Give Handmade This Holiday Season: part 1

Many things to talk about (since I took a small little break from blogging that’s a whole other story in itself). Topics of today’s post Fave Gifts to Give! Holiday ~ Upcoming Events ~ Craft Show Reviews ~ What’s New

Fave Gifts to Give! Holiday

Wahoo! Another year of Fave Gifts to Give! Holiday. I am pretty excited about this first grouping =) Help support independent artists this year for the Holidays! GIVE HANDMADE

Gorgeous One-of-a-Kind Textiles: Fabricatedends

Wishing I Could Eat These Bath & Body Products: Green Bubble Gorgeous

Reclaimed Fun & Funky Furniture: Never New Furniture & Design

I Now Have 3 Of Their Prints & Counting: Strawberryluna

Colorful Polymer Creatures: Bambi’s Clay Design

Try Not To Be Nostalgic! : Block Buster Graveyard

Upcoming/Current Events ~ Currently wearableJULES Felted Gems Series is being featured in the group exhibition at the Artisans Gallery in downtown Lancaster (right on Gallery Row) from now until the end of December. Next weekend on Sunday December 11 will be the Punk Rock Flea Market in Philadelphia. wearableJULES attended the summer version of the Punk Rock Flea Market and had a great time! Then the last event before the new year will be the Monster of a Show in Baltimore. Can’t make it to the shows? Check out the online store!

Craft Show Review

Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsman Holiday Fine Craft Show (Nov 2011) ~ As always, the organization for this show is really well done (always a plus) This was the first year the show was at the Lancaster Convention Center, so I was really excited to see how the show would do with the new venue. I personally thought it was great, as did most of the attendants at the show. Some however, liked it in a smaller atmosphere where parking was much easier to deal with (parking was free for artists). There is plenty of parking in downtown Lancaster, but lets face it when we can save money on free parking we love that (so unfortunately from what I remember parking was not free for attendees). There was of course the same caliber of fine artists as in previous years (but I do hope with the new program Emerge for emerging artists we will start to see new and fresh approaches to the fine craft world). Some down sides, breakdown… for me only living literally in a 15 min walking distance from the convention center it took 3 hours to load my car. The convention center only has 5 parking spots in the loading zone and maybe another 4 in the front of the building (which if you were in the back like I was the front was a pain). The coordinators tried to make it as smooth as possible so I give them a high-five for that, but it def needs to be addressed for next year. All in All ~ attendants was decent ~ booth fee was in the higher range ~ organization well done ~ spending habits of attendees low ~ wearableJULES will probably be applying again for next year

I Made It! Holiday Market (Dec 2 & 3) ~ Let me start with saying I love Pittsburgh… every time I go there I have such a lovely time with everyone involved. Ok so here we go! I will first admit that I am a complete procrastinator/have a billion things going on at once person, so when I had very very last minute questions for the organizers, I received a very timely response (Double High-Five) Setting up at the show was easy, parking was free (we sure do like FREE), and when I wasn’t completely sure about my location (Carrie who is beyond sweet and helpful) walked around the venue with me to choose a better lit area (yet another High-Five). Ok so the venue was in a great location, Bakery Square, down side no potties in the space, however the coffee shop just a few steps away allowed us to use their very clean restrooms. Also for food, there was a great sandwich shop (I had 3 in 2 days). Attendants was amazing (never a surprise with Pittsburgh), lower price points flew off the displays, and I am awaiting some orders for one-of-a-kind pieces (some people were waiting to get their paychecks). wearableJULES had rave reviews, but some people were really there to scope things out collect cards and do shopping from websites. All in All ~ attendants was amazing ~ booth fee was low ~ organization well done ~ spending habits of attendants medium ~ wearableJULES will be applying next year =)

PA Guild Show

This weekend is the Pennsylvania Guild Fine Craft Fair! I am really excited for this one because first, this is wearableJULES second time appearing at this show and secondly, the craft fair is being held at the Lancaster Convention Center. The building is gorgeous, it’s right in downtown Lancaster (plenty of parking either on street or in garages), and of course there are great places to grab lunch and make a day at the show. There is still time to save $2 on your tickets so go HERE to get yours today. Make sure to come say hello, check out the new Sputnik Pins & Necklaces, the new Berry Line (Necklaces Bracelets & Mix Match Earrings), and of course Santa Peep-Peeps will be making their first appearance of the season. Booth 116

RAWards Semi Finals ~ I am still gearing up for the RAWards on Thursday November 17th. wearableJULES has been nominated for Best Accessory Designer of the Year. Give your support by attending this amazing event and voting live for wearableJULES. We find out that night who will be going to the Finals in California! This would be one step closer for national recognition. Tickets are still only $10. Get yours HERE this week. Next week they go to $15 and $20 at the door. But get them fast, the show is looking to be a sell out.

Lastly… the 2011 Fave Gifts to Give will start November 22. Want to be apart of it? Send me a link to your website, I am always on the look out for fun creative work. juleann@wearablejules.com

Snow in October? Really…

Maybe it’s just me but over the weekend it felt like it was mid November with all the snow… I did get to throw a few snow balls at my husband, which he did not appreciate but I sure did! And there was still some snow to be seen on my favorite holiday (besides my birthday, and yes its a holiday to me) which happened yesterday! Oh Halloween how I love you! I know Halloween has passed, but as a special treat, some of the Spooky Peeps are on sale until November 8th. Get yours now and be peeped out for next Halloween. Click HERE to check out your Spooky Peeps.

The next show will be the Pennsylvania Guild Show at the Lancaster Convention Center, November 12 & 13. Santa Peeps will be available just in time for this Holiday Season. When you buy your tickets online by November 10 you will save $2! Come out and start your holiday season right… support handmade local artists.

Shall we have a drum role please?!…. RAWards Semi-Finals!!!!!!! As I have been saying wearableJULES has been nominated for the Best Accessory Designer of the RAW showcase year. I want to thank all my supporters again for voting wearableJULES during the National Popular Vote. Next step is the LIVE VOTE on Thursday November 17th. The more supporters of wearableJULES that attend Thursday, the better likelihood of making it to the finals (in California how exciting). I am totally pumped for this event and I am keeping my fingers crossed. What can you expect from wearableJULES? To start, the Felted Gems will be premiering at this event, plus the Sputnik pins and necklaces will make their second appearance, and of course all of the One-of-a-Kind felted rings, cuffs, and necklaces (oh and of course Peep-Peep will be making an appearance too!) Tickets are only $10 until November 13th, $15 the week of, and $20 at the door… so go ahead and get yours today HERE!

Lastly… the 2011 Fave Gifts to Give will start November 22. Want to be apart of it? Send me a link to your website, I am always on the look out for fun creative work. juleann@wearablejules.com

Lots of News

Wow, it feels like forever since I have blogged, but lets get right into it! First things first~

The Very Crafty Wedding~was absolutely amazing, and let me tell you, the fact that the wedding was so “us”, artsy & quirky, we (my now husband woowoo and myself) have been told we had the best wedding by far! So go with your gut and do things your way. It may be a little more work, but the fact we did things “non-traditional” (Asian food, I-pod hooked up to our computer, etc.) our guests had a complete blast. It was a wonderful feeling to see everyone having so much fun and letting loose. I can’t wait for our photos because I will be putting some up for everyone to check out.

Next Show!~ wearableJULES will be attending for the first year The Craft Show at the Academy Art Museum Friday October 21 to Sunday October 23! Friday night will be the preview party (who doesn’t love a party?!) from 6-9, Saturday 10-5, Sunday 10-4. You can purchase your tickets still HERE for the preview party. General admission for Saturday & Sunday is $10.00 (children under 12 Free!). Booth 61 in the Waterfowl Festival Building. Come say hello!

RAWards~ Exciting news! wearableJULES has been nominated for the RAWards for best Accessory Designer for the RAW:Natural Born Artist year. So Thank You to everyone who voted for wearableJULES for the two weeks. The next step will be a live showcase on November 17th, at the G Lounge in Philadelphia at 8pm. How can you help? Come to the event and vote! If wearableJULES receives the most votes, I will be eligible for the Final Award Ceremony in California. This would be an amazing opportunity to receive national recognition, magazine publications, consignment in one of the top boutiques in California. So if you are in the Philadelphia area or just want a day trip I would so greatly appreciate it. Either way thank you again to everyone who voted in the first round of the national popular vote. wearableJULES has made it this far, lets see how far it can go!

New Designs~ The above photo are the new pieces I am working on. Inspiration from the Sputnik Earrings and the enamel designs I draw for the One-of-a-Kind felted rings (shown below), these are the Sputnik Pins and Necklaces! Each piece is a One-of-a-Kind duplicate, meaning, the design is the same, however, the bead, thread, and sequins are always different. A few of these are already in the Artisans Gallery in downtown Lancaster. You can also check the newest designs at any of the shows, click HERE to see the holiday season craft shows.


Back to the Studio

Ok… after a bit of time off from doing my annual summer camp and beach going I am officially back in the real world. Well as much as I can be since the count down to the wedding has begun (less than a month away time flies!). Currently I am working on another gallery exhibit (details to follow once I have them). But lets get down to business….

Craft Show Review: I know it’s been a little bit, but the last show I was in was the Hamilton Street Festival~ to start, load in was a little confusing since there was no one at the barricades on the street, so you kind of needed to figure out how to get onto the street yourself. Once on the street, it was easy to find your spot since it was clearly marked. Attendance was wonderful with many shout outs for wearableJULES, but no one was buying. Good music and food. Since it was only one day and not too long, the heat was bearable (def bring the sunscreen even if under a tent). So even with the booth fee being very affordable, wearableJULES will most likely not attend this show next year.

A Very Crafty Wedding: Food… mmmm mmmm mmmm. So I know picking a caterer can be very stressful. But here’s an idea for you, after looking at many legit places where all they do is big events and its their way or the highway, maybe think about choosing a place that you both love to eat at. We chose an Asian Restaurant that has done larger events, but normally does not (or shall I say they do not get their bread and butter from large parties). The manager, John, was so incredibly helpful. Instead of the other normal places telling me what I get and there being no budging with choices or prices, John wanted to know what I wanted, how much could I spend, where could we save some money. He wanted to make me happy. He is even going to make 2 trips for delivery for cocktail hour and dinner! He wanted to make sure that the food was as fresh off the wok as possible. What normal catering company does that. I know you could get burned at not the normal places, so make sure they have done larger events, with clear labels of all the food and what is in it. But I think going off the beaten path to find food Joe and I love and want to share with our family and friends makes it even more special.

18th Annual Hamilton Street Festival

Next week I will not be blogging due to my yearly summer camp working with some wonderful young ladies =D I am really pumped for this year of camp, but then realized I would not be able to blog (since it’s an overnight camp with no technology). I figured it would be smart to let you know of the new show added to my list of events. This one will be the last one before the big day in September. So the next show will be a one day show on Saturday July 30th in Baltimore for the Hamilton Street Festival. There will be multiple stages, food, crafters, and apparently some beautiful cars. The show runs from 11am-7pm. It is sure to be a blast… even if it may be a little toasty out.

wearableJULES BABY: Really exciting news! wearableJULES BABY has its first retail location in McKees PA (real close to Pittsburgh)! The little cuties will be available at the Happy Baby Company in August. Be sure to check them out. Not in the area? No worries, be sure to check out the wearableJULES baby onesies online HERE or ETSY.

A Very Crafty Wedding: Well it is getting close to the date… eeeeeeeeee. So much to do so little time. How bout some presents for the bridal party (it’s no secret what they are receiving so no worries). I will be making each of my fabulous ladies jewelry for their presents for “dealing” with me (even though I feel I have been a pretty laid back bride). I do realize that not everyone is a jeweler, but you know what, there are plenty of bead and jewelry making stores all over the place. In Lancaster there is The Bead Works. You get to go in and make your own designs with plenty of books and inspiration all around you to help out. Plus most places, and I know The Bead Works does, they help you construct your pieces too. So instead of going out and buying jewelry you could make it yourself… plus it could be a really fun activity for all your ladies to get together and be creative. How bout for those gents? Well we are still debating on what to do… sorry guys. But some ideas that I have seen through my wedding attendances, etched beer glasses with their own design (which you can get on Etsy), some way cool flasks (that could go for the ladies too always good to have one), or even design your own chucks. Any more ideas? Please share, I would love and I am sure everyone else would love to hear about it.