Search results (tags) for: "documentary"

Etsy Finds Decor: On the Set of Grey Gardens

2009-08-23T10:00:00-05:00

This weekend's Get the Look: Decor is inspired by the set of HBO's rendition of the 1976 cult classic Grey Gardens, staring Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange. CasaSugar did an interview with the film's set designer, Kalina Ivanov, about the inspiration and techniques she used in order to create a home that aged in a natural and graceful way while capturing the integrity of the Beale's eccentric story.

If you are unfamiliar with the original documentary, it captures the isolated lives of two reclusive former socialites and relatives of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis who lived in Grey Gardens, a decaying mansion in East Hampton, New York. The documentary provides a touching look into the home of Big Edie and Little Edie Beale and their day-to-day experiences living within the slow breakdown of a fabulous legacy.

For more photos of the Grey Garden's set, visit the CasaSugar interview with Kalina Ivanov. The following Etsy Finds includes a few subtle ways to create a home that shares the story of its past and emphasizes the beauty of decay.

Art Deco 1950s Telephone by North Electric

From NostalgicMeditations, $94.

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Set of Two 20x20 & One 16x20 Pillow Covers

By marygamelin, $85.

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Antique Falls of Yellowstone Park Print

From Neatcurios, $35.

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Vintage Decca Portable Record Player

By allunique, $139.95.

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Hanging Wire Birdcage with Faux Bird

From deluxanyc, $60.

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Take a Stand.....Iron Lyre Musical Stand

From susantique, $28.

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ooh bubbles - seltzer bottle

From everyeskimo, $54.

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Vintage Oval Mirrored Vanity Tray

From polkadotHOME, $26.50.

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JFK and Jackie O plate

From AtomicHotdish, $6.50.

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Vintage American Stars and Stripes Frame

From bellalulu, $22.50.

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48 Star American Flag - Old Glory

From goodlookin, $60.

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Art Deco Era French & German Dictionaries

From incoldstorage, $10.

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Brass Candelabra Wall Sconce

From memconverts, $70.

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Vintage Photo Frame

From PortugueseVintage, $13.

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General Electric Tube AM Radio

From retroology, $25.

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Mid Century Scotty Dog Bookend

From fishlegs, $17.

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Vintage candy tin, Art Deco child with birds

From foursquarevintage, $20.

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Grey Gardens, Reproduction Asian Side Table

From thevintagelaundry, $175.

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Vintage Brownie Six-20 Junior

From jwhite2, $37.

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1920s Fox Terrier Novelty Bookends

From sumpnsassyoldstuff, $45.

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vintage bird cage 'Liberty Lantern'

From Atelier688, $220.

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Vintage Luxe Life Tufted Twin Headboard

From nosh, $175.

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Seashell Art Block - A Little Seaside For You

By Colliebox, $12.

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Chic So Chic

From johnnyvintage, $45.

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Antique Two over Two Dresser and Mirror

From onlinechic, $225.

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Vintage Child's Bamboo Chair

From bellalulu, $32.50.

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Vintage chair with down seat and stiched fabric

From FabulousPieces, $399.

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pair of vintage wooden architectural element

From simplyobjekts, $30.

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Vintage Art Deco Perfume Bottles

From VintageSurplus, $18.

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Art Deco Alarm Clock

From VinegarAndPopVintage, $18.

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Rustic Mason Jar Wall Vase Organizer

From postroadvintage, $30.

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architectural coat rack

From fleamarkettrixie, $40.

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Ocean Side

From WeThinkWeCan, $25.

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Vintage Thunderbird Playing Card Deck

From marygracethomas, $10.

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Old Pink Column Lamps Cottage Chic

From DovelySells, $60.

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Antiqued White Crochet Rosette Garland

By Antebelle, $18.

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Looking for more styles and interiors? Check out our video series, There's No Place Like Here, where creative types show us their unique spaces — infused with their aesthetic and filled with the treasures they collect. Get involved and show us your amazing space in this Flickr pool.

Check out other Get the Look: Home Decor Editions.

A Cozy Home Gift Guide | Housewares Category | Vintage Housewares

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Handmade Weddings: Wedding Photography Unveiled with Jacqueline Tobin

2009-07-16T13:35:00-05:00

We invited Jacqueline Tobin, author of Wedding Photography Unveiled, to share her knowledge with our readers. Jacqueline is a great resource for insider info for both newly engaged brides-and grooms-to-be, as well as photographers interested in breaking into the wedding business. She'll be live in the Virtual Labs for a follow up discussion. UPDATE: We must postpone this discussion. The new time is July 16 at 4 p.m. ET.

Over the past 23 years, I have watched as wedding photography has evolved into one of the most well-respected and lucrative fields in the industry today. I’ve worked at Photo District News (PDN), a trade magazine for professional photographers, since 1986 and currently work there as deputy editor. While not a wedding photographer myself, I do assign and write many, many articles about wedding photography; I help judge PDN’s Top Knots New School of Wedding Photography Contest every year, and I recently collaborated with the top 20 photographers around the country to write my first book Wedding Photography Unveiled (Amphoto Books/March 2009). It was important for me to write this book because the industry has changed so much over the years, going from staid and stoic poses to purely candid photojournalist shots to a current, and much sought after, mix of photographic styles and approaches, including fashion-forward looks, lifestyle and editorial feels, and fine-art touches. Wedding photography has never looked better!

Portrait photo by © Daryl Lang.

We bounced some frequently asked questions off of Jacqueline. Here are some of the tips she has for couples searching for a great wedding photographer:

I'm engaged! When is a good time to start looking for a photographer?
The sooner you start, the better, since the wedding photography is such an important element of your special day; it’s something you will look back on and cherish forever. Even if you don’t book someone for another year (once a date is set), it still can be helpful to start looking as early as possible to decide the style you want, the price range you can afford, and so on.

© Jose Villa

Where does one look?
These days brides get inspiration for their wedding photography from a variety of sources:

Bridal and fashion magazines (high-fashion looks are a big trend in wedding photography right now)
Photographers’ websites (You can find national, as well as and international, listings for wedding photographers at the Wedding Photojournalist Association, the Perfect Wedding Guide and The Knot.)
Your family’s and friends’ wedding albums

How is it possible to tell the caliber of a photographer? What should I ask to see?
You definitely have to shop around, see what’s out there, check reputable sites (like those above) and just look through lots and lots of images. When you meet with a photographer, ask to see finished albums so you can see what they’ve done for previous clients. Online, you can also put his or her name into a search engine and look for comments (good or bad) from past clients.

Also, ask the photographer to show you more than one wedding album and more than one style. These days photographers are shooting a mix of traditional and candid images, and they need to excel in several different genres: still life (for important details), fashion, lifestyle, and photo journalistic looks (for candid moments).

© Elizabeth Messina

Is it my responsibility to do anything for the photographer while the wedding/reception is taking place?
You should have a conversation with your photographer well ahead of time so you don’t have to be giving directions while the wedding and reception are taking place! This is your day and you don’t want to spend it working out the kinks: that’s what wedding planners and maid of honors are for! Many brides like to supply a shot list to a photographer ahead of time that maps out exactly the photos they want the photographer to get; others hire photographers who shoot purely documentary and candid images and are very “fly on the wall” — you don’t realize they are present, but they are and they are getting every single moment that unfolds.

How long after the wedding does it typically take before I get my photos?
It depends. First you’ll see proofs, which many photographers post online days or weeks after the wedding. Next, you’ll choose the images you want (I recommend going to the photographer’s studio to discuss your choices in person), and then an album can take anywhere from 3 to 6 months to sometimes even a year. Ask up front how long it will take before you can expect your albums.

Since Etsy has a lot of great photographers, we figured some of you may be thinking about shooting weddings. We asked Jacqueline for some tips about getting started in the business:

How do I go about breaking into the business?
I recommend taking workshops from professional photographers (pros like Dennis Reggie, Joe Buissink, Bambi Cantrell, Mike Colon, Elizabeth Messina and Jose Villa are the more popular choices), going to trade shows and attending seminars, ordering DVDs on the basics and searching web sites like DigitalWeddingForum.com, WPJA.com and WPPIonline.com to get a sense of what the latest trends and technology in the industry are the moment. Also ask friends who are getting married if you can be a “second shooter” (but stay out of the way of the hired photographer!) and just take as many images as you can to see what the pace is like and what it really takes to be a great wedding photographer. You’re working 8 to 10 to 12 hour days, and after wedding day you are still working on a job for weeks and months — proofing images, doing post-production on the computer, designing the albums, etc.

© Christian Oth

How does wedding photography differ from other kinds of photography?
Today’s wedding photography is not different, just expansive — it includes many different genres (fashion, lifestyle, editorial, fine art), and these days you need to have a basic knowledge of all of them to shoot the day as it unfolds, from capturing the getting ready shots to the ceremony photos to formal and semi formal portraits after the ceremony to the wedding reception.

What are some of the tricks of the trade? Are there any special tools?

During the reception, lots of photographers like to use fast lenses, fast film and high ISOs, because most times these parties take place at night in low light conditions.
Befriending the videographer always helps because you can use their light in a shot. (Try to stay at a 45-degree angle from the videographer’s direct light or try to keep him or her directly behind the wedding couple to use as a backlight during their first dance.)
Never use direct flash. Bounce off the ceiling or tent, or slave a second strobe remotely for depth.
Instead of using a tripod, try to steady yourself by shooting a few images in a burst. With a camera like the Canon 5D, you can shoot with higher ISOs without too much noise and can steady yourself to half-second handheld for images at dusk.
When shooting formal portraits, mix it up a bit and take the couple outside and find interesting locations or settings and to make the shot more memorable.
As for special tools, you can probably start out shooting a wedding with just one camera, like a basic or mid-range SLR, but as you become more and more advanced, you’ll personalize your equipment list. (And it always helps to have a handheld light meter, lots of memory cards and extra batteries on hand.) Later on, you may want to get into post-production on your computer to further enhance your images (many photographers like to use a photo-editing program like Photoshop to adjust skin tones, brighten the sky, or just make an image more dramatic or vivid.)

How can I prepare for the unexpected?
I don’t think you can. That’s the beauty of a wedding. There will be lots of unexpected moments that arise, but fortunately for the photographer, most couples want those images too. You are there to document the day as it unfolds. You can always edit out the bad images later on!

Please mark your calendars and meet Jacqueline in the Virtual Labs for a follow up chat. UPDATE: We must postpone this discussion. The new time is July 16 4 p.m. ET... If you think of questions for her, please post them in the comments below!

Getting ready to say "I do"? Check out the items below; some of the artists featured offer wedding photography services and may be local to your area or willing to travel. You'll find more Etsy wedding photographers in this forum thread.

Crafting a Community of Awesome: Be Part of the Summit

2009-04-23T14:17:00-05:00

Five years ago I totally didn’t have any crafty friends. I toiled away in my living room each night, making stuff without any clue what I would do with it. And when I finished something, I stored it in our extra bedroom until the spare bed became this weird pile of strange stuff. I felt like my making had no purpose and I had absolutely no one to talk to about this. There were no support groups for the likes of me: people who were addicted to making with no real end game for the products. I remember being obsessed with picking up trash to make into collage art, stealing rubber fishing lures from my dad to make into necklaces, looking at a seat belt from a junked car as if it were a prize. I was upcycling before I had a word for it, and to my non-crafty friends, I was just a little wonky.

I had no idea then that my life would totally change, and that not only would I meet someone like me, but that my life would end up full of friends like me. These are not just acquaintances, but real, amazing friends: collaborators and co-conspirators and comrades and colleagues. The importance of these friends to my craft is one thing. I love that I know who to ask when I can’t find Gocco supplies or where to go if I need advice on a craft show application. I love that my friend Beth knows just want to do with an old sweater and that my friend Sara knits me the best scarves with bumpy yarn every year.

But it is the importance of these friends to my actual life that has taken me so by surprise. When my family recently went through a tough medical diagnosis, my crafty friends were delivering groceries and stopping by to teach my twins to sew and sending me encouraging text messages. I never imagined it, but I have found myself surrounded by community, and that is the most fabulous part of the handmade revolution for me. I’m not just a weirdo making things while I watch TV anymore. I’m one of many weirdos making things while we watch TV.

And this is why I am so excited about the Summit of Awesome, my latest project with Hello Craft. After years selling at and organizing craft shows, I wanted to help create an event that is about more than just gathering to sell our wares. It seemed to me that selling at craft shows leaves little time to actually socialize, forge friendships and learn from each other. And my attempts at gathering crafty friends to just "hang out" always seemed to be foiled by the business of real life. I am so excited that I get to help provide other people with the venue to infuse their lives with new crafty friends; to hang out with neat people, while learning from some of the most inspiring speakers in the crafting community.

The Craftnotes with Sublime Stitching’s Jenny Hart and Etsy’s CEO Maria Thomas are in themselves exciting, but we also have 30 more speakers lined up for seminars, workshops and demos. And if you can't make the event, the Etsy Virtual Labs will be covering several of our seminars. We've also just added single day passes if you cannot make the whole weekend of awesome.

Here are the details:
Hello Craft’s Summit of Awesome will take place in Washington, D.C., May 1-3. The Summit is designed for artists and crafters, from dabblers to business owners, and includes the D.C. premiere of the Indie Craft Documentary, Handmade Nation. We also have fun social "making areas" planned, as well as the first ever Handmade White Elephant Gift Exchange and Swap! You can check out the complete line-up of speakers and register online at hellocraft.com.

I can't stress enough the importance of gathering together to learn and share in the same space; how I think these types of events will help deepen the bond of the crafting community and spark new and innovative ideas on the direction of the handmade movement. And dude, you need more cool friends, right?

I’d love to hear your stories of how the handmade community has made your life better. Please put them in the comments below! I may contact you to record your story for the Hello Craft Podcast!

Proceed and Be Bold: A Documentary

2009-04-21T15:24:00-05:00

Brown Finch Films is a filmmaking collaborative based in Chicago, Illinois that produces transformative documentary films that inspire, evoke, and enliven. The cinema is both an art and an history, and as filmmakers, they respect their calling to make films that are both artistic and insightful. Their films probe deep into their subjects to ask questions that are controversial, historical, rhetorical, and inspirational.

We came to the Etsy blog because our documentary, Proceed and Be Bold! is about a self-employed artist, and we thought that other Etsians would love to see a film about someone who makes a living with their art. Also, we love Etsy and shop here often!

Brown Finch Films is kind of like a craft club for people who like making films instead of scarves… Our first documentary feature film, called Proceed and Be Bold! is the biography of an inspiring artist, Amos Paul Kennedy Jr. He quit his corporate job at the age of 40 to follow his dream of becoming a letterpress artist, or as he calls himself, “a humble negro printer.” Laura Zinger, the director and co-founder of Brown Finch Films, was initially intrigued by Amos’s racially and socially provocative posters. She took a dinky little video camera to one of his gallery shows a couple years ago, then looked at the footage and saw the possibility for a feature documentary film.

Amos’s inspiring story really took root in Laura. His journey is about finding true joy in creating the things you yearn to create and saying the things you really want to say. Laura teamed up with cinematographer and Brown Finch Films co-founder Michelle Kaffko and editor Stacey Simcik, dragging them across the country (and even to Italy) filming amazing artists and crafters who know Amos.

We were filming in some amazing art and craft spaces, including Hatch Show Print, a letterpress company in Nashville that has been printing event posters since 1879. Current head Jim Sherraden gave us a tour of the floor-to-ceiling shelves that house block prints for the presses, and showed us how the shelves themselves are made out of discarded block prints nailed to the frames.

While filming at the design and silkscreen printshop, Standard Deluxe in Waverly, AL (population, 265), we met a proprietor who built a beautiful wall in his studio out of salvaged windows and doors, perfectly meshed together Tetris-style. And who can forget the amazing Alberto Casiraghi in the small town of Osnago, Italy, where he fed us a delicious meal, and then showed us the rooms of his home, which were filled with letterpress art books. He collaborates with other writers, painters and poets, and prints short run editions of art books, refusing to sell them for any more than about $15 each so the everyday person can afford them. We filmed Alberto in his garden and had to repeatedly shoo away his goat, who kept trying to eat the microphone cable…

After meeting all these inspired creators (and their goats), who wouldn’t turn to their own machines of creation and start making stuff? The finches at Brown Finch Films (or BFF as we like to call ourselves) came back to our Chicago home and started sifting through all of the footage to put the story of Amos’s life together. We ended up with a documentary film we are incredibly proud of: Proceed and Be Bold!

While taking the film to screenings and panel discussions in theatres, groups, and schools across the country, we also started making our own crafts to raise funds for the production of DVD copies, complete with special features and Italian subtitles for overseas viewers. The crafts started when Michelle made some cute little handmade felt plush finches for the film premiere, to give to everyone who helped out during production of the film as a thank-you gift. The finches were a hit, and people started asking for them at other screenings. So Michelle made a handful more to sell at screenings, and she called them “fundraising finches” so people knew that purchasing a felt finch went directly to the filmmaking collaborative. Soon she was making mini felt finches as pins for the filmmakers and their collaborators to wear at screenings. Then, naturally, she started making felt pins with swear words on them, and they were selling like hotcakes.

I guess what everyone at Brown Finch Films learned through this experience is what Amos was telling us all along: “Don’t be an artist. Artists are full of themselves. Just make stuff. Just quit your job or whatever you hate doing, and make stuff, damnit.” And that’s what the finches are doing now. Laura quit her 9-to-5 job, swapped it for a part time teaching gig and moving back in with her father to lower her cost of living, all to be able to truly follow her dream and make a documentary film. Now we’re all hooked. We’ve got three more feature documentary films currently in the works, and still booking screenings for Proceed and Be Bold!

Find our more about the film and screenings near you at BrownFinchFilms.com.

Further resources:
Kennedy Prints
Hatch Show Print
Standard Deluxe
The Bird Machine
Typeface Documentary
Columbia College Book Arts Program
Kangaroo Press

Handmade Nation Screening and Virtual Lab Q&A

2009-02-10T16:10:00-05:00

Faythe Levine and Cortney Himerl will be in New York this week discussing and screening their documentary film Handmade Nation and its accompanying book. Etsy will be streaming a live webcam feed of the Q&A in the Virtual Labs starting at around 7:30pm EST, Thursday, February 12 (click here to translate this time on a world clock). Thank you goes out to the Museum of Art & Design (MAD museum) who will be hosting us.

Check the Handmade Nation blog for info on screenings in your area. For those of you who are in the New York area, you'll find details below for seeing the film or meeting the filmmakers face-to-face:

Click Image to buy the book!

Handmade Nation at MAD Museum
The NYC Premiere and Director’s Panel
Thursday, February 12, 6:30 pm
6:30 pm Screening and Panel discussion
with Faythe Levine, Mandy Greer, Kate Bingaman- Burt and Callie Janoff in the MAD Theater
SOLD OUT

Handmade Nations Encore Screenings and Q&A with author and director Faythe Levine
February 14 and February 15, 2 pm in the MAD Theater
Tickets available online at www.madmuseum.org

Book signings at MAD
with Faythe Levine and Cortney Himerl
Author and Director Faythe Levine and Co-author and Assistant producer Cortney Himerl will be available for book signings in the MAD first floor lobby
Thursday, February 12, 5:00pm- 6:00pm
Saturday, February 14, 1:00pm- 2:00pm and 3:30pm- 4:30 pm
Sunday, February 15, 1:00 pm- 2:00 pm and 3:30 pm- 4:30 pm

The book Handmade Nation: The Rise of D.I.Y., Craft, and Design is available for purchase at
The Store at MAD. To purchase tickets and for more information visit www.madmuseum.org or call 212.299.7780.

Powerhouse Arena Bookstore
There will also be a panel discussion at the Powerhouse Arena Bookstore in Brooklyn on Wednesday, February 11, 7-9pm EST. Powerhouse is located at 37 Main Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Faythe Levine and Cortney Heimerl, co-authors of "Handmade Nation," join American Craft Editor-in-Chief Andrew Wagner and KnitKnit's Sabrina Gschwandtner for a panel on art, craft and design.
www.powerhousearena.com
rsvp@powerhousearena.com

See related posts | Documentaries

Etsy Finds: Getting Aaron Rose's Look - Home Decor Edition

2009-01-18T08:30:00-05:00

This weekend's Get the Look: Decor is inspired by the Los Angeles home of artist, author, director, musician, and curator behind the Beautiful Losers movement, Aaron Rose. His home decor is a reflection of his many pastimes and obsessions: skateboarding, surfing, hip hop and graffiti culture. It's also a bright collage of tribal masks, guitars, pulp fiction, circus memorabilia, pop art prints and rainbow hues. Today we're going to show you how to achieve the brightly modern abode Aaron calls home using elements found on Etsy.

You can view more inspiring photos of Aaron's home on The Selby.

It Feels So Right A3 Print

This quirky print looks like it would fit right in on Aaron's wall. By Juliapott, $15.

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Candy Striper Chair

Candy striper, indeed! This chair is a close match to the set in Aaron's kitchen. By sprucehome, $225.

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Billy Little - original painting

This illustration turned wall hanging looks like it belongs in Aaron's house. (Or mine...) By madebymax, $25.

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Fruit Salad

I love this rainbow afghan — so bright and cheery. By KittyKittyKnits, $135.

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Polaroid J66 Land Camera

Aaron's got a killer camera collection. Why not add to yours? From ladiesandgentlemen, $65.

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Retro Hand Notepad w Pen

These notes are so "handee." How meta! From domestikate, $10.

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Fancy Bud

Stained glass has never looked so good! By mouchette, $225.

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Overstuffed wooden chair remote control holder

Need help keeping track of your remote? This Pee-wee's Playhouse-esque chair should do the trick! From sydg, $19.99.

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Vintage Happy Clown in Wood

Aaron's circus fascination is evident in his decor. This non-threatening clown could make a great addition to your own. From twogoodeyes, $22.

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Beautiful Losers film trailer from beautifullosersfilm on Vimeo.

We caught a sneak preview of the documentary Aaron directed about the Beautiful Losers movement before it was finished: it's a great glimpse into the lives of artists — such as Margaret Kilgallen, Barry McGee, Mike Mills, and more. You can watch the trailer or see it on the big screen, or also get involved in the Beautiful Losers "Make Something" workshops with kids in communities around the country — find out more on the website. And hey, while we're at it, if you want a free movie poster, be one of the first five people to comment in the Etsy blog post!

Looking for more Etsy Finds? Try these links:

Gift Guides | Guest Curators | Trends | Gift Ideas

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Etsy Finds: Lights, Camera...Action!

2009-01-13T08:19:00-05:00

Mystery Train, Ghost World, The 400 Blows: Who doesn't enjoy a trip to the local indie cinema? With the Sundance Film Festival starting this week, why not indulge your dreams of indie stardom by getting out the old Super 8 and doing your best Parker Posey? Today's Etsy Finds salutes film in all its glory, so be you director, starlet or moviegoer: support independent film and the artists who make it.

Super 8 Greeting Card Set

By Stencil1, $7.50.

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Super 8 Film Light

From ladiesandgentlemen, $20.

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Film Maker

By dollhead, $40.

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Super 8 Letterpress Print

By rollandtumblepress, $20.

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Canvas of Audrey Hepburn IV - 13 x 13 inches - framed

By thecanvashouse, $42.

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Cufflinks - Film Reel, Antique Silver Finish

By dabbledesigns, $14.

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Projector Journal

By artkitten, $28.

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XL - TLR camera - women's summer tshirt, creme

By vital, $25.

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Wedding Invitation/Reception Poster -Movies-

By unlesssomeonelikeyou, $75.

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Looking for more Etsy Finds? Try these links:

Gift Guides | Featured Buyers | Trends | Gift Ideas

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The Brooklyn Skyline

2008-12-19T15:00:00-05:00

I adore the skyline of Brooklyn. When I first moved here way back in 1993, I remember being so taken with the wood water tanks that stood on top of many buildings near the Brooklyn Navy Yard and the East River. This was ages before Brooklyn Industries came on the scene with their water tank logo and multiple store locations. Over the years I have climbed up on to the rooftop of many a Brooklyn row house to watch fireworks, partake in friends’ barbecues, and one time, to see a meteor shower in the middle of the night. In a city with a street level as dense as ours, looking up where man-made meets sky can be a beautiful respite.

Rooftop Bees on DVD by honeybeeproductions

As a film-maker interested in the urban environment, I wanted to find a way to incorporate rooftops into a project. When I heard about a beekeeper with beehives on his rooftop in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, I immediately thought that he and his honeybees might make great film subjects. I could document the pleasures of both urban beekeeping and Brooklyn rooftops. John, the beekeeper, agreed to let me film him at work with his thousands of amazing honeybees. He checked their hives throughout the summer and then harvested their honey, selling it at Habana Outpost, a local outdoor market. It was quite an experience to be on the roof next to the buzzing hives. The views of the Williamsburg Savings Bank building and Fort Greene Park were lovely and although it was ridiculously hot and I got stung twice, I fell in love with the Brooklyn skyline all over again.

Evidently there are other Etsy sellers who derive inspiration from the Brooklyn skyline:

Kentile Floors Sign Brooklyn by livepoultry

LivePoultry is a t-shirt company based in Red Hook, Brooklyn that specializes in limited edition silk-screened tees. They take inspiration from Coney Island and the industrial buildings, waterfront and street scape of New York City past and present. This design features the big metal Kentile Floors Sign, which can be seen from the elevated F train as it passes through Gowanus, Brooklyn.

Tracks At Marcy Ave. by kateblack

KateBlack loves the view from her elevated train station so much that she took a photo of it and turned it into a bottle opener key chain.

New York Rooftops by LaurenCastillio

LaurenCastillo's “New York Rooftop” painting sets rooftop antennae, chimneys and vents against a beautiful blue sky.

Baby Blue Skyline Chalkboard Tee by classattire

Classattire's skyline t shirt is actually a writable and erasable chalkboard so you can sketch your own drama on to the cityscape.

Coney Island Parachute Jump Necktie by toybreaker

Coney Island offers some of the most iconic structures of the Brooklyn skyline. And while redevelopment plans are under way and will definitely change the gritty character of Coney, the Parachute Jump, the Wonder Wheel and the Cyclone are here to stay. Toybreaker makes a screen-printed necktie for the Parachute Jump fan.

2009 Letterpress Calendar by brooklynbookbinder

Maggie Campbell of BrooklynBookbinder uses a detail from the Cyclone roller coaster as the background for the July page of her 2009 letterpress calendar because there’s nothing like riding the Cyclone in July!

Wonder Wheel Signed Fine Art Print by sherrijackson

SherriJackson’s beautiful photograph of the Wonder Wheel captures the saturated color, typography and fun of Coney.

Brooklyn From Bay Ridge by samypaden

Another asset of Brooklyn’s cityscape is its proximity to the water — you can see the ocean, the harbor and the river from many spots in our fine borough. This painting shows just that, and is one of many landscape paintings he has made of Brooklyn.

Handprinted Artprint by nateduval

NateDuval’s screenprint of the Domino Sugar Factory on the East River looks good enough to eat, in a post-industrial waterfront kind of way.

Crafting in Brooklyn 8.5x11 Print by lauramccabe

With over 2 million residents, Brooklynites live in apartment buildings, row houses, private homes and even a few houseboats. LauraMccabe captures the beauty of Brooklyn’s row houses (and the beauty of knitting) in this print.

Puerto Rican Flags by stephanieland

StephanieLand offers a Brooklyn tableau in her photograph of a house in Bushwick strewn with Puerto Rican flags, against a gorgeous blue sky.

Brooklyn, New York Greeting Card Series, 6 by GreenwichLetterpress

And for the crown jewel of the Brooklyn skyline, let us not forget the incredible Brooklyn Bridge, which has been the pride of our borough since it opened to the public in 1883. GreenwichLetterpress has made both Brooklyn Bridge holiday cards and greeting cards. Get ‘em and send ‘em!

Brooklyn Bridge Necklace by Brookadelphia

Brookadelphia’s very cool Brooklyn Bridge necklace is made of black acrylic.

Cuff Links on Nickels by wabisabibrooklyn

WabisabiBrooklyn’s cufflinks have an image of the Bridge decoupaged on to five cent coins.

Brooklyn Bridge Tote Bag by brooklynglobal

BrooklynGlobal makes both a tote bag and T shirt screen printed with the Bridge’s double archway.

Baby Brooklyn Bridge Onesie by serimony

Serimony has hand block printed a tiny Brooklyn Bridge onto onesies for the newest Brooklyn appreciators. They also make shirts for full grown fans.

Brooklyn Skyline by Pennyvictory

A water tank and the gorgeous Williamsburg Savings Bank Building both adorn Pennyvictory’s cool canvas tote bag.

Rooftop by homespuncity

HomespunCity makes an elegant silver pendant, water tank necklace. Wear it or gift it with Brooklyn pride.

Further Resources to appreciate the Brooklyn skyline:

The Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment is dedicated to educating individuals about the built and natural environments of New York City. For information about events and walking tours visit http://bcue.org.

Forgotten New York is a great resource for little-known facts about New York City, past and present. http://www.forgotten-ny.com.

The Place Matters mission is to foster the conservation of New York City's historically and culturally significant places. On their website you can nominate a place that matters to you. http://www.placematters.net.

Rooftop Films is a summer screening series that brings underground films outdoors at venues throughout New York City. Go see a movie on a rooftop! http://rooftopfilms.com.

Find more documentaries on DVD on Etsy.

Shop Local in Brooklyn | Brownstoner's Shop Live Picks | Shop Local Series

Update: Faythe Levine's Handmade Nation

2008-10-29T11:48:00-05:00

We at Etsy are very excited about Faythe Levine's forthcoming documentary, Handmade Nation; so excited, in fact, that we want to share the clips as they become available! (Such as the amazing stop motion opening sequence shown above.)

Not familiar with Handmade Nation? Here's the gist: director Faythe Levine crossed the country to interview hundreds of artisans and crafters to talk about why and what of making things means to them. The resulting film has produced excitement amongst crafters, as it's a handmade production of its own.

Living in Seattle during the punk DIY music scene in the early nineties, Faythe Levine was fully enthralled by the do-it-yourself ethos. Self-publish, produce, reuse, collaborate, indie labels, zines, communal living, art collectives: she's done it all. In 2003 she looked around and saw a powerful and inspiring movement happening within the craft scene. A "new wave" as she calls it, was emerging with energy and inspiration fueled by a desire to embolden communities of makers and reinvent traditional models of crafting.

Check out the trailer for the documentary below! Very inspiring...

For more posts on Faythe Levine and Handmade Nation, check out our previous coverage.

Etsian Videos: Vanishing of the Bees

2008-04-24T17:17:00-05:00

Etsy seller OSSMedicineJewelry is making a documentary about honey bees and the environmental effects that may be damaging their habitats and physiology. See her website www.vanishingbees.com for more info. For now, here's a clip from the movie:

Please subscribe to Etsy's Youtube channel. Let us know if you have a video you'd like to share on the Storque by tagging it with "Etsy" and/or sending us an email to storque@etsy.com!

EGCG | Trashion | EcoEtsy | Environmentally Friendly Gift Guides | Earth Tones Series

Local Filmmaking: As Sweet as Honey

2008-02-01T18:12:00-05:00

Last night New York City seemed like a tiny village. Who knew that a Brooklyn man raises bees and harvests honey on his rooftop?

Yesterday I was at The Tank for the screening of my short documentary about used clothing, along with three other short films. One was a documentary called "Rooftop Bees," about a charming Brooklyn beekeeper named John. It was fun to recognize the view from his rooftop while watching the film. I pass by his apartment building every day on my walk to work. My fiancee used to live next door to him and recalled that he would, from time to time, secretly borrow John's folding chair while relaxing on the roof. He wasn't aware at the time that the big red boxes on the roof actually contained swarms of bees.

I spoke to Melissa Lohman Wild, the director, for a bit after the screening. When I mentioned I would like to review the film for Etsy's online magazine, she replied, "Sure, I know Etsy! I want to be a full time seller and work from home now that I have a baby." Melissa's story inspired me: Storque readers who know independent filmmakers should encourage them to list their DVDs!

Melissa's movie dealt with the political, environmental and economic issues involved in buying local and buying handmade, as opposed to mass-produced items, and she expressed it in a delicate and human way. It made me realize that it just feels natural to make and buy local. Her film gave me a tangible sense of my neighborhood, to the point where I felt my presence as one of the busy human bees going about my daily business.

My favorite part of the movie was when John imagines where his bees fly off to during the day: they certainly go to Fort Greene Park 's clover cover field just a few blocks away from his rooftop. John also "hopes they find their way to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, which have so much to offer." This reminded me of the gentle nudges of my parents, who often ecourage me take advantage of all those New York City cultural events and say things like, "Hey, why don't you visit the Met?" By the end of the film, we had buying local and supporting indie artists on the brain (as if those topics aren't already on the brain all day and night?), but we were also hankering for some honey from John, which he sells locally at eco-eatery Habana Outpost during the summer months. (By the way: the owner of Habana Outpost is Rob's, aka Rokali's, former neighbor and one of the first investors in Etsy.)

It's good to know all these busy bees are from the same hive and we can't wait until next season's crop of local honey and indie movies!

Featured Buyer: Faythe Levine of Handmade Nation

2008-01-23T10:41:00-05:00

Our Featured Buyers series is where the Storque reaches out to the Etsy community and the larger handmade world of arts and crafts. Faythe Levine is someone who is working on drawing all of these elements together. Below you'll find some of her favorite picks from the Etsy marketplace, as well as an interview with her about the DIY craft resurgence and making her documentary film Handmade Nation.

Growing up in Seattle during the 1990’s gave me firsthand exposure to many punk bands and the riot grrrl scene. This underground community quickly exposed me to DIY ethics, and I learned early on that you could release, self-publish and distribute your music and zines through a vast nationwide network of like-minded people.

Since then, community has been a key element in my life, especially creative community. It is something that many find in college, but I explored elsewhere. I traveled the world, lived with large groups communally, worked in collectives, organized events and always made art.

In 2003, I found myself looking at an emerging movement that embraced both art and community, which can now loosely be defined as “the new wave of craft.” This movement is exploring the uncertainty of where fine art meets craft, redefining and reclaiming creativity. The new wave of craft is influenced by the history and techniques of traditional handiwork, modern aesthetics, politics, feminism and art.

During this time, my role has become diverse; from business owner, events organizer and curator, to artist, maker, director and, most recently, author. I am thankful to have come to a place in my artistic career where ethics can overlap with creativity and art with community.

The goal from the beginning of this project has been to expose people outside the indie craft community to what’s going on and give exposure to the community itself by showing the remarkable people who have created it.

We asked Faythe some questions about what she's working on and asked her to share some of the experiences she's gleaned from traveling and shooting her movie.

What's is happening with your documentary? Tell us a bit about it, for people who don't know...
In June 2006 I began shooting footage of the indie craft community for a documentary under the working title Indie Craft Documentary. Over the course of about 9 months we traveled to 15 cities visiting indie craft fairs, studios, galleries and boutique doing interviews with community members. My goal was to capture what was unfolding around the country within our movement. This was something big, something powerful and I wanted to document it.
Now working under the title Handmade Nation: the Rise of DIY Art, Craft and Design, there will not only be a feature length documentary of our community but also a companion book (co-authored by Cortney Heirmerl) under the same title published by Princeton Architectural Press (www.papress.com) scheduled for released in November 2008. The documentary is slated to be released in 2009. It will premier at a festival (which festival we do not know) and then hopefully be available for DVD purchase. I am also planning on touring with the film so keep an eye out for that in a year!

What were some highlights from your travels in shooting the movie?
It was so rad to get to go to all the different craft fairs across the country and see the similarities and differences of each one. The locations that people work with are amazing. Seeing all the shoppers turn out in every city is so cool, plus I got to buy a ton of incredible work directly from makers around the states.

Plus, it was unbelievably awesome getting to meet almost every single person I’ve ever wanted to meet within the craft community! Being able to sit with Debbie Stoller (editor of BUST Magazine and author of Stitch n’ Bitch Nation) and hear her take on the revival of craft, listening to the ladies who run Atlanta’s Indie Craft Experience talk about their show. Sitting down with Jill Bliss and hearing her discuss her work. It was all so fantastic.

Did you notice any unexpected craft trends while making the movie?
There were stylistic trends that have been apparent for a while now, including plush, Amigurumi, and anything with owls, deer and octopi (it’s so hard to resist those lil’ guys!). But more importantly I noticed that crafters were pushing themselves creatively to create more original and well made items more that ever.

Any unexpectedly crafty scenes/cities?
I get asked this question a lot, but honestly, the Internet makes most of what goes on around the country homogenized. The larger cities have more crafty saturation due to larger populations, but otherwise there weren’t many surprises. However, I will point out that smaller cities with cheaper rent can allow creative people to spend more time with their work and have larger studios. (Which is why I live in Milwaukee.) I’m sure there are some super bumpin' craft scenes in unexpected places. Unfortunately, since the film was all independently funded, we just couldn’t go everywhere…Plus my business partner at my store would have killed me if I were gone any more than I already was!

What do you think the world needs to be clued in on the most right now?
Something I would like to start working on is finding affordable health care for independent artists. I’ve been uninsured for seven years, and now that I’m in my 30’s, I’d love to be able to go to the doctor if I need to.

I would love to see creatively driven lifestyles supported within the American system, where we as artists would be respected with our fluctuating incomes and freelance lifestyle; we should be able to afford doctor visits, dental care, pre-natal care and any sort of special medical treatments that we need.

What strides have the DIY crafters made in 2007?
2007 was a big year for DIY Craft; it brought us the first Craft Congress (held in Pittsburgh, PA). The indie craft community made it into the New York Times at least three times. Lots of community members signed book deals, tons of new “How-to” books were released. A lot of craft fairs have reported record-breaking numbers of shoppers up into the 6000’s! Etsy and the Handmade Consortium launched the BuyHandmade.org campaign and as of January almost 12,000 people have signed it. I’m sure there is more, but that’s pretty amazing, right?

What are you looking forward to in 2008?
Well, of course I can’t wait until my book is done! I am looking forward to the second Craft Congress being held in San Francisco, CA. I am always excited about traveling to craft fairs in other cities. My friend Alicia in Barcelona who owns this rad shop called Dudua is talking about organizing a fair there, if it happens I think I would have to fly over to check it out!!

Can you highlight some of the Etsy sellers you've met along the way?
A ton of amazing Etsy sellers have donated to our shop to help raise funds for the documentary. A few awesome random peeps are: Kirinco who designed our most recent T’s and totes. Bhstudio who donated some of her awesome Craft Posters to our Etsy shop in 2007. Callieco we met in New York at the relaunch of American Craft Magazine, her bags are incredible. And the ladies of Indie Craft Expierence are some of our new best friends who do amazing things in Atlanta with their show, and put together the Starlets of Craft Calendar!

Can you speak a bit about your experiences selling items through your Etsy shop to raise money for your project?
Etsy launched right around the time of our production; ever since it has provided the ideal user-friendly storefront for our fundraising process. We solicited crafters to donate items to our shop with the proceeds of sales going towards production cost. This is also where we are selling our promotional items such as T-shirts and totes. Our Etsy shop has raised over $1,500.00 so far, which is fantastic! I run the shop myself which gets overwhelming at times, but I couldn’t be more thankful since I would never be able to maintain any other type of web shop.

Further Resources:

If you're a seller who would like to help the project, you can donate items to be sold through the indiecraftmovie Etsy shop. (Just send me a convo!)

Also, check out the Indie Craft Documentary blog

Check out Faythe's faves in the related items below. Aren't you curious about the documentary?!

Etsy Featured on Blip.TV

2007-11-28T07:06:00-05:00

The Storque was psyched to hear that Etsy's videos are being featured on the front page of Blip.TV! Check out our segment on the Gotham Girls Roller Derby in their "Hot Episodes" section and watch for the Storque icon in the "Featured Shows" rotation. We'll be posting more How-Tos, Studio Tours and more in the coming months, so keep checking in! In the meantime, make sure to catch up on all of Etsy's videos at Etsy.Blip.TV or in The Storque.

Also, remember to send us your videos for our on-going Handmade documentary project. The Storque is collecting videos (and photos!) in conjuction with the Buy Handmade Pledge. Our project has two veins: one for sellers, called "My Handmade Story," and one for buyers, named "Why I Buy Handmade." Any Etsian is free to participate by making a short video that expresses these ideas. We'll be watching and uploading the next set of videos on December 1st, so trot yourself over to the mailbox soon!

To read more about the project and our guidelines, click here. For more information on the Buy Handmade Pledge and how you can contribute during the holidays, go to BuyHandmade.org.

Update & New Clip from IndieCraftDocumentary!

2007-09-10T13:26:00-05:00

NOTE FROM THE STORQUE:

The following is an update from Faythe Levine, filmmaker and friend to Etsians! Faythe is working SO HARD on a documentary about the DIY craft resurgence. Below, you'll find the latest news from the project and their brand spanking new online video clip.

FROM FAYTHE:

I'm sure you are all in as much disbelief that is it almost mid-September already as I am! Cris, the editor just uploaded a new version of the preview clip that most of you have seen at this point- there is some of the same footage but a lot of new faces are making an appearance ( Poketo, Needles & Pens, Little Otsu, Jenny Hart, Reform School and more!) We are still chugging along with editing with our original goal of having a 2008 release still a good possibility. Please feel free to re-post the clip on your blogs, myspace, etc.

In other news:

Micaela and I will be doing some follow-up shooting this weekend in Chicago at the Renegade Craft Fair.
We will also be out in New York for the re-launch of American Craft Magazine next week as well as shooting at the ETSY Labs!
I will be making the trip to Austin in November for Stitch.
There will be screening a clip of the film previous to the fashion show here in Milwaukee at Art vs. Craft.
Cortney and I are still working on the details of our book deal with Princeton Architectural Press (which will be a companion book to the documentary!!).
Our ETSY shop still is our main source of income for the film, if you haven't checked out our most recent donations and T-shirts still on sale for $13 please do.

FURTHER RESOURCES:

Youtube: http://youtube.com/watch?v=zH2HWPfwpOw
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/21568463@N00/
ETSY: http:// www.indiecraftmovie.etsy.com

MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT:

A new wave of craft is capturing the attention of the nation. It has emerged as a marriage between historical technique, punk and the D.I.Y. ethos while being influenced by traditional handiwork, modern aesthetics, politics, feminism and art. It is no longer just about cross-stitching samplers or painting floral scrolls on china. Instead, it has increased its realm to embrace an emerging movement of artists, crafters and designers working in traditional and nontraditional mediums and methodologies to intervene in mass-market consumerism, to challenge the familiar and to attempt creative and economic freedom. This movement created by craft forges a new economy, lifestyle and burgeoning art community that is based on creativity, determination and networking.

The heart of the new wave of craft is the community. Artists, crafters, makers, organizers, critics, curators, cultural theorists and historians come together to create a community that shares the desire to produce change through the passion to create. By sharing ideas and encouragement they work together to nurture entrepreneurialism, preserve feminine heritage and wield great economic power. Through websites, blogs and online stores individuals in this widespread community can stay virtually tight-knit while boutiques, studios, galleries and craft fairs connect to the greater public to inspire and to promote.

In the fall of 2003, after returning from Chicago’s Renegade craft fair, Faythe Levine decided that someone should create a documentary on the rise of independent craft as it was occurring. In June 2006 Levine, director and producer, and her close friend Micaela O’Herlihy, director of photography, marked the beginning of the 19,000-mile journey to interview and film over 50 crafters, craft market organizers and shop owners in 16 cities across the nation as well as the first ever Craft Congress in Pittsburgh. Handmade Nation, a documentary slated to come out in spring 2008, is the original product of their efforts. Levine’s goal from the beginning of this project has been to expose people outside the craft community to what’s going on and give exposure to the community itself by showing the remarkable people who have created it.