Ladies and Gentlemen - Grab Your Glue Guns!

Do you own more than one glue gun? Does your kitchen drawer contain more vintage ephemera than cooking utensils? Have you ever bought buttons in bulk? Ever loaded your arms full of yellowing sewing patterns? Or spent an entire weekend silk-screening odd images onto cotton panties?

If you have – Cheryl Aronson with Petaluma Craft Mafia – wants you!

“Our mission is to promote the spirit of craft; the love of Do It Yourself-ness. We want to empower people in their craftiness - to encourage others to put their own craftiness stamp on things,” said Arsonson.

And she’s recruiting crafty crafters for Craftaluma’s “How The Craft Was Won!” show on Aug. 21st at the patio. The deadline for table and booth applications is Aug. 7.

“This is our first outdoor venue, so people should keep that in mind and realize that we might have wind in the afternoon. I’m hoping we won’t, but we might,” said Aronson.

People who love Etsy.com and frequent city dumps in search of art components know that the Craft Mafia movement has roots in Austin, Texas and has grown to include hundreds of regional groups of dedicated crafters, many of whom are committed to making a living by craftiness.

“In Petaluma, the Craft Mafia gang got started in 2007 with me, Greta Gilmore who does blown glass and knitting, and Jenna Hale, who is talented with so many things including jewelry and glitter painting,” said Aronson.

The Petaluma chapter of Craft Mafia is hoping that anyone who has been crafting in obscurity, perhaps wondering if anyone could possibly share their vision of world domination through cleverness with sepia photography or retro velvet corsages, will trust their instincts and strut their stuff. Oh, and they want MEN! Men who are man enough to get their craft on.

“Wouldn’t it be fun to find a new group of people taking their own spin on things? I’m hoping we see some really irreverent stuff, some kitschy stuff like reinterpretations of the Mona Lisa in legumes or lentils, but tastefully,” Aronson said with a sly giggle.

“How The Craft Was Won!” is a family-friendly free craft show that will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Aug. 21 and will feature musical guest The Smoke House Gamblers, a raffle and endless opportunities to make Petaluma craftiness history.  Vender fees are determined by the amount of display space needed with opportunities to share spaces.

“This isn’t your granny’s craft show, but we know she’d be pleased as punch with the amazing quality craft exhibited around here.  Join us dressed in your favorite cowgirl or Western threads and throw on a pair of boots, too,” said Aronson.

And mark your crafty calendars for Petaluma’s Craft Mafia annual holiday show, Craftaluma’s “Holiday Hoe-down,” which will be held Dec. 3 at the Petaluma Veteran’s Hall. Save $40 by registering for both shows in advance.