Art Market at Tyler this Friday and Saturday!!

Erin and I were honored to jury this year’s Art Market at our alma mater – Tyler School of Art.  We were so impressed with the pool of applicants and think we picked out a strong group of artists that include Tyler alumni & student groups.  The show takes place this Friday from 12-7pm and Saturday from 12-5 at Tyler School of Art. View Map / Directions here.  26 artists will be set up selling their handmade goods, which include fine art, jewelry, accessories, glass, prints, pottery and more!  Get started on your holiday shopping while supporting a talented group of artists & Tyler.   A portion of the proceeds from the Art Market at Tyler benefits scholarships to the Tyler School of Art. Here are some highlights of participating artists’ work to get you in the spirit.  A full list of participating artists can be found here.

Steven Hagan Designs

 

Dianne Koppisch Hricko

 

Mira Ramchandani

 

J.A. Christensen

 

Michael Neville Design

Posted in craft shows/fairs, crafts, DesignPhiladelphia, events, philly | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Art Star is Now Hiring!

We are looking for part time seasonal help in the shop beginning mid November through New Years.  Must be able to work Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and some Mondays from 11-7pm and additional days/hours when needed.

Responsibilities will include opening/closing the shop, handling all sales, greeting and helping customers, and all that is involved in our daily shop operations.

Requirements:
art/craft background
retail sales experience
outgoing, friendly and warm personality
ability to multi task
self motivated
live within the city and can easily get to the shop

$10 per hour

To apply, please drop off a cover letter, resume, and 3 professional references (not your mom!) to our shop during store hours.  No phone calls.  We are only accepting applications in person so we can meet you.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Spotlight on Audrey Cooper

I will be posting a spotlight on each of the participating Farmhaus & Friends artists now through October 20th.  This first spotlight features potter Audrey Cooper.  We weren’t familiar with Audrey’s work until Ben introduced it to us and we are so happy he did!

AUDREY O. COOPER (b. 1971) has been working with clay since 2005. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Audrey graduated with a degree in literature from the University of Pennsylvania and studied sculpture at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. She has studied with potters in Maine and Pennyslvania, and worked for two years at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia. She lives and works in Northern Liberties.

 

Audrey is interested in using local materials, creating as little waste as possible, and in the life cycle of materials. She embraces the unpredictability, combined with the control of craftsmanship, inherent in the ceramic process. For this project, Audrey made functional tableware, hand-thrown on her electric wheel. She fired one group of porcelain pieces in a wood-fired kiln, fueled by scraps from Ben McBrien’s woodshop. These pieces are unglazed, fired in the salt-chamber of the kiln, colored by the intense atmosphere created by wood fire. The other group was fired in her electric kiln. They are stoneware glazed entirely or partially with ash glazes she made by burning woodshop scraps, applied in combination with commercial glazes.

Check out all of Audrey’s pieces from Farmhaus & Friends online here but if you can, please come and see them in person.  The photos do not truly capture the richness and beauty of the glazes PLUS they all feel great in your hands.

Posted in artist spotlight, ceramics, crafts, DesignPhiladelphia, Exhibitions, NoLibs, philly | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

DIY Silkscreen Kit Debut / Make + Take with Julie Lange

The lovely Julie Lange of On3Designs has been hard at work creating a new line of DIY Silkscreen Kits, which she will be debuting at our DesignPhiladelphia Celebration / Closing party for Farmhaus + Friends on Friday, October 11th from 6-9pm.  Guests will be able to sample one of the kits on a piece of muslin to create their own one of a kind scarf to take home with them.  The make & take is completely free but we encourage visitors to purchase a kit to take home with them!


Each kit will  include a screen, 3 stencils of 1 design, small package of textile ink (which can also be used on paper), a squeegee and directions.  There will also be refill packs for purchase that will include 3 stencils of 3 designs.  These kits are great for kids 10+ up or beginners who would like to learn how to silkscreen.  By using the kit, you will learn what you will need to do to create your own one of a kind designs!

Here are some samples of what your finished scarf may look like but there are endless possibilities of what you can create!

We did a wonderful blog feature on Julie & her line of hand printed purses and bags.  Click here to learn all about her and her work!

Posted in craft projects, crafts, DesignPhiladelphia, DIY, events, Exhibitions, make & takes, new product, Printmaking, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Current Exhibition: Farmhaus + Friends

The Farmhaus & Friends Exhibition is now on view in our gallery through October 20th and is part of DesignPhiladelphia! We will be having a closing reception + DesignPhiladelphia Celebration on Friday, October 11th from 6-9pm. Julie Lange of On3Designs will also be at the event to debut her new Screen Printing on Fabric kits. Customers will be able to try them out for free! More details on this will be in my next blog post. In the meantime, check out Farmhaus & Friends online. I am slowly adding pieces from the show, so check back often!

About Farmhaus + Friends:
Ben McBrien of Farmhaus has brought his signature rustic modern style into Art Star where he has installed a version of his dream home, starting with a handmade bed and dining room table made from reclaimed and responsibly sourced wood.  The pro-surfer turned wood worker has also included carefully chosen pieces handmade by Philly friends, which complete the look of the urban beach loft that McBrien has created

The friends of Farmhaus include: Project Runway Season 1 winner Jay McCarroll, ceramicist Audrey Cooper, graphic design/ tattoo artist Mike Ski, sculptor/designer Bill Curran, photographers Trevor Moran and Dominic Episcopo, woodworker Rachel Fuld, and master knitter Jane Likens who have lent their skills and work to help realize McBrien’s vision. Together they have created a home truly made by hand from quality materials and expert craftsmanship, reflecting Ben’s love and respect for his friends and the work that they create within his community.


I hope to feature each of the participating artists on the blog – look out for that this week and next!

Posted in events, Exhibitions, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Help fund Jen Corace’s Kickstarter!

Jen Corace is one of our favorite artists and we’ve been so lucky to work with her throughout Art Star’s 9 years,  so we were so thrilled when she told us about this awesome card game that she created with her brother, Jason Corace.  The game is called “Lords and Ladies – a game of Legacy, Gossip, and Intrigue.”  For those of you that are, like us, also obsessed with Downton Abbey, then this game is for you.  We would LOVE to see Lords & Ladies make it to stores (maybe even in Art Star) so please consider backing them.  They are getting so close to their goal of $16k, which they need to reach in 11 days.  There are also some fantastic prizes, which include copies of the game, original art from the game, and if you pledge the $600 they will create an illustration of you and add you to the game’s cast of characters!  Here is the link to the kickstarter.  Watch the video below!

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Farmhaus + Friends Opens this Saturday!!

The installation for our upcoming Farmhaus + Friends exhibition is in the works and we couldn’t be happier with how it is turning out.  There is so much detail to each piece in the show, so I thought I’d take some quick shots of my favorite details so far.  Come out to experience Ben McBrien’s “Urban Beach Loft” in its entirety this Saturday from 5-8 and meet all the talented artist “friends” who contributed work to this fantastic show!

And let us know if you can make it to the opening via our Facebook Invite!

Posted in ceramics, crafts, DesignPhiladelphia, events, Exhibitions, quilts, Wood | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Clover Market THIS SUNDAY!!

The First Clover Market of this season is upon us!  This show makes me happy – I love doing it! Great mix of antiques, vintage and handmade PLUS it is very low stress for us vendors IMO due to proprietor Janet Long’s organizational prowess.

Photo by Carrie Hill Photography, Courtesy of Clover Market

We will be bringing a variety of items from our shop, which includes goodies from our own line of products (like our Hot Tots / I Fight Crime T’s and onesies) and a variety of pieces from the shop.  We hope to see you there!  The show is in Ardmore from 10-5.  Details: www.theclovermarket.com 

Here are some more photos to get you in the mood for this fab show!  All these pics are by the lovely Carrie Hill Photography from the September 2012 show and were nabbed from Clover Market’s beautiful new website (jealous!!)

Photo by Carrie Hill Photography / Courtesy of Clover Market

Photo by Carrie Hill Photography // Courtesy of Clover Market

Photo by Carrie Hill Photography // Courtesy of Clover Market

Photo by Carrie Hill Photography / Courtesy of Clover Market

Photo by Carrie Hill Photography / Courtesy of Clover Market

Photo by Carrie Hill Photography / Courtesy of Clover Market

Posted in craft shows/fairs, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Crafty Bastards Arts & Crafts Fair

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!

Posted in awesome, craft shows/fairs, events, pop ups, sales, sales & deals | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Get this Look!

Our girl Kelly is lookin’ mighty fine in her Art Star duds.  Pick up these fine pieces from our shop & you will be stylin’ for back to school, the office, or out on the town!

Dottie Skirt by Erin Waxman / Color Block Clutch by On3Designs / Large Hexagon Necklace by Aliyah Gold 

Posted in fashion, new product, Photo Shoots, website | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment