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
Art Star: Did you go to art school? If so, where did you study? Lauren Rossi: I went to a liberal arts college for my undergraduate degree and followed that up with art school for my graduate degree. I received my Bachelor of Arts from Scripps College in Claremont, California majoring in Studio Art. My Master of Fine Arts was earned from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan from the Fiber Department. After completing both academic programs I spent a year at The Fabric Workshop and Museum as an apprentice before beginning my own studio practice and business.
AS: What types of items will you be selling at the bazaar?
LR: I will be selling products for home: Tea Towels, Napkins, Pillows, Table Runners and Tablecloths and personal accessories: Envelope Clutches and Totes all made from my hand printed fabrics.
AS: What materials do you work with?
LR: I use a variety of materials to make work. To list a few: architecture pencil, water color, India ink, gauche, tracing, watercolor and drawing paper, paint brushes of all sizes, a scanner, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, mylar, emulsion, silk screens, duck tape, spray adhesive, nail polish, masking tape, linen, burlap, leather, cotton and hemp fabrics, digital camera, t-pins, squeegees, water color textile pigment and twine.
AS: How are your items made? Describe your process. LR: I keep notebooks and lists everywhere that are a collection of print ideas to be. When I begin working on a new design this writing is translated to sketch and then original drawing. From paper I scan and then trace my drawing using a Wacom tablet, adjusting shapes, adding color layers, rearranging each component until the composition is complete. Each color layer is printed out onto mylar film and then the corresponding screens are “burned,” a process that exposes the light sensitive emulsion coating, transferring the image to the screen. I often proof colorways digitally before mixing ink, and then I print test squares of each color on fabric. There are many steps in the print process, including color tests, registration, scale and the translation to finished object. I love to experiment when I design and print, by considering the repeat to be more like an endless painting, pushing boundaries of the traditional and the process. I usually have an end use in mind before I begin the design and print process, but I have fun in the studio by keeping an open mind about what the fabric could turn into. The last step is to produce the finished products using the printed yardage. I use a number of local sources for sampling and production including sewing, upholstery and digital printing.
Photo Credit: Andrew Nicholas
AS: Are you able to make your work full-time? If not, what do you do for your day job? LR: I get to print and design full time!! And I am so grateful for it. When I am not in the studio I love to spend time with my husband and great dane. I also love to cook (I was a line cook and pastry chef for a short time).
AS: Who are some of your favorite artists?
LR: To name a few off the top of my head: Marimekko, Lotta Jansdotter, Hable Construction, Hella Jongerius, Studio Droog, Issey Miyake, Louise Bourgeois, Jean Claude and Christo, Draga Obradovic, Joseph Beuys.
AS: What are you reading/listening to right now?
LR: I am slowly reading “The History of Love” by Nicole Krauss and hope to have my hands on Julia Child’s book, “My Life in France” immediately following. In the studio I am listening to a lot of Mumford and Sons, Ratatat, the Roots, Talking Heads and First Aid Kit Pandora mixes.
Photo Credit: Andrew Nicholas
AS: Where would you like to see yourself and your art/craft business in the next 5 years?
LR: I hope to expand my collaborations with other businesses, employ 2-4 people, begin doing Saturday workshops and have product available in a variety of locations and shops.
AS: Are there any bazaar participants that you are excited to check out this year? LR: I look forward to meeting them all!
A list of a few of my favorite things: Huevos Rancheros, Peonies and Wisteria Vines, flip flops, vintage bangles, pink and orange combination, oysters, artichokes, avocado and mochi ice cream
Thank you Lauren for telling us a bit more about you & your incredible work. Check out this video portrait of Lauren by Andrew & Jenn Richey Nicholas. Be sure to bookmark her website + Visit her at our upcoming Art Star Craft Bazaar at Booth #20!
Hello! My name is Lital. I’m a print designer and illustrator. I was born and raised in Israel. As a kid, I used to spend time at my dad’s studio (he is a graphic designer). I was always drawn to the art books, catalogs and design magazines that he had in his library. He had exciting things in his studio, like a Pantone fan and boxes filled with colors, paints and different kinds of papers; it was like heaven for me. I used to sit there all day during summer break and draw with him. This is where my love for painting came from. Watching my dad really inspired me to have a design studio when I grow up and that’s exactly what happened.
My trip to India before college inspired me to study textile design and major in print. I was looking to study something creative that contains a little bit of everything – art, fashion, graphic design and pattern design. I wanted to keep painting, but put the skill into something more practical and this is how I found textile design. After graduating, I had two different options. I got accepted to an internship at DVF in NYC but was also offered a job at the Free People studio in Philadelphia. I chose Philly and this is how I came to the USA. I worked at the FP studio for two years, creating original artworks and patterns.
These days I work from my studio, collaborating with different brands and working as a print/cad designer. I also work on my own line of clothing that will be launched in spring 2016.
My work is inspired from the organic motif of nature, animals and different cultural patterns from around the world.
My favorite mediums to work with are ink and watercolors and I paint all of my patterns and artworks by hand, with an intuitive and tactile approach. I love it when colors look happy and vibrant and I always make sure to have this in my work. I usually start from collecting some inspiration according to the subject I’m exploring. After I have a good amount of reference (pictures, prints, fabric swatches) I start to paint. I also work with books and nature magazines, when I paint animals, especially birds!
Hope to see you at the Fall Art Star Craft Bazaar, I will be selling holiday goods, wall art prints, greeting cards and more! Come say hi!
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
AS: How are your items made? Describe your process.
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