Paper Party this Saturday in Union Square, Somerville

by Melissa of Pressbound

Join Boston Handmade artists Pressbound and White Sparrow Bindery this Saturday, August 14th at The Paper Party in Union Square, Somerville.

Hosted by Somerville Arts Council's ArtsUnion, Union Square Main Streets, there will be vendors of a variety of handmade paper products including letterpress, silkscreen, book binding, origami, paper-making, comics, paper jewelry and more.

Saturday, August 14
(rain date of August 15th)
3 pm – 7 pm

The market will be held outside on Union Square’s central plaza where Washington Street, Prospect Street and Somerville Avenue meet.

Hope to see you there!

Boston-Based Blogs--The Last Entry in a (Short) Series

by Laura Collins of Pansy Maiden

In my forth and final installment of Boston-Based design/fashion/art blogs, I'm highlighting My Love For You Is A Stampede of Horses, and The Clothing Menu. I have tried to cover some of the more "indie gems" of Boston blogs but really, I barely even scratched the surface. I'd love to hear about some of the locally-based blogs you guys adore (such as The Well Appointed Catwalk--check it out!)

I guess that Meighan, the lovely lady behind My Love For You Is A Stampede of Horses, and I share a common aesthetic because 99% of the images she shares with her readers make my jaw drop and inspiration instantly fills me up from head to toe. No joke. Here's what Meighan's blog is all about:

My Love for You...is an art blog curated by Meighan O'Toole. Cataloging low brow and contemporary art, featuring q&a's, studio visits and daily posts about artists from all over the world.

Kristen D'Amour concentrates on indie fashion designers from around the globe on her relatively new blog, The Clothing Menu. My Type A personality loves that she divides designers up into the following four categories: Timeless, Trendy, Causal, and Ecofriendly (yay!). And with articles like, "(500) Days of Zooey Deschanel" and "What to Wear to Music Festivals This Summer," this blog is right up my alley. From The Clothing Menu's "About" page:

there is more to style and shopping than what you find in the mall. there are so many independent clothing designers whose heart and passion are in creating clothes. they have a unique point of view in their designs and often times hand make the stylish clothes and accessories. the clothing menu is dedicated to bringing awareness to indie fashion designers and giving people an option outside of what is offered in the mall, while providing the latest in fashion trends and tips.

A glimpse into the jewelry studio

by Jessica Burko of Reclaimed To You

The photos below show jewelry artist Cristina Hurley working in her home studio. Cristina is a metalsmith who creates fine silver jewelry. All her designs are original, she fabricates all her own parts for her work, and she does beautiful custom jewelry too.
The members of Boston Handmade have an informal gathering every month to discuss any group business that has come up, relay news of recent projects we are working on, share resources and stories related to being independent professionals in the arts, and generally have some 'face time' to chat about what we do.
The part of these gatherings that I most look forward to is visiting different work spaces. Each month we meet up in a different location throughout Massachusetts. All the members of Boston Handmade are invited to host a monthly gathering, and it's always a real treat to get a peek into each artist's creative process by seeing how they work.

Thanks for welcoming us into your home and studio Cristina!

Monday Mosaic - Back to School

1. Vintge Inspired Graduation Girl Figure by Vintage By Crystal
2. Pocket Travel Notebook by Lucie Wicker Photography
3. Owls Backpack by Bumble Belly Designs
4. Vegan Vagabond Messenger Bag by Pansy Maiden Bags
5. Felted Pencil Cup by Cozy Cottage Creations
6. Art Nouveau Heart Bookplates by Cricicis Design

Happy Sunday

by Lucie of Lucie Wicker Photography

This photo of my beagle, Apollo, enjoying a "dog sundae" from the popular Boston ice cream shop, JP Licks, was recently spotted on Flickr and highlighted in this Bostonist article. Apparently July was National Ice Cream month and the writers of the website thought this photo captured the spirit of that concept perfectly.

Hope your Sunday is as good as this one was!

Wedding Shoot: The Details

by Lucie of Lucie Wicker Photography

Recently I was asked to shoot the wedding of my childhood friend, Naomi. Shooting a wedding mixes so many elements of photography- portraiture, event photography, fine art, etc. and it was really cool to see all of these kinds of photos combined to document their special day. She and her husband worked so hard to pull everything together, down to the very last detail, so in addition to the couple pics and the family pics I made an effort to capture some of the small things since they played a part too. Here are some of my favorite little detail photos:

Wildflower centerpieces

The rings, of course

Champagne toast

Custom M&Ms! Love these!

Andy (the husband) is a beer maker and had his own brew on hand at the reception along with these awesome pint glass party favors.

Naomi made the sangria.

Dessert! Vanilla and chocolate cupcakes plus a large variety of Chilmark Chocolates (a Martha's Vineyard favorite of Naomi's).

Photo show, West Roxbury Public Library

By Kerry of Kerry Hawkins Photography

I will be showing my photography work at the West Roxbury Public Library for the month of August. The theme is photos from "the Neighborhood". The display will be of photos I have taken in the Boston area, as well as from my travels. If you are in the area, stop by and take a look. The library is located right on Centre Street in West Roxbury.

JP 1st Thursday Show- CHANGE OF VENUE

Despite the rainy forcast, the 1st Thursday event in JP is still on! There has been a venue change to an indoor, dryer spot; we will be at Temple Sound and Stage at 670 Centre Street (right above City Feed & Supply). We will be there with several other artisans, paintings by Nathan Dean on display, as well as the Autumn Hollow Band.

Participating BHers include:

Kerry Hawkins Photography

White Sparrow Bindery

Cricicis Design

Lucie Wicker Photography

See you there!