Art Star

Category: DIY

  • Art Star Fun Times – This First Friday!

    This First Friday from 5-8pm we are having a fun little party in the shop!  Our first Artists in Residence, Kelly Kozma will have her studio doors open for you to peek in, meet her and check out her work in progress. We will also have some free beer and snacks from our neighbor, El Capitan.

    PLUS!
    Little Chair Printing will be set up with her heat press.  You will be able to choose from her huge collection of 80’s iron on transfers (think cute kittens, unicorns, etc) and heat press your own Tee.   We encourage you to grab a few, cut them up and create a fun collage.  If you bring your own T-shirt, you can heat press it for just $5.  If not, we’ll have some on hand for you to buy for an additional $5.  Here is a photo of what our customers created the last time Little Chair set up:

    Click on the photo to check out all the pics from our last event with Little Chair Printing!

    Our friends from Cut + Paste Photobooth will be set up with all her fun props for guests to jump in and get their photos taken. You will get one free photo to take home with you too!

    Photo by Chris Kendig, taken at this year’s Art Star Craft Bazaar.

    And there’s more! Our brand new, handmade games will be set up for you to play!  The Ring Toss was made by Cisco Griffin (bowling pins donated by our friends at North Bowl). Play as much as you want during the course of the evening, but each guest will get 1 game where you can rack up Art Star discounts to redeem this night ONLY!  Each large ring you get on will get you 5% off, and each smaller ring you get on will get you 10% off.  If you get all the rings on in one game, you will get 70% off – though it’s pretty hard to do that. Are you up for the challenge?

    Photo by Chris Kendig. Kids playing our Ring Toss at our recent Art Star Craft Bazaar. Handmade by Cisco Griffin with Bowling Pins donated by North Bowl.

    And just for fun… Play our Corn Hole game handmade by Andrew Zangerle!

    Kids playing the Corn Hole game that was handmade by Andrew Zangerle. Photo by Chris Kendig.

    We hope to see you this Friday for these Art Star Fun Times!  Please go to our Facebook Event to invite friends and let us know you are coming!  Free to attend but we hope you will do some shopping too 😉  We’ve got in lots of new goodies!

     

  • Make This: Conversation Heart Pin DIY

    I love conversation hearts! I dreamed up this little DIY to make your own out of sculpey for your friends or sweetheart!  My husband tried to eat one this morning, so that means they look pretty close to the real deal, right?

    Step 1: Gather your supplies
     You will need the following:
    Sculpey in pastel colors
    2 sharpie fine point markers in red or pink
    a little heart shaped cookie cutter (i found this in the baking section at AC Moore)
    a pack of pin backs (make sure they are small enough to fit on the back of your heart)
    Jewelry + Metal Glue (also from AC Moore, any type will do)
    a rolling pin or as you can see, I used a fat knitting needle (whatever works!)
    a small sheet of sandpaper – a nice light grit

    Roll out a piece of your clay evenly and not too thin!  Mine was probably around an 1/8″ thick.

    Now cut out your little hearts with your cookie cutter!  No worries if they don’t come out perfect, you can sand them smooth after baking.

    After you’ve cut out your desired amount of hearts, gather them up on a baking tray or piece of foil and stick them in your preheated oven.  Bake at 125 for 15 mins (or whatever it reads on your sculpey packaging).  Remove from oven and let cool before handling.  Sand the edges, front & back to remove imperfections.

    Grab your sharpie (make sure it is permanent b/c otherwise it will smear) and write in your favorite sayings!  This is definitely the fun part. I kept it somewhat sweet and PG-13 for this post, but I did have fun writing in some really naughty ones!  I practiced my handwriting on paper first, cuz I’m a dork.  They didn’t all come out perfectly but that’s okay – it gives them character!

    Next you will glue on your pin backs.  You need just the tiniest dot of glue on the back.  Let them dry overnight before handling.

    All finished!  They make cute and easy v-day gifts!  I pinned this one to my hubby this morning after he tried to eat it.  As tasty as they look, don’t eat them.  You’ll die.

    I hope you enjoyed this post!  Feel free to share but please credit me and link back to our site.

    If you plan to come to our Crafty Hearts Party on Valentine’s Day, I’ll have some blank ones of these for you to customize and take home.  xo.

    Copyright 2014, Megan Brewster / Art Star / All Rights Reserved.

  • Crafty Hearts Party!

    Friends, groups, couples – come one, come all!  Get crafty and celebrate Valentine’s Day with us.  Deadline to sign up is February 7th and the event is limited to just 25 people, so sign up ASAP.  We will only hold the event if we get enough people to sign up, so tell your friends.  If we end up not filling up, we will let you know and refund you in full.  If you would like to sign up, please click here.

  • New Year / New Craft Show Display

    Every January, of every year, I start to think about organization and improving our space here at Art Star.  This year is no exception but with Clover Market right around the corner, Erin and I have been brainstorming low cost and creative ways to improve our craft show display set up.  We also need to think about a display that is light weight enough and that breaks down easily so transport is not a huge hassle.  One of my favorite ways to start brainstorming is to go on pinterest.  I found some great display options that I thought I’d share here with you.  We have an entire board dedicated to Craft Show Display Inspirations.  If you are a crafter who needs a display make over like ourselves, please follow us on Pinterest!

    pinned from Flickr (Ken Marten)

    Since most craft shows use a 10’x10′ display footprint, we try to squeeze in as much merchandise as possible without making the space look cluttered.  I’m always on the look out for creative ways to create a variety of heights.  I love this rustic table paired with chairs and stools.  A light weight, simple, yet creative way to create different shelf levels.  I also love the neutral tones of the furniture and bright pops of color from the plants.

    pinned from frenchbydesign.blogspot.com

    This stack of crates looks great and is super easy!  I think we will actually do something like this with our display this year.  Plus, you can cart all your merch in the crates. That’s a nice bonus!

    from Leah Jackson ceramics and display at Mr. Kitly. Repinned from pinterest – no direct link

    I love the clean lines of this simple step shelf.  Fits a variety of objects without looking too bulky.  Plus, you could store extra merchandise underneath.  It would just have to be made to break down and then put together easily for transport.  It probably won’t work for our purposes but it is a great idea and would be really nice in a gallery show or shop!

    Pinned from www.sfgirlbybay.com via the october issue of inside out magazine.

    This is one of my favorites! I love the peg board idea for easily hanging goods and shelves.  Looks pretty simple and low cost to create something similar too!

    pinned from https://www.etsy.com/shop/SqueezeMyHand

    We are always looking for unique ways to display lots of little things, like stationary.  I have seen a few crafters use old library card filing cabinets to display cards.  Looks really great and keeps the cards organized and easy for people to flip through.  I could see a little tag for each type of card (ie birthday, anniversary, etc) labeled on the front.

    Pinned from Kellimurray.com

    It is very important to incorporate your shop logo into your display. We are always changing this up!  Here is a fun DIY for a Batic Dye Wall Hanging.  I could see this idea being put to good use as a shop banner.

    Welp, those were just a few of my favorite display ideas that I’ve found on Pinterest.  I’m going to continue to pin these to two of our boards: Craft Show Display Inspiration and Display Ideas (which is mostly for shop display ideas) but really any of these can be utilized in a retail space, your office or your own home.

    Are any of you crafters out there also upgrading your show display? If so, please share your ideas or pins in the comment section!  Follow all our boards on Pinterest!

  • 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!

  • 3rd Ward Philadelphia


    I’m so excited that 3rd Ward Philadelphia is finally open!  For those of you that don’t know, 3rd Ward is a 27,000 Square foot space for creating really anything you could think of. They have so many cool classes you really won’t find anywhere else, like LED Millinery, Urban Farming, Digital Textile Design, and um the History of the Cocktail?  Sign me up! I have not actually visited the space yet, but I hope to take a tour soon to check it out.  They run tours every half hour between 1 and 5pm all week.


    After perusing the site I am most excited about the Drink & Draw evenings.  There is one tonight from 8-10:30 and for $10 at the door you can kick back, drink some beers and draw.  What better way to unwind?  Just bring your drawing materials and they will provide the beer and model.  I have been looking for a space in Philly that offers this with not much luck.  I really need to brush up on my drawing skills and drawing from a live model is the best way to do it!  I can’t make it tonight, but I am hoping this will be a regular thing for them.


    Also, I am a novice when it comes to design and it would really help us at the shop if I could gain a few more skills.  Intro to Illustrator or Photoshop 2 might be a good place to start!  It would be a dream to learn Photo Etching on Copper, Upholstery, Enameling……..I want to learn how to make everything! To me there is nothing more satisfying then making something entirely from scratch.  I can’t wait to see what other classes will be added to their roster.

    I also wanted to share that they recently asked Erin and I to be judges for a contest they are running called Learn.Make.Inspire.  They are asking people to share what they are learning, making, or what they are inspired by. Learn more here for your chance to win some cash, class credit or for your submission to be included in a culminating exhibition at 3rd Ward.  We are so excited to see all the submissions and honored that we were asked to be a part of it!

    And to all you local makers, they are looking for teachers.  Sounds like a great opportunity to make some extra cash and  become a part of an organization that may just become a creative epicenter in Philadelphia.

  • Thirsty Thursday and 80’s Iron On Make and Take

    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!

  • Adventures in Knitting: Summer Beach Tote with O-Wool Yarn

    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!

  • Paper Made! Book Signing & Kirigami Wallflower Make + Take with author Kayte Terry

    Art Star is pleased to announce a book signing with author and expert crafter, Kayte Terry on First Friday, November 2nd from 6-8pm.  Kayte will be here promoting her new book Paper Made!, which features over 100 really cool projects to make out of paper.  She will have books on hand for you to purchase/have signed & also will be demonstrating one of the projects in the book – the Kirigami Wallflowers.  Guests can try their hand at making them too & will get to take home what they create!

    an assortment of colorful Kirigami Wallflowers from the book

    I plan on making a bunch to incorporate into Art Star’s Window display.  I have a copy of this book & can’t wait to try some of the projects.  I love that many of the materials needed can just be found around the house, so you won’t need to spend any money to make many of the things in the book.  Some of my favorites include “Strike Your Fancy Matchbook” that you hide a secret message inside, a curio shelf made from layers of corrugated cardboard, a beautiful hanging lamp inspired by the designs of Tord Boontje, giant paper pom-poms, and too many wearable accessories to list here.

    So come by, have a boozy drink, make some colorful flowers with us & pick up a copy of the book!  And like every First Friday, all Art Star purchases (does not include the book) are 10% off.  See you then!  And hey, check out our facebook invite & let us know if you can make it.  Reservations are not required, but it will give us an idea of how much paper to have on hand. (maybe bring your own scissors if you can?) Free & open to all.

    Kayte Terry

    Kayte Terry is a trendsetter in the world of paper design and Visual Communication and Inspiration Manager at Anthropologie. Her previous crafting books include Complete Embellishing (Collins and Brown) and Appliqué Your Way (Chronicle).  Her work has appeared in Parents, Quick and Simple, Cutting Edge, Adorn, HGTV Ideas magazine, and on Etsy, Design*Sponge, GetCrafty, and others.  For more crafting ideas and inspiration, visit Kayte’s blog at www.thisisloveforever.com.

  • September Crafternoon Recap

    We had so much fun this past Saturday at our first ever Crafternoon!  We are definitely going to make this a monthly event – so please sign up for our email newsletter or follow us on Facebook/Twitter for updates!

    We met up at Penelope Rakov‘s studio in the morning & she treated us to donuts & coffee while she chatted about her work & walked us through her process.  Here are some photos from the visit.  Check out all the photos on Flickr.

    Penelope (far right) chatting about her work

     

    bars of colored glass that Penny uses to pull glass cane used to make her jewelry
    Penny showed us each step that is involved in her process. Here are bundles of pulled glass cane.
    after Penny talked about her work, we all got to shop her entire collection, which included new & older pieces. All crafternoon purchases were 20% off!
    We found a drawer filled with finished glass pieces that just needed to be set in sterling silver. A few of our crafternooners picked out their favorites from the drawers & Penny custom set them!

    After we were finished at Penny’s studio, we headed over to Art Star for a lovely spread of food from A Full Plate Cafe.  Bonnie & Susan of Kaye Rachelle were all set up & ready for us.  They chatted a bit about their line of printed home textiles & then we dove right into our make & take!  They created 3 simple chevron designs cut from acetate & crafternooners could choose their color/design/placement for their tote/tea towel.  We had tons of extra totes & towels, so everyone got to make a few.  The results were great!

    Bonnie & Susan with their three screens. They gave us step by step instructions on how to silk screen. The cut stencil technique is so simple to do at home. Their chevron designs were inspired by the One & Two Liberty Place Buildings right here in Philly. All three designs worked so great together – perfect for layering them onto the totes in different color inks.
    Bonnie & Susan showing us how to print. Everyone loved the minty green color they mixed! They chose the perfect fall palette – this green, mustard yellow, & navy blue. Susan suggested mixing a little of each color in with the color you choose so they all have the same tone & work nicely together.
    The lovely Lisa Castellano is the first one up to print her tote bag!
    Lisa with her completed tote bag
    Me (Megan) hanging up all the printed totes to dry.

    Thanks so much to Penny, Bonnie, & Susan for making our first Crafternoon so special.

    Visit their websites: http://peneloperakov.com/ + http://www.kayerachelledesigns.com/

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