More than 700 of the country's leading craft artists will gather under one roof to present their latest designer, handmade work at The American Craft Council Show in Baltimore, the largest juried, indoor craft show in the nation. The highest quality of handmade jewelry, furniture, clothing, home décor, and more, will be available for purchase at the Baltimore Convention Center, February 25-28, 2010.

Show highlights:

LAWN & GARDEN: NEW in 2010, this category features artists who craft outdoor and lawn-specific furniture, décor, accessories and more. 

CRAFT4KIDS: This category features artists who design objects especially for children and as family heirlooms.

GREEN CRAFT: Responding to pressing contemporary issues, this category highlights artists using found, recycled or green materials and sustainable techniques.

ALTCRAFT: This section features rising indie crafters whose work illustrates the innovative techniques and materials of the burgeoning new handmade movement, in a shared market-style space.

DEMO STAGE: Lively demonstrations, with topics ranging from ceramics, glass, fiber, jewelry and wood techniques, will be presented by local experts.

SCHOOL-TO-MARKET: The Council has invited two exceptional colleges - Savannah College of Art and Design and Rhode Island School of Design- to debut their top students' work at the show.

LOCATION
Baltimore Convention Center
One West Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21201

DATES AND SHOW HOURS
Thursday, February 25 (10 am - 6 pm)
Friday, February 26 (10 am - 9 pm)
Saturday, February 27 (10 am - 6 pm)
Sunday, February 28 (10 am - 5 pm)

ADMISSION - SAVE UP TO $5 BY PURCHASING YOUR TICKETS ONLINE!
Purchase, print and bring right to the door!
Buy Tickets Online

ON-SITE ADMISSION
$15 per person
$25 for a two-day pass
$30 for a three-day pass
SPECIAL FRIDAY EVENING ADMISSION:  $6 after 6pm.  Onsite ticket purchases only.  No discount offers apply.

$25 introductory new membership at the Show only
Children 12 and under free

American Craft Council members admitted free.
JOIN NOW

Show Information: 800-836-3470

Confection Jewels, handcrafted, vintage cocktail rings will premiere with a Sweet Shop for your Sweetheart, Saturday, February 13th, 2010 hosted by Ron Robinson Fred Segal, located at 8118 Melrose Avenue. Store hours are from 10-7pm and a reception with the designer will be held from 3-6 pm.  Refreshments provided by Zonin Prosecco, Xan Confections and Sprinkles Cupcakes. 

In honor of Valentine's Day, the first 10 Confection Jewel shoppers will receive a gift with purchase from Confection Jewels' Sorbet Skies collection, not yet released.  

1st generation French-American, Yanique Venezia is the divinity behind Confection Jewels. Confection marks the Arizona native's first solo collection after years working as a designer for private label accessories clients such as Joes Jeans, Nordstrom and Ed Hardy.

Her garage work-studio in Venice Beach houses over 10,000 buttons and gems, all of which she plans to develop into custom assortments and styles for retailers and individual shoppers.

Spring 2010 styles will be available at Ron Robinson Fred Segal, www.confectionjewels.com and POOL tradeshow this February.

SOURCE Confection Jewels

The 8th annual 'Craft Fair on the Plateau' in Crossville, Tennessee will be held on June 5th and 6th from 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM on Saturday and 12 noon until 4 PM on Sunday. The fair will be held on the Knights of Columbus grounds in Crossville, Tennessee. Crossville is located 75 miles west of Knoxville on Interstate 40. The fair again this year will be combined with an antique car show. The Craft Fair on the Plateau is open to all crafters with various types of creative craft items. All items are to be original hand-made items. Space is available for up to 50 crafters. A limited number of spaces are under a covered pavilion/hall. These spaces will be assigned on a first come basis. Spaces are 10' by 10'. Electricity is available to a limited number of spaces. Tables (8 ft long) are also available upon request. The cost per vendor booth under the pavilion/hall is $30. Outside booths are $25. Electricity is an additional $10 and tables are $5 each. No food venders are desired but on-site food and beverages will be available.

Free workshops and one dollar stocking stuffers make holiday shopping easy

Putting the finishing touches on Holiday '09 is easier this year, thanks to free workshops, last minute gift ideas and hundreds of stocking stuffers starting at one dollar at Michaels, North America's largest arts and crafts specialty retailer.

Michaels has expanded its selection of unique stocking stuffers to help shoppers stay within their holiday budgets with one, three and five dollar gifts for kids and adults, including holiday-themed soaps, playing cards, puzzles, candles, socks, note cards, pens, stamps, stickers and much more.

Ready-to-wrap gifts under fifteen dollars include kids' activity kits like Bead Pets, 3-in-1 Jewelry Designer, Moon Sand and Creatology(TM) art sets that will keep kids busy through the winter break. Other gifts to inspire creativity include the new American Girl Crafts(TM) line available exclusively at Michaels, and the widest selection of Crayola(R) products of any store.

"Our ready-to-wrap offerings cater to the whole family in order to help our customers save time and money during this hectic season," said Philo Pappas, Michaels Executive Vice President of Category Management. "Our workshops, webisodes, Handmade Holiday Gift Guide and online ideas continue to be extremely popular as people look for quick yet meaningful gifts to give this holiday season."

In a recent survey of Michaels customers, 65 percent said they were planning to make gifts this year. Michaels will introduce two more free gift-themed webisodes on Michaels.com and host in-store workshops this season: a free bookmark making event on December 12 from 1-3 pm and a free demo on gift wrapping and creative packaging for holiday baking on December 19 from 1- 3 pm.

Additional easy homemade gift ideas are available at Michaels.com, including last minute gifts to make for three dollars and up, such as wine charms, bottle stoppers and decorative candles. Hundreds more ideas and instructions submitted by customers for Michaels' first-ever "Handmade Holidays" contest are available at www.michaelscontest.com. The contest runs through December 20.

Michaels gift cards, as well as other top branded gift cards from the Gift Card Mall, recently introduced in all U.S. Michaels stores, can be tucked into a stocking or mailed in a holiday card to loved ones far away.

SOURCE Michaels Stores, Inc.

Rosemont to Host the 2010 CHA Summer Show and Craft SuperShow

The Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) is pleased to announce the CHA 2010 Summer Convention & Trade Show and the CHA Craft SuperShow will return to the Donald E. Stephens Convention and Conference Center in Rosemont, Illinois after one season in Orlando, Florida. The annual CHA Summer Trade Show will be held from Tuesday, July 27 through Thursday, July 29, followed by the CHA Craft SuperShow consumer event from Friday, July 30 to Saturday, July 31, 2010.

"We are so glad to have CHA back home in Rosemont," explained Christopher R. Stephens, General Manager, Donald E. Stephens Convention and Conference Center. "We look forward to working with CHA and its members to rejuvenate and revitalize the Summer Show and are also very excited to help promote the new Craft SuperShow to the crafters of the greater Chicagoland area."

For more than 30 years Rosemont has hosted the annual CHA Summer Show creating a friendly and familiar venue for CHA and its members. Like many other trade shows, CHA recently faced declines in both trade show attendees and exhibitors due to the sagging economy. After trying several different marketing programs to revive the Show in Rosemont, CHA relocated the Summer Show to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida and launched the CHA Craft SuperShow consumer event in 2009 in efforts to reverse this trend, grow the show, and expand the industry.

The CHA 2009 Summer Show in Orlando attracted about 5,000 trade show attendees with a 5% increase in the number of attending retailers over 2008. Summer Show exhibitors came from 49 different states and Puerto Rico, as well as internationally from countries across South America, Europe, and Africa. Additionally, there were over 50 new exhibitors at the Summer Show. Many who participated felt it was a successful venture despite the recession.

Following the Summer Show, CHA staff started to solicit feedback from exhibitors and the general membership about the experience in Orlando. Based on post-show CHA Summer exhibitor surveys, 50% of respondents preferred Rosemont to Orlando while the other 50% were split among several other venues. CHA hosted several member conference calls in which members commented about a desire to return to Rosemont. Member emails about returning to Rosemont were also sent to CHA staff which drove further discussions on the topic of venue selection for the 2010 Summer Show. Based on the common and recurring theme of returning the Summer Show to Rosemont, CHA contacted representatives from the Donald E. Stephens Convention and Conference Center and successfully negotiated a one-year agreement with options beyond 2010.

"As a member-based organization it is imperative that we listen to our members and develop the most effective approach to accomplishing our common goals and objectives. Developing a practical strategy to grow the Summer Show and expand the industry are high priorities at CHA and are key factors behind the bulk of the decisions we make," explained Steve Berger, president and CEO of CHA. "We are grateful for the creative minds in Orlando who partnered with CHA to develop a successful and meaningful program that helped increase buyer attendance and expand crafting participation with consumers. By working with our partners in Rosemont, we are confident that the Trade Show will grow significantly and the SuperShow will continue to gain momentum becoming an integral part of CHA efforts to expand the craft industry."

To learn more about the upcoming 2010 CHA Summer Convention & Trade Show or the CHA Craft SuperShow, please contact Anthony Licata, 201.835.1203 or alicata@craftandhobby.org.

Retailer Announces 18.1% Increase in Seasonal Hires

Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, the nation's largest fabric and craft retailer, has announced an 18.1% increase in seasonal hires over last year.

According to Travis Smith, chief operations officer for Jo-Ann, the company has hired 2779 seasonal employees, which currently account for 13.4% of its total workforce. Last year at this time, seasonal employees accounted for 11%. "Obviously, we are very pleased to be able to offer employment to more people in these challenging economic times. This increase is a result of our recent sales trend and expectations for holiday traffic in our stores," Smith explained. "By hiring these additional employees we hope to ensure excellent customer service during the holiday season."

On Thursday, November 5, Jo-Ann announced same-store sales increased 4.3% in the third quarter, driven largely by a 4.9% increase in customer traffic. Smith cites the growing trend in handmade holiday gifts as a contributing factor. "Our customers tell us they enjoy making personalized gifts and that the recipients enjoy the uniqueness and meaning in these gifts," he said.

SOURCE Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores

Cookies by Design, a national franchisor based in Plano, Texas, is opening its new Gifting Center this month in Plano. The Center, which will be the company's central distribution location for many customers across the U.S., will employ 75 new workers.

"In addition to creating 75 new jobs in our local area, we will also use a portion of the Center's revenues to increase national advertising efforts," commented Gwen Willhite, founder of Cookies by Design. "Although we've been in business for more than 25 years, there are still many people who are not aware of us. Our national advertising efforts help to enhance our brand awareness and increase sales for our franchise and corporate locations."

Cookies by Design offers unique cookie gifts and treats including creative cookie bouquets of hand-decorated sugar cookies. "Because our product is hand-crafted, many of the new employees we're hiring are bakers and cookie decorators," said Willhite. Other employees to be hired include product packaging associates and call center personnel.

In addition to two corporate shoppes in the local area, Cookies by Design also has over 150 franchised shoppes in 42 states.

With the Holidays just around the corner, Cookies by Design is sure to bake up happiness - for both customers across the country and 75 newly employed area residents.

Cookies by Design created the world's first cookie bouquet over 25 years ago and continues to provide customers with creative gifts of gourmet and hand-decorated cookies in a variety of shapes and sizes for every occasion. Today, there are shoppes across the country that offer hand-delivery of these creative cookie gifts and treats. For more information, visit www.cookiesbydesign.com.

SOURCE Cookies by Design

A unique and talented group of more than 18 North Shore artisans are hosting Harbor Holidays at The Boston Yacht Club on Saturday, November 21, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at 1 Front Street in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Admission to the event is free and there is ample parking.

"This is a great opportunity to sail through your holiday shopping, enjoy the panoramic views of the beautiful, historic Marblehead Harbor, while enjoying a cup of warm chowder," said Patsy Wiswell, Harbor Holidays co-chair.

All of the vendors are local artists with crafts including unique jewelry, chic clothing, fine art, hand-painted furniture, and hand blown glass. This year's show includes work from Patsy Kane, Lucky Fish, TQOF Jewelry, Landfall Gallery, Old Town Nantucket Baskets, Martha Everson Photography, Bass Point Wildcrafting, Le T, Peapod Fashions, and more!

There will be chowder for sale and The Balloon Man will be on hand from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for the kids.

In addition, during the Harbor Holidays, the Marblehead nonprofit, Community of Friends is kicking off its 2009 Stocking Drive to help more than 500 children. Volunteers are needed to help fill handcrafted stockings with loving gifts for the underserved children. The organization's mission is to provide practical necessities, outreach services and enriching experiences to our neighbors in need. For more information on Community of Friends, please visit their website: www.communityoffriends.org

"Please come and pick up a stocking to fill for Community of Friends and make a child in need's holiday special," added Wiswell.

For more information regarding Harbor Holidays, contact Patsy Wiswell at 781-631-4677.

SOURCE Harbor Holidays

If you're among the 65 percent of Americans planning to cut back on holiday spending as reported in a new Consumer Reports Holiday Shopping Poll, the Illinois CPA Society suggests taking a traditional approach to the season. Retailers are putting an old-fashioned spin on the holidays with comforting traditions like red and green decorations and resurrecting old ideas like layaways and Christmas Clubs. Give some thought to using these programs and add a few time-tested ideas of your own to make the holiday enjoyable and affordable.

• It's the most wonderful time of the year, so plan ahead for it. Once popular Christmas Club accounts are making a comeback. For those unfamiliar with the concept, Christmas Clubs, usually at local banks, offered a special savings account on which you earned a little interest before you withdrew the money for holiday shopping. Check out the details of new variations on the idea, like Christmas Club Cards offered by retailers or see if this type of account is offered though your credit union.
• Bring things home for the holidays (but not before you pay them). Consider using layaway programs being reintroduced by retailers. Layaway programs allow you to put aside items and pay for them in installments usually without charging interest. Just the opposite of a credit card, merchandise is held until it's paid for in full. Do check the details for each purchase; terms may vary from store to store.
• Make a list and check it twice. Making a list and sticking to it is an old and obvious idea but it really helps to control costs. Decide in advance who's getting a gift and exactly how much you plan on spending. Don't stray from the amounts or add people to the list later. Break the habit of holiday shopping sprees - no impulse purchases or splurges - just what's on the list.
• Deck the halls with anything you can find in and around the house. There's no need to spend money each year on more decorations - use the old ones or items grandma and grandpa no longer need. Get creative; make it a family project to see how you can decorate with things you already have on hand. Scour your memory for old craft projects like the paper snowflakes you made as a kid. Use photos as ornaments, make popcorn garlands or paint pinecones from the yard.
• Let it Snow - stay close to home. Avoid costly special events; limit travel and check out local no cost events like tree lighting ceremonies or community band concerts. Don't accept every invitation for a special night out to celebrate the season and break your budget by feeling the need to keep up with everybody. Entertain simply at home; dinners can be potluck, progressive, or organized so family and friends each bring their homemade specialties to cover different parts of the meal.
• For Happy Holidays, when you do spend, spend wisely. Take advantage of the deals being offered to consumers in tough times. These are incentives to spend so chose wisely, but look for holiday specials at stores, restaurants and other venues. There are many opportunities to save such as buy one get one free, door buster specials, coupons for additional discounts, free shipping, or getting five $25 gift certificates for the price of four. Also "cash in" bonus points accumulated on some credit cards to buy gift cards, a no-cost way to fund holiday gift giving.

 

SOURCE Illinois CPA Society

The art of pumpkin carving is a centuries-old tradition, dating back to an ancient Celtic holiday called Samhain, meaning summer's end. Over time, the tradition has evolved and the carved pumpkin (or Jack-o-Lantern) has become one of the most prominent symbols of Halloween.

While each Jack-o-Lantern is different with its own unique size and style, they all share one thing in common - on November 1, the carved pumpkin is immediately out-of-season and soon replaced by fall and Thanksgiving decor. Many people even wait until the last minute to do their carving to help ensure their pumpkin stays as fresh as possible for Halloween.

That's why the Duck® brand has a new suggestion and the perfect accessory for any pumpkin this fall - duct tape! Unlike traditional carving, decorating with duct tape can prolong the life of your pumpkin, allowing you to start on your design earlier, then change or remove it completely after Halloween, making it versatile enough to use throughout the fall. And styling your pumpkin in duct tape will eliminate the mess left behind from carving, while allowing you to be creative and colorful all at the same time.

Duck Tape® brand duct tape is available in more than 20 colors and patterns, so the choices for your pumpkin's design are endless! Here are a few examples to get you started:

• Deck it out. Make an entire costume for your pumpkin. If you're crafty and have some time, turn your pumpkin into a witch with a duct tape cape, hat and broom. For a quick and easy look, wrap your pumpkin in white duct tape for the perfect mummy motif.
• Show your pride. With so many colors to choose from, it's easy to pick a theme or use your pumpkin's design to demonstrate your patriotism, celebrate your favorite sports team or pay tribute to your alma mater.
• Go abstract. Step away from the traditional Halloween look - choose your favorite combination of duct tape colors and cover your pumpkin with some bright stripes, zigzags or polka dots.
• Be a little two-faced. Can't decide on a favorite design? You don't have to - decorate both sides of your pumpkin and rotate it throughout the Halloween season. Try playing off dueling themes for inspiration, such as comedy and tragedy, day and night or cats and dogs.
• Stuck on the Jack-o-Lantern face? Use pre-made stencils or make your own to use as guides to create the eyes, nose and mouth of your pumpkin's unique expression.
  

A little imagination and a few rolls of duct tape are all you need to make your pumpkin stick out from the rest this Halloween. Using duct tape is a fun and creative project for the whole family, resulting in a one-of-a-kind decoration that will last throughout the season.

SOURCE Duck brand