The Crafty Carny

The Crafty Carny makes things that make things. I’m Mab, a retired sideshow and vaudeville performer turned maker, and I design handmade tools and small wonders that bring old folk traditions back into everyday life. My main lines are Matchbox Crankie Kits (tiny hand-cranked scrolling story theaters you build and illustrate yourself), laser-cut kumihimo braiding discs, circle looms, and Crankie Skins sticker sets. I also make one-of-a-kind art pieces, Sparklebobs, and a rotating wall of image magnets you’ll only find at my booth. I vend solo at craft fairs, fiber arts events, steampunk festivals, and themed markets, and sell online at thecraftycarny.com. Everything is designed and made by me, in small batches, in Loudoun County, Virginia. What makes it different: these are the coolest things you’ve never heard of. Most people walk up to my booth not knowing what a crankie is and walk away wanting to make one. I’m always in the lab working out new ways to put traditional arts back in people’s hands.