Strawberryluna

Handmade Arcade, see you there Pittsburgh!

Hooray! The triumphant return of the Pittsburgh craft & handmade arts show Handmade Arcade is set and upon us on Saturday April 16th, 2011 (just ONE day!) from 11am – 7pm. With crowds upwards of 9,000 shoppers at the last Handmade Arcade in December of 2009, this show is one of Pittsburgh’s premier DIY art & craft showcases.

After over a 1-year hiatus while the Handmade Arcade struggled to find a new home once the former venue at the Hunt Armory became unavailable due to returning military vehicles (right, it’s an Amory) it’s great news for the city that the first green convention center in the world, The David L. Lawrence Convention Center is the new digs. And best of all? Handmade Arcade is FREE to attend!

The  Important Details:

  • When: Saturday, April 16th from 11am – 7pm
  • Where: The David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown at Penn Avenue & 10 Streets.
  • Free admission
  • Over 100 vendors, local and far-flung.
  • Easy to get to: close to many bus lines and the T; on-site garage parking; also accessible by foot, bike or even watercraft!
  • More space than ever: wide aisles, extra larger vendor room.
  • Early Birdie passes (as always) Click here for more info.
  • Refreshments on-site.
  • Hands-on activities for the whole family.

Our booth next to Mike Budai & the awesome crowds from 2009 at the Handmade Arcade, Pittsburgh PA.

We are thrilled to be a part of this awesome return! We’ll be there working our booth and talking with folks, selling our prints, posters, alphabet prints, test prints, t-shirts, shoot. You name it! So come on out and see all of the best that the modern Handmade Movement has to offer you Pittsburgh. See yinz there!

About: “Handmade Arcade is run by a collective of creative Pittsburghers who have helped to shape and bolster Pittsburgh’s independent craft scene over the past six years. Founded in 2004 — when no events in the Pittsburgh region served the burgeoning DIY craft community — Handmade Arcade provides crafters working outside the mainstream/fine arts sector with a grassroots high-visibility venue to sell wares and build community.

Tapping into a vibrant subculture of young, innovative designers who bring a fresh, artistic, and often subversive sensibility to traditional crafting, Handmade Arcade provides Pittsburgh-based crafters with an alternative to high-end, fine arts fairs and traditional craft venues, while connecting the city to a thriving craft culture that is sweeping the nation from Brooklyn to Berkeley. Handmade Arcade has made sure that Pittsburgh remains on this significant cultural map. Creative, motivated individuals come to Handmade Arcade to build an audience for their handmade products, and they leave seeing Pittsburgh in a new, positive light.”

And yep! Handmade Arcade is selling their ever-popular Early Birdie passes for the show too. Click here for details.

For more information about Handmade Arcade click here.

Here’s a great short profile on the Handmade Arcade from the 2009 show (ROMG my booth is highlighted!):

 

 

Renegade Craft Fair Chicago Holiday sale! Come see us!

Hooraaay! It’s winter! And that means all kinds of fun, AND also the holiday craft fair season. Like Winter Markets in Europe, the holiday indie craft fair circuit is a growing and lovely trend here in the US. And we love it around here. Naturally!

So, this weekend is yet another fantastic fair that we’ll be attending, it’s the Renegade Craft Fair’s Holiday Sale in Chicago, IL.

Over 150 of today’s finest indie-craft and contemporary design talents will be setting up shop at the Renegade Craft Fair Holiday Sale on December 5 + 6 from 11am – 7pm at the Pulaski Park Fieldhouse! (click for directions)

Come see us and say hi! Mention that you saw this blog post and get a free gift or $5 off your purchases with us. strawberryluna will be upstairs in Room 207 at Table / Booth 145, no doubt drinking hot chocolate and talking with awesome folks like you. Click here or on the image below for a larger version of the Vendor Map.

Come see strawberryluna at booth #145 in Room 207. We'll be rockin' the hot chocolate! Click for a larger version of this map too.

Happy holidays and happy shopping with your favorite handmade artisans!

The  Important Details:

Where: Pulaski Park Fieldhouse, in Chicago, IL

When: Saturday & Sunday 12/ 5 + 12/6  from 11am – 7pm

For more information, directions, hours and dates again click here OR click the images above and below.

Thank you Chicago & Renegade!

Just wanted to give a bustass shout out to everyone in Chicago who came out and made this year’s Chicago Renegade Craft Fair so fun and so amazing. It’s always so great doing a busy show and getting to meet so many awesome people. I was a little overwhelmed with the idea of working this 2-day, outdoor festival solo, but man oh man, things could not have gone more smoothly. Perfect weather, lovely neighbors, and awesome shoppers. The crowd was really big, and everyone was super friendly and nice. What else could a craft show boother ask for?

I got a quick chance to step out into the crowds on Saturday & take this one. Busy all of the time!

I got a quick chance to step out into the crowds on Saturday & take this one. Busy all of the time!

A typical view of the weekend from booth #135, strawberrylunaville.

A typical view of the weekend from booth #135, strawberrylunaville.

A special thanks to Sue Daly & everyone else of Renegade for all of your hard work, I can’t imagine the monumental kitten herding feat it must be to bring this fair to order. You guys did a phenomenal job! And a double extra special thanks to my homies in Pittsburghtown, the little area of Renegade where fellow Pittsburgh Craft Collective crafters Rag Trader, garbella and Cosy Knits and myself were. Thanks for looking out for me, and most huge thanks to Rag Trader Beth &  her brother Joel, I could not have done it without you cats.

This trip was super special as it was the 2nd part of a 2 week show tour that I did with friends and fellow print and poster artists Hero Design & Delicious Design League too. Thanks for your hospitality Delicious! We love hanging around Chicago, as the photos while working and playing below can attest to. And there are more boring photos on my Flickr page here!

Lamps

Lamps by neighbors Bright Lights Little City made from vintage ribbon. Click for more info!

And below, some photos from our day off in Chicago on Monday. It’s always so nice when we can build in a little time to walk around and do quintessential things in other cities.

A bag by Pink Corporation that I wish I'd bought. Can't find it anywhere online now, Darn!

A bag by Pink Corporation that I wish I'd bought. Can't find it anywhere online now, Darn!

Heading into Wrigley Field, go Cubs!

Heading into Wrigley Field, go Cubs!

The awesomely pretty field before the game got started.

The awesomely pretty field before the game got started. PS-those are bleachers on the buildings across the street...yowza!

Instant Cubs fan. The whole field smells like popcorn, cotton candy  happiness.

Instant Cubs fan. The whole field smells like popcorn, cotton candy happiness.

Wizard Car!!!! Found in Indiana, with Mark Hero feelin' the magic.

Wizard Car!!!! Found in Sandusky County, Ohio on the way home, with Mark Hero feelin' the magic.

I Made It craft fair @ The SSW Exposed Artists Market

Woo hoo! The craft show summer season is in full swing kids. I’ll be doing more shows this year than ever and couldn’t be more excited. The next two weekends are busy busy with back-to-back, big outdoor, summer festival-style shows.

First up is a huge craft fair The South Side Works Exposed Artists Market called brought to you by the super folks at the I Made It! Market, who are sponsoring The South Side Works Exposed Artists Market this coming weekend for 3 days from Friday July 1oth through Sunday 12th. Over 75 artists and crafters will be showing works, all available for sale, including yours truly, all 3 days. I will have lots of fresh new work available since I’ve been printing up a dang storm lately.

The  I Made It! Market is a regularly occurring, nomadic Market that utilizes various venues in the Pittsburgh area throughout the year providing a great way for artists and communities to connect. Important details about the I Made It! South Side Works Exposed Artists Market are below:

When:

Friday July 10th from 5-10pm.

Saturday July 11th from 2pm-10pm.

Sunday July 12th from 2-6pm.

Where:

A map & directions to the South Side Works is available here.

Who:

Over 75 fantastic artists and handmade crafters will be in attendance talking about and selling their work (including me!) You can find here a simple list of who will be at the SSW Exposed Artists Market and a more complete profile of many of the artists here on the I Made It Blog.

Come out and enjoy the summer, look at amazing works of handmade craft and art. We hope to see you there!

Town Square at the South Side Works, in Pittsburghs South Side neighborhood.

Town Square at the South Side Works, in Pittsburgh's South Side neighborhood.