Last week, I put out a call for stores, shops and galleries in PA that carry handmade crafts for sale. With thanks to the HiP community, there’s now nearly 100 listings on the Handmade in PA Google Map.

I’m ecstatic! But… I know there’s many, many more than 100 galleries, shops and stores in PA selling handmade crafts. Lets make this something bigger than we are individually and tap into the power of the collective. I think we can easily double or triple this list. What do you think? You wanna help? Its easy. Here’s how…

1. Think of your neighborhood brick & mortar store carrying handmade.
2. Go to the Handmade in PA Google Map.
3. Type the gallery name and/or street address, city in the search bar.

Once you find the shop or the address, you can add it to the Handmade in PA Google Map by doing the following steps:

1. Click ‘Save To…’ under the map listing (see image). You may need to make a Google account if you don’t have one already.

2. Then make sure ‘Handmade in PA – Map’ is selected from the dropdown and click ‘Save’ (see image)

3. You’re done! I’ll take it from there and add the special shopping bag icon and then sort it into the bigger HiP map listing. And it’ll look like this:

If the above is just too much work, I still love love love receiving emails about shops at nick@pacrafts.org, tweets to @handmadeinpa or comments below with name and address, city.

And by all means, rate the map and leave reviews for the shops and galleries. Go to the HiP Google Map and click ‘Rate this map‘ in the top left corner.

Thanks everyone.

The most frequent question I get related to this blog is: Where can I find and buy handmade crafts at a brick and mortar store in my hometown?

Buying from a a brick and mortar does three things immediately:

1. You support your local community (3/50 Project for how it works)
2. You support your neighbor artist
3. It just feels good – and that’s important

To help everyone accomplish this task of handmade shopping nirvana, I’m pulling together a Google map of shops, galleries, museum stores, gift shops, consignment shops and everything in between that sell Pennsylvania-made art & craft in Pennsylvania.

I need your help. So what makes sense for inclusion on this handmade map? Only physical locations that sell Pennsylvania-made craft (no restaurants or coffee shops). Please leave your favorites below in the comments section or email me (nick@pacrafts.org) if you’re feeling particularly helpful. All I need is the name, street address and city.

If you want to help more closely on this project, shoot me an email. Setting up a Google Map is way easy and I can share it with a group of contributors. Happy shopping.

Editor’s Note: I made a few updates to this post. I added the links to the map, which wasn’t ready to show at the time of the original post.

some things looming, a new contemporary and traditional fiber art gallery, 526 Washington Street, Reading, is holding a public grand opening weekend on Saturday and Sunday, March 13 and 14.

The “all-things-textile” facility contains a gallery, boutique, studio units, community studios, classrooms, networking resources and a library. The co-owners are Rebekah Ritter and her daughter, Melanie Ritter Mitchell, also artistic director.

“This is the realization of a dream for both of us,” said Ritter, “and we are glad to be able to expand the vibrant and growing arts community in Reading and Berks County. Fiber and textile arts are much more in demand and we are dedicated to sharing them at our grand opening and beyond.”

Saturday features an exhibition of  the work of Kathryn Pannepacker, a textile and visual artist and curator; Barbara Schulman, professor and head of the Kutztown University Fiber Arts program; and Melanie Ritter Mitchell, who studied under Schulman and received a BFA with a concentration in fiber arts.

The boutique, a functional gallery, features the work of more than a dozen professional fiber artists and will feature “beautiful one of a kind hand-crafted items,” said Ritter.

Sunday’s Open House from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. repeats Saturday’s activities and features the exhibit opening reception from 4 to 6 p.m. for the opening of the first gallery exhibition that runs through April 12, 2010. Sunday’s reception also will have cello music by Jeremy Mitchell and refreshments.

The some things looming grand opening is being held in conjunction with the juried “More Than Fiber: A Creative Approach to Material” exhibition at the nearby GoggleWorks Arts Center, 201 Washington St., Reading, which runs through April 18, 2010.

Visit the website (www.somethingslooming.com), for more details or call 610-373-7337.

These new Tribal LEFTZ (pronounced le-ft-e’s) toys stopped me in my online tracks.  Whoa! They’re perfect for building a Utopian civilization, catching a tasty fish or discovering the mysteries of fire. Look how cute they are. You will absolutely love them. Plus they’re made right outside of Reading. The etsy shop explains:

LEFTZ are plush softies made with upcycled material from yard sales, thrift shops, or family. These eco friendly plushies are stuffed with recycled plastic shopping bags and are unique in their own way.

Aren’t they great? I want the whole tribe. Where to find LEFTZ by ArtTales (Mary Casher)?

• LEFTZ on Flickr
• LEFTZ on Etsy
• ArtTales blog

Wanna submit your own 5 handmade stops in a county or town or region of PA?  Just send five links to nick@pacrafts.org. from Kathleen Walck of Katydid & Kid and Melissa Strawser of Bertoia Studio.

1 – MADE Shop – Labeled a ‘SoHo-like arts and crafts store’ by the Morning Call, MADE Shop is co-owned by husband and wife team David Jones and Tess Doran. Expect a wide selection of trendy fashion and functional crafts. The shop is open six days a week from 11 am til 6 pm most days (don’t go on Tuesdays, that’s their day of rest). 277 W. Main St, Kutztown.

2 – Global Libations – If you’re doing these 5 stops in one day, you’ll want to make a pit stop here (its only a quarter mile from Made Shop so walk down). Organic coffee and baked goods plus a vegetarian menu. 21 E. Main St, Kutztown.

3 – Goggleworks Center for the Arts – 145,000 square feet of space dedicated to 34 artist studios, daily art courses, several galleries, revolving exhibition spaces and (perhaps a hidden gem) 130-seat movie theater. The center is impressive and deserves your time, so be prepared for two or three hours or exploring and discovering. 201 Washington St, Reading.

4 – Reading-Berks Guild of Craftsmen – Looking to join other crafters, crafts-men, crafts-women and like-minded lovers and makers of all things craft?  Reading-Berks guild is the largest and most active of the 15 chapters of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen. You don’t have to live in Berks county to get hooked up with this group. They meet monthly at the Goggleworks.

5 – Z-Town Made – Ztown Made is a small collective of artists living in Berks county.  Less a location, more a combined force in design, Ztown Made is made up of Sara Smedley, Melanie Linder Design, Skylark Studio, Clothesline and Chez Sucre Shez.

Where would you go from here? What are groups stand out in the area? Share your favorite handmade stops around Berks county in the comment section below.

This post is exclusively for you to share what you’ll be doing this weekend around the commonwealth.  Whether you’re planning time in the studio, a craft show stop or long weekend out of town.  Share with us.  And share your work on HiP’s group pool on Flickr.

I, for one, am heading to the Farm Show in Harrisburg.  I hope to walk my one-year-old around to see the sheep, alpacas and rabbits (here’s the for kids page).  Then I’ll make a necessary stop over at the food court for milkshakes.  And then maybe those fresh cut fries.

What else is there to do in Harrisburg while I’m there?

Use the comments section below to share your plans, shows or thoughts.

It’s probably best if I just come right out and tell you I have serious, “Pennsylvania Pride.” I am so fond of our state’s combined quirkiness and beauty. I think it is the harmonious contrasts [say Mennonites at the monster truck show] that lead to awesome folk art.

Enter Mark May (Reading,PA)… as far as I know he has nothing to do with Mennonites or monster truck shows, but he’s undoubtedly part of a long-standing Pennsylvania folk art tradition.

Mark makes robots. “All of the materials Mark uses are found, salvaged, donated, or purchased from flea markets in his travels.”

We met Mark about four years ago at Home & Planet. He has great zeal for his work; it’s very contagious. His work is also incredibly magnetizing. It can be seen at the Outsider Folk Art Gallery at Goggle Works in Reading, PA.

If perhaps you are not in an “art collecting” phase in your life, Mark May ornaments would be a super gift.

Kate, in partnership with her husband, designs and fabricates unique sculptural and functional metal works using old farm machinery –Gatski Metal. Kate is also the mother of two busy little children.

This week I am proud to feature Brooke of Brookiellen Designs. Not only is Brooke a mommy but she makes some very unique items. Enjoy a day in her life!

Friday, July 31

5 am- I wake up to a crying little man.  Time to nurse!  After he eats, we both go back to bed for a little longer.  5am in the morning is way too early to be up for the day!

7:10am- Cash wakes up for good.  He is still not feeling too great.  But no teeth yet!  I nurse him, then let him cruise around a bit before feeding him breakfast (apples, milk, yogurt and oatmeal! mmmm)  Then I change him and he has more playtime while I make myself pancakes for breakfast! (feeling a bit ambitious this morning):)

9am- Cash gets a little sleepy so we cuddle up on the couch together for a quick catnap.

10am- We get up (again!) and I finally get to change out of my pajamas:).  I talk to my mom on the phone for a bit while Cash cruises around the living room (he loves to move!).  When I get off the phone, I get Cash in the bjorn and we take a nice walk through the neighborhood.  It starts out nice, but by the end, I am sweating like crazy and  getting sore from carrying Cash up and down all the steep hills in the neighborhood.  He is definitely gaining weight!!

11:45am- We get back to the house and its time for lunch.  Bananas, green beans and cereal!  After lunch, its time for Cash’s nap!

During his nap, I try to get as much done as possible.  Some days this doesn’t work as well as I plan, it really all depends if I am feeling up to it.  Today, I start by catching up on diaper laundry.  I hang all of the dipes up outside hoping to get them dry before the rain comes.  Instead of doing dishes like I should, I decide to go downstairs to my studio to work on crafty stuff.  This includes getting tags ready for diaper covers and sewing diaper covers.  I get easily distracted by twitter and checking email.

2:30pm- Cash is up and super cranky.  Poor little man.  Even after he eats he is still mad.  So I decide to take him downstairs to the studio to see if he will hang in the pack n play so I can get just a few more things done.  Fail.  We go back upstairs.  And of course, while I was working on stuff in the studio earlier, it rained.  Hard.  So much for dry diapers!

3:15pm- Justin is home from work!!  We eat a little something for an early dinner and then put on the Disneyland Fun Sing a long video for Cash to hopefully calm him down a bit (this is his favorite video).  He loves it, until the last song comes on (“When You Wish Upon A Star”).  He starts to get mad!  He’s sounding a bit sleepy so Justin puts him back down in his crib to see if he wants to nap a little bit more.

4:20pm- Cash is up again.  Time to eat again.  He eats so much, I still can’t believe he’s such a peanut.

After Cash’s dinner, Justin takes him to the living room to play and I jump at the chance to make some blueberry muffins that I have been craving all week.

While the muffins are baking, I come back into the living room with the boys to relax.  Cash has a total mood change- he is jumping away in his jumperoo and giggling like crazy.  It is awesome!  I love when he does this. :)

Muffins are finished in about 20 minutes and they turn out awesome! 

6pm- We all go downstairs so I can keep working on more diaper covers for Crafty By Nature this Sunday.  Justin sets up his keyboard so Cash can bang on it while I am working.  It’s so cute, but he gets easily distracted.  He would much rather play with our pups, Strummer (yellow lab) and Jagermeister (puggle).  Cash has the biggest smile on his face when the dogs are around, but they aren’t quite sure about him.  Cash is entertained by the dogs for a little while longer but he starts to get majorly cranky again around 7:15ish.  So I take him up to change him, feed him, read him a bedtime story, and put him in bed.

7:30pm- Now that baby is sleeping, I can get as much done as I want!  Justin hangs out with me in the studio while I finish the covers.  We listen to bad clips off of the Punk Goes… collections on itunes.  I finally get him to put on some good music we can sing a long to (a la Say Anything, SantigoId and Family Force Five) and I get so much more done than I thought I would!!  7 new covers done for the show.  I really hope it doesn’t rain!!

11:30pm-  Since it has been such a productive night, it’s time to throw in the towel and go upstairs.  FINALLY time to relax with hubby before going to bed.

I am a graduate of Albright College with a B.A. in Visual & Apparel Merchandising. After years in the fashion/ retail industry, I am now a WAHM. I am a self-taught jewelry designer and owner of Michabella Creations.

I’ll be teaching a workshop on basic internet marketing for crafters on June 16th, at the Goggleworks, sponsored by the PA Guild of Craftsmen. There are still seats left in the class – but they’ll go quickly! Sign up today.

I’ll be discussing the “must-haves” in your social media portfollio, the basics of blogging, branding yourself to sell more, and tying it all together to save you time!

Yes, new ventures become “living breathing things” so quickly.

And I have two new living things to share with you that I am very excited about! First up, “The Hodge Podgery” is the brainchild of a mom & daughter team in Harrisburg. It will be a consignment shop, craft studio, meeting place, and all around great spot to be on Herr & 3rd!

The Hodge Podgery’s main focus is recycled & repurposed, handmade goods. Jessica & Dawn are looking for artists, crafters, and handy people, as well as bakers, herbalists, and other foodies who are interested in selling their work at their new store.

If you’re interested in finding out more, Dawn lays it all out in this post on the Hodge Podgery blog. And if you’re considering opening your own store, their blog is detailing every step of the process in a conversational yet informative way. It’s a must read!

The Hodge Podgery is set to open June 1st!

My new friend, Alex McCarty, has also planted a new seed that is sprouting quickly!

“Hello Bluebird” will be a craft & art consignment shop in the trendy West Reading Main Street shopping district. Alex and her husband, Corey, will feature “a mix of wholesale items that meet a specific criteria, and handmade goods made by local artists and makers from around the globe.”

The shop’s aesthetic will be “mid-century modern meets farmhouse chic meets japanese zakka meets vintage charm.” Alex hopes that her space will “be a beacon of loveliness, bright colors, and fun, upbeat designs.” If you are interested in finding out more about consigning with Alex, you can contact her here!

I will be bringing you interviews with these lovely business ladies as the details fall into place!