Making a Difference!

The Craft Mart ladies were thrilled to spend part of Christmas Eve handing over a big check to COTS!

Yes, you all read that number correctly! We raised $1297 at the first Petaluma Downtown Craft Mart! We had almost 800 people attend the event and people were so excited about the awesome raffle items that they bought TONS of raffle tickets. Thanks so much to our generous sponsors for donating such wonderful items to our raffle and swag bags. We are so thankful!

John Records at COTS told us that our donation will buy nearly 1000 meals this winter for people in need. Amazing! But you can also help COTS in many other ways. They are always in need of towels, blankets and sheets (especially twin size), toiletries, warm coats and more. Please contact them to see if you can help.

Happy New Year Petaluma!

All About Eve - An Evening of Last Minute Shopping

The Petaluma Downtown Craft Mart presents two hours of film, fine wine, delectables and finds!!

Join the co-organizers of the Craft Mart as they sell their wares at La Dolce Vita, watch All About Eve and sip some of the finest wines around, this Thursday, December 17th from 7-9pm

La Dolce Vita
Theatre Square
151 Petaluma Boulevard South

Petaluma, CA

Tomorrow is the big day!

One more day until the first Petaluma Downtown Craft Mart. We are anticipating a hugely successful show for our vendors and are hoping to raise lots and lots of money for COTS. Don't forget the first 50 people in the door get an amazing swag stuffed with goodies! The swag bags contain donations from:
Vinyl Frontier
Moonpath Designs
Craft Zine
Petaluma Chamber of Commerce
Petaluma Farmer's Market
Kendra Renee Jewelry
Jessica Venezia Hair Design at Jon Gariepy
The Beaded Nomad
sinkitty
Blue Bicicletta
Mrs. Grossman's Sticker Company
Meyer Imports
Early Work Toy Station
Vinny's A-1 Shoe Repair
Rock n Roll Crafts
Blue Ribbon Salvage
and of course our Petaluma Shopping Passport sponsored by the Petaluma Downtown Association!

See you all tomorrow!
xo
The Craft Mart girls

Raffle Prize Bonanza!

We have had tons of folks wanting more sneak peeks of the raffle prizes. Well, I have to tell you that we got SO many raffle donations that we decided to combine them into 4 raffle gift baskets. There will be raffle giveaways at 1pm , 2pm, 3pm and then a super MEGA raffle prize at 4pm! Raffle donations are still arriving as we speak but here's a preview of what we have so far:

Raffle Giveaway #1 is full of treats from Craft Zine, Stencil 1 and Chronicle Books, Lombardi's BBQ, Jack & Jill's and Velasco's.

Raffle Giveaway #2 is a mix of items from Paper White, Chronicle Books, StitchCraft, Vinyl Frontier, Lombardi's BBQ, Jack & Jill's and Della Fattoria.

Raffle Giveaway #3 contains prizes from Craft Zine, Water Street Bistro, Queen Puff Puff, Jessica Venezia Salon, Anise Michelle Hair Design, Paper White, Chronicle Books, Ooh La Loft, Lombardi's BBQ and The Beaded Nomad.

And the Super MEGA Giveaway #4 is full of gifts from Craft Zine, Chronicle Books, Paper White, StitchCraft, Early Works Toy Station, Scor-It, Ooh La Loft, Jessica Venezia Salon, Lombardi's BBQ, Bella Amour Spa and more!

How can you get in on this action? Your $1 donation at the door gets you one raffle ticket. But you can certainly buy additional raffle tickets! Tickets will be sold at the show for $1 for one, $5 for siz or $20 for twenty five tickets. What a deal! And of course, all the of the proceeds from the raffle tickets goes directly to COTS.

Media Blitz!

The Craft Mart ladies have been working overtime to get as much media coverage as possible before the event. We have blanketed downtown Petaluma with flyers and posters and the local newspapers and bloggers have been writing about us nonstop! Check out some of the recent coverage:

The Argus Courier listed us as a can't miss Thanksgiving weekend event.
We have a big advertisement in the November Petaluma Post! (page 9!)
Cherry Valley/Mary Collins Elementary wrote about us in this month's Cheetah Tracks.
Frank Simpson blogged about us for the Petaluma Spectator and for the Petaluma 360.
John Crowley of Aqus Cafe wrote about the event in his November newsletter.
Shannon Storms blogged about us for If Sew.
Bazaar Bizarre wrote about Craft Mart several times. Thanks guys!
And today there is a full color ad in the Press Democrat and Argus Courier!

And we are on everyone's event calendars!
Petaluma Downtown Association
Craft Zine
Make Zine
Petaluma 360
SF Gate
The Press Democrat
MSN City Guide for Petaluma
Yelp
The Marin Independent Journal
Sonoma On The Cheap
NBC Bay Area
Neighborhood Now - Petaluma
MetroActive Bay Area

Whew! Hopefully, we will have a huge crowd! See you Sunday and enjoy the holiday celebrations today!

Help us help COTS

You may not know that the Petaluma Downtown Craft Mart is a charitable event. We are trying to raise funds for COTS - also know as the Committee on the Shelterless. Every dollar donated at the door and all raffle ticket proceeds are going directly to COTS. So what does COTS do?

COTS offers help and hope to homeless persons in Sonoma County by providing safe shelter and housing, helping people develop steady incomes and helping them get back under a roof of their own. They help homeless families become stable and break the cycle of homelessness by teaching homeless parents to make their children's needs a high priority and to provide a safe, loving and secure home for their children.

You can help us by donating more than $1 at the door and by purchasing tons of raffle tickets!

Some quick facts from their website:

Kids

Each year we shelter and feed approximately 260 children. Our Center For Homeless Children and Their Families provides safe care, tutoring and assessment for children while their parents acheive goals related to housing, income and sobriety. At the core of our family programs is our Residential Parenting Education which underscores our emphasis on putting children’s welfare first. This is done through Kids First, counseling and case management.

Families

COTS serves families through our emergency shelter program at the Center for Homeless Children and Their Families and our Shared and Transitional Housing. We teach budgeting, life skills and parenting classes as well as provide case management and counseling to prepare families for a home of their own.

Adults

COTS serves approximately 800 single adults each year through the Mary Isaak Center. Rent Right™ and Work Right™ teach people budgeting, work and life skills. These, together with our internship programs, case management and counseling, prepare people for a home of their own.

Statistics
258	Homeless children served each year
250	Beds offered each night
1,700	Homeless people served each year
50,000	Volunteer hours annually
100,000	Meals served each year
500,000	Lbs of food boxes distributed a year

Facilities
	Emergency Shelters Mary Isaak Center (100 beds/adults only) Center for Homeless Children and Their Families (35 beds/children and adults)
	Transitional Housing Mary Isaak Center (30 units/adults only) Shared Housing (9 houses for families) Education Houses (2 houses for families)
	Permanent Housing Integrity House (6 beds/adults only) Vida Nueva (75 beds for families)
	Emergency Food Distribution Center The Petaluma Kitchen – hot lunch daily Food Box Program – weekly food boxes
Skill Building Programs
	Rent Right (getting into housing) Work Right (securing income) Kids First (strengthening the family)
Specialized Support Services
	Children’s Programs The Family Connection - family support teams Case management, counseling, medical care

Great mention today on the Petaluma 360!

Frank Simpson wrote a great post about the Petaluma Downtown Craft Mart for his blog on the Petaluma 360! Check it out!

Raffle Preview - Glamourpuss from Chronicle Books

 

Chronicle Books sent us a copy of the hilarious and fascinating book Glamourpuss - The Enchanting World of Kitty Wigs.  -- According to cuteoverload.com, we have officially reached "totally new levels of redonkulessness." The Kitty Wig craze—sprung from the feverish imagination of Julie Jackson and her purring partner in crime—has swept the globe. Glamourpuss presents 60 stylish portraits showcasing furry models in the most fetching custom-made cat wigs ever created. The chic felines in this delightfully odd book answer the age-old question: what on earth do cats do all day? Make no bones about it—these utterly fashionable minxes are the hottest pet trend since cats in hats!

Julie Jackson is the creator of Kitty Wigs and kittywigs.com, the online shop for discerning cat owners around the world. She shares an office with her Siamese cat, Boone, in Dallas, Texas.

Check out Glamourpuss in the lastest issues of People and The National Enquirer! That's right! We are on the cutting edge!

Raffle Preview - Stencil 101 and Stencil 101 Decor from Chronicle Books

Chronicle Books sent us a copy of each of Ed Roth's books for our raffle: the original Stencil 101 and the new Stencil 101 Decor (psst... this one isn't even in stores yet!!)

Stencil 101 -- Customization is king. With this awesome, entirely original stencil collection anyone can learn to make their mark. Our handy portfolio format includes 25 reusable stencils along with tips and tricks for stenciling on all sorts of surfaces—from walls and furniture to T-shirts, cards, and even cake! Stencil maverick Ed Roth has chosen his favorite designs, ranging from urban-cool boom boxes and power lines to naturally fanciful sparrows and branches. Simple instructions take readers step-by-step through the process while photographs provide ample inspiration. Best of all, these stencils can be used over and over again. Simply clean, dry, and store them in the pocket glued at back!

Stencil 101 Decor -- This portfolio of reusable stencils, project instructions, and photographs lets DIY designers embellish walls, furniture, and more with cool custom patterns. Whether it's glam chain motifs on a wall or bold geometrics on a bathroom backsplash, these durable and recyclable stencils make a big impact. Each design is meant to be tiled—simply line up each corner's registration marks to get a paint-your-own wallpaper effect. It's a quick, unique, affordable way to achieve the latest look in interior décor.

Graphic designer Ed Roth founded the business Stencil1 in Brooklyn in 2005. His iconic reusable stencils have been praised by many, including Martha Stewart, ReadyMade, and the New York Times.

Raffle Preview - French General: Handmade Soirées from Chronicle Books

Today is the first of our sponsor profiles and raffle sneak peeks! We were so thrilled when Chronicle Books signed up to be a sponsor of the Craft Mart and were shocked when we received a box full of new craft books; some of which aren't even in stores yet.

One of the most admired and respected publishing companies in the U.S., Chronicle Books was founded in 1967 and over the years has developed a reputation for award-winning, innovative books. The San Francisco company continues to challenge conventional publishing wisdom, setting trends in both subject and format, maintaining a list that includes fine art titles in design, art, architecture, and photography. We love them for their amazing craft books!

French General: Handmade Soirées -- With Handmade Soirées, every hostess can add French charm to her next meal with family and friends. Entertaining becomes effortlessly chic with these 24 table and decorating projects from tastemaker Kaari Meng.

Organza chair covers dress up a summer fête; fabric wine totes and roll-out place mats make picnics practical; and all of these projects make guests feel cherished. Plus, Kaari shares the secrets of hosting, including how to set an elegant table, collect and care for vintage dishes and textiles, arrange flowers, and much more. The patterns, how-to illustrations, and step-by-step instructions ensure that beginning and seasoned crafters alike will find it très simple to achieve polished results. With an exquisitely scalloped cloth spine and 80 dream-worthy photographs, Handmade Soirées is as pretty as the projects it proffers.

Kaari is a world-renowned purveyor of French living and owner of French General. She sells vintage and new textiles and products in the U.S., Europe, and Japan. Kaari and her husband, photographer Jon Zabala, live in Southern California.

Sneak Peek of Our Amazing Swag Bags!

You may have heard whispers about the free swag bags that will be given out at the Petaluma Downtown Craft Mart and now here's a preview.

The Craft Mart gals spent a fun evening last week hand stenciling each canvas tote bag and you can see that each one is different. Love the snowflakes! We also made very cool Petaluma Shopping Passports that are coupon booklets wih discounts from 21 downtown merchants. Does a free gelato from Powell's sound nice? Each bag is stuffed to the hilt with magazines, promos and freebies from area businesses and there are only 50. So how can you getone? Be one of the first 50 people in the door at the Petaluma Downtown Craft Mart on Sunday, November 29th!

We've been named a "Holiday Show You Can't Miss!"

Wow! Bazaar Bizarre just sent out their latest newsletter with their picks for the best holiday craft shows this season and we are one of them!

Petaluma Downtown Craft Mart is a new craft mart that brings together the best in Indie crafts, featuring traditional and edgy styles created by bold designers and artisans from Sonoma County and the Bay Area. Shop the malls on Black Friday but then come shop local on Green Sunday!
Attendees will be able to peruse the craft market, which will showcase 30+ crafters selling everything from jewelry and bath products to clothing and purses, all with a unique twist. The first 50 attendees will receive a fabulous gift bag! Attendees will also have the opportunity to enter the raffle for more incredible prizes and gifts generously donated by Chronicle Books and local businesses
The event is also a fundraiser for COTS. (Committee on the Shelterless) COTS offers help and hope to the homeless person in Sonoma County by providing safe shelter and housing, helping people develop steady incomes and helping them get back under a roof of their own. All profits and proceeds from this event go to COTS.
When: Sunday, November 29th from noon-5pm
Where: At the historic Hotel Petaluma located at 205 Kentucky Street, Petaluma, CA
Admission: $1 donation
Free Parking * ATMs across the street at Bank of America
For further information or to become a sponsor or donate please contact: PetalumaDowntownCraftMart@gmail.com
www.petalumadowntowncraftmart.com