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
Thanks to all of our customers who shopped handmade this holiday season. Purchasing an item from our shop directly supports over 50 national artists – many of whom live right here in Philly. These times are tough, so we appreciate everyone that made a commitment to shopping local & handmade this season. It really makes a difference!!
Now that the holidays are over – its time to get organized. Pick up one of our 2012 Calendars by Art Star favorites: Amy Rice, Rachel Bone, Eleanor Grosch, & Kurt Halsey. We worked directly with these artists to create these calendars & they can only be found at Art Star. We only made a limited quantity, so pick one up while they are still in stock.
Rachel Bone 2012 Calendar
Rachel Bone is a Baltimore based artist, painter & apparel designer whose illustrative paintings center around women on absurd adventures with open ended narratives and symbolism. This series – titled I Bet You – plays with typographical design. Each painting subtly represents one alphabet letter, while still standing alone as individual works of art. Signed prints of the entire alphabet series are available through Art Star. Rachel also runs the hand-printed, folk inspired apparel line Red Prairie Press which is carried at boutiques across the country (including Art Star) and sold online.
Eleanor Grosch 2012 Calendar
Eleanor Grosch is a Philadelphia based artists who loves animals; you name it, she’s probably drawn it! Eleanor’s unique graphic perspective aims to simplify line and playfully arrange form to capture the essence of each animal she draws. She’s well-known for her graphic take on our feathered, furry, and fuzzy friends. With roots in modernist design, she brings the mid-century aesthetic up-to-date.
Kurt Halsey 2012
We have been working with Portland based artist, Kurt Halsey, since we opened up shop in 2004. We had no idea how huge of an online following he had when we asked him to exhibit his work in our shop. He is still by far one of our best selling artists!
Kurt captures small, precious moments in time through his sweet renderings of couples & animals just living life. The imagery is illustrative in nature & the artist typically incorporates text, which is simple yet poetic. The calendar includes all new work, rich in browns & sepia tones of drawings on collaged found papers. Grab this calendar while you still can. We only have 1 box left!
Amy Rice 2012 Calendar
Beginning with not-so-traditional print making methods (hand cut stencils and a Japanese Gocco printmaking toy) Minneapolis based mixed-media artistAmy Rice makes original, one-of-kind pieces by additionally employing acrylic, gouache, ink and collage. Her “canvases” range from weathered wood panels and discarded objects to antique envelopes, age-worn love letters, and found journal pages yellowed with time.
Amy’s imagery, nostalgic and wistful, is largely biographical and reflective of her pensive nature. She draws inspiration from childhood memories growing up on a Midwestern farm, the urban community in which she now lives, bicycles, street art, gardening, collective endeavors that challenge hierarchy, acts of compassion, downright silliness and things with wings.
Amy has exhibited her work in galleries throughout the United States, Canada and the U.K.
Art Star: Tell us a bit about your work. What inspires your imagery? Andrea Courchene: As an artist and musician I am divided between two creative worlds. My process of creating art is intrinsically like refining a passage of music through practice, writing original pieces, or listening to my favorite recordings–it is quite involved. I have always found a special interest in the connections between the sound of music and visual art. Performing music inspires my art with an appreciation for the audience as well; people of all ages can find an instrument, an animal, or a scene which may capture their imagination. I’m also inspired by vintage illustrations, nature and living in New York City.
AS: Are you formally trained? If so, where did you study? AC: My formal education is in music. I have a bachelors and master’s degree in music. I’ve always loved creating art as a hobby as far back as elementary school. I’ve taken a few art classes at both my undergraduate college as well as in graduate school. I recently completed two courses at Columbia University: one in painting and the other, lithography. I’m also starting an etching class there this Spring.
Andrea working on a lithograph
AS: Are you originally from New York? What are some of your favorite places in NYC to go for inspiration? AC: I was born in England and immigrated to Florida with my family when I was in high school. Since then I’ve been lucky to travel around and have recently lived in Chicago, Portland, Oregon, and am now based in New York City. New York City is a wonderfully cosmopolitan city but I find that I am most inspired by my neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan which is always bustling and has the added advantage of two great, enormous city parks on each side: Riverside and Central Park.
poster by Paper Sparrow
AS: Are you able to focus on your work full time? Do you have a day job? Any employees? AC: Paper-Sparrow is currently my full-time work. I am fortunate to be able to supplement my income with freelance performance and teaching music. I do get a lot of support and an extra pair of hands for shipping packages from my partner, Paul, who is also a cellist.
AS: What materials do you use for the original illustrations? AC: It varies from piece to piece. I tend to gravitate towards paint: gouache, watercolors and acrylics with added textures and backgrounds. Other times I simply draw in pen and ink and digitally manipulate the images in photoshop and illustrator.
AS: Any new and exciting projects in the works? AC: This year I’m focusing on expanding my line of greeting cards and taking on more freelance opportunities.
AS: Aside from Etsy & Art Star, where else do you sell/show your work? AC: I tend to sell at a few craft fairs every year in the summers and the holiday season. I also wholesale my cards to a number of boutiques and stores across the US and to a few in Australia.
“Smoky Mountain Gypsy Jazz” by Paper Sparrow
AS: Who are some of your favorite artists/illustrators? AC: I have pretty eclectic taste but I particularly love art of the bauhaus movement and mid-century design. I love scouring vintage children’s books for illustrations by Martin and Alice Provensen, M. Sasek, Sandy Hoffman, Aliki Brandenberg and Brian Wildsmith.
AS: What music are you listening to these days? AC: We always have music playing in our apartment. You can bet on lots of classical and chamber music, jazz, Django Reinhardt and some 60s pop.
Check out our collection of work by Andrea’s line, Paper Sparrow, HERE
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
