Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Craft Blog or Not...

I can't just ignore nail polish altogether! Here is one of my many rounds of holiday themed nails. The base coat is OPI's Affair in Red Square. The gold pieces are sticker sheets from Sephora. They're not super secure, but it was fun for a party!





*** Erin

Monday, December 5, 2011

My First Big(ish) Embroidery Project!

Unironed, unfortunately.... But here it is!





This is right before Thanksgiving Dinner. 

I love doing this. Working with my hands always makes me feel calm and productive. I highly recommend it!


*** Erin

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Saturday Suggestion!

I have been absent for a while, mainly because all of the projects I'm working will be Christmas presents for various people and I can't post them yet! But here is a quick suggestion of what to do with your Saturday afternoon:



 The {New New} is having a one day holiday spectacular of sorts with different booths set up for all of the artists, raffles, and giveaways for the first 200 people to visit the pop up. Just check out their website for details on what to expect to find - there a million different products, not just jewelry like I usually focus on. 

These are some of the hardest working people in their field. I see them all over the place. They have built a wonderful community for themselves. It's a truly stand up group of people to do your holiday shopping with. 

The Calvacade is from 10 to 6 TODAY at Public Assembly at 70 North 6th Street. 

Many of the same artists have booths at the other holiday markets around the city as well. 


*** Erin

Friday, November 18, 2011

Dekalb Market

Two weeks ago my friend, Alex, and I went to the Dekalb Market in Brooklyn. I LOVED it! It was so cool. Little cubicles stacked on top of each and painted bright colors, food, jewelry, art, bags, beer. And it's open seven days a week. I'm stoked to keep going back.





My faves -

Corvus Noir - I love love love my new earrings! A lot of other really neat things at this shop, too. Lots of feathers and sparkly shiny goodness.



Travis the Chimp - I loved these girls! Love their website, too. The have a lot of really fun stuff. All of the little art pieces are super quirky and I dig it. Also, they were so excited about the blog mention! I felt very flattered. Sorry for the wait, ladies. :)




I also had a delicious maple pecan french toast cupcake at Robicelli's and got to see my new friend Serena who I mentioned in my post about the Hester Street Fair. She was kind enough to let me know she would be there so I could swing by and say hi. 





*** Erin

Monday, November 7, 2011

Independent Designer Pop Up at Chelsea Market


For the month of November you can find this pop up shop at Chelsea Market right across from the bookstore and the gelato shop. It's pretty neat, really good stuff. If you're looking for a really high quality gift for someone special for the holidays, I definitely recommend going. Most of the items here are at a higher price point, but like I said, this is really quality stuff.

My favorites:

Iwona Ludyga - a huge variety of jewelry styles. Some things were really adorable and other pieces had a lovely simplicity, some a bit of attitude. I loved it all. 



Atlantis Jewelry - some really lovely pieces. I particularly liked the simpler necklaces with charms.



Over the Moon Jewel - Barbara L. Wilkinson - The necklace below was my absolute favorite piece of the day. I just think it's stunning. Merry christmas to me? Anyone???



And there's this gem - Kimberlin Brown - This necklace is ridiculous in the best sense of the word. It's sister is even in the Museum of Arts and Design in Columbus Circle. The girls working the stand were suuuuper nice and let me try it on. I don't quite have the length to wear it, but it's amazing all the same and I really hope it finds a good home!




Happy Holiday shopping! Tis officially the season. :)


*** Erin







Etsy Craft Night - Thankful Embroidery

Tonight I went to an embroidery workshop at Etsy Labs in DUMBO, Brooklyn. I went once before for an open craft night. They usually happen on Mondays, some Thursdays. You can sign up on their website to receive emails about all of their different events. They have just about everything you could possibly want or need to do any kind of craft your heart desires - sewing machines, needles, thread, ribbon, buttons, glue, even a photo booth! I want to move in.

Anyway, tonight a fantastic lady by the name of Joetta Maue lead a demo on embroidery basics. I have really wanted to take a sewing class for a long time, but they are so expensive and this, though not quite the same thing, was really helpful. The intended pattern was supposed have to do with the concept of gratitude. Not everyone kept to that theme, but the word I chose for my project was "grace". I thought it would be a simple enough start.


What you need - a piece of linen, almost any kind will work from what I gather. I picked up a patterned napkin that was on sale at West Elm. Also, an embroidery loom, water based marker, large needle, and thick thread. The thread we used was actually 6 strands thick.




I learned the split stitch. The first step, after securing the fabric on the embroidery hoop, is to write your word using the marker. I recommend practicing first, though, because I had to move spots on the fabric once or twice after messing up. The ink is so washable I didn't hesitate to just practice on the under side of my napkin after a while and where I messed up won't be a problem. Anyway, after that you just thread your needle and go to it. The pattern of split stitch is to start the first stitch as normal - come up from the back of the fabric and then straight down through. When you make the next one going back up through the front of the fabric coming from behind, though, you back up a little bit and split the first stitch right in the middle - the needle should divide the aforementioned 6 threads in half. Then continue and repeat steps until you reach the end of your word, or whatever else it is you might be working on.




I'm pretty happy with it. I think I will be doing this a lot more now. I love the repetition of it - like knitting. It's kind of therapeutic.

Feel free to leave a comment or contact me if you have any question. Explaining the process proved very difficult for me!


*** Erin

Thursday, November 3, 2011

79th Street Greenmarket

I know, I know.... how many markets can there possibly be?! And does Erin McBride do anything else??? Yes, in fact, I do many other things, however, this is one of my favorite activities.

Thus, we begin again.

This Greenmarket is on Columbus Avenue between 78th and 81st Streets. Right across the street from the Greenflea that I wrote about a little while ago. Usually, it's all local farmers - food based. But on October 16th it was filled with local artists! I didn't even know that it was going to be that way - I was having brunch with one of my favorite gays, Jon Olds, and his other gays (it was a grand gay affair) at Calle Ocho - unlimited sangrias and awesome food - and we were walking toward the subway at Broadway and 79th. I saw the market from across the street and I had to go.

It was particularly fun and interesting because it was full of vendors I've never seen before. Here's a list of the best ones and what they do:

Arza Design - super awesome handbags

Designs By Alicia P. - some of the most unique pieces of jewelry I've ever seen

alternative Art - really neat photo art

Meghan Patrice Riley - this one was one of my particular favorites. Beautiful pieces.

Paz Sintes - really beautiful lacework jewelry


Do we like posts like this? Yes? No?

Holla at a boo. I'd love the feedback.


*** Erin

Hester Street Fair

On our day of adventures (that my last two entries have been about, it was so busy!) Jessica and I also made a quick stop at the Hester Street Fair, open every Saturday. I went once before and knew that it was small enough to conquer in an hour, so we bolted downtown from Union Square to the Lower East Side on foot and saw the sights before a movie.

It's really adorable. Definitely go if you haven't been.

Our favorite shop that day was adornments NYC. We both bought earrings that we're pretty much obsessed with. Mine are red and turquoise, a color combo I can't enough of. The red is an old mancala piece. When the vendor told me they were the last pair, I sucked it up and forked over my precious $26. I needed them. Also, that's the last personal, not necessary purchase I will be making for a very long time, so it needed to be good.

And it was.



You can actually get a pair like Jessica's on the Etsy shop. There is a link to it on the website linked above.

Other shops we loved:


RUBELLA jewelry - so antique looking and we loved the display on the mirror



Cam ci Cam ca - loved the dual necklace/headbands



Serena - that's a feather blowing on that ring!



Yeah, so super fun day. Cute market, friendly people, yummy food (kimchi and ice cream sandwiches!) and it's right in the middle of China Town, so you can grab a bubble tea to boot!




*** Erin







BFFN Earrings

Two weekends ago (I know, I'm really slacking here) my BFFN (Best Friend For Now), Jessica came in to the city and we had a jewelry making sleepover! I taught her how to make a pair of earrings. My initial intention with this blog entry was to give a step by step tutorial using photos from our fun lesson, but I realized that it's too complicated to teach online.





The bead choosing process took us a particularly long time. I wouldn't recommend drinking while learning or teaching how to make earrings for the first time.... Meh. Actually, it worked out fine.







Oh yeah, and I made a bracelet for my friend, Sawyer, upon request. There will be more to come. :)


If you think you would be interested in learning how to make jewelry, take a look at Beads of Paradise. They're located at 17th Street and Union Square West. I took their Findings Crash Course in the Spring and it was super fun. It cost me $85 for a 2 hour class, I took home a bracelet, a necklace, and a pair of earrings that I made there, and got to keep all of the extra beads and pieces AND all the tools I needed to continue on my own. You also get a coupon for 25% off your whole first purchase when you come back. I think it was money incredibly well spent.


Also, if you want to bring the wine, I'd be happy to hold another lesson. 




*** Erin










Sunday, October 23, 2011

The Swell Season

I fell in love with Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova a few years ago when the movie Once came out. They are both musicians, working together in a band called The Swell Season, and separately - Glen with his band The Frames; Marketa has just released her first solo album Anar, which you can check out here. They won an Oscar for the song "Falling Slowly" written for the movie.



The particularly beautiful thing about them is that their work has been so prophetic in telling the tale of their relationship and their lives together. It's impossible not to get caught up in the romance of it all - when you see Once or listen to their music, you are sharing a moment with them. It's touching because it's all 100% real. They write about each other - songs about them being together before they were together - songs about their split before they ever knew that's where they were headed. They are two people who never sought attention for their personal lives, but couldn't avoid receiving it because they truly are their art.

Anyway, now there is a documentary following them on tour for almost 3 years. My friend, Jessica, and I went to see it yesterday (we've been following them for almost 5 years now) and were pleasantly surprised to be at a screening with a q&a afterward with the directors - all local New Yorkers (Marketa is also a New Yorker now, as of 2010). Apparently, after the Oscar win, Glen was taking a film class in New York. Carlo Mirabella-Davis was his professor. They decided to document The Swell Season on tour, without any plan on what the outcome or story line might be. Carlo and co-directors Chris Dapkins and Nick August-Perna followed the band off and on, waiting for their plot to emerge. They use the music to nuance the couple's relationship and tell the story. In a sense, it's the anti-Once. Really pretty neat.

It's really a lovely film. It's playing at Cinema Village this week only. They are trying for other venues. See it if you can.



*** Erin

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Etsy Therapy

This is not a local artist, but I was doing nothing short of whimpering over this Etsy shop this morning. It's soooooo neat! Check it out. MANOLO jewellery.


Enjoy!


*** Erin

Monday, October 17, 2011

Pinterest

A few of you have heard me talk about Pinterest before.... it's catching on by now with a lot of people I guess, but still worth a nod here. It's an invite only website where you can "pin" different images found on the internet to your various pinboards that you can label and manage yourself. It's kind of just another way to kill time on the internet, but it's also a really great place to gather inspiration and keep track of things that hit a cord with you. If you're looking for something fun to make for dinner, check out the various food related boards. Have a little extra artistic energy that you don't know what to do with? Check out some of the DIY boards. You can also pin things and tag them for your friends, share things directly to facebook, etc. There is so much eye candy - it's so satifying. I could waste hours on Pinterest. They staff also sends out a weekly email with news on new members and really fun, thoughtful suggestions on which boards you might like to follow based on what you pin and look at most.

You can go to their website directly to request and invitation - they don't have any criteria to be invited that I'm aware of - and it takes a few days to hear back. Or you could leave your email address below and I will send you and invitation directly.

Holla at a boo.

*** Erin

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Greenflea Market

Last Sunday I stopped by the Greenflea Market on 77th and Columbus. This market has been going on every Sunday for years. I have visited several times since moving to New York (7 years ago Thursday! Happy Anniversary to me!), but it's been quite a while since I was last there. It was interesting to see how much has changed and stayed the same in all this time.

Some highlights from Greenflea:

Churoncalla was a really neat shop with a lot of personality. Jewelery made from Scrabble pieces, license plates, key boards, and old silverware, among other things. I bought a pair of Scrabble earrings. I love them.





Sole`  is a vendor that specializes in jewelry made from old New York City traffic lights. I blogged about this shop once before, but it's just such cool stuff, I thought it deserved another shout. My friend, Lindsey, bought a really beautiful necklace here. I love the chain on it so much.



New York Artifact Art is super cool because they make all of their jewelry and works of art out of artifacts that they personally uncover in construction sites all over the city. It's definitely worth checking out.




Hope you enjoy these as much as I do.



*** Erin

Stuff I'm Working On

I've been a little lax in the creativity department lately; more so just getting inspiration from what I see from local vendors. However, this is the last bit of jewelry that I made for my friend, Sarabeth.


I really like using silk bead cord instead of a chain (for now, anyway) because it's so lightweight, adds color, and gives a really authentic, handmade look. Knotting a single string over and over again is a lot of work - a surprising amount - and the knotting tool is deadly, but for this I used three strings, each a different color. The added thickness of three strings as opposed to one made the knotting a lot easier, actually, and I really like the added dimension. I think I will be doing this a lot more. Now, I just need to figure out how to use the same technique for earrings!

*** Erin

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Atlantic Antic

Last Sunday I went to the Atlantic Antic street fair in Brooklyn. It is MASSIVE, starting at Hicks street and taking up all of Atlantic Avenue to 4th Avenue. This is the first one I have attended, but it happens every year. It was pretty amazing - almost every store and restaurant along Atlantic opened up on to the street to join in the fun, there were so many different kinds of vendors and food and so many people! I couldn't believe, with all the space there was to spread out, how crowded it got. It was also full of Etsy sellers and members of The {New New} - which I am OBSESSED with.

Some of my favorite vendors featured were: Natural Abstractsnash jewelery, Queens MetalThe House of Z, Sole, Saru Star, Vivi Sun Jewelry, Jessica DeCarlo, Mercatobright lights little cityand webbedware


I purchased a really cute yellow t-shirt from Mercato and gold dove barrettes from bright lights little city. In *love*.

Here are some photo highlights from my adventure:



















*** Erin