10, the maximum being 100 - you may also send us 100 promo items for the City Sampler, which will reach 100 fans of Columbus (and the surrounding area) culture! You may also include an unlimited number of promos for regular issues of The Sampler, which reaches 500 subscribers and members of the media each month! For more info on contributing and promos, please see http://www.homeofthesampler.com/contributors/tips.html

Your Samples will be photographed for The Sampler website, and mentioned in the City Sampler Guide we will include in every City Sampler! So even if you only send 10 items, your business info will appear in all 100 City Samplers.

All items must be received by March 30th, 2008. Please email contribute@homeofthesampler.com with your submission ideas, or with any questions you might have about the Sampler!

You can also contact Amy N. directly in Columbus if you have any questions or would like to contribute. Artists, crafters, musicians, business/restaurant owners, etc. are all welcome to submit materials.

Holiday Party!

A great week for Anne Holman!

First, Anne appeared on Good Morning Columbus, to talk about Etsy, handmade gifts for the holidays, and the Handmade Pledge.

Then, I just noticed that she scored a spot on the front page of Etsy! (There is her Glass Bouquet Necklace, top center).

Way to go, Anne! You rock our socks off.

North Market Contest!

North Market Holiday Food Festival

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Along with showcasing all the delicious and unique offerings the North Market has year around and especially during the holiday season, we will host our first ever Gingerbread House Contest. The contest judging will begin at Noon where a panel of architects and designers will select the winner. The grand prize is a $250 North Market shopping and dining spree. All houses become the property of the North Market and will be kept on display in the windows of the Dispatch Kitchen through the month of December.

Parking is available at the North Market for $1.00/hour (up to two hours), with validation from a North Market merchant. There is also a limited amount of meters around the Market and a parking garage located on Vine Street.

Bring your family and friends to support you! We have so much planned for this day like live music, oodles of cooking demonstrations and the opportunity for your kids to make and decorate their own mini gingerbread houses!

Please call Mary Martineau, Director of Marketing, to have a contest registration form mailed to you or if you have any questions, 614-463-9664.

See you at the Market!

Shop Crafty Columbus!

If you look to the right (on the sidebar), you will see the brand-new list entitled "Shop Crafty Columbus". It includes the online stores & blogs of many Columbus folks, along with descriptions of what they make/sell.

If your shop was left off of the list, feel free to add it, of post a reply here with your info!