Crafts & Drafts returns Saturday with more than 90 makers

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If you’ve scoured the Internet at 3 a.m. looking for a last-minute Halloween costume or a clever Royals T-shirt, you’re aware that shopping while drinking can lead to some interesting impulse buys. Saturday, get offline, grab a beer and join us for a shopping spree during the third annual Crafts & Drafts festival. From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., you can browse the more than 90 craft vendors at the Uptown Shoppes (36th Street and Broadway) and choose from about 20 different types of beer.

We chatted with four crafters who will be selling their wares, items that include all-natural soaps and zombie-friendly dinnerware. Bring your holiday shopping list and start checking off items — but don’t forget to pick up a few things for yourself, too.

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Ceramic artist Meredith Host tells people that Foldedpigs dinnerware is “not your grandmother’s china.” It’s definitely not, with dinnerware featuring vintage anatomical drawings of hearts, brains, spinal cords and other assorted body parts. Host loves horror movies — the gorier the better — and that influence shows through in her plates, mugs, bowls and platters.

“It’s an alternative to your run-of-the-mill dinnerware lines, catering to something a little more special or individual,” Host says. “One of the first designs was a brain that says, ‘I love you more than zombies love brains.’”

Crafts & Drafts is Host’s first craft show in more than a year. Most of Foldedpigs’ business is online, so Host is looking forward to face-to-face conversations with her customers — and to seeing their occasionally hilarious reactions to her creations.

“Some people really dig it immediately,” she says. “But I have a design that’s a bunch of cockroaches, and I’ve actually scared people away. Now I display them all in one little section instead of sprinkling them throughout. In general, I get a lot of giggles and smiles, and that’s what I like.”

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Lauren Moran calls her boutique, Rustic Honey, “an online store in the middle of nowhere.” But that’s exactly why the country-lifestyle store is so charming. Moran and her husband are the real deal — they live on a farm in Lowry City, Missouri, with their 1-year-old son.

The Rustic Honey boutique and blog depict an idyllic side of life beyond the city limits. It’s easy to imagine Moran in one of her loose-fitting peasant tops while lounging on a hammock, sipping hand-squeezed lemonade from a Mason jar.

“It’s not Western, but it’s country in a way,” Moran said. “It’s a little bit boho-chic, a little bit romantic — a little bit whimsical in that way. We cater to young moms, so obviously they want trendy, fashion-forward pieces that are also laid-back and comfortable enough for an everyday outfit as well.”

At Crafts & Drafts, Rustic Honey will feature home goods, jewelry, children’s clothing, and accessories made by Moran and other local artists. Through RH & Co., a department within Rustic Honey, a percentage of all sales is earmarked for community organizations and charities.

“We’re all each other’s cheerleaders,” Moran says.

%{[ data-embed-type=”image” data-embed-id=”” data-embed-element=”aside” ]}%Kristin Smith Creative Studio
Whether you’re a 12-year-old or you just act like one, space monsters are awesome. Hallmark artist Kristin Smith has been doodling and designing for years, two skills that are evident in her clever, quirky prints. Some feature adorable space creatures that we hope someday invade Earth. Others depict stylized animals — a fox, a wiener dog, a pug — with a choice pun.

“I’m truly 4 years old sometimes,” Smith says. “At my last show, a kid walked by and looked at the punny animals — one said, ‘Go pug yourself.’ He was giggling with his mom about it. The reactions are really unexpected and inspire me to keep going and keep making things.”

In addition to aliens, cats, birds and flowers, Smith is inspired by her surroundings. After living for several years in Denver, she returned to Kansas City because she missed its vibrant creative scene.

“I definitely have a greater appreciation for our city after I moved away and came back,” Smith says. “Our city has exploded and grows more amazing by the day. I think the creativity here is really prominent, and I don’t think I realized that until I moved away.”

Wild Wash Soap Co.
Laura Wittmer loves talking about the chemistry behind soap making. Last year, she and her business partner, Mike Prentice, began producing natural skin-care products that don’t contain any of the bad-news chemicals that you’ll find on the shelves at your local drugstore.

The duo have created palm-oil-free soap that retains its natural moisture-enhancing glycerin and relies on therapeutic-grade essential oils to produce rich, enticing aromas.

“We had to formulate a new bar with shea butter, cocoa butter and essential oils, which is not what you’ll get in commercial bar soap,” Wittmer tells The Pitch. “I’ve always been interested in how the things we put on our skin can affect our health.”

To Crafts & Drafts, Wild Wash is bringing all-natural supplies to stock your medicine cabinet, including deodorant, body butter, lip balm, beard oil and, of course, soap. (The most popular scent is lavender-cedar, Wittmer says.)

After introducing their products at Crafts & Drafts last year, Wittmer and Prentice are excited to return.

“It remains one of our very favorite events,” Wittmer says. “It’s a really great atmosphere, and getting to see some of our other vendor buddies is always really fun.”