Shopping For Crafts at the MSLO Holiday Craft Sale!
Once again, we celebrated a handmade holiday at the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Holiday Craft Sale! Some of you may recall, back in December of 2008, when our Craft department first hosted a holiday sale. We transformed one of our photo studios into the sale space and 35 crafters and entrepreneurs from the company signed up to sell.  The sale was so popular that in the following year, we attracted 73 vendors and moved into our much larger clerestory space.  This year, we had more than 95 sellers, including more food vendors, selling to the hungry customers. That number also included 5 lucky contest winners of a hugely popular contest set up by our crafts department. Some of those winners travelled as far as San Diego and Seattle to join us at the sale. It’s always a thrill for me to see the exceptional talent and extraordinary crafts that employees of MSLO are creating, and it’s a great opportunity to buy some unique holiday gifts!
On Saturday, December 4th, the sale was open to the public and we welcomed nearly 2,300 shoppers throughout the day. Shoppers were able to make and take home their own glittered ornaments, win great prizes, raise funds for Susan G. Komen Walk for the Cure through our Craft Walk raffle, buy treats from David Pasternack’s Esca and Jim Lahey’s Sullivan Street Bakery, and of course, shop away. Special thanks to Marcie McGoldrick, who runs our Holiday & Crafts Editorial Department, and Andrea DiPasquale, from our Martha Stewart Crafts team, for keeping this tradition going.
1 A sparkling entrance to the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Holiday Craft Sale
2 Once again, our spacious clerestory was the venue for the sale.
3 Crafters from my television show arrived to set up their displays.
4 A team of crafters and carpenters created this amazing wall art of pretty glittered ornaments.
5 I thought this wall was really fabulous.
6 Our Crafts department created a gallery, showcasing our December issue story called '20 Years of Holiday Good Things.'
7 Instructions for all of these 'Good Things' are found in the Workbook section of the December issue of Martha Stewart Living.
8 Sugar Plums from 1990 - These glistening fruits appeared in my first Christmas book and in the premier issue of my magazine.
9 Cane Attraction from 1997 - Like an old-fashioned penny-candy counter, this sweet centerpiece makes the most serious grown-ups feel like kids again.
10 Winter Wonderland from 1998 - These tiny worlds, constructed from repurposed glass jars and dime-store toys, bottle the romance of the first snowfall.
11 Adorable penguins
12 A reindeer, of course!
13 Snowball Effect from 2006 - These vintage-inspired gift containers look a lot like snowballs.
14 A Lolly, Jolly Christmas from 2008 - Make these pops by sliding gumdrops onto sticks and then arrange the sweet creations in a sugary, wintry showpiece.
15 This year's 'Good Thing' - Our Creative Director Eric Pike, designed these beautiful glittered ornaments using Martha Stewart Crafts products - punches, glitter, glue, card stock, and ribbons.
16 Handle & Spout made lovely necklaces using chenille pom-poms. http://handlespout.bigcartel.com/
17 Whimsical holiday ornaments and pins by La La Laurie http://www.lalalaurie.com/
18 Fabulous mushroom ornaments from Hosanna Houser. She'll be showing them on my TV show this week, as well!
19 Kristin St. Clair's polar bears.
20 Beautiful paper flowers by Livia Cetti
21 Shane Powers made cameo necklaces from resin.
22 Silke Stoddard displayed fun and colorful beaded necklaces.
23 Marcie McGoldrick's porcelain nesting bowls http://www.marciemcgoldrick.com/
24 Calia Van Dyke made adorable knitted baby booties and caps.
25 Kristine Domingo of Sweet & Sour Goodies, http://www.sweetandsourgoodies.com/ from San Diego, made felt dolls. Kristine was one of five winners of a contest on the Crafts Dept. Blog. http://thecraftsdept.marthastewart.com/ The prize was a spot to sell at the Craft Fair.
26 Sian Keegan's handmade animals. She also makes custom pet portraits. http://siankeegan.com/
27 Randi Sue Foreman's plush cashmere bunnies
28 Jackie Landaeta's sweet baby items - www.JFLCrafts.etsy.com
29 Christina Deyo's hand spun yarn and knit goods
30 Meanwhile, Christina knits away.
31 Lauren Richel Kelly made tasty jams.
32 Maptotes' t-shirts and gift tags http://www.maptote.com/
33 Beautiful cards by Moontree Letterpress http://moontreeletterpress.com/
34 Sean Ennis made these birch wood candles.
35 Maria Eife's felt-cut jewelry http://mariaeife.com/home.html
36 Vintage by Crystal holiday characters http://vintagebycrystal.com/
37 Lenore Welby sold these festive paper wreaths.
38 McClure's Pickles now sells a spicy Bloody Mary mix made with their pickle brine. http://www.mcclurespickles.com/
39 Our friends from Purl Soho sold their beautiful yarn. http://www.purlsoho.com/purl
40 Soft knit items from Pip-Squeak Chapeau http://www.pip-squeakchapeau.com/
41 Darcy Miller and her family shop the sale.
42 Shake-a-Leg Salt & Pepper shakers by Amy Adams from Perch Modern Ceramics http://www.perchdesign.net/index.php
43 Nate Mueller shows off the the gorgeous photos in new our 'Boundless Beauty digital issue.
44 Acting silly
45 Demonstrating how-to glitter, our Crafts team glittered more than 600 ornaments on Saturday! All that glitter kept them in good spirits.
46 Shoppers were also able to glitter and keep their own ornaments, using our fabulous Martha Stewart Crafts glitter.
47 Sullivan Street Bakery sold bombolini, bread, olive oil, salt, and many flavors of cookies. http://www.sullivanstreetbakery.com/
48 David Pasternack and his chef from Esca sold delicious white bean bruschetta to the hungry shoppers. http://www.esca-nyc.com/
49 Iced tea courtesy of Truvia natural sweetener http://www.truvia.com/
50 Dove chocolates were a pick me up for shoppers. http://www.dovechocolate.com/
51 Samples of Alexia Spicy Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries http://www.alexiafoods.com/index.jsp
52 Tasty Cabot Cheese samples for the shoppers http://www.cabotcheese.coop/
53 Shoppers could help to raise funds for Susan G. Komen Walk for the Cure through our Craft Walk raffle.
So many talented people in one place. It boggles the mind. And, the foods look delicious!!
I also liked your outfit.
Gloria G!!
Posted by: Gloria | December 9th, 2010 at 12:15 am
Congratulations on yet another beautiful holiday craft sale. Your talented staff continues to outdo themselves.
I know this would be a huge production challenge but I think it would be a great thing if next year you would take the holiday sale on the road to at least two other cities in addition to NY. Just think of all of the fans who can't make it to NY but would come out in droves for the sale much like your book signings.
Posted by: Sonya | December 9th, 2010 at 1:08 am
Pozdrowienia z Polski!
Posted by: Asia | December 9th, 2010 at 7:35 am
WOW! I want to come next year. Will you post it a week earlier next yeat -- what a great tradition!
Posted by: Teresa Touey | December 9th, 2010 at 8:43 am
The American way at Christmas is still alive and well here, too. Tioga had a wonderful craft show with Ray Goettle family hosting. Kelsey showed her kind spirit and generous ways inviting friends to gather and show their wares, her mother Desire' helped get everything ready and the ever youthful grandmother, Judy served coffee, cider, and Christmas goodies. Makes me happy to live in this community. Thank you for showing us your tradition.
Posted by: ann | December 9th, 2010 at 10:24 am
Hi Martha, WOW! Ninety-five sellers at this years MSLO Holiday Craft Sale! That's almost three times the sellers from 2008! Kudos to Marcie, Andrea and all of your terrific crafters for having this fabulous craft sale! Your photos of many of the crafts and the people attending are superb and everything they made was beautiful. I've got to look at Kevin's blog to see his delightful photos, too. Terrific TV Show again yesterday and really fun to listen to 'Ask Martha' on Sirius Radio again. A very strong La Nina is acting up here in the Puget Sound area with strong winds and more than 2 inches of rain the past couple of days. Still raining, but kind of warm here. Have a great day and stay warm. Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | December 9th, 2010 at 11:33 am
Hi Martha,
It was fun to follow the craft sale activity on Twitter and from the comments and pictures it seemed shoppers were having a good time glittering ornaments to take home. Mary Shields tweeted the following link to me after I mentioned that I liked the vintage ornaments and I also asked who made the clothes. http://www.flickr.com/groups/msloholidaycraftsale/ I thought the glittered ornament wall was pretty fantastic too but there were so many beautiful crafts to count. I think it was sometime in October that your craft department made mention of this sale and I really wanted to attend but being a caregiver makes that impossible. Thanks for some of the links you provided here and others I found on Twitter and Google. You definitely have some wonderful crafters at MSLO. Trish
Posted by: Trish | December 9th, 2010 at 11:42 am
Martha, thanks for sharing this blog.
Posted by: KLBrown | December 9th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
Martha,
Thanks so much for having this wonderful event. I was so thrilled to be a part of it! Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. It was a quick trip from San Diego, but well worth it
Happy Holidays!
Posted by: Kristine Domingo | December 9th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
Crafts fairs are always the best. It will always be a treat walking through the stalls or tables; admiring creative peoples' wares. Yes the ornament wall is pretty darn cool. I could see me doing that on a wall, if I could figure how to attach and not destroy.
Glad you have so many good people working for you.
Posted by: Margie | December 9th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
What a wonderful tradition you're building! Thanks for showcasing the sale to those of us that can't attend. Season's Greetings!
Posted by: Karen | December 9th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
It would be wonderful if you take the Holiday Craft Sale to other locations such as the west coast - perhaps early fall or in the summer or even spring. I would buy holiday items any day of the year.
Posted by: Mary Gruber | December 9th, 2010 at 7:41 pm
Attened the event and it was amazing, looking at the pictures brings back the memory of the beautiful that were for sale. I think I missed seeing a both or two. I wishing I had picked up some items. Oh well next year. Loved the craft walk! (won a prize)
Posted by: sueJ | December 9th, 2010 at 8:45 pm
Such a fine array of ingenuity among these talented crafters! Especially loved the birch candles...can they be ordered online? Maybe someday all of you can come to Atlanta for the Craft Sale...I would definitely purchase many things! Thanks for sharing..
Posted by: Jan Loehr | December 9th, 2010 at 11:39 pm
Darcy has a darling little girl. She looks like a porcelain doll with the light blue eyes and black hair. Lovely family.
Posted by: jean | December 10th, 2010 at 1:32 am
Martha,
You are such an inspiration...Do you ever sleep? I so admire how productive and "take charge" you are!!! Love it!
Carolyn
Posted by: Carolyn | December 10th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
My daughter and I so enjoyed the Martha Stewart Craft Fair last year when we were visiting NY from California, that we planned our trip this year to be sure and be able to attend the fair again. It was bigger and better than last year but had the same wonderful atmosphere. As long as the craft fair continues I think we will make it part of our family holiday tradition! (I was also lucky enough to be the first winner of the first round in the Craft Walk benifitting Susan B Komen!). The best part of the event is that it takes place in the Martha Stewart office space, and gives a taste of what your world is all about. The fair would not have that same ambiance if it were held somehwere else. THANK YOU for opening up your world to us and sharing the talents of your amazing staff!
Posted by: Susan K | December 10th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
When are you coming to Australia?!
Posted by: Naomi W | December 11th, 2010 at 5:54 am
I love your magazine and survived being home with a broken leg by watching your show. You are my inspiration and keep my artwork alive in this crazy hectic world. Thank you for all you do!!!!!!! I live in the midwest and would love the chance to shake your hand and show you my artwork. I have never seen it in any of your shows or on the net. Kathy
Posted by: Kathy Weidman | December 11th, 2010 at 8:30 am
Beautiful! Love all that sparkle! I really admire you advocation of handmade gifts. Something made with love by hand is always more thoughtful and meaningful. I create handmade aprons and totes inspired by the gourmet lifestyle, and give them to my foodie friends and family members for the holidays. It's always nice to receive something handmade, and NOT from the mall! Here is my etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/chefrepublic
Cheers!
Arielle
Posted by: Arielle | December 16th, 2010 at 12:15 pm
Hi. I wanted to drop you a quick note to express my thanks. I have been following your blog for a month or so and have picked up a heap of good information as well as enjoyed the way you've structured your site.
Posted by: April Hauk | December 21st, 2010 at 4:10 pm