Vendor Spotlight: Mildred

Vintage Selections from Mildred

Oh my!  Have you been outside yet today??  Yikes, it’s warm and all I needed to wear was a t-shirt and a cardigan!  That doesn’t hurt at all, no sir.  We’re hoping the weather is nice enough next Saturday that we can open the upstairs AND downstairs doors and all just breathe in that fresh, salty, Maine-y air.  Not to mention Silly’s is down the street so getting a whiff of BBQ and french fries every now and again wouldn’t be, bad either.

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Today we’re featuring:  Mildred!  This lady (Jackie Dubois) will be inhabiting the “BIG THAW Shop” which happens to double as the coat room at Mayo St.  As you’re walking in to the fair don’t forget to stop and flip through her amazing vintage clothing, shoes, and her animal cards and silk pillows (made from vintage kimonos.  Oh god, yes.)

Beast and Fowl card series from Mildred

What can you expect to find from Mildred at The BIG THAW?  Here’s what Jackie says:

“Been stitching up a collection of primitive style quilted pillows made with vintage kimono silks and wools as well as organic hemps and linens. I will also share a few new printed animal cards from the Beast and Fowl series: tigers, antelopes, roosters, hawks, rabbits and llamas, oh my!

My vintage heap will include light and breezy frocks and tops, good plaids, checks and woven prints, boots and heels, leather bags, cardigans, cropped sweater vests, silky scarves and a bit of jewelry.”

The vintage heap sounds like what we need to stock up for Spring in Maine:  not too hot, not too cold, sweltering and freezing all in the same day.  P.S.  Jackie has insane taste in boots and you better hope she’s got something in your size on Saturday the 16th.  Love!

Throw Pillows from Mildred. Ahh! These are awesome!

When it comes to being a vintage seller and artist, Jackie practices what she preaches, too.  Her walls are filled with local artists’ work.  Let’s hear what she had to say about what inspires her:

“I love simple. I also love intricate. A balance of fresh and worn.

My friends inspire me most. I am so thankful for all of the creative people in my life: fashion designers, wood workers, painters, writers, chefs, musicians. My walls are filled with the works of my visual artist friends, my record collection includes the sounds of my musician friends…being reminded of such talent keeps me motivated to keep doing what I’m doing.”

Vintage selections from Mildred. Good vintage transcends time...

Jackie — your favorite decade?  (We love this question).

“I am currently admiring the 60’s Bobbie Gentry good girl style: pegged jeans, gingham and tiny calico tops, western ankle boots (if not bare feet), long hair and leather fringe.

In contrast, I never get tired of the ultra femme and glamorous 20’s: pale skin, short perfectly coiffed hair, sequins, feathers and oxford heels.”

(I can get behind the pale skin and oxfords thing — it’s going to take about 5 beach trips to get my Irish tan on (freckles) to liven up this winter white.)

Perfect for Sunny Naps. Pillows by Mildred.

And, lastly, we will leave you with Jackie’s thoughts about what she most loves about the Springtime in Maine.  Us too, Jackie, us too.

“Watching our yard evolve into a wonderland of wildflowers, herbs, ferns and mushrooms. Sitting on top of mountains. Soaking up the sun. Growing tomatoes. Firing up the grill. Bonfires. Rummaging outdoor
flea markets for old gems. Bike rides. Ocean swims. Hammock naps. Moving projects from the studio to the porch…oh, I can hardly wait!”

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As it turns out, Jackie heard about The BIG THAW from Kris Johnsen of Emblem Studio (via Facebook).  Thanks, Kris, for bringing Jackie to us!!  The BIG THAW Arts, Crafts and Vintage sale will be happening big time a week from today on Saturday, April 16th at The Mayo Street Arts Center at 10 Mayo St. in East Bayside, Portland.  10am-4pm.

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Vendor Spotlight: Emblem Studio

Capone and Mountain Dew

Well, you just learned all about Meagan Anderson (half of our awesome-poster-making-team) so why not bring the goods on Kris Johnsen of Emblem Studio (the other half!) for a bit of internetty distraction?  I asked Kris a few questions about his work, the fair and more:

Emblem Studio

The BIG THAW:  What new/favorite products/designs will you be sharing at the fair?

Kris Johnsen (of Emblem Studio):  As always I will have recent gig poster from music events around portland and a few National acts. I will also have more art prints available, some of which as on my blog Emblem Studio and some I have yet to show with the world. I’m excited about a few drawings i have been working on that are going to be turning into art prints and will hopefully be done in time for the fair. I will also soon be working away from screen printing and trying to do more wood block and linoleum block prints. I have also been working hard on new ways to display my prints since it’s always hard to put everything on display when trying to work with such a small area. I might include some Portland Pins stuff also.

Emblem Studio print in downtown Portland

TBT:  You get a bulk of your work from events and musicians – describe the process of collaborating with people who are not necessarily visual artists in giving something you know they’ll like.  What are some of your favorite posters you’ve done for an event?

KJ:    I do get most of my work from musicians. This happened because when I started to work for Space Gallery I saw a lack in good flyers at the time I started and this was simply because everyone else has such important jobs and are very busy that I felt that I couold help improve Space in this little way and it would/will hopefully get more people to these events that might not find out about them. I also started to book a few shows on my own so I would make screen printed posters for these and just try and cover Portland with them.

So naturally some bands caught on that people actually notice these poster’s and some started to hire me for show posters or art prints. I’ve been continuing to do this as well as make flyers for Space events, but also try and get others to contribute and get their artwork out there.

The best and most fun posters are the ones where clients let me do what I want and dont have much of an input to the poster other than us sitting down initially and talking about a few ideas and more of a feel we want to go with. My favorite posters I’ve done are ones where I had complete control over, those ones I always feel like come out the best also. I also like to stick to projects I support also, this helps myself have a connection to the project, this does not necessarily help come up with ideas but makes me feel better about what I’m putting out in the world and if someone asked me about the show or event I would feel strongly about it.

My favorite recent print is one I did for The last Night On Earth event in Portland. The whole job was nothing but fun, and only worked with friends and people I have done jobs for before. I actually did the job for free because I supported the event so much. I of course sold them at the show to make up for that. It was more about supporting the bands in the show and creating something cool. Hanging out at shows and selling prints is one of the most fun things also!

 

Last Night on Earth Poster

 

TBT:  You’re new (like me!) to the craft fair circuit… do you have any advice for people who are considering selling at a craft fair but aren’t sure how to start?

KJ:   I’m still pretty new to the whole selling your work thing. I really really enjoy being a part of Arts & Crafts fairs, my work fits in really well but also stands out I feel. It’s also so great to hang out with so many other creative people.

From doing craft fairs I’ve learned that your set up is so important.  Making it easy for people to view your artwork and not have it hidden. Also if you hang things in back of you they most likely wont even see it. It’s all about the table! With me all of my items are large and flat so that makes it hard to display all of them at the same time. This time around I have collected old wooden boxes to put prints in so people can flip through them, I hope it works out!

For people who are nervous about selling work at a fair I would encourage them to just sign up for a local fair ahead of time and just do it. If you give yourself a deadline then you will produce work! Or you could share a table with your artsy friends to just hang out with for the day. I’ll be hanging out with Meagan Anderson at our shared table this year.

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Emblem Studio

 

Some great advice and some great work to look forward to from Emblem Studio.  The BIG THAW Arts, Crafts and Vintage sale will be held on Saturday, April 16th at the Mayo Street Arts Center (10 Mayo St., Portland, just down the street from the big church on Franklin arterial) from 10am to 4pm.  We are so looking forward to seeing you there!

Emblem Studio

 

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Vendor Spotlight: Pinecone and Chickadee

Welcome to the first of a series of 39 (give or take!) spotlights on our amazing BIG THAW vendors.  Although we have a handy-dandy vendors directory for you to peruse, sometimes it’s nice to really get to know what our amazing neighbors are up to.

 

Kid's Tiger Shirt

Today we’re focusing on Pinecone and Chickadee, the graphic design and screen printing house of Portlanders Amy Teh and Noah Defilippis.  As a ‘seasoned’ (I get around!) craft fair seller and buyer I’ve grown accustomed to seeing one or both of their smiling faces among a forest of silk-screened tees, cards, journals and more.

 

Strong Man Tote

Pinecone and Chickadee’s simple, satisfying aesthetic lets adults be lighthearted and kids even more totally nuts than they are.  We highly recommend checking out the merchandise on their web page to get your wheels turning about what P+C delights you’ll be carrying home in a shopping back with you from The BIG THAW on Saturday, April 16th (ohmygosh!  It’s less than a month away!)

 

Picnic Poster 2010

Not only do Amy and Noah create their own masterpieces of apparel, they are a good chunk of the driving force behind PICNIC (our craft-fair-crush of the decade).  They have also recently designed a line of t-shirts featuring animals from coffee-growing regions for local caffeinators, Coffee By Design.  Mmm art and coffee, okay, I give up, you win!

Lady + Llama Women's T-Shirt

 

Ladies, you’ll also be pleased to know Pinecone and Chickadee carry a line of women’s shirts that are more flattering than your average silk-screened T.  I personally am saving a bit of my 2011 tax refund for the Lady + Llama T-Shirt or a Crying Tiger.  I can’t decide which!

And no outsourcing here:  all of Pinecone and Chickadee’s wares are designed, silk screened and hand printed by Amy and Noah.

Stop by The BIG THAW Arts, Crafts and Vintage Sale on Saturday, April 16th at Mayo Street Arts Center in Portland’s East Bayside to pick up some P+C wares for yourself!

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