“Holiday Thursdays” at Brooklyn Women’s Exchange

Starting this afternoon, the Brooklyn Women’s Exchange (disclosure: your correspondent’s wife is active in the work of the Exchange), a not-for-profit, volunteer organization that provides a marketplace for locally handmade craft goods, including infants’ and children’s clothing, toys, housewares and gifts, and books by local authors or about local subjects, will host its annual “Holiday Thursdays”, during which artists, craftspeople and authors will be present to demonstrate their techniques or crafts, or read from and sign their books. The Exchange is located at 55 Pierrepont Street, between Henry and Hicks. The schedule of events is as follows:

Today: 3:30, doll and dressmaker Simone Kaplan will lead a doll-making craft class for children; 6:00, jewelry designer Marissa Alperin will present her jewelry and demonstrate how she makes her unique hand-knit greeting cards, and decorator and bag designer Monique Lignon will present her colllection of tapestry tote bags.

November 19: 11:00-7:00, artist Deborah O’Connor will create a silhouette of your child in minutes (please call the Exchange at 718-624-3435 for an appointment); 5:00, chocolatier Betsy Baudille will present her chocolates for your tasting enjoyment.

December 3: 3:30, illustrator Melissa Iwai will read and sign her children’s book Chanukah Lights Everywhere; 6:00, jewelry designer Lisa Detwiler will present her collection of jewelry with semi-precious stones, and jewelry designer Ashka Dymel will present her collection of architectural necklaces and earrings.

December 10: 3:30, designer Noel MacFetrich will make holiday decorations with children; 6:00, crafter Mary McNeill will present her unique sock monkeys, and T-shirt designer Peter Hildebrand will present his line of Brooklyn-themed T-shirts.

December 17: 3:30, author and illustrator Mari Takabayashi will read and sign her children’s book I Live in Brooklyn; 4:00, members of the Exchange will lead a card-making craft lesson for children.