Pucker up for Spaghetti Kiss

Kiss dull t-shirts goodbye! Visit Spaghetti Kiss and buy some rocking apparel that has been illustrated and screen printed by Baltimore's own Michael Bracco of Spaghetti Kiss. 

Michael also writes and illustrates award winning graphic novels. His series and is uber cool clothing will be available Sunday, December 2nd at this year's Merry Mart.

Wearable Graffiti from Susan Brandt

Need a little street cred? Well Susan Brandt is the person you want to visit at this year's Merry Mart.  Susan creates street art you can wear. She uses graffiti on silk scarves that can help tag your unique personality.

Don't be fooled by the graffiti,  her scarves coordinate well with a wide range of clothing and personal styles from t-shirt casual to business class, so come visit  Susan Brandt Sunday, December 2nd from 11am to 5pm at the Creative Alliance.

That's a Damn Good Doormat!

ART YOU CAN WIPE YOUR FEET ON! From geek to chic…Damn Good Doormats make a damn good holiday present.

Damn Good Doormats is an idependent, artist run business! Spoon is a longtime Baltimorean, painter & performer and would love a visit from you at this year's Merry Mart. Damn Good Doormats has a doormat for every person in you life, from the beer drinking chip eating Baltimorean to the wanna be Jedi Knights. You can't go wrong with these welcoming gifts!

You'll Holler & Whistle About this Vendor!

Holler & Whistle is a husband and wife team that creates intricate cut paper Greeting Cards, ornaments, original screen printed t-shirts and more! Come visit Zach & Erin from Holler & Whistle for a very special holiday greeting that everyone will be sure to remember getting in the mail. 

So when you get to Merry Mart on Sunday, December 2nd don't forget to Holler & Whistle when you see their great items!

Have Art Will Travel--Sogh

Much like the traveling gnome, Shawn Theron's paintings have travelled the world! From Bermuda to the South Pole his paintings have gone around the globe...but no need to travel to Santa's workshop in the North Pole this winter to get your own Sogh painting, just come to the Creative Alliance's Merry Mart the first Sunday in December!

I wasn't lying, here are his paintings at the South Pole!

Shawn's paintings are super cool abstract paintings of all shapes and sizes on scrap lumber, house parts or anything else made of wood he can find!

You'll Be Glad You Found Her!

Kacey from Found Studio uses the two things that she loves: Repurposing FOUND materials and painting to create her one of a kind eclectic paintings and prints.

She incorporates scrap vintage and new fabric along with book pages into her work. Found Studio uses the highest quality, archival and non-toxic acrylic paints and gel mediums she can get my hands on. Every layer has a coat of gel medium that seals the collage-work in a permanent way, making them durable and water/fade resistant.

Come see Kacey and her finds at Merry Mart on Sunday, December 2nd!

Alluring Robot Helps out Santa's Elves this Christmas

Karen and her Robot Army have been working hard to help Santa and his elves this season making lots of presents for the good little girls and boys! Karen's shop, Alluring Robot features upcycled...recycled...often discarded items in her jewelry that she re-imagines into wearable art. Karen's Alluring Robots are friendly and would love a visit from you at this year's Merry Mart.

Brickbourne

Christina McCleary from Brickbourne makes pottery, sculptures, and jewelry. Her pottery includes mugs, cups, bowls, and plates in a wide range of colors and surface treatments.

All Brickbourne pottery is reduction-fired stoneware that is food, microwave, and dishwasher safe. Her ceramic sculptures are abstracted figures that are fired with Reduction, Raku, and Saggars processes. Brickbourne's jewelry incorporates glass beads and ceramic pendants in necklaces and earrings. Come visit Christina and buy on of a kind, unique hand crafted gifts Sunday, December 2nd at Merry Mart.

Pop Culture + Design = Super Rad Design

An interest in painting, a dash of dorky,  a pinch of popular culture throw it all in a Baltimore crab pot and what you get out is Carlos Vigil of Super Rad Designs.

Carlos t-shirt designs take inspiration from 80s and 90s pop-culture, retro arcade/video games, popular toys, comic books, sports, cartoons, electronic and pop music, graffiti, his childhood, and the cereal isle at the grocery store. Super Rad t-shirt designs are often Baltimore-themed, including licensed Mr. Boh designs. Come visit Carlos at Merry Mart the first Sunday in December at this year's Merry Mart.

Block Party Press, Lot's of Pun this Holiday!

A love for puns and nature inspire Tamara from Block Party Press is a self-taught artist who had her "peanut butter in the chocolate" moment when she combined stamp carving, polymer clay and paint to create unique jewelry and accessories.

Nothing says "Olive You" like a martini olive with heart!

All of her pieces are handmade from start to finish. Block Party Press features all original designs that are carved into  stamps. Then she hand paints each piece and lovingly scratch away the paint to create her signature finish! Block Party Press also creates illustrations and paintings from recycled magazines and product packaging.

Don't Blink! Open Eyes Press is at Merry Mart

Open Eyes Press makes screen printed housewares that also incorporates hand sewn aspects. Rachael from Open Eyes Press line includes tea towels, reusable sandwich bags, prints, stationery, market totes, pillows, and upcycled wool clutches. Her products have a retro-industrial vibe, and are made with quality, function, and sustainability in mind. 

Everything Open Eyes Press sells is handmade by her, which means it's printed and sewn right here in East Baltimore!

Laughing Moon Artworks

Annie and her partner/sister Linda from Laughing Moon Artworks specialize in light-hearted, whimsical illustration that they hand paint, decoupage or stamp onto a variety of materials including clothing, tiles, trivets and more. Laughing Moon Artworks also offers a variety of original artwork and prints. Laughing Moon Artworks is a member of the DC Craft Mafia and we are really excited that she has come around the beltway to visit us in Baltimore this holiday season!

 

As Sweet as a Pinkkiss

Pinkkiss pottery is a line of handcrafted ceramic housewares made by Shawna Pincus.  Pinkkiss pottery is handmade from slabs of clay that are rolled thin and formed over a hand thrown mold or cut from an original pattern and shaped.

Shawna hand paints all of her work using underglazes much as a painter would use paints. She also print on the surface using my own technique of blockprinting, stamping and screen printing. Each piece is coated with studio made food safe glazes and fired in her electric kiln making them strong and safe to use on a daily basis.

Tag Team Vendors

What happens when two great crafters share a space? Tag team vending at Merry Mart with Fisticuffs Leather and Iconolithic. This power house duo will crush the competition and take no prisoners—manufactured mall stores beware! Why would anyone want a cookie cutter present when they can to Merry Mart December the 2nd and meet these two heavy hitters.

Fisticuffs Leather hand-builds cuffs, watchbands and other leather accessories from 100% reclaimed/recycled leather and found objects.

 Jack Hernandez from Iconolithic creates shadow box works of art from found objects. Come see this dynamic duo and do some heavy weight holiday shopping.

Get Wired

Devin from Mack Wire is the Macgyver of sculpture. Using only a pair of pliers and his hands he twist, bends and shapes wire into a great variety of sculptural objects.

From small gift items to large figurative sculptures Mack Wire strives to have affordable art for everyone. He's the Mack Daddy of wire so come see him at this year's Merry Mart.

Painted Screens, a Baltimore Traditions

It's art hon! Painted screens are a true Baltimore art form so visit Merry Mart on December 2nd to get a piece of your own Baltimore folk art. Two Painted Screen Society members present Baltimore's famous folk art, painted window screens, with a twist.

M. Broere has fly swatters,hand sewn bracelets and small screens with contemporary images.

A. Pascualucci offers a variety of screen items (miniature window/doors, small framed screens) painted with traditional images. They will also be offering  Painted Screen Society brochures and DVD's ( "The Screen Painters" documentary and "How To Paint a Baltimore Screen").

Meet Lucille Ball!

This year Lucille Ball struts her stuff into the holiday season!

For those of you familiar with the Creative Alliance's Merry Mart you will notice a familiar face on all of the artwork. She's the faboulously round Lucille Ball! She is super sassy and proud of her round figure. This lovely lady comes from the imagination of Lucinda from Ladderback Design.

I thought it might be nice to take a little holiday trip down memory lane and look back on some of Lucille Ball's Merry Mart looks!

Warming herself next to the fire in 2009

Enjoying yummy hot chocolate in 2011

Skating her way in to the holidays in 2010