Hollywood, Florida Craft Mafia (June 7, 2009)
June 07, 2009 | By desertmaidenbathworks
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The Hollywood, Florida Craft Mafia is the brainchild of Rebecca Duerr. She and 3 other crafty ladies run the Mafia, which is a branch off of the Austin Craft Mafia. Definitely edgier, and more in your face than what you think of when you think of arts and crafts, the Hollywood Craft Mafia has its sights set on being the best arts and craft group in Southern Florida.
Hollywood Craft Mafia is the kickoff Mafia for Mafia Month in June, so come on by and read more about the ladies and some dudes of the Mafioso!
What is a craft mafia?
The Hollywood Craft Mafia aims to kick out the conventional and to bring the edgier side of crafting to the forefront. This ain't your mama's arts and crafts. From reconstructed clothing to handmade reversible aprons, one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces to handcrafted books and cards, The Hollywood Craft Mafia is on a mission to spread the good news of DYI across the land.
The Hollywood Craft Mafia's members are just as diverse as their product offerings. These crafty individuals have banded together to pool their resources and expertise in spreading the "DYI or Die!" attitude to everyone still buying mass-produced products. The very first Craft Mafia was formed in Austin, Texas and serves as a model to the almost 50 Craft Mafia organizations worldwide. The Craft Mafia name has been synonomous with indie pride, quality handcrafted wares, and mutual respect for fellow indie business owners. It has provided a forum for sharing ideas and furthering the DIY movement since 2003.
Please visit www.craftmafia.com for additional information on the Craft Mafia concept, or to start your own!
What lead you to create one for Hollywood, Florida?
South Florida is a very large and spread out place. It is made up of three counties, Dade, Broward and 
Palm Beach. The population is huge and it is very easy to get lost in the shuffle. The Hollywood Craft Mafia was a good way for the group to bring the crafting community together. We have monthly get togethers, http://www.meetup.com/HCMMeetupGroup/. We have swaps or field trips or work shops. We also organize trunk shows and craft fairs to get crafters, as well as the public involved with the handmade movement.
When was your chapter of the mafia created?
Winter of 2007. Even though its been only 2 years, it seems like we have all been collaborating for years.
How many members do you have? Can you explain the hierarchy?
As of right now, we have 4 members. We are currently open to having more. There is no hierarchy. We are all equal within the group. We vote on every decision that comes up. It just wouldn't feel right if there were one person in charge. We each have our own talents to bring to the table and we all know this and respect each other for the contributions we each make to the group.
How does one become a member?
We have an application process. First the applicant emails info@hollywoodcraftmafia.com for an application. The whole group will review the application. We then vote to see if we want to meet with the applicant. After meeting them, we vote to see if that applicant will be accepted into the group. See? We vote over everything
How did you recruit your members?
Each member went through the application process. They each wrote with interest in the group.
What kinds of things does a mafia do?
Overall, the Craft Mafia helps support its professional crafts through cross promotions and sharing ideas, experiences and knowledge. Over the last few years, more and more Craft Mafias have been doing more within their community. There are many craft shows popping up that have been organized and hosted by Craft Mafias. The Hollywood Craft Mafia is actually in the process of organizing their own craft show for next Spring. It is called the Odd Duck Handmade Bazaar and it will be in March of 2010 at the Old Davie School in Davie, Florida. We are very excited about this event. There aren't many alternative craft shows in the South Florida area. This will be a great addition to the community.
Do you put on any craft shows?
Along with organizing the Odd Duck Handmade Bazaar,(as explained in the previous question) we are planning a private Trunk Show for October. Only buyers from boutiques and stores are invited, along with some VIP customers. The purpose of such a trunk show is to sell to the shops for the upcoming holiday season.
Where do you see the Hollywood Mafia going in the next year? Five years?
We hope to really get our name out there in the South Florida community. We hope to have larger workshops to teach people different techniques. We would like the Odd Duck Handmade Bazaar to become an annual Spring time event. Oh, and ultimately, we would like to rule the world.
Where can we find you online or offline?
www.hollywoodcraftmafia.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/hollywoodcraftmafia
Photos courtesy of Rebecca Duerr and Hollywood Craft Mafia
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