Etsy NY for your shopping needs!

With the Holidays upon us we are being inundated with gift ideas and consumerism. This is a great time to sign up for EtsyNY team page on facebook.
Everyday we post treasuries especially made with items chosen from Etsy NY shops.
Check out this past Wednesday's treasury Under 25.00 not only is each gift under $25.00, it is a beautiful collection of tangerines, yellows and marmalades. A fresh take on holiday colors!  Now the treasury is not only etsy new york members, we like to spread the love. 

from pepper press ny

With the Handmade Holiday Cavalcade around the corner (Saturday) here's a sneak peek at some of the sellers you can find. 

 11am-6pm at "The Space"  50 N 3rd Williamsburg

 

Wish by Felicity

Roots in Rust

AstrOdub

There will be 35 artisans, crafters and designers at this weekend's fair. You are sure to find something for your holiday needs! 

And if you don't feel like leaving the warmth of your home, just follow our facebook page for ideas from over 250 Etsy artists in NYC! 

Happy Holidays!

Tracey Toole
 http://www.etsy.com/shop/traceytoole

Holiday Handmade Cavalcade Makers Share Their Favorite Dishes

The vendors of the Holiday Handmade Cavalcade are selected from Etsy's most talented local makers. When they are not creating, they are running families, and that includes celebrating holidays. People who love to make things also love to eat! The holidays are a special time for family dishes, new creations and great celebrations! Below, these Cavalcade participants share their favorite holiday dishes. 

Some favorite foods are born of traditions, and traditions often involve grandmothers. Annie Bruce of Brooklyn Owl, a line of New York-inspired felt hair clips, unicorn horns, headbands and garlands, has been dining on her maternal Grandma Peggy's stuffing her entire life. "My grandmother and mom would make it each year. Now my daughter and I make it!" says Annie. But paternal grandma Lois on her husband's side is famous for a delicious fruit cake that Annie likes to pop into the toaster oven for a just-made taste. Grandma Asta contributes a perfect snack mix made with cereals, nuts and pretzels spiced with garlic salt and Worcestershire sauce. Annie's whole family loves it and her grandma still sends it to her in the mail. 

Rachel Rekhter, of Naki Nagi Handmade Body Scrubs, loves her mom's potato latkes for Hanukkah. "They are super greasy, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I think she uses a gallon of oil to cook them. She makes the whole house, and all our clothes smell like latkes, and it lingers on my coat the entire holiday season. I put apple sauce and sour cream on top, I would not have it any other way. My mom can't follow a recipe, so its always some potatoes, some onions, egg, flour, salt and pepper. Simple, yet delicious."

Angeliki Jackson of Astrobub Photography was born in Greece, on the ship building island of Chios, so some of her holiday dishes, such as Smoke Gouda Mashed Potatoes, come from watching Emeril Lagasse on television. In a pinch, she'll take a recipe off the back of a box or bag and adapt it to her own taste. 

"For dessert at Christmas," says Angeliki, "since my parents host, I provide the dessert, which every year is a different flavored cheesecake. Some of the cheesecakes I have baked include pumpkin, lemon, chocolate, oreo, marbled and blueberry. I've gathered the recipes from Philadelphia cream cheese packets."

Another cheesecake fan is Kerry M. Batty of K. Batty Design and Stationery. "What is a holiday meal without dessert? In my family that means cheesecake or pie...mostly pie: Pumpkin, Apple or occasionally Key Lime. My grandfather was the baker and his apple pie is still famous. It had the most unbelievable crust! My Pa liked what he called a cake pie - one that you could pick up, like a slice of cake and eat it with your hands because the inside wasn't super runny. The crust was very buttery and delicious and never soggy from the filling! That is pie heaven to me. Sometime through the years his crust recipe was lost and my mom and I have been trying to figure it out for years. I think we've finally done it."

Elena Ruano Kanidinc of Simply Nu, who produces green personal and home wares, grew up in Spain. She eats grapes on New Year's Eve right before midnight, during the last minute of the old year. "People believe that if you don't finish your 12 grapes, you are doomed for the coming year," she explains. Spaniards gather in the Puerta del Sol in Madrid much as they do in Times Square, to eat their grapes at the ring of a bell.

Many Etsy makers are vegetarian or vegan, and don't eat meat. That would include Ursula of Pepper Press, who makes beautiful cards. She loves a roasted corn, bean and tomato salsa salad instead of a roasted meat entree. Another of her favorite dishes is butternut squash, cut in half, glazed with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt, then roasted. 

However you celebrate the upcoming holidays, have a wonderful meal with family or friends! And don't forget to stop by the Holiday Handmade Cavalcade.

Wink and Flip

Lion Brand Yarn Studio, a Holiday Handmade Cavalcade Sponsor

The Lion Brand Yarn Studio is the Flagship retail location for Lion Brand Yarn Company; a family owned and operated business.  Visit the Lion Brand Yarn Studio to explore, learn, and get inspired by Lion Brand’s yarns, patterns, and classes.  When visiting, don’t forget to check out the detailed handmade window display, which tends to incorporate pieces that have been knit, crocheted and/or crafted.   

The Lion Brand Yarn Studio has taught over 10,000 students since 2009, and offers classes for yarncrafters of all levels. Additionally, the Lion Brand Yarn Studio books “Master Classes” where you can learn special techniques from well-known, professional designers who will be teaching the class.

There’s always plenty to do at the Lion Brand Yarn Studio; you can bring your Lion Brand project to the designated project table in the center of the store and knit or crochet amongst the company of others, you can snip off some yarn from the sampling wall to test out something new, or browse the computers for pattern inspiration.  

If you need follow up help after a class, or have a knitting or crochet question that you need addressed, the Knit & Crochet Doctors are available at the Studio to provide you with free help and advice.  The Crochet Doctor is available every Tuesday from 5:30 to 6:30p.m., and the Knitting Doctor is available every Wednesday from 5:30 to 6:30p.m.

Look out for some exciting events this December, such as Carol Sulcoski’s free book signing and chat, where she discusses sock knitting with the release of her new book, Sock Yarn Studio on Monday, December 3rd at 6p.m.  Click here to RSVP.

Click here to find out more about December happenings at the Lion Brand Yarn Studio!

From November 26 to December 31, The Lion Brand Yarn Studio has extended hours for the holiday season:

Monday-Thursday, 11:30am - 8pm

Friday, 10am - 3pm

Saturday, Closed

Sunday, 11:30am - 5pm

Etsy New York thanks Lion Brand Yarn Studio for sponsoring the Holiday Handmade Cavalcade!

What: Holiday Handmade Cavalcade

When: Saturday & Sunday, December 1st and 2nd

Time: 11am - 6pm

Where: The Space, 50 North 3rd Street (between Kent and Wythe), Williamsburg, Brooklyn

More information about our other sponsors, goodie bag contributions, our awesome food vendors, and other Cavalcade news are coming up, so stay tuned!

What is Your Favorite Holiday Tradition?

What: Holiday Handmade Cavalcade // When: Saturday & Sunday, December 1st and 2nd

Time: 11am - 6pm // Where: The Space, 50 North 3rd Street (between Kent and Wythe), Williamsburg, Brooklyn

In case you didn't already know, the Holiday Handmade Cavalcade is coming up soon- this weekend to be more specific! As we get closer and closer to this fun event, I've asked a few of the vendors to share their favorite holiday traditions. Without further ado, here they are (click the pictures to visit their shops)!

Tell me: What is your favorite holiday tradition?

By Nnenna of star-crossed smile

Brooklyn Charm, a Holiday Handmade Cavalcade Sponsor

For anyone who likes jewelry, you will be like a kid in a candy store at Brooklyn Charm.  Whether you visit their main location in Williamsburg, their booth at the Union Square Market, or their booth at the Columbus Circle Holiday, you will be giddy with all the jewelry choices. 

For me, the most exciting part of going to any Brooklyn Charm location is creating your own look right on the spot from their huge stock of charms, beads and gems.  Whether you are in store or at one of the holiday markets you can be your own jewelry designer.  All you have to do is bring your creativity, choose your charms and chains, and the knowledgable and friendly staff will make it for you on the spot.  It is dizzying with so many fun choices of charms at reasonable prices.  Also, the staff is knowledgeable in jewelry design and can help you make the crucial choices as you put together each piece of your design. As an extra bonus, at their holiday booths at Union Square and Columbus Circle the labor fee to assemble your design is waived.

Brooklyn Charm also sells handmade, in house designs by the awesome staff members, which you can also find at their Etsy Store.  I heart this shiny, gold, Brooklyn razor necklace.  Sparkly and tough!

After a visit to Brooklyn Charm you might get inspired to learn more.  They offer several 

classes in design, and for only $40.00, in an hour and half you'll leave with new knowledge and your own piece.  If you become super excited you can purchase your own supplies at wholesale prices at their Etsy store of vintage and contemporary jewelry supplies.

Thank you for Brooklyn Charm for sponsoring the 2012 Handmade Cavalcade and design on everyone!

What: Holiday Handmade Cavalcade

When: Saturday & Sunday, December 1st and 2nd

Time: 11am - 6pm

Where: The Space, 50 North 3rd Street (between Kent and Wythe), Williamsburg, Brooklyn

More information about our sponsors, goodie bag contributions, our awesome food vendors, and other Cavalcade news are coming up, so stay tuned!

Outright - Your small business simplified.

When I began running Fritz & Fräulein, I was the one-woman show for everything from the branding and marketing to the design and production of my pieces. The last thing I wanted to think about was accounting - and to echo the sentiments of so many fellow small biz owners: who really has time to?

Enter my number crunching savior: Outright.

Outright is a cloud-based accounting software that helps small business owners organize their finances and prepares them for tax time in an easy, smart way by pulling accounts into one, easy-to-navigate place.  It seamlessly syncs with all your online e-commerce sites, such as Etsy, Big Cartel, eBay, your own personal selling site and the like, along with PayPal and your bank accounts. You choose what accounts to to sync it with and it will download and automatically categorize transactions all the various transactions on a nightly basis, in a way the IRS expects, to keep your taxes organized and you up-to-speed on where your money is coming and going.  Needless to say, it makes keeping track of your business financials clear cut and easy-to-understand.

One of my favorite Outright features is the business tracking portion, which has fantastic charts and graphs to help you keep track of who's buying, how much money you're making and sales by state.  Oh yeah, and by-the-way, this part is free (and always will be).  Even the tax portion, which breaks everything down for your Schedule C / 1099-K, is free until the end of the year and is only $9.99/mo starting in January.  This, to me, is so worth avoiding the tax headache of trying to do it myself or pulling transactions into one of the more complex programs like Quickbooks. No, thank you.

Not only is Outright incredible for helping so many of us simplify our small business accounting (10,000+ Etsy sellers and counting!), but they're one of our sponsors for this weekend's Etsy New York Holiday Handmade Cavalcade!  Click here to set up your free account and let Outright do the rest.

See you at the Cavalcade!

Best,

-Stacy
Fritz & Fräulein

Etsy New York thanks Outright for sponsoring the Holiday Handmade Cavalcade!

What: Holiday Handmade Cavalcade

When: Saturday & Sunday, December 1st and 2nd

Time: 11am - 6pm

Where: The Space, 50 North 3rd Street (between Kent and Wythe), Williamsburg, Brooklyn

More information about our other sponsors, goodie bag contributions, our awesome food vendors, and other Cavalcade news is coming up, so stay tuned!

ECOBAGS Brand, a Holiday Handmade Cavalcade Sponsor

Today the Etsy New York Team is pleased to introduce (or reintroduce) a popular resource to the Etsy Community. ECOBAGS® is a place where you can find a wide assortment of canvas and cotton bags, sustainably produced and certified fair labor ready for the Etsy design community. 

ECOBAGS® is proud to be a sponsor of the Holiday Handmade Cavalcade, happening Saturday and Sunday, December 1^st and 2^nd at The Space located at 50 North 3rd Street in Williamsburg Brooklyn.

Not only does ECOBAGS® provide amazing bags that print beautifully, it is a small, woman-owned business in NY that is a certified BCorporation. They are considered pioneers of the Reusable Bag Movement and have been in business since 1989. ECOBAGS® can get you blank bags or bags printed with your design in all sizes. Hop on over to ECOBAGS® excellent website and make them a production partner.

Many artisans from the Etsy New York Street Team use ECOBAGS® bags and have raved about the quality of goods and company attention to customer service. It’s easy to order from them and since their warehouse is in NY, the ship time is generally one day via UPS on all unprinted goods. Enter promo code "2012etsyhol" for 10% off internet orders of $30 or more from 10/8-12/8. (Excludes shipping, wholesale, or custom jobs.) 

Thank you ECOBags for your wonderful products and for your support of the Holiday Handmade Cavalcade!

Illustration by Julian Rowe 

What: Holiday Handmade Cavalcade

When: Saturday & Sunday, December 1st and 2nd

Time: 11am - 6pm

Where: The Space, 50 North 3rd Street (between Kent and Wythe), Williamsburg, Brooklyn

More information about our sponsors, goodie bag contributions, our awesome food vendors, and other Cavalcade news are coming up, so stay tuned!

A Crafty Life: Wish by Felicity and the Holiday Handmade Cavalcade

I'm Birdy27 of Birdy27 Designs and for this installment of A Crafty Life, we thought it would be a great to shine a spotlight on the Etsy NY Team's Fifth Annual Holiday Handmade Cavalcade. Forty amazing artisans are frantically sewing, painting, silk screening, knitting, crocheting, making jewelry, and more in preparation for this market. The vendors will be there with fabulous creations, ready to help the attendees find the perfect gift or selfish indulgence. I interviewed Cavalcade organizer Felicity Stiverson of Wish By Felicity about the fair and the largest Etsy team in the NY area.

Felicity of Wish By Felicity and Kelly of Aperture Agog at the 2011 Cavalcade

Please tell us about this year's Cavalcade.
This is the fifth year of the Holiday Handmade Cavalcade. It will be held on December 1st and 2nd at The Space in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (N. 3rd Street between Kent and Wythe). The market will be open from 11am to 6pm both days and will feature 40 of the best artisans in the tri-state area.

Sounds like it will be amazing. How long have you been with the team? Is this the first time you've served as organizer?
I've been with the team for four and a half years, and this is the fourth Cavalcade that I've helped to organize.

Waiting for the 2010 Handmade Cavalcade to open

How has the Cavalcade grown over the years?
The Cavalcade includes more artists and designers each year. And this is the first Holiday Handmade Cavalcade that will be a two-day event!

Two days! That's fantastic. There are so many flea markets and craft fairs, especially during the holiday season. What makes this market different?
The Cavalcade is unique because it features the work of only crafters and artists who are part of Etsy New York (formerly known as The NewNew). There will be every type of handmade product you can think of:  jewelry, clothing, paper goods, soap and body products, accessories, clothing, and children's goods. There will be a number of artists that are new to the Cavalcade this year, in addition to many familiar faces who have vended at the fair in the past.

2011 Holiday Handmade Cavalcade at Public Assembly

The location this year is the super trendy Williamsburg, Brooklyn. How did you pick the location?
We try to pick a different neighborhood and a different venue for each Cavalcade. Because we have even more artists and vendors at this Cavalcade, we needed a larger space to accommodate the event this year, and we're excited to have the Cavalcade at The Space in Williamsburg.

I understand some lucky attendees will receive goody bags! Can you give our readers a little tease?
The first 100 shoppers each day will get a goody bag filled with items donated by our sponsors as well as Etsy New York artists.

What a great incentive to attend. In addition to the goody bags, there is an impressive list of sponsors.
We have so many amazing sponsors this time! Some have sponsored our events before, and some of them are new sponsors. Our main sponsors include Etsy, Purl Soho, Brooklyn Charm, ECOBags, Outright, and Lion Brand. Our swag bag sponsors included The City Quilter, Brooklyn Bead Box, and Swap-bot. We also have several food sponsors who will be selling their delicious wares at the event: Brooklyn Dark, Cultured Confections, Slant Shack Jerky, and Sigmund's Pretzels.

Cavalcade banners are always a special little piece of art

How many events does the Etsy NY Team sponsor?
The team sponsors several events each year, but the Cavalcades are our signature event, and are held each spring and holiday season.

None of this would be possible without a hardworking, committed team.  Some of our readers may not know how the Etsy NY Team works.  Exactly how does everyone pull together to produce a team show? It's almost impossible for one person to pull together a show of this magnitude.
The Etsy NY Team is a collective of local artists, artisans, designers and crafters who sell on Etsy.com, the largest online marketplace for handmade goods. The Holiday Handmade Cavalcade is a totally vendor-run show. We organize the sellers into committees, such as press, sponsorship, decorations, and written content, and we assign a leader for each committee. Each committee targets their energies toward a specific task, such as conceptualizing and creating the decorations and signage for the event, or writing the press release and written content for our email blasts.

It's really exciting to see the members of our group pull together and pool our resources to create such a unique event. Our previous events have gotten quite a bit of media coverage, in everything from local blogs to Time Out New York, and it's a nice bonus to get good press for our group.


I thank Felicty for taking time out of her busy schedule to talk with me about the Etsy NY Team and the Fifth Annual Holiday Handmade Cavalcade. Please join us for one of the best shopping events of the year!

Until next month, this is Birdy27 signing off. Please support the handmade community. Successful creative artisans can change the world! Chirp, chirp!

Birdy27 is an actor/writer/singer/songwriter/graphic designer/
knitter/crocheter/yarn-based accessories designer/jewelry maker/entrepreneur and founder/president of Birdy27 Designs (www.birdy27designs.etsy.com). Please join the action at the Birdy27 Designs Fan Page at www.facebook.com/birdy27designs.