ASCB Scores

Posted on June 18, 2013 by artstar

About a week or so after our bazaar, I asked people to share what they got at the show with us for the chance to win a free tote bag & item from our line of products.  We asked everyone to take a shot of their purchases in action (being worn, hung on the wall, etc) with #ascbscore on Instagram.  We loved seeing all the pictures people posted.  I thought you’d like to see too, so here are some that were submitted.

@htp32 rockin’ her Phea Jean Dress

@brittstagram Love this little tea set with a Bowl Cover by Chez Sucre Chez and “Give Me Some Sugar” print by Yardsale Press 

@exit343 posted this pic of her sweet little Bunny by The Wind and The Sail (also, you should follow @exit343 because she makes awesome stuff too)

@kjerstieb Spread the Love Print by Yardsale Press and Types of Cake Print by Jillian Nickell

@mbuttich This one was one of my favorites and was a contender for the win.  This Cookie Bandit shirt was made by @mbuttich at the Little Chair Printing Make & Take Station.  They had vintage iron ons that customers could heat press themselves!

I chose @elle_melinda as the winner b/c I liked seeing the little Horrible Adorables in the Background with her in the foreground wearing her T-shirt by the 50/50 Company.

Thanks to everyone that played along with us! We’d still love to see what you got at the bazaar or from our shop.  Post your pics on instagram with #ascbscore OR #artstarscore. Make sure to change your privacy settings so we can actually see your pics.  We will pick our favorite photos from time to time & give out prizes.  Follow us on Instagram!

If you missed the bazaar, we stock a good amount of items from participating vendors in our shop OR go to our vendor page for links to everyone’s websites.

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3rd Ward Philadelphia

Posted on June 12, 2013 by artstar


I’m so excited that 3rd Ward Philadelphia is finally open!  For those of you that don’t know, 3rd Ward is a 27,000 Square foot space for creating really anything you could think of. They have so many cool classes you really won’t find anywhere else, like LED Millinery, Urban Farming, Digital Textile Design, and um the History of the Cocktail?  Sign me up! I have not actually visited the space yet, but I hope to take a tour soon to check it out.  They run tours every half hour between 1 and 5pm all week.


After perusing the site I am most excited about the Drink & Draw evenings.  There is one tonight from 8-10:30 and for $10 at the door you can kick back, drink some beers and draw.  What better way to unwind?  Just bring your drawing materials and they will provide the beer and model.  I have been looking for a space in Philly that offers this with not much luck.  I really need to brush up on my drawing skills and drawing from a live model is the best way to do it!  I can’t make it tonight, but I am hoping this will be a regular thing for them.


Also, I am a novice when it comes to design and it would really help us at the shop if I could gain a few more skills.  Intro to Illustrator or Photoshop 2 might be a good place to start!  It would be a dream to learn Photo Etching on Copper, Upholstery, Enameling……..I want to learn how to make everything! To me there is nothing more satisfying then making something entirely from scratch.  I can’t wait to see what other classes will be added to their roster.

I also wanted to share that they recently asked Erin and I to be judges for a contest they are running called Learn.Make.Inspire.  They are asking people to share what they are learning, making, or what they are inspired by. Learn more here for your chance to win some cash, class credit or for your submission to be included in a culminating exhibition at 3rd Ward.  We are so excited to see all the submissions and honored that we were asked to be a part of it!

And to all you local makers, they are looking for teachers.  Sounds like a great opportunity to make some extra cash and  become a part of an organization that may just become a creative epicenter in Philadelphia.

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Thirsty Thursday and 80′s Iron On Make and Take

Posted on June 11, 2013 by artstar

Image by Andrew Zangerle of The Maple Ridge. Copyright 2013 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Click on image to buy his work.

Thirsty Thursdays are back by Popular Demand this summer.  We will be hosting a couple of these each month and our first one will be this Thursday (June 13th) from 5-8pm.

Photo Courtesy of A Beautiful Mess 

We will be serving up the above Cucumber and Mint Gimlets.  The recipe is by Emma from A Beautiful Mess. You probably already read their blog and If you don’t, you should.  I am pretty obsessed with it. Those ladies are very inspirational to me. Anyway……..Thirsty Thursdays.

A sample of one of the Awesome Iron Ons Hope will be bringing with her.

 The coolest part about this Thirsty Thursday is that our friend Hope Rovelto of Little Chair Printing will be set up with her Heat Press.  She will have a slew of 80s themed Iron on Transfers for you all to use and design/heat press your own t-shirt! It is Free if you bring your own T-shirt (any color, though Hope says white works with all the designs) OR you can purchase a blank from her for just $10.

And that’s not all! Enjoy 20% off all regularly priced items during the event.  Just for you! Because we like you and we’ll all be drinking.

 While your here, check out our HUGE SUMMER SALE which is taking up our entire back gallery space.  We have Art, Clothing, Housewares, Prints, Ceramics and MORE priced to sell!

Soooo Come drink with us and make a sweet T-shirt. Maybe buy some of our stuff too ;)  See ya Thursday!  Peep the Facebook Invite and tell us if you can make it – Invite your Friends!

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Art Star Summer Tour

Posted on June 7, 2013 by artstar

Can’t make it to the shop in Philly?  This summer we may be in a city near you!  We will be bringing a selection of goodies from our shop to the following summer shows:

Clover Market
Sunday, June 9th, 10-5pm
Ardmore, PA

Renegade Craft Fair BOOTH #75
June 22nd & 23rd, 11-7
Brooklyn, NY


 Gallery 1603 Pop Up
July 5, 6, 7, all day
Surf City, NJ – My Old Stompin’ Grounds!


Artscape
July 19th + 20th, 11-8pm and July 21st, 11-9pm
Baltimore, MD

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Adventures in Knitting: Summer Beach Tote with O-Wool Yarn

Posted on May 31, 2013 by artstar

One of our goals for the year was to expand our craft supply section.  Since most supplies must be purchased wholesale, we can only add to our selection slowly so we don’t break the bank.  Yarn was one of the first things on our list to stock. We wanted to find a company that made their yarn entirely in the US.  We came across a wonderful Philly based company called O-Wool, which makes a line of organic cotton yarn in beautiful colors.  The cotton is grown in Texas and the yarn is dyed and wound right here in Philly.  And it turns out the owner of the company, Jocelyn Tunney, has been a customer of ours for years. Extra bonus!

Being a knitter myself, I couldn’t wait to try it out.  I wanted to make something for summer, since we got the yarn in a little later in the season.  I decided to design a beach tote.  I had intended on sharing the pattern on the blog, but I am not 100% happy with my design. The yarn knitted up really nicely but it ended up being a little bigger than I had initially envisioned.  I am not a knitting expert by any means.  I am still learning.  I like how it turned out overall but next time I’d make it smaller and use a more sturdier yarn for the base.  I felt the bottom of the bag stretched out a little more than I liked when I put in a beach towel, book & phone…… I might try a thicker cotton next time or maybe I’d use smaller needles to make it tighter.  I also thought I could make the bottom (knit in cinnabar) out of fabric , maybe canvas or leather & then knit the rest. I really like how the strap came out though!

It is a pretty simple pattern.  The base is just a seed stitched rectangle that I knit on two needles.  Then I picked up stitches all around with double points & continued knitting in seed stitch for a few inches.  I switched over to the Natural colored yarn and knit in a basic faggoting stitch until I felt it was big enough, then I seed stitched for a couple inches and bound off.  I used graph paper to plot out the shaping of the strap.  I picked up stitches on each side and seed stitched each strap separately.  They taper off at the top & look cute tied together.

I love the yarn & with a bit of tweaking to my design, I think I’ll have a great summer beach tote to share with you all eventually. I can’t wait to try out the yarn on some other project ideas I have cooking up in my head.

Here is a link to what we have in stock.  I think it is very affordable for organic yarn.  At $6.75 a skein, you get a good amount out of it.  This bag took 1 skein of cinnabar & 3 skeins of natural.  Try the yarn out for yourself, I think you’ll like it. Happy knitting!

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Art Star Craft Bazaar Claymations!

Posted on May 25, 2013 by artstar

Our friends from The Clay Studio were teaching the art of claymation at our bazaar a couple weeks ago. Attendees of the show really got into it & created some great stuff! The Clay Studio put together a little video of all the creations made during our bazaar. We love the finished piece aptly titled animal parade! Lots of little animals and dinosaurs fighting, snacking and falling in love. And there is also a pretty great little bowling scene. Our customers (big and small) are so talented!!  Thank you to The Clay Studio for providing this treat!

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Thank You from the Heart

Posted on May 21, 2013 by artstar

I can’t believe we just completed our 10th Art Star Craft Bazaar!  The threat of bad weather on Saturday didn’t keep shoppers away.  Though the forecast called for an 80% chance of thunderstorms, it didn’t start to really rain until the end of the show right at 6pm!  Our guardian angel was looking out for us! She was a cheerleader and Art Star supporter to us since we began and though she is gone from this world, she’s still here. I take comfort in that. Thanks Lara Long!


Though the weather report’s impending doom kept the big crowds we typically get away on Saturday, Sunday sure made up for it! Thanks to everyone who came out to support our show & our incredible group of vendors.  It’s not easy to get up and out of bed early, load up your car with all the work that you labored over for months when the weather is looking so grim.  But our vendors are professionals & they came with a good attitude and smiles on their faces.  An extra special thank you to all of you, who make the Art Star Craft Bazaar what it is – a celebration of the immense talent within the crafting community that we are so proud to be a part of.  We are YOUR cheerleaders and we are forever grateful to you.

These bracelets by Buffalo Craft Company were stand outs at this year’s show

Thank you to our group of community partners.  Your craft demos and make + takes were a huge hit.  We are so lucky to be a part of an incredible creative community here in Philadelphia.

The Clay Studio shared hands on claymation with event attendees!

Thank you to our incredible team.  Our small weekend staff: Lisa, Rich, Leah, Kelly, Pat, Jasmine, Kazana and Dee – you made our jobs so much easier & kept everything running smoothly.  Our group of volunteers: Dom, Neely, John, Molly, Lauren, Mary, Emily, Miranda, Aly, Sarah, Sharon, Victoria, Ben, Duran, Janet, and Bailey.  Your help is so appreciated by us but especially the vendors if you helped with load in and out!  You made a stressful time much less stressful and I can’t tell you how many of the vendors remark on how great you all are.  Heather & Jenny – we missed you this year but we know you’ll be back next year! Thank you to my husband Cisco for putting up with me during a very stressful time of year and for his help with load/in out and being our official vendor concierge!

At the Art Star Craft Bazaar you can shop with a beer in hand! Now, what’s better than that?

Thank you to Joey Sweeney and Claire of Philebrity for putting together an amazing line-up of bands AND putting together the after party for our vendors and bands. A HUGE thanks to all the bands that played – you are such a wonderful and important component to our show. Also thank you to Wild Hunt Vintage for selling the band merch.

Thanks to the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation for hosting our event. Extra special love to Shelvia, Sharon and Punch.

But most of all I want to thank my wifey, my hetero life partner, the yin to my yang – Erin. Art Star wouldn’t be possible without you.  You keep me sane and I feel like we can do anything we dream up together. Here’s to another 10 years of living our dreams!

Check out the complete set of photos by Abigail Reimold here 

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A Weekend of Crafts in Philadelphia

Posted on May 10, 2013 by artstar

Now, I know you are all coming to the Art Star Craft Bazaar this weekend, right?  After you leave the bazaar you are going to be hungry for more.  So head over to Rittenhouse Square & check out the Pennsylvania Guild Fine Craft Fair!


Now, I’m a clay nerd so I am personally drawn more to the ceramic pieces that I found in their flickr set, but really there is something for everyone – jewelry, furniture, mixed media sculpture, photography and some pretty sweet bird houses, amongst many other things.  There will be over 140 artists set up Friday through Sunday in the lovely Rittenhouse Park, so you are bound to find a great mother’s day gift or a new addition to say, cough, your already (just a tad) excessive handmade mug collection.  Or just go to browse and enjoy the amazing weather (cuz it ain’t gonna rain!!)  Details Here.

I leave you with some of my personal favorites from their roster of artists…

Sharon Bartmann Ceramics

Klara Borbas

Elizabeth Gates, hand bookbinder

Lana Heckendorn

 

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Meet Maryanne Petrus-Gilbert from Sardine Clothing Company!

Posted on May 9, 2013 by artstar


Art Star: Did you go to art school?  If so, where did you study?
Maryanne Petrus- Gilbert: Yes, I received my BFA in Jewelry/Metals from Tyler School of Art. I consider myself a maker more than a jeweler since I love to work with all mediums and build things. I spend my time equally making jewelry and clothing now.

AS: What types of items will you be selling at the bazaar?
MPG: I will be selling my upcycled skirts and dresses. Every piece I make is completely unique since my materials depend on what I can find to upcycle.

AS: What materials do you work with?
MPG: I work primarily with preloved T Shirts. I love scouring local thrift stores for t shirts that have a great design or color. I also use corduroy pants, mens cotton dress shirts and wool/cashmere sweaters.

AS: How are your items made? Describe your process.
MPG: I handpick every shirt that comes back to the studio. I pit stop at our laundromat and load up the giant machines for washing, then the clothing comes home and is hung to dry. Everything then gets sorted and cut. I have several minnows now that help with cutting and assembly so I can focus on the design and applique work. Every flower, skull, whale, bike or thing that hit my imagination that morning is done by me using a process called free motion applique. I draw with the sewing machine thread and then the “drawing” is cut out.

AS: Are you able to make your work full-time?  If not, what do you do for your day job?
MPG: I have been doing this for 5 years now, Two years ago it became my full time job and I couldn’t be happier. I still love creating the metalwork for Polymer clay artists:Ford- Forlano, but most of my energy is in Sardine.

AS: What are you reading/listening to right now?
MPG: I have been loving the new David Bowie, but I listen to a variety of people like My Morning Jacket, The Shins, Dr Dog, Dawes, Alabama Shakes….where do I stop? I am a music junkie, the computer is always on Spotify or iTunes radio in the studio and I love hearing new artists.


AS: Where would you like to see yourself and your art/craft business in the next 10 years?
MPG: In 10 years, I would love to see Sardine be nationwide. Every year I add a different aspect to the business. This February I took the line to the Buyers Market of American Craft and had orders placed by 12 new stores. I plan to continue doing wholesale shows and adding to the list of stores that carry Sardine. I am trying to grow Sardine slowly so that I never lose the handmade goodness that makes every skirt unique.

AS: Are there any bazaar participants that you are excited to check out this year?
MPG: I can’t wait to see what monsters Leroy’s Place has in store, I may need to add another to my wall, Gilbert and Leona, Rocks and Salt, Horrible Adorables…I really just like seeing everything!

Try on some of her skirts/dresses at the bazaar this weekend at booth #29!

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Art Star Craft Bazaar Instagram GiveAway #2

Posted on May 9, 2013 by artstar

Follow Us on Instagram.  Share this photo with #artstarcraftbazaar (make sure you change your privacy settings so we can see your #) We will randomly select a winner at noon Friday.  Items generously donated by Art Star Craft Bazaar Vendors – Dahling Accessories (clutch) and Dollhousefossils (embroidered print).

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