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How a 40-Year-Old Arts & Crafts Chain Ended Up in Chapter 11 While Everyone Was Busy Making Vision Boards There was a time when walking into an art supply store felt like entering a secular cathedral. The smell of paper. The faint chemical tang of acrylic paint. The unsettling realization that charcoal pencils are both very expensive and somehow still dusty. These places were not built for speed. They were built for wandering . For touching things you absolutely did not need. For convincing yourself that buying a $38 sketchbook would finally unlock your creative destiny—only to later use it as a coaster. And yet here we are, watching Artist & Craftsman Supply , a 40-year-old arts and crafts chain founded in 1985, file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection while the internet calmly suggests you buy 72 acrylic paint tubes for $19.99 and have them delivered before dinner. This is not just a bankruptcy story. This is a story about how creativity became content, how patience ...

Ah, the holiday season in central Wisconsin. The air is crisp, the roads are slick, and your bank account is one “Hallmark moment” away from a nervous breakdown. But fear not, Stevens Point. Between now and Christmas, your local artisans, bakers, and candle-pouring magicians have planned a blizzard of markets that promise handmade gifts , warm beverages , and—let’s be honest— mild existential dread wrapped in glitter . So grab your thermal socks and emotional support coffee mug, because we’re going on a snark-filled sleigh ride through every arts and craft fair between Amherst and Plover. You’ll emerge broke, over-caffeinated, and covered in glitter—but hey, that’s the true spirit of Christmas. 🧶 November 15: Fall Makers Market at Krogwold Farm — Where Rustic Meets Risky You’ll find this cozy event tucked inside a barn at 10379 County Road V in Amherst. “Wander the barn,” they say—because nothing screams holiday cheer like trying to look festive while dodging a suspiciously territ...

By Someone Who Has Smelled Enough Hot Glue to Know Better Every year, like clockwork, the end of September rolls into New Hope, Pennsylvania, and with it comes a glitter-dusted tidal wave of oil paintings, ceramic mugs, and more artisan jewelry than you can shake a sterling-silver bracelet at. Yes, dear reader, it’s time once again for the New Hope Arts & Crafts Festival , a two-day showcase of creativity, community spirit, and the faint but persistent aroma of funnel cake grease wafting across the Delaware. This year marks the festival’s 31st anniversary —three decades of turning a high school parking lot into a temporary art mecca, and perhaps an eternal question: How much macramé is too much macramé? (Spoiler: the limit does not exist.) A Little History: From Small Gathering to Glitter Juggernaut The Greater New Hope Chamber of Commerce first launched this festival back when “Jurassic Park” was still in theaters and the internet was something you accessed via a phone cord. ...

Ah, Camp Arts & Crafts – Session 8, where dreams are made, fingers are glued together, and someone inevitably cries over spilled paint water. Set against the stunningly suburban backdrop of North Creek Community Center in Montgomery Village, this August 4-8 extravaganza promises everything your child needs to unlock their inner Picasso… or at least their inner kid-who-likes-gluing-googly-eyes-on-rocks. For the bargain price of $285 for residents (because apparently just living there makes you special) or $310 for non-residents (because, you know, outsiders ), your child can experience a weeklong journey into glitter-fueled madness. Summerween: Because Why Should Halloween Have All the Fun? This year’s theme is Summerween , which sounds like the lovechild of a pumpkin and a beach ball. It’s August, it’s hot, and the last thing you want to think about is your neighbor prematurely putting out a plastic skeleton – but at Camp Arts & Crafts, they’re leaning all the way in. Imagin...

Break out your glue sticks and champagne flutes, crafters—there’s a corporate merger in the glitter aisle! In a move that has all the excitement of a Jo-Ann Fabrics clearance sale but with more press releases and fewer felt pumpkins, Golden Peak Media has officially acquired Creativebug, and the arts-and-crafts community is about to experience the most high-thread-count synergy this side of Pinterest. That’s right. Golden Peak Media—the folks who already produce more DIY content than a retired schoolteacher with a blog and a Cricut—have added Creativebug to their crafty kingdom. According to the press release (a literary genre known for its unbridled enthusiasm and complete lack of sarcasm), this merger will inspire even more glue-gun-wielding aficionados “throughout their entire creative journey.” Translation: get ready for more subscription models, more cheerful how-to videos, and possibly more unsolicited emails reminding you to “craft your best life.” Let’s break down what this m...

Ah, springtime in Middletown. The sun shines, the birds sing, and a suspicious number of grown adults prepare to sell you whimsical "Live Laugh Love" signs crafted out of reclaimed barn wood. Yes, friends, it’s that magical time of year when the Middletown Arts Center throws its annual Spring Arts & Crafts Festival — an event so lovingly homespun that even your grandmother’s basement feels edgy in comparison. Mark your calendars: May 10, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., you too can wander through a labyrinth of Etsy-in-real-life booths, clutching a melting ice cream cone while pretending to contemplate the deep spiritual significance of a hand-poured soy candle that smells like "Beachwood Mist and Regret." Best part? Admission is free! Because honestly, charging you to peruse beaded jewelry inspired by an acid trip someone had in 1978 would just be rude. Let’s Break It Down, Shall We? The Vendors: Dozens — yes, dozens! — of vendors will hawk their wa...

Ah, Spokane Falls Community College. While other schools are busy pumping out philosophy majors with zero job prospects, SFCC is out here literally making a difference—by teaching students how to build limbs. Yes, you heard that right. While most of us were failing miserably at DIY Pinterest projects, these students are out here sculpting new legs. Take that, overpriced art school! Enter Brooke Harper, a 19-year-old student with the power to give amputees the mobility they need. While other college kids are perfecting the art of the two-day-old pizza breakfast, Brooke is in the lab, smoothing out plaster molds and gluing joints onto prosthetics like a mad scientist with a heart of gold. “It was so cool to know something I made could help someone,” she gushed. Yeah, no big deal. Just changing lives one socket at a time. But here’s the real kicker—this program isn’t for seasoned medical professionals looking to add another certificate to their already overstuffed résumés. Nope. SFCC’s Or...

January 25, 2025: A Date with Culture (And Probably a Corn Dog) Minneola. A charming little slice of Florida where people smile at you in the grocery store, and the biggest scandal in town is when Publix runs out of chicken tenders. But for one glorious day, we level up from "cute small town" to cultural mecca —at least for four solid hours. Yes, folks, mark your calendars because Murals on the Trail 2025 (MOTT 2025, for those in the know) is happening on Saturday, January 25th from 11 am to 3 pm at Trailhead Park. So, what’s the deal? Imagine an afternoon where live music floats through the air, local artisans peddle their handmade wares, food trucks serve up deliciousness that will definitely derail your New Year’s resolution, and families gather to bask in the glory of public art. It’s like Coachella but with less celebrity drama and way more tie-dye. Oh, and did I mention? It’s free. Yes, you can save your pennies for that homemade lavender-scented candle or that macr...

Ah, December at Southern Illinois University Carbondale—a time of finals stress, questionable weather, and the annual Holiday Arts and Crafts Sale, where “shop local” takes on an entirely new meaning. Mark your calendars, folks, because from Dec. 5-7 , the Student Center will transform into a labyrinth of creativity and consumerism, with over 80 vendors hawking everything from handmade pottery to homemade soap. It's the event of the season—or at least the event that guarantees you’ll leave with fewer dollars and more trinkets than you know what to do with. Let’s break down this artsy extravaganza, shall we? Location, Location, Location: The Student Center Edition The sale unfolds in the Student Center’s Art Gallery and Renaissance Room —two spaces that scream, “This is where serious art happens,” or at least, “This is where art and snacks happen.” From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 5 and 6 , and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 7 , these hallowed halls will host a smorgasbord of creat...