Thanks to everyone that supported us this holiday season. We are feeling very thankful for wonderful, loyal customers! The holiday shopping madness left our stock looking a bit picked over, so we have been working to replenish our inventory. New items have been arriving daily. Here is a peek at some of the new goodies we got in the last few days. They are hitting the floor today & will be added to our online store soon!
Original pencil drawings by Ryan Myers.
Children’s books from our friends at Buy Olympia
Porcelain Votive Candle Holders by Miss Millie.
Jewelry + Soap Dishes by Miss Millie
Sublime Stitching’s new line of Embroidery Floss in the most amazing color palettes like Frosting, Breakdance, Flower Box + More.
and stunning tops & skirts by Malagueta
We have so much in store for you in 2013 – please check back often!
Art Star: How did you learn your craft? Are you formally trained in ceramics or are you self taught?
Melissa Crotty: I started working with clay through an apprenticeship about 12 years ago. I worked with a woman in Western New York who in trade for working in her studio taught me how to throw. She was an inspiration and a mentor. She really pushed me to study the arts even further. I wasn’t totally convinced on going to a 4 year art school right away so I enrolled in CCP and traveled a bit doing workshops at places like Penland School of Crafts and Anderson Ranch. Eventually, I landed at Alfred University where I received a BFA in sculpture in 2005.
Duck Bud Vase by Miss Millie
AS: What drew you to working primarily in porcelain?
MC: I’ve worked in a lot of different materials and a lot of different clay bodies. I like porcelain because I apparently really like a challenge and I love the way it feels in your hands. I also love the way color pops on and next to the stark white of the raw clay body.
AS: When did you start your business? Do you work on Miss Millie full time?
MC: I’ve dabbled in craft shows for the last few years but really started taking my business to new levels this last year, doing more shows and gearing up for more wholesale. I work on Miss Millie pretty much all the time but I also waitress a few days a week.
Miss Millie's Studio
AS: Where do you work on Miss Millie? Do you have a separate studio?
MC: I have a studio at 13th and Carpenter. We have a great community of artists in the building. We do craft shows there twice a year called The South Philly Handmade Brigade.
AS: Do you have any employees/interns?
MC: I do not have any employees but I might take on an intern next semester. I could really use some help but I’m somewhat of a control freak so I’m going to have to figure out what I can have someone else do.
Bowl & Tumbler by Miss Millie
AS: I went to school for ceramics myself, so I know that there are many steps involved in creating each of your pieces. Tell us a bit about how your work is made.
MC: I start out slip casting lots of parts (heads, legs, arms, bugs, animals, flowers, ect.) and put them in a wet box so I can use them later. I then roll out slabs and build forms such as mugs, bowls, vases, tumblers and cups. Then comes the really fun part, assembling and designing what goes on the forms. Like a collage process I take a form and add some cast pieces and then maybe more pieces and then possibly a drawing. Then they dry for about 2 weeks. They are fired once I apply glaze & then they are fired again and are finished (unless I’m adding a decal – then they are fired a third time).
AS: What is your creative process like? Do you start with a sketch/plan or is it more of an intuitive process?
MC: I start out with an idea of what form and then the additions and drawings are intuitive. It’s really fun for me that way because I’m never exactly sure what I’ll come up with.
Flower Earrings by Miss Millie
AS: What are some things that inspire you?
MC: My inspiration comes from so many places like nature, traveling, architecture, food, people, animals, dance, music and seeing other artist’s work. I also really love vintage dolls and I’m totally fascinated by the people who collect them. When I was younger my great aunt was a collector of clowns and I really loved going to her house even though the dolls were kind of bizarre. I’ve been thinking of her collections a lot lately and feel like this doll series is inspired by her.
AS: Who are some of your favorite artists/crafters?
AS: There are many different kinds of pieces in your collection – mugs, bowls, vases, lanterns, jewelry, pill boxes, herb markers, etc. Do you have any new forms in the works?
MC: Yes I have dessert plates, salt and pepper shakers and soap dishes that are new. Oh and some new jewelry!
AS: Where do you see Miss Millie in the next 5 years?
MC: In five years I hope to be running smoothly doing mostly wholesale with a few employees, always working on new designs and hopefully in a warmer climate.
Boots Tumbler by Miss Millie
AS: What do you enjoy the most about running your own creative business?
MC: I can bring my dog to work!
AS: What will you be selling at the upcoming ascb?
MC: I’m going to have new jewelry and some new ornaments. I’m also working on some packaging for gift ideas, which I’m really excited about.
We are getting tons on new items in! Everyday we get at least one package to open up, price, & put on the shelves. Here is a little sneak peek of brand spankin’ new goodies – some are now on shelves + others will be in stock soon.
NOW IN STOCK
Skirts, Tops & Dresses by Jay McCarrollEarrings by Maria Eifebangles by Maria EifeSculptures by The Maple RidgeSkirts by Erin WaxmanScout Handknits
AND COMING VERY SOON….NEW Art Star Exclusive 2013 Calendars + Planner
Kurt Halsey 2013Noosed Kitty 2013Weekly Planner by Julianna Swaney
Stop by the shop to check it all out and keep an eye out for website updates. Follow us on Facebook,Twitter, or Pinterest for most up to date info!
It’s been a while since we’ve released a new product with Kurt Halsey. Production always takes longer than expected & we had hoped to have this new super adorable deer necklace out in time for Valentine’s Day. Alas, it didn’t happen but we hope to have them in stock soon. Here is a quick pic of the sample. I will post on our Facebook and Twitter page as soon as we start to sell them. We haven’t figured out pricing yet, but it should be in line with the fireflies / birds necklaces we’ve done with him.
If you’ve been attending Art Star events for the past few years, you’ve probably seen Matt Eyer and Peter Oravetz’s shared spot full of robots and t-shirts. Matt creates limited edition graphic t-shirts, tank-tops, and hoodies inspired by Philadelphia under his brand Wear Liberty. Peter has been illustrating his Robots! series for almost ten years now in which you can find them in all walks of life from battling giant squids to drinking beers at the bar.
Peter Oravetz
This Fall bazaar will be Matt and Peter’s fifth Art Star event together and to celebrate they did a little interview with each other. Matt goes first with questions for Pete and then Pete follows up with questions for Matt. Enjoy and be sure to stop by their booth (#41) at the bazaar!
Matt Eyer: Why robots? Why not dinosaurs? Peter Oravets: Dinosaurs are so Cretaceous period…robots are the future! Not to mention that they’re made by us…we’ve essentially engineered a new species that could potentially think for itself. It’s inevitable that they’ll have some of the same ticks and hang-ups we humans do, especially when it comes to movement and gesture. It would be interesting to see how a robot might respond to the world with the outlook of an adolescent and a similar range of motion.
“Squid” by Peter Oravatz / graphite on paper (also available as a print)
Matt: How long does it take you to complete your big pieces? How many hours total and over how long of a time period do you work on them? Pete: They can take a tremendous amount of work. The more detailed pieces like “Squid” or “001” took about a month each but that was when I had more time to produce them. I’d say close to 60 hours a piece (not including preliminary sketch time). The small ones are much quicker but do take a lot of consideration and brainstorming as well.
“First” by Peter Oravetz / graphite on paper
Matt: Have you ever collaborated or do you plan to collaborate with any Philly artists or others? Pete: Yes, I have collaborated with a now ex-Philly artist…my friend Mike Studebaker of Studebaker Metals. We were getting into the business of making toy soldiers, lapel pins, and other tiny metal versions of the Robots but it never got off the ground. Partly because he moved away to Pittsburgh. He produces excellent work, I highly recommend his line of mostly male oriented metal-ware (tie-clips, mustache combs and the like.) Recently I have collaborated with Printer Martin Peeves to help produce my new series “Catastrophe”. Screen prints of those will be available at the Fall ASCB too.
Matt: Why black and white and no color? Pete: I have no simple answer for that. One of my works, the Robot Normal Rockwell self-portrait was re made into a color piece. It came out great but took forever and had to be done digitally. I have never been particularly good with markers and water-color and, truly, I would have to introduce that kind of medium into the Robots. They benefit from the precision and clean straight lines a pen offers. Beyond that, some of my favorite illustrators and cartoonists worked mostly in B+W. Perhaps the next evolution of them will be in color.
“Drunk on Oil” by Peter Oravetz / graphite on paper (also available as a made to order, hand inked print)
Matt: What’s next for the robots? Or will there be a new theme/series?
Pete: Like I just said maybe I’ll introduce some color! T-shirts are a must, that will happen soon; a lot of people have been asking if I have a book of them made. That might be my next big project… I’d like to make a children’s book of the bots telling a story without any sort of caption or written word, just images to get them thinking critically and come up with a story of their own. Kids have such great imaginations like that.
A new series of drawings! Yes! I have started a new, albeit depressing, series of drawings titled “Catastrophe” that deal with natural disasters and urban destruction. You won’t want to miss it. Great gifts for the holidays.
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Matt Eyer
Peter Oravetz: Wear Liberty is a specifically Philly themed line of apparel. Do you simply tell the designers “Give me Philly!”? Or do you ask for more specific themes like the Philly Skyline, Ben Franklin, or City Hall? Matt Eyer: All Wear Liberty designs are my ideas and concepts but I collaborate with a few different artists to come up with the final product. Usually I give them a very rough sketch (sometimes digital mock up) of what I’m going for and then tell them to incorporate their style into the design. So yes, it’s always very specific.
Pete: In the past your clothes have been displayed on the runway by beautiful models. That’s a big jump from craft fairs. How has that helped/hindered you? Has it inspired you to find other creative ways of getting the word out? Matt: Having Wear Liberty worn on the runway opened up a whole new side of things for me. I never considered myself a “Fashion Designer”, but when grouped with other mediums of art, t-shirts fell into the fashion world for the events I’ve done. It gave me a chance to present my brand to a new audience and it was very exciting to have beautiful models wearing my shirts! Because of those events, I’ve met people I might not have otherwise and it certainly helped in expanding the reach of Wear Liberty.
Philly Famous Zip hoodie by Wear Liberty
Pete: People always seem to ask you for screen prints of the designs on your apparel. Are you planning to make that happen?? (I promise I won’t get mad if we continue to share a booth, so long as you won’t get jelly when I sell robot t-shirts, just sayin’). Matt: I’m actually planning to have a small run of screen prints at the Fall ASCB! This will be the first time I’ve ever done it, so I’m just doing a small run to see how it goes. This one guy has been asking for a print of my Ben Franklin design since we started doing Art Star events in 2012. I hope he shows up to this one!
Founding Fathers Tee by Wear Liberty
Pete: Do you have any advice for the young creative type dreaming of starting their own clothing brand? Matt: Reach out to your favorite artists and/or brand owners. There are so many smaller, independent clothing companies these days and most of them are very willing to share their experiences with you or pass along some advice. Also – do events! Present yourself to the public. Even if you have the coolest clothes ever, no one will buy them if they don’t know about them.
Pete: You freaking love Pugs. What’s up with that? Matt: There’s not a logical explanation for that, which kind of bothers me cause I’m a very logical person. My family didn’t even have a dog growing up. There was just a point when I fell in love with them. Their cute faces, their funny grunts and snorts, and their amazing energy and personality. Oliver (my pug) will be 8 in November and my life has been ever the better since I’ve had him 🙂 I also have a pug tattoo!
Ben Franklin Tee by Wear Liberty
Pete: Have you considered a Wear Liberty line for dogs and/or babies? Matt: I have! I’ve been planning a Wear Liberty doggy line since the beginning, I just wanna do it right. I recently found a lady on Etsy who makes custom dog collars…so I think it should happen soon. Maybe Spring 2015? Stay tuned!
Pete: What’s your favorite color to wear? Don’t say grey, that’s really boring. Matt: Funny you say that cause I used to hate heather grey, but now it’s definitely one of my favorites. Recently I’ve really liked “coffee” colored shirts and also “cranberry”. Pretty much any of the American Apparel tri-blend colors. It also helps that their super soft and comfy. And I could never deny how good a design looks on black, plus black goes with everything.
Pete: What’s next for Wear Liberty? Matt: Wear Liberty will be expanding into more than just Philly designs very soon. I love Philadelphia which is a major reason why I started this brand but I feel that I’m limiting myself. I want to create designs that people worldwide can appreciate, but the roots will always be here in Philly.
I am a watercolor artist and illustrator from Portland, OR, living in Washington DC for the last 5 years. I’m excited to be a part of the Art Star Craft Bazaar for the first time this year. Because my work covers food themes and cooking, I can be found at select Farmers’ Markets as well as Art and Craft fairs in the Mid-Atlantic and on the West Coast.
I’ve always really enjoyed cooking and traveling. I’ve made a point to cook with people during my trips throughout Latin America, and it is through these experiences that I created my cookbook, Mi Comida Latina. The book is entirely hand lettered and includes my watercolor illustrations on every page. The style reflects my sketchbook journal that I keep during experiences abroad- small step by step drawings and lots of color throughout.
I published the book thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign in November 2012. This self-published edition of the book is sold out, but I’m excited to share that the Art Star Craft Bazaar will be my first Craft Fair showcasing the published edition of the new book. This new edition will be a bigger and better version with an additional 40 pages!
After the Kickstarter edition of the book came out, I got a number of commissions for food-related artwork and custom illustrated recipes (a service I still offer) and my food-related collection began to flourish.
I like to work in a series and have explored various fruit and vegetable “families”, complete with Latin names. I have designs which celebrate the different types of cheeses, figs, olives and other delicacies.
My Art Every Day project from 2014 expanded my collection immensely and I’ll be offering many of these designs as prints for the first time at the bazaar. Hope to see you all at my booth, #118, Mother’s Day weekend!
While I write this blog post from my cozy workshop in Washington, DC I sip from a disappointing cup of coffee. Do not use a Keurig coffee maker for anything but coffee. They sell all these fancy coffee packs to use with the machine but they are merely apparatuses to separate you from your money. How the hell am I supposed to get my day started with coffee that a robot would barely analyze as palatable. But I am cheap so I will suffer through the liquefied cardboard.
My name is Jon Wye and since 2004 I’ve been making a bunch of cool shiz, but mostly known for belts. Many years ago I developed a process for embedding images in leather, which is then turned into belts, guitar straps, camera straps, dog collars, wallets, etc. I also design some t-shirts. The great majority of our production is split between Jeff and myself. The artwork for our goods comes from about 22 artists from all over the world.
Jeff and I are able to do a lot with so few people because we have continually invested in new processes and equipment over the years, a strategy I had to adopt during the economic downturn, when employing someone new was too risky. Now we have some of the coolest leather working machines out there and I drool over my wishlist of upcoming machines.
Let’s follow Trolley and take a look at the operation…
Ubiquitous branding shot.
The first belt buckle I ever made. Hand carved out of wax and cast in plaster. Pewter pellets were dropped into the negative and heated with a blowtorch.
Jeff inspecting the belts after our specially formulated spray coating is added to protect the images in the leather.
Inspecting the straps after they are done curing. This one will be a guitar strap.
Hand setting some snaps for a belt order.
Every online order gets a personal note.
Our branded MADE IN THE USA, WASHINGTON DC stamp applied with a 1950’s roller embosser.
This is our roller embosser.
27 ton clicker press used to punch out of the various shapes for things like guitar straps.
Left: punch press/stamper for making all the holes in the belts perfect every time.
Right: Leather splitter for thinning down leather. The whole thing is basically one big blade.
One of our industrial sewing machines. I like using the Adlers.
Left: A Juki automatic sewing machine, which helps us put on the tags on all our tees.
Right: A pneumatic stamping machine for stamping the inside neck of our tees so we can be tag-less. I hate tags in t-shirts.
A wide view of our work bench where we prototype and assemble belts for online orders.
And this is Scarlett, my girlfriend’s blind dog, who often joins me in the shop. She is not just a little blind, she is totally blind. We have to tie her to the shop couch or she’ll wander around and get scared and poop somewhere. This has happened many times.
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Thanks to Jon Wye for giving us a glimpse of his process and studio! Visit him at booth #88 at our upcoming Art Star Craft Bazaar on May 9th + 10th at Penn’s Landing Great Plaza! Visit his website and buy his cool shiz HERE.
We teamed up with San Diego based artist Susie Ghahremani of www.boygirlparty.com to create this awesome mug. Susie created this illustration just for us & we hope to continue working with her on new products. Local ceramic artist, Hope Rovelto of Little Chair Printing printed the illustration on these mugs for us & she did such an amazing job. I’m excited about future collaborations with these two talented ladies.
I went and got a Pumpkin Butter Soy beverage from Soy Cafe across the street to test out the mug. It was like drinking fall in a cup! My favorite thing to do during the cold weather days is to curl up with a good book & drink a hot toddy made by my husband, Cisco. That is what I will be drinking mostly from this mug.
Have you ever made a hot toddy? It is easy. Just add as much Wild Turkey American Honey Whiskey as you’d like (usually just a finger or so) to hot tea. Get an orange or lemon wedge & stick some whole cloves into it & plop that in. The honey whiskey adds just the right touch of sweetness. Enjoy!
Susie Ghahremani is a 2002 graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) with a BFA in Illustration. Her artwork combines her love of nature, animals, music and patterns. Born and raised in Chicago, Susie now happily spends her time painting, drawing, crafting and tending to her pet finches and cat in San Diego, CA.
Even though we are supposed to get snow later today (ugh), it actually is spring! We just got in these awesome new handmade wood planters by local Philly artist Melissa Moore of Nikkuu Design. Cut from a variety of woods (oak, pine, walnut), these planters are the perfect size for air plants or succulents. If you are like me and can’t keep plants alive, these will be perfect for you! If you kill these, you really aren’t meant to own plants! Comes in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. Some are painted with splashes of bright white or aqua paint for a pop of color, while others just show off the wood grain. Grab a couple for your window ledge to try to evoke some warmer weather! $12-$38, each comes with an air plant.
Check out this new video by Philadelphia artist & one-of-a-kind stuffed monster maker, Diane Koss of Cutesy but not Cutesy. I had to share it with you all b/c I think it is AWESOME! This is the 2nd in what I hope will be a series of videos. I love this direction that she is going in. I may have to commission Diane to make my Halloween costume next year.
Original pencil drawings by Ryan Myers.
Children’s books from our friends at Buy Olympia
Porcelain Votive Candle Holders by Miss Millie.
Jewelry + Soap Dishes by Miss Millie
Sublime Stitching’s new line of Embroidery Floss in the most amazing color palettes like Frosting, Breakdance, Flower Box + More.
and stunning tops & skirts by Malagueta
We have so much in store for you in 2013 – please check back often!
bangles by Maria Eife
It’s been a while since we’ve released a new product with Kurt Halsey. Production always takes longer than expected & we had hoped to have this new super adorable deer necklace out in time for Valentine’s Day. Alas, it didn’t happen but we hope to have them in stock soon. Here is a quick pic of the sample. I will post on our 
Jeff inspecting the belts after our specially formulated spray coating is added to protect the images in the leather.
Left: A Juki automatic sewing machine, which helps us put on the tags on all our tees.
