The WonderCraft

Kim here.  We wanted to give you a little recap of the Beef & Cake Event this weekend.  Nearly four hundred people joined the festivities and squeezed in wherever there was space (hint…next year, we’re thinking about moving this to a venue to make an even larger event!).  We had SUCH an amazing time, got crafty, boogied down, raised hundreds of dollars for Austin Pets Alive!, and selected Stella’s New Men!  Many thanks to Aurora Armada for the amazing photos (the complete set can be found on our Facebook Page)  and Lucy Blue Studio for the fabulous photobooth!

Yours truly, the WonderCraft girls sporting the finished Make & Take product: cupcake fascinators.  ”Let them eat cake!” I say.

…and they did!  The most amazing cake ever courtesy of Blue Note Bakery!

You can find all of the photobooth pics at the Lucy Blue Studios Facebook Page.  If you forgot to pick up your printed pictures you can come and pick them up during our open hours at the shop.  The mastermind behind the make-and-take concept, Melissa Nelson with Jen wearing the realization of her imagined goodness.

People really got into the Make & Take!

Serving up the good stuff, Saint Arnold Brewing Company beer or Tito’s Handmade Vodka with cherry and grape soda courtesy of Rollerfeet sodas (flavors available at Lucky J’s Chicken and Waffles).  Which was your favorite?

Attendees had a tough choice, as evidenced by the closeness of the race.

The winners of the Stella Needs a Man Competition Matt Bradshaw and Mamus Judd…(check out their applications by clicking on their names).

Stay tuned for more details about what Stella’s new men will be getting up to!  Once again we want to thank our amazing sponsors, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Blue Note Bakery, Rollerfeet Soda, Heywood Hotel, and Jack and Adams Bicycles  and remind you to patronize them regularly!

Sponsored by:

Kim here.  Just thought we’d let you know about some of the details we promised to announce about the upcoming Beef & Cake event at the WonderCraft next Saturday, February 11, from 6-10pm at our shop on East Cesar Chavez and Comal.  First some logistics.

The Store will be closed on Saturday to prepare for the event.  Doors open at 6pm.  We’re expecting a full house so arrive early to partake in the deliciousness, secure your spot and participate in the make-and-take.  The making and taking will be shut down strictly at 7:30 so we can start the booty shaking (yes…I intentionally made that super lame rhyme).  Please be prepared and dress in layers as there may be a line and we hear it’s going to be a bit on the cold side, but we suspect it’s going to be nice and cozy on the inside with all the Beef (&) Cake and all ;) ;).  Don’t forget to vote and while you’re at it review the finalist’s profiles so that you’re ready to cast your extra votes at the event.  See voting instructions for details http://www.thewondercraft.com/let-the-voting-begin.

Beefier!

1st get ready for some booty-shaking with the addition of our amazing DJ Hot Britches (a.k.a. BEEF!)

28 year old Hot Britches! also known as Beef! Has been DJing in Austin for over 4 years now playing alongside such acts as Flosstradamus, A-Trak, Dave Nada and many more. Hot Britches! born of out of the house party scene and loves to party like nobody else, playing your favorite 90s, indie, disco and other hits while also introducing you to some of your new favorite songs as well. It is always a good time with Hot Britches! at the helm. Check out the event page, where you can listen to a sample of his bad-assedness to get you primed for the party!

Cakey-er

“Let them eat cake!”  Blue Note Bakery will be providing decadent treats for our fabulous event, so get there early!

Booze-ier!

…and of course the question everyone’s always asks, “Where do I find those sponsored parties with the free booze?” Right here @ Beef&Cake!  Stay tuned for more details on the featured drink courtesy of our friends at Tito’s Handmade Vodka, and Rollerfeet Soda!

Stay tuned for more details, including a Make and Take opportunity for early birds, food, and the featured drink.  We aren’t charging at the door for this event for three reasons:

1.  Our amazing sponsors have provided their services for this charitable event so if you’d like to see these types of events continue, please visit the event page, click on the sponsor logos to visit their sites and most importantly PATRONIZE these amazing local businesses!

2.  This event is intended to benefit Austin Pets Alive!  We’ll be doing a raffle to raise money for this amazing organization and we’ll donate 10% of our sales that night to them as well.

3.  It’s our first year celebrating the Stella Needs a Man talent competition and we’d like for as many people as possible to join us!

Kim here.  We’re so excited to announce the finalists based on our round of celebrity judging!  Check them out below and vote for your favorite.

Here are the questions we asked them in the application:

How to vote:

Go to:  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/YYYNWHL 

• You may submit one vote online so be sure to read all the profiles before casting your vote.  Don’t forget to check out the awesome websites and videos of these amazing guys.
• You can also receive an additional vote for attending the Beef & Cake event Feb 11th, where you can meet the finalists in person
• In addition, if you let us know you’ve come to vote for someone specific, we’ll give you an extra vote
• You also get a vote for every dollar spent on either raffle tickets or merchandise! Details for the event can be found at http://thewondercraft.com/beefcake

	Arthur Simone http://www.thewondercraft.com/arthur-simone
	Dave Carapetyan http://www.thewondercraft.com/dave-carapetyan
	Dustin Jenkins http://www.thewondercraft.com/dustin-jenkins
	J. Haley http://www.thewondercraft.com/j-haley
	James (Mamus) Judd http://www.thewondercraft.com/james-mamus-judd
	Jimmy Field http://www.thewondercraft.com/jimmy-field
	Matt Bradshaw http://www.thewondercraft.com/matt-bradshaw

Thanks for voting and see you at the Beef & Cake event February 11th from 6-10 at The WonderCraft, 1601 E. Cesar Chavez #103, Austin, TX 78702

Or two! Actually there will be more of us, but TWO local celebrity judges! First on our hot list is the awesome Austin personality Tolly Moseley!

Tolly Moseley writes the blog AustinEavesdropper.com, which won “Best Local Blog” in the Austin Chronicle‘s 2011 “Best of Austin” Contest.  She covers the creative culture of Austin and beyond, and also works part-time at Austin’s NPR affiliate, KUT.  She brings years of valuable experience judging the merits of crafty, manly men, having married a chainsaw-wielding wood worker.  Follow her @TollyM.

Next up is the woman we owe so much to, who helped us get the word out in the very beginning when Stella was just a wee babe, Candace Carlisle.

Candace Carlisle is a talented graphic and interactive designer, social media savant, event planner, and girl-about-town on the Austin nightlife circuit. With a primary focus in marketing, she has designed for clients in the entertainment, communication, publishing, and gaming industries. Her clients and one-of-a-kind parties have been featured in The Austin American Statesman, Austin Monthly, Texas Monthly, In the Austin Fashion Awards, on KVUE-TV and many more. With all this experience, she knows a good man when she sees one.

And lastly, us! The WonderCraft ladies need little introduction for most of you, but why not give a little look behind the scenes.

From left to right there’s Kimberly Sae-Eua, Beth Albrecht, and Jenifer Bryan. This pic is from Beth’s NYE party this year, where Jen had her awesome photo booth set up.

Kim hails from San Diego and has a degree in music, with such amazing pipes we’re all afraid to sing even happy birthday next to her. She’s been the designer behind Broken Ear Productions, an amazing line of jewelry with hand-sawed metal and glamorous trimmings which won Austin Fashion Week’s Rising Star award in 2009. Currently when she’s not working & living at The WonderCraft she’s a badass business consultant, traveling the world. Oh, and you’ve probably already met her out on the town, she’s our social butterfly.

Beth also hails from Southern California (a little north of LA) and has a degree in studio art as well as a fashion degree from Parsons (no, she doesn’t know Tim Gunn). She’s the shop’s screen printer and owner of Paired Hearts, which is her awesomely unique line of tee shirts & baby stuff. When Beth’s not working on The WonderCraft she does custom invitations, triathlons, hosts parties, and playdates with her one year old.

Jen is our token Texan redhead and has also endured art school. With her degree in photography she’s able to create distinctive resin jewelry  for her brand, Lucy Blue Studio. Jen’s DIY factor is high and is always striving to make new and different things. When Jen’s not working on The WonderCraft she’s planning her wedding (super DIY), adding to her home menagerie, and preparing for the zombie apocalypse.

And of course our lovely and talented assistants Shawn, Mellissa, and Peter will be guest judging, so many tastes to satisfy!

Judging of our Stella Needs a Man talent search is underway and we’ll be revealing the contestants soon for you all to comment on.

Melissa and Beth here.  I thought I’d just call it out in the title in case you didn’t already know.  We were doing a little research for our ongoing Stella Needs a Man Talent Competition and were surprised to find how hard it is to find pictures of hot dudes who make things (ok…so it’s redundant…in case you men didn’t already know, guys who make things are HOT).

We have to start things off with a great button designed by Pop + Shorty and our favorite “Hey Girl” with Ryan Gosling.

 Next up we have our collection of crafty carpenters. First, Jesus, I mean he’s got great abs. (Actually all of these carpenters do!)  Then, Hello there, Ty Pennington, of HGTV fame and Carter Oosterhouse, who also got his start on Trading Spaces. We’ll take two.

Finally we’ll get down to business, literally. (And figuratively, tee hee.) First here is Tom Ford, famous designer for Gucci now has his own label and film (and he’s totally hot), bet you didn’t know he was born in Austin. (Thanks wikipedia!) Next up, Marc Jacobs, nuff said. And lastly, this hottie is genius Jack Dorsey. CEO of Twitter and inventor of Square, the amazing little square thing that attaches to your phone and accepts credit cards anywhere (aka hero of small business crafters).

Of course these guys are outta our league, but maybe one day, your Wikipedia entry will read: “Got his start with creative brand The WonderCraft.” So, go ahead, be our Tom Ford, or Ty Pennington, (or Jesus!). Only one way to get out there, apply!

We know there are so many of you HOT guys out there that are crafty and it is YOU that we are looking to match up with Stella. She has needed a man for a while and it’s high time she got some man love! So get out your industrial strength glue guns and get ready to get photographed….just be careful, those high temp glue guns will scald!

Hey all you creative folk out there, do you know someone who fits this definition:

1. badass
The epitome of the American male. He radiates confidence in everything he does, whether it’s ordering a drink, buying a set of wheels, or dealing with women. He’s slow to anger, brutally efficient when fighting back.

The badass carves his own path. He wears, drives, drinks, watches, and listens to what he chooses, when he chooses, where he chooses, uninfluenced by fads or advertising campaigns. Badass style is understated but instantly recognizable. Like a chopped Harley or a good pair of sunglasses: simple, direct, and functional.
He is a badass.

(source:  http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=badass)

If so, let them know to apply for our Stella Needs a Man Talent Search.  We’ve already got some amazing candidates, but we’d like some more awesome dudes to throw their hats in the ring…and get this, for each applicant who applies and lists you as their referral source, you get a $5 gift certificate good at our store and Make and Take Bar!  Here’s how it works:

1. Direct your friends to http://www.thewondercraft.com/the-man
2. Make sure that when they fill out the application they list you as a referral source and have them provide us with your email
3. We’ll contact you with instructions on how to retrieve your $5 gift certificate!

 The application deadline has passed…but you can vote for your favorites at http://www.thewondercraft.com/let-the-voting-begin.

but check out the details below and join us at the Beef & Cake event Saturday February 11th from 6-10pm at The WonderCraft handmade shop and make-and-take bar located at 1601 E. Cesar Chavez #103, Austin, TX.

The WonderCraft girls are on the hunt for the perfect match.  Could it be you?  Are you funny? creative? hot? just plain awesome? How about all of the above?? The WonderCraft is looking to hire one or two excellent men to serve as consultant/model/promoter/idea-generator and all-around bad-ass.  Here are some details as well as a link to the application.

• Who is Stella?
  • Stella is our vintage 32 foot Airstream trailer!  She operates as a mobile craft studio and pop-up shop in addition to our brick and mortar location at the corner of East Cesar Chavez and Comal.  See http://www.thewondercraft.com/location-hours

• What’s involved?
  • Sit down over a couple of drinks with the WonderCraft girls every other month or so and discuss and help us come up with new ideas for:
    • Make and take projects
    • Events
  • Come hang out at our events/parties and bring your friends
  • Help us to promote the events online (facebook, twitter, etc.) and by word-of-mouth
  • Pose for an occasional picture for marketing materials, and to model some of our handmade goods (we’re also considering doing a calendar…maybe)

• Is there a specific profile you are looking for?  Are there any specific skills/abilities you’re looking for?
  • If you can answer “YES!!!” to any of the below questions, we might be looking for you.
  • Do you:
• Have a drain pipe outside your window for Stella to shimmy down when your girlfriend/boyfriend comes home?
• Do you love Chuck Norris?
• Does your beard hold the secret to life?
• How do you feel about making kick ass shirts that literally kick people’s asses?
• Can you simply make someone want more by the look you shoot them?
• Do you win dance offs?
• Do you know when a roundhouse kick is necessary?
• Do you automatically know what kind of drink Stella needs depending on her mood?
• Do you carry big package(s)
• Seriously though, we are looking for someone creative and awesome.  What do we mean by that?  While in general there are no specific set of requirements we are looking for, some skills/characteristics that could be looked upon favorably might include (but not be limited to)
  • Sense of humor…no…seriously
  • Creativity as potentially demonstrated by making cool things and/or helping other people to make cool things
  • Event production or promotion
  • Carpentry or any other craft
• We encourage any and all to apply!

• How do I apply?
  • Please apply online here and be as a creative as possible with your application.  The deadline to apply is January 15^th.

• What do I get out of it?
  • Besides getting to hang out with super awesome creative chicks on a regular basis at a business that has a largely female audience?
  • Possibility of sponsorship of your work (e.g. a hosted show/party showcasing your work)
  • AND this is a paid consulting gig.  To give you an idea, we’re probably talking more like beer money than rent money.

• How will the winner(s) be selected?
  • Step 1 – fill out the application
  • Step 2 – Semi-finalists will be selected and announced by a special panel of judges sometime in January.  The semi-finalists may be asked to demonstrate their qualifications:
    • Contributing to our blog
    • Coming up with some proposals for event and project concepts
    • Taking and submitting photos of cool stuff they’ve made
    • Having their photos taken for promotional material and/or to model some of our handmade goods
  • Step 3 – The finalists will be selected by the WonderCraft girls and announced in early February. 
  • Step 4 – The winners will be selected from the finalists by popular vote.  We will begin accepting votes once the finalists have been announced. 
  • Step 5 – We will announce the winner(s) at the Beef & Cake Party scheduled for February 11^th
  • Step 6 – Winners will come in for a first meeting

• How much of a time commitment will this be?
• At a minimum we are looking for someone who can meet with us every other month or so for a couple of hours over a couple of drinks, join us at our events, and talk those events up.
• Beyond that, there may be an opportunity for further involvement based on individual qualifications and our business needs at any given time

• Terms and Conditions:  
• By submitting an application you understand that any and all information, images, concepts and/or media you provide or allow, including your likeness, may be published, released and/or used by the WonderCraft for promotional and/or business purposes.  You agree to indemnify and hold The WonderCraft LLC harmless from any and all claims, liabilities, damages and expenses.
• You must be at least 21 years of age to be selected and live in the greater Austin area

I spent last Sunday in the shop wrapping up my (almost 100% handmade) gifts. As an avid environmentalist/hoarder/cheapskate I never buy wrapping paper and thus always want to get creative with my holiday wrapping. Last year I used up all the paper that came with my then recent Ikea remodel of my craft cave/office. The off white smooth paper was perfect for gift wrap, and a blank canvas for lots of stamping and glitter.

This year I have not bought a load of Ikea shelving and thus no between the boards paper for me, just my constant stash of paper grocery bags. The bags are great for wrapping paper, but you have to prep them by cutting them open, cutting off the bottom and pulling off the handles. I wrapped everything in the brown paper and used white fluffy yarn, blue and green twine, silver sharpie, stamps, and glitter, again of course.

I was particularly happy with the tissue paper pom-pom light blue accent with the kraft paper and the hand drawn chevron pattern accented with a red paper rosette thingy (not sure what to call that).

Want to try it out and glitter up our space instead of yours? Come out to our next wrap party on Thursday the 22nd all day, bring your gifts and get everything wrapped up & pretty, FREE! (also, Champagne mimosas will be had!)

Jen here. First, let me say that I love giving presents. More than getting presents. And that is a bold statement considering how much I LOVE presents and surprises. But there is nothing better than hunting down that perfect present for someone… the one that makes someone’s eyes sparkle with joy. For me, the perfect gift opens up potential, potential to create something new, potential to get lost inside your own imagination, potential to spark a new adventure. That said… here are some of the highlights of my Christmas wishlist, links below.

1. Indian Head Ring by Debbie Carroll – I love these rings we just got in! Available at the WonderCraft :)

2. Art & Graphic Design Knife No. 02  – Unfortunately, I think this sold out. But the No. 1 is pretty nice, too.

3. 943 Benchmade Pocket Knife – a necessity, of course.

4. Tom Waits Necklace – Cool.

5. Lytro Camera – I want.

Beth adding in here, now its my turn to unveil my little list, links below:

1.  Mini Harrington Ampersand Necklace by Isette – She’s a new vendor with The WonderCraft and I LOVE her stuff!

2. Criminals du Monde Calendar from Mr. Boddington’s Studio

3. Cotton Voile Robe from Plum Pretty Sugar – I’ve been eying this robe for like 2 years, I need it!

4. A massage. – I’ve been dying to visit the Lake Austin Spa & after the holidays, I’ll need it!

5. The creme of the crop: Wacom’s Inkling – I’ve read varying reviews, but I’m still intrigued! Seems amazing & sold out. Watch the video!

Cherrywood Art Fair is coming up this weekend!! We are super excited to be at another year of this awesome show. There are going to be lots of WonderCraft vendors selling their wares, too! We will be hosting a make and take craft station where everyone can come make felt ornaments. (We’re also selling them in kits for those that want to do it at home, also makes a great stocking stuffer ;)

We debuted this craft last weekend at Renegade and it was a smash hit! So I thought I’d share with you some of the amazing ornaments crafty peeps came up with all on their own.

We’ll have patterns and kits available for an Airstream trailer ornament, a robot and a cute fox like this one:

Hope to see you there!!

And if you are looking to get on Santa’s good list, they’re still looking for volunteers at the show, click here for more details.