Big Chill 2013 Poster!

Gorgeous!  Molly Steinmetz, MECA student and mastermind behind bitches and beehives, has designed a lovely poster for our craft fair coming up this December.  The original is black and white, and we will be taking it to task with an armada of watercolors.  Would you like a few posters of your own to paint and post?  Just email:  audrey@mayostreetarts.org to find out how to get your hands on some copies.

Annnd… it’s still not too late to apply!  Applications close October 31st and we love to see all the creativity that’s been pouring in to our mailbox.  Click the “Apply!” tab at the top of the page to download the application and instructions.

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Vendor Spotlight: k. smith

It begins!!  And just in time.  We have more than 25 vendor spotlights to share with you throughout the month of November to get you salivating about all the great, locally handmade and sourced items that our vendors will be selling!

Reclaimed Pot Holders by k. smith

We’re starting with a Big Thaw veteran, Kate Smith of k. smith, who joined us for last May’s Big Thaw event at Mayo Street Arts.  Her utilitarian work is made of reclaimed wool and natural fibers is just as aesthetic as it is handy around the house.

Potholder Detail – k.smith

k. smith also offers a variety of pint-sized earrings and decorations made from brightly colored felted wool.  Have a look see!:

Earrings by k.smith

Felted acorns in their element by k.smith

Annnd, there’s nothing quite like soft, cozy fibers and natural aromatherapy scents to relax you and the little one at the end of the day.  For snuggling, try a bunny foo-foo:

bunny foo-foos by k.smith

And for a good ol’ home spa treatment fire up the bathtub, pour yourself a glass of whiskey (whatever, wine if that’s your thing) and choose one from the rainbow of k. smith’s super soft and herbal scented eye pillows:

so so many eye pillows from k. smith

So excited that it’s this time of year again!  You can be excited, too, by spreading the word about The Big Chill arts, crafts and vintage sale that will happen on Sunday, December 2nd, from 10am to 4pm at Mayo Street Arts (10 Mayo Street) in Portland.  Yayyy!

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The Big Chill is December 2nd!

Hey-yo!  Hope you’ve all had an amazing summer at the beach, eating ice cream, going on vacation, visiting friends and family, yadda yadda yadda.  But get to work, little elves!  Because this year’s Big Chill will be Sunday, December 2nd at Mayo Street Arts Center in Portland, ME.

Applications are open on Monday, October 1st and will run through October 31st.  We’ll announce our vendors on November 1st!  More information about vendor fees, specific times, location and more will be available on the 1st with the applications.

Stay tuned, silly balloons!

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Thank you, thank you!

Thank you, shoppers, for making the Big Chill a bustling place.

 

Thank you, Mayo Street Arts, for being such a wonderful place to set up shop for a day.

 

Thank you, vendors, for being kind neighbors and making such high quality items for our shoppers to buy and gift.

 

Thank you, Kristina, for helping me us the Big Chill table!

 

The Big Thaw – Spring will be coming at you in April or May of this coming year.  If you’d like to be notified when applications are open please ‘subscribe’ to our posts using the bar on the right-hand side of this page!  Stay warm, Portland, we’ll see you when the days are longer and the air is warmer!

 

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Vendor Spotlight: Legacy Arts

Yum Handprinted Labels 4-Eva

Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle!  Only three more days ’til The Big Chill.  Aren’t you excited?  I am!  And even more excited after meeting Jason Mowery of Legacy Arts yesterday when he so nicely volunteered to cover Portland in our limited edition, screen-printed posters (that are also for sale here, and at Mayo Street on Saturday!)  Legacy Arts brings you handmade pottery, bandanas, and monk’s cloth scarves that aren’t like anything you’ve seen before.

Winter Warmth in Style

If you’re not convinced by the awesomeness of these pictures, we suggest you get to know Legacy Arts by Jason’s gastronomic preferences.  Our absolute favorite response to our application question “What is your favorite comfort food?” came from Legacy Arts.  “Jim Beam straight and my sister-in-law’s butterscotch cookies.”  Um… hell, yes!

Come see Legacy Arts + friends at The Big Chill Holiday Sale on Saturday, December 3rd from 10am to 4pm at Mayo Street Arts!  10 Mayo St., Portland.  Yep.

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December Vendors Announced!

"Be Happy" Letterpress Blocks from Monkivintage on Etsy

This is it!

Our complete list of December 2011 Big Chill Vendors can be seen at the tab above.  We’ll be bringing vendor spotlights about each and everyone one of them to you for your reading enjoyment.  Be sure to bring a napkin so you don’t drool all over your keyboard, though.

The Big Chill is now less than a month away and we can’t wait to get our holiday shopping on!

A caveat:  under no circumstances, whatsoever, will we subject you to Christmas music while shopping.  Our crafty oasis soundtrack will be rife with good local, music that has nothing to do with a large man in a velvet suit shimmying down your chimney!

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Introducing: The First Annual “Big Chill”

Something’s brewing here in our little corner of Portland… stay tuned for updates because The Big Thaw’s cousin, The Big Chill will be happening this winter!

Not many details now, but soon to come.  Please share with your friends and contacts who might be interested in applying to be a vendor or coming as a customer!  They can either subscribe to blog updates from this website or contact us at:  thebigthawportland at gmail dot com  for updates via mailing list!

We promise to continue to make the website entertaining and informative about all the lovely sellers we will be hosting this winter.  Time to revamp!

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Vendor Spotlight: David Jacobson Glass

 

Conversation Pieces by David Jacobson Glass

Ohhh drizzle, drizzle.  The weather’s forecasting cloudy and in the 40s for Saturday but as long as it’s ANYTHING but this we’ll be psyched!  Actually, rain is a huge part of the thaw – after all, how would thirsty crocuses get what they need to start popping their heads out of the ground?

Here’s a bit of glass magic from David Jacobson Glass to brighten up your gray day.  We’re intrigued by his text bubbles and beautiful rendered housewares!

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What new wares can customers expect to see at The BIG THAW?

I’ve been making a lot of new work for this show that I’m excited about.  Handblown glass bud vases in celadon, robin’s egg blue, turquoise and white. More slumped glass platters and bowls in new color combinations. For example, black and white stripes, cobalt blue stripes, a pale blue stripe that looks like spun sugar. And, my Conversation Pieces™ — just like the word balloons you see in comic strips, but made out of handblown white glass. You can hang them on the wall, if you choose, and write and draw on them with dry erase markers to say whatever you want, whenever you want.

Vases by David Jacobson Glass in super Spring colors

 

2.  What inspires your glass work?

Textile patterns, and colors and textures that I see in nature. The texture of the finished piece is as important to me as the colors I use and how it looks. For example, the glass bowls I make have a lot of texture as a result of the two layers of glass canes that I fuse together.

Textures and Tones in David Jacobson's Work

 

3.  What is your favorite thing about Spring in Maine?

Knowing that summer is right behind, with tennis and kayaking.

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As if we weren’t excited enough for Saturday!  You can find David peddling his wares at The BIG THAW Arts, Crafts and Vintage sale this Saturday, April 16th.  Mayo Street Arts Center, 10 Mayo St, Portland, right off of Cumberland Ave on the East End.  We look forward to seeing you there!

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Vendor Spotlight: Lulubeans

Party Lights by Lulubeans

Today’s Vendor Spotlight is brought to us by Shanna Tice of The Makings of Shanna Tice.  We thank her very much for her time spent putting all this great information together!  You can find Lulubeans set up on the lower level of Mayo St. among the artist studios.  Without further ado…. Lulubeans!

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Basket of Locks by Lulubeans

Soft, dreamy, and luxurious are all things that come to mind when laying your eyes on April Newman of Lulubean’s hand crafted, hand painted fiber and hand spun yarns. April strives for the highest quality fiber when creating an artistic blend for hand spinners. It is also obvious by looking at her work, that she has a sophisticated and elegant color pallet with her hand dyed batches. There is also so much fun in her variety of juicy colors, and she pushes toward a very trendy and modern color combination with her craft as well. I can’t help but think of each batt of blended fibers as a unique one of a kind painting. Not only does April explore color, but she blends fiber in the most creative way using bamboo, faux cashmere, domestic wool, merino lamb, SW merino, sari silk fabric strips, mohair, Tussah silk, baby alpaca, Wensleydale locks, soy silk and kid mohair, and more!

Fiber and Spindles by Lulubeans

When I asked April what inspired her to begin her work as a fiber artist and what gave way to the start of ‘Lulubeans’ she replied, “I taught myself to knit when my first daughter was a toddler. Yarn kept my hands busy and soothed my busy mind. Once I had mastered knitting and purling, making my own yarn was the natural next step!” I then asked her what her favorite part about her work was and the answer didn’t surprise me! ” I love the functionality of what I do. It makes me so happy to know that fiber I have dyed will make a novice spinners first hand-spun yarn, or that a yarn I have spun will be lovingly knit into someone’s favorite hat. Making things that other people use to make things is a great and fantastic thing; the creative chain (and the joy of making!) just keep going, and going. Awesome.” One of her more popular items does just what she loves it to do:  teach others to spin. April sells a complete ‘Learn to Spin Drop Spindle Kit’ which includes one top whirl drop spindle, 4 ounces of handpainted domestic wool top (also called roving), clear, easy to follow drop spindle instructions AND hours and hours of fun! You want to give it a go, don’t you!?!

Walrus by Lulubeans

There is so much about the fiber arts community that excites April. ” I have so much admiration for so many artists and crafters. The fiber arts community is hustlin’ and bustlin’ and growing by leaps and bounds online *and* here in Maine. I’ve been so lucky to virtually meet so many talented people, and connect with so many fantastic artists right here in my home state.” Lulubeans has a wide variety of fiber available including beautifully finished hand spun yarn. April plans to show up at ‘The Big Thaw’ not only sharing her fiber wears to the public, but to meet and enjoy a day with fellow artists. ” I can’t wait for The BIG THAW! There’s going to be so much talent and positive energy in one place and it’s going to be so good to be a part of that!” I think we can all agree that we love ‘The Big Thaw’, but what we can also agree on we love the most is what ‘The Big Thaw’ will do to bring us together! YAY!

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Hear, hear, ladies!  The BIG THAW Arts, Crafts and Vintage Fair will be held THIS WEEKEND on Saturday, April 16th from 10am to 4pm at the Mayo Street Arts Center at 10 Mayo St.  We can’t wait!

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Vendor Spotlight: Doonyaya

ohmygosh!  It’s STILL snowing in Portland.  Wherever you are we hope you’re warm, healthy and don’t have one eye bulging out a la Ren & Stimpy due to the tremendous stress of neverending winter.  Don’t worry, The BIG THAW is coming soon!

Today we get to ogle the work of Dunja von Stoddard aka DOONYAYA which is a just plain awesome name.  The Doonyaya shop offers pot holders, sachets, cat toys, journals, postcards and beyond.  Let’s take a little peek:

Colorful Catnip Toy!

Cat toys!  Sometimes it’s a GOOD thing that a product gets tested on animals and these are one of those things.  Apparently the felines go wild for these guys.  I personally go wild for the fact that they’re not those creepy, hairy mice that my cats seem to bat around for a bit, ignore, and then they emerge months later from the sofa covered in fur and food.  Doonyaya’s catnip toys do double duty as colorful accents while making your kitty go nutso for cat herbs.  Fun!

Sooo many colors you may need to grab two!

Now might be a good time to mention that Dunja’s business tithe (10% of her profits) go to organizations that save and protect animals.  So on top of all the niceness listed above you’re also doing your little part towards contributing to the health and happiness of other critters.

In the paper department, Doonyaya peddles journals and postcards.  The latest work is inspired by Victorian culture and 60-80s pop culture.  Pictures are worth a thousand words:

Journal Designs by Doonyaya

New!! Oversized Postcards from Doonyaya

So, basically once you’re done filling your shopping cart with all of the above you’ll probably like to see her potholders and sachets, complete with silk screened birds.  Fresh clothes and fashionable casseroles, here I come!

Sachets by Doonyaya.  Look at the kissing birds!

Potholders by Doonyaya.  Owl and bird love!

So there you have it, folks.  I had an opportunity to ask Dunja about how she heard about The BIG THAW and she had these lovely things to say about Maine artists and the Etsy Maine Team:

“I heard about The Big Thaw from joining the Maine Team through etsy. I am so impressed with how many artists and crafters there are in our State, and the team has been a great way to see what my fellow Mainiacs are doing. Having moved from New York, I’ve found Maine to be incredibly inspiring and supportive of artists. I am living the dream here, making things every day out of my garage-turned-studio, and getting encouragement and feedback from my small but mighty crafting community. I am excited about the Big Thaw because I always get inspired by what other artists are creating.“

Us, too, Dunja!  And no lack of inspiration come Saturday, April 16th 10am-4pm at Mayo Street Arts Center at 10 Mayo St. for The BIG THAW!

Awesome. Just awesome.

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