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Meet New ASCB Vendor, Emiko Shinozaki!

After a lifetime of playing and teaching, I put down my violin for the last time in 2006. I felt I was finished with the musical chapter of my life, but I had always made a living working with my hands. I felt a need to explore what I could do with them next.

An immediate change in life ensued—A program to Italy to study fashion design through Fashion Institute of Technology, Accessories and Jewelry classes upon my return…

It wasn’t until I started working with brass, silver, fire, hammer, file and wax that the instruments of my future began coming to life before my eyes. I had transitioned from the ephemera of musical performance to the permanence of metals, and it was intoxicating. I could hold my creations in my hands. I could wear what I imagined. I was in love again.

Architecture, music as math, chemistry, and symmetry–all my old flames– inexorably find their way into my work. I spend hours soldering and chasing flux through the narrow channels between my hexagons. Days fly by as I work out the kinks of an intricate piece of casting. Every method has its advantages and demands. To cast or not to cast? Precision soldering and cleanup versus casting and yet more cleanup?

Doing things the hard way has its rewards. I handcraft each and every piece of jewelry myself for Emiko Shinozaki Jewelry and I don’t do e-commerce. Why? Because I want each piece to be unique, and I enjoy meeting the people who will ultimately wear my pieces. What that means is that I don’t really have a complete ’system ’ in place for manufacture or distribution. The exciting part is that I’m still learning with each piece I make and every client I come in contact with. I continue my tradition of teaching and learning, this time with family and colleagues, as it’s the best way I know how to enjoy life.

I have an unending attraction to the physical changes that brass undergoes when thousands of degrees hit it. My necklace creations have intrinsic “torch marks” that deepen with age, lending depth and 3-dimensionality to an otherwise humble material. One of my necklaces can have upwards of 100 solder connections, sometimes less, sometimes more. As I’ve expanded my offerings, I’ve found the best 18K gold-platers in NYC and learned to make molds & cast silver with the lost-wax method. Each silver or brass Alt-triangle bracelet is hand formed, filed and finished, taking many careful hours from start to finish.

There are no easy answers but, so far, keeping things fresh makes me very happy. Every method has its advantages and difficulties, but the end result is always gratifying. Mistakes are humbling, yet I’ve also come to appreciate these impromptu lessons. I think I was a pretty good violin teacher… I sometimes see an old student interviewed on TV, image impossibly large on the Times Square Jumbotron…

These days I look at my hands and wonder at what jewelry-making has yet to teach me.

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Visit Emiko Shinozaki and her incredible line of jewelry at the Spring Art Star Craft Bazaar (booth # ) on May 9th and 10th at Penn’s Landing Great Plaza. http://emikoshinozaki.com/

April 29, 2015
Meet New ASCB Vendor Samantha Skelton!

Samantha Skelton Jewelry Design is a one-woman jewelry machine located in Fairview Pennsylvania. I design, create, market and sell all of the work featured in my jewelry collection; however I wasn’t always interested in jewelry. My collection has grown from my love of metal, the form of each element in this collection has been directly influenced by industrial sculptures which I both studied and created.

I studied both graphic design and metalsmithing in undergrad at Edinboro University, choosing to follow metalsmithing into graduate school at Miami University, I focused on large scale copper sculptures. The sculptures I created had an industrial aesthetic and a sense of balance and symmetry, all hand forged and kinetic. Along side my sculptures I found myself making smaller sculptural jewelry, almost as a sketch for larger pieces. It allowed me to play with form in a much faster and more direct way.

Choosing to pursue jewelry full time following graduate school has allowed me to continue connecting form with function. My sculpture and jewelry continue to reflect each other;
I want the wearer to feel the visual impact of the jewelry without being overwhelmed by the physical and visual weight of the metal.

Along with making jewelry and traveling for shows and exhibitions I also teach jewelry workshops at craft schools and universities both locally and internationally.

Visit Samantha Skelton Jewelry in Booth #62 at our Art Star Craft Bazaar on May 9th + 10th and visit her online at http://www.samanthaskelton.com/

May 2, 2015
Meet New ASCB Vendor Eve Mobley of Cedar + Fawn

I’m Eve Mobley, the illustrator working as Cedar + Fawn, based in Baltimore. I studied digital illustration in my undergrad, it wasn’t until I took an internship as a display artist at Anthropologie that I really fell in love with household objects as art. Cedar + Fawn actually began as my Senior Thesis project, and I’ve just kept it going ever since!

I have a love affair with the romanticized image of the 50’s-era housewife, which is why so much of my work is geared towards the domestic setting, specifically the kitchen and dining. My illustrations are also influenced by feminine fashions, Parisian imagery, and colorful Scandanavian design.

I collect all my “blank” dishes from restaurant supply wholesalers, but occasionally I’ll score a vintage piece or two and do a special limited edition design. I’m very picky about the shape and form of the dishes I will buy to paint on. Because my illustrations are so minimal, every detail of the final object—how it looks on the table and how it feels in the hand—is extremely important.

First I mark guides on the ceramic using a soft pencil or carbon paper, and then I use an overglaze technique to paint. As yes, I hand-paint each and every dish! Luckily, the more I repeat a design, the faster I get at painting it! After the paint is dry, the piece is fired again to set the paint and make the design permanent, food safe, and dishwasher safe. It’s just as important to me to make a functional piece as it is to make a beautiful one!

More often than not, the illustration you see on a dish is a doodle copied straight from my sketchbook. I try not to make too many revisions from paper to plate, because that relaxed, lazy line of the original doodle is exactly what makes the image so charming! The warm and approachable personality of an airy doodle is the perfect complement to the solidity of a heavy ceramic dish.

You can find my work for purchase online, as well as at all of the Charm City Craft Mafia’s shows. To see all designs past and present, and to take a peek at my 2D illustrations, check out evemobleyillustration.com!
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Make sure to check out Eve’s work at our upcoming Art Star Craft Bazaar in Asbury Park on July 25th + 26th. This will be her first Art Star event!

July 10, 2015
Meet the Maker: Molly Moran of Snarky Scouts

Hello Art Starlets and craft connoisseurs! I’m Molly Moran, creator of Snarky Scouts. I’m pretty new to the craft vendor world, and this will be my first year at Art Star Craft Bazaar in Philadelphia. Brace yourselves!

Snarky Scouts is my reinvention of actual vintage Girl Scout and Boy Scout badges into funny, usually inappropriate merit badges for adults. These take the form of 5×7″ letterpress prints and felt brooches or ornaments.

The Girl Scouts of America discontinued this style of merit badge a few years ago and they use a new merit badge system now. That means I can find lots of these old badges on eBay. I do the letterpress myself at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center’s letterpress studio in Silver Spring, MD. I hand-sew and hand-embroider the felt items.

I started this project last year when I was looking online for old badges that I thought I might use to decorate a zip-wallet. As I looked through several old Girl Scout badges on eBay, I couldn’t always tell what the badges represented, and I found myself making up silly names for them. The one I remember most clearly is the badge for Reptiles and Amphibians – to me, it looked like a turtle walking a high wire. So I made a badge for “Turtle Circus Arts.”

Once I realized that this could be a viable project with items to sell, I applied to a large juried craft show in DC, and funded my startup costs with a Kickstarter campaign. I didn’t know what to expect, but I found that people loved the badges and I sold out of nearly all my designs. So this year, armed with a better sense of what people like, I’ve added about two dozen new designs to my repertoire and a couple new craft fairs to my calendar – including ASCB in Philly!

While the art technique in my work is letterpress and needlework, the most expressive aspect is the humor I use. It’s with humor – this less tangible, less material aspect of the work – that I experiment and invent. My ideas are inspired by the imagery of the actual badges, so there’s a constraint inherent in the process that is challenging and fun. I’ve recently had ideas for four new designs, which will debut at ASCB in November. I’m most excited about introducing the merit badges for “Road Rage” and “Day Drinking.”

I think part of the pleasure of reading these badges is realizing the extent of the departure from the original meaning of the badge. The history is important. So I use only real scouting badges, and I research each one before incorporating it in my designs. With every item I include a little card with information about the original use of the badge.

My absolute favorite part of this project is having a booth at a fair, because people laugh at my items. We’re not talking a polite little giggle, we’re talking completely busting up. It’s awesome: it’s an entire day of getting to watch my work make people laugh. It’s a joy and a gift and it inspires me to keep at it. So come by my booth on November 7th or 8th – I promise you’ll find something that makes you smile.

October 22, 2015
Upcoming Exhibition “After The Flood” by Faryn Davis of Fernworks

CHECK OUT ALL THE WORK HERE

We are so pumped to announce our next exhibition with the incredibly talented Faryn Davis of Fernworks. We have been carrying her line of jewelry at Art Star for years now (you can see it here), but what you might not know is that Faryn also creates dreamy painted landscapes to adorn your walls! I am in complete awe of the 3 dimensional worlds that she creates with her unique technique of layering painted resin.

Her very first solo show at Art Star will features a brand new collection of resin paintings. The show is titled “After the Flood” and will be up from March 19th – May 15th. We will be hosting an opening reception on Saturday, March 19th, from 6-8pm. Come get a first look at the work and share a drink or two with us!

Faryn Davis creates mixed media paintings and a line of jewelry, under the name Fernworks, which combines hand painted scenes and found natural ephemera into layers of polished resin. Each piece is painted with toothpicks and tiny brushes, embedded in multiple layers of resin, then cut and polished into delicate, dreamlike 3-D landscapes populated by plants, birds, bears, foxes and other woodland creatures.

Growing up in Waynesville, N.C, the artist spent many afternoons gathering and collecting items on the family farm. She’d pick up and preserve bird nests, feathers, interesting clumps of dirt, moss, leaves, bones, fur, twigs, bugs, and other tiny things. Her paintings and line of jewelry reflect this lifelong passion and tradition.

Her first solo exhibition at Art Star will include a new body of resin paintings. The artist states, “These new resin paintings reflect a lifelong exploration of the natural world, the land, and how each tiny self finds its place in it all. After the Flood is an allegory of the land and its diverse beings emerging after a metaphorical flood or shift. Many of these pieces quietly reflect restoration and new beginnings; how new land rises to meet us after old things have been washed away.”

Faryn Davis studied at North Carolina School of the Arts, in France, Italy, and Nepal, and received a BFA degree in sculpture at the University of North Carolina at Asheville in 2000. You can find her work in stores and galleries throughout the US and abroad, as well as at various art and craft shows like the Art Star Craft Bazaar in Philly, The Renegade Craft Fairs in Chicago, Brooklyn, Austin, San Francisco and Los Angeles, The Urban Craft Uprising in Seattle, and many others. She now lives in Asheville, NC with her husband Eli and their 6 year old son Milo Gray after an 8 year hiatus in the Pacific Norweast. She creates art full time in a modified 8’x8’ garden hut in her backyard.

Get a sneak peek at her studio and process here
go visit her website here

February 15, 2016
Meet The Maker: Chris Elsasser of Munstre

Munstre (mun-stir) began as a happy accident back in 2008, I used to make buttons for bands and events in the Boston area, and I’d do all of the layout and printing before finally running each piece through the button press. If the order was large enough I’d tape a few sheets of paper together in order to save time during the circle cutting stage – but in order to be sure everything lined up correctly on each sheet I’d hold the group of them up to a bright light. I’d hold them up, think “goddamnit the registration’s off again but hmm that’s a nice looking thing”, fix the registration and move on. It’s kind of a minimal moment, but one day after wrapping up an order I decided to print out one of my own simple designs onto some aged paper, I didn’t have a frame or anything built yet, but against the light that particular artwork came to life in a way that just didn’t quite work sitting on a computer screen… and I immediately felt like this thing had some potential. I at least wanted one for myself.

The problem then was I had very, very little experience with woodworking and no knowledge whatsoever of electrical wiring (although I DID mount a battery powered 3v fan motor to a slab of wood when I was in 3rd grade) so I had to kind of find my way. Fortunately my dad had all of the equipment I’d need to start, and he helped me make the first frame for these lightboxes while also showing me how to not explode myself or his garage. Every step since then has basically just been learning, practicing, refining, testing new ideas, refining those etc…

The style for Munstre has always reflected what I’m into in my own life, which tends to be antique or historic items with an ‘oddities’ edge to them, particularly medical ephemera. For years I’ve collected old photographs, books, clocks, 8mm films – all sorts of items that inform my decisions when it comes to design. Though each image is a product of a massive amount of photoshopping & digital painting, I try to impart enough real textures and layers around the focal point, and on some level keep the images grounded, so the viewer feels some connection to the piece while maintaining their curiosity.

Over time these lightboxes showed up in stores, articles, a couple movies & tv shows. The support was very exciting, but it also became extremely exhausting. I had made so many little adjustments to my own construction & ideas along the way, I knew the process was probably far from efficient, and the idea of getting someone to help felt at once very needed & very daunting.

Eventually I was offered a FT Design job which of course ate up the majority of my production time, and I kept Munstre around as a minimal side project, thinking I’d return to it in a more dedicated way at another time. 6 months became a year, which became two. Then life made some adjustments for me, because somewhere in there I ended up meeting my now fiancee while she was in Medical school at Brown, and upon graduating she matched in Philadelphia for residency, so we picked up and moved down here without really knowing anyone. In the process of the move I decided to deactivate Munstre. Philly was a big reset button for me, and being the partner of a resident Physician I found myself with lots, and lots, and lots of alone time. I began using this time to refocus some creative energy, building a new workspace, re-discovering a love for music, and very slowly building a small recording studio as my interests grew. I started a music project called “Colurer”, and while I’m still writing and recording a full album (out in 2017) this process really helped wake me back up creatively. I’ve put out a handful of tracks, and am currently finalizing discussions to license some music for a movie coming out next year.

This summer I was hit with a drive to reinvigorate Munstre. Working with some new materials, like textured stained glass, more interesting frames, and some great options with LED’s I am probably more excited than I was at its first inception. This time around I am also more inspired by the things I’ve come to appreciate through my fiancee: cooking, gardening, a connection to nature, and a generally more positive outlook on life. If you’d told me in 2008 I would one day find inspiration from green beans I would’ve questioned the course my life was taking.

On a whim I sent a vendor application into Art Star and used that as the catalyst to get the project back in full operation. I’ve since carved out space in our apartment, working partly on our deck, and the other in the back half of my studio. In here I’m designing, assembling the boxes, printing films from modified wide-format printers, painting, wiring, and photographing everything in a much more streamlined way than I’d ever done previously.

The following 6 photos by Kristine Eng http://kristineeng.com/

Thank you Art Star for accepting Munstre as a vendor, while I’m very busy designing & building a new collection of images for the bazaar, I will be continuing to add new products on http://munstre.com & my recently opened Etsy account (linked through my website). Looking forward to meeting everyone!

www.munstre.com

Munstre is on instagram as MunstreGlow: https://www.instagram.com/munstreglow/

If you’re curious about my music project Colurer check out https://colurer.bandcamp.com/music

& instagram at Colurer https://www.instagram.com/colurer/

October 27, 2016
Our NEW Holiday Art Star Craft Bazaar Venue!

For the past 2 years we have absolutely loved hosting our Holiday Art Star Craft Bazaar at the Simeoune Foundation Auto Museum. The space was absolutely perfect but unfortunately over half of our customers who rely on biking/walking/public trans could not get there. Centrally located, clean, well lit, and affordable event spaces are non-existent in this city. Especially ones that can accommodate our 75+ vendors and over 5k customers. We happened upon a space right on the waterfront and just a 10 minute walk from our shop. It is the Event Center at Sugarhouse and it is absolutely perfect. Here are all the perks (for both vendors and customers):

main event space

It is centrally located and easily accessible via public transportation and many of our customers can easily walk or bike there. For our drivers and vendors, the venue offers FREE PARKING. Vendors can pull up right to the entrance to the venue from the parking lot for easy load in.

entrance from parking lot into venue where vendors will load in

Free parking for vendors and customers!

The space is located on the 2nd Floor. Customers can access the event directly from an elevator in the parking lot. Or you can come in at the North Entrance and access the elevators directly on the left. If you choose, you don’t have to enter the Casino area (which is on the first floor) at all!

the Event Space is located on the 2nd floor of Sugarhouse

The space is well lit and spotless. The sound system is excellent. The bathrooms are also super fancy and able to accommodate our big crowds.

There will be a free coat check for guests.

There will be a full bar for guests to order drinks and we are able to bring in our food trucks.

There will be security throughout the event and the space will be secure for vendors overnight.

vendors will be lining the hallway leading to the large event room and this conference area will be cleaned out for us to use for Make + Takes.

We will be offering vendors a few space size options (6 ft table, 6×10 or 10×10 space). There will be booths lining the halls leading into a main event space where we will have most of the 10×10 spaces. There is a veranda off of the main event space that overlooks the waterfront. The view is spectacular and guests are invited to enjoy it, weather permitting.

The main event space where most of the 10×10 spaces will be.

Erin creepin in the shadows 😉 Check out that view!

We hope love it as much as we do. We are working hard to bring you a fantastic holiday bazaar! If you would like to apply to vend, go here.

August 4, 2017
ASCB Staff Member Picks: Bob Brewster

The Art Star Craft Bazaar would not be possible without the help of our small staff & generous volunteers. We are lucky to have the same people coming back each year to help us out & I mean it when I say we’d be absolutely lost without them! I asked some of our staff members/volunteers to introduce themselves to you & pick out some of their favorite returning vendors & new vendors that they are looking forward to checking out. First up is my brother, Bob. He is responsible for moving around all the tables & chairs, helping vendors w/ load in & load out, & well, basically anything else we need done. He does it all w/ a big smile, a great sense of humor, & loads of charm!

– Megan

Hello ASCB Attendees,

I’m Bob (aka: The Reverend, local table curler, loyal brudda). You can catch me lifting heavy objects, moving tables, putting up tents, setting up vendors, running errands, directing you to the things you want to see, and dancing with a smile in front of the Art Star booth. I’m personally proud to be a part of such a great event. It’s my favorite weekend of the year. That being said:

Get ready to get HOT AND HEAVY with some of the best artists the ART STAR CRAFT BAZAAR has ever had!

Now, I’d like to make a suggestion or two to ASCB first-timers and veterans alike: Get there early and take a look at everything. Do what I do. Take 3 or 4 passes. You’re bound to find something extraordinary tucked away in one of the booths that you just can’t live without. Don’t fall victim to this rookie mistake – you can’t see everything in one pass. Suggestion #2: Make this a family outing. ASCB has something for everyone – young, old, and in-betweens. Share some quality time with family and friends, enjoy a relaxed lunch by the river (the array of food selections is amazing), and groove to the sounds created by some of Philly’s most talented musicians. Finally, learn from my mistake. Bring sunscreen. Guaranteed you’ll get a jump-start on your summer tan. The ultimate goals is to come out, have fun, and support the arts!

If this is by chance your first time coming to this event or you feel as if you want to meet some new artists that you have not gotten the opportunity to meet, here is my list of 2011 ASCB vendors that I enjoy:

1.)    Spaghetti Kiss – being the comic book/graphic novel nerd that I am, I can’t leave ASCB without purchasing one of Michael Bracco’s new installations of NOVO. The story line is original and the artwork is magnificent. I honestly can’t wait to pick up whatever new installations to the series that he has.

2.)    Cutesy but not Cutesy – Do you have a little monster at home or the son/daughter of your little monster? Then make sure to check out this booth. They carry a wide variety of plush pillow and toy monsters for you to choose from. They make a perfect gift or a great conversation starter on the living room couch. They also look as if they’ve designed some monster skin that you can rock during those cool nights and cold winters.

3.)    Adam Smith – Now this is a vendor that I have yet to meet and when I saw he was placed on the list of vendors this year, I got really excited. Much of his work mixes a graffiti/skateboard vibe with everything that you love about Philadelphia. I’m really excited to pick something up from this gentleman, and check out all the other great stuff that he may bring to the event that is not up on his website.

4.)    Fuzzy Ink – All I need to say is mustaches and mustache accessories. I really don’t have to say much else except MUSTACHE COOKIE CUTTERS!!!!!!!!

5.) BirdQueen Designs – Looking for that wonderful piece of jewelry for that very special someone? Well look no further. BirdQueen Designs puts together fun yet elegant pieces of jewelry that say “I love you” while peaking her interest. Peacock feathers, octopi, and bow necklaces. If you want to be the talk of the room, make sure to invest in a piece of their jewelry.

I’m going to be honest, when I first saw many of the vendors that will be at the 2011 ASCB, I kind of got excited and depressed at the same time. Excited because of all the great artists and depressed because of all the money I KNOW I’m going to spend. Now, I STRONGLY suggest that you check the vendors section of the ASCB web page and get to know all of the vendors. Take a few minutes and cruise their websites and get an idea about where you’re going to spend most of your time.

Best,

Bobby B.

April 22, 2011
ASCB Vendor Spotlight: Concrete Polish

Company: Concrete Polish
Proprietor: Angela Monaco
http://concretepolishstudio.com/
Jewelry Studio & Showroom: Concrete Polish
716 N. 3rd Street, Philadelphia
find her at booth # 3 at our upcoming art star craft bazaar!

Art Star: Tell us a bit about your background. Are you professionally trained in jewelry/metalsmithing?

Angela Monaco: I grew up in Chicago and Cincinnati Ohio. I started school in Ohio studying Psychology. This quickly made me realize that I would much rather be creating fun jewels with my hands. I took an evening jewelry class for one of my extra credits that I needed & I instantly fell in love with metalsmithing and expecially casting! I applied for an artist grant to build my own studio and started my quest as a jewelry designer and maker. I later transferred to the Maryland Institute College of Art to pursue my interest in Jewelry and Printmaking. While attending M.I.C.A I took a casting class where I first started to create my line of jewelry. I have always collected gems and minerals and had the idea to start making molds to reproduce them in bronze and silver. That idea never faded away and has become my main focus in design.

Double Finger Quartz Knuckle Duster

AS: What made you decide to move to Philly & open up a studio/showroom

AM: After I lived in Baltimore a few years I decided to take a leap to a new and bigger city. I always felt a great creative energy when I visited and it was time for a change. I love this city and I think it was a perfect choice for me to start my business and open my first boutique.

AS: What types of materials do you use?

AM:Silver, bronze, and many types of gemstones. I have a large collection of faceted and natural crystals. I also love chain. I mainly buy antique chain at flea markets or silver and bronze stock chain.

AS:What is involved in the making of each piece? Do you carve your pieces out of wax & then cast them?

AM: I mainly design jewelry using wax. I am either carving or manipulating an organic object that I have made a mold of. After I come up with a prototype I am happy with, I then make a mold of that and cast it in either silver or bronze. I can plate the bronze or silver in yellow gold, rose gold, or black rhodium. If requested I can also cast in solid gold, platinum, or rhodium but I do not keep stock in the store of those metals. I also have a wide variety of gemstones i use. My favorite are natural amethyst points and smoky quartz.

a piece in the works

AS: What is your creative process like? Do you sketch your ideas out first?

AM: I mainly work in 3D. A lot of my designs come from playing with the different rubber molds I have made over the years. I cut them apart and make my own formations that suit a piece of jewelry. Over the years I have carved a few different ring bases that I re-use with different crystals on top. For example, I make a mold for a double finger ring with my logo on it that i can use for multiple designs.

AS: What inspired your current collection?

AM: My current collection is inspired by the formations of raw crystal growth, like an amethyst or natural quartz crystal. Since i was a small child my Mother and I have been collecting gemstones, crystals, & all sorts of fossils. My childhood phases never seemed to thin out and now crystals have become the main focus of my design. I keep finding more and more creative ways to tell the story of why these forms are so attractive to me.

Ring

AS: How did you come up with the name Concrete Polish? What is the story behind that?

AM: The name Concrete Polish sprung to me one day when I was thinking about what my jewelry represents visually and emotionally. The pieces I create have a rough and refined exterior, but with a feminine polished touch. It is a balance of sculpture that creates an edgy yet sophisticated piece of jewelry. Concrete Polish represents that idea of balance.

AS: Your collection seems to mostly include rings & some necklaces. Do you have any plans to expand into earrings or other types of jewelry/accessories?

AM: Yes, you are completely correct. We have soo many rings here at CP. I seem to have a small obsession with rings lately. This is of course my mothers fault :). I am working on releasing a new catalog for the spring. There will be 10 ring designs, 3 bangles, 3 stud earrings, 3 drop earrings with chain, and about 4-5 necklaces. I am also designing a bolo right now for a friend, which I feel will become a successful unisex piece for a future collection. Linda Smyth of Topstich Boutique and I are also working towards collaborating on a jewelry line of Rabid Fox and Concrete Polish Jewelry. Can’t wait!

jewelry studio & showroom

AS:Tell us about your storefront. What do you carry aside from your own work?

AM:Walking into Concrete Polish you will find a great ambiance of well crafted hand made jewelry mixed in with a warm atmosphere of antiques and taxidermy. The alchemy-nautical inspired showroom carries all handmade jewelry – 80% of which is made right in the back of the shop and the rest at nearby studios in Philly! There is a wall of mirrors that hangs to help separate the spaces. Come and check out what we have made and are currently working on.

AS:Where else do you sell your jewelry?

AM: So far my jewelry is showcased in the following stores: Arcadia Boutique, WERK, Topstich Boutique and our home boutique in Northern Liberties!

jewelry studio & showroom

AS: What can customers expect to find at your ASCB booth?

AM: I have actually completed 3 new ring designs and a few earrings in the last 2 weeks – just in time for ASCB!!! We have been working hard here to get ready for the holiday shopping season. Much more thought has gone into the idea of gift giving. I will have a large assortment of new necklaces, one of a kind charm bracelets, earrings with pyrtie and quartz crystals. See you soon!

November 17, 2011
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

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