Friday Snacks!

Due to being unexpectedly out of town last Friday, I missed offering you Friday Snacks, my weekly links list. So I'm topping this week's helping with seconds...

Enjoy the Snacks!

Autumn is chrysanthemum season, and here are two very special examples:
LEFT: a diamond and conch brooch by Tiffany & Co. [seen in Nov. 08 issues of Vanity Fair] RIGHT: Skateboard Flower by Ted Hunter [via Craftzine].

Don't miss Alexander Calder: The Paris Years 1926-1933 at the Whitney Museum of American Art. I went to the opening Wed. night and it is WONDERFUL, full of playful, imaginative wire sculpture, line drawings, early abstractions, and his awesome circus, with lots of historical video footage. Thru Feb. 15, 2009.

Craving a a feast of delicious little perfectly-lit paintings? Go see the shamelessly beautiful show Live Forever: Elizabeth Peyton at the New Museum. Thru Jan. 11, 2009.

Peek inside the mysterious Brooklyn Navy Yard through photos and video [Via Brownstoner, image from Bluejake].

A recipe to make your own (and my favorite) "Samoa" Girl Scout Cookies [Via Craftzine].

Last but not least, the editors of Living Crafts magazine sent me some sample copies to check out a while back, and I don't think I ever mentioned it. I think it's a wonderful mag: it has the cleverness of Martha with a much warmer, more kid-friendly angle, and conveys the reassuring/edifying mood of Yoga Journal. (Think: how to make Waldorf-y felted wool animals, instructions for a DIY travel candle, and a lovely meditation on what tangled yarn has to teach us.)

I wanted to make practically all of the projects described, and have kept the copies in my "keep" pile over a half dozen mag-sorting binges. Living Crafts is worth checking out for anyone who enjoys making stuff (especially fiber-based), and definitely worth subscribing to if you like doing projects with kids. (It's about $20 for year of quarterly issues.)

Live local? Come check out week 3 of the Fall Furniture Festival this Sunday.

Posted by Amy Shaw for Greenjeans.

Showing this Sunday @ the Furniture Festival

How much furniture-making talent can one borough hold?

Come find out this Sunday when we present work by seven more Brooklyn-based furniture designer/makers at the Greenjeans Fall Furniture Festival at the Brooklyn Flea!

Top right:
Curvaceous lounge chairs (like the one Jae's trying out here) and undulating screens by Aswoon.

Minimalist pieces with hints of color by Wonk.

Counter Evolution NYC returns with long lean pieces made from salvaged bowling alley wood.

Uhuru is also back this week with their bourbon barrel and truck spring Bilge Chair, and other pieces.

Flea regulars Nightwood will be exhibiting in the Furniture Fest booth this week, and I'm told the two lovely ladies have collaborated on new pieces just for the Fest!

Salvaged wood becomes fabulous furniture in the hands of 4 Korners.

Benton Custom will show this rad three-tiered table along with other pieces built in his workshop at Bushwick's 3rd Ward.

Posted by Amy Shaw for Greenjeans.
Images by Greenjeans or courtesy of the furniture makers.

Report from Week 2 of Fall Furniture Festival

If you missed Week 2 of the Greenjeans Fall Furniture Festival at the Brooklyn Flea, it was a great day with perfect weather and an awesome group of furniture makers.

Here is a slideshow of pictures I took this past Sunday (Oct. 12).

Six Brooklyn-based furniture designer/makers exhibited this week along with Brian Braskie of Canterbury, NH:

Counter Evolution NYC (Jim Malone)
December Box (Mark Williams)
New York City Water Tower Furniture (David Gibbs)
Palo Samko
Scott Behr
Todd McCollister

There are two more Sundays in October, which means there are two more Furn Fest weeks to come -- on Oct. 19 and Oct. 26 -- and a LOT more to see...

Learn more about the Furn Fest here.

See pictures from Week 1.

Posted and images by Amy Shaw for Greenjeans.

Trip to Hyde Park, NY

After completing a monstrous freelance project, and needing some respite from all the bad financial news, I packed a bag on Thursday and whisked Jae off for a spontaneous short vacation.

I was craving broad vistas and fresh air, and felt a pull toward the Hudson Valley. And with all the comparisons to the Great Depression buzzing around (which with today's market re-bound seem irrelevant, but we'll see) I thought a pilgrimage to the home and presidential library of Franklin Delano Roosevelt would perhaps bring some inspiration and insight.

So we headed for Hyde Park, NY, where we visited historic sites, ate great food at Twist and the Culinary Institute of America, and stayed in a quiet, clean little motel for next to nothing. (Read my Yelp reviews of Twist and the Roosevelt Inn.)

It was lovely, refreshing, and only about 2 hours from Brooklyn. If you're needing a dose of fresh air and fall foliage, I recommend it!

Image at top right: entrance to FDR's house.

Down the driveway to FDR's house, Springwood.

The FDR Library had a great exhibition about Roosevelt's first 100 days, during which time he launched his many New Deal programs and overturned prohibition. Here are a couple snippets of the wall text -- indeed!

The FDR Presidential Library also houses a collection of items related to his (arguably more interesting) wife, Eleanor Roosevelt. An avid knitter, this is her knitting bag -- she was working on a little blue sweater when she passed away. Next time, I'm going to visit her house too.

The very inspiring full quote reads:
"Courage is more exhilarating than fear and in the long run it is easier. We do not have to become heroes overnight."

In the stables, I noticed the auspicious name of one of the Roosevelt horses.

We also visited the Vanderbilt Mansion up the street. This is the back portico. This is all that would fit into my camera frame from where I sat on the grass overlooking...

... this view of the Hudson Valley. Heaven!

We returned Friday night, but took Saturday off too, relaxing in the park and watching movies. Yesterday was Week 2 of the Fall Furniture Festival at the Brooklyn Flea, and I'll be reporting on that soon. Vacation is great, and now it's back to work!

Posted and images by Amy Shaw for Greenjeans.

1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse - SUBMIT!

The persistently awesome Garth Johnson of Extreme Craft just snagged a sweet deal with Quarry Books to compile the next book in their "1000" series": 1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse!

He is collecting submissions now, and here are some of the categories he's looking for:

• Paper Craft– Consigning paper to the recycling bin is a shame. Do you make interesting things out of paper?
• Art– Does your art involve clever reuse of materials in installation, sculpture, collage, painting or other media?
• Jewelry and accessories– Our definition here is very broad—we’re looking for all kinds of personal adornment, handbags, belts, hats, etc.
• Clothing– We’re seeking all kinds of clothing mash-ups, stitch-ups, and makeovers.
• Fiber and fabric- How about renovated soft goods made from recycled or vintage linens, quilts, fabrics, fibers, sweaters, yarns, rugs?
• Housewares and furnishings– We’re looking for repurposed furniture, ceramics, serving dishes, utensils and miscellaneous home goods.
• Houses, interiors, and environments– Is your living space made of reused materials? Have you made a visionary environment out of recycled materials?
• GeekCraft and ManCraft– Do you make repurposed items with geek appeal? What about traditionally “manly” items such such as grills, antler furniture and armchair go-karts?
• UnClassifiable– We are encouraging the submission of work that doesn’t fit into any of the above boxes.

Find his Call for Entries right here -- the deadline is January 5, 2009, but he encourages early entries.

Click here for more information. And congrats, Garth -- can't wait to see your book!

Posted by Amy Shaw for Greenjeans.
Image sourced here.

Showing this Sunday @ the Furniture Festival

We have a wonderfully eclectic roster of furniture makers showing this Sunday, the second week of the Greenjeans Fall Furniture Festival at the Brooklyn Flea.

From the undiscovered to the well established, all six designer/makers we're featuring this week are, once again, based in Brooklyn:


Todd McCollister, whose Catenary Chair is pictured top right, works out of 3rd Ward in Bushwick.

Jim Malone of Counter Evolution NYC uses wood salvaged from closed bowling alleys. He's a regular Flea vendor, but this week he's showing with us at the Furn Fest.

Mark Williams of December Box blends slabs of gorgeous hardwood with found metal elements to create very appealing tables and benches.

Palo Samko is well-known and admired for the gorgeous sculptural details of his work.

Roger Benton of Benton Custom also works out of 3rd Ward, building cool experimental pieces like this walnut three-tiered table. [UPDATE: Roger Benton is showing on Oct. 19.]

David Gibbs of New York Water Tower Furniture makes great benches and tables that show off the gorgeous aged patina of old cedar and redwood water towers.

Scott S. Behr does great tables, shelves, mirrors, and custom installation work in copper and steel.

Come see it all under the big white tent this Sunday at the Brooklyn Flea!

And if you missed the Furn Fest last week, you can see some pictures right here.

Posted by Amy Shaw for Greenjeans.
Images courtesy of the furniture makers.

Vote Greenjeans & Brooklyn Flea for Best of New York!

Can you take a few minutes to vote for the Brooklyn Flea and Greenjeans/Fall Furniture Festival in the Village Voice's Best of New York survey?

These are the categories:

Best Flea Market
Best Vendor at the Brooklyn Flea

They're both on the 3rd page of the ballot which you can link to here.

Voting closes TOMORROW (Wednesday Oct. 8) at 5pm, so if you can vote before then I would be much obliged! (And if not, it's ok, I still love you.)

There are lots of other great categories for you to pull for your favorite clubs and eateries, so embrace the voting season and cast your ballot.

Thank you!

Posted by Amy Shaw for Greenjeans.
Image sourced here.

Amy to Speak at Fordham U. Tonight

If you're interested in sustainable business you might be interested in the panel I'm speaking on tonight (10/7/08) at Fordham University.

"Greening of For-Profits Panel and Networking Event," presented by Net Impact and the Fordham Entrepreneurial Society, starts with a mingle at 7:30 and the panel starts at 8:00.

Speakers will include Saudia Davis of Greenhouse, Carol Derby, Director of Environmental Strategy of Designtex, and myself. And the questions the organizers have presented us are thoughtful and interesting.

The press release says "Inspired by the Finance & Sustainability GBA course taught by Professors Werner and Stoner, this event will address how entrepreneurs and corporations are changing their corporate mission to integrate socially and environmentally responsible initiatives. This is a panel event with plenty of opportunity to ask questions and network as well. Food and beverages will be provided."

The event is taking place at 113 W 60th St., which is the Atrium at Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus. The event is free and open to the public.

Would love to see you there!

(And thank you, Landis, for recommending me for the panel!)

Posted by Amy Shaw for Greenjeans.
Image of the sculpture, Peter, Fisher of Men, on the Lincoln Center campus.

P.S. This is my 500th blog post!!!

Report from Day 1 of Fall Furniture Festival

Despite the unexpectedly rainy early start, Day 1 of the Greenjeans Fall Furniture Festival at the Brooklyn Flea was great!

Tons of people from the curious to the serious came through the Festival to check out work by Brave Space Design, City Joinery, Nine Stories Furniture, Standard 41, and Uhuru. Most of the furniture makers were on hand and both the press and the public enjoyed talking with them directly about their work.

Many told me they had no idea there was so much great furniture being made in Brooklyn, so the Fest seems to be doing its job of raising awareness of the amazing skill and talent to be found in our fair borough!

Major thanks to Sam, Nikki, Andrew, Jamie, Bill, Dave, and Rob for helping set up and take down those huge tents -- it was quite a task and your help made it not only possible but fun -- it practically felt like a barn raising! And thanks to everyone who came to see the work -- please come again!

Looking forward to the next three Sundays in October when we'll present work by more than a dozen additional local and regional furniture makers. Come check it out!

Link to Furniture Festival webpage, including list of exhibitors and dates.

Posted and photos by Amy Shaw for Greenjeans.

Friday Snacks!

[UPDATE: I posted my new regular feature Friday Snacks! on Friday, but just realized I messed up the post date so it didn't appear at the top of the blog -- oops! Here it is re-posted in case you missed it before...]


Enjoy the snacks!

Useful tattoos! [via Hrag Vartanian]

Find out what happens behind that long brick wall at the Open Studios in the Brooklyn Navy Yard on Sat. Oct. 4.

First day of the Greenjeans Fall Furniture Festival is THIS SUNDAY at the Brooklyn Flea, 10am - 5pm.

Make it a two-fer with the 4th annual Atlantic Antic.

Staying in? I love this idea for an easy, autumny DIY project: make a blanket out of your old scarves
-- toasty! [via Craftzine Blog]

Enjoy the weekend!

Posted by Amy Shaw for Greenjeans.

Opening Title Sequence of "Handmade Nation"

Happily found this in my inbox today -- it's the awesome opening title sequence of Faythe Levine's highly anticipated new documentary Handmade Nation.



Here's the link if it doesn't show up above.

This is what I'd call the opposite of "hand-washing" -- something handmade to promote something about the handmade, as opposed to "using" a handmade aesthetic to be "on-trend." This is what the corporate hand-washers are trying to emulate, but its earnest quality is something that cannot be faked.

Looks like it was fun to do this stop-action sequence, and I love it! Rock on, Faythe!

Posted by Amy Shaw for Greenjeans.

Fall Furniture Festival - Exhibiting Oct. 5

The first day of the Greenjeans Fall Furniture Festival at the Brooklyn Flea is coming up this Sunday, Oct. 5!

All exhibitors this Sunday make their work in Brooklyn:

Brave Space Design
City Joinery
Nine Stories Furniture Co.
NYC Water Tower Furniture
Standard 41
Uhuru

Here's a sneak peek inside some of the Brooklyn workshops of this week's exhibitors...

Large table made from reclaimed elm, in progress in the workshop of City Joinery.

Sleek yet slightly quirky chairs and table by Standard 41.

Checking out the beautiful reclaimed water tower wood David Gibbs (NYC Water Tower Furniture) uses for his work.

And here are some pieces you might see:

Delta Table made from plyboo by Brave Space Designs.

Elsie Side Table "veneered" with metal from old car bodies by Nine Stories Furniture.

Stoolen Round made from scrap hardwood by Uhuru.

Come see all this and lots more on Sunday at the Brooklyn Flea!

Link to the Fall Furniture Festival webpage.

Posted and top three images by Amy Shaw for Greenjeans.
Bottom three images courtesy of the furniture makers.