Tag: artstarphilly

Get to know Hot Sand Glass Studio in Asbury Park!

Hi everybody, welcome to a little picture of Hot Sand. We have been blowing glass for almost 10 years in Asbury Park. Originally founded by Thomas Stevens and Paul Elyseev, Hot Sand has always been a place for the public to blow glass and for local Glassblowers to show their works. Glassblowing typically has a fairly high barrier to entry, meaning that a lot is needed to get the show on the road, as it were. With the introduction of Walk-In Glassblowing we have been able to get that barrier just about as low as it can get! Anyone can walk in off the street, any day and let us know they want to blow glass and we happily comply. Typically it’s a much more formal affair and we are happy to make it easy peasy!

We have many Walk-In Activities ranging from a simple bubble to a pumpkin and an apple, a vase or a drinking glass and everything in between. When you arrive here you are greeted by one of our very helpful employees and we collaborate with you on deciding what it is you want to make, what colors you would like it to be and how you would like those colors laid out. We offer a myriad of different design elements that can be combined in many ways and with the broad selection of colors you can choose from, the combinations are nearly endless!

Also offered is more formal instruction that will set you on the path to becoming a Glassblower. If you want to learn all the in’s and out’s of this craft, Hot Sand is the place to start. We can walk you through all the particulars and eventually set you free in the Hot Shop so that you can eventually begin expressing your imagination with glass as the medium for your creativity.

We have a tight knit group of Glassblowers that work here and they have learned to blow glass in many different manners. There are people with degrees in glassblowing here, we have many people that have trained internationally and stateside. The 2 guys that started the business even have worked in glass factories in Europe!

All that said, we would love to see you in the studio. Any day we are open you and your loved ones are welcome to stop by the studio to blow glass with us, do a bit of shopping, or just watch! We look forward to seeing you soon in the shop or at the upcoming Art Star Asbury Park event!

Visit Hot Sand’s booth at this weekend’s bazaar and make a small sun tile for $24 or a large one for $36! They will fire it in their studio and you can either pick it up later or they will ship it to you for a small additional fee. See you there!

July 27, 2016
Meet The Maker: Nicole Hemmerly of MossHound Designs

Hey there! My name is Nicole Hemmerly and I am a macramé artist & the owner of a super fun business called MossHound Designs. Aptly named after two of my favorite things, moss (and anything moss colored) and our hound dog Maycie, the peaceful beast.

It all came about after spending most of 2015 craving a craft, craving something purely fun and uplifting to my soul. While doing research on different crafts I came across this weird knotting technique popular in the 70’s and thought “where have you been all my life!” You see, growing up we didn’t have a stitch of macramé in the house. However, my parents and the house I grew up in, is a complete inspiration to me. My mother can decorate with such ease & is crafty as all get out and my desire to be in the great outdoors comes from my father. My husband and I also share the same love for nature. When we go hiking, he helps me pick out the natural stones and driftwood I use.

My pieces are a culmination of earthy but bright color schemes and an equal mix of vintage and natural fibers. The cord I use for the macramé is 100% cotton and produced in the USA. The cream yarn used for weavings comes straight off the sheep on my in laws farm in northern Pennsylvania and the other yarn colors were taken out of an old school house being torn down. I try to repurpose and reuse as much as I possibly can.

What started out as a little craft is now a full-fledged business adventure that has expanded in ways I could have never imagined! Currently, I have been hand painting deer skulls, dip dying fabric, decorating with succulents and houseplants, weaving and even have created macramé pieces for weddings.

Swing by booth #10 and say hi! I love meeting new people and can’t wait to see you all!
Follow us on Instagram @mosshound_designs to stay current on products and giveaways.

July 26, 2016
Meet The Maker “Julia Passafiume”

Well, hello everyone! I’m Julia, and I design and sew a line of quirky and sustainably sourced kids and baby clothes.

Five years ago I was knee deep in mannequins and silk crepe de chine at a very fancy fashion school in NYC, and I loved it. I savored every moment I could arguing about the intention behind a style line or the consideration in debating to use one button over another. Most makers know this feeling of getting blissfully lost in the details, right? I graduated after being nominated for designer of the year in my class and I leapt into the arms of my first job offer as an Associate Designer for a kids clothing company.

But when I left the safe sewing rooms of Parsons is when I began to realize the overall motive of the fashion industry: to make money. The entire industry had devolved from creating products that had value and quality to just making as much money for the cheapest cost possible. This shift is at great cost to the lives of millions of people- just Google the Rana Plaza Factory Collapse or “what color are the rivers in China” for just a taste of the toll our fast fashion choices are having on the world around us. Obviously, my naïve little heart couldn’t handle it anymore, so I left my job in New York City and came home to Point Pleasant, New Jersey.

For me, sewing is about creating something from scratch and being mindful of the time and energy it takes to do so. I’ve been sewing for years, but not until I left my job in New York City did I realize this was where I find my happiness. I’m now also a full time seamstress for a local shop, so creating kids clothes is something that happens in the time before and after my 9-5 hustle. And whenever there’s interest, I love giving sewing lessons to people of all ages!

All of the products I make are from sustainably sourced materials such as organic cotton, fast-growing hemp, recycled vintage fabrics or traditional weaving methods. I also make a push to buy American made materials whenever possible. A company called Spoonflower that uses eco-conscious dyes and digital printing methods, which have a much lighter footprint than other printing methods, does most of my printed knits right in North Carolina. Just like other makers of handmade clothing, I know that small-scale fashion is part of the solution to a very large and complicated problem.
I’m so looking forward to the Art Star Craft Bazaar in Asbury Park because the maker community here at the beach is so inviting and we’re sure to have a good time! Come by and say hello to my sister Leah (who is a printmaker and bookbinder) and me while we’re smushed in a booth together and chat with us about happy handmade things!

In the meantime, feel free to check out my Instagram and my Etsy Shop!

July 14, 2016
Meet The Maker: Daniel Jones of TAKE IT or LEAF IT

Greetings world, my name is Daniel jones and I run TAKE IT or LEAF IT. we make funky plant fixtures and furniture for your home or workplace.

Made from old cedar wood someone tore out of a home on my street, these honeycomb shelves are perfect for any rock collector, airplant enthusiast, or just someone with a knack for knick-knacks. Each individual hexagon is 2.75″ in diameter.

Nearly everything we sell comes from recycled refuse, or simple construction materials, and is entirely hand made. The main materials I work with right now are wood, concrete, and copper.

Tools of the Trade

I have been making things with my hands since high school, but have only been running this business for about two years. I live in ocean city, NJ about a block off the beach, and do all my work from my tiny apartment. Im currently fixing air conditioners and heaters on the island as my day job, but plan on taking the shop mobile for fall and winter across the country in a big ol van. We have lots of new items in the works for this year, and we may just be rolling through your town pretty soon so keep an open eye out for any suspicious looking vans.

Enjoy some eye candy of TAKE IT or LEAF IT’s line of home goods.

Find TAKE IT or LEAF IT online HERE or at our upcoming Art Star Craft Bazaar in Asbury Park, NJ!

July 12, 2016
Upcoming Exhibition: Night Garden by Christine Lindstrom

Night Garden by Christine Lindstrom

May 21st – July 17th , 2016

Opening Reception: Saturday, May 21st from 6-8pm

Art Star is pleased to present a solo exhibition with Asbury Park, NJ based artist, Christine Lindstrom of Mai Autumn. The show, titled “Night Garden” will include the artist’s latest series of watercolor and acrylic paintings. The exhibition will be on view from May 21^st – July 17^th 2016. There will be an opening reception with the artist on Saturday, May 21^st from 6-8pm. The reception is free and open to the public and will include light refreshments.

Christine Lindstrom creates illustrations under the name Mai Autumn for her collection of art, stationery and surface patterns. Mainly working in watercolor and acrylic, her work takes on an ethereal quality that has been described as dreamlike. Her main inspiration stems from memories from childhood, where her afternoons were spent exploring the forest and letting her imagination form a mysterious bond with the magic of nature and the unknown. Each piece has a sense of a hidden memory that has been tucked away and not fully visible.

The artist states, “With this collection of paintings, I am attempting to capture a sense of emotions and dreams through color and form. If I could project my imagination onto a wall, I am engulfed in a summer garden at night, surrounded by the shadows of flowers, their luxurious smells, and sounds that I cannot find their origin. Each piece may either represent a dream, or the glimmers of the garden itself in the dark. Oftentimes, our minds create an interchangeable reality that is difficult to separate from the imagination. These pieces are meant to blur the lines between what is real and what is imagined.”

Christine has been painting all her life and went on to study at Savannah College of Art and Design, as well as Monmouth University, where she received her BA degree in art in 2008. Her work is sold through many national and international retailers. She previously curated the critically acclaimed handmade collective, Fey Handmade. Her illustrations have been published in the books, I Heart Stationery and The Custom Art Collection – Art for the Contemporary Home. Her curatorial and illustration work have received praise from Lucky Magazine, Real Simple, Southern Living, Dwell Magazine, and Apartment Therapy, among many other prominent publications and websites. She currently lives in Asbury Park, NJ with her beautiful one-eyed cat, Boo. This is her first solo exhibition.

May 11, 2016
Meet The Maker: Maris Hare of Naturalists Cabinet

Hi! I’m Maris, and I’m the creator of Naturalists Cabinet. I make nature inspired necklaces, earrings, cuff links, and tie tacks from basswood. I use wood burning pens to draw each piece by hand, and paint them with inks and liquid acrylics.

The name Naturalists Cabinet was inspired by what’s known as a cabinet of curiosities, which are showcases for nature specimens. They were very popular in the Victorian era, when people of all backgrounds were fascinated by the natural world, and would build collections to display in their homes. Most of my jewelry depicts plants, small animals, insects, reminiscent of the types of things found in a naturalist’s cabinet. I really enjoy creating pieces featuring things that a lot of people may overlook or wouldn’t think of as beautiful, like seed pods or mating slugs, to hopefully make people reconsider them from a new perspective.

I spent my childhood playing in the woods, wading in ponds, and digging for fossils in the back yard. (We hit a layer of concrete about four feet down once, and were convinced we hit the next layer of the earth’s crust.) I went to the University of the Arts for illustration and design after considering studying biology, and most of what I make still tends to be centered around my interest in science. I’ve frequently had a hard time sticking with a specific medium or project long enough to get a good body of work started or a book finished. A changing moment for me was learning to work with this trait rather than try to force myself to be more disciplined. I realized I needed to have many different components to one piece, which led me, somehow, to the idea of making jewelry using a variety of materials and tools. After trying a number of other directions, I remembered the scroll saw and a wood burner I had as a kid, and thought it may be the perfect way to bring more drawing into the process. Also, I’ve come to the conclusion that I gravitate towards things that can permanently damage my fingers…

So a few years ago, I dug my saw out of my parents tool garage, bought a fancy adult level wood burning system, and slowly figured out the rest of the pieces. I’ve been building the collection I have today for about a year, and started showing craft events last summer. Now, I get to come up with new designs all the time, sand wood, saw, draw with hot things, paint, drill, and I actually have a reason to buy fancy papers and beads, so I haven’t gotten bored yet!

My studio space is in the apartment I share with my husband and our bird, Turnip, in West Philly. I absolutely love having my workspace at home. I strive to run my business as earth friendly as possible. Our whole apartment is run on wind energy through a third party supplier, and all the materials I use are recycled or sustainable, including the packaging, and I use cruelty-free animal parts, a lot of which I prepare myself. (People love bringing me dead things.) And a piece of paper containing wildflower seeds is included with each box!

Since I was young, I’ve felt a responsibility to do at least my small part to contribute to wildlife protection. Part of the motivation for starting this business was to be able to donate part of my profits to environmental conservation. 10% of everything I sell is donated to an organization that corresponds to each piece. These are the Nature Conservancy, the Arbor Day Foundation, Ocean Conservancy, The Xerces Society, and Bat Conservation International. I’ve chosen these groups because they use their donations honestly and effectively, are committed to using methods based in science and research, and they work to educate and engage the communities surrounding their projects in a sensitive manner. I hope people will be inspired to learn more about conservation, and think about how they can use their own skills to help the environment, even if it doesn’t seem to be connected at first, like making jewelry.

I’m really excited to be a part of one of my favorite craft shows in Philly! Come visit me at booth #49 and geek out with me over science!

May 3, 2016
Meet Our Sponsor: Butcher’s Sew Shop

We are so thrilled to welcome Butcher’s Sew Shop as one our Art Star Craft Bazaar sponsors this year! The ladies behind this sewing studio in the Italian Market are here to tell you all about what they offer. I can’t wait to take a class with them myself. They will be set up at our bazaar, demonstrating sewing techniques and I also hear you can enter a raffle at their booth to win a class. I’m in!! ~ Megan

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Words and Photos by Amalia Petherbridge and Andrea Brown of Butcher’s Sew Shop.

A handmade garment has a story to tell. Each step of the process is its own feat, from sourcing the perfect fabric, to painstakingly laying out and measuring your pattern pieces, to stitching and restitching until the seam is finally straight, to getting that hem nice and even. Then, there’s the fact that there’s no better feeling than getting a compliment on one of your handmade duds and having the chance to reply, “Hey, I made this!” That’s the experience we hope to pass onto others by teaching the art of sewing at Butcher’s Sew Shop.

Butcher’s Sew Shop hosts classes for adults and kids on a quiet corner (in a former butcher shop) in the Italian Market neighborhood at 800 S. 8th Street. The majority of our workshops focus on garment making using modern patterns and professional techniques, but we also love teaching things like quilting and bag making. Our goal is to foster a non-intimidating environment for learning and problem solving, and to inspire people to build a handmade everyday wardrobe that rivals the fit and finish of any store-bought clothing. Our sister program, Sew Philly, runs after-school and summer camp programs for children ages 5 through 14 in the same space.

We have workshops for women and men, from the novice to the experienced sewer. There are ongoing courses that teach foundational skills, such as the Sewing 101 class that teaches students how to thread and operate a sewing machine, how to cut fabric on-grain, and how to sew a two-toned bag with a zipper, lining, hardware and topstitching. Our upper level classes focus on dressmaking, fitting, patternmaking, casual menswear and more. We also host workshops focused on seasonal specific items–like swimwear in the summer (coming up!) and wool coats in winter.

At the start of our beginner-level Sewing 101 class, we ask students why they want to learn to sew. For many, it is a sentimental reason; they grew up with family members who sewed or they learned long ago as a child, and they feel inspired to pick up the lost craft. Many want to learn for more practical reasons, such as altering store-bought clothing to fit their bodies. Others have stressful careers and are looking for a creative outlet. Whatever the reason, our goal is for students to leave our classes feeling productive, proud and accomplished.

For us, learning to sew is one way that we can feel more connected to the production process of our clothing. As a culture, many of us spend most of our days consuming physical things or consuming media, and spend very little time creating anything tangible or thinking about the origin of the items we wear and use. We’re proud to be building a community of people in Philly who can appreciate and understand first-hand the craftsmanship that goes into creating handmade pieces.

We’d love for you to join us for a class! If you’d like to learn more about Butcher’s Sew Shop and the classes we offer, visit butcherssewshop.com, follow us on Instagram at @butcherssewshop, or come stop by booth #70 at the 2016 Art Star Craft Bazaar. Our children’s sewing programs can also be found at sewphilly.com. Thanks for reading!

Butcher’s Sew Shop
800 S. 8th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19147

May 2, 2016
Meet the Maker: Esther Yaloz of Planetarium

Hi I’m Esther – My business is called PLANETARIUM and I make hand crafted textiles. I screen print my botanical inspired patterns and craft them into different items, reflecting the natural beauty of wildflowers. Everything is made by hand with detail that aspire to capture the essence of the various plants I illustrate.

I’m enchanted by the vitality of wildflowers. They often struggle to survive in inclement weather and neglected spaces, yet return year after year. This resilience, and the fact that they are often ignored, drew me to use them as a central motif in my prints. My flower patterns are sometimes jumbled as in nature, sometimes arranged, and sometimes fashioned into shapes of birds or hearts.

While growing up in a farming village in northern Israel, I loved to walk in the surrounding fields among the wildflowers, collecting samples along the way. Later, as a young design student, majoring in textile design, these wildflowers became the inspiration for many of my textile prints. After graduating I went on to work for a large textile company which sourced out all of its production. Longing to print my own pieces, I took a leap of faith, and with my husband, Ofir, an industrial designer and Sam our dog, we moved to my mother’s childhood home in Elmira, NY. Here, we started Planetarium Design, Ofir building the studio and display furniture and me printing away.

The business is ecologically oriented. The dyes are water based I hand print all of my designs on 100% natural fabrics, either cotton or silk. I really enjoy making functional art. Among my designs you can find dish towels, tank tops, bags of all sorts – from makeup to elegant evening clutches, cotton and silk scarves, pillows, and wall hangings. A great deal of importance is placed on the uniqueness of each and every item (having a different pattern for each piece). I print, dye, and sew everything by hand. Transforming raw materials into a unique final product is a magical process.

We’re excited to be participating at the upcoming Art Star Craft Bazaar – it will be our first time in the show and visiting Philadelphia! Booth # 106 see ya soon 🙂

April 26, 2016
Meet the Maker: Kelly Killagain

Hello! My name is Kelly Colligan, but I’m known as Kelly Killagain. I am a tattoo artist at 777 Tattoos in Manahawkin, NJ, but I identify as a maker of all sorts. Born and raised in South Jersey, I was always chomping at the bit to make art and spread it like wild fire. I studied Fine Arts at Moore College of Art & Design in Philadelphia where I produced a breadth of work that revolved around a common theme of anthrozoology, or the study of the interactions and relationships between humans and animals. My choice of medium is constantly changing depending on what I want to accomplish or what materials I have at my disposal.

After a week of commissioned drawings that I tattoo onto trusting clients, it’s nice taking a break from gloves and getting my hands dirty. I’ve always found clay to be intuitive. I usually dive into sculptures with only a loose plan because the clay likes to inform my decisions. Sculpting is no different from sketching with pencil and paper; every mark helps explore new possibilities.

I’ve had to become resourceful in my kiln-less suburbia after college, so I currently sculpt small with Polymer Clay and then make a silicone mold for resin casting (which I ironically have to put my gloves back on for). These multiples are best described as designer/art toys. I typically do limited runs of colors/variants, so they are very much like three dimensional prints.

I work out of my home studio alongside my partner in crime, Michael Lamezec. He’s been incredibly supportive of me and my work, especially when he agrees to help pour resin at all hours of the night, or when he works on digital files because I’m still trying to remember how to copy and paste. (Exaggeration of course, Mike is just really talented).

Although I am known for my small sculptures, I also oil paint and make pen and ink drawings. Animal skulls have always been my favorite muse. The challenge of articulating each piece is exciting, but I really enjoy the areas where I can exaggerate different hues or textures. After spending hours on a painting the bones no longer are dead animals, but they become mysterious landscapes with twists and turns. Mike and I recently turned an old bedroom into an office where we are lucky enough make our own prints using a wide format printer.

Over the years I’ve been able absorb the advice of all my mentors and realize that anything is possible as long as you have the drive to do it. I am extremly excited to be a part of this year’s Spring Art Star Craft Bazaar for the very first time. Be sure to visit me at booth #102!

April 21, 2016
Meet the Maker: Nicole and Luke of vestige HOME

vestige HOME a creative brother and sister duo
words and photos by vestige HOME

We moved around quite a bit growing up and learned to rely on our own ingenuity and creativity for entertainment. Tinkering, exploring, and creating with our hands was a daily activity. We both joined the service after high school, Luke enlisted in the Coast Guard and Nicole joined the Navy through ROTC. Many different jobs and years later, we find ourselves tapping into the strengths of one another and building a small business. It’s a bit of a unique setup and thanks to the Internet, FaceTime, and modern shipping services, we make it work. Luke works out of his studio in Oakland, California and Nicole works out of her studio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with each of us visiting every few months to share time in the studio together and participate in shows.

Photo by Lauren Gibson Photography

We create functional pieces that we hope will encourage people to cook, gather, and make their homes a more beautiful sanctuary. We believe that handmade goods offer a deeper connection than those that are mass-produced. The special care taken in creating unique pieces and supporting a local, creative community adds a richness to our lives.

Photo by Lauren Gibson Photography

We work in a wide variety of mediums and we both enjoy exploring and continually learning new things. Every day is different as we juggle the administrative activities of running a business as well as designing, prototyping, testing and producing our pieces. Wood, metal, and a bit of textiles are the mediums that we are currently working in.

We strive to give our customers the best experience possible. Thoughtful touches like gift wrapping our shipments and including a handwritten note are a standard part of how we do business. We are always grateful when a customer decides to purchase a piece from us that they will either give as a special gift to someone or cherish in their own homes.

For more sneak-peeks and behind the scenes content follow vestige HOME on Instagram @vestigehome, and for more info, check out www.vestige-home.com We look forward to seeing you at the vestige HOME booth #79 this Mother’s Day weekend!

April 14, 2016