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Weekend Market Picks October 29-30, 2011 + Lovely Day Designs

Louise Lasson is the artisan behind Lovely Day Designs. I saw first her work at the Brooklyn Flea Gifted Market in 2009, and she keeps on adding more creative designs and products to her line.

She is known for her extremely wide array of switch plate covers! Everything from Buddhas and Mermaids, to Flowers, Cats, Pinup Girls and beyond to dress up your walls in a fun, unexpected way! She also sells delightful magnet sets. Her lovely soy wax candles are hand-poured into Depression Glass pieces and vintage teacups, and they are beautifully scented. What I love about Louise’s work is that it is creative, lovely, and practical, the essence of fine craft.

Louise is a member of the {NewNew} Etsy Artisans Street Team. Check LovelyDayDesigns.com for all her Holiday Market events. Her pieces are perfect for hostesses and for anyone who has light switches in their home.

Here are this week’s Market Picks! Meh to snow in October!!!

Saturday and Sunday

Artists and Fleas: Artists & Fleas is an excellent choice for this ridiculously snowy weekend! It features amazing vintage clothing and craft vendors, and it is indoors! Plus it’s a great place to get a groovy Halloween costume that you might actually wear again in real life!

Antiques Garage: This large indoor flea market has not one but TWO floors of antique and vintage treasures, including clothing, jewelry, home decor, artifacts, rare antique books and prints, and many more things that cannot even be categorized!

Saturday

Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket: Halloween comes to the Greenmarket! Bring the kids for Pumpkin Painting, the Pumpkin Carving Contest (bring your already carved pumpkins, winner gets a prize!), and an Apple Cider Donut Eating Contest!

Hester Street Fair: CANCELED due to impending weather! Double booooo!!! Thanks for another great season!

Smorgasburg: For true food lovers, it doesn’t matter if it’s snowing outside. They will still flock to Smorgasburg for some of the tastiest, most innovative food in the city. Serious delciousness going on here, with around 75 food vendors, plus the Williamsburg Waterfront Greenmarket!

Sunday

Fulton Stall Market: Another great place to bring the kids, the closest thing I’ve seen to matching Boston’s SOWA Market of the Living Dead for Halloween fun is at the Fulton Stall Market! In addition to their great lineup of food, craft, and farmer vendors, the market will have pumpkin painting, appearances by Berenstain Bears, Curious George and Maisy with readings of their favorite spooky stories, trick or treating, and a dance party with DJ Jonathan “Scary” Toubin (2pm). Kids kids kids!

Grab your tote bag, pull on your boots, and head to the Markets!

Photo of the Day – July 14, 2011: Baby Seal by Belle Ami Crochet

Who doesn't love a baby seal? Handmade by Belle Ami Crochet

Can you even believe the cuteness? This adorable, shiny-eyed baby seal, hand-crocheted by Mary Grabenstatter of Belle Ami Crochet, was just one character in the entire parade of cuteness on her table at the Astoria Market last weekend.

Sweet and unusual animals, including purple manatees, koala bears, hedgehogs, and geckos make up the Belle Ami collection. Mary has also recreated some of the characters from our favorite Pixar movies and shorts, including Mike Wazowski, Sully, and even the evil Randall from Monsters Inc. One of her latest creations is the dancing lamb from Pixar’s short Boundin’, complete with the white coat.

Mary had her debut at the market last week, and I hope we’ll see a lot of her and her creations in the artisan markets. And believe it or not, she only recently taught herself to crochet. I think she’s gotten the hang of it, don’t you? Check out the entire Belle Ami Crochet collection on Etsy.

Weekend Market Picks: July 9-10, 2011 + Cherries!!!

It is going to be a fantastic weekend to spend outdoors in New York City. If you are second homeless and therefore staying in town all summer, then come hang out with me at the markets. And if you are visiting New York City, definitely check out the fantastic food and buy all your souvenirs directly from New York’s finest artisans!

And stop by any Greenmarket to pick up plump, juicy cherries, like the ones in the photo from the Cheerful Cherry Farm!

Saturday & Sunday

Brooklyn Flea: I’m definitely feeling the need to visit the Brooklyn Flea, as it’s been a few weeks. Looking forward to seeing my usual favorites and checking out what’s new in food, artisans, and fleas! Saturday in the Ft. Green location and Sunday in Williamsburg.

Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market and Sunday Gourmet Food Truck Bazaar: The Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market is one of the largest and best traditional fleas in the city, and they have invited members of the {NewNew} Etsy Artisan Group to add to the variety. The first Sunday of every month, they also host the Food Truck Bazaar, featuring some of the city’s fabulous food on wheels!

Saturday

Hester Street Fair: Gotta send you to the Hester Street Fair this Saturday! In addition to the well-selected vintage, flea, and handmade sellers there, they sent out the list of featured food vendors. Appetizers, main course, main course, dessert, dessert, dessert. Take notes and let me know what you ate!

St. George Greenmarket: This is a good weekend to hop on the Staten Island Ferry and visit the St. George Greenmarket. It overlooks the harbor and the New York City skyline, and it features premier Greenmarket sellers of fresh fruits, vegetables, baked goods, seafood, and more. This borough features amazing vistas, architecture, and even wildlife – more than 117 species of birds!

Sunday

Astoria Market: Yes! The Astoria Market is back this weekend. Handmade and vintage goods at this artisan market in the Main Hall of the Bohemian Hall — you know, the one with the Beer Garden! Check out some of the very cool products you’ll find there this weekend on the Astoria Market Blog!

New Amsterdam Market: The New Amsterdam Market is back this Sunday after a July 4th hiatus. This weekend’s food market lineup includes breads, meats, mead, lobster rolls, artisanal sodas, sweets, imported tea, and many more edible luxuries.

Take pictures and let us know your favorite finds and tastiest treats! Someone is making me a cherry pie on Sunday! If you have a great recipe, please share!

Photo of the Day: Birdhouse Jewelry

Birdhouse Jewelry’s tented boutique at the Brooklyn Flea has become a destination in and of itself within the flea. Designers Amy and Alen Lapierre create lovely, versatile, and unusual pieces that suit any taste. From dainty to edgy, sparkly crystals to headphone charms, the designs are so diverse that I could not choose just one photo to represent their lines. In fact, five photos barely scratches the surface of all that Birdhouse Jewelry has on their display tables.

Amy and Alen’s pieces are all handmade, and they incorporate beautiful crystals, quartz, pearls and more. One of my favorite aspects of their design is the subtle detail, like a teensy bird or a small crystal halfway up a necklace chain. And they are always coming out with new items, including mixed metals, which is definitely a favorite market trend. And even small animal figurines. You just have to go check it all out for yourself.

If you can’t make it to the Brooklyn Flea, check out Birdhouse Jewelry on Etsy!

Photo of the Day: Meet The Man with the Horse Tattoo

The handmade dolls by Mimi Kirchner have great handmade artistry and no shortage of fashioned whimsy. I came across her dolls at the Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn last weekend, and I was intrigued by this fine fellow, also known as The Man with the Horse Tattoo. He looks like an old time circus strongman, and he is extremely charming. Ms. Kirchner makes a wonderful variety of dolls, including the wonderful Bird Lady, wily Professor Fox, and this fine fellow’s girlfriend, the Tattoeoed Lady with a Black Bow.

Ms. Kirchner sells her work as mck254 on Etsy, and she writes a fun and insightful blog, Doll. Watch this Etsy Handmade Portrait for a look into her creative world.

It’s Fleet Week: Market Picks for May 28-29

It’s Fleet Week!

So in honor of our sailors and marines visiting the city, we New Yorkers have arranged for splendid weather and some wonderful market events. This weekend already feels like summer through and through!

Two very special events this weekend:

The Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit (Pictured Above): Back for its 81st year, this market was originally founded by Jackson Pollack and Willem DeKooning in 1931. Both were strapped for cash, and they brought a few paintings down to the street to sell to passers by. Today, the exhibit features fine artists and artisans from around the world, all showing their work on the sidewalks of Greenwich Village. This is an event not to be missed! It runs this weekend (Sat – Mon) and next weekend (Sat- Sun).
Better Than Jam Pop-Up Shop on Governor’s Island: While not exactly a market, this pop-up shop is an extension of Better Than Jam Co-Op in Bushwick, which features fine, fun, high quality handmade items from The {NewNew} Etsy Artisan Group, who sell at the markets all over the city. Better Than Jam is sponsoring these artisans in the Pop-Up on Governor’s Island. Grab a free ferry ride to Governor’s Island and visit this very special shop in Historic Home 6B, Nolan Park, on Governors Island. The shop opens today and runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through September 25.

Other picks for the weekend:

Hester Street Fair: Hester Street is hosting members of the Japanese Folk Dance Institute, who will be selling kimonos, obis, fans, cards and more to raise funds to help the people of Japan who struggle to rebuild their homes, communities and cities after the earthquake and tsunami. Our awesome friends from the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck will be there too, providing Salty Pimps and Bea Arthur in a cone to hot, hungry people. Last week the BGICT helped raise over $2000 for Doctors Without Borders with Ottavia and Anthony Bourdain. Good karma, good eats, and good fun all around this weekend!
The Market NYC/Young Designers Market in the Meatpacking District: Find the latest trends in clothing, jewelry, and accessories at this market. Its regular location is on Mulberry Street, but this weekend they will be opening up shop on 328 West 14th St. between 8th & 9th Ave. There is no doubt that you will find something to impress your friends with at this market.
Madison Square Market Eats: This food extravaganza is running every day from 11AM – 9PM through June 3rd. It is a great place to grab lunch in the shadow of the Flatiron Building. At night, it is a charming spot to grab dinner and a beer with friends under the festive twinkly lights. Check out some of my favorites, including Bar Suzette, serving delicious crepes, P&H Soda Co. for refreshing artisanal sodas, Cookie Panache (try the almond curry cookie – seriously delicious!), and NuNu for handmade chocolates and craft beer.

It is also the second weekend for Smorgasburg on Saturday, so maybe, just maybe it will be a little less crazy crowded. And show some love to the Essex Street Market, which is in peril from developers. Pick up some delicious cheeses, seafood, handmade chocolates, any kind of international ingredient, and please sign this petition!

On a personal note this Memorial Day weekend, my dad, aka Captain Marvo, enlisted in the Army at the tail end of WWII as a tender teenager. He later transferred to the Navy to attend Annapolis. At local Memorial Day celebrations, he would stand for both the Army and the Navy anthems, which is such a great memory for me and my sisters. He was as crafty as my mom, making his own fly rods and flies, brewing his own beer, and even making wine from exotic things like artichokes and watercress. No gourmand was he though. In college, I’d meet him for lunch in his biology lab, where he’d cook us up some hot dogs in a dented pan from the Salvation Army over a Bunsen burner, washed down with day-old coffee from an old thermos. Lunch never tasted better.

Have a great weekend! Don’t forget your sunblock outside and sobriety behind the wheel!

Openings and Special Events This Weekend at the Markets (May 7-8)

Another beautiful weekend is in store for us regardless of the fickle spring weather, full of great market events and openings! Here’s what’s going on:

Spring Handmade Cavalcade: So much crafty talent in one place! Don’t miss this event from The {NewNew} Etsy Artisans Group! (This Saturday Only) ♦

Hester Street: Opening Day Saturday May 7! Can’t wait to see what’s new this year! I’ve heard there’s going to be even more food! (Saturday & Sunday) ♦

Madison Square Market Eats: Urban Space NYC is putting on a great food market featuring our favorite restaurants, food purveyors, food trucks, and handmade products. Went there Friday for lunch – amazing selection, beautiful location! (Open daily through June 3)

Crafts on Columbus: This is one of the longest running street craft markets in the city! Great place to stroll with Mom after brunch on Sunday, and it’s right across the street from the ever treasure-filled Greenflea on Sunday. (Saturday and Sunday, May 7, 8, 14, 15. ♦

Hell’s Kitchen Flea – New York Food Truck Bazaar: Another Sunday filled with fabulous fleas, beautiful handmade crafts, and food trucks! Word has it that Luke’s Lobster is launching their truck at the Bazaar this weekend! (Sunday)

Of course I’ll try to make it everywhere, and the little diamond ♦ indicates where I’m definitely showing up! Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Foursquare and let me know where you are, what you found, and what you’re eating!

The {NewNew}’s Third Annual Spring Handmade Cavalcade Is Almost Here!

I received this press release from The {NewNew} Etsy Artisans Group, and so I’m spreading the news about their amazing Handmade Cavalcade! Great shopping, great energy, great fun!

WHAT: The Third Annual Spring Handmade Cavalcade
WHO: Over 40 local artists and crafters from Etsy’s The {NewNew} Team
WHEN: Saturday, May 7, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
WHERE: Slate – 54 West 21st Street, New York, NY 10010

New York, N.Y. April 2011 – Lovers of all things local and handmade are in for a treat on Saturday May 7th when the local Etsy Group, The {NewNew}, brings its third annual Spring Handmade Cavalcade to the posh gaming parlor Slate in the Flatiron District. From 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. shoppers will be able to browse handmade clothing, jewelry, accessories, paper goods, bath and body treasures, toys, housewares and more from some of the most innovative and creative local artisans and crafters working today.

“The first 100 shoppers to arrive will receive free goodie bags packed with a unique sampling of wares from the {NewNew},” said Felicity Stiverson, who is running this year’s event. “Slate’s D.J. will add to the party atmosphere, and anyone who makes a purchase from one of the vendors will get a free round of pool courtesy of Slate.” Shoppers will also be able to enjoy food and drink specials throughout the day.

Because the {NewNew} is commited to charity partnerships, representatives from The Creative Center: Arts in Healthcare- a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing the creative arts to people with cancer, chronic illnesses- will be onhand with information for anyone looking to get involved with the important work they do.

For more information on this event, visit www.handmadecavalcade.com, or follow @Cavalcade_NY on Twitter.

Artisans, Food Trucks and Fleas – Oh My!

The Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market has been doing some exciting things up in Midtown. Known for its classic flea market vendors selling vintage clothing, antique furniture, and other fascinating objects, the flea market is now home to the periodic Food Truck Bazaar. The food is delicious, and who doesn’t love to eat food from a truck? And now you don’t have to track down your favorite trucks all over town. You can go the Bazaar and find many of them in one spot. The food trucks that participated in the most recent event included:

And now the Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market also features fantastic local handmade Etsy artisans! The {NewNew} Artisans Group opened up their tents at the flea market in early April. Frankly, I was a curious as to how well the handmade products would mesh with the vintage and antique products at this well-established market. I’m happy to report that the artisans add a lovely new dimension to the shopping experience. Some fine examples of the variety of handmade products on their debut weekend included:

Saskia Devries, handmade Jewelry
Hanky Blanky, delicate baby blankets, clothing and toys made from vintage handkerchiefs
New York Clocks, featuring clocks made from any variety of nostalgic tins and boxes.
Lovely Day Designs by LuCraft, selling handmade light switch plates, glass paperweights, magnets, and more

So head over to the Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market on West 39 St. between 10th & 11th Avenue Saturdays and Sundays to check out all the amazing treasures there. The next Food Truck Bazaar is scheduled for Sunday, May 8th! Do we really have to wait that long?

Aixa Sobin Hits the Streets with Fine Handmade Leather Wares

I met Aixa Sobin last year at Artists and Fleas in Williamsburg. Her leather bags, belts and bags are made from rich, buttery leathers, and she hand sews each ond of her original designs. I ran into Aixa on the the streets of Soho and asked her talk with my video camera. Two women nearby had just purchased stylish belts from her, and one of them said, “Can you imagine finding handmade leather products like this right out on the street?!”

You can find Aixa Sobin most days out in front of Balthazar on Spring Street between Crosby and Broadway.

Her website is www.aixasobinleathers.com, and she also has a store on Etsy. And follow Aixa on Facebook!