What To Do This Weekend
SATURDAY
Crafty Balboa Holiday: With more than 60 local art vendors in attendance, everyone on your list should be covered. If you’re shopping for your sister or mom, check out Penelope Rakov’s colorful blown jewelry and the sophisticated yet quirky textiles and wares of Kaye Rachelle Designs. For the men in your life, consider one of Recycled Rowhouse’s revamped pieces of furniture or the folklore-inspired books and prints of Huldra Press. This year’s event will also feature two fun new additions: a holiday-themed photo booth and a live print-your-own-wrapping-paper demo from South Philly’s mobile art studio, ColorWheels. Be one of first 50 shoppers to arrive and you’ll even score a free goodie bag. 11am. Free. SS Neumann Goretti High School, 1736 S. Tenth St.
Holiday Second Saturday: Before and/or after you hit up Crafty Balboa, be sure to stick around and wander through the neighborhood, as there will be all sorts of festivities going down. From 1-3pm, follow the holly jolly tunes of strolling musicians as they make their way up and down East Passyunk Avenue and stop by the Alphabet Garden (1631 EPA) to get your photo taken with Santa. Meanwhile, Sermania Jewelry (1719 EPA) will be slashing prices on their selection of bling and from 6-10pm., Nice Things…Handmade (1731 EPA) will host its 3rd Annual Ornament Show. Last but not least, grab a beer at Ray’s Happy Birthday Bar (1200 EPA) where Traveling Wares will be presenting an art and craft show to help raise money for Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. Various times and locations.
DIY Christmas Gift Workshop: Save yourself some cash and get a little crafty as a group of skilled artists and crafters show you how to make everything from ornaments and homemade vanilla extract to a homemade clock and wreath. Some gifts may cost a few bucks, others are free. 12-4pm. $0-$10. Circle of Hope, 1115 S. Broad St.
Book Paper Scissors: Put down your Kindles and iPad for one afternoon and join the Philadelphia Center for Books in celebrating both old-school and contemporary book arts, printmaking and paper crafts. An array of vendors will be setting up shop inside the Free Library for this annual book fair, selling hundreds of affordable paper-based creations—everything from zines and origami to paper sculpture and jewelry. Meanwhile, guests of all ages have a chance to explore these art forms themselves during one of two free workshops. 10am. Free. Parkway Central Library, 1901 Vine St.
SUNDAY
Rejoice Craft Event: Tis the season to recycle and reuse! The skilled craftsmen (and craftsladies?) of Handmade Philly will be leading a workshop all afternoon, guiding the not-so-crafty in making their very own gifts and decoration. Not only will you be getting their advice and assistance free of charge, but all necessary supplies will be included. The Resource Center, a nonprofit center championing the creative reuse of various discarded materials, will have plenty of affordable, reclaimed materials for sale. Oh, and to top it all off, Philadelphia Brewing Co. will be bringing along some refreshments. 12-5pm. Free. The Resource Exchange, 2829 Cedar St.
Punk Rock Flea Market: Ah yes, the shopping event I’ve waited all year for. At this point, I probably don’t need to say very much about R5’s Productions’ annual shopping extravaganza considering how insane the turn out is. Though I swear they say this every year, supposedly this is going to be their “biggest one yet!” with over three hundred tables of anything and everything your heart could possibly desire. Personally, I find the best deals are with the miscellaneous personal vendors selling their unwanted items. Seriously, who sells a perfectly good pair of kitten heel shoes for $3? 10am-5pm. $3. The Punk Rock Flea Market-Dome, 461 N. Ninth St.
Sculpere Burn Workshop & Jewelry Sale: Looking to shed a few more lbs before Christmas, but still have some shopping to do? No worries, local designer and owner of Adorn Boutique, Sarah Lewis is going to help you kill two birds with one stone. Discover the Sculpere Burn, an intense full body workout that speeds up your heart rate ballet and slows it down with intervals of yoga, before heading downstairs and rewarding yourself with complimentary mimosas and 30 percent off the boutique’s amazing selection of handcrafted jewelry, accessories, clothing and gifts. 12-2pm. Free. Adorn Boutique, 1314 Frankford Ave.
Schuylkill Center’s Winterfest: Do a little shopping and a little crafting. A total of 25 local eco-artists will be onsite selling lovely gifts while other artists will be leading several different workshops throughout the day should you want to your own. Your options: a wreath, ornaments, cards/stationary, recycled art and jewelry. Starting at 6 p.m., you’ll even have a chance to do a little star gazing as you roast marshmallows on a campfire. 2-8pm. Free. Schuylkill Center, 8480 Hagy’s Mill Road.
What To Do This Weekend
Far from your average clothing swap, the extra “Rama” is a series of DIY workshops in which locals can explore easy, creative and sustainable ways to upcycle used clothing and textiles. Here’s how it works: while not mandatory, those who come with at least a bag of unwanted clothing will save $10 on admission and once all the donations have been collected, everyone will get to dive into the massive pile of gently worn treasures like wild (yet courteous) scavengers. Finally, skilled local artists will help Swappers work their creative mojo and revamp their new duds. You can spruce up a boring tee with a screen-printed image with Candy Depew of the Philly-based silk-screen studio, school and showroom, Candy-Coated or with a simpler version of designer Nicole Rae Styer’s unique embellishments. Amber Zaraza of Phea Jean and the crafty folks of Handmade Philly will even show you how to transform an article of clothing into a one-of-a-kind accessory. Saturday, 12pm. $10-$20. @ Broad Street Ministry (315 S. Broad St.)
Spring 2012 Art Star Craft Bazaar
Just in time for Mother’s Day, Art Star has hand selected over 140 local and national artists to set up shop and sell their wares outside at Penn’s Landing for the spring edition of their beloved art fair/craft show. Basically, anything and everything you can think of and then some. Some local vendors to keep an eye out for: exit343 design, Concrete Polish, Black Heart Letterpress, BirdQueen Designs and Bob Dix Illustration. Going through the long list of vendors, I’m going to be on the look out for Moonlight Bindery, Spread The Love and Inedible Jewelry. As usual, there will also be live music from local bands, vegan/vegetarian friendly food and interactive art demos like sculpting/mold making with The Philadelphia Sculpture Gym and recycled crafts with NL Arts. Saturday, 11am-6pm. Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free. The Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing (Columbus Blvd. at Chestnut St.)
Breaking Away: 2012 Fashion Show
This annual fashion extravaganza in conjunction with Moore College’s commencement celebrations will feature 28 innovative senior collections as well as designs by junior and sophomore students of the college’s acclaimed fashion design department. The showcased designs include swimwear, bridal, childrenswear, menswear, sportswear and last but not least, eveningwear. The theme “Breaking Away” is specifically for the senior eveningwear finale. There will also be a closing reception for “Emerging Artists and Designers,” featuring the best work from their senior students in fine art, graphic design, illustration, interior design photography and textile design. So come out and help congratulate the Class of 2012 Who knows—you may wind up discovering America’s next big designer before everyone else. Saturday, 8pm. $25. @Moore College, Aviator Park (20th & Ben Franklin Pkwy.)
Pennsylvania Guild Fine Craft Fair
While fine art might be a bit of a snooze-fest, fine crafts are a whole different story. For their signature premiere fair, the PA Guild of Craftsmen has invited 140 of its finest crafts artists to pile into Rittenhouse Square this weekend and showcase/sell their exceptional one-of-a-kind creations. We’re talking everything from handcrafted jewelry, designer clothing and contemporary furniture to functional and decorative pottery, limited edition photography and fine porcelain. Will these items be pricey? You betcha! But there’s sure to be some affordable pieces. Either way, everything else is guaranteed to be worth the price. Fri.-Sat., 11am-7pm. Sun., 11am-5pm. Free. @ Rittenhouse Square
If you’re having trouble finding the perfect Mother’s Day gift (and somehow PW Style’s incredibly awesome and comprehensive Mother’s Day Gift Guide didn’t help), why not just mom out to the KOP Mall so she can pick out something herself? While there, be sure to stop into Free People where they’ll offering complimentary tea, coffee and other refreshments as well as a free flowers for the mommas (unless you show up late). You may want to also grab something for yourself since you’ll receive an exclusive soy candle by Candles with Love with a purchase of $250. Sunday, 11am-6pm. Free @ Free People, King of Prussia Mall (452 Mall Blvd.)
Mother’s Day Gift Guide: Part One
Mamma Mia Gift Set
LUSH: $39.95
Comes with Creamed Almond and Coconut Shower Smoothie, Tiny Hands hand lotion, Miranda Soap, The Olive Branch Shower Gel, Sugar Scrub Sugar Scrub. The best part: it’s already wrapped!
Mother’s Day Bouquets
Hana & Posy: $40-$75 (regularly $80-$150)
Sign up to Daily Candy and get this special 50 percent off deal. The adorable, eco-friendly Old City flower shop was actually voted Best of 2010: Gifts & Flowers by Philadelphia magazine. I particularly like Hana’s Hartwell and Posy’s Kingston bouquets (shown above).
“Keep Calm and Carry On” Mug
Paper Source: $11.95
This message originally comes from a poster produced during the beginning of WWII that was never officially released. Now, it’s a perfect slogan for the modern day mom.
Crosley Pay Phone
Urban Outfitters: $90
If you got an old-school mom who still prefers using a landline phone, she may appreciate this 1950s inspired 3-slot pay phone replica. While it might remind her of her childhood, it has all the technology of a modern phone. The rotary dial fashion plate has actual buttons and you don’t need a coin to make a call (the functional coin slot leads to a bank).
Kimmel Center Gift Certificate
Redeemable for events and performances at both the Kimmel Center and the Academy of Music, you and your moms can spend quality time together whilst enjoying world-renown performances whether it be an opera, ballet, musical, ect. You can order online or by phone.
5×7 Prints
Homemade-Pop.com: $5 each
These colorful, hand-drawn prints by local artist Danielle Byrne make for a perfect personalized gift. There’s a bunch of illustrations of everyday and nostalgic objects for you to choose from on her Web site and Etsy store. I recommend picking out three that best represent your mom then finding some decent dollar-store frames to put them in.
Metro Cosmo Dispenser
P.H.A.G (Philadelphia Home Art Garden): $54.50
For the mother who likes to entertain and throw a few back, this snazzy glass beverage dispenser will hold approximately one quart of whatever beverage she so chooses.
Upcycled Eco Friendly Crocheted T-Shirt Wrap Necklace
Big Green Earth Store: $30
Love this! Made entirely out of t-shirts, this handmade necklace is light-weight, durable and can be worn in several slightly different ways since you can wrap/stretch the large single crocheted chain as many times as you want. It also comes in eight different colors. Should it start to look a little dirty, don’t worry—you can just throw it into the washing machine!
Zine scene
Looking for a way to break into the DIY scene of Philadelphia? Well, this Sunday we have the perfect chance for you to do just that. Join fellow Philly zine and DIY-ers for the Handmade Philly Zine Design Party in Fairmount. You’ll get to help with making original booklets to be distributed at the Handmade Philly table at the Swap-O-Ramma-Ramma which will be held on October 3 at Urban Outfitters in the Naval Yard.
The details:
When: September 19, Noon-5 p.m.
Where: 2417 Brown Street (Handmade Philly Member Alison Ostertag’s home)
What to bring: pinking shears, fabric and decor, snacks and a sewing machine if you have one!
For more information contact Allison HERE