Metro Market Atlanta Seeking Great Produce!

Just had a great conversation with Dori Ginsberg about the Metro Market Atlanta event happening this month (May). It's a fantastic set up and they're doing a lot of marketing to get folks walking through the show. One area they'd like to expand is the Farmers Market portion of the show.

If you have produce, especially organic (but not required) then you may want to check them out. I'll be there the weekend of May 22nd with my pottery (www.hummingbird-hollow.com) and one of our other advertisers (www.horizonsltd.com) will be there the entire month with their garden tools and products.

Dori and partner Candice Keilin have both had successful independent ventures in the past and I know this is going to be another now that they've partnered for the Metro Market Atlanta.

There will be art, activities for kids, demonstrations, food, crafts and something for everyone.  

This is currently a one month event but they have high hopes it will expand into a permanent Market located right downtown in the midst of Buckhead. They have super visibility on Hwy. 85, too. The Metro Market Atlanta is located in the Old Buckhead Design Building.

http://metromarketatlanta.com/

May 7th - 30th 2010
Yes the whole month of May!!!
Friday - Sunday Only
2133 Piedmont Rd
Atlanta, GA 30324
(The Old Buckhead Design Building)

INDOOR VENUE - RAIN OR SHINE
Presenting another fun and exciting show. 

Now you can enjoy the flavor of a European Style Market right here in Atlanta

Time :
 FRIDAY 12pm -6pm,
SATURDAY 10am-5pm,
SUNDAY 12pm-5pm

Metro Market Atlanta is proud to present its Spring 2010 show. We open just in time for Mother's Day.  It's true Atlantans love to Shop, so the Metro Market has put together the finest group of Local talented artists and a few artists from out of state. which includes unique handmade gifts, gourmet foods, children's clothing, jewelry, metal and fine art.  Each Market has its own distinctive feel of a European indoor street fair. Come out and be apart of the experience. Check the website for the dates and times of our Buckhead Farmers Market......coming soon!

WE WELCOME YOU TO COME SHOP AND ENJOY OUR FABULOUS NEW INDOOR LOCATION ON PIEDMONT ROAD.

BEAUTIFUL ART, GIFTS, A FARMERS MARKET, CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT AND ACTIVITIES.

COOKING CLASSES, DEMONSTRATIONS, AND MORE.

ALL IN ONE SPACE

Fall decor trends feature rustic charm with homespun elegance

(ARA) - The air is becoming crisp, colors are changing and cozy sweaters are starting to make their way back into your wardrobe's rotation. Autumn has arrived, and its natural beauty shines radiantly to warm the heart and inspire fresh crafting ideas.

"This fall season, warm colors, rich textures and creative details stand out," says Susan Atchison, manager of trend development for Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores. "Interest in homemade crafts and do-it-yourself decorating projects has never been stronger."

Clever crafts can help to create an autumn atmosphere that is simply elegant or pure fun for the family. When thinking about your fall DIY projects, try some of these ideas to capture your creative spirit when decorating your home or planning your next festive get-together:

1. Fabulous fall decor with versatility and value
Start by decorating your table with exceptionally affordable wool felt. Available in plenty of mix-and-match autumn colors, felt can be sewn, glued, colored or cut – the sky is the limit.

One easy option that provides a beautiful visual presentation is to cut out shapes on a felt cloth. For example, draw scattered maple leaves all over two different colors of felt and cut out the pieces. Layer the two felt squares together on your table for a windblown, just-fallen look.

What to do with the felt leaves you just cut out? Create a harvest-themed wreath with a classic yet contemporary look. Decorate an18-inch grapevine wreath with miniature lights, felt leaves and any other favorite fall items you have around your house or yard.

2. Classic adornments with surprising details
Need a great fall centerpiece? Rethink the classic pumpkin and try decorating with unique embellishments. For a beautiful fall-themed pumpkin, choose gold-toned wire and bend to create fun leaves and vines, attaching to the pumpkin's top. If you're looking for a Halloween theme, decorate the face of the pumpkin with masks and feathers to create different characters like a witch, owl or masquerader.

One way to save money and create a cherished piece of decor you can use year after year is to decorate a reusable pumpkin like Fun-Kins. These light artificial pumpkins are easy to work with and sure to become wonderful works of art.

3. Fall food made fantastically fun
Food is a must at any fall gathering. When the temperature cools, many of us are turning on our ovens to bake delightful must-taste treats. Rich and decadent brownies are tantalizing no matter what, but how about taking them a step further? Serve them kabob-style with marshmallows, fruit and a drizzle of icing to make them irresistible. Arrange on a tray for a beautiful presentation and watch them disappear in minutes.

If you're looking for a dessert with a theme, use uniquely shaped silicone baking pans. Try baking brownies in a jack-o’-lantern muffin pan. After they cool, pop them out, turn over and decorate their faces.

4. Double your fun with homemade costumes
If a costume party is in your future, you'll need something fun that stands out. The homemade costume is officially back and allows your creativity to shine. Brainstorm with your child to figure out what you both want to be for Halloween and then hit up a craft store to get the necessary supplies. What's the newest trend for costumes? Two-in-one options that have the ability to quickly convert from one character to the next.

For example, a sparkling dress can serve as the base for both an astronaut and a robot. With simple accessories and removable changes, your little girl can attend one party as a robot and then zoom off to another as an astronaut. Plus this is a fun alternative to traditional girls' costumes without losing the glitz. Reversible options also work for double-duty costumes. For example, try keeping one side of a cape black so you can be a witch and the other side gold. Add a feathered boa and you can become a queen in an instant.

For more information and to get supplies for creating homemade fall projects, visit www.Joann.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent



Craft Project ideas
Courtesy of Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores

Masked Fun-Kins - Owl

Supplies and tools:
* Fun-Kins carvable pumpkin
* Black mask
* Feathers: 2 Half Hackle plates, 2 Pheasant pads, 1 package Pheasant Plumage Almond
* 9-by-12-inch craft foam: black, brown, yellow, white
* Black glitter glue
* 1 1/2 yards 3/8-inch brown ribbon
* 2 gemstones
* Tacky glue
* Scissors
* 2 ball-head straight pins
* Patterns available at www.joann.com.

Directions:

1. Remove elastic from mask.

2. Glue Half Hackle feathers near the top of the mask on each side. Glue Pheasant pads to overlap the Half Hackle feathers and extend nearly to the nose of mask.

3. Cut a yellow craft foam beak following.

4. Cut eyes from black, white and brown craft foam. Glue smaller black circles to white circles and cover black pupils with black glitter glue. Cut brown circle in half for eyelids. Draw a line of black glitter glue along the bottom of each eyelid. When glitter glue is dry, glue eyes onto mask, over the feathers. Glue eyelids onto eyes as shown.

5. Fill in the area above beak with single Pheasant Plumage feathers. Cut and glue two brown craft foam triangles to the top corners for ears.

6. Tie brown ribbon through mask holes. Tie mask around pumpkin. Secure mask to pumpkin with straight pins.

Approximate crafting time: 2 hours plus drying time

Skill level 1: No experience needed


Wire-Embellished Fun-Kins

Supplies and tools:

* Fun-Kins carvable pumpkins
* Floral accent wire: gold, copper, bronze
* Wire cutter
* Round-nose pliers
* Paper and pencil

Directions:

1. Draw maple and oak leaf shapes on paper.

2. Using drawing as a guide, bend a length of floral accent wire with round-nose pliers and fingers to the approximate shape of leaf. Cut excess wire to create a 4-inch stem. Puncture pumpkin with the stem and insert leaf.

3. Using a new length of wire, create curly vines by wrapping wire around a pencil to form shape. Loop wire vines around the pumpkin stem.

Approximate crafting time: 1 hour each

Skill level 1: No experience needed

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Handmade Gifts Make a Holiday Comeback

(ARA) – Instead of battling crowded shopping malls and rising prices, Kim Jacobson is spending time in her garage, building holiday gifts in her home woodshop.

For several years, the Minnesota-based occupational therapist has been handcrafting holiday presents as part of her husband Gary's family's unusual -- and refreshing -- annual gift exchange.

"There's only one rule," Gary explains. "Everything has to be homemade. You draw a name at Christmas and have the next year to make that person a present."

It's a tradition Kim says cuts through the commercialism surrounding the holidays, to the core of what the season is all about.

"A lot of love goes into what you make," she says.

It's also part of an emerging trend, according to Ann Rockler Jackson, chief executive officer of Rockler Woodworking and Hardware, one of the nation's largest suppliers of woodworking tools and equipment.

Jackson has seen her company's gift-related supply sales increase steadily over the past five years and believes more consumers are seeking a back-to-the-basics approach to gifts.

"People are getting tired of the shopping-mall mentality surrounding holiday gifts," she says. "Building your own can be so much more personal. There are a lot of creative people out there making incredible, meaningful gifts they couldn't buy at a store. And that do-it-yourself population is growing.

"Plus, it's a nice way to save money," she says. "When you have the skills and ability to eliminate labor costs by doing something yourself, it pays dividends -- particularly in a tough economy."

As the number of people building gifts increases, so does the flow of ideas. Rockler has organized an extensive handmade gift list on its Web site, www.rockler.com/handmade.

Some of the more popular projects on the list are relatively simple to build -- things like small jewelry or keepsake boxes. Dominoes, cribbage boards and wooden Sudoku sets are among the many options for beginners. And for those with wood lathes, hardware kits for hand-turned pens, Christmas ornaments and even ice-cream scoops bring the quality of homemade gifts up to -- or beyond -- the store-bought level.

For the Jacobsons, high-quality homemade gifts are nothing new. With several accomplished woodworkers in the family, they have seen some amazing creations over the years.

"Probably the most impressive was a dining room table my cousin made for his sister-in-law," Gary says. "That will be an heirloom, for sure."

Still, the beauty of the Jacobson's tradition -- and one of the driving forces behind home gift-building's burgeoning popularity -- has as much to do with fellowship as it does with craftsmanship.

"It's definitely brought us all closer together," Kim says.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Fall Home Decor Trends: One Part Nature with a Twist

NF Note: The leaves are beginning to float gently to the ground. The morning air is beginning to have a crisp, fresh feel. The Halloween decorations are starting to adorn the lawns of many Fayette County homes. It's the perfect time to take the inspiration nature provides and bring it inside.

(ARA) – As Mother Nature wows us with fantastic fall colors and scenery, the latest trends in fall decorating and entertaining bring the beauty of the great outdoors inside. Give your home some fall-time flare by adding nature-inspired decor with unexpected crafty details.

“This fall, decorating trends are inspired by nature, but the key is to use these elements in new and exciting ways. Interesting themes, new colors and surprising details are making fall 2008 distinctive,” says Susan Atchison, manager of trend development for Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores.

Here are some decorating ideas and trends that you can try in your home:

1) Make pumpkins fun.
Pumpkins are the quintessential symbol of fall, but why not put a new twist on a classic? When ordinary pumpkins just won’t do, paint a collection of pumpkins and decorate them with scrollwork designs for instant I-did-it-myself appeal.

“Try painting artificial pumpkins, called Fun-Kins, a variety of colors. Rich blues and reds will provide a classic look. Then decorate with dimensional copper paint or iridescent brown paint,” says Atchison. “For a fun, brighter look, get inspiration from traditional prints by painting argyles, dots, checks, plaids and stripes in exciting color combinations for a fun mix-and-match pumpkin grouping that can be used year after year.”

2) Make it a crafty Halloween.
Halloween is a frightfully fun time, and with the holiday landing on a Friday this year, there’s bound to be a little extra celebration. Consider using inexpensive or leftover craft items to create frightfully fun Halloween decorations for little cost.

Atchison suggests making Jack-O-Lantern Illusions, which are made out of a quilt hoop that is painted orange with a fun jack-o’-lantern face hanging in the center with clear thread. They’re quick and easy and look fabulous hanging from the ceiling indoors or on trees outside.

3) A table aplenty.
Showcase the essence of fall’s natural beauty with a sparkling centerpiece everyone will adore. Fill jars and bowls with decorative fruits like apples and grapes, but add pizzazz with nontraditional fruits such as pomegranates or mangos.

“Put your own creative spin on the project by adding things you’ve purchased or found on a nature walk like pinecones, dried flowers or feathers,” says Atchison.

Add a special touch for your next dinner gathering by creating personalized handcrafted harvest place settings. Choose a decorative foam or plastic fruit and use copper paint to inscribe the guest’s name. Add a feather or other decorative detail and you have a tasteful place setting that turns into a fun take-home party favor once guests are ready to go.

4) Accents around the home.
Adding a touch of color throughout the home can transform it into an autumn environment in no time. Utilize colors to bring the feeling of the season into any room, from bathroom to kitchen to porch. Gorgeous golds and oranges, rich burgundies and browns, plus touches of teal and sage vividly reveal fall’s splendor.

Add a splash of color with a wine-toned table runner or visual appeal with a simple bunch of dried fall flowers filling the air with the pleasant aroma of the season.

“This fall, decor with a natural essence is popular, but be creative. Adding unique details to traditional items or utilizing colors in new and exciting ways can really make your house stand out,” concludes Atchison.

For more information and to get supplies for creating the perfect fall decor for your home visit www.Joann.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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