We're headed to the Craft Congress in Pittsburgh
Hey, everybody!
Cinnamon and I are thrilled to be a part of this event, the first-of-its-kind meeting for alternative craft community leaders, happening later this month in Pittsburgh (see the press release below). Show organizers from around the country (and Canada, and the UK) are convening to talk and plot and probably take over the world, if we have enough time that weekend. Hopefully we'll come back all energized with great ideas for DIYTS-07! Wish us luck!
--Amy
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CRAFT CONGRESS IS IN SESSION
Indie/DIY craft movement organizers holding first-ever worldwide conference
Craft Congress, the first-ever gathering of the DIY/indie craft movement’s leaders will be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on March 31 and April 1, 2007. The goal is to build connections between the movement's organizers who have been primarily working in their communities; Craft Congress attendees will share knowledge and experience, creating a network and fostering the movement’s growth.
Fifty participants from across the U.S. and Canada (and one from England), will attend this gathering of leaders of the increasingly popular craft subculture. Many attendees will stay in the homes of Pittsburgh hosts.
Local crafters Amy Carlton and Cinnamon Cooper, organizers of Chicago’s annual DIY Trunk Show (www.diytrunkshow.com), will be attending. Cooper will also facilitate a discussion on the nuts and bolts of organizing a show.
Craft Congress is organized by the creators of Handmade Arcade, (www.handmadearcade.com), Pittsburgh's first indie craft fair, which began in 2003. The idea grew from the indie craft community that was forming across the country, primarily via the Internet. Countless Web sites, online stores, blogs and forums connect crafters. These new crafters are mostly young women, in their 20's and 30's, who delight in combining retro images with traditional craft techniques to produce practical items with an off-kilter, humorous streak. There is no right or wrong. If anything, the movement is defined by its eclecticism.
Knitting with Kool Aid dyed wool is new craft, using cocktail umbrellas to make lamp shades is new craft, turning album covers into purses is new craft.
Fueled by Internet relationships, the number of indie craft fairs across the U.S. has tripled in recent years. Craft Congress' goal is to strengthen the indie craft community by sharing ideas and experiences and discussing the future of indie crafting. Portions of the sessions will be podcast for those who are not able to attend. Participants will discuss best practices and explore ways to expand their markets, techniques for guerilla marketing, business challenges, such as “big box” stores' attempts to rip off the DIY aesthetic.
A recent survey of 100 indie crafters found that more than 25% have recently switched from part time crafting to full time. Almost 85% report their 2006 sales were up from 2005. They sell via their own Web sites, (56%), at fairs (90%) and in brick and mortar stores (47%).
Details
When: Saturday, March 31 and Sunday, April 1, 2007
Where: Spinning Plate, 5720 Friendship Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206.
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Sun, Mar 18 2007 — Comments (0) | 
