Craft Mafia Muscles In To Help Family Of Crafters

By Emily Savage
Staff Writer

There are currently 42 active Craft Mafia groups internationally, and the newly created Long Beach branch is ready for crafters to join the family.

The Long Beach Craft Mafia is hosting a Meet N’ Greet event at Hot Java on Feb. 29 to educate crafters on the group and meet prospective members.

The purpose of the collective is to network and help fellow crafters grow their independent businesses by promoting each other, Long Beach Craft Mafia founder Rachel Hammond explained.

The concept of the Craft Mafia originally began in Austin, Texas, in 2002 with just three businesses. One meeting later, the group had nine members.

The Austin group has since contributed to books, won awards in magazines and created its own television show (Stylelicious on www.diynetwork.com).

Other Craft Mafias have sprung up in New York City, Vancouver, Omaha, Leeds and scores of other cities, all under the umbrella of the original Craft Mafia.

“We saw the value in what we created and wanted to share that with other crafters,” said Craft Mafia manager Jesse Kelly-Landes. “I think people love the idea of people supporting each other.”

For new Craft Mafias to begin and be linked back to the original, the group must have at least three members who own and operate their own business that features handmade products, have a Web site that features the members, and sign a licensing agreement.

The beginnings of the Long Beach Craft Mafia can be traced back to early 2007, when Hammond and friend Shannon LaBounty decided to get serious about expanding their businesses, Hammond said. They started meeting with other friends who owned small businesses and in June 2007 decided to contact the Austin Craft Mafia to let them know a Long Beach group was ready to join.

The women who own the businesses, Lost Goat, Shenanigans, SPARKLEdarrko, Veg-O-Rama, Hearts and Laserbeams and Art by Suzi Boneshaker, founded the Long Beach Craft Mafia. Though the group is currently female-only, they are not averse to including male crafters, Hammond said.

The items created by artists currently in the collective run the gamut from natural handmade soaps to felt art to vegan cupcakes. The group is currently looking for any and all kinds of crafters — as long as they have their own business, Hammond said.

Crafter Steph Calvert of Hearts and Laserbeams said she got involved with the group because she went looking for it.

“Craft Mafia in general has a great reputation for being a group that can help a person grow their ‘indie’ craft business and that’s exactly what I needed,” she said. “I took to the Internet and discovered Long Beach Craft Mafia’s Myspace page — it was early enough in the game that I was able to help them get things organized.”

Calvert’s company sells painted melamine plates, knit scarves and hand-screened T-shirts, among other items. One shirt features a drawing of Neil Diamond with the phrase, “It’s True, A Diamond is a Girl’s Best Friend.”

Long Beach Craft Mafia plans for 2008 include a members-only craft show and sending out sample products to major retail store chains and magazines to generate interest in the group, Hammond said.

“(The group) has been an invaluable tool in my growth because I have these amazing people to bounce ideas off of and get feedback from,” Hammond said. “I think Long Beach is chock-full of artists working full or part-time to bring their creations to the public.”

The Long Beach Craft Mafia Meet N’ Greet is from 7 to 9 p.m. on Feb. 29 at Hot Java, 2101 E. Broadway.

For more information, visit www.longbeachcraftmafia.com.