We’re excited to announce we’ve partnered with Uber to offer all guests who are new to Uber a complimentary ride up to $20 using the promo code ARTSTAR
Uber is an iPhone/Android app that lets you tag your location and summon a professional driver to your side within minutes. Once in the car, the driver will take you wherever you need to go. The fare is billed to your card, with no need to tip, so you don’t have to worry about handling cash.
Just click the promo code below and sign up! You’ll be riding in style in no time at all.
We are thrilled to announce that we will be participating in this year’s Crafty Bastards Fair in DC! We have heard so many incredible things about this show over the years and are so thankful to have the opportunity to participate this year for the first time ever!!
For those of you that have not heard of Crafty Bastards, it is very similar to our annual Art Star Craft Bazaar. The show features some of the best makers from across the country, a beer garden, DC’s best food trucks, family friendly activities + more at Union Market in DC on September 28th + 29th from 10-5.
We have partnered with Crafty Bastards and are able to offer all of you some special deals if you plan to make the trip to the show. You won’t be disappointed, we promise!
There is a small fee to enter Crafty Bastards ($5 for the day / $10 Weekend) but we scored you a special deal – a weekend pass for just $8! Because one day will not be enough, believe me! Enter Promo Code Vendor2013 when purchasing a weekend ticket and you will get the discount!
For those of you who want to take a trip to DC for Crafty Bastards, check out the Courtyard Marriott. It’s conveniently located within walking distance of the festival and they are offering a special rate of $126 per night, September 28th and 29th. Book your room today via this link or by calling 1-800-321-2111 and mention the Crafty Bastards room block. If you plan to stay and shop for the weekend, don’t forget to enter discount code VENDOR2013 when buying your tickets to get a special $8 weekend pass!
Speaking of comfort, we know how shopping for great crafts can make one, well, parched! With that in mind, Crafty Bastards for the first time in history will be serving craft beer. In partnership with New Belgium Brewing, there will be an outdoor beer garden featuring several of New Belgium’s amazing Belgian-inspired beers, plus food from local vendors and food trucks. We have a special discount code for you craft beer lovers, a single day pass and 2 beers for $10 when you enter the discount code CRAFTYBEERME when purchasing your ticket online.
We hope to see you there! Be sure to visit our booth and say hi!
Art Star artist, Amy Rice, has put up these 4 Valentines that you can download for FREE!
(click the image above to download)
*Tips: Use a heavier stock white paper and set your printer to the highest quality.*
Also, check out our new Valentines Day Section on our website
& pick up a token of love for your sweetie. Enter Promo Code LoveBird for 15% off your purchase through Feb. 15th!
Here are some quick gift ideas:
stitch up messages of love with these kits by Chez-Sucre-Chez, $12.50-$14.50"I Like The Way You Smell" print on wood veneer by Spread the Love, $27You're Sweet letterpress notecard by Sycamore Street Press, $4.50
Photo by Mikey Ilagan, Courtesy of Night Market Philly
This local favorite street festival features the best of the city’s ethnic restaurants & gourmet food trucks in different neighborhoods throughout Philly. This Thursday it will be in our hood – NoLibs & we couldn’t be more excited! We will be set up at the festival, along with 9 other local crafters.
Guapos Tacos (one of my personal favorites) Photo by Mikey Ilagan / Courtesy of Night Market Philly
There will be more than 40 vendors offering Philly’s yummiest food for under $5. Yards Brewing Company will also be selling beer. Get FREE beer by signing up for LEVEL UP (this year’s sponsor) online with promo code FOODTRUST or at the event. LEVEL UP will also make a $5 donation to the food trust in your name when you sign up. I think I’ll do just that!
Photo by Mikey Ilagan / Courtesy of Night Market Philly
EVEN BETTER – become a “Friend of Night Market” for $50 & get FREE beer PLUS FREE food, cocktails & more!
My favorite dessert food truck: Sweetbox Cupcakes will be there! Photo by Mikey Ilagan / Courtesy of Night Market Philly
Photo by Mikey Ilagan / Courtesy of Night Market PhillyPhoto by Mikey Ilagan / Courtesy of Night Market PhillyPhoto by Mikey Ilagan / Courtesy of Night Market PhillyPhoto by Mikey Ilagan / Courtesy of Night Market Philly
the ladies behind Kaye Rachelle; Susan (L) & Bonnie (R)
Company: Kaye Rachelle Proprietors: Bonnie Kaye Whitfield + Susan R. Dreifuss Located In: Philadelphia / New Jersey http://www.kayerachelledesigns.com
Art Star: Tell us a little bit about yourselves. What are your backgrounds & how did you two meet? When did you decide to transition your art making into a business?
Kaye Rachelle: We met at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY in 2008 as MFA candidates in Printmaking. We were studiomates, busy focusing on our independent work. But within the next year, we were asked to collaborate as designers & printers for a special Pratt project – we designed & screen printed all the home textiles for two showroom apartments at 3rd + Bond Apartments in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. We had never before screen-printed on fabric – and it rocked our world. Custom orders started rolling in from our friends and family. After getting entrepreneurial advice live on Fox Business News just days before graduation, we dove forward & have yet to look back.
Autumn Morning Cloth Napkin
AS: Are you able to focus on Kaye Rachelle full time or do you have day jobs?
KR: While Kaye Rachelle certainly feels like a full time job for both of us, we have day jobs, too. Bonnie is a teaching artist for the Mural Arts Program, and Susan teaches art classes for a non-profit organization in NJ.
Cloth Napkins
AS: Do you both work on all aspects of the business, or do you each have specific jobs that you focus on?
KR: We collaborate from start to finish but we do have specific tasks. We live about two hours apart, so we are constantly communicating via g-chat and email. Primarily, Susan is in charge of inventory, printing fabrics, & research, whereas Bonnie sews & works on daily communication, such as emails, Etsy posting, & social media.
Bonnie & Susan in the studio
AS: What is your creative process like? Do you fully plan out a piece from start to finish?
KR: Our goal is to release a new batch of designs twice a year, with other special & custom design projects in between. After deciding on a main theme & creating an inspiration board, we then work individually to come up with a variety of designs. From manipulating photographs we have shot to scanning in drawings, we pull imagery from our daily inspiration. Together, we choose & polish the designs that are the strongest and most complimentary to one another. Lastly, we select our seasonal color palette. We like the idea of customers being able to pick a product, design, & color that fits perfectly with the aesthetic of their home.
AS: What types of items can we find in your collection?
KR: Our collection includes screen-printed pillows, placemats, table runners, cloth napkins, tea towels, wall organizers, market totes, cocktail napkins and small prints on paper.
Fire Escape Pillow
AS: What are some of the inspirations for your collection?
KR: Our latest line (Fall 2011/Winter 2012) is called Transported. It consists of a collection of prints inspired by travel and transportation, such as crosswalks, traffic lights, bicycles & Philly’s 30th Street Station.
AS: Where do you hope to see Kaye Rachelle in the next 5 years?
KR: We hope to be in a variety of retail locations nationwide and to eventually open our own space. Our goal is to find a location where we can print, teach, sell, eat & entertain. (We are both avid cooks!)
Tea Towel
AS: Do you have any new products in the works?
KR: Yes! We are currently working on wine totes, aprons, and Philadelphia-inspired recipe cards.
AS: Aside from the Art Star Craft Bazaar (and soon Art Star!) where can
customers find your work?
AS: What can customers expect to see in your ASCB booth?
KR: From floursack tea towels to linen throw pillows, expect to see a cozy array of our screen-printed textiles, ready to wrap up as gifts. We will also have hostess gift bundles, a sweet way to say thanks to your holiday hosts.
hello! welcome to the home of art star’s new blog. We will be posting artist features, new happenings in the store, events, etc. For the month of April, we will be focused mainly on our upcoming Art Star Craft Bazaar. Erin & I have been hard at work organizing & promoting the show. This year we got in the most applications to date, which is awesome but it made jurying the show very tough. We believe we chose the best of the best. We tried very hard to make sure that there is something for everyone & I think we succeeded in doing that. The complete vendor list is now up on the site – check it out! We will be posting a map of the space w/ booth numbers, along with a corresponding numerical booth number list & alphabetical list, so you can easily find all your favorites. Check back for that soon!
We are also working w/ local artist, Eleanor Grosch, to re-design our website. Eleanor designed this blog for us & the website will look similar. We will have a search engine so it will be easy to find specific items, work by particular artists, etc. We will also be expanding our shop categories & will be able to offer promo codes to our shoppers. We reward our loyal customers w/ a frequent buyer card in the shop & want to offer similar rewards to our online customers. We hope to have this up & running before the holiday season!
Shop Eleanor’s work on our site: ABC’s Print $40Modern Menagerie Mug $12
Hi, my name is Melanie. I am the founder and botanical dyer of Modest Transitions. I get to share this wonderful experience with my husband Nur. After giving birth to our son, I was encouraged by my husband to attend Moore College of Art and Design for continuing education in fashion design. I took a course in sustainability and immediately was exposed to how wasteful we are to our planet. In that moment, I wanted to find a better and Eco-friendly way to wear hijab comfortably and create positive conversation on how one article of clothing separates people. So, I decided, “Why not build UNITY with ALL-EMBRACING scarves?”
Modest Transitions was created to reflect my transition into modesty. It is eye-opening to see that a scarf can separate groups of people and create adversity in our world. Modesty is not defined as a religious garment, article of clothing, or oppression. Modesty is a behavior, an impression of yourself and how you define your hidden beauty and self-love within the world. Therefore, Modest Transitions is for the modest woman that strives to be confident within her own transition.
All of our products are handmade and botanically hand-dyed locally in the Northwest and Southwest sections of Philadelphia in our home studio and shared studio space at Mt. Airy’s own Handcraft Workshop.
Our products are imperfectly beautiful designed using upcycling and zero-waste techniques. My inspiration comes from the season, the integrity of the plant and the color yield. Dyeing with plants is just like cooking…it’s a trial and error process. And sometimes errors create the most beautiful color combinations.
Many of our fabrics are upcycled and sustainably derived from natural fibers such as hemp, bamboo, cotton, and lyocell. We use absolutely everything for current and future projects! I get much joy from dyeing with plant dyes because of the conversation it generates. Many people are stunned that you can dye and eco-print fibers with simple things in your kitchen such as onions, avocados, beets, the list goes on. A common question: Will my scarf smell like onions? Haha.
I am so excited to be joining Art Star for the first time this year during the Holiday Bazaar. Come by and say hello! We would love to meet you! Our products are available for purchase online at www.modesttransitions.com. We are always creating new products. Follow us on Instagram @modesttransitions for all the latest!
A Poor Girl’s Flower February 10th – April 8th at Art Star Gallery Opening Reception: February 10th from 6-8pm
Email us at info@artstarphilly.com if you would like a copy
of the digital collector’s preview
Philadelphia based artist, Ron Nicole, will be exhibiting her line of plaster and cement wall art that she refers to as ‘flower fossils’. She creates intricate floral compositions by pressing flowers into clay leaving deep impressions. The flowers are then delicately removed and a plaster/cement mix is poured on top. Once the mix sets it is peeled back to reveal a fossil of the floral arrangement, much like a memory preserved in time. Typically the pieces are finished simply. The muted colors of the plaster (often tinted subtly in light grey, off-white, or black) imbue the piece with a shadow-like quality. In this latest body of work, Nicole will be experimenting with color as an expression of celebration.
In her own words: This collection is a study of flowers. Flowers mean so much to us. We give them in happiness and sadness. We offer them in celebration, to lift someone’s spirit, to wish them well, to say I’m sorry, or just because. My inspired floral fossil are more than creating something pretty. Flowers are beautiful on their own. Their preservation is my way of preserving a memory. As a child, I remember the first time I decided to pick up a pencil to see if I could draw the flower in front of me. To my surprise it was very easy for me and it turned out really well. As a 7 or 8 year old that blew my mind. Growing up in the projects within an urban environment didn’t offer many nature like adventures. Playing in a field of flowers would only happen in my day dreams. So I would draw them. Drawing flowers started me on a path that would eventually get me here. This is by far my favorite form of flower preservation. Not only do I get to stop time in it’s place, but I can captures all of it’s subtle details that I wasn’t able to convey in my drawings.
My first fossils started as a blank canvas to show my humbleness and gratitude towards nature and it’s natural beauty. This time around I decided to add color as a form of celebration. I’m so happy to be doing what I love and this type of feeling deserves the spot light. Adding color is my way of stepping out of my shell and being proud of what I do. Coloring my pieces represents my ability to not be afraid of success or happiness and the flowers are my dream coming true. This poor girl has found her flower.
About the Artist:
Ronni Nicole Robinson was born in Philadelphia in 1980. She studied graphic design at the University of Maryland and worked for a few years in corporate America before transitioning into the hospitality industry. It was while working at Morimoto in Philadelphia that she met her future husband, David. Before settling down the couple spent nearly three years doing seasonal resort work on the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard, as well as on the ski slopes of Park City, UT. Ronni currently resides in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood in center city Philadelphia with her husband and their two furry animal friends Powder and Liberty.
Learn more http://www.ronnicole.com/
Follow her on instagram for daily inspiration and beauty https://www.instagram.com/iamronnicole/
We are beyond excited to announce our 4th (!) solo exhibition with Minneapolis based mixed media artist and long time Art Star artist, Amy Rice. The show, titled “Curb Appeal”, will be up in our gallery space from March 25th through May 21st, 2017. We will be hosting a reception with the artist while she is in town on April 8th from 5-7pm. Light refreshments will be provided.
“Curb Appeal” is inspired by Rice’s recent purchase of her first home with her partner, Matt. The artist describes her new house as a “seriously distressed foreclosure”, so the term “fixer upper” would be putting it lightly. The couple quickly dove into renovations to make their new house their own. Around the same time they also purchased some rural property in what they call a “Scandanavian Pride” town where all the homes have over the top decorations like fancy gables and hand cut decorative window trims. Her latest body of work is an exploration of all that we do to make a house a home – bringing in plants and potted flowers, adding art work, building window boxes, adopting pets, and adding all our own personal flourishes to create Curb Appeal.
Amy recently wrote and illustrated a Zine titled, “How To Grow Zinnias”, which comes with two zinnia seeds in hand-painted seed packets. The book will make its debut at our reception with the artist on April 8th. Stop by to pick up a signed copy!
Amy Rice’s nostalgic, subtly street art-influenced works are deeply defined by her Midwestern roots. Growing up in a rural area, Rice found inspiration in the surrounding flora and fauna; she naturally developed an intrinsic appreciation for the simplistic yet beautiful things in life. Rice is most satisfied when a tangible or visceral connection is built between the materials used and the image rendered. Her work is deeply layered, often both literally and figuratively. Her evocative, wistful imagery is largely biographical and reflective of her pensive nature.
Using non-traditional printmaking methods such as hand-cut stencils and a Japanese toy Gocco printer as a jumping off point, Rice develops the basis for her signature, one of a kind mixed media pieces. She combines, layers and experiments with many different mediums and tools including enamels, acrylics, gouache, inks, hand-carved linoleum print blocks and a antique letterpress machine. Rice searches out unique and meaningful surfaces that can run the gamut from antique papers such as handwritten love letters, journal pages, sheet music and maps to antique fabrics including heirloom embroidery and feed sacks from her family’s dairy farm.
She has exhibited her work extensively in galleries in the US and beyond. She has received the Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant as well as the Metropolitan Regional Arts Board Next Step Grant.
Rice enjoys working themes and imagery into her pieces such as bicycles, found objects, gardening, collective endeavors that challenge hierarchy, acts of compassion, downright silliness and things with wings.
Art Star is pleased to present a solo exhibition with Asbury Park, NJ based artist, Christine Lindstrom of Mai Autumn. The show, titled “Night Garden” will include the artist’s latest series of watercolor and acrylic paintings. The exhibition will be on view from May 21st – July 17th 2016. There will be an opening reception with the artist on Saturday, May 21st from 6-8pm. The reception is free and open to the public and will include light refreshments.
Christine Lindstrom creates illustrations under the name Mai Autumn for her collection of art, stationery and surface patterns. Mainly working in watercolor and acrylic, her work takes on an ethereal quality that has been described as dreamlike. Her main inspiration stems from memories from childhood, where her afternoons were spent exploring the forest and letting her imagination form a mysterious bond with the magic of nature and the unknown. Each piece has a sense of a hidden memory that has been tucked away and not fully visible.
The artist states, “With this collection of paintings, I am attempting to capture a sense of emotions and dreams through color and form. If I could project my imagination onto a wall, I am engulfed in a summer garden at night, surrounded by the shadows of flowers, their luxurious smells, and sounds that I cannot find their origin. Each piece may either represent a dream, or the glimmers of the garden itself in the dark. Oftentimes, our minds create an interchangeable reality that is difficult to separate from the imagination. These pieces are meant to blur the lines between what is real and what is imagined.”
Christine has been painting all her life and went on to study at Savannah College of Art and Design, as well as Monmouth University, where she received her BA degree in art in 2008. Her work is sold through many national and international retailers. She previously curated the critically acclaimed handmade collective, Fey Handmade. Her illustrations have been published in the books, I Heart Stationery and The Custom Art Collection – Art for the Contemporary Home. Her curatorial and illustration work have received praise from Lucky Magazine, Real Simple, Southern Living, Dwell Magazine, and Apartment Therapy, among many other prominent publications and websites. She currently lives in Asbury Park, NJ with her beautiful one-eyed cat, Boo. This is her first solo exhibition.
Hi, my name is Melanie. I am the founder and botanical dyer of Modest Transitions. I get to share this wonderful experience with my husband Nur. After giving birth to our son, I was encouraged by my husband to attend Moore College of Art and Design for continuing education in fashion design. I took a course in sustainability and immediately was exposed to how wasteful we are to our planet. In that moment, I wanted to find a better and Eco-friendly way to wear hijab comfortably and create positive conversation on how one article of clothing separates people. So, I decided, “Why not build UNITY with ALL-EMBRACING scarves?”
All of our products are handmade and botanically hand-dyed locally in the Northwest and Southwest sections of Philadelphia in our home studio and shared studio space at Mt. Airy’s own Handcraft Workshop.
I am so excited to be joining Art Star for the first time this year during the Holiday Bazaar. Come by and say hello! We would love to meet you! Our products are available for purchase online at 
A Poor Girl’s Flower
