Just ONE day until the Holiday Handmade Cavalcade!

Saturday is The {NewNew} Holiday Handmade Cavalcade
You Do Not Want To Miss This Event!


For one day only during the holiday season shoppers can load up on clothing, jewelry, accessories, paper goods, bath and body treasures, toys, housewares and more, all handmade by some of the most creative local artisans and crafters in the NYC metropolitan area.
Where: Public Assembly 70 North 6th Street in Brooklyn
When: 10 am-6 pm Saturday December 3rd


The first 200 shoppers to arrive will receive free goodie bags packed with a unique sampling of wares from the {NewNew} - so come early!


With each purchase, shoppers will get a raffle ticket entry for a prize package filled with great {NewNew} wares!


In keeping with its tradition of partnering with local non-profits, the {NewNew} will have representatives from The Brooklyn Community Foundation, an organization that improves the lives of Brooklyn residents and their communities.


Hope to see you!
Holly / EllisDesign

Great Gifts for $25 or Less

I hear many of my friends saying "I'd like to get something really unique for my Mom (Dad, Aunt....) but I am on a tight budget this year."   Finding that unique and one-of-a-kind gift does not mean you have to break the bank, in fact you can find many wonderful gift ideas for less than $25 in the Etsy shops of The {NewNew} team.  Plus, when you buy your gifts at an Etsy shop you are supporting the efforts of independent artisans, designers and crafters.

Head on over to our Gifts Under $25 Etsy Treasury to find out more about these items and the shops they are from.  If you are in the New York area you'll find all these shops (and more) at the Holiday Handmade Cavalcade on December 3rd.  Over 35 local artists, designers and crafters will be at the Cavalcade for your shopping delight.  We'll be at Public Assembly, 70 N. 6th Street in Brooklyn from 10 - 6 on December 3rd.


Hope to see you on December 3rd.
Holly / Ellis Designs

Top Ten Reasons to go to the Holiday Handmade Cavalcade

There are so many reasons to go to the upcoming Holiday Handmade Cavalcade --- at least as many as there are ways to get there! But in case you're running short on your own reasons to attend, here are a few of the biggies.

Virginia Kraljevic


1. Shop local. More choices, better value, superior customer service, and contributing to the local economy. What's not to love?

2. Distinctive gifts. Beautifully made items for everyone on your list! Check out our shopping guides for himherteachersteens, and others for a preview.

3. Shop Indie. Support handmade! Big chain stores don't appreciate you. Promote retail diversity!

4. Support our charity partner, Brooklyn Community Foundation, whose motto is "Do Good Right Here." More local action!

5. Shop niche. Gifts for people with an offbeat sensibility or specialized interests. Not available elsewhere.

   

6. Tasty treats! Cookies, pies, confections. Mmmmmm! Holiday cheer!

7. Goodie bags! Expand your knowledge of local bricks-and-mortar and virtual indie/craft outfits with swag from our excellent sponsors.

8. Fun, Fun, Fun! Music, food, neat stuff, creative energy. Chicken soup for the soul. And an afternoon's (or morning's) activity that can't be beat!


9. Fabulous prizes! Seven lucky raffle winners, tons of amazing stuff. A sampling of some of the items on sale at the Cavalcade. Give as gifts or keep for yourself!

10. You want to!

Soooo, see you December 3 at Public Assembly!


Linda
Purty Bird

Lion Brand Yarn Studio = Education - Innovation - Inspiration

Photo by: Ana Schechter/Lion Brand Yarn
This year give someone special the gift of a brand new skill! Many of you may recognize our sponsor Lion Brand Yarn as the maker of multitudes of beautifully hued yarns, but did you know that Lion Brand has a store front right here in Manhattan? The Lion Brand Yarn Studio located at 34 West 15th St. not only offers a wonderful selection of yarns, but, in keeping with its mission of Education - Innovation - Inspiration, it has further expanded its already impressive selection of courses and master classes.


In addition to its roster of knitting and crochet classes that teach you fundamental yarn skills, the Studio also offers master classes, not For masters but With masters, and workshops in a variety of specialties. For example, you can discover the simplicity of cable knitting, or learn how to crochet motifs. For those interested in one-of-a-kind yarns, the studio offers a workshop on dyeing self-striping yarn. Non-yarncrafters seeking to take a first easy step into the yarncrafting world can try their hand at learning how to use the Martha Stewart Crafts Knit & Weave Loom Kit from Lion Brand. You can find a full listing of their schedule here.


One class in a series of the upcoming master classes should be of particular interest to online sellers. Renowned photographer, author, and knitter Franklin Habit will share some of his photography skills at the Photographing your Fiber master class on December 2. He then returns on December 4 to teach two classes; one on working with antique patterns and another on lace knitting.

If you just want to test the waters and mingle with fellow knitters and crocheters before committing to a paid workshop, check out one of the Studio's free special events and yarn crafting groups. On the first Thursday of the month drop by the open yarn crafting night, or join the amigurumi group on every third Wednesday. The next special event will be a presentation by Franklin Habit on December 1 when he presents his discoveries on Impractical Magic: Oddities and Curiosities of Nineteenth-Century Handwork.

So this year, stop by the Lion Brand Yarn Studio and pick up a new skill for yourself or a friend.

Handmade Gifts for Teachers

Only a couple more weeks before the 3rd Annual Holiday Handmade Cavalcade, and as you put together your shopping lists don't forget some of the most important people in your child's life... teachers! My daughter just started preschool this year, so I'm searching for some handmade gifts that will show her teachers how wonderful I think they are. Here are some things that I am eyeing...

Jody's beautiful lamp work creates wonderful swirls of color that is sure to please the most cheerful preschool teacher.


Teachers are experts at making something incredible out of recycled materials. How better to acknowledge their resourcefulness than this beautiful handbag made out of a tie?

Colony Collapse Read Bee Necklace by JTopolski
Science teachers are sure to love this colony collapse necklace, not only stylish but educational.

Vintage 1960s Dress Pattern by luckx4
This fun dress pattern is a perfect gift for that fashionable teacher.

We Move Mountains Print by VirginiaKraljevic
Remind your teacher of just how valuable they are with this original print.
Eco Friendly Hemp Blend and Leather Handle Tote Bag by SansMap
Give your teacher the gift of a sophisticated and practical bag! Perfect for toting around graded papers and lessons in style.

The gift ideas don't end there. For more ideas before the big shopping day, check out the vendor page of the Holiday Handmade Cavalcade website. You'll be inspired!



Karina

The Sketchbook Project & The Brooklyn Art Library — Our Cavalcade Sponsor

We're proud to present one of our sponsors this year: The Sketchbook Project and the Brooklyn Art Library. The Brooklyn Art Library is an archive of visual inspiration supported by a global creative community. This space is home to the Sketchbook Project, which features thousands of artists' sketchbooks from around the world. The Library also offers a handpicked selection of art supplies, stationary and vintage ephemera to jump-start your own creativity — right around the corner from the Cavalcade on N. 3rd St.


Step into the Library and you'll immediately be greeted by a 40-foot-long wall filled from floor to ceiling with contributions to the Sketchbook Project. The Sketchbook Project is an evolving library of artists' journals from more than 100 countries across the globe. Participation is open to everyone: Artists sign up to receive a blank sketchbook, then fill it up and send it back. The results are cataloged in the Brooklyn Art Library and exhibited to the public in person and online.

"Mystery Maps" by Noelle Oki

If you're feeling curious and itching to sketch, you're in luck: The Sketchbook Project Limited Edition Vol. 1 is accepting new participants right now! Open to just 5,000 participating artists, the Limited Edition is an experiment inspired by the Sketchbook Project. Every contributor to the Limited Edition Vol. 1 will be included in a series of art books documenting the project and each sketchbook will be exhibited at the Brooklyn Art Library. Together, the book series will provide insight into the imagination and process of each artist participating in the project and present an interpretive portrait of the Sketchbook Project community. Bound by the Brooklyn Art Library Press and hand-finished in the Library's own Williamsburg workshop, the book series will be published in the fall of 2012.

"Happy Thoughts" by Sara Gray

We're excited to spread the word about the Sketchbook Project and happy to welcome them to the Cavalcade. It's a great example of the creative community working together to produce something wonderful — and supporting other artists and artisans in return.

Don't forget to drop by the Brooklyn Art Library before or after your visit to the Cavalcade and be sure to tell them The {NewNew} sent you!

Brooklyn Art Library
103A N 3rd St
Brooklyn, NY 11249
(718) 388-7941
www.brooklynartlibrary.com

Open everyday from 12-8pm>
The Sketchbook Project
www.thesketchbookproject.com