Hello there.  Welcome to my first featured guest blog post here at Hello Bluebird!  Before we get started I thought I would introduce myself: my name is Amanda and I run a blog  rhymes with oranges.  I love to create things (especially crafty things) with my hands so as you can imagine I was thrilled when Alex asked me to come along with her for an adventure this past weekend to a Pennsylvania mecca for handmade goods!  This past weekend was the annual Art Star Craft Bazaarat Philadelphia’s lovely Penn Landing by the Delaware River featuring high-end handmade goods.  This show is the brainchild of Erin Waxman and Megan Brewster who own the Art Star Gallery and Boutique in the Northern Liberties district of Philadelphia.

The weather was gorgeous with a side of uncooperative wind – but  overall, it was a great way to spend a Saturday.  As I mentioned earlier, I was fortunate enough to be both a vendor side-kick and a regular fair-going attendee.  The side-kick duties included the usual loading/unloading, fitting (cramming) as much stuff into the bed of a truck as possible, drinking coffee every 2 hours in all forms (hot, iced, lukewarm if desperate), yelling at the wind (yep), modeling jewelry and helping customers (my favorite part!).  For the other part of my day at Art Star, that is the regular fair-going attendee part, I walked around for a couple hours ogling at all of the booths and goods.

As I walked from booth to booth admiring all of the marvelous things, I kept having that “if only I had $1,000 to spend” feeling, but alas I was armed with a budget and determination to spend it on a few modest items I couldn’t live without.  My purchases included a woodblock print from the kind people at Tugboat Printshop, a vintage screen-printed tee from Red Prarie Press, and a unique lotus necklace from Gretchen Diehl at Bird Queen Designs.  I should also mention as a treat for my side-kick hustling, I scored a mini cactus garden made by My Santo (thanks Alex!).

The sunny conditions made for fantastic photograhs all day long, but as I write this post I realize I was so swept away with all of the merchandise and booths that I forgot to ask vendors if I could photograph their stuff!  So here are a couple of other places you can find great pictures/reviews of the event:

• Indie Fixx – Art Star Craft Bazaar Post 1
• Indie Fixx – Art Star Craft Bazaar Post 2
• Amelia Irene

Thanks to Alex for  bringing me along for the adventure!

As many of my customers have (hopefully) figured out by now, I am a girl with a shop on a mission: Hello Bluebird is here to promote creativity, art, sustainability, and community-minded thinking.  In the spirit of this endeavor, we have partnered with some like-hearted neighbors in an effort to give back to the town that supports us.

Look Good. Feel Good. Do GOOD.

You are invited to join us for this special Mother’s Day event, which will benefit Friend, Inc. Community Services, a non-profit agency in Kutztown that serves families and individuals living in poverty in Northeaster Berks County. The event will be held on Thursday May 6^th from 4-8 PM, and will coincide with the popular First Thursday festivities on Penn Avenue, when customers can enjoy live music, special events, and extended hours at participating West Reading merchants.

Hello Bluebird has teamed up with our neighbors Lilibea’s and On the Fringe to offer an evening of indulgences and special treats just in time to kick off Mothers’ Day weekend. Activities will include a trunk show by a local jewelry artist, in-store manicure courtesy of On the Fringe, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, a hands-on craft workshop, lingerie fittings, giveaways and door prizes.

The shop will be open to the public, but the $10 ticket purchase will allow access to all featured activities and prizes.  This special event will be hosted by Hello Bluebird at 609 Penn Avenue, West Reading, and free lingerie fittings and additional refreshments will be offered at LiliBea’s at 613 Penn Avenue. Both businesses will donate a percentage of our sales to Friends, Inc.

Bring your sisters, daughters, mothers or friends and enjoy a night out—for a good cause!

It is late (early?) and a week to end all weeks.  Tax deadlines are approaching, school has been out all week (equals Finn has had to endure full days with Mommy at the shop), there is a mountain of laundry to be washed and packed before we leave for a weekend trip to Virginia, and end-of-the-month bills and paperwork are upon me.  If March came in like a lamb (and didn’t we love every sunny minute of it?), then this is the lion!  If I was gnashing my teeth and hiding under my covers, it could actually be forgivable.

Except that today, the last whiff of March, was a banner day.  After a dismal stretch of rain, cold, wind and winter’s last hurrah, today the sun came out, the coats came off, the front door swung open to the street and–well, that’s not even the best of it.

Today, my first born little girl turned 11!  She celebrated with donuts for her classroom, a half-day of school, and then a very grownup trip to the salon (On the Fringe–I wholeheartedly recommend them!).  Dinner out (her choice), cake and presents and old family friends.  Next weekend is her “for friends” party–I can’t wait to post a recap.  Our parties have themes and usually request costumes and other foolish acts of our guests, and this year’s theme is one of my favorites!

Also, the shop was featured on Scoutie Girl with a wonderful write up for the new series “best of the bricks!”  Obviously, “brick and mortar” shops hold a special place in my heart–so hop on over and take a look at the article and past features, leave a comment and let Khristian and Tara know if there are any bricks in your town that deserve a shout-out!

So, goodbye winter, march, taxes, laundry, lions, lent…Hello new world, new life, new month, new decade!

Inside: Or too many friends. (Positively Green card, avail. at Hello Bluebird $2.95)

I may have mentioned at least a few times that one of the most rewarding parts of owning this shop is getting to meet so many “kindred spirits,” and providing a connection point where their diverse styles and personalities can come together in a united vision.  This is what lies at the heart of the indie handmade movement, in my opinion–this idea that business can follow a new model, that it isn’t just about dollars and cents.  Yes, the rent must be paid, but, at the end of the day, what I really hope to achieve is creating a “hub” where artists and dreamers can interact, share their gifts, and be met, understood, and enjoyed by the public.  It’s really all about community.

Good food, good friends, and good finds. Just part of your average day at Hello Bluebird!

This past Sunday, Hello Bluebird was the host location for what was dubbed by HB artist, Stephanie Corfee, on Facebook as “Face-to-Face Craftaganza.”.  It started out as a very small meetup idea, dreamt up by a handful of crafty gals on twitter.  I must confess, when I saw the online chatter about a handmade meetup in West Reading, I was eager to get involved, and offered to host the get-together at Hello Bluebird.  An impressive 20 ladies gathered, potluck style, to eat pastries, sip mimosas and coffee, exchange names and ideas, and generally reach out to bring some of the networking and relationship building out of the internet and into the light of an overcast Sunday morning.  The sun was certainly shining in Hello Bluebird!

Worlds collided–old friends met new friends, “cyber” friends met each other face-to-face, and “real-life’ friends met the online community.  In the end, we commemorated the event the best way we know how: with a crafty swap!  I was the proud recipient of a pouch of goodies made by one of Hello Bluebird’s bestselling jewelry artists, Tami Hornidge of Pink Andie, as well as a headband made by Melissa K., a local seller at the shop.

Lucky me! Now I just have to keep Eden from stealing these! Ring, pouch, and hair pin by Pink Andie. Headband by Melissa K.

I do want to thank the ladies of twitter for allowing me to host this event at the shop–I hope it is the first of many, and would love to get my customers in on the fun sometime soon, too!  I also want to publically thank my amazing landlord, Joseph Cacchione of Joseph Roberts Clotheir for letting us use his beautiful space (upstairs at HB), and Erica Steffy of Double Dutch for helping me to clean up and for the being the best BFF a girl could ask for.  Make new friends–but keep the old for when the guests have all gone home!

(credit where it’s due: Tara of Scoutie Girl, a local blogger, posted some of the photos I have included, as well as Stephanie Corfee, who posted hers on Facebook.  MY camera sat lonely on a windowsill while I fussed over making sure people were comfortable, knew where to put their coats, and–to my surprise and delight–picked out some “souvenirs” from the shop!)

Image courtesy of Poketo.com

Functional art that adds a spot of brilliant creativity to your everyday life.  Need I say more?

Oh, yes, and I should also add: boys like them.  Finally, something for the lads at Hello Bluebird!  We even have tees in UNISEX.  The future’s looking pretty bright!  Equal opportunity abounds at Hello Bluebird!

Now for the nitty gritty: Poketo ( POH-KAY-TOH) is an LA-based designer of limited-edition art accessories, prints, and decor.  Poketo promotes the work of top international artists by showcasing original artwork through their fun and accessible wares. Poketo takes art off of gallery walls and makes them a part of your everyday life.

Poketo’s Philosophy: In Their Words (quoted from their website):

As a part of the art community Ted, filmmaker and Angie, graphic designer were always curating shows for artist friends. The shows were a lot of fun and brought tons of people together. But there was one problem. No one could afford to buy the art displayed. For this reason, Ted and Angie came up with an affordable solution to satisfy everyone’s art lust. They created limited-edition artist wallets that were accessible and well designed so that no one would be without a piece of art of their own.

Stuff Boys Like: Sci-fi! Octopi! Rayguns! Coffee!!

Poketo has currently collaborated with over 200 international artists and has been commissioned by San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, The De Young Museum, Nike and bands like The Arcade Fire, Weezer, The Shins and more to create exclusive products. Ted and Angie have conducted design seminars for Parsons School of Design and served as guest jurors for American Illustration’s Annual 27. And in 2008, Poketo was invited to participate in the Glasgow International Festival, Scotland’s equivalent to the Whitney Biennial.

Poketo Tees (artist: Melissa Contreras), now available at Hello Bluebird (S,M,L)

Poketo has been featured in press internationally: The New York Times Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Entertainment Weekly, How Magazine, Dwell Magazine, Real Simple, Bon Appetit, and on ABC’s Eye on LA, and E-Network and more.

Pretty cool, huh?  Find them right here in West Reading, PA at Hello Bluebird!

Poketo Wallet (artist: Lisa Congdon)

Poketo Wallet (artist: Catherine Campbell)

Poketo Wallet (artist: Luke Ramsey)

Poketo Wallet (artist: Jayme McGowen)

]]> http://hellobluebird.net/introducing-poketo-art-for-your-everyday/feed/ 1 http://hellobluebird.net/skeem-candle-casting-some-light-into-the-dark-days-of-winter/ http://hellobluebird.net/skeem-candle-casting-some-light-into-the-dark-days-of-winter/#comments Fri, 19 Feb 2010 04:57:55 +0000 admin http://hellobluebird.net/?p=394

Philly-based Skeem candles, now available at Hello Bluebird!

Just when I think I have the shop packed as tight as I can get it with unique, artist driven goodies, another box of gorgeousness arrives!  We have several new arrivals this week, which I’ll be highlighting over the next few days.

Yesterday, I unpacked and made way for four boxes filled with vibrant patterns and delicious scents that could brighten any grey, February day!  Skeem candles to the winter rescue!

Graphic designer Geoff Weiser and former retail buyer, Suji Meswani, are the co-owners of Skeem Candles. Prior to launching the Skeem brand in 2004, this Philadelphia-based husband and wife team did more than a year of research and development to perfect the wax formulation, develop the scents and colors and, of course, create the candles themselves.  ”Skeem”  is a play on words: the company is named after the couple’s “scheme” to break free from the corporate world! The rich, colorful designs and unique long-lasting scents are inspired by their vast travels which include three to four annual trips to exotic locales such as, India, Costa Rica, and Thailand.

Skeem 3-wick Water Jasmine scented candle (80 hour burn time)

IN THEIR WORDS: SKEEM’S PHILOSOPHY:
We’ve never understood the plain-ivory-candle-in-the-fancy-box thing. Isn’t it a bit of a let down when you open it up, and the box, which is the nicest part, is just trash? We’ve thoughtfully designed all our products so they are beautiful and reusable. Everything we sell is made in the USA. Our candles are silk-screened, then poured with our custom soy wax blend to ensure a clean, even burn. Once the wax has burned down, our pillars are reusable as drinking glasses. We also encourage you to reuse our 3-wick containers for things like holding cotton balls, paper clips, or even as a sugar jar. Our perfumes are long lasting Eau de Parfums, rather than toilettes, meaning they are more concentrated and a little goes a long way…In addition to making beautiful, long-lasting products, we’re proud to have done our little part to manufacture products that can be re-used and recycled. It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.

"Snuggle Up" Print by Verity Kizek, available at Hello Bluebird

First, let me just say that it is SNOWING.  Right now.  Again.  Are the 3-4 piles in front of my house not good enough?  If things keep on this way, there won’t be enough wine, butter, or chocolate left to keep me sane.  My kids MUST return to school TOMORROW!

We enjoyed a pleasant, albeit quick, Valentine’s weekend.  Taking advantage of the brief break in this weather, my mom and her fiance came to visit.  It was a bright spot in this seemingly endless winter!  They left early this afternoon to return home to Virginia, trying to beat the snowfall.  Winter: I am feeling a little bitter.  A weekend with my momma is NEVER long enough as it is!!

Alice in Wonderland Scrabble Tile Bracelet by BB Bellezza

Before leaving,  we popped over to the shop this afternoon so Mom could pick out her (belated? well, yes…) Christmas present.  After many many try-ons and a pile of tempting options, she settled on a scrabble tile bracelet and a pair of czech glass earrings, both made by Lancaster-based jewelry artist, Kimberly Burkhart of BBBellezza!  The coolest part about her selection is that I actually requested the “Alice”-themed jewelry with thoughts of my mother in mind!  She instilled an early love for the illustrations in the Lewis Carroll classic, which have probably influenced my current love of  quirky, darkly whimsical art.

It was great to be able to send my momma off with a PA-made trinket.  She said she’ll have such fun wearing it–these days, she might as well rename it her “Alice in a Winter Wonderland” bracelet!

Vintage frames become beautiful magnetic memo boards, by Vintage Jane.

Looking back, it was so easy the first time!  I had a gallery theme, “Show and Tell,” to use as my centerpiece, and a the shop was a blank slate!  Using words, text, and inspiration as my guide, I filled the shiny, new space with mantras and words to live by, laugh at, or linger over.

Heading into this new season, I don’t have a specific gallery theme to guide me, and I also face a strange fear that I won’t be able to have the same magical success that I enjoyed during my first few months!  As a shop owner, I find myself questioning, “What if I have no idea what made it work the first time?  Can I do it all again?”

Some of the changes at Hello Bluebird...

My inspiration for February came from a random customer, an older woman, who spied some handmade ribbon-and-button ornaments by Kerri of A Little Sparkle.  She exclaimed, “Oh my goodness!  Are those Surprise Balls?!!”

Surprise balls (plus new bags from Dahling Accessories of Philly!)...

I, bewildered, explained that they were ornaments…but, of course, I was hooked!  Surprise balls?  What are those??  They sound super fun!!  She explained that, as a girl growing up in the area, she used to save her allowance to buy a “surprise ball” from the corner store.  ”Surprise balls” offer a miniature scavenger hunt in your hand, with a dozen or so small prizes wrapped in layers of crepe paper, wound around and around into a ball, and then decorated with ribbon, paper, flowers, and other embellishments.  Lovely!

Google to the rescue, I decided that I either needed to find someone out there who is making them, or find a way to make them myself!  Lo and behold, they seem to have made the craft circuit a bit, popping up in blogs and shops such as Not Martha, Kiosk, and Oh Happy Day, among others, each with their own take on how to make your own.  I learned that these little treasures are also given at special holidays, or played as a game, with each child unwinding a toy and then passing it to the next child, and so on, until the last child “wins” by getting the last, best prize in the middle!  What fun!!

Retro-inspired bird whistles at Hello Bluebird!

I found a source for Surprise Balls, handmade in the USA, and my theme for February!  With thoughts of the corner shop in mind, I am filling the shop with retro-inspired prizes, glass jars of plastic bird whistles (an old favorite, of course!), homemade marshmallows stacked on cake plates and filling glass bowls, cupcakes and gum ball-inspired bath bombs, paper pinwheels and party tins, and–well, you’ll just have to come in to see for yourself…

I wouldn’t want to TOTALLY spoil the surprise!  *wink*

A few more photos of our newest indie goods...

Upcycled Youth Sweater by Vals Art Studio

Valerie Rosenthal Hebert is a fiber artist and painter from Southern California, who loves working in wool, and wearing it too! “Even though I live in Coronado (just across the bridge from San Diego), I live near the beach, so I wear wool nearly year round. Wool is also my medium of choice, it makes for a versatile canvas on which I stitch my art.” Val’s artist style was hatched at a young age, while watching her mother at her crafting table. Sewing and needlepointing as a child turned into painting and crafting in fiber as a life long hobby. Three years ago, Val started her company, Val’s Art Studio, as a need for fueling her creativity, but also out of a desire to be home with her growing boys. “I promised myself that one day I’d make cute clothes for boys, because when my boys were young, most everything cute was for girls.” Val’s refashioned sweaters are embellished with needle felted “paintings”. Each sweater is one of a kind and completely unique. Each is a work of art.

Some of the gorgeous upcycled, felted sweaters by Val's Art Studio, available at Hello Bluebird.

Along with children’s clothes, Val creates women’s purses, pillows for the home, scarves and wrist warmers, among many other items, all from recycled wool. Val has recently been published in several Somerset Publications, including Altered Couture and Haute Handbags. Future publications include Jewelry Affaire and Somerset Home, and San Diego Home and Garden Magazine.

We are happy to include Val in our pool of very talented artists here at Hello Bluebird.  Once the plows have made their merry journey and you’ve shoveled your sidewalks like good little citizens, we invite you to come in and check out the latest arrivals from Val’s Art Studio!

Bee Happy print by Melanie Linder of Spread the Love (available at Hello Bluebird matted or framed)

We have been busy as bees this week.

News of impending snowstorm notwithstanding, Hello Bluebird is bringing on the spring!  Boxes are filling the shop, full of pretty things made by good people.  New jewelry, candles, diffusers, handbags and reusable shoppers, cards, handmade marshmallows–the list goes on and on!  You might wonder, where on earth are we going to put all of this happy new merchandise?

Never fear.  As a gift for being such a good girl over the holidays, the shop was rewarded with some new fixtures (via Ikea–thank you, Swedes) last week!  Corey was sweet enough to put his after-work painting time aside to help me assemble (and by help, you know what I mean) and get the new furniture in place.  It has been a fun, albeit very crazy, week of getting the shop put back together.  Slow-going at moments, and some stashes and corners are still unfinished, but, all in all, I am please as punch with how fresh and spacious it is turning out.

Of course, don’t take my word for it!  Please swing by and take a look for yourself, while its all shiny and new and brimming with fresh goodies!  We even have free marshmallow samples (strawberry shortcake! yum!!), as if you needed to be bribed…

Since you missed out on all of the fun, here are some scary IN PROGRESS pics!  I’ll post some AFTER photos tomorrow–stay tuned!