Friday, May 30, 2014

Where To Find The Hudson Valley Etsy Team This Weekend

We have a busy weekend ahead of us!

As you might have already seen this Saturday, May 31, is the first date of the Newburgh Urban Market. Our very own Beyond The Picket Fence will be there selling her yummy smelling and generally super awesome soaps and lotions. The market is open from 10AM-4PM and is located at 50 Liberty Street next to Washington's Headquarters in Newburgh, NY.
Beyond The Picket Fence
But don't leave just yet, as yours truly, Meerwiibli by Sarah-Maria, will be participating in a fashion show showcasing the work of Hudson Valley designers. The event will start at 8PM this Saturday, May 31, at the Hudson Valley Hotel and Conference Center on Route 17K in Newburgh, NY. Hope to see you there!
Meerwiibli by Sarah-Maria
Pulp Sushi will be at Bazaar-on-Hudson in Cold Spring, NY, this Sunday, June 1, from 10:30AM-4:30PM.
Pulp Sushi
Reclaimed Designs, Kitsch and Stitch NY and Knot By Gran'ma will be representing their work at the Fishkill Fine Arts and Craft Fair this Sunday, June 1, from 11AM-4PM.
Reclaimed Designs
Kitsch and Stitch NY
Knot By Gran'ma
Happy shopping and partying!


Thursday, May 29, 2014

THIS SUNDAY! Fishkill's 21st Annual Fine Art & Craft Fair

Our annual outdoor market is here again and we're ready to take over Fishkill this Sunday June 1st!

The weather looks promising and it's going to be a great day! Here's a taste of what you'll experience by paying us a visit this Sunday!


Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Newburgh Urban Market THIS WEEKEND!

There's a new market coming to town and it starts this Saturday! Members such as Beyond The Picket Fence and New Prospect Pottery will be among the vendors.


So check out www.newburghmarket.com and follow them on Facebook for their latest updates and vendor news.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

DIY Thank You Card

DIY Thank You Card
from the Hudson Valley Etsy Team

Here's a little Flower Garden thank you card you or the kids can easily make!  Just like those expensive cards you find in stores, it becomes three dimensional when you add your own selection of buttons.  All you need is a printer, glue, card stock paper, invitation size envelopes, buttons, a ruler, and a scissor or other method of paper cutting.  I'm not sure how I collected all these buttons, but lots of crafty people seem to have the same secret stash.  This is one way to make use of them!


Download card design free printable here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4emWuO6AltRSkdXZ1I2VHJ5djg/edit?usp=sharing

Print out full bleed if you can.  Otherwise the image will be short on the edges.  Cut in half.


Glue on buttons at the top of the stems.  Let dry.  Fold in half, and it's done!



Jody - astudiobythesea.etsy.com


Friday, May 23, 2014

Where To Find The Hudson Valley Etsy Team This Weekend

How about some pre-Memorial Day shopping, maybe some new dishes for a picnic with real dishes and less pollution? Stop by the Bazaar-on-Hudson for some gorgeous functional ceramics by New Prospect Pottery this Sunday! Bazaar-on-Hudson is located at 103 Main Street in Cold Spring, NY and is open every Sunday, 10:30AM- 4:30PM with changing vendors.
New Prospect Pottery
New Prospect Pottery
New Prospect Pottery
Happy shopping!

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Hudson Valley Etsy on Pinterest

We'd like to take a moment to remind everyone that you can also find us on Pinterest!  We have a team of pinners on the look out for ideas, inspiration, and things that make living in the Hudson Valley awesome.  So check us out and let's be friends!

Monday, May 19, 2014

Notes On Being a Vendor

The weather on Mother's Day was beautiful, and a perfect day to spend in Cold Spring, NY, as a vendor at Bazaar-On-Hudson.  Bazaar-On-Hudson is a new indoor market of handcrafted items,  that takes place on most Sundays through July, from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm.

Held in a vacant storefront on Main Street in Cold Spring, NY, the bazaar is like a pop-up market, as the vendors change each Sunday.  I was pleased with the space that I was provided, and happy with my table set-up. For once, I had prepared everything that I would need for the show in advance.

Since I was organized, my anxiety level was low. I was anticipating a successful show.
You never can tell how many people will turn out to see the show, or how well you will do as a vendor. The morning started out slow, and by the afternoon, the town was packed with people strolling on Main Street.  Throughout the remainder of the day, groups of people came through the room. Those who walked through seemed more interested in browsing than buying.


Selling and making a profit beyond the table fee is how the success of a show is usually measured, but there is more involved than just making money. A craft fair is like a test market for your wares. You find out if you created something that appeals to the public. You have the opportunity to learn what other artists create, meet interesting people, and get to observe human interactions.

I ended up making a profit, and feeling good about my work. I was given a lot of positive feedback, which filled me with confidence about what I create.

Jenny - Reclaimed Designs

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Hudson Valley Etsy Treasuries

Treasuries are a great way to check out many of our items at once. See more of this month's Etsy treasuries from Hudson Valley Etsy here: May Hudson Valley Etsy Treasuries





Monday, May 12, 2014

In My Studio: Label Making

How to make your own Fabric Labels



In order to save money buying in professionally made custom labels I have been making my own. The results look great and are very easy and cheap to do. In this tutorial I give you the steps in order for you to make your own:


Materials

Printable transfer paper
Fray Check
Iron
Sharp scissors
Ribbon

Method
1) On your computer take a copy of your logo and insert it into a word document. Measure your ribbon and scale the logo so it will fit onto the ribbon. It will look best if the background of your logo is left white. 
2) Once its the correct size click the 'format' tab at the top of the word document. Find the 'rotate' tab and click the option 'flip horizontally'. This will invert your logo so that it will be the correct way around when printed.
3) Copy this version of the logo and paste in columns on the document (as below left). Print this document out onto the transfer sheet making sure you print on the correct side of the paper. Cut into strips (below right)

 4) Heat the iron to its hottest setting and iron one strip of logos onto the ribbon. Make sure the iron gets really hot and then before it cools down quickly remove the backing paper.



 5) Apply the fray check to the back of the ribbon in the area between the logos and leave to dry.

6) Once dry cut the labels

7) Apply the labels to your products, remembering not to iron over the label once its been attached as this will melt it.


Good luck and good making!

Sarah Omura - So Handmade

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Where To Find The Hudson Valley Etsy Team This Weekend

We'll be representing the Hudson Valley in Philadelphia this weekend at two different shows, but scroll down to the end of this post for one local event as well.

Elena Rosenberg will be at the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen Fine Craft Fair, this Friday, May 9, 11AM-7PM, Saturday, May 10, 11AM-7PM and Sunday, May 11, 11AM-5PM, located at Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, PA.
Elena Rosenberg
Elena Rosenberg

















 


 Meerwiibli by Sarah-Maria will be at Art Star Craft Bazaar just a few blocks away from Elena at Penn's Landing. Hours are Saturday, May 10, and Sunday, May 11, both days from 11AM-6PM, also in Philadelphia, PA.

Meerwiibli by Sarah-Maria
Meerwiibli by Sarah-Maria




















But don't fret, Reclaimed Designs will be selling her beautiful mosaic wares in Cold Spring, so you don't have to leave to Hudson Valley if you don't want to. She'll be at Bazaar-On-Hudson on Main Street in Cold Spring, NY, this Sunday, may 11, from 10:30AM-4:30PM.
Reclaimed Designs
Reclaimed Designs




















Happy shopping!

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

The Hudson Valley: Crawling with Yarn

Notes From the Road

by Kathryn Hunter Luciana


Front window of The Perfect Blend Yarn & Tea Shop, Saugerties, N.Y.
  Though it was officially Spring, March was going out like a lion; cold, wet and bleak, but for the avid fiber fool and her intrepid companion that was no deterrent to the quest. The Spring Yarn Crawl was in full swing. For those unfamiliar with a Yarn Crawl, let me enlighten you. You've heard of Pub Crawls and Wine Trails, well yarn crawls are pretty much the same thing. You follow a map throughout the region leading to designated stops along the way where you can indulge in various "varietals" of fiber. Shops, mills and farms sign up to participate. They open their establishments to the public, sometimes offering special deals to the "crawlers:" goodies, samples, and a peek into how their products are made.
   The farms are of particular interest to me, because I love to learn about the animals from which the fibers originate. Many farms are not open to the public, so "crawling" offers a great opportunity to see them. This year I set out to visit two farms first, but unfortunately I read my map wrong and arrived at one farm too early, and the second on the list was not open. Dejected, I told my companion not to worry, that we would soon turn our luck around, and finally in Red Hook, we did.
   As the drizzle increased, we pulled into Hudson Valley Sheep and Wool Company and opened the door to a warm and friendly greeting. This shop is also on a farm. Mary, the owner, explained that she raises Icelandic sheep, most likely brought to that country by the Vikings, and Shetland Sheep from the Shetland Islands north of Scotland. They process the fiber into yarn right there. You can't get more local than that! I was given a short tour of the processing room by Mickey and was particularly keen on the large felting table.  After experiencing the process of wet felting by hand the previous weekend, renting this table for a project seemed particularly appealing to me. I purchased skeins of Shetland/Icelandic Lopi blend yarn for felting and some scrumptious merino/silk blend for a soft next-to-the-skin something.

Raw fiber drying on the screen
Felting table
The spinning machine drafts and twists the fiber roving to produce yarn
   Sunday dawned not much better weather-wise, and it was tempting to stay home, but the Call of the Crawl was strong, and we ventured out again. This time we had our sights set on an interesting sounding shop in Saugerties called The Perfect Blend Yarn and Tea Shop. We found the shop easily in its location in the quaint little village of Saugerties, and the charming exterior and antique spinning wheel in the window looked inviting. The shop didn't disappoint. Mary Ebel, the shop keeper has perfectly blended her wonderful selection of locally sourced yarns and fine quality commercially produced yarns with an equally scrumptious  selection of teas.


Arturo Ceballos and his needle felted sculptures

   As I looked around I was drawn to the back of the shop where a gentleman, sitting at a small table, was working on the most beautiful menagerie of needle felted creatures: perfect portraits of little rabbits in various colors and aspects. His name is Arturo Ceballos.  He teaches needle felting at the shop and also also sells his wool sculptures at Cottage on the Hudson Fiberarts Studio. Many examples of his work adorn the shop. Still further, in a second room I found a diminutive lady, serenely sitting at her small spinning wheel spinning fiber into yarn. Not unusual for a yarn shop, but as I looked more closely, I realized that in her lap, under her arm was a large, very fluffy, very quiet rabbit, and she was spinning the yarn directly from her fur.
Mariepaule Rossier spinning fiber from her Angora rabbit

Beautiful Angora Rabbit taking a break
   Mariepaule Rossier explained that since the Angora Rabbit was shedding, she was able spin directly from her fur. Mariepaule showed me around and talked to me about her beautiful fibers. What a wealth of knowledge she is! I had a difficult time choosing, but I finally purchased some of her Cormo sheep/kid mohair blend yarn in teal. Mariepaule is also part of The Cottage on the Hudson Fiberarts Studio with Arturo, teaching classes, and selling her hand-spun yarn and garments. After chatting with shop owner Mary, sampling and purchasing some organic tea, and saying goodbye to Mariepaule and Arturo, my intrepid companion and I made our home with my treasures. The next "crawl" cannot come too soon for us.
Intrepid companion, April


 A visit to these local businesses supports our talented local artisans and is a wonderful way to discover the richness of the Hudson Valley.
Hudson Valley Sheep and Wool Company 190 Yantz Road, Red Hook, N.Y. 12751 845-758-3130
www.hudsonvalleysheepandwool
The Perfect Blend Yarn and Tea Shop 50 Market Street Saugerties, N.Y. 12477
www.yarnandteashop.com
Cottage on the Hudson 951-642-8750
cheltenhamcottage@hotmail.com

Kathryn - Huzzah! Handmade https://www.etsy.com/shop/HuzzahHandmade