Thirsty Thursday and 80’s Iron On Make and Take

Posted on June 11, 2013 by artstar-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-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-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-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!

http://youtu.be/EntEhWC_eGg

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Thank You from the Heart

Posted on May 21, 2013 by artstar-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-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-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-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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Meet Jeffrey Brown of Greenmarket Purveying!

Posted on May 8, 2013 by artstar-artstar


Art Star: Did you go to art school?  If so, where did you study?
Jeffrey Brown: Yes, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, studying Interior Architecture.

AS: What types of items will you be selling at the bazaar?
JB: Our hand poured candles, in unique packaging designed by us!


AS: What materials do you work with?
JB: We only use American made materials that are as all-natural as possible, including food-grade soy wax, all-natural fragrance (no icky synthetic perfumes), cotton wicks, recycled paper packaging and handmade paper boxes.


AS: How are your items made? Describe your process.
JB: We hand pour all of our candles in batches no greater than 35, in traditional warming pots. No hoses, no industrial equipment–the old fashioned way. Our candles are also all hand signed and numbered…


AS: Are you able to make your work full-time?  If not, what do you do for your day job?
JB: We are lucky to be able to be busy enough to do this full time! If I had to work on the side, I would go back to decorating and photo styling…


AS: Who are some of your favorite artists?
JB: I collect vintage and antique oil on canvas landscape paintings, most of which are unsigned, or signed by artists of little notoriety. I tend to gravitate to works that were clearly done solely for personal pleasure, and handed down and inherited through family members (until they end up on eBay or flea markets)… As for works of established artists that I covet and would LOVE to collect, I enjoy the work of photographers like Stephen Shore, Gregory Crewdson and Diane Arbus who transform people, places and things we see everyday, into extraordinary imagery.


AS: What are you reading/listening to right now?
JB: Sirius XM 70’s on 7. I’m old.


AS: Are there any bazaar participants that you are excited to check out this year?
JB: I LOVE Twig Terrariums–their tongue-in-cheek humor is right up my alley! I have also always loved Volta Organics soaps when I come across them in stores, so am pumped to have their entire assortment in front of me (although I might implode with excitement). Additionally, I’m a dude that likes his small accessories, so am also intrigued to see Bregga & Co.’s leather goods up close and personal.

Thanks for Sharing Jeffrey!  Visit him at the Art Star Craft Bazaar this weekend at booth #101 

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Meet Matt Eyer of Wear Liberty

Posted on May 7, 2013 by artstar-artstar

Matt Eyer is the owner, founder, and creative director of Wear Liberty, a graphic t-shirt brand that is influenced and inspired by the art, history, and culture of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Previous to starting his brand, he was the Art Director of the Ropeadope Design Collective, a graphic t-shirt line put out through Ropeadope Records. Matt also writes about and reviews t-shirts for the most popular/read t-shirt blog in the world, Hide Your Arms.

Aside from t-shirts, he is obsessed with pugs. Matt has a 6 year old pug named Oliver that lives with him in South Philly. He also got a pug tattoo at the 2013 Philadelphia Tattoo Convention. Ask him to see it!


Art Star: Did you go to art school?  If so, where did you study?
Matt Eyer: I did not. I did live in Germany for a year in between high school and college though, and I think my experience there definitely plays into my inspiration.

AS: What types of items will you be selling at the bazaar?
ME: T-shirts! My brand is centered around graphic t-shirts.  I have a few hoodies too.

AS: What materials do you work with?
ME: T-shirts! haha. and inks to print on them. I mostly use American Apparel shirts, as they are great to print on and very comfy to wear. I use 100% cotton, a 50/50 Poly-Cotton blend, and a super soft Tri-Blend shirt.

AS: How are your items made? Describe your process.
ME: All my designs are my ideas that start in my head and sometimes on paper with a very rough sketch. I then share these ideas with the artists and designers I work with and they beautifully craft them into print-ready designs. When the finished pieces are set to go, they are hand screen printed onto t-shirts and then I have custom hem tags that I sew on myself.


AS: Are you able to make your work full-time?  If not, what do you do for your day job?
ME: Not yet, unfortunately. Hopefully soon though! My “day job” is actually a night job. I’m a server at one of Philly’s most delicious Mexican restaurants, La Calaca Feliz. If you like Mexican and margaritas, I highly recommend coming in. And ask for me of course.

AS: Who are some of your favorite artists?
ME: Wotto is definitely one of my all time favorites. He has an incredible style that you can always recognize as soon as you see one of his designs. Yema Yema is also at the top of my list. She creates some of the best characters I’ve ever seen. (She designed my Ben Franklin tee and I will have a new one from her this year!) againstbound is another favorite. He has a very unique style that stands out from the crowd. And one of my more recent favorites is Colus. (He just released is first ever dunny with kidrobot!)

I also recently discovered these two wonderful ladies: Anita Inverarity and Lea Barozzi. I just put a deposit on one of Lea’s original pieces!

AS: What are you reading/listening to right now?
ME: Always listening! Local Natives, Tame Impala, Beach House, Father John Misty, Vacationer. All those bands have released really awesome records over the past year and you should definitely check them out.

AS: Where would you like to see yourself and your art/craft business in the next 10 years?
ME: 10 years is a long time from now…but in the next few years, I would like to get my shirts into more stores and shops in Philadelphia and hopefully open my own store one day! I’m also planning on creating a Wear Liberty pet line for all of your Philly loving cats and dogs.

AS: Are there any bazaar participants that you are excited to check out this year?
ME: Gnome Enterprises always has some awesome shirts, so I’ll have to check them out. All the stuff from Mad Knits, Gearforms, and Cutesy but not Cutesy looks great (especially the dog monster hoodie!), so I’ll definitely be stopping by all of their booths. And one of these days, I’m gonna have to pick up one of Jordan Elise’s Horrible Adorables. They’re just too awesome not to.

This is Matt’s second year doing the Art Star Craft Bazaar and he is super excited! He will be releasing 5 new designs, which is the most he’s ever done at once with his own brand.

He was featured on Comcast/Xfinity On Demand for the month of February for an interview he did with the website Philly In Focus. Each month, their top 3 most popular videos are featured on On Demand under the “Get Local” section.  Check it out here 

For sneak peeks and updates, follow Wear Liberty on facebook and twitter.

 

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