STE Takes on Lawrenceville Little Flea

We went, we vended, we bought, we roasted. Tam of Barker's Herbs & Heirlooms, Kathryn of Go Carr Go, and I (SilentLotus Creations) headed to Lawrenceville this past Saturday to take part in the charming and eclectic Little Flea! The Lawrenceville Little Flea is a weekly neighborhood marketplace that happens every Saturday at 36th & Butler, with rotating local vendors of both typical flea market fare and handcrafted goods. From 8am - 3pm, the three of us peddled our handmade creations and vintage goods in the sweltering heat with 12 other vendors, using the temp and hot sun as an excuse to seek out thirst- and tummy-quenching treats from Butler Street's yummy coffee and bake shops (thanks for the iced coffee & chai and vegan cupcakes, Espresso A Mano and Dozen). :)



Tam indulges my picture-taking urges and oversees our tent. :)



Kathryn's fabulous paper-cutting work!

The other vendors were in good spirits, chatting and laughing with one another and with flea shoppers. It was great to meet the friendly bunch, who provided us with some handmade, vintage, and thrifted bargains when we needed a break from our tables. I found an old rocking chair and vintage pieces to use in my jewelry making. :) There were clothes, dishes, photographs, textiles, chairs, tools and hardware, and plenty of supplies for upcycled art and craft projects. Chris from Signworks managed to sell a ginormous disco ball- wish I had a picture of that guy rolling away his enormous (seriously, I betcha two people could curl up inside) purchase, the glass tiles flashing in the sun and blinding passersby. lol




Little Flea.

Customers were friendly, too, and curious, quick to ask questions, join in a conversation, and or express support of our wares. Sales were okay, but I'm told there has been a much better turnout in previous weeks. And, in any case, I witnessed plenty of folks carrying their finds happily away. Like any market, success ebbs and flows on any particular day. I'd definitely recommend giving Little Flea and the Lawrenceville area shops a visit as either a vendor or shopper. It was a great day, and the rotating vendors promise new treasures every week!



Tamara's unique steampunk creations made with upcycled materials.



My original art prints and magnets.

Meet STE Member Rachel Rech of WreckinRachel on Etsy

Lightning bugs are zapping the air with the coming of Summer as creative juices are flowing at STE! Let us give a thunderous welcome to new team blood and creatrix extraordinaire, WreckinRachel

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

My name is Rachel Rech. I'm an aspiring Costume Designer going to Point Park University, and will graduate with a BFA in Costume Design next year. I live in the Swissvale section of Pittsburgh with my boyfriend Anton, at Trundle Manor, a museum/house of oddities Wunderkammer. We have a collection of creepy curiosities including dead things in jars, vintage taxidermy, disturbing old medical tools, coffins, steampunk sculptures and various artworks! We are open for tours by appointment only, and the website is www.thessoa.com. I'm also affiliated with The Drifters Car Club of Pittsburgh, of which Anton is President. We have a car show every year, The Steeltown Shakedown, which will be held on Sept. 11 this year at the Twin Hi-Way Drive in. There will be pre-65 hot rods, DIY and vintage vendors, live bands, a pin-up contest, in-person tattoo artist and pinstriper, and a vintage movie on the big screen at night! The website is www.SteeltownShakedown.com.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?

Besides going to school for costume design, I love to give tours of the museum, watch old horror movies, bake, paint, cruise in our 31 Ford, and dress up like a glamorous villain from the movies! Oh, and when autumn comes, I also love to frighten children at Kennywood Fright Nights.


What first made you want to become an artist?
I've always been weird, and I've known since I was little that art in one form or another was what I was meant to do. I've been obsessed with designing costumes and clothing since I can remember.

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

As far as my aprons and things go, I have a stock of colorful fabric that is constantly giving me ideas. Most of what I have is scrap or found material, so most of what I make is one of a kind. I always have several projects going at once, although many of them are for myself!


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

My biggest TV influences include The It's Alive! Show, The Addams Family, The Twilight Zone, Pee Wee's Playhouse. My biggest Movie influences: Ed Wood, Cry-Baby, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

How do you promote your work?

That's something I could improve on, actually. I try to put myself out there mainly through Etsy, Facebook and word of mouth. It's all in who you know!

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

Be original and create what makes you happy. Don't jump on a trendy bandwagon or steal someone else's ideas! If you want recognition, you have to stand out!

A Trip to Creative Reuse Pittsburgh- The Coolest Way to Make Eco-friendly Art!

Last Wednesday, I and three of my best crafty pals and fellow STE admins, headed to the awesomely eco-friendly Creative Reuse Pittburgh (Pgh), a local green organization that accepts unwanted materials for reuse and sells them uber cheap to the creative public! According to their website, Creative Reuse Pgh, which was founded in 2007 and became a project of the Pennsylvania Resources Council in February, is a nonprofit organization that seeks to "keep perfectly good stuff out of the landfill, provide opportunities for people to put it to good (re)use, help forward the movement toward a greener globe, and encourage folks to explore." Sound too idyllic? Maybe... except for that they actually make all of that happen!

A haven to those who can make something out of anything (or anything out of something), the organization's brick-and-mortar stash-shop is located within Construction Junction (who donated the space) on Meade Street in Point Breeze. Creatively cluttered, the two-level space is packed from floor to ceiling with everything you can imagine that could be re-used in making art and given new life. Exploring the nooks and crannies, boxes and piles is really an artsy flea market/thrift store shopper's dream, and during our trip revealed wooden dowels, vintage fabric and notions, office supplies, containers, vintage art, books filled with fabulous wallpaper and fabric samples, random hardware, rubber toys, paper of all types, glitter, hardware, old lab beakers, and so much more!

Their stock includes not only unusual things you may not find anywhere else, but items that sell at craft stores for 20 times the price! The fact that these wares are priced unbelievably dirt-cheap ("starving artist" anyone?) just adds to the already-high bliss factor, as does the fact that each item purchased keeps landfills from growing and leaves the earth a little cleaner and greener. :)

Tamara of Barker's Herbs and Heirlooms, Lynne of Charmed By Nature, Niffer of 19 Moons, and I (Kylie of SilentLotus Creations) had a fabulous visit, all coming away with finds from there and Construction Junction downstairs. Some of us even left feeling a bit "lighter" after donating our own materials to Creative Reuse Pgh- Nif donated "nif"ty payphone and typewriter hardware and Lynne donated -uh- a big box of rubber poop (don't ask). All of us are big on repurposing vintage or discarded materials in unique ways, me just in the last year or so and mostly from their influence. :) Check out our shops linked to above to see what craftastic creations we each come up with!

Creative Reuse Pgh gets new donations regularly, making it a potential new treasure hunt each time you visit. But despite all of their current finds, they can always take more! Next time you have a box or stack of something ready to be discarded or taken to Goodwill, consider stopping by to see if what you have is something they can use. Donating your discards is easy, and much appreciated. And while there, browse for some new goodies. Need creative inspiration or some obscure piece of something that will make your art piece or craft just perfect? I highly recommend making a trip to Creative Reuse Pgh to purchase materials- what you are wishing for just may await you there. :)

Just keep in mind that shopping open to the public only on Wednesdays from 12-5. Other hours are available by appointment only, so if you can't get there on a Wednesday, make sure to give them a call at (412) 202-4036 or email them to set up a different time to go.















A section of Creative Reuse's upper level.















Fabulous vintage prints.





















A view of the first floor from above.
















Lynne's poop was put right out on the floor (front and center)!
















The view that greeted us when we arrived: fabric, notions, and so much more.
















More upper level goodness.