Heeey-yooooh! It’s magazine time again. Welcome to Issue #5 of Pack Rat, where the fun never ends. This issue we bring you fashion, art, and more crafts than you can shake a stick at. (Well, maybe you can shake a stick at them. I shouldn’t jump to conclusions about your ability to shake sticks at things.) Marvel at the creative prowess of Valiant clothing designer, Mykel Walker. Wonder at the thrifty chic fashion we found, all in the ballpark of $30. Thrill at the grotesque beauty unearthed at the Museum of Bad Art. Plus, we have some cool craft tutorials too.

If you are in the area of our nation’s Liberty Basket (as I like to call it) this weekend, check out Charm City Craft Mafia’s Pile of Craft juried indie craft fair.

What: Pile of Craft–featuring 40+ indie crafters

Where: St. John’s Church, Baltimore, MD

When: Saturday, June 21. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more info, visit charmcitycraftmafia.com

Pack Rat Magazine didn’t start the fire. No we didn’t light it, but we tried to fight it.

Hey cats and kittens. If you’re in the metropolitan area this weekend, don’t forget to take your dad to Renegade Craft Fair for all sorts of handmade, unique goodies. At the very least, he’ll get the coolest neck tie around. The deets are below:

What: 4th Annual Renegade Craft Fair–over 200 vendors, plus food and DJs.

When: June 14 & 15: 11am-7pm
Where: McCarren Park Pool, Brooklyn, NY

renegadecraft.com

If you are in the California area (circa Sacramento) this weekend, check out “Painting for Paws” Happy Tails Benefit Art Show to enjoy artwork made by both human and animal artists.

Hosted By: Evie Turner
When: Saturday Jun 14, 2008
at 6:00 PM
Where: Little Real Estate/Union Vacations
4201 H Street
East Sacramento, California|595819
United States

Click Here To View Event

Pack Rat Magazine can’t get no satisfaction.

I am so in love with England. The accents, the fashion, the rich literary history. And I’ve recently come across one more reason to fall in love. The Cans Festival (a riff off the popular French film festival, Cannes) was held at a tunnel under the Waterloo train station in London at the beginning of May. It was so hip and exclusive that the location was only given out at the eleventh hour. Then a crew of the best and brightest stencil/graffiti artists in the world convened and created. The public was clued into the event and for the next two days people streamed in, adding their own mark to the walls. Some people are calling it the greatest stencil show ever and it certainly has rocked my world.

Pack Rat Magazine is people!!

If you are in the Wisconsin area on May 17th and 18th, take a trip to Milwaukee for Bitchcraft, the arts/crafts/feminism extravaganza brought to you by Bitch magazine.  Here’s the blurb that sold me:

“Bitchcraft, a weekend of music, arts, crafts, and words will take place Saturday, May 17–Sunday, May 18. All events are free—donations are very much encouraged (and appreciated!) and benefit the nonprofit project you know and love as B-Word/Bitch.

Bitchcraft kicks off Saturday, May 17, 5–8 p.m., at Woodland Pattern Book Center, 720 E. Locust St., with performances by singer-songwriters Heidi Spencer and Stephanie Rearick; a sneak preview of “Devotion to Thread,” an exhibit curated by Faythe Levine; and some brief comments from me about what we’re up to at Bitch! 

Part two of Bitchcraft takes place Sunday, May 18, 4–5:30 pm. I’ll facilitate a special session of the Femiknits discussion group—open to non-knitters!—at Broad Vocabulary Bookstore, 2241 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. Our discussion will focus on the ways in which feminism can be re-imagined in our communities. Even if you don’t knit, please come and share your ideas, stories, and struggles. “

It’s Pack Rat Magazine, b*tches!

Okay, so I know I’ve been awol recently and I’m sure you’ve all be struggling to find the will to live without my sage words of advice (JK) but I’m back and the reason for my prolonged absence and subsequent return is that I’ve been working diligently on producing for you all (or y’all where appropriate) issue numero quatro of Pack Rat. This issue we help the Earth in the spirit of Earth Day by doing what we do best: recycled crafts and lots of them. We also talk with jewelry designer Becky Houle, a.k.a. The Vicious Kitty, look into what this whole letterbox craze is all about and, with the help of Cat Morley from Cut Out + Keep make our own letterbox stampers, hit the thrifts for some inexpensive crafting supplies, and just about a zillion things more. Head over to www.packratmag.com/zine to get in on the action. I missed you all and I’m glad to be back. Happy crafting!

Issue #3, online now!

Okay, I’ve tried to write this post about ten times today, but for various reasons I keep losing it. The long and the short of this is that there is going to be a craft show called “Spring Line Up,” March 30 put on by North Park Craft Mafia in San Diego, CA. Mark your calendars, and if you are a vendor in that area, registration is on-going until 2/22.

Hi kids!  the Feb/March Issue is finally out and rarin’ to go.  Click on the pdf link below!  And remember, if you think you could do better, you’re welcome to show us what you’ve got. Submission deadlines for next issue will be March 20th.  Happy reading.

issue3.pdf

Check out Issue #1 of Pack Rat Magazine and stay tuned for Issue #2 available December 1st.

And for those of us living in Texas, this Saturday is the Stitch Handmade Revolution craft fair. Keep your eyes peeled for the fashion show at 9:30 pm.