Ditch the Malls Series: Black Friday Bazaar Bizarre East

Shannon Okey has done it again!  Bazaar Bizarre will be headed East on Black Friday and Saturday.  There will be 20 talented artists selling their wares during the Larchmere Holiday Stroll.  BazBiz will be located in what was once the American Crafts building, 13010 Larchmere Ave., Cleveland, OH.  You can check out Cleveland's talented artists from Friday November 26 at 11:00am - 8:00pm and Saturday November 27 11:00am - 8:00pm.

Ditch the Malls Series: Black Friday Room Service/Made In The 216

As most already know Room Service, owned by Danielle DeBoe has moved from Detroit and will now be located on W. 25th in Ohio City.  The store is bigger and badder than ever.  Black Friday kicks off the grand opening of RS and Made In The 216.  You may be asking what's this Made In The 216?  Well, it's all lovely handmade items made by people in the Cleveland area.  There is an array of cards, clothes, jewelry and everything in between.

The party kicks off on Friday,  November 26 10:00am - 9:00pm and is located at 2078 West 25th Street in Ohio City's Market District.

"Souper" Saturday Sale @ Driftwood Gallery

Black Friday has traditionally been dedicated to big box stores.  This year, small local businesses have put a claim on "Small Business Saturday."  This Saturday, November 27 from 9:30 am - 3:00 pm, Driftwood Gallery at 450 E. 200th Street in Euclid is celebrating Small Business Saturday and contributing to a greater cause.

Join them for their "Souper" Saturday Sale! BOGO 50% off (equal or lesser value) on all framing with the donation of two canned food items (such as soup!) All donations will benefit the Euclid Hunger Center.  Not only do the donations go to a good cause to help feed hungry families this holiday season, but it's a great opportunity for artists or if you've received pictures as gifts and have meaning to get them framed.

Please RSVP so they can be prepared!

Glycerin Soap Making 101/Bath Bomb Making 101 @ Keyhole Gallery

At Keyhole Gallery not only can you shop this Black Friday but you can also make your own gifts.  They are hosting a soap/bath bomb making class from 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm on Friday November 26.  Keyhole is located at 11817 Detroit Ave. in Lakewood.

Learn to craft your own soap! This class will go over the basics of making glycerin soap. Everything you need will be provided in this hour and a half class. Handcrafted soap makes great gifts, and is fun to make. There will be a wide variety of scents and colors to choose from. The class fee is only $15 and you will take home 3 of your own soap creations.

Learn to make your own bath bombs! These little fizzing wonders are a fantastic treat for anyone who loves baths. There will be lots of scents and colors to choose from, and all supplies to make the bath bombs are included in the cost. The cost is $15, and you will take home 5 bath bombs.

Take both classes for $25! Reserve your spot today, these classes are anticipated to fill up fast! You can send a paypal payment to keyholegallery@gmail.com. Just make sure to put the Workshop name in the message space.

Call To Artists: Homemade Holidays/Weekends Through December

Cleveland Shops That Pop

It's a little kept secret that the Cleveland area is in hard financial times.  Cleveland has half the population it that is once had, big businesses have closed or moved away and almost 10% of the population is searching for work.  It also seems as if a Wal-Mart has landed on every corner which in turn has hurt local small businesses trying to stay afloat.  It's been hard times for many Northeast Ohio households.  With all of this, there is a light at the end of the tunnel this holiday gift buying season.

Luckily, Cleveland is full of talented and passionate people.  Pop-up shops are "popping" up in a couple of locations that where once homes to empty retail spaces.  There are two shops that have an opening this weekend.

Trinity Episcopal Cathedral is home of Cafe AhRoma and 10,000 Villages but starting on Friday at 5pm it will also be a place to buy handmade items made locally.  The Pop-Up Gift Shop will be located between the popular cafe and store.  It will feature 35 plus local artists that specialize in sustainable or recycled art.

You can visit the opening reception Friday, November 19 5pm - 9pm.  Store hours will be Thursdays-Fridays 10am-7pm & Saturdays-Sundays 10am-5pm (closed on Thanksgiving).  The Pop-Up Gift Shop is located at 2242 Euclid Avenue at Trinity Commons, Cleveland, OH 44115.

Do you like cute, out of this world handmade gifts?  Well if you do, the ladies from the Cleveland Craft Coalition have got it covered.  They have teamed up with River Color Studios to open a handmade shop in an empty retail spot that is attached to the popular yarn store.  The Cleveland Craft Coalition Handmade Holiday Shoppe will have their grand opening Friday at 6pm - 9pm.  From there on after the Holiday Shoppe's hours will coincide with the River Color Studio's hours.  The Cleveland Craft Coalition Handmade Holiday Shoppe is located at 1387 Sloane Ave. Lakewood, OH 44107.

Buy local, buy handmade this holiday season.

Crafty Goodness - A Modern Arts & Crafts Show

Artist exhibition with child prodigies Victoria and Zoe Yin

Beck Center for the Arts presents an exhibit featuring the artistic talents of two child prodigies—artist, poet, and songwriter Victoria Yin (age 12) and artist and writer Zoe Yin (age 9)—now through November 14, 2010 in the Jean Bulicek Galleria, and November 15 through December 31, 2010 in the Beck Café, adjacent to the Galleria. A special reception with the artists will take place on Friday, November 12, 2010, 6 to 9 p.m., at... the Beck Center for the Arts, 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood. The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.

Victoria’s paintings articulate profound mature subjects far beyond her years. By age 5, she had already received numerous accolades and awards for her work. Her surrealistic style is considered on the level of Max Ernst, Joan Miro, and Salvador Dali. Victoria incorporates these surrealistic elements into a futuristic style which is unique in the art world. Her paintings portray a rational yet passionate setting of a figurative subject over a Dutch Masterly background. Her work can be viewed on her website at www.victoriayin.com.

Like her older sister, Zoe is a child prodigy with remarkable artistic talents. At age 8, she was the youngest artist ever exhibited at the International Art Expo. Zoe’s broad brushstrokes and colorful combinations create a dreamy interpretation of the human form. She uses vivid colors like Matisse in the background, with a whimsical style of elongated arms and twisting legs giving her paintings a Chagall-like feeling. Her work can be viewed on her website at www.zoeyin.com.

Victoria and Zoe Yin, who both began drawing at the age of one, have exhibited at capacity shows across the country and been featured in several publications, including Art Business News. Their paintings, which are widely collected in the United States, typically command sales in the five figures.

For more information about the artists and their work, contact Paul Sykes of Travel Art at 440.227.4592 or psykes123@mac.com.

For gallery hours, visit the Beck website at www.beckcenter.org or call 216.521.2540 x10. Beck Center is located at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, just ten minutes west of downtown Cleveland. Free onsite parking is available.

Holiday Open House at Tess' Tender Touch

Kick off the holidays with Tess' Tender Touch!
...It may seem a little early to celebrate the holidays but it is not too early to place that special order or to get your unique ornaments before they are sold out!

Along with her hand-painted wine glasses, coffee/tea mugs, candle holders, wine bottles, jars, vases and centerpieces, there will be hand-painted Ornaments! These beautiful ornaments are great for giving and receiving...at a great price your can buy some for your friends and for yourself. Denise Gill of Fairview Park will have her everyday and holiday jewelry made of semi-precious stones and sterling silver. Beth Taylor of Cleveland will have beautiful hand-made and very unique Thanksgiving and Christmas cards along with hand-made clocks made from CD's!

Do you have a friend or loved-one that uses a walker? It may seem like a strange question, but I ask because Pat Loose, who is a volunteer at Lakewood Hospital, creates great walker bags! These pretty bags provide the ability to carry a wallet, a cell phone, a book or any other items in a pretty classy way. They are made to hang over the front of the walker and they tie onto the sides. She has made everyday designs as well as limited edition Holiday designs (when they are gone, they are gone). We like to change our purses, so why not change our walker bags? Your friends and family will love them!

They have a few guest artists this year as well! Dolly Doyle of Lakewood will be there with her adorable Papier-mâché Christmas Carolers, Elves and other great characters. They will also have handbags created by Susan Millman of Lakewood. These artists do exquisite work and you will just love it.

Tess' Tender Touch Gift Shop is located at 14419 Detroit Avenue,Lakewood, OH and the open house days and hours are Friday, November 5th - 4pm-7pm; Saturday, November 6th - 9am-5pm; Sunday, November 7th - 10am-3pm.

Tess' Tender Touch FB fan page
Tess' Tender Touch FB event page

Meet the Artist: Chris Sorenson (CMS Designs)

I find my inspiration in nature. Most of my pottery reflects my love of trees, leaves and the like. I tend to prefer hand building over wheel throwing, I enjoy the earthy quality of the finished piece. To start with a "blank canvas", be it a block of clay, a yard of fabric or a skein of yarn and turn it into something unique & one of a kind. I could easily go to an evil big box store and purchase a soap dish, but where is the fun in that?

I try to do something crafty everyday, be it going into the pottery studio or knitting while parked on my couch. Pesky things like housework and my "real" job tend to get in the way, but I truly hope one day to take my creativity to the next level and be able to do things I truly love on a full time basis.

I have taken my love of firing things at extremely high temperatures and begun fusing glass.  Right now I am creating mostly jewelry and dabbling in slumping bottles.  I am also organizing my second installment of Crafty Goodness:  A Modern Arts & Crafts Show on November 6 in Parma.  There will be so much local talent, I really cannot wait.  We will have everything from altered art to handmade bath & body goods to upcycled vintage jewelry.  And of course some stoneware & glass goodness.  Definitely something for everyone!  List of artists here:  www.craftygoodness2.blogspot.com.

You can also get daily updates from CMS Designs on Chris's FB fan page:  http://www.facebook.com/CMSDesigns 
As ususal don't forget to Buy Local, Buy Handmade:  http://www.craftygurll.etsy.com