Handmade Arcade this Saturday!

Handmade Arcade will be held this Saturday, November 12th, from 11:00 am - 7:00 pm at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, PA.

This event brings a unique shopping experience to Pittsburgh with music, snacks and a Hands-on-Handmade making area. Come meet our Steel Town Etsy team (we'll be there representing Etsy - one of the event sponsors) and buy a raffle ticket to win a basket of locally made handmade items.  A portion of the proceeds from the raffle will go to the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse.

Team members who will be vendors at the event:

 19 Moons

Art by Marcia Furman

Barker's Herbs & Heirlooms

The Buttercup and Thistle

Charmed by Nature

Designs-by-Samantha

elmtree

Go Carr Go

Green Bubble Gorgeous
 

Missy Mae Tutus

My Salvation

Nina Ramone

strawberryluna

Whimsical Wonders

Wild Notions

Fundraising & Localfest at Bocktown Beer & Grill

Stop down at Bocktown Beer & Grill tonight from 6:00 - 8:00 pm for their third annual Localfest. They are located at 690 Chauvet Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15275, in Robinson across from the Target.

Meet and greet with some of the local purveyors, artisans and friends that make Bocktown possible. Learn more about Buy Fresh Buy Local and how they support and grow our Pittsburgh area and surrounding communities, and see how you can too.

The event will also feature craft beer tastings, wine samples, and live music from Pete Bush from Pete Bush and the Hoi Polloi.

Our team Captain will be there vending and selling raffle tickets for the Steel Town Etsy fundraiser to help benefit one of our members, Alicia Kachmar of Eternal Sunshine, who suffers from Ulcerative Colitis. She has had the second of three surgeries to rid her of the disease and, despite having insurance, has mounting medical bills. More fundraising activities will be coming in September, so watch for news of those in a future post.

Tonight's basket features items such as books donated by Quirk Books - Booze Cakes and On A Stick (80 Party-Perfect Recipes), a Pub Sweater donated by Kate of WakulaWorks , a lovely necklace donated by Lucy of Belmonili, a $20.00 gift certificate donated by Chrissie of Party Paper Scissors, and an art print donated by Kathryn of Go Carr Go.

Raffle Tickets are $1.00 each or 10 for $5.00. You need not be present to win. The winner will be contacted and can make arrangements to pick up the basket at Bocktown at a later date.

Steel Town Etsy Members Join Roving Hordes of Zombies Invading Market Square

If some of you have been wondering if some of the Steel Town Etsy members are really crafty zombies, we now have photographic evidence that some of them are.

 On 10/10/10 the dead walked again as the It's Alive Show hosted Zombie Fest as a food drive for the Pittsburgh food bank and an attempt to break the official Guinness world record for the largest gathering of zombies.  Pittsburgh has held the record in the past but was beaten by Seattle last year.  The official count at the end of the day was 4,590 zombies which, for now, is enough to bring the record back to Pittsburgh where it belongs.  Among those zombies, were several members of Steel Town Etsy, some of whom were even vendors.

Market Square was the perfect setting for the event and it provided a wonderful backdrop for many great shots throughout the day.

It was wonderful to see so many creative people come together for a good cause, and good, clean, if not somewhat bloody, fun.   Local artists and a couple of small, local businesses sold their wares at the event, and the zombies in attendance showed that they had plenty of brains as they purchased many items from these vendors.  Lynne, who made the brains on chains seen below as well as the zombie sachets to chase away the scent of decay at the end of the day commented, "You know, even though some of the zombies look really scary, they're actually really nice."

Events like this help make Pittsburgh a fantastic city to live in and help promote the local art scene.  Thanks to all the zombies who supported the local arts and businesses at this event.  It was wonderful seeing so many like-minded people in one place.

 

The end to a fantastic day!

Meet STE Member Megan from "That's What She Thread"

Hooray! It seems as though spring is finally on its way here to the Burg! And right on cue with the spring, Steel Town Etsy is growing in leaps & bounds! This week we’ve got another rock’n new member to talk about – Megan from That's What She Thread:

Tell us a bit about yourself name, location, affiliations, personal stuff.
My name is Megan and I live in Pittsburgh with my fiancé Nick of JetPack Agenda. We’re originally from Buffalo, NY. I went to the Art Institute here and fell in love with the city. I taught myself how to sew at a relatively young age and after much pressure from friends and family in the last few years started “That’s What She Thread”. I sell vintage-inspired aprons, dresses, bags, totes, hand-embroidered kitchen-y stuff and as of late, a few baby items.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?
I love hiking, cooking, baking, making home-made jam, knitting, crocheting, frequenting the library, gardening and spending time with friends. It just occurred to me that several of my answers still include creating things…

What first made you want to become an artist?
Until recently, I didn’t ever really connect my sewing with being an “artist”. It’s a really great feeling to be called that! To me it’s not something you choose to be. I just am a lousy shopper, so when it comes to birthdays and holidays my first thought generally is to make someone something. I had a few friends who were constantly telling me I should start trying to sell my stuff, so this July I gave in and started “That’s What She Thread”.

What handmade possession do you most cherish?
Currently, given the weather as of late, it’s this pair of slippers my sister made me as a Christmas gift. They’re hand-stitched out of upcycled sweaters that she felted in the washer. That and the super-cute business card holder my other sis crocheted for me. It really comes in handy and fits perfectly in my purse or coat pocket, wherever I go.

Name your top five places to be in the Pittsburgh area.
Frick Park – Nick and I love to pack a lunch and come out here. You can easily make a day of hiking, picnicking, and stopping at the Oakland central library on the way home!
Point Park - I love taking out-of-town friends down here on the T from Dormont, especially in the late afternoon before sunset.
Strip District – It is always bustling with people and culture and incredible smells. Also a great place to take out-of-towners, the fish market and open-air produce makes Pittsburgh feel like a big city. Not to mention the numerous different grocery stores (Asian, Mexican, etc.) make stocking up my kitchen super-easy.
Southside River Front Path – A beautiful and quiet summer walking/biking spot. Lots of off-the-path exploring to do here too.
My Backyard Garden – There is nothing better to me than to spend my day off tending to my veggies, herbs and flowers while hanging my laundry to dry in the sun and napping in the hammock.

What advice would you give to artists who are new to the Pittsburgh craft scene?
Just go for it! It took me a lot of prodding from friends to start my Etsy. I didn’t have much confidence that anyone would actually want to buy anything I made. But when I finally did, and the sales and compliments and custom orders started coming in, it’s an awesome feeling! There is a ton of people here in Pgh that respect handmades, and the support is incredible.

What are your favorite features on Etsy? What new features would you like to see? Etsy is so great and user-friendly! There is this awesome feature where when you list a new item you can immediately post it to your Facebook page. Once I sold an apron within 20 minutes of listing it because someone online saw the post. I also list sales I’m having on there. On the other hand I try to keep up with people “heart”-ing my items and site. Unfortunately, Etsy doesn’t offer notifications when someone has marked you or your stuff as a favorite, so every few days I go through my items manually and try to remember which hearts are new. I wrote a message to the Etsy powers-that-be but they wrote back saying it wasn’t a feature they were planning to add…

How do you promote your work?
I try to wear my stuff and carry around business cards as much as I can. I’m a little shy about self-promotion but it’s easy to work into a conversation when someone asks me where I got my super-cute apron from. I’ve had a lot of luck networking on my Facebook fan page . Recently I’ve started a MySpace page too. My boss at MexiCasa has also let Nick and I hang flyers and business cards on the bulletin boards there and we’ve been allowed to leave cards at a few other local businesses.

Introducing today's featured seller: Paula from Pootinkies

The Steel Town Etsy team is thrilled to have so many new members! We'll be featuring interviews with them from time to time.

The first of these is with Paula of Pootinkies.  We hope you enjoy our interview!

STE:  Tell us a bit about yourself name, location, affiliations, personal stuff.

Pootinkies:  I'm Paula Luna :) I live South of Pittsburgh. I moved around a bit in my life but Pittsburgh is my heart and soul. I started my company Pootinkies on Etsy after having my son. I saw a serious need for baby things that were not your typical pink and blue. Or ducks. Or nauseating pastels in general. *gag*

STE:  Apart from creating things, what do you do?

Pootinkies:  Number one I am a Mom! I am also a pediatric nurse. I have also done ER and Labor and Delivery as well.

STE:  What first made you want to become an artist?

Pootinkies:  I don't think I ever really sat down and thought-hey! I should become an artist! I have been doing creative stuff all my life really. My Mom is like that too so I am sure I got a lot of it from her. I never really liked the latest fashions or whatever was "in". So I have always done my own thing. I am just really lucky at this time in my life that people are liking what I do!

STE:  Please describe your creative process how, when, materials, etc.

Pootinkies:  Things just come to me. My brain is a funny thing. Most of the time I am laying in bed half awake and half dreaming and I will think of something. Then the next day I will attempt to create whatever is in my mind. Everything I would want for my kid that isn't available I just try to create. Then I add a dash of weird, a teaspoon of quirky, and a touch of scary and then voila! Success! I use soft fuzzy fabrics. My favorite is cotton. I can't stand the things out there for babies in the corporate stores. One layer of half polyester half cotton doesn't do it for me when it comes to a drooling teething kiddo.

STE:  What handmade possession do you most cherish?

Pootinkies:  My zombie weiner dogs, definitely. There is nothing like them. Everyone needs one to have a complete fulfilled life ;)

STE:  Name your top five places to be in the Pittsburgh area, books/authors, movies/TV shows, songs/musical groups, and web sites besides Etsy.

Pootinkies:  Oh boy. This question is a tough one.  I think I am going to go with just the top 5 places in Pittsburgh:

1. Primantis-Because they do it up right. You put your fries and slaw all on your sammich. You have a cold Iron City beer to wash it down with. Then for at least an hour afterwards you must speak in a thick Pittsburgh accent that only people from here could possibly understand. It's a total out of body experience.

2. The Strip District-You can get anything you want here as far as food goes. Everything from Chinese food to Italian food to Mexican food. You can get it there. Plus I love the feel of the place. The vendors are out on the streets all summer long. It is the ultimate place to get your Steeler gear!!!!

3. Mt. Washington lookouts-You just can't get that kind of a city view anywhere else. It is breathtaking. It's cool to ride the incline up the hill and walk around on a cool summer night. Especially when there is a Steeler or Pirates game going on because you can see right down into the stadiums.

4. Kennywood Park-I love amusement parks. Kennywood has that nostalgic feel to it. Just the smells and the sounds as soon as you walk into that park. It just makes me feel like I am ten years old all over again.

5. The Point-This is a beautiful park that has an awesome fountain! You just can't experience three rivers all at once anywhere else.

STE:  What advice would you give to artists who are new to the Pittsburgh craft scene?

Pootinkies:  Be true to your own art. Don't be afraid that someone else isn't going to like what you are making. Plus-you are your biggest sales person. You can't be shy. Don't be afraid to ask your friends for a little help in the advertising department. Word of mouth is key. So don't be quiet about it.

STE:  How do you promote your work?

Pootinkies:  Facebook is a big one. I have a fan page on there that really helps. People all over the world are viewing it. I have business cards too. Plus meeting people and talking to everyone and anyone. I have met some of the coolest people just getting involved in groups like Steel Town Etsy. They are really creative and inspiring people. I have flyers and posters that I hang up in various places as well.

STE:  Please finish this sentence, "In five years I'd like to be..."

Pootinkies: A Mom of two ♥

Steel Town Etsy St. Patrick's Day Promo

Are visions of leprechauns dancing in your head?  Always wish you could find their pot of gold at the end of a rainbow?  Celebrate the season and the wearing o' the green while you enjoy the Steel Town Etsy team's St. Patrick's Day promo on Etsy.  Our promo will allow you to keep more gold in your own pot while purchasing handmade treasures.  Visit participating shops the week of March 14th - 20th to take advantage of the promo.

Each shop owner will be selecting a random listing to include the shamrock logo above in (hint - look at the pictures included with each listing).   Enjoy shopping the wide variety of items handmade with pride by Steel Town Etsy team members from the comfort of your own home (or office - we promise not to tell) and hunt for the shamrocks.

When you find the shamrock logo above in participating shops, send a convo ("contact this seller" option on Etsy) to the shop owner letting them know where you found the logo and any item(s) you want to purchase.  The seller will then create a special listing for you to include your discount.

A list of participating shops will be included in our Etsy shop announcement and listed on our blog, beginning Saturday, March 13th. 

We hope you enjoy our treasure hunt and hope you find many treasures at the end of our handmade rainbow.

Etsy Pittsburgh's Own Brooklyn Four Invade Artists & Fleas and the Market at McCarren

This past weekend, the "Brooklyn Four" (so named in honor of the Fox Force Five) took a road trip to sell their crafty wares at both the Artists & Fleas Market and the Market at McCarren. Although sales weren't as good as hoped, we all sold a few things, gave out some business cards, and met many wonderfully interesting people.

We arrived early enough to enjoy a breakfast of fresh baked pastries from the Baker's Bounty stand and to enjoy a stroll around the greenmarket. Jenn (aka hairycarrot) and I (aka BarkerBell) spent the day outside at the park and had fairly good traffic past our tent all day. It had rained almost every day for the past two weeks in NYC so everyone seemed to just want to be outside enjoying the nice day.

Sadly, there was a street fair near the Artists and Fleas Market on 6th and not many people wandered inside to the market so Lynne (aka Charmed By Nature) and Niffer (aka 19 Moons) didn't have as heavy traffic as McCarren Park did.

We had gorgeous weather, around 82, sunny, with a light breeze up until we were about finished packing up at the end of the day when a summer downpour began. Fortunately our tent was still up at the time so we were able to stay mostly dry. The storm ended as soon as it began leaving a rainbow over Brooklyn. After we packed the van for our trip home, we enjoyed a delicious and well earned dinner at Tai Thai, on Bedford Avenue, near 6th.

It was a wonderful experience, great chance to gauge trends for the items we all make, and a great chance to get to know other team members better. Thanks to the other members of the "Brooklyn Four" for a memorable trip. Pictures from our trip are available on Flickr.

Introducing Pretty Vicious! The Second CityCraft Handmade Holiday Happy Hour Market Featured Artist for Today.

I am pleased to introduce you to the second of today's CityCraft Handmade Holiday Happy Hour Market featured artists - Pretty Vicious!
Christina, of Pretty Vicious, says "I’m a photographer, with a passion for experimental techniques. I realized that a lot of people lack the wall space to display large works of art – so I scaled my work down and found a different avenue to display my work…as necklaces. I create miniature wearable works of art, either using my original imagery or patterns found in nature. I also offer small, affordable prints of my photographs for sale – for those who do have a bit of wall space to fill. "

From her Etsy profile, " To me, photography is play. I find great joy in creating images. My approach to photography often employs techniques that blur space and time – making visible the invisible, conveying a sense of vitality and life in the static image."

Come to Navarra on December 18th from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm to shop local, shop handmade, and see Red Raven Studios, along with numerous other talented artisans.

Introducing Sunstone Soap! Friday's CityCraft Handmade Holiday Happy Hour Market Featured Artist.

Welcome to the special Thanksgiving holiday weekend edition of the Etsy Pittsburgh CityCraft blog artist features! Due to illness in the family (first my youngest son who kindly shared with the rest of the family) and the Thanksgiving holiday, blog entries are a bit behind so I'm issuing multiple artist features to get caught up.

I'm pleased to introduce you to the third of these featured CityCraft artists - Sunstone Soap.

Kim Piper, of Sunstone Soap, says she makes "over 25 body soaps, face soaps, and Fluffy Puppy soap. In addition to this, we offer a growing product line that includes: body scrubs, facial toner and oils, shea cream, salves, mists, massage bars and oils, bath salts, and lip balms."

From her website: "Welcome to our store! Handmade Sunstone Soaps are a natural blend of plant oils and fragrances, colors and exfoliates. Unlike mass-produced commercial soap bars, these hand-crafted soaps do not contain animal fats, hardeners, deodorants or chemicals that can be drying to your skin. Sunstone Soaps retain all of their natural glycerin moisturizers making them especially gentle on your skin.

Our products are made without animal testing. Products have been tested on family and friends only. A portion of all proceeds are donated to animal welfare organizations or FSMA."

Come to Navarra on December 18th from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm to shop local, shop handmade, and see Sunstone Soap along with numerous other talented artisans.

Introducing Cerca Jewelry! Today's CityCraft Handmade Holiday Happy Hour Featured Artist.

Today’s featured CityCraft artist is Laura Wetzel of Cerca Jewelry.

Laura is an accomplished jewelry artist whose designs are funky, bold & modern. Her hand-crafted pieces reflect a unique pairing of materials perfect for work or play. Laura skillfully hammers, oxidizes, tarnishes & brushes sterling silver & blends it with copper, plastic & rubber to create works that dazzle, “with a nod to old Hollywood glamour.” Her sexy chic jewelry makes a strikingly elegant statement anytime.

As Laura explains on her website, “What is CERCA, you may ask? Jewelry. Jewelry with a little bling and a lotta moxy. These are not your mother’s pearls. We gave those back. Honest.
Well she wasn’t using them, anyway.”
Amen!

Laura is another extremely talented member of Etsy Pittsburgh & we are thrilled to have her on the team!

And so we welcome you to Navarra on December 18th from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm to shop local, shop handmade, and see Cerca Jewlery along with numerous other talented artisans.

Introducing Lz Rocks! Today's CityCraft Handmade Holiday Happy Hour Market Featured Artist.

I'm pleased to introduce you to today's featured CityCraft artist - Lz Rocks!

Leslie Beard, of Lz Rocks!, says she “makes handmade stuff that rocks.“ She features a wide variety of jewelry and accessories such as wire-wrapped pendants, epoxy resin mold pendants, fused glass pendants and rings, as well as hand knit scarves.

From her Etsy profile, " I am 27 and self-medicate with craft. I love living in Pittsburgh with my EJ (who sometimes helps out with listing and shipping) and 2 kittens, where I own a curious beast of a retail establishment called Your Mom's. I dig the wire wrap, resin casting, felting and spinning, glass fusing and flameworking, and various eco-crafts - check out http://craftingagreenworld.com/ "

She is the founder of the Etsy Pittsburgh Team and will be participating in Pittsburgh’s annual Light Up Night this Friday, November 21st.

For a CityCraft sneak preview, stop by and say hello to Lz at:

Light Up Night Holiday Bazaar
10:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
YWCA of Pittsburgh
305 Wood Street
Pittsburgh, PA
For more information on light up night, visit http://pittsburgh.about.com/cs/downtown/a/light_up_night.htm

Come to Navarra on December 18th from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm to shop local, shop handmade, and see Lz Rocks! along with numerous other talented artisans.

Introducing Vintage Hotcakes. Today's CityCraft Handmade Holiday Happy Hour Market Featured Artist.

I'm pleased to introduce you to today's featured CityCraft artist - Vintage Hotcakes.

Dawn Ellis of Vintage Hotcakes, makes home & personal accessories fashioned from vintage, new & recycled materials. Her craftsmanship is impeccable and her creations rarely fail to elicit smiles. From her Etsy profile, " I don’t use patterns for any of my creations & sew ‘free style’ as I like to call it. I also love buying handmade..."

She is an invaluable member of the Etsy Pittsburgh Team!

Come to Navarra on December 18th from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm to shop local, shop handmade, and see Vintage Hotcakes along with numerous other talented artisans.

Final Week at the Twilight Market

This is the final week for this season at the Twilight Market, so get down there. It's at the corner of Jacksonia and Buena Vista in the Northside.

Another Twilight Market

We've had our third time at Twilight Market, and with the sun going down earlier now (oh no!) the market is moving its hours up to 3-6:30.
Our next night there is August 30. The market will run weekly until the farmers are out of produce.

Etsy Teams

Here's our write up in the Etsy Teams Digest:

EtsyPittsburgh has been all about motivation this summer! Members have been super busy teaming up to vend at events like the city’s unique nomadic indie craft fair I Made It! Market, spearheaded by team member zippull. By getting together at fairs and markets to root each other on and to share spaces, tents, supplies, advice, and laughs, Team Pittsburgh has established a supportive crafting community in the Steel City! To find out more about the team, its recent goings on, and why you should join, visit their Team blog. See some of their fabulous creations in the team’s Flickr pool.

Here's the link. We're in the middle of the page.
Thanks Silentlotus for the excellent write-up.

Merlinsbark at the Storque

Merlin's Bark Products is one of Pounce's Undiscovered Shops featured on the Storque!

We just met them at I Made It! Sundae Market.

Since they were discovered, they've made a few sales. Their large product line is sure to have something for you, too.

Call for Entries at Etsy

The Storque has posted a list of contests with upcoming deadlines. Check the article for details.

Congratulations to our old friend LemonCadet

LemonCadet was recently featured in a Storque Spotlight. She was with us at the very beginning of our team formation, even though she lives far away. Congrats friend of Pittsburgh!

Help Spread the Etsy!

The new Etsy referral feature is great.

Tech Updates: Invite a Friend
from Etsy :: The Storque

We are pleased to announce the addition of an Invite a Friend feature to Etsy. Registered Etsy members can now send an email to a friend or contact, inviting them to check out Etsy. Eventually, this new feature will tie into a referral program. For now, please help us by telling all your friends about Etsy in a quick and easy way and watch the number of referrals that have become registered Etsy members because of you grow straight from Your Etsy!

You may have noticed a few changes to the look of the top right of your Etsy screen! We have added an additional text link between Help and Logout called Invite.

Try it on your mailing list. Your mom. (ha) All your friends from college. Your Facebook contacts. Your crafty friends. People you work with. People who buy too much at Target. Your neighbor.

We'll be checking back in a week to see how many people you got signed up!

Top 10 Reasons to Join Team Etsy Pittsburgh!

10. You have an Etsy shop/love to shop on Etsy and live within driving distance of Pittsburgh.

9. Sharing skills and swapping supplies at craft night.

8. Super fun and educational team field trips and workshops like Chihuly at Phipps and the Pittsburgh Glass Center.

7. Group ordering = great discounts on supplies.

6. Being part of a talented group of local crafters (and trading items at shows!)

5. Getting inside info on the best local shops and shows for selling your handmade goods.

4. Sharing vending spaces, tents, and laughs at local craft events.

3. Etsy support, tips and tricks from experienced users.

2. Seeing your wonderful handmade item listed at pittsburgh.etsy.com, the address on the thousands of business cards we hand out at events.

and the number one reason to join the Pittsburgh Etsy Street Team is....

We've got your back! Run out of sterling jump rings and have an order to fill? At a show and out of change or need to borrow some tape? Ask a fellow team member, we are always happy to help.

Visit pittsburgh.etsy.com and send us a message if you'd like to be a part of the crafty fun!

octarine.etsy.com
myspace.com/yourmomsinbellevue