Celebrating Brooklyn Festival 2012

Webbed Ware by Courtney Webb


If you are a regular reader of this blog you probably are aware of who the Etsy NY Street team is, formally the newnew.  If not here is a brief descript, designers, artists, crafters who are etsy shop owners who live in NY City.  NYC is compromised of the 5 boroughs; Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, The Bronx and Queens.  We support each other in all sorts of ways and also team up to do markets together. This summer is my first time joining EtsyNY for Celebrate Brooklyn.  I recently moved to Brooklyn, from Hells Kitchen in Manhattan, and being so close to Prospect Park where this festival is held I applied to be in it. Yes you need to apply, we have over 200 members in our group!


Celebrate Brooklyn is a summer long event held in Prospect Park at the band shell organized by BRIC arts and media.  I interviewed a few of the artists and designers to find out more on why they choose this festival:
Why did you decide to sell in Celebrate Brooklyn?
Annie of Brooklyn Owl says  "The vibe and energy at the concerts is amazing. I am so excited to spend the summer going to celebrate Brooklyn with my husband and daughter and spending time in the Etsy team booth."   While Melissa from Be in the Moment commented that she "decided to join Celebrate Brooklyn because it sounded like a unique place to sell my jewelry, and it was also a great way to get me out there enjoying more of the free summer events that NYC has to offer! What better way to discover some new (to me) bands than work some shifts at our tent there. Not to mention, I liked the idea of having a fixed location for my wares for the summer season. I’m trying to do less “lug your tent” weekend markets and get into more stores and permanent locales this year. 

Brooklyn Owl


2. Have you sold in it before this season?
Lydia from Pure Spa Squared is in her second season: "his is my second year selling at CBK and I returned because it is such a great venue & the team is super fun.
Although I sell my goat's milk & honey lotions, I created a new product last year "Bug Off" based on the suggestion of my teammates. This Vegan based bug repellent has been a big hit at the concerts. Made with cat nip, essential oils, aloe gel & distilled water...this product is now carried by Green in Bklyn a green base store on Myrtle Ave.
  
Also in their second season is Persuede. "This is my second season at the celebrate brooklyn general store. As a lifelong brooklynite I've always loved cb - the music, the park and the sense of community is wonderful. Usually, as makers of things and vendors, our audience is brought together by an interest in shopping handmade"
Persuede

3. What product are you selling? Do you design more than one product and if so how did you choose what to sell in CBK?
Melissa from Be in the Moment sells jewelry. "I make and sell enamel jewelry. I chose a limited selection of popular items from my line to bring to Celebrate Brooklyn, including my bicycle pendants and my textured trapezoid earrings. I also created some brand new Brooklyn designs just for the event." 
Be in the Moment
4. What is your favorite or least favorite part of this event? 
I answered this one. It seems to be the music is the most fave of everyone but the food from the Farm on Adderley comes in a close second.

5. How does this event compare to other events you participate in?  
Lydia of Pure Spa: "The concerts are amazing and a fun way to spend the evening. While working the tent we love tasting the food & ice cream. My experience at CBK has allowed me to expand my product line and build great friendships with fellow etsy ny sellers."
Pure Spa2

6. Any addition comments you would like to share with the public or etsyNY Team members to encourage them to come by The General Store Etsy NY Team Booth?  
Dina from Bugged Out "Come to our shop, great shopping and great music all at the same place!!! 

Bugged out




There are 16 fabulous artists and designers participating in CBK. Unfortunately I cannot show off all of their product here but please visit their shops below to see what you can find at this year's Celebrate Brooklyn:















Find out all about Celebrate Brooklyn here
Celebrate Brooklyn runs all summer long, hope to see you there!

Tracey






Just ONE day until the Holiday Handmade Cavalcade!

Saturday is The {NewNew} Holiday Handmade Cavalcade
You Do Not Want To Miss This Event!


For one day only during the holiday season shoppers can load up on clothing, jewelry, accessories, paper goods, bath and body treasures, toys, housewares and more, all handmade by some of the most creative local artisans and crafters in the NYC metropolitan area.
Where: Public Assembly 70 North 6th Street in Brooklyn
When: 10 am-6 pm Saturday December 3rd


The first 200 shoppers to arrive will receive free goodie bags packed with a unique sampling of wares from the {NewNew} - so come early!


With each purchase, shoppers will get a raffle ticket entry for a prize package filled with great {NewNew} wares!


In keeping with its tradition of partnering with local non-profits, the {NewNew} will have representatives from The Brooklyn Community Foundation, an organization that improves the lives of Brooklyn residents and their communities.


Hope to see you!
Holly / EllisDesign

Who is the NewNew?

 
Our group tag line says "hand crafted in the NY Metro area." And if you've ever been to a team meeting, you know there are quite a few of us. But really...who are we? Who makes up the NewNew? 

I decided to find out with a little help from Survey Monkey & their free 10 question survey. So, let me introduce you to the NewNew...survey-style



We are overwhelmingly female. Not that we don't have some boys join in our fun. We do! But, for the first time in the NY Metro area, they are in the minority.

We are mostly a group of 30-somethings. We do have representatives in the 20 somethings category & several people in each category above 30-somethings so the age range is really long in this group. Isn't that cool? I feel like I am honing a craft now that I could potentially keep up. Or change! Hand crafting is ageless!

We seem to be a highly educated group. Most of the group who responded have a 4 year undergraduate degree with a large percentage with graduate degrees. Look at us - all little smarty pants :)

So who are we so far? So far the NewNew is a 30-something female with at least a college degree...and she isn't married. The largest number of answers on our survey in the marriage category were for those who had never been married, but it was almost a 50-50 split with those who are married. So, not the strongest question to determine who we are, I suppose.

We also don't have a lot of kids. Actually more than 80% don't have any at all. Perhaps this is a good time to mention that we have close to 200 members & only about 30% of them answered the survey. This is not a scientific analysis, but I would go out on a limb to say that we have plenty of members with kids & that perhaps that's why the response rate was a little low. It's cool, ladies! Next time...

Our most popular borough to live in? Brooklyn. Followed closely by Manhattan. The only borough not represented in our group appears to be the Bronx. Go figure...

And now for the nitty gritty...what do we make?? The answer: Jewelery. Lots of it. Here's my very first pie chart since high school, showing the break down. The list of categories in the key on the right are the categories you will find NewNew shops in & comes from the list on the Etsy homepage, fyi.



After jewelry, the majority of our makers are in the Paper Goods & Art category, though we are represented in almost every category. We are a pretty diverse set of crafters. Also interesting to note is that a lot of our members do more than one thing. One jeweler in our group also makes cake toppers. One photographer also silkscreens.

Almost done! I also thought it was interesting to know whether or not our 30-something Brooklynite without kids who has a killer jewelry line sells anywhere other than Etsy. And the overhwhelming answer is YES!

Where does this lovely lady like to sell? All over! Seriously almost each respondent had a different market that they look forward to. Of course, you can almost ALWAYS find representatives of the NewNew at the Brooklyn Flea. If you had a visit to Governor's Island this summer, we had a nifty pop-up store there. Also check out Better than Jam NYC in Bushwick & Black Bear Vintage in Windsor Terrace (Hello! Both Brooklyn!). To really find us, try our events page, right here on the blog. See the tab at the top? Local NYC Events? There you go...

I hope you'll come out & see us at one of the events! Look for a 30-something woman, who looks like she lives in Brooklyn, is probably wearing her very own killer jewelry without a stroller in sight...Very generally speaking anyway...




Where to Find the {NewNew} August 7 + 8

What:
Only five more weeks of
, so if you haven't sailed the blustery NYC harbor waters to visit this treasure cove of handmade goodness, put it on your summer agenda.
When: Friday 10am - 4pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am - 6pm
Where: House 6B in Nolan Park on Governors Island. Take the free ferry at the Battery Maritime Building in Manhattan or at Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 6 (Brooklyn ferries only run on weekends). More directions of ferry schedules here.
Who: Over 30 {NewNew} artists - check out the complete list here.
In the Neighborhood: There is so much to see on Governors Island that you'll want an entire day to visit all the sites. Added Value's three-acre organic fruit and vegetable farm is just one of the highlights. See them at Picnic Point where you can also visit their farm stand and purchase the bounty of the farm's produce and flowers.

What: Brooklyn Flea
When: Saturday 10am - 5pm.
Where: 176 Clermont between Clermont and Vanderbilt.
In the Neighborhood: The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), America's oldest continuously operating arts center, is just down the street at 30 Lafayette Avenue. Check out performances here.

Where to find the NewNew July 31 and August 1

Did someone say August?! Keep cool with the offerings from the NewNew at our regular gigs (along with some sweet, cold, delicious treats)!

This amazing location has gotten some terrific press and if you haven't been yet, now's the time! Read all about it here.
Cooldown tip: The Blue Marble Ice Cream Truck is there Friday-Sunday and Mr. Softee, too. Click here for a map.


The NewNew will be at the Brooklyn Flea on Saturday from 10:00-5:00. It is located at 176 Clermont at Vanderbilt.
NewNewCrafters: Muppetloon, Dwell Deep, and Purty Bird.
Cooldown Tip: People's Pops and Blue Marble are also mainstays at the Brooklyn Flea. Yum!

Join the NewNew at the Hester Street Fair on Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 - 6:00 at the corner of Hester and Essex. On Saturday, see Irene C. Studio, Enchantragirl, and Allene La Spina. On Sunday, Designs by Aliza, Wish by Felicity, and Saskia DeVries will be there.
Cooldown Tip: Ok, maybe not strictly in the cooldown category, but ya gotta visit the Doughnut Plant, right around the corner on Grand Street.

Until next time, keep cool!

Lu
LuCrafts

Where to Find the {NewNew} July 24 + 25

As July winds down, take advantage of these lazy summer days by strolling through some of the best markets NYC has to offer. Explore an area you have never been to and perhaps fall in love with a new designer's work along the way.


What: The {NewNew} Treasure Chest Store on Governors Island When: Friday 10am - 4pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am - 6pm
Where: House 6B in Nolan Park on Governors Island. Take the free ferry at the Battery Maritime Building in Manhattan or at Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 6 (Brooklyn ferries only run on weekends). More directions of ferry schedules here.
Who: Over 30 {NewNew} artists - check out the complete list here.
Governors Island Fun Fact: This NYC getaway has amazing events every week. You may have already missed Prince Harry playing polo (and subsequently falling off a horse? So I've heard...) or the punk rockers weekend, but you're sure to find something uniquely New York when you check it out on any given Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

What: Hester Street Fair
When: Saturday and Sunday 10am - 6pm
Where: Hester and Essex Street.
Who: {NewNew} artisans will be there all weekend. On Saturday, see EnchantraGirl and LoellaMedina. On Sunday, visit Laterlierdesbijoux, FiskAndFern, and SaskiaDeVries.
Hester Street Fun Fact: This market is curated and offerings fall into three categories: handmade items, vintage finds, and food.


What: Brooklyn Flea
When: Saturday 10am - 5pm.
Where: 176 Clermont between Clermont and Vanderbilt.
Brooklyn Flea Fun Fact: Time Out New York calls the Brooklyn Flea "One of New York's Essential Pick-Up Spots." Wow!






Karina