Artscape is this Weekend!!! Sneak Peek

The three day fun that is Artscape is happening this weekend in Baltimore and I'll be there with the talented ladies of BEST!! Here's a sneak peak at what I'll be bringing:



Even though the temps will be hot hot hot, I'll still be debuting some new additions to the "Lovin Knit" Series. It's never to early to start your X-mas shopping!



There will be lots of clouds but only a little bit of rain (fingers crossed)!



There will even be a new "Out on a Limb" necklace featuring dogwood blossoms!



I'm bringing lots more, but you'll have to come see it for yourself! Mention my blog and receive 20% off your purchase exclusively at Artscape!!

ETSY Birthday Party Tonight!!!

It's Etsy's birthday and we're throwin down Charm City style!!












From baltimorecraft.com: Looking for a super fun way to kick off the weekend this week? Why not join BEST & the Charm City Craft Mafia for a Craft Party & Meetup, in honor of Etsy's birthday? This Friday, June 18th, starting at 6pm, we'll be at Roosevelt Park in Hampden. We won a free Craft Party kit from Etsy for being one of the top parties, so we'll have lots of crafty goodies to test out! We'll be working on a collaborative banner project, and we'll have a few other crafty things up our sleeve. Maybe even some giveaways! In addition, we'll be hosting an informal craft supply swap at the meetup, so please bring any crafty supplies you'd like to trade or give away. Any unclaimed supplies will be donated to Art with a Heart and The Black Cherry Puppet Theater. Baltimore is DEFINITELY the craftiest spot on the globe, so let's let 'em see that, huh? Kids & families welcome. So, bring some work in progress, a blanket, a picnic dinner, and get ready for some fun! Just look for the Etsy-orange balloons. Hope to see you then!
I'll be at the lawn flamingo (Hey it's Baltimore hon) craft table! Come by and make your own lawn flamingo to add to our flock!!

BEST Jewelry Trunk Show this Weekend

Magnolia Designs, April 4, 2009 11:00-3:00

246 S. Conkling Street Baltimore, MD 21224

Lite Fare & Refreshments will be served.

This year Magnolia Designs welcomes members from the Baltimore Etsy Street Team to showcase their talents in their gallery. From contemporary metalwork, to beaded semiprecious stones, enameling, to cool vintage component accessories, you will find diverse talent at this trunk show.

Tucked away in an unassuming part of Baltimore, Magnolia Designs is a vibrant gallery located in the heart of the Highlandtown Arts District. Designer Felicia Zannino-Baker operates a home furnishing and art gallery where she features paintings, sculpture, and photography by local and regional artists. She also specializes in interior design and décor projects for the home.

Participating Jewelry Artists:

Elisa Shere
Sherry Insle
Lauren Brownlie
Allison Fomich
Maria Vashakidze + Minna Nilanont

Cat McManus
Anne Madison

Be inspired to Have a Handmade Wedding

Please join BEST members at the 8th annual American Visionary Art Museum's Bridal Happy Hour!
Thursday April 2nd, 5:30-7:30. Enjoy food and cocktails and view work by some of Baltimore's best wedding vendors. And best of all, it's free!

Why go handmade for your wedding?? There are many reasons!
-Have custom jewelry, paper goods and spa gifts created that are as a special as your wedding.
-Support local and woman owned businesses.
-Many BEST artists use sustainable and green materials in their work.
-Give your wedding a handmade touch that is unique.
-Show your bridal party and family your appreciation with gifts that are created just for them!

Participating BEST artists:
Block Party Press
Dandelion Blu Jewelry
Elisa Shere Jewelry
Jill Popowich Designs
The Broken Plate
TigerLilly Shop
Spa Therapy Works
Yummy & Co.

Hope to see you there!

BEST Springtime Giveaway!

I'm finally back. This time I had a real excuse. My son, Kyle, was admitted to the hospital (He's OK now) and then the day he came home I got a wicked kidney infection which took me out of commission for over a week. I thought it was the flu, so suffered with for like 4 days before ending up in the ER. Then we had another scare with Kyle, but thankfully everyone is OK. I really had to shut everything down for about 3 weeks and I am finally getting back into the swing of things. Since I didn't want to stress myself about my first post , I am posting about the BEST Springtime Giveaway! Unfortunately I didn't get a piece in because all the health drama started just before the items were due. I am thinking about a giveaway and/or sale for the shop though, so check back to see what I come up with. I have a lot of post ideas in my head, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that I can get them out of my head and onto my computer to share with you!

Here's the BEST Giveaway Info. Don't miss out on the all the free hand made goodies!

Hooray! Springtime is almost here (just don't look outside right now.) To celebrate, we put together this mega-giveaway of springtime goods just for you. All you need to do is be on our mailing list and leave a comment here about a favorite work from one of the many talented BEST artists. If you are not on the mailing list yet, you are missing out on giveaways and newsletters delivered straight to your inbox (we promise to not be annoying, we only send you mail a few times a year.) So, what are you waiting for? Sign up now! The sign up page is on the right hand side of the blog.In this giveaway you will find work from these great BEST artists
1. Jersey Girl Design 2. A Stone's Throw 3. nfall2rt designstudio 4. Greenstartstudio 5. Yummy & Company 6. Herekitty Pretties 7. The Baker's Wife 8. The Giving Tree 9. Zetta 10. Tigerlillyshop

Doubledutch Trunk Show Tomorrow

I have been crazazy busy (and I still am), but I wanted to get this post in. If you are in the area tomorrow, please stop in and say hi! I will be there from 11AM - 1PM, but my jewelry, etc will be there all day!

Shop local and get a last chance to purchase from BEST members at one of our favorite boutiques, doubledutch

There will be sweet treats to eat while you browse the wares. And when you make a purchase from a BEST member, you'll be entered in a drawing to win a $50 gift certificate to doubledutch! Give it as a gift, or treat yourself.

[ Map / Directions ]

BEST Supports the Maryland Food Bank

With the holidays fast approaching, the members of BEST want to take the time to give a little something back to our community. Several members will be donating money from the sale of the their items to the Maryland Food Bank.

The Maryland Food Bank provides nearly 14 million pounds of food annually to 1,000 Network Partners - including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, low-income day care centers, after-school programs, senior centers, rehabilitation centers, and other feeding programs. They supply food for over 50,000 Marylanders each week who otherwise would go hungry or not eat enough, including families with children, the elderly, the homeless, the homebound, low-income workers, the recently unemployed, and people with AIDS and other health problems. For every $1 contributed to the Maryland Food Bank, they are able to provide 3 meals to Maryland’s needy families and individuals.

From November 27^th through December 11^th, the following participating BEST members will be donating the following:

1. jenmenkhaus.etsy.com - 10% from entire store

2. jennyjen42.etsy.com - 10% from entire store

3. blockpartypress.etsy.com - 10% from entire store

4. RobotZ.etsy.com - 10% from the entire store

5. yonpli.etsy.com - 10% from the entire store

6. yummyandcompany.etsy.com-10% from entire store

7. spatherapyworks.etsy.com- 15% from all soap sales

8. threewheelsdesign.etsy.com - 10% from entire store

9. bennyandheidi.etsy.com- 10% from entire store

10. vwstudios.etsy.com - 10% from entire store

11. lulaandme.etsy.com- 2% of all sales from store and shows

12. elisasherejewelry.etsy.com - 10% of all earring sales

13. thebrokenplate.etsy.com - $5 from each sale of Holiday Theme Plates

Take some time to visit these fantastic Etsy shops, support handmade and know that when you make a purchase between Nov. 27- Dec. 11^th, you will be helping to provide food and services to someone in need this holiday season. Here are some other ways to support the MD Food Bank:

• Make a direct monetary donation to the here:

• Purchase and donate food through the Food Bank's “Virtual Food Drive”

• Deliver the food directly to the Maryland Food Bank at 2200 Halethorpe Farms Road. Please call 410-737-8282 to arrange your delivery.
  

• Volunteer Opportunities

Holiday Heap

Come see me and a bunch of the lovely ladies of BEST and pick up some of the best handmade holiday gifts in Baltimore. Your friends and family will love you for it! Mention my blog and receive 10% off your purchase tomorrow! I'll try to post some sneak peaks today of some new things I will be selling!

Virtual Trunk Show - Be Inspired to Shop!!!!

BEST will be part of this virtual trunk show, tonight, November 13th, starting at 7 pm. Stop in and check it out! Participating members will be offering 10% off purchases in their shops from 7 - 9pm EST, and anyone who makes a purchase during this time will be entered in a drawing for a goody bag by BEST members.

You must have an Etsy account to participate/purchase, but it's easy and free to sign up, and really, you should have one anyway!

Be Inspired to Give Back to your Community & Save on Handmade Goodies

Block Party Press and the ladies of BEST (Baltimorecraft.com) will be at Hampdenfest from 11 AM-7 PM, on the Avenue, W 36th St, Baltimore, MD, this Saturday, September 13th. Come by and pick up some wonderful handmade items. It's never to early to get started on your holiday shopping.

You can even save 10% just by donating some craft supplies to our first “Craft Supply Drive!” Please bring any unused craft (or office) supplies or gift card to our booth at Hampdenfest on September 13th, and receive a coupon for 10% off any one purchase from a BEST member at the show! Participating Best Members:

BlockPartyPress
BowerboxPress
DandelionBlu
ElisaShereJewelry
GreenStarStudio
JenMenkhaus
JennyJen42
JenyGwen
JillPopowichDesigns
Miscelena
SweetPepita
TheBrokenPlate
TigerLillyShop
VWStudios

All supplies will be donated to Art with a Heart, a Baltimore charity which provides interactive, hands-on art activities to disadvantaged families and children, and to people with developmental and physical challenges. They lost many of their supplies to a fire this summer, and we would love to help get them fully stocked again! Here's a list for the items we are looking for:

Most Needed:

* Deco Markers / Paint Markers
* Elmer’s Glue
* Erasers
* Fabric Glue / Fabric-Tac
* Hot glue guns and glue sticks
* Glue sticks
* Markers
* Masking tape
* Mod Podge
* Paint brushes
* Pencil sharpeners
* Pencils
* Single hole punchers
* Scissors
* Scotch Tape
* Tacky Glue

Also Needed:

* Aluminum foil
* Beads
* Disposable/plastic bowls
* Elastic string
* Glitter glue
* Jewelry hardware
* Mat board
* Mat cutter
* Mini hot glue gun sticks
* Paper towels
* Puffy paint
* Screw gun
* Sculpey clay
* Self-hardening clay
* Tag board/poster board
* Thread
* Watercolor paper
* Wire

So come see us at Hampdenfest and be inspired to give back to your community!

Be Inspired by Texture

When looking for textural inspiration, there is really no limit on where to look. Just about every surface has some sort of texture. Even smooth is a texture, so take some time to look closely at the things around you and their texture. Try not to be distracted by color and pattern and focus solely on the texture. In your home, look at your rugs, wood floors, wood grain in your furniture. Look in your closet and pay close attention to the fabrics and how they look and feel. Outside your home, pay close attention to the vast amount of textures created by mother nature. Tree bark, rocks, flower petals, leaves,clouds, water, soil, shells and even animals offer up interesting textures that can recreated in creative ways in your art. Do you live or work in a city or urban setting? This environment offers a dazzling display of textures. Sidewalks (cracks and cement texture), the architecture of the buildings and the materials used to create them, dirty, distressed items or items worn down over time, as well as fresh new structures whic are always sprining up.

Don't be afraid to reach out and touch the textures you see. Touch can be important when being inspired by texture. You can be inspired by the feel of the texture, especially if you are created something that will be touched like a scarf or hat. Try to recreate the feel while being less concerned with the visual.

Don't feel that the only way to be inspired by texture is to recreate what you saw. Think "outside the box" (cliche I know) and notice shapes and patterns as well as texture. Look at how the light and shadows created by texture offer even more interest. Take a look at the texture in different lights and see how it changes.

How you add the texture will obviously depend on the medium you are working with, but don't be afraid to experiment. Here are some free turorials I found to help you add some texture to your work.













Photoshop texture tutorials for adding texture to your photos and/or digital art
Handmade texture tools tutorial for polymer clay from Polymerclayweb.com
Tissue Paper Texture tutorial for watercolor painting
How to create textured art for your walls at home from DigsMagazine.com
Creating texture with caulk by Val's Altered Heart Journey
Hammered silver cuff bracelet tutorial from Loose Wire Studios
Texture Crochet Stitches tutorial



Want to see textures form all over the world? Check out these Flickr groups for some amazing textural inspiration (remember inspiration, not copying).

Texture Whores ( Don't be turned off by the name, there are over 30,000 texture images to be inspired by)
Texture
There's even a textured art group where you can showcase your textured art pieces: Tactile Art

So without further ado, give them something they can feel (Thanks En Vogue) and make textured art!

Photo/art credits:

Photo#1: Wrist Rings Bracelet 3 by dorijenn.etsy.com
Photo#2: Turf Textured Tile, Chartreuse by elementclaystudio.etsy.com
Photo#3: Zany Zinnia Scarf 2 by knittingguru.etsy.com
Photo#4: ANATOMICAL HEART SERIES, Original Textured Artwork by Donna David
Photo#5: Trinity ACEO by me , blockpartypress

I'm Still Here!!!! - BPP News & Updates

No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth, I have been soooo busy with the end of the school year and the beginning of summer. I have had to put the ole blog on the backburner. This will probably be my last post for another 2 weeks as I have a craft show I am working on while trying to keep my boys occupied. I have some good artist interviews to post, but I want to make sure I have the time to do them justice and not just posting them quickly. Here is the latest from Block Party Press:

Early this year I joined the "Baltimore Etsy Street Team" (BEST) which is a group of artists in the Baltimore Area region. Look out for more info, projects and events from this group. We have a great blog going with great info about events and art happenings in the Baltimore area.

I started a new 365 group on Flickr featuring Macro shots (my latest obsession) called Macro 365: A Closer Look. Myself and those participating will be taking at least 1 macro shot a day for 365 days. Sounds difficult, but it really isn't if you carry your camera with you wherever you go and keep your eyes open for interesting things to take a "closer look" at! Don't be afraid to join the group. I am not a task master, so if you miss a few days so what, just pick up where you left off. If you are too busy to join, just come and check out the amazing creative and inspiring shots from our group members. Once I get back to bloggin, I will be featuring shots from this great group! Here's my set of shots :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blockpartypress/sets/72157604273666018/
Here's today's Macro shot (day 94) & my favorite shot (day 35) so far:













Here are some new items I've recently added to the shop:



















I've been published in the book "1000 Jewelry inspirations" along with a bunch of other Etsy sellers. I haven't gotten my book yet, so I haven't seen what made the cut, but a little bird told me one of my retro trees is on the back cover.

I have some pieces in the first show of the super cute Fact & Fancy Gallery's "Wet Paint Show" in Brooklyn, New York. They are having a reception on the 21st. If you are in the area make sure to stop by.



















This is what's really keeping me busy.... I'll be at the Washington City Paper's "Crafty Bastards Show" on Saturday, June 28, 2008, 10am-5pm at the Pyramid Atlantic Arts Center at 8230 Georgia Ave. (Google Maps) in artist-friendly Silver Spring, MD. Come on by and see my stuff in person. I would love to meet you!


Finally, I am only 4 sales away from hitting 1000!!!! So........I am having a blog exclusive sale! Sales 97 through 1001 will receive 25% off their order & free shipping and # 1000 will receive a free magnet set of their choice (up to a $25 value). Just put blog1000sales in the message to seller and wait for me to send you an invoice before paying. If you forget and pay, I will refund the discounted amount to you! This is only for sales # 997-1001, so when I've hit 1001 it's over. The only place I have posted this exclusive sale is here on my blog (do you feel special?). This discount can not be combined with any other offer.

Well, that's the wrap-up. I'll be back again again in about 2 weeks with some new posts! Happy summer!