Upcoming Events.
Workshop: Make Your Own Agave Fiber Handbroom
Purchase Tickets to Reserve Your Spot Here
Join broommaker C. Murphy to make your own agave fiber handbroom, useful for a variety of tasks but especially handy for sweeping up dried leaves and other debris around plants and soil during repotting. Agave fiber, also known as tampico or ixtle, is a fine and resilient fiber that’s bendy but firm when bundled together, allowing the fine bristles to sweep up fine dirt and dust. It’s known for being water, salt, and acid resistant – meaning you can wash the bristles of your broom when necessary.
In this class, we’ll go over basic broommaking techniques including using a basic broom brake, tensioning and winding twine around bundles of fiber to create a small hen’s wing whisk, perfect for many a small task and a great introduction to broommaking. Ticket price includes enough agave fiber to make one small hen’s wing, polished cotton or nylon twine, and reclaimed leather and ribbon for hangers.
Extra materials and tools available for purchase to bring home and make more as gifts! This doesn’t take much physical strength, and most work will be done sitting; it just requires a little bit of finger dexterity and ability to grip for long periods of time as we wind material into the broom under tension.
The instructor will be masked, masks will be provided and encouraged during class, and there will also be water and herbal tea available. Please feel welcome to reach out on instagram (@c.murphydoes ) or via email (c.murphydoes@gmail.com ) with any questions.
Location - Note this workshop is upstairs. We apologize for any inconvenience if stairs are not accessible for you.
Greater Goods June Night Market
In Collaboration with Mt. Royal Soaps, this series of Night Markets will be taking place in the R. House Garage in Remington at the same time as Mt. Royal Soaps’ June-August Night Markets! Take a stroll in the neighborhood, grab snacks, peruse amazing vendors, and enjoy community time at both night markets!
Queer Made Pride Market
Celebrate the start of Pride Month at the Queer Made PRIDE Market! Mask up and join us Sunday, June 1st, for this Mask-required event, from 1-6pm! Shopping, workshops, performances, sweet treats, food, drinks, FREE covid tests while supplies last, and much more! Queer Made Markets are always a good time, and extra good during Pride season. Hope to see you there!
Ottobar Maker's Market
Spring Maker’s Market! Sunday, May 18th at The Ottobar. Inside, outside and upstairs. Completely FREE to attend! Lots of amazing vendors from the local scene. Hope to see you there!
Handbrooms 101 @ A Workshop of Our Own
Spend an afternoon learning to make a handbroom with natural materials! In this class, learn to use a broom brake, twine, broomcorn, and natural embellishments to create your own bespoke cleaning, ritual, or display object to elevate your space and bring you closer to your task. In this class C. Murphy (@c.murphydoes), a local multimedia artist, crafter, and farmer, will demonstrate basic broommaking skills and demo multiple handbroom styles including whisks, hawk's tails, turkey wings, and if we have time, rooster tails. We will also go over how to weave a handle with split broomcorn stalks and discuss other materials for weaving.
Materials and tools will be provided - natural broomcorn and twine in a variety of colors are included in the fee; there will be enough for each participant to make multiple handbrooms. Leave with some lovely gifts for yourself or others and a new skill you won't want to put down!
Away at Penland, No Workshops, No Webdrops, No Vending Events, No Wholesale
I’ll be at Penland School of Craft for a summer session where I’ll spend part of it working in a dining hall and part in a photography class exploring wet plate collodion. No workshops, webdrops, vending events, wholesale, or anything else going on during this time.
Away At Penland: No Shop Drops or Workshops!
I’ll be at Penland’s Spring Concentration in Iron, Tongs Hammers and Other Slammers with Anna Arkoplik! During this time I won’t be scheduling any workshops, vending events, producing wholesale, or doing webdrops during this time… but I will be cooking up some cool stuff for afterwards!
32nd Street Farmer's Market Valentine's Mini Pop Mart
Join me for another wonderful morning at the 32nd street farmer’s markets! One of my favorite markets to shop and vend, there’s always something good to taste or bring home!
Day 2: The Buzz of the Bizarre: Curiosity Expo @ Charm City Meadworks
Charm City Mead The Buzz of the Bizarre: Mead, Macabre & Marvels of Charm City
Join us for an interesting and macabre night full of good drinks and good company! Admission is free. If you can’t make it Saturday, it’s a 2-day event!
Day 1: The Buzz of the Bizarre: Curiosity Expo @ Charm City Meadworks
Charm City Mead The Buzz of the Bizarre: Mead, Macabre & Marvels of Charm City
Join us for an interesting and macabre night full of good drinks and good company! Admission is free. If you can’t make it Saturday, it’s a 2-day event!
Moon Phases Workshop Series: Wolf Moon Altar Broom & Incense Holder
Join me for my very first workshop of the season on the first full moon of 2024! In this 2.5hr class you’ll learn how to tie the hawk’s tail pattern, how to weave your broom handle from a selection of materials, and will use the excess material at the end to tie an incense holder to match. Brooms are symbols of cleansing and starting new, while the full moon is a potent symbol of completion, fertility, abundance, and transformation–as we wind our brooms we’ll be weaving a powerful spell of intention for the beginning of our year.
PRICING | sliding scale, $40-$80. Honors system – pay in accordance with your ability.
Artist Market Place @ Green Drgn
Join us for the first event in the space and my first vending event of the season! I have some new and never-before-seen stock and we’ll have a ton of interesting work from 15+ artists and makers, including books, instruments, art, and more. Check it out!
32nd Street Farmer's Market in Waverly
I’ll be set up at the 32nd Street Farmer’s Market in Waverly from 7am-12pm! Come get your produce, amazing prepared foods, art and homegoods from a huge variety of vendors. We’re also right around the corner from Red Emma’s Cafe and Bookstore and Normal’s Used Books and Records, making this a great destination for a weekend morning of cozy drinks and reads. Hope to see you there!
Vending: Fiber Craft Holiday Market
Join us at the Bok Building in South Philadelphia for the Weaver House Fiber Craft Holiday Market! I’ll have a slew of new items including naturally dyed silk and linen handkerchiefs and handspun yarn. Hope to see you there!
Queer Made Holiday Market
I’ll be at the Queer Made Holiday Market by Inkycap Artist Coop at the Peabody Heights Brewery! Queer Made is always a great event full of amazing local vendors, and we hope you’ll join us!
Greater Goods Baltimore
I’ll be outside in the garage at R. House vending for the Greater Goods Fall Market! Shop local with over 70 vendors specializing in jewelry, body care, candles, clothing, art, and more! Hope to see you there!
Small Business Saturday Yard Sale @ Old Town Lutherie
I’ll be hanging out at Old Town Lutherie from 7-11am on Small Business Saturday! Come in to say hi and snag a broom, get a guitar fixed (same day service for small things!), and celebrate a cool small business in Baltimore!
32nd Street Farmer's Market in Waverly
I’ll be set up at the 32nd Street Farmer’s Market in Waverly from 7am-12pm! Come get your produce, amazing prepared foods, art and homegoods from a huge variety of vendors. We’re also right around the corner from Red Emma’s Cafe and Bookstore and Normal’s Used Books and Records, making this a great destination for a weekend morning of cozy drinks and reads. Hope to see you there!
Assisting Workshop: Indigo Plus Mordant Dyes by Lesley Darling
Unfortunately, there aren’t any spaces left in this class! You can sign up for the waitlist if you’re interested.
“Explore how using natural dyes can create limitless tones, hues, and values on fabric. Using natural indigo, madder, and weld, we can create an entire rainbow of colors! Learn to color a variety of natural fibers and how to prepare different types of fabric for dyeing. Bring your own small natural fiber items and dye them vibrant hues. All levels welcome.”
Vending: Bazaar Esoterica
Join us from 11-4pm at the Peale Museum in Downtown Baltimore for Bazaar Esoterica! Lots of amazing vendors, aura photography, readings, energy work, performances, raffle, and more! It’s shaping up to be an exciting event and we hope you’ll join us!
Demo: Ecoprints on Linen & Silk
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Community Day: Making Her Mark
Join us for the community day celebrating the opening of Making Her Mark: A History of Women Artists in Europe, 1400-1800! This event is free and open to the public. Among many other sights and experiences on the day, I will be assisting my lace teacher Elena Kanagy-Loux showing attendees how to do some basic bobbin-lace fill and background stitches, and will have my own bobbin lace pillow with my current project to work on in-between. We hope you’ll be there!
Celebrate the opening of Making Her Mark: A History of Women Artists in Europe, 1400-1800. Community Day is an event for the entire family!
The afternoon includes free access to Making Her Mark with tours led by the exhibition’s co-curator. Experience the art of lacemaking with Elena Kanagy-Loux supported by the Chesapeake Region Lace Guild and shop for handmade items created by The Minimalist Chic Boutique and Drama MaMa Bookshop. Sip premium loose-leaf teas during a Cuples Tea House pop-up tasting experience and sample delicious mini trifles and cupcakes made by Midnite Confections. Visitors will also have time to meet local and women-run arts and maker organizations, including A Workshop of Our Own, The Baltimore Jewelry Center, and Baltimore Clayworks.
Skillshare: Bouquet Brooms at the Juniper Farm Fig Picnic
Join our broom circle on September 30th (during the Juniper Farm Fig Picnic) and make a beautiful bouquet broom filled with seasonal intention, featuring flowers grown and dried at Juniper Farm. Find C. on the community field from 12pm to 3pm where they will demo a simple hawk's tail weave incorporating dried flowers from the farm and some basic broommaking techniques including how to use a broom brake, how to keep your twine tensioned, and how to finish your weave. Then, they'll help you choose from the beautiful variety of flowers, let you pick out your twine, provide some pre-weighed and portioned broomcorn, and guide you through the process of making your own to bring home! There will be multiple demos in each hour, and you're welcome to stay for more than one demo. Broommaking does take some energy and a little bit of focus, but it's a fun way to spend part of the picnic and we hope you'll join us in the broommaking circle!
Accessibility: ability to sit up and tension twine from a tool held on the ground with your feet to the broom gripped in your hands for a short period of time which requires moderate strength, stamina, and grip. We won't be doing anything too complicated, so it should be relatively accessible to most but the very young or those who would struggle with gripping for more than 15 minutes. It is possible to take breaks, but generally, once you start weaving a broom you don't stop until you tie it off. It is recommended you wear firm-soled shoes without a heel and something comfortable for the weather that day. We will be working on level grass near paved and gravel drives if weather permits, or will be in a covered area with a smooth cement floor in the event of inclement weather. As far as age, this workshop is primarily aimed towards adults, but I am willing to consider teenagers 13-17 without an adult and younger attendees if they come with an adult on a case-by-case basis – please contact me directly before registering anyone under the age of 18. Feel free to reach out to me via email (c.murphydoes@gmail.com) with any questions about young people attending, accessibility, or anything else!
Workshop: Handbrooms 101
This is a 4-hour IN-PERSON CLASS.
Spend an afternoon learning to make a handbroom with natural materials! In this class, learn to use a broom brake, twine, broomcorn, and natural embellishments to create your own bespoke cleaning, ritual, or display object to elevate your space and bring you closer to your task. In this class C. Murphy (@c.murphydoes), a local multimedia artist, crafter, and farmer, will demonstrate basic broommaking skills and demo multiple handbroom styles including whisks, hawk's tails, turkey wings, and if we have time, rooster tails. We will also go over how to weave a handle with split broomcorn stalks and discuss other materials for weaving.
Materials and tools will be provided - natural broomcorn and twine in a variety of colors are included in the fee; there will be enough for each participant to make multiple handbrooms. Leave with some lovely gifts for yourself or others and a new skill you won't want to put down!
Accessibility: moderate upper body strength and the ability to grip and hold tension are required; this class is focusing on smaller brooms so it isn't too tiring but it requires more than you'd expect!
All skill levels welcome. No prerequisites.
WOO is a non-profit safe space for training underrepresented genders in our field. As such, enrollment is limited to non-binary, trans, and woman-identifying folks over the age of 18.
Vending: Stations of the Crafts
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.