Category: ascb

Meet The Maker: Devin McNutt of Saffron Creations

Hello my name is Devin and I’m the maker behind Saffron Creations. I work from my home studio in the Germantown section of Philadelphia where I live with my husband and two sons. I design and create jewelry from vintage tins that were manufactured in the 1960s and 70s in England to store items such as tea and cookies.

The very first time that I cut up a tin was about eleven years ago, when I had been making various types of “regular” jewelry for a while. I had a lovely purple Art Deco tin that belonged to my maternal grandmother and got the wacky idea to utilize the gorgeous patterns by turning it into jewelry. A few frightening moments later (wondering if I was just destroying a sentimental treasure!) I realized that it works! It works really well. And that was the beginning of my journey as Saffron Creations.

I start by cutting the tin canisters into flat sheets using metal shears, then with my ever growing collection of steel disc cutters, I hammer out little bits here and there that speak to me. Each piece of tin is then carefully filed, sanded shaped and drilled. I utilize “cold connections” which is a jewelers term for connecting pieces of metal without using a torch, as the heat would destroy the colors and patterns on the tin. I incorporate a lot of forged sterling silver and brass wire into my designs, which compliments the sometimes intricate tin instead of competing with it.

When I cut up a tin I marvel at it’s beauty and get SO excited for a glimpse into it’s next life as jewelry. I use every little piece that I can and the bits that I don’t use get recycled. Instead of this particular 4 inch tall vintage tea tin (above) collecting dust on one person’s kitchen shelf it will be loved, admired and worn out in the world by 30+ people. Customers often ask where I find my tins and it’s a long answer because I have many sources. I search the usual places like rummage sales, flea markets and antique malls, but after running Saffron Creations for so long, family, friends and customers have caught on and bring me loads of tins on a regular basis. It’s like having a fleet of “tin spotters” and I’m so grateful. I also have a handful of patterns that are my best sellers and those tins I source on Ebay or Etsy.

2018 will be my 6th (!) year returning to the Art Star Craft Bazaar and it’s one of my absolute favorite local events. Each year I discover new makers from all over the country and bring home at least one little gift for myself. Visit me in booth number 65. Just look for my bright and colorful tent display!

Follow Saffron Creations:
https://www.instagram.com/saffroncreations/
https://www.saffron-creations.com

May 8, 2018
Meet the Maker: Roberta Massuch

Hello! My name is Roberta, and I am the maker at roberta massuch ceramics. I create handbuilt porcelain pottery, sculpture, and drawings at The Clay Studio (Philadelphia, PA) where I am a Resident Artist. I’ve been working with clay for over 16 years, 5 of them here in Philadelphia.

I am excited to be returning for my second Art Star Craft Bazaar! The work I will be selling is the line of pottery I developed over the last two years using a unique method of building. I create molds by coil building a form, cut it in half, and fire it in the first firing (bisque). Then I use the ceramic form to press slabs of porcelain into the interior shape. This allows for the texture on the final piece to reflect the way my hands coil and pinch the original form – leaving a bumpy texture and evidence of the molding process.

I look to architecture for inspiration (Mexican pyramids, mid-century Modernism, and contemporary buildings) both in form and color decisions.

I think about how my minimalist; architectural pottery forms can become like little ‘cities’ or still lives when stacked or arranged in groups.

Quiet, simple vessels with white exterior surfaces are inextricably involved with nearby objects, and it is intriguing how the surface of one always affect the perception of another due to shifts in the intensity and direction of light covering the forms. Architectural, yet soft and inviting— the cups and bowls I make are asking to be held, to be touched, to be used.

All of my pottery is microwave and dishwasher safe. Durable and ready for everyday use! In addition to my booth at The Art Star Craft Bazaar, you can find my work at The Clay Studio (Philadelphia) in person or online. I am constantly making new pots, so keep an eye out by following me on instagram @bertiegoldtooth to keep up to date on what I have coming up next!

April 27, 2018
Meet The Maker: Sarah Bourne Rafferty of Atwater Designs

I’m a photographer and printmaker who loves combining her passion for the natural world with historic photographic processes. Atwater Designs is named for my mom’s side of the family. I also grew up surrounded by water on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and find as an adult that I need to be near water to feel alive and grounded. The name is both my identity and my yearning.

As a child, I loved exploring the outdoors mostly because it was the way my father and I got to spend time together. He taught me about the names of plants and trees. Together, we got our hands dirty in flower and vegetable gardens. These are some of my fondest memories. Those moments instilled in me a desire to be outside as often as possible. My creative process begins with walking the natural world around me and gathering specimens from which to create my prints. My hope is that in the creation and encasing of them into small frames and boxes, I am enabling others to invite a little specimen of the natural world into their homes.

My original blue botanical prints are called cyanotypes since they are made with a photosensitive chemical that turns blue, or cyan, upon development. As I walk wooded trails near my home with my dog, Tallie, I am amazed at the variety of plants that would be ideal for the creation of future cyanotypes. I love letting my thoughts wander as I walk.

Creating the prints is my favorite part. I often mix the chemicals and brush them onto paper a day or more before making the prints. I have better luck with more thoroughly dried chemistry. Then I get to select natural items I found while walking some of my favorite trails. On a sunny day, I’ll arrange the plants on the coated paper, with an eye towards composition and considering how each plant will render once and then expose the print to the sun. Experimenting with exposure times and spraying my subjects with water has been really fun lately.

You’ll find me at the Art Star Craft Bazaar on Mother’s Day weekend – May 12 and 13 – for my first Craft Bazaar! I’m delighted to be included in this year’s line-up. Stop by and say hello – you can’t miss me, everything is blue! You can also find me at various markets this Spring season, online at www.atwaterdesigns.com, on Instagram (I love Instagram!) @atwaterdesigns and on Facebook.

April 19, 2018
Meet the Maker: Inés Chapela

My name is Inés Chapela and Inés Sí Studio is the production house for my designs; from silk scarves to greeting cards and calendars, all the products are born here, with the stroke of my pen, pencil or brush. Part affirmation and part nickname, the name Inés Sí evokes my childhood nickname, Inési, while also expressing a joyful “Sí!” (yes in Spanish) to the world. The playful rabbit in the Inés Sí logo is a nod to my love for the outdoors and my underlying desire to communicate through my art the sense of fulfillment that the natural world provides me. In a world that is quickly destroying natural spaces I truly believe that cultivating appreciation for nature is a powerful tool for conservation of these sacred spaces.

(My partner, Ben, built this beautiful tiny house in our backyard which I invaded and made into a studio!)

Mornings in the world of Inés Sí generally begin with a big mug of tea and a few deep stretches. I relish these moments of the day, when the world is waking up and things are still quiet, the baby ideas in my head are just beginning to germinate and set root.

(I am so inspired by the natural patterns that are formed in nature. I love animal tracks, leaf patterns, cracks in the ice.)

After breakfast, I’ll walk out to my studio in the field behind my house and make a list of the day’s tasks. If I’m in the early stages of design I will generally turn to reference images to find inspiration. I love looking at old botanical illustrations and I also keep a sketchbook full of ideas and photos ripped from old magazines. Inspiration comes in all forms however, and sometimes taking a walk or a good conversation with someone might be an equally important guiding step in my creative process.

(Traveling plays a huge role in inspiring me! Here I am soaking up the jungle in San Luis Potosí, Mexico)

Once I have decided on an idea for my design I get started with a series of rough sketches. I usually begin working with pencil or ink and I make fast drawings; just enough to get down an idea for composition and style.

If I’m working a block print, I’ll continue to hone the sketches until I’m satisfied with the layout and then I’ll transfer them on to a block to begin carving. I use a whole range of beautiful Pfeil carving tools made from pear wood to carve varying levels of detail into the linoleum. Once I’ve finished carving (and finished a few podcast series in the process) I pull test prints to see where more work is needed. I’ll go back and forth between test prints and carving until I achieve a print I really like. Then I’ll prep some acid-free paper and finish the final print!

You can find my work online at www.ineschapela.com or visit my page www.ineschapela.com/events to find out where I’ll be selling in person – come find me and say hi, I’d love to meet you! I’ll be at the Art Star Craft Bazaar on May 12th + 13 at Penn’s Landing Great Plaza. If you want to come along for the day to day creative process, you can follow me on Instagram @ines.si.studio or on Facebook @inessistudio.

April 17, 2018
Meet The Maker: Jennifer Manzella of JLManzella Prints

*Photo Credit: Ben Pelta-Heller

I’m a local artist, printmaker and educator and I just moved back to Philadelphia after over a decade in Athens, Georgia where I received an MFA in printmaking from The University of Georgia. I love living in this city! I now live in South Philadelphia and I make prints at a studio called BYO Print, a print cooperative located in Sharktown studios in Old Kensington/Fishtown. As a member of BYO I have access to presses, etching mordants, screen-printing supplies and other print related equipment. The medium size Charles Brand etching/relief press is the piece of equipment I use the most in the studio.

The process of printmaking informs my imagery. I work mainly in relief printing with woodblock and linoleum. Sometimes I use a color reduction process where I print all the colors from one block, carving each one away as I print, while other times I print a single image with multiple blocks. The process of relief printing is one of the oldest forms of making multiple images. For me, it usually starts with a sketch directly onto the block. The next step is carving the block where a lot of changes can happen to the imagery. The space around the image is carved so that what is printed is raised, therefore it is in “relief”. Rolling ink over the block with a brayer then inks that raised surface, which is printed by placing paper on top of the inked block and applying pressure. I use a press that allows an even amount of pressure to transfer the ink to the paper.

When printing multiple blocks, I use transparent additives in my ink to create layered colors and gradients. It’s important to use some sort of registration technique to align each of the blocks on the paper, therefore, I use a registration jig to hold the paper in the same place each time I print a different block.

I draw a lot of inspiration from traditional Japanese woodblock prints of the 17th and 19th century and I’m interesting in the intersection between urban and natural landscapes. My own photos are often the source material for the drawings and prints I make and sometimes I’ll combine elements from several different pictures to make something completely new.

Rarely do I have a fully formed plan of how the prints are going to work out because in the process of printmaking there is quite a bit of unpredictability. I work with my mistakes and sometimes rework my blocks. Because I often work in layers it’s hard to know exactly how colors are going to print on top of each other. Pulling the print after carving, mixing colors and printing is the most exciting part.

You can explore more of my print work on my website: www.jlmanzella.net or follow me on instagram @j.l.manzella. My prints will be on sale at the upcoming Holiday Art Star Craft Bazaar this weekend at the Event Space at SugarHouse Casino.

November 14, 2017
Meet the Maker: Nicolette Absil

Hi, my name is Nicolette. I’m a full time studio jeweler and enamelist whose studio is based in the Old Kensington area of Philadelphia, PA. I create jewelry that features hand drawn, nature inspired imagery on enamel. I show my work across the US at craft shows, galleries, and retailers, including Art Star!

From botanical gardens, to state parks, to the plant life peaking through the cracks in the cement in the city – I’m influenced by nature. Currently, I adore drawing flowers. I’m drawn to their gestural forms, their textures, and serene feelings flowers invoke. Most of my work starts with a drawing from life or photo I’ve taken.

Each piece is hand drawn or painted on enamel. Enameling is a technique where I fuse powdered glass to copper in a kiln at temperatures close to 1500 degrees Fahrenheit. After I draw the imagery, the enamel piece is fused again in the kiln. Each piece I work on usually goes through 5 or more firings from start to finish before becoming a finished piece! I then fabricate settings for the enamel work out of sterling silver, or sometimes gold, creating wearable artwork.

I love that I am able to combine my illustrations with such a traditional, historical technique like enameling to create future heirloom quality jewelry. I like the idea that my work might someday be handed down through generations and live longer than I will. I’m excited to be showing at the Holiday Art Star Craft Bazaar this month and I hope you’ll come check out my work in Booth 5!

http://nicoletteabsil.com/home.html
https://www.instagram.com/nicoletteabsil/
https://squareup.com/store/nicolette-absil-studios

November 9, 2017
Meet The Maker: Rebecca + Danielle of Remark Glass

Hi! This is Rebecca and Danielle from Remark Glass. We use bottle glass to make hand blown dinnerware, barware, and home furnishings.

Remark’s studio is located in the Bok building in South Philly. We’ve been working together alongside some close friends since 2015 to design and produce our recycled glass line of work.

We started working with bottle glass because it is an untapped resource, a unique design opportunity, and a sustainable and energy efficient way to accomplish our glass blowing dreams. Now we collect bottles from neighbors, friends, and local businesses to give them a new life as beautiful and functional everyday wares.

Our process is different than that of a typical glassblowing studio. First, we hand select what bottles we are transforming. They get de-labeled, cleaned, and often cut to a shorter height on a diamond saw depending on the final shape we are aiming to achieve. We pre-heat the glass in a kiln to make it malleable. Once it is “warm” (1050 degrees fahrenheit), we then pick up the bottle glass on the end of a steel rod or pipe to heat it further and transform it using traditional glassblowing techniques.

This process is used to take one bottle at a time up to 2000 degrees to spin it, blow air into it, and shape it with tools to shift the glass into its final form.

You can find our products online at remarkglass.com and at a lot of local events in Philadelphia. We’re excited to be joining Art Star at Sugarhouse in a couple weeks and look forward to meeting you there. Come find us in booth 23 and bring us some bottles if you’d like! In the meantime, follow us on Instagram @remarkglass and Facebook @remarkglass to see new designs fresh out of the oven and where you can find us for live demos and sales!

November 6, 2017
Meet the Maker: Tasha McKelvey

Hello, my name is Tasha McKelvey. I’m a ceramic artist from Richmond, Virginia. I create a line of functional and decorative small-scale pottery inspired by my travels, tiny cottages, forest and gardens.

I also have a line of Holiday ornaments inspired by the my visits to European Christmas Markets. Where hand-crafted Holiday ornaments, toys, treasures and delicious treats abound. For hundreds of years, the Christmas Markets have been bringing a spirit of warmth and light to the darkest part of the year. I’ve been inspired by these Winter festivals to create special ornaments that convey a feeling a coziness and to celebrate the idea of home.

I’ll be at the Holiday Art Star Craft Bazaar at table #66!

November 2, 2017
Meet the Maker: Erin Draper

Hi, I’m Erin Draper. I design luxuriously soft clothing for women that is perfect for work or special occasions, but as comfortable as yoga wear.

A graduate of Parsons’ fashion program with a strong art background, I use athletic-inspired seaming, color blocking and drape to create garments that are striking, unique and very, very comfortable.

I make my clothing from fabrics that feel wonderful to the touch – high quality jerseys and sweater knits, silks and tencels, including many that are made or dyed in the US and sustainably produced.

My clothes are statement-making fashion, but as comfortable as pajamas. They transition well from work to dinner to a casual gathering of friends so you can move through your day in total comfort.

I design and make my clothing at my studio in Baltimore near beautiful Patterson Park. I create my patterns using a fashion CAD software which saves time, especially with grading the patterns to different sizes. (Most of my clothes are available in sizes XS to 2X.) I made my own cork-covered cutting tables and have three industrial sewing machines, each of which can do a different type of stitch.

In addition to studying fashion in school, I also studied photography so I take my own product photographs using friends as models.

I sell my clothing at arts & crafts shows, at an artist/artisan collective in Ellicott City, Maryland, and online at www.erindraper.com. I’m excited to be participating in the Holiday Art Star Craft Bazaar for the first time. I hope you’ll stop by and say Hi!

October 30, 2017
Meet The Maker: Jera Lodge Jewelry

Making jewelry was always in my sightlines, but it wasn’t until my early 20s that I discovered metalsmithing as a primary method with which to bring my designs to life. I love connecting to others through jewelry and adornment, creating exciting modern pieces for everyday wear. My focus is to create pattern-based jewelry that has the illusion of volume while staying very light-weight. I assemble architecturally inspired shapes with unique connections, resulting in playful, kinetic, and interactive jewelry.

All of my jewelry is created from start to finish in my studio, located in the Crane Arts building in Old Kensington. The process for each piece varies – some start as a sketch on paper, others I design as I build, so that the sketch is also the final product.

Many of the jewelry designs I made are comprised of many individual pieces, so my desk is a covered in parts and pieces that I’ll arrange and rearrange until a final design becomes clear.

I use a variety of materials in my jewelry. The voluminous wire forms are made of sterling silver. Keum-boo gold surfaces are achieved using 24K gold foil that has been bonded to silver sheet, and the color ombré effect is created with a spray-painting process. Further distressing is done by hand, resulting in a unique color application for each piece of jewelry. All of the steel jewelry has been sealed with wax or a clear top.

As a full time studio artist, I earn a living through a combination of gallery sales, online sales, and traveling to exhibit and sell at craft shows. Working in my studio is a constant balancing act between making the work and doing all the less fun parts of running a business; photographing work, submitting applications, ordering supplies, and doing web and postcard design are just a fraction of the many jobs a studio artists must attend to.

Since graduating from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania with a BFA in 2012, I have moved more than a dozen times. While building my business, I spent time living in New Jersey, Maine, Houston, and North Carolina, working at craft schools and doing residencies. All of the moving was both exhilarating and exhausting! I’m happy to have finally found a place to settle in to and put down some roots here in Philadelphia in the summer of 2016.

This will be my second year exhibiting at Art Star’s Holiday Craft Bazaar, and I’m very excited be participating in such a well-run show! If you’d like to stay up to date on what I’m making and where I’ll be next, you can sign up for mailing list at website www.jeralodge.com – or follow me on instagram @jerarosepetal

October 26, 2017