Hot New Find

Café Libertalia, a Mico Mall featuring an Internet cafe in the heart of Hillcrest has a new tenant. As of November Mostly Magpie by Darcy Stumbaygh has taken up the front vendor space of the cafe and is offering unique reclaimed jewelry and components, fun screen prints, and exceptional leatherwork. I had a blast sorting through her selection of watch parts used and new and eclectic assortment of beads. 

 

“We have lots of vintage jewelry at low prices, ideal for either accessorizing or for making new treasures, and we specialize in old pocket and wristwatch movements and parts for repair or steampunking. We are fully stocked with leather, supplies, and tools and are available 1pm-9pm (and often longer) for do-it-yourself leatherworking, with free instruction, assistance, and use of awesome tools. Make bracelets, watch bands, belts, buckles, leatherbound journals and more. Our steampunk supplies include mechanical watches and parts, brass rivets snaps and findings, glass vials, butterfly wings, feathers, old coins, old brooches, and shiny things. We sell real Victorian antiques. We're also full of beads and findings with tools available to make your own jewelry on-site, so come on in to learn and create with us!"

As of mid December Café Libertalia is offering access to a kiln and ceramic classes. December 17th the cafe will host a Holiday Extravaganza. Come by from 12pm to 11pm and check out this the Shop-a-Thon with local artist works for sale and a Holiday party with 3 bands. Check out www.cafelibertalia.com events for more info or send an email to Mostly Magpie at
madredhen@gmail.com

Cafe Libertalia is at 3834 5th Ave in Hillcrest, Mostly Magpie is right up front but the space also has live music or events in the back every night, great coffee, a conspiracy magazine, Internet, mid-century furniture and collectibles, and great coffee, open 10am-ish to 9:30pm 7 days a week.

Take the "Shop Local" Pledge & Buy Handmade!

You may have seen it on ABC news. Many Americans are promising to spend, at least part, of their holiday gift budgets, on items "Made in America!" Locally, Yelp has asked shoppers to take their "Yelp Shops Local Pledge" and buy from local shops & businesses. We'd like to add the "Buy Handmade" pledge to your list of pledges! Handmade products are great gifts and when you buy directly from the artists who created them, you get that extra personal touch by knowing where your product came from. It's almost like getting something custom made since handmade products are not made in mass production like some items from overseas. Where can you find these unique handmade gifts? Well, if you missed our Holiday Hit List last weekend, there are still opportunities to shop from multiple artists at once at some upcoming holiday shopping events. Here are a few where Mafia members will be participating. Mark your calendars! We want to see you there!

The Metrome Pre-Holiday Bazaar
Sunday, December 11, 2011
11 am - 3 pm
1150 J St. - 92101
View the Facebook event

(Almost) Last Minute Holiday Shopping
Thursday, December 15, 2011
6 pm - 9 pm
El Take It Easy
3926 30th St. - 92104
View the Facebook event

North Park Independent Bazar
Sunday, December 18, 2011
1 pm - 6 pm
Queen Bee's Art & Culture Center
3925 Ohio St. - 92104
View the Facebook event

Holiday Hit List

Check out photos from our 2012 Holiday Hit List! 

 Its a stick up at the Mall, shop local and independent.

 Mafia Tree

 Around the floor

 Sales

 North Park Craft Mafia Ornaments

 Sales

 Craft Mafia Table

 December 2012 Newsletter

 Picking out a prize of a set ornaments

 decorated by the North Park Craft Mafia

 Scavenger Hunt Winners

 2012 North Park Craft Mafia

Stick em up 

Hit List Preview Commercial

Holiday Hit List Freebie Preview -Don't Miss Out!!!!

Let’s hit the Holiday Hit List again!!! Goodies, goodies, goodies galore!!! From the wonderful vendors to the freebies, this is the place to be!!! In just a few days, this Sunday, December 4th, the doors will open at noon in Liberty Station and let the shopping begin!!! The first one hundred shoppers arriving at the Holiday Hit List will receive a swag bag full of goodies and coupons from our members and wonderful vendors.

Wanna peek?

Here’s just a few examples of the goodies that hide inside:

Hoping to be one of the first one hundred shoppers you better get there early to snag a swag. But even if you don’t get there early enough there are many other freebies waiting for you. Follow the trail as you participate in the scavenger hunt and be entered into a drawing to receive a free gift. Wanna be creative? Fulfill that interlying crafter in you by participating in the craft booth. And what about those gifts you’ve purchased? You don’t want that sneaky individual seeing what you bought them. Wrap all those gifts you have at our wrapping booth. Want to look crazy or create a memory? Take a photo of you and your friends in our photo booth. Come and enjoy the freebies but don’t forget to shop, shop shop!!! Support those wonderful creative vendors we have!!! It’s the perfect place to buy those creative gifts for the holidays!!!

We've posted the vendor list! Get a look at all the vendors that will be participating in this year's event!

Don’t miss out!!!

Catalina Swing Dance Festival Nov 18-20, 2011

If you don't know what to do this weekend and you would like to get away, here's a great event that is happening this weekend, 26 miles away from the coast of Los Angeles. There is also a Saturday only option. Take the Catalina Express over in the morning, enjoy the day exploring Avalon, and then go to the dance/concert, and then take the special late night boat back home. No hotels, and a great time is assured.

JOIN US AT THE “CATALINA SWING DANCE FESTIVAL” – in all the world, no event like this!

The Catalina Swing Dance Festival will take place November 18-20, 2011 in Avalon, CA – We anticipate having 400+ swing dancers descend on Catalina: a small, picturesque island 22 miles west of mainland Los Angeles famous for its quaint inns, breathtaking landscape and clear waters.

Swing dancers from around the world will once again “cut a rug” all weekend in the beautiful Casino Ballroom on the island. This event will be filled with social dancing, workshops, and live music. All levels are welcome for dance workshops and even those that don’t dance and want to sit back and enjoy the live music and performances in the evening are encouraged to attend. The Catalina Swing Dance Festival will be the only weekend event featuring what the building was originally built for – dancing!

“You will not find a more beautiful setting for an evening dance or weekend festival than the casino ballroom”, says Joel Plys the organizer of the event. “The long-term goal is to build the festival to a weeklong event featuring live music and dancing throughout Avalon.”

ABOUT THE CASINO BALLROOM:

The Casino Ballroom is situated on Sugar Loaf Point at the northern end of Avalon Harbor. This Art Deco building was completed in the Spring of 1929, and is an engineering masterpiece. The structure stood taller than any building in Los Angeles at the time. The ballroom took its name from the Italian "place of entertainment," and does not actually have gambling of any kind. At the time of its construction, America was immersed in the Jazz Age and "swing fever" had taken hold, with large dance halls called "casinos" popping up throughout the country. The Avalon Casino, by far one of the most spectacular ballrooms in the United States (and the largest circular ballroom in the world), drew thousands of dancers who would come by steamship from the mainland.

Twelve stories high and 180 feet in diameter, the Casino holds a large movie theater on the first floor with remarkable acoustic features and an immense hand-painted mural depicting the geography and history of Catalina Island.
Above the theatre lies the Ballroom.

At 10,000 square feet it boasts an arched 50 foot domed ceiling that holds five Tiffany chandeliers, rose-colored walls made up of full-length panoramic windows; an expansive outdoor balcony, an elevated stage, and spacious seating surround the circular dance floor.

This ballroom was built for dancers. The hardwood floor is constructed over layers of foam, pine and cork, all of which are suspended over five feet of air. It makes for a dancer's dream, and eliminates all noise that could otherwise disturb the theatre below.

Today, the facility is mainly used for weddings, conventions, and occasional music festivals and fire code limits the attendance to 1,200. For more information see: http://www.CatalinaSwingDanceFestival.com