Brooklyn Indie Market

I decided to try using facebook for some political activism. Other things I have considered seem to have put me at risk for imprisonment like sitting down in the middle of the street during some really fun anti-war protests. But who would watch the baby?

I created a group Ping Pong Moms for Obama and so far my boyfriend, who is a much better mom than I am and my old best friend from Wyngate, Junior Highschool joined.

If one more joins I will look into making up some t-shirts!

Hand Made Cavalcade

Originally uploaded by brooklynindiemarket

My designer pals of the New New are heading up to Beacon September 13th.

From their website:

The {NewNew} York Etsy Street team — a group of sellers from Etsy.com, the online marketplace for handmade goods — is leaving the city for a day and heading up to Dutchess County to to set up shop in Beacon, New York. The craft fair will take place from 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm, and will coincide with Beacon’s Second Saturday Art Walk. The Handmade Cavalcade fair will be located at the corner of Main Street and North Cedar, right in the middle of it all!

Shop through 20 booths for one-of-a-kind items, all handmade by the hippest DIYers around. You’ll find smashing jewelry, paper goods, hand-screened clothing and accessories, unique artwork and items for the home, yummy soaps and body butters, and much much more!

Meet the artists and crafters who made the stunning wares for sale, and be sure to grab a souvenir. You can sample free refreshments throughout the day while you’re taking it all in.

Don’t miss this one-day event! Join the {NewNew} at the Handmade Cavalcade fair for indie crafts and loads of fun!

For more information, please contact us at handmadecavalcade @ gmail.com

Victorian children, 1890s

Originally uploaded by east_lothian_museums

In my research for a Victorian inspired kids ensemble (model secured!) my web surfing has yielded a fantastic museum flickr site photo documenting images by the East Lothian Museum.

From the offical website “Preserving & presenting East Lothian’s heritage.”

“East Lothian Museums Service collects and preserves the evidence of the county’s past, for the education and enjoyment of today’s and future generations.”

(I have more of a rubberized version of a fancy dress in mind for my young model)

“Our collections range from social history to fine art, and from stone age flints to great industrial machines. They include trades banners and costume; the oldest recorded gannet; the civic regalia of the old burghs of East Lothian; and a Cornish beam engine, unique in Scotland.

The Service is based in Haddington, and mounts exhibitions and events throughout East Lothian.”

Can I just say, I love flickr…

winching no 6 onto low loader

Originally uploaded by east_lothian_museums

Also from the East Lothian Museum Flickr site.

“Locomotive number 6 being winched onto low loader at Prestongrange Museum”

stylehive

Originally uploaded by brooklynindiemarket

Stylehive has been around for a while but I have been resistant to delving into the hive.

Katie James of thatitgirl.blogspot.com was the first person to draw my attention to it, as she is so wise in social bookmarking matters, I signed up.

My first love has been the ever so accessible flickr where I have met the most amazing designers, artists and editors like Deb and Wendy at DIY City Magazine and Stylehive.They held my hand while explaining that Stylehive is a great way to draw attention to indie designers and I wholeheartedly took the plunge into the hive . Deb and Wendy were participating in a Style Hive contest that seemed like fun and now I have a Stylehive bookmarklet in my browser so I can click on an indie designer item I like, hive and share it.

From their About page:

Stylehive.com is an online style club for people who live for fashion, design and shopping. It’s where you meet your style muses and follow them as they discover and share their latest finds.

Part social-networking club, part pop-culture lab , Stylehive.com is one big ensemble cast of trendsetters creating, discovering and buying the next big thing!

I like that it’s a pop-culture lab, especially if I can add my bit of influence to it.

http://www.stylehive.com/

colourlovers

Originally uploaded by brooklynindiemarket

Color Lovers website allows you to search for colors, palettes and patterns as well.

In my search for a color name for a specific skirt I had been working on, I got seriously side tracked by many hours with this amazing design tool I discovered, Colour Lovers.

I have yet to find the perfect color name for my skirt (claret, but not quite) or to continue production, but what inspiration to be found here!

More on this later as I explore.

www.colourlovers.com

Originally uploaded by brooklynindiemarket

Flyer reads: October 25th, 11-6 Brooklyn Indie Market is hosting a Steam Punk Themed Day just in time for Halloween.

2 pm Fashion Show

Steam Themed Designers of fashion, product design, artists, musicians, lifestyle goods, tarot reading, cordials and curiosity seekers.

Free to enter

We are still accepting submissions from designers, designers for the fashion show wishing to outfit a model (of which we seem to have plenty, hmnnnn….)  artists, musicians, makeup artists and anything else I left out.

Just email kathymalone at gmail

The events’ Steam Team includes Britney Fady-Williams of www.beritnewyork.com and www.beritnewyork.etsy.com who has a lot of experience rolling out events (specializing in goth) and has a nack for finding models, makeup artists, designers and just the right illustrated school book from the 1960’s (see flyer).

Wren of Purevile purevile.etsy.com has a display background and worked at Anthropologie for 6 years as a display coordinator, is currently  merchandising at ABC Carpet and Home and kind of makes me nervously excited when he says, “you would not BELIEVE the props I have stored at my parents house in Long Island!” He also participates in amazing events like this http://www.dancesofvice.com/.

Rebecca Shepherd co-runs the Bim, is a  jewelry designer of rebeccashepherd.etsy.com, has a big fan base at the market and beyond, as well as having just opened Urban Alchemist in Park Slope with her partner Imaan Selmin. Rebecca can secure helium tanks, fog machines, sawing construction workers and leaves that have been blessed by Greenwood Cemetery on a moments notice. She is also my neighbor so I scored big time.

Our media partner for the event, Brooklyn Based, is the ever surprizing and delightful email newsletter Brooklyn Based (you thought you knew all the cool stuff about Brooklyn, but not until you read BB).

Michelle Han, Artist

Originally uploaded by brooklynindiemarket

Michelle Han will be exhibiting with us this weekend, August 23rd 11-7 on Smith and Union Street- Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn

Bim: One of the first things that struck me about your work was it’s delicacy, restraint, passion and sensuality in your choice of shapes and colors. Have you heard that from other people and can you talk me about that, because I really like it!

MH: Thank you so much! I have heard that from other people. I think it’s an accurate description of my sensibility, and probably my personality as well, in a way. I am very shy - as a child I was painfully shy! - but at the same time very passionate and headstrong. Physically I am tiny and come across as delicate, but I run marathons. I have always loved the human form and have always felt very comfortable drawing the nude figure. And obviously the nude form is very sensual — I just think it is very beautiful, the lines and curves, the living form. I think I am drawn to aesthetics that are simple and complex at the same time, fragile, delicate, but massive. I’m really attracted to the concept of restraint. Anyone can muscle through; it’s much harder to show restraint.

www.michellehan.com

michellehan.etsy.com

Michelle Han, Blind Embossment

Originally uploaded by brooklynindiemarket

Bim: I love your blind embossments, perhaps because I work with textiles and fiber-what is it, how do you do it and how did you discover it?

MH: I love blind embossments too. They are so much fun, and they were a big surprise to me, that I would make work like this. I love them because they are so simple, yet complex, very different. A blind embossment is created when you take objects and emboss their shape and textures into paper using a printing press (any press you would use to make an etching or other type of printmaking). I learned this technique when I took a printmaking class at the School of Visual Arts this past winter.

Bim: Practically speaking, how do you survive as an artist in an increasingly expensive city and time? Rich boyfriend/parents/grandparents? Regular 9-5 job? Living on the cheap?

MH: Haha! I think we all dream of having a benefactor. I have been fortunate to be able to work a part-time day job in public relations. Being a former reporter gives me the skills I need for that. I am learning how to do it as I go. Different people have different ways of making it work. I’m so inspired to be in New York, where I get to meet and talk to so many working artists and designers and creative entrepreneurs, and see how they are making things happen.

www.michellehan.com

michelle.etsy.com

Michelle Han, Wood Block Print

Originally uploaded by brooklynindiemarket

Bim: I think you love paper as much as any of the other materials you use, you are also a writer, what is it about paper?

MH: I absolutely love paper. I don’t know what it is about it — I’ve always loved the crispness and the very tactile nature of paper. I even love the way it smells. When I worked at newspapers I loved looking for my stories in the paper. I still love reading the paper and getting ink all over my fingers. I write a lot on the computer but I still write on paper too. You can carry paper anywhere. There’s texture, there’s smell, there’s weight. I get a lot of paper cuts.

www.michellehan.com

michellehan.etsy.com