Craft Crush: Kit Paulson

While things are buzzing at Renegade HQ in preparation for this weekend’s Renegade Craft Fair, we couldn’t help but develop a little CRAFT CRUSH on local crafter Kit Paulson. Read on to find out the secrets behind this glass-blowing wizard. (Also, a little bird told us Kit is a pretty great singer. Check her out here.)

When did you first start crafting?

I’ve been making stuff for as long as I can remember. My grandmother taught me to knit when I was 5 or 6 years old. I can’t even remember when I first started sewing. When I was 12 or so I was digging up clay deposits in my parents’ yard, shaping it into cups, bowls and tiny animals and then “firing” it in little bonfires behind the chicken coop. I started blowing glass in college, was horrified at first and then somehow got used to it.

What is your creative process?

I draw stuff in a sketch book, I look at lots of old pictures in books, I mess around with glass and see what I can make it do. I am always trying to streamline all of my glassblowing processes and make them faster and more efficient. I’m constantly timing myself when blowing glass and trying to set records for how long it takes me to make a particular piece and then trying to break those records.

Do you have a best seller?

Drink Me! I can’t paint “Drink Me” on hip flasks fast enough. It’s eerie how many people seem to want “Drink Me” written on the side of a flask.

Are you working on anything new that you’re particularly excited about?

I’m working on a process for making my own fire-on enamel decals for my glass. I’m not meeting with much success so far but my goal is to have it all ready to go in time for the September Renegade show.

Who are your favorite artists and designers?

I totally dig the illustrations of Aubrey Beardsley and Arthur Rackham. I think Banksy is brilliant. I can’t get enough of the glass work of Carmen Lozar.

What’s a typical working day for you?

This summer I’ve been getting up and getting into the glass shop super early in an effort to avoid heat exhaustion. I come home around noon, eat lunch, mess around with my Etsy page. Since becoming involved with Etsy I have been spending more time at the post office than I ever thought possible. I also spend a lot of time sending and
receiving emails. I try to get all my business stuff done by 5 or 6 so that I can make dinner for my husband and tidy up around the house.

Can you tell us something silly about yourself?

I cherish a latent envy for Civil War reenactors because they get to wear complicated and spectacular costumes and hang out in homemade tents.

Thanks, Kit! You can check out more of her awesome pieces here or up close and in person at the Renegade Craft Fair this weekend!!!

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Weekly Wrap-Up: Owl I Want Is You

+ Not gonna lie, you guys, we’ve got owls on the brain these days. We are surrounded by all kinds of creative takes on our mascot, and we’re gearing up in a serious way for the upcoming HOOT Group Show in our Spotlight Gallery. It’s gonna be epic.

+ Whooooo’s (see what we did there?) excited for the CHICAGO RENEGADE CRAFT FAIR?!?!? Spoiler alert: we are. DIY workshops, roving marching bands, crazy delicious food + drink, and the best indie crafters the world has to offer, all in one place! NEXT WEEKEND, y’all! Be excited!!

+ Did we peep a little shout-out to Renegade favorites Sonnenzimmer in the latest issue of the Reader? Yes, yes we did, and we like what we see.

+ Renegade Handmade will be closed on Labor Day, but as always, you can shop all day + night in our online shop.

+ What are you guys up to this weekend? Whatever you’re doing, enjoy! The Renegade Gang commands you!

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Happy 9.02.10!!

Yes! It only comes once a century! It’s September 2, 2010!

It’s 9.02.10 Day!!!!!

To celebrate, we picked out some jewelry for the ladies of Bev Hills and have a very special announcement!

Since Kelly, Donna, Brenda and Andrea are such trendsetters (well, okay, maybe not Donna, she’s more a follower, right?), you can pick up any of these jewelery delights not at the Peach Pit (or even The Peach Pit After Dark), but right here in our online store!!!

What do you buy the girl who has everything?! Well, for our beloved spoiled little rich girl Kelly Taylor we’ve got a gorgeous crystal cluster necklace from Nous Savons – nothing less than crystal would ever do! – and an adorable circular locket necklace from Lauren Haupt. Now remember, Kelly, this locket is for storing memories – not diet pills or for when you go skiing – yeah, we saw Season 6, girl.

Raven haired vixen Brenda Walsh may have started sweet, but by the time of her departure she had to worry about matching jewelry with her studded leather jacket! Well, VERAMEAT’s zombie queen necklace + a coiled snake ring from Species By The Thousands will surely match Dylan’s motorcycle and simultaneously give good ole Mr. + Mrs. Walsh something to worry about!

Oh, Donna Martin. We don’t even know where to start! Well, your choice in color-palette is certainly unique, so these X’s and O’s laminated earrings from Ina Weise will surely match any spandex ensemble you throw together + since you did save that deer from a forest-fire that one time, we know you’ll love this storybook ring from The Weekend Store. With these great items, maybe Donna will finally quit her whining!

If only Andrea Zuckerman had come to us sooner, we could have helped her bag Brandon with this fashionable ensemble! Ever the environmentalist, Andrea will surely love making a statement with these bamboo and suede branch earrings from Molly M + can preside over the West Beverly Blaze newspaper with added authority wearing a brass pencil necklace from Gold Teeth Brooklyn!

Imagine the handmade-craze these girls would have caused wearing these items about the halls of West Beverly High!

Happy 9.02.10 Day once more!

And since we’re on the subject of LA….

Yes! The rumors are true!

We will be returning to Los Angeles State Historic Park this December 11 + 12 for the 1st Ever Renegade Craft Holiday Sale in Los Angeles!!

This past July’s event was such a hit, we just had to come back for more!

Mark your calendars – Applications Open September 17th!!

SO many more details to emerge soon!!

Stay Cool!

Posted in Craft Fair, Excitement, Favorite Things | 4 Comments »

Five Fresh Faces at RCF

Here’s a sneak peak of some of the artists participating in their first Renegade Craft Fair, Chicago!

1. Arrow Jewelry

Beautiful Nature inspired Jewelry!

Starburst Feather Earrings, Wooden Beads

2. Vintage + Deadstock + New Frames from Labrabbit Optics

(He customizes/outfits the lenses for you himself!)

Ze (Matte Tortoise/Blue) by RvS By V)

3. Fantastic Knitwear by YesJess

(I’m particularly obsessed with this Ear warmer)

Big ol’ Bow Earwarmer in Black

4. Beautiful prints by Friends Again

5. Hand layered Stitched bags by Maric Fine Goods

Jute Tote, Black Stich

Keep checking our Blog for sneak peaks and updates for the 8th annual Renegade Chicago!!!

+ Stay cool.

Posted in Craft Fair, Excitement, News | 1 Comment »

Storefront: Laura Berger

We’re making big changes at Renegade Handmade and we’re really excited about all of them. This past week, Chicago local Laura Berger painted our storefront taking it from nice to AWESOME.
Before!

And After!

The big reveal! You rock Laura!
See prints from Laura here. [more to come!]

Posted in Excitement, In the Neighborhood, So Cool, Uncategorized | 8 Comments »

Sneak Peek: Renegade Storefront

Hot damn, look at what’s happening at Renegade Handmade! Renegade favorite and local artist Laura Berger is putting her stamp on our storefront. Do we love the ninjas? Yeah, we really love the ninjas. We’ll show you the finished product soon, but we wanted to give you a li’l sneak peek in the meantime.

Thanks, Chicago, for making this a gorgeous day to be working outside.

Supplies on the sidewalk.

Seriously, we love these guys.

Posted in Excitement, In-Store Event | 8 Comments »

…And, We’re Back!

Ack, we’ve totally abandoned the blog this week! Sorry for the radio silence. But, we’ve had good reason…we’ve been sprucing up Renegade Handmade, and it’s lookin’ mighty fine. We’ll be back to regularly scheduled programming next week, but in the meantime, enjoy a little sneak peek into the shop’s new look…

HUGE thanks to Eric Erf for building us the best-looking card racks we’ve ever seen. Thanks, Eric!

See more! Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Excitement | 3 Comments »

OMGZZZZZZZZ!

And I thought they were just for dinner!!!!!

Posted in Excitement | 1 Comment »

…And the Cake Had an Owl On It!

HUGE thanks to everyone who helped make the Renegade Handmade 3rd birthday celebration a mega success! We had swag bags, we had special sales, and we had an owl cake. Who could ask for anything more? Thanks for 3 great years, and here’s to 3 x 3 x 3 more!

Posted in Excitement, Favorite Things, In-Store Event | 3 Comments »

A True Hoot!

What a find! Estate sale via Krakencraft

Posted in Excitement, So Cool, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »