So the big news is real, I’m in New York Magazine! The Best Bets section this week features Brooklyn Flea and I was chosen as a featured vendor (thanks again Eric!). Its seriously exciting stuff for a number of reasons and just all around makes my week! I haven’t picked up the hard copy yet, but here’s the direct link to the article and to my featured item. Its tagged as Birch, but is also my own piece from my Gavin&Lily line of jewelry, so like double awesome!
If you’re interested in buying the Peony Necklace before the Flea (its handmade by me, but not one of a kind, so there will be more!) shoot me an email at info at gavinandlily.com and let me know. I’ll be posting it in my Etsy shop hopefully by tomorrow, but I’m happy to take your order now.
Thank you again to Eric from Brooklyn Flea and Liz Brown from NY Magazine!
Oh, and there was a quick mention of Brooklyn Flea in the NY Times Real Estate Section yesterday (Sunday) in an article about Clinton Hill, the next neighborhood over from Fort Greene where the Flea will be happening. So yeah, that’s pretty awesome too.
Original post:
New York Magazine!!!
No, I haven’t fallen off the face of the Earth and Birch has not gone out of business. I’m taking a somewhat unplanned hiatus for the month of March. With my parents gone in Sicily for the month (altogether now…LUCKIES!!!) it puts a bit of a crimp in the childcare scenario. Add to that a little personal travel time and what you’d call in the 9-to-5 world, a few “mental health” days, it pretty much turns into a month of the store being closed. PLUS, I’m posting to you live and direct from the Albany, NY Apple store while I wait for my Genius Bar appointment to replace the harddrive in our laptop. This has meant no internet access for little ole’ me for about a week now. I swear, the fun just never stops! But, I’m spending this time formulating some exciting plans, so its not all for naught.PLUS PLUS PLUS…stay tuned early next week for some very exciting press for Birch AND for Gavin&Lily. I tend toward the superstitious type so I’m not naming names just yet, but its some really exciting stuff and I’ve even talked to the fact checker, which is usually a good sign. I’ll let you all know what’s up as soon as it hits the newstands!Much love.
Read more here:
I?m Alive!
This month’s challenge was to pay homage to where you currently live or where you hail from! For example…
What special characteristics is your town known for?
Are you lucky enough to claim fame to the world’s largest ball of twine?
What do you think of when you consider what your town represents, what you’re most proud of, what you think is unique about your town?
Entrants could interpret this challenge in any way they saw fit and execute it with any craft techniques they desired!
Our winner was krtek with her entry titled, “Hamburg Ahoi!”
krtek embroidered and appliqued this amazing jacket in tribute to Hamburg, Germany. To see all of her project details, inspiration and more photos, follow this link: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=231541.0
krtek is the winner of one issue of The Sampler!
The Sampler is a super fun marketing & promotional tool for indie businesses. Each month, independent crafters, artists, shops, zines and record labels who run web-based businesses send samples and promotional materials to a contribution pool. All the samples are photographed, posted to the site and then are portioned out, put in little packages and sent off to Sampler Subscribers, other Sampler Contributors and members of the Media all over the world!
Here’s an example of one The Sampler package! Each shipment is different, so who knows just what goodies krtek will get!
And here are a few of my personal favorites in this challenge!!
LauPre created this guitar case titled, “Biking in PDX Guitar Case” to pay homage to Portland, Oregon, the No. 1 cycling city in America (according to Cycling Magazine, that is!).
Check out her whole project here: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=231949.0
eternallyeve designed and painted this oil on canvas piece titled, “Green and Gold” to pay homage to the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.
The size of this image doesn’t do her project justice at all. Please visit her project thread here for more photos and details: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=231911.0
Follow this link to check out all of the creative entries this month! http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=224678.0
Thanks to The Sampler for the prize donation this month and thanks to ALL of the entrants — another great challenge!
More:
Craft Challenge #25 - Represent Your Hometown
Bumbershoot, North America’s largest Arts and Music Festival is still taking applications for 2008! The deadline is March 28, so get yours in soon!
Here’s a bit from Bumbershoot:
Attention Indie Market Vendors!
Bumbershoot®: Seattle’s Music & Arts Festival is now accepting applications for Bumbershoot’s Indie Market.
Bumbershoot is North America’s largest annual urban arts and music festival. Scheduled over Labor Day weekend in Seattle, Bumbershoot offers its 150,000 festival-goers an engaging mix of entertainment and spectacle with more than 250 scheduled events in 20 indoor and outdoor venues. Learn more about this internationally acclaimed festival at bumbershoot.org.
The Indie Market is Bumbershoot’s arena for independent artists, designers, crafters, and retailers who break the mold of the traditional craft fair. It’s a distinctive marketplace that speaks to Bumbershoot’s young, urban audience – a colorful and varied display of handmade crafts, original designs, everyday art, and inventive retail style.
If you are a craftastic entrepreneur or an independent retailer who supports indie craft artists, we want you to apply by March 28th! This is an incredible opportunity to be involved in one of Seattle’s biggest gathering of artists and tastemakers. We encourage artists working in either new or traditional forms to apply. All types of work will be considered, with the exception of pre-recorded music, food, and beverage. Please note that T-shirts may be sold at Bumbershoot only with specific approval.
Festival Dates: Saturday, August 30 – Monday, September 1, 2008
Application Deadline: March 28, 2008
Vendor Operating Hours: 11 AM – 9:00 PM (later in some cases)
To get an application for the Indie Market, follow this link: http://bumbershoot.org/_pdf/Indie_Market_App.pdf
The rest is here:
Bumbershoot Still Taking Applications
I am proud to announce officially that I’ll be taking part in an amazing project being organized in Fort Greene Brooklyn called Brooklyn Flea. Its going to be held Sundays starting April 6th and is shaping up to be the most amazing weekly outdoor market thats hit NY since the dearly departed 26th Street Flea Market. A mix of vintage, architectural salvage, handmade goods, a special design*sponge section promises to make for some great post-brunch browsing (and shopping!!!).
Located at the Bishop Loughlin schoolyard on Lafayette Avenue in Fort Greene (map) a 40,000-square-foot space, located just a block from Dekalb Ave’s “brunch row”.
I’m going to be doing double duty there, selling my jewelry line Gavin&Lily as well as my stockpile of vintage housewares and furniture that I’ve been collecting in my rambles through the Hudson Valley. Mid-century design has been a long-time love of mine. I’d say it started with a pair of Saarinen chairs procured about 7 years ago for an unreasonably low price, and no, they will not be sold, EVER. I’m going to be incorporating more vintage into Birch as well so as always, if you’re in the area or planning a visit, you can get a sneak peak of the kinds of things that I’ll be shleping down to my old hood starting in April.
Also, as a side not, this will mean that Birch will be closed Sunday’s for a few weeks (in April) until I get into the groove with things and decide if I’m going to hire someone to work Sunday’s at the store. I’m currently accepting applications so if you live in the area and are looking for a part time gig working for a really cool boss 
email me your resume at info (at) birchhandmade dot com.
Source:
Brooklyn Flea
