Vendor of the Week: RK Originals

Sparkle & Shine: RK Originals are made of gems and Swarovski crystals

Each piece is one-of-a-kind and unique displaying a mastery of beadwork techniques.

 There's a lot of sparkle in Richard Wilson. Tall, handsome and friendly, the first thing you notice about this talented jewelry maker isn't his bright bleached-blond hair but his equally blinding smile. He loves to work with his hands, so when you run into him, you'll probably find him crocheting, knitting or beading. And like Richie's smile, the first thing you'll notice about his exquisite jewelry is its intense sparkle and shine. 

 Beading with gems and Swarovski crystals is a signature of RK Originals

RK also dazzles us with his knitting skills, shown here knitting a blanket for his nephew.

 There's a reason for that. Most of RK Originals (that's the name of his company) are made with gem stones and Swarovski crystals. There's a fineness to his pieces that draw up the desires to dress up in satin & velvet, and go out on the town. He uses a variety of beading techniques, and takes great pride in the quality of his work. With over 25 years experience under his belt, Richard finds it easy to make one-of a-kind jewelry pieces and eagerly welcomes custom orders!

A Washington native, Richard Kevin Wilson grew up in Tacoma, Washington where he first learned jewelry making and other crafts from the mother of a childhood friend when he was only 8 years old. He sold his first pice as a young man to a vendor at the venerable Pike's Place Market in Seattle who advised him to start his own business, which he promptly did.

RK Originals includes a line a hand-crocheted cloche hats. Cute!

 

 

 

Along with creating a sparkling array of unique jewelry, Richie, as he prefers to be called, also knits and crochets. Among his favorite creations are his collection of hand-crocheted cloche hats.  

When he's not busy knitting or beading, Richie can often be found spending time with his partner, the equally dazzling Bruce Lee. They often work the booth together at the Midtown Bazaar, and both are mercurial quick to deliver their bright smiles to the many people who stop and admire the art and craft of RK Originals.  Richard says he's at the Bazaar EVERY Saturday, and he insists you "please stop by and say 'hello' or just stop by and talk "BEADS BEADS and More BEADS!"

One of a kind himself, Richard Kevin Wilson is RK Originals

Museum quality beadwork available every Sat. at the Midtown Bazaar.

Color up your Black Friday this Saturday

Buy some local color this Black Friday Weekend at the Midtown Bazaar

Kari Shipman, Sac-town's local Babe/Shopping Maven recently posted on Juniper James about shopping small & local for Black Friday. She mentions a few great alternatives to hitting the mall.  You can read her excellent post here.

Sacramento maven Kari Shipman of Juniper James

Black Friday: America's biggest shopping day of the year. From now until X-mas, SHOPPING becomes a national pastime. So to get in the black, I want to think color: local color. Local, small businesses that give our city its charm and flavor are where we should spend our green. Let's avoid the stampede to the mall and make our own scene inside our neighborhood shops and stores. 

We've got the goods. We want the crowds. Fun for the whole family.

Lots of color can be discovered inside our own beloved Midtown Bazaar. People like Annette of Whatever Wacky U Wear, and Joan, the "Gram" who bakes the love you can taste in her addicting Gram's Cookies, add local color to your shopping experience. So go for color this Black Friday by shopping the Midtown Bazaar this Saturday.

There are loads of new vendors setting up shop each week inside the Bazaar. People like Kathy of the Haiku Moving Company. Crafty since birth, this Sacramento native now lives in Colorado, and makes all sorts of fun things that she puts in her Etsy shop. In town for the holidays, Kathy thought she'd set up a table and sell some of her goods this Saturday at the Bazaar. I hope you stop by, check out her sparkly goods and tell her hi.

Friendly faces are easily spotted at the Bazaar.

Here's a list of some other wonderful vendors to stop by and say hello: 

• Nora, Transient Treasures
• Marie, Eco-Chic Design
• Christine, Sew-Bitchy
• Sharon, Jewelry By North
• Haj, Handmade African Arts & Crafts
• Amy, Revitalized Vintage
• Steven, New/Old Jewelry by Millington-Foster
• Chef Gregory, Cornbreads
• Cheryl, MORF recycled sweater goods
• Richie & Bruce Lee, RK Originals glass jewelry

Midtown Bazaar                
1616 I Street
Sacramento, California 95814

Every Saturday from 10 AM until 4 PM
Second Saturdays from 10 AM until 8 PM

Vendor of the Week: Whatever Wacky U Wear

There is nothing trashy about Annette Bates. That being said, let me introduce you to her line of goods made from recycled materials, Whatever Wacky U Wear. Bright, colorful and fun items designed to appeal to all ages, and they are a clever re-use of items that are most often destined to the trash bin: bottle caps, guitar picks, old records, wine corks. 

Coasters are popular items at Whatever Wacky U Wear

Exactly what is Whatever Wacky U Wear, you ask? "Whatever Wacky U Wear is fun, a collection of handcrafted one-of-a-kind jewelry and unique gifts made from 'whatever,' especially recyclables," declares Annette Bates, the owner and creator of WWUW, "I make earrings from everything: bottle caps (over 950 kinds of beer, soda & champagne caps) guitar picks, candy, spoons, forks, zippers, barbie dolls, domino and scrabble game pieces, popcorn, pencils, raffle tickets, poker chips..."

Make beautiful music together with colorful guitar pick ear-rings

She also makes salt & pepper shakers re-using bottles, the most popular being Coronita and Coca-Cola shakers. Cork boards in a variety of sizes are made with old corks and present a colorful and clever display of discarded wine, champagne and tequila corks. Coasters made with bottles caps are a favorite, and her ear-rings made from guitar picks are always a crowd pleaser. 

One man's trash is another woman's treasure at Whatever Wacky U Wear

The latest craze, according to the creative Ms. Bates, is a unique belt created from bottle caps. Unlike any bottle-cap belt you may have seen before, these belts are custom-crafted, with each belt piece being cut one-by-one and glued back together, making a fun reversible and one-of-a-kind piece.  

Custom orders are available upon request. Just place your order and give it a few weeks, and voila! The perfect gift. 

Make contact: whateverwackyuwear@yahoo.com

Stay up-to-date with the latest creations by Whatever Wacky U Wear on Facebook. 

You can check 'em out by clicking here.

To view the online gallery of Whatever Wacky U Wear, 
check out the gallery over on Sacramento Artist by clicking here.

Up-cycle your wardrobe with custom and unique bottle cap belts from Whatever Wacky U Wear

Do you "Follow?"

For the 6 days of the week you can't visit the Bazaar, take a moment to catch all the ways you can keep in touch. Of course you follow this blog, don't ya? You can do so, either by subscribing  via   Bloglovin', Networked Blogs (very nice if you're on facebook) OR just plain "follow" us via Google Connect. That's the little cubes of people over on the right in the sidebar.

 Every Monday, we send out a weekly newsletter for up-to-the-minute updates, and a featured Vendor of the Week. Stay in the loop in sign up for it here.

Follow us everywhere! Fan us on Facebook! Take our Tweets! And, see you next Saturday at the Midtown Bazaar.

Get your Hot Cocoa On

Get your hot cocoa on at Sacramento Sweets

 Yeah, this weekend promises a cloudy Saturday, but that doesn't mean you need to coop yourself up indoors. Midtown Bazaar is now undercover, full of friendly faces, and fresh food and craft markets. Warm yourself up with a cup of hot cocoa from Sacramento Sweets. While you're at it, consider whether a freshly made donut, home-made cookie or carmel corn is in order. Or you can check in and see what Chef Gregory has got cooked up over at Cornbreads.  Bring an umbrella, and your appetite and get your snack on.

Chef Gregory serves seasonal soul food at Cornbreads

Smile courtesy of a cup of hot cocoa from Sacramento Sweets

Discussing the merits of a home-made gingerbread dipped in white chocolate cookie from Gram's cookies

Find Yourself this Saturday

Happiness rolls on by at the Midtown Bazaar

"Mayor of Midtown" & Sac Sweets Steve call out the winning raffle ticket

Young shopper at the Bazaar

Hand-knit original hats from RK Originals

Find yourself at the Midtown Bazaar.

There's something for everyone at Midtown's best Bazaar

All smiles

Goin' Native at Wild Hare Native Plant nursery

Waving hello and goodbye. We'll be back!

Beginning this Saturday, Midtown Bazaar's hours are being extended to 4 p.m. So get here. And stay longer. Remember rain or shine, the Bazaar blazes on! We are snug as rugs in our new covered location at 1616 I Street between 16th and 17th in Midtown, Sacramento. There's lots to do and see, including hourly raffles! So feel lucky and see you there.

Got Gram?

For the handful of you that follow my blog, the Citizen Rosebud, and regular tweets, you probably know how smitten I am with Gram's Cookies. Last Saturday, I carried 5 tasty souvenirs home from the Bazaar, and sort of, uh, "accidentally" ate all of them in a 24-hour period. Gram's Cookies are, to use a scientific term: "freakin' tasty!!" 

Gram's Cookies at the Midtown Bazaar (photo credit: Sharon Marques)

Trust me: Gram's Toffee cookies should be on your bucket list. 

So it shouldn't surprise me to see Gram and her cookies featured in the latest Midtown Bazaar's newsletter as Vendor of the Week. Joan Graves, along with her husband, Patrick, sell Gram's Cookies every Saturday at the Bazaar. While she's been making cookies for a lifetime, this is a brand-new business for her, and I wish her all the best! 

Years ago, Gram tells me, she would bake cookies with her young grand-daughter, who LOVED to spend time with her "Gram" and eat the cookies. It was a wonderful time spent together and the memory of it inspired Joan to name her fledgling cookie company, Gram's Cookies. I definitely can taste the love in these cookies; just like grandma used to make, only tastier. Well, her grand-daughter is all grown up, and I'm sure she is very proud of her Gram'ma and her cookie business. 

Joan Graves IS Gram. These are her cookies.

Gram has more than mere memories under her belt. She took classes at ARC and specialized in Fine Baking and Pastries. She uses only the finest ingredients: butter, baker's sugars and high quality chocolate, and with no preservatives. While baking for her neighbors, co-workers and the mailman has been gratifying, Gram recently decided to take it to the next level, and launched her business. Her first "gig" was the Marysville Peach Festival where she created a special fresh peach cookie in its honor.

Not only will you find the cookie classics at Grams booth, but an assortment of innovative cookie flavors as well. So just try to resist those chewy oatmeal raisins, the chocolate chips, the white-chocolate macadamias, and the crunchy peanut butters, and grab a chocolate coconut, a oatmeal cranberry and of course, the stellar Toffee cookies. I'm not sure your waist-line will thank me, but the rest of you will. 

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Let's all Discuss...STUFF

Photo credits: Bella Q

What do you look for at the Midtown Bazaar?

Hugs from the Midtown Bazaar

Sabrina and Steven start a hug fest that happens every Saturday at the Midtown Bazaar

Welcome.

You've made it. If you're reading this, you've probably already heard of the Midtown Bazaar, Sacramento's answer to "where can I support small & local businesses?"  Perhaps you've already paid the Bazaar a visit, and took in the sights and sounds of families milling about, tasting this and that, shopping the select array of hand-made arts and crafts. You, my friend are now a part of something very special.

This is just the start of something AMAZING! The Midtown Bazaar is part flea-market (sans the fleas), part farmer's market (farmers still in progress!) and ALL community marketplace. The people who shop  here are locals, and tourists, families and individuals who appreciate small-town values with a big-city taste for culture. We support the Ma & Pop businesses that are the foundation of the American Dream. You can show your support for the American Dream too. Just show up every Saturday, rain or shine to Midtown's newest shopping experience. You can find us on I Street, between 16th & 17th. We look forward to seeing you!