[uhp-steyt fan-see] - adjective

1. not exorbitant or extravagent by city standards, however in a rural setting (like upstate new york) it is in fact, quite fancy.

2. a wonderful blog dedicated to art, design and other things that are indeed upstate fancy.

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Nov
30
crafts
2010 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE: the food lover

Check out these great gift picks for the foodie or cook on your gift list!

Clockwise from top left: Espresso brownies from Whimsy and Spice $8, Beeraw honey flight of 9 honey varieties $78, Deluxe Cheese kit from Urban Cheese Kraft ( it’s simple & tasty) $50, Salt & pepper shaker from Romi Ceramics $36, T-shirt from happy family $16,

Clockwise from top left: Recipe box from Rife Paper Company $125, Herb chopper ( we have one and love it) by Al Stephens $32, Three months of croissants from willams-sonoma, $99, Bamboo state cutting board from aheirloom  $40, eco friendly reusable fork and spoon at thinkgeek $5, index chopping board at moma store $70, Reusable shopping bag from wonder thunder $12

Nov
09
crafts
HOLIDAY PROMOS for etsy.com

A few weeks ago a received and email from some good folks at etsy.com (i’m sure you have heard of it) asking if I would be interested in creating a promotional piece for the upcoming holiday craft fair circuit. The turn around time was short, really short, but this was such a great project I had to say , yes yes yes! Etsy had the idea to create a woodland themed keychain, so I worked up a couple sketches and sent them on over. Once they were approved they were sent through the wires to be etched and cut.

They then arrived ready to be assembled. We removed each one from it’s little resting place, peeled the protective paper off each one by hand, attached the triangle jump rings (which were handmade by fellow etsy seller Unkamen Supplies) and the keychain rings and clamped them shut! 600 of these bear and moose keyrings then went in the box and flew down to our old stomping grounds on Brooklyn. If you happen to be at the One of a Kind show this weekend in NYC, or any othe big holiday shows, keep your eye out for the etsy booth for other etsy artists handmade promo items! And be sure to stop by our etsy shop this holiday season for great gift items, ornaments, stocking stuffers and more!

Nov
07
crafts
BEAUTIFUL WOODLAND knitting patterns

Last weekend we were lucky enough to have Matt’s parents up for a visit. I absolutely love having them here and Matt’s mom was kind enough to teach me the basics of knitting. In the last week I have knitted three scarves ( well 2 and a half since one was for the dog) and I have to say I have found a new hobby!

When I have a little more practice under my needles I hope to get a few patterns from Tiny Owls Magic Patterns. These woodland inspired knitting patterns are just amazing! I especially like the bear hooded sweater, it looks so very very cozy.

Aug
30
crafts
PICNIC ARTS FAIR in portland maine

This past Saturday I had the good fortune to check out the Picnic music and arts fair in downtown Portland Maine. It was the first smaller sized indie fair I have been to but I have to say it was just amazing. It was so refreshing to see new vendors that aren’t part of the usual suspects of crafters and DIY’ers that I typically see in the NY area. Of course I picked up a few awesome pieces for myself but I didn’t want you to miss out on the fun either… so enjoy!

Heather Toupin, aka heatherjeany had these hilarious kids shirts that had me in a giggle fit. It was such a pleasure to finally meet her in person. As always her both looked so well put together and you couldn’t help but pop in to take a look at her printed cards and paper goods.

Kyle Durrie from Power and Light Press had a slew of witty and unpretentious letter pressed greetings. I actually almost missed her booth but I am so glad I spun around at the right time. My personal favorite was the WTFWJD which I promptly bought to send to a dear friend in New York.

Matt and I were both drawn to the bags by Jared DeSimio, aka dappermonkey. He had such a range of ideas and I loved them all. Of course my my favorite were the lumberjack themed laptop sleeves, I wouldn’t mind thinking of my little macbook as Paul Bunyan. But in all honesty all of his other up-cycled bags were just stunning as well, I love having something that is a functional art object as well.

I loved seeing Morris & Essex at the show as well. I don’t believe I have ever gotten the chance to see their work up close and personal. The hand printed cards and wrapping paper have the most gorgeous colors and really draw you over from an aisle away.

I was also pretty stoked to see former Brooklynites Zooguu and Goobetsa. Jen and Brian (respectively) always have a great looking booth. Of course the critters in the Zooguu line always make me smile but Brian has some new superhero paper cuts that really take the cake.

Sarah McCann had these great little finger puppets of monsters and mysteries. The yeti might have been my favorite. I really enjoyed seeing local artists, and some not so local artists gather in Portland for this awesome fair. I really hope next year I can be apart of it, in the meantime I will keep my fingers crossed for a holiday indoor version. After all I heard it does get cold here in Maine.

May
10
crafts
ART STAR PICKS: bubbledog

This coming weekend (May 15 + 16) is the annual Art Star Craft Bazaar in Philadelphia, PA. I’ve been looking forward to selling the Peppersprouts line there for the last few months. My favorite part of doing out of town shows is all the new artists I get to meet and of course the lovely people who put on these events. So this week on the blog I thought I would share some of my favorites that will also be at Art Star this weekend.

First up is the adorable bubbledog. They have a wide range of cute products, from belts, to cards, to adorable totebags. It is going to be hard to keep my money in my apron when passing by their booth. Will you be attending this amazing festival?

Apr
05
crafts
NEW WALL ART in the peppersprout shop

During this long weekend I was able to take some photos of two new products I have available in the shop. These little 5×7 wood wall art pieces are just the tip of the iceberg in a small series of art that I have been working on. While I think they look amazing on their own, they also really pop when you put them in a 5×7 frame too! You can pick up one for yourself over in the shop. Stop back tomorrow and I will let you in on a little secret about how I got these great product shots! Hint: I do not have any green walls in my apartment!

Mar
24
crafts
BEAUTIFUL EMBROIDERY from Tara Badcock

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I stumbled upon a detail of one of Tara Badcock’s on flickr a while back and just fell in love. Her embroidery work is so free and loose but the stitches and colors are so precise at the same time. It almost makes in a little hard to wrap one’s head around. The more I browse through her pieces the closer my jaw gets to the ground. Take a look for yourself and if your in Australia perhaps you can go see one in person!

tara_pillows_1

Feb
17
crafts
SAYING GOODBYE to the ikea fira

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As of this month Ikea has discontinued those amazing little wood drawers called the Fira. If you have ever shopped at Ikea I can almost guarantee that you at one point you went home with one of these little, pain-in-the-ass-to-assemble mini drawers. There best thing about these little storage units is that the possibility for creativity is endless. I had one on my desk for years that I painted the same color as my wall. So if you happen to be in an Ikea this weekend and see one of these guys, pick one up for me!

fira_2

Clockwise from top left: Wall mounted display shelf found on Ikeahacker,  Veer inspired Fira from chuise, A black and white decoupage  diddy from JamieOfAllTrades, and beautiful stained drawers from chanco20.

Feb
08
crafts
CHESHIRE CAT paper craft

cheshire-cat

Just in time for the new Tim Burton film, Alice in Wonderland, Comes this awesome paper craft. This awesome peice of fan art is ready  for you to print out, cut out and piece together. Looks like a fun project for kids and adults. You can download the pdf here.

Feb
03
crafts
EMPOWERING PRISONERS through craft

pillows_1

At first look these embroidered pillows are gorgeous. The work is clearly done by such a skilled artisan. But then there is the story behind the work. These pillows are made by a group called Fine Cell. Fine Cell Work is a social enterprise that teaches needlework to prison inmates and sells their products. The prisoners do the work when they are locked in their cells, and the earnings give them hope, skills and independence. I love this idea and hope one day it can be implemented here in the states.

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