Category: kids

ASCB Shopping List: Baby + Kids

We’ve got a great group of vendors making things for the little ones in your life! Is it weird that I just want all of it in my size? Here’s a list of vendors that will be selling goods at our upcoming Art Star Craft Bazaar for babies + kids.

1. As the Crow Flies & Co: The West Philly husband + wife behind this line of goods is Wilder + Mike Scott – Straight. Mike makes broken plate jewelry and wife Wilder makes vintage inspired skirts + dresses for kids. Also, I hear that she is now making matching apparel for us grown-ups too. Yes PLEASE! I would totally rock this fox dress!

2. Cutesy but not Cutesy: Every cool kid in town owns one of Diane Koss’ super awesome monster plushies! We love her new fuzzy monster hoodies too! If you’re lucky, you’ll see Diane prancing around the bazaar in her huggable monster head piece.

3. Oh Hello Deer Cute screen printed tees + onesies for babies + kids, plus these awesome printed super hero tops with a cape that can velcro on + off.

4. Olive + Bo Philly crafter, Lori Thomson of Olive + Bo stitches modern quilts, mobiles and plush rattles for babies and kids. Her grey, black + white palette always includes a nice pop of color like neon yellow or purple. These simple, yet striking, geometric designs would be a stylish addition to a kid’s playroom, bedroom, or nursery.

5. The Opposite of Far What kid doesn’t like to play dress up? Jessica Near of The Opposite of Far is travelling all the way from Indiana to bring Philly her popular line of felt animal masks + tails. Her vast collection includes zoo, woodland, barnyard animals and more! You can also find a smaller selection of non-animals, including super heros and robots. And, um, P.S., she also makes adult sizes.

6. Sewn by Shylo Shylo Egenski makes the most precious clothing + accessories for women and children in Wilkes Barre, PA. Her peplum + halter style dresses for little girls are particularly adorable and are made from vintage bed linens.

7. Sundae Matinee Rosalie Hick’s fun + quirky animal portraits are made with stitched fabric + felt and are sure to bring a smile to your face. Napoleon Longslice, Roxie Fox, Bobby Feathers and others each come with a handwritten “Life Details” card. Though these aren’t made specifically just for kids, I think little ones will really have a fun time coming up with stories about each of these funny characters. The little felt pillows and framed portraits would look great in a playroom or nursery too.

8. Tadpole Creations Renee D’Amico creates an ever expanding line of handcrafted goods for little ones. Her booth is always bright, colorful and cheery and filled to the brim with the sweetest plush toys + rattles, appliqued onesies + bibs, baby quilts, purses, DIY kits and more. Renee’s creativity is boundless and I always love to check out her latest creations.

9. The Wind and The Sail Laura Stantz’ line of sweet+ modern plush toys are a favorite among bazaar shoppers and we are happy to welcome her back to our line-up again this year. Her plushies include hippos, giraffes, kangaroos, and more! Most have move-able limbs and all are superbly crafted and made from top quality materials. Her collection of goods also includes happy vegetable baby rattles.

April 28, 2014
Meet Renee D’Amico of Tadpole Creations

Renee D’Amico of Tadpole Creations makes the most darling plush & appliqued bibs, onesies & more! I especially love her little Russian Babushka Dolls & DIY Pirate Doll Kits. Any one of her items would make a great gift for a baby shower or b-day party for a little one. Though I must say, I wouldn’t mind picking up a few of her plushies for myself – I’m young at heart! This will be Renee’s first Art Star Craft Bazaar & we are so happy to have her, so get to know her & visit her at the bazaar at her bright & colorful booth #43!

Renee D’Amico of Tadpole Creations with her Mermaid Dolls

Art Star: Did you go to art school? If so, where did you study?
Renee D’Amico: I attended University of the Arts and Indiana University of Pennsylvania. I have a BS in Elementary Education with a minor in Fiber Arts.

AS: What types of items will you be selling at the bazaar?
RD: Sewn and appliqued baby goods as well as soft dolls and toys for the very small. I create primarily for little ones, however a grown up has been known to go home with a pirate or mermaid for themselves. New this season are DIY Pirate and Matryoshka Doll Kits.

A selection of items by Tadpole Creations

AS: What materials do you work with?
RD: Primarily brightly colored cotton fabrics and threads, with stuffing and a bit of fabric paint thrown in at times.

Trained as a painter, I work with fabrics and thread in a way similar to using paint and pencil, using larger shapes of colored fabric, adding outlining and detailing with machine stitched threads.

Babushka Russian Matryoshka Cloth Doll

AS: How are your items made? Describe your process.
RD: My creations begin with a basic drawing on paper of a playful idea that I’ve been pondering for a while. When I’m happy with the initial design, I work with paper to create my own patterns and templates, folding and cutting until I find the right shapes. Fabric selection comes next, with experimentation of different combinations until I get to that “ah-hah” moment when I have found the right fabrics to use.

My favorite part of the construction is sitting down to sew at the machine and appliquing the different fabric elements together. I stitch with a variety of different patterns to complete the design with colored thread.

Cloth Elephant Toys with Rattle

AS: Are you able to make your work full-time? If not, what do you do for your day job?
RD: Tadpole Creations is a full time pursuit.

AS: Who are some of your favorite artists?
RD: I am drawn to primitive folk artists and Early American Art, whether it be a weather vane painted sign, piece of pottery or portrait of a child.

AS: What are you reading/listening to right now?
RD: My teenage daughter playing the theme of “The Avengers” on her viola.

Whale Plush Toy

AS: Where would you like to see yourself and your art/craft business in the next 10 years?
RD: That’s a great question, I am always thinking “okay what is the next step?” when it comes to Tadpole Creations. One goal is to have a separate studio and workspace, as I work out of a home based studio right now. I’d also love to be involved in some exclusive freelance design for a larger company in the future.

Organic Gnome Dolls

AS: Are there any bazaar participants that you are excited to check out this year?
RD: The line up looks incredible! I am so honored to be included with this great group of craftspeople. My desk is begging for a Cutesy but not Cutesy plush to keep me company while I do computer work. My daughters are really big fans of Inedible Jewelry, I am sure they will be adding to their collection.

April 17, 2013
Meet Diane Koss of Cutesy but Not Cutesy

We will be posting Art Star Craft Bazaar Vendor profiles pretty regularly now through the big weekend – May 11th & 12th! First up is Cutesy but Not Cutesy. Meet the maker behind the brand – Diane Koss.

Art Star: Did you go to art school? If so, where did you study?
Diane Koss: I started out as a psychology and biology major at The College of New Jersey in Ewing, NJ. That only lasted about one semester until I switched over to be a Fine Arts Major with concentrations in metalsmithing, photography, and performance art. Unfortunately, there were no classes in monster-making, that came later!

Cutesy but not Cutesy also offers silkscreened monster T’s for All Ages!

AS: What types of items will you be selling at the bazaar?
DK: This year I will be selling my hand-stitched furry monster plush along with fur-lined monster hoodies with horns for infants through adults. I also have screen-printed t-shirts for kid’s and adults, hand-painted dishware, and a brand new line of monster plush called The Grumpsters!

A couple of Diane’s “Grumpsters”

AS: How are your items made? Describe your process.
DK: All of my traditional monsters are hand-stitched without machines. I usually work in an assembly line-like system where I cut them out all at once, then stitch all of the bodies, then stuff them all, and then add the face, horns, and bird to each one to give them their own personality. I use black thread in order to highlight each stitch that I make, I think it gives them more character and adds to the handmade feel of them. The hoodies and The Grumpsters are all individually sewn on my workhorse of a sewing machine. The Grumpsters have added a whole new level of excitement for my process since I get to piece together their little outfits before stitching them all together!

Cutesy but not Cutesy HQs – where the magic happens!

AS: Are you able to make your work full-time? If not, what do you do for your day job?
DK: I have been a full time monster-maker for almost 5 years now. It’s been a very long journey as I learn more and more about what works for my business and for me, as an artist. But in the end, the pay off at the end of each year of knowing that I’m able to support myself with my own two hands and a needle and thread is worth every bit of struggle I face.

Diane makes adorable monster hoodies for all ages!!

AS: Who are some of your favorite artists?
DK: I am completely obsessed with and inspired by Louise Evans of Felt Mistress. Her work never ceases to amaze me. I also love the art of Washington based Illustrator Justin Hillgrove. His monster illustrations are just so incredible. I also had the opportunity of running into Austin based illustrator Graham Franciose while at a show in Austin a few years ago and I have been completely smitten with his work ever since.

“Soaring” by Justin Hillgrove, acrylic on canvas

AS: What are you reading/listening to right now?
DK: I just started reading “At Home: A Short History of Private Life” by Bill Bryson, one of my favorite authors. And I just started re-watching the entire series of “Felicity” on netflix while I work.

This guy may just make an appearance at the bazaar!!

AS: Where would you like to see yourself and your art/craft business in the next 10 years?
DK: Ideally, there would be a few employees in a well-organized, sun-drenched warehouse space shipping out monsters to all corners of the world. And possibly a store front.

AS: Are there any bazaar participants that you are excited to check out this year?
DK: Gosh, do I have to choose?! I can’t wait to see them all! I must admit, though, I always love seeing the art of Laura Berger and I might have to finally snag a piece from Horrible Adorables for my new home!

Thanks Diane for sharing this with us! Visit her at the Art Star Craft Bazaar (booth # coming soon!) on May 11th & 12th or her Etsy page. Check out the rest of the amazing vendors selling at this year’s bazaar here.

April 6, 2013
Guest Blogger: Jahje Bath Ives of Baby Jives

We are excited to have Jahje Bath Ives of Baby Jives as our guest blogger! She has a son of her own & has lived in Philadelpia her entire life, so she is the perfect person to share with you her favorite family friendly places in Philly. Jahje creates colorful mobiles that can be hung above a baby’s crib or hung as decoration in your child’s bedroom. Little fabric birds perch sweetly on branches, butterlies flutter around your little one’s head, and fluffy clouds drip patterned fabric rain drops, amongst many other wonderful scenes. Whichever one you choose, your baby is sure to love it! – Megan

The Art Star Craft Bazaar is enjoyed by all ages, so bring the kids!

Coming into Philadelphia for the Art Star Craft Bazaar? Make a day of it with the entire family! There are so many amazing places to visit, eat, and play in the city. I wanted to share a few of my family’s favorite spots in Philly.

I have a little boy and he is obsessed with vehicles, so he is in heaven when we head down to Penn’s Landing because of what he can find there – boats! Just walking along the waterfront there are plenty of ships to see. You can visit the Independence Seaport Museum to look at all things Maritime & where you can even tour the Cruiser Olympia. Another fun option is to head across the river to the Camden Adventure Aquarium after you are done. There are tons of amazing fish to look at!

At Penn’s Landing there will be plenty of great food to eat and bands to dance around to, but if you want to take the kiddos somewhere special, you can’t beat a visit to Franklin Fountain at 116 Market Street, where you can travel back in time by sipping hand made ice cream floats from paper straws and nibbling on their delectable candy. It’s one of our favorite places to go for a treat to cool off! After that you could head over to Franklin Square at 6th & Race to burn off some energy on the playground. Play a round of mini golf or ride the carousel.

If you are thinking of heading over to Northern Liberties to visit Art Star Gallery & Boutique, you could also grab some food at Honey’s Sit ‘n Eat at 800 N. 4th Street. This restaurant is one of our favorite spots to eat, especially now that we have a kid. They have an amazing selection of food, including vegetarian and vegan delights, such as a fried green tomato salad that appears seasonally and their own veggie burger with thick cut fries. Yum! We have actually celebrated both of my son’s birthdays here with a slice of their incredible carrot cake (gotta get the veggies when you can!).

So grab your kids and come discover Philadelphia – there are plenty of other places to go, such as the Smith Playground, Please Touch Museum, Franklin Institute, Museum of Natural History – the list goes on!

Make sure to hit the Art Star Craft Bazaar first and please swing by and visit me, Jahje of Baby Jives at Booth #41. I have been working nonstop to create some new delights for the show, including my mobliles, which feature birds, clouds, butterflies, and even dragonflies (or as my son calls them – airplanes). I’ve also got a new line of necklaces that you can treat yourself to as well. You can see a sneak peak of them on my blog, or visit my online shop. Stop on by and I’ll be happy to give you some more travel tips around Philadelphia – I’ve lived here all my live!

April 30, 2011