Meet the Press!

It's been a crazy week, with lots of projects going on simultaneously, but I wanted to share my feature in the May 5th, 2013 edition of the Boston Globe with you!  I was interviewed about running a handmade jewelry business online, and some of the ins and outs involved therein.  And I may have mentioned that I go to the post office in my pajamas to ship out Hieropice orders.  But hey, everyone does that, right?!  You can read the article on Boston.com, and it's posted above!
Cheers!
Dara

Arts and Crafts Fair!

There's still time to apply to Assembled: A Handmade Arts Market in Assembly Square! April 30th is the deadline: http://bit.ly/12o2w4y

Assembled: A Handmade Arts Market

  I've encountered an exciting new opportunity!

  Well, let me back-track a bit.  I've been out-of-the-loop for a little bit while I cared for a loved-one who was ill, but now I'm back, and embarking on something very exciting!

   I've wanted to do an all-Etsy-seller craft show forever now, but logistically, it seemed challenging. BUT, Aigner/Prensky Marketing has launched, with the backing of Federal Realty, a series of Summer craft shows to celebrate the redevelopment of the Assembly Square Mall area in Somerville.  You can read more about what they're hoping to do with the area here: http://www.assemblyrow.com/vision/, but they've got big plans for the it, including creating new housing, restaurants and shops, and it promises to be pretty cool.

  But that's not the big story.  I will be producing the premier show of the Assembled: The Handmade Arts Market at Assembly Row, for Aigner/Prensky Marketing on Saturday, May 18th.  AND it's going to be an all-Etsy show!  A show full of Etsy artisans sharing their unique, handmade wares, to kick off the Summer.  I am so excited.  Sometimes, vending online means you repeatedly interact with people who you never get to meet in person.  You may even talk to them every day, or perhaps they've purchased a number of your pieces, but you have no idea what they look like or who they are and could pass them on the street and never know it.  This show will be such a great opportunity for Etsy sellers to connect to eachother, to supporters of the Etsy marketplace, to chat and exchange ideas. 

 

Where the Assembled market will be held

The show will also feature a workshop on how to start an Etsy shop, tips and tricks for running a successful shop, etc.  So if you have an Etsy shop and feel you have something prurient to share, or you'd like to start and Etsy shop but aren't sure where to begin, or you're already running a shop but could use some help getting it where you want it, come to the workshop!

  Applications for the May 18th, Etsy-themed Assembled show are now being accepted.  Please apply!  Or, if you know of an artist in New England whose work you love, please forward the link along to them: http://www.assemblyrow.com/wp-content/aruploads/2013/03/Application_for_artists-fillable-form.pdf.  I want this show to be spectacular, and with your help, it will be!

Cheers! 
Dara

Branching Out, in more ways than one!

This time of year feels like a strange in-between period; partly Winter, but on the cusp of Spring; it feels like we're all waiting for something coming soon, but not soon enough!  I'll be celebrating my birthday in the latter half of the month (yay!) and am looking forward to taking a small weekend trip to Maine.  But at Hieropice, we've also had some pretty cool developments, including a feature in Bev Feldman's Linkouture blog, wherein she interviewed me about the inspiration behind Hieropice and its wares, as well as some other fun info, including the ridiculous origin of my brandname, Hieropice.  Check out the interview here, it's a quick read!
      I also decided, hey, I love nature-y things, and I have favorited all of these nature-y items by Etsy sellers over the years, so I'm going to go ahead and make a treasury list of all things branch-related (shown above).  The result was pretty interesting.  Branch lamps, branch t-shirts, even an Iphone dock made out of a massive branch of wood.  See how creative Etsy sellers are?!  Those crafty so-and-sos.
      Soon, I will be launching a new line of jewelry.  Not going to go into too much detail yet, as it's still crystalizing in my brain, but I'm excited about it.  It'll be a new venture for me, with a bit of risk involved, and who doesn't like risk?!  It's not anxiety-provoking at all!  :) 
Enjoy your Saturday, all!

Red is the Color of LOVE

Valentine's Day is fast-approaching, and frankly, many of you are likely feeling ambivalent about it.  Yes, it's a holiday devoted to all things love and pink and fluffy, but, perhaps it feels a bit commercial, and one might become overwhelmed by all the "being marketed-to."  Then there's the pressure of planning the perfect date, at the perfect restaurant, and choosing the perfect gift...  The pressure alone can really kill all of the inherent romance.  And if you're single, well...
  I was newly single last Valentine's Day, and decided to have a few drinks with some other single friends rather than hang out at home.  Perhaps we'd even meet some other single folks out and about on V-Day.  At our first destination, we were met with hanging paper hearts and couples draped over eachother, and we didn't last long.  Same deal at the next locale, at which point, we gave up.  A rather disappointing Valentine's Day all in all.  But I think we were missing the point to begin with.  V-Day could be a day to celebrate all of the loving relationships in your life, and honor your true friends, devoted parents or children who've made you proud, brothers or sisters who offer you support when you need it, and of course the furry pals who are always happy to see you (or indifferent, if they're cats).  Gift some baked goods, send a card, make a gesture of appreciation for all the folks that mean something to you.  This year, I plan to do Valentine's Day right!  And, I've started by making an ode to Valentine's Day, in treasury list form.  All red; crimson, scarlet, cherry, and wine as-interpreted by Etsy sellers.

  AND Sunday is Local is for Lovers, a fair in Somerville, MA at Arts at the Armory.  It promises to be quite the extravaganza, with local craft beers, local food, live music and a load of vendors.  I think it'll be a ton of fun, and can't wait!  It's Sunday, Feb 10th, from 11 to 5 PM at 191 Highland Avenue.  Hope you can make it, and get a good start to your Valentine's Day!

Happy V-Day!

Dara
 

JP Rocks and Rolls

I'm a little late in posting this, but tomorrow, Hieropice will be a vendor at JP Rocks and Rolls in Jamaica Plain, MA.  JP is a unique place, very quirky, with a lot of creative people in it, so I really enjoy hanging there.  The show tomorrow also has an old record sale portion, so if you actually own a functioning record-player, it might be worth checking out.  It's 12-3 PM, at 45 Danforth Street, JP. 
Anyhoo, hope everyone is enjoying a lovely Saturday, the sun's actually out here!

Gifford Shelter Fall Festival

Tomorrow, Sunday, September 23rd is the Ellen Gifford Cat Shelter of Brighton's Fall Festival.  The shelter is "no-kill," meaning they don't euthanize cats to accommodate additional cat surrenders or due to a cat's age.  At the Gifford, cats are cared for until they find a home.  One of the Gifford's long-term residents, Bo, was with us for 15 years!  I've been a volunteer at the Gifford since 2004, and watched its many changes over the years.  Many cats have come and gone, some, bittersweet, as I tend to fall in love with them but am so glad when they finally find a home.  The Gifford recently rebuilt it's main facility and added two outdoor enclosures for the cats to roam in, one just for feral (non-socialized) cats.  They also house a number of hard-to-adopt cats (FIV-positive, diabetic, behavioral issues, elderly, etc.) and take excellent care of them. 

   Tomorrow's event is a fund-raiser, and an opportunity for visitors to meet the cats, as well as eat some goodies, participate in family-friendly activities and peruse crafts for sale.  Hieropice will be vending there, and I'm excited to have the opportunity to support such a wonderful cause!  The event is 1 PM to 5 PM at 30 Undine Road in Brighton, right near Boston College.  Check out the event info on Facebook, and Gifford's promo on Youtube.  Hope to see you all there!

Last Day!

Today (Wednesday, the 29th) is the final day of Arts on the Arcade, in Government Center.  Stop by for some one-of-a-kind crafts, locally-grown produce, and excellent live music!  We'll be there, under our tent, 11 AM to 3 PM!

Arts on the Arcade, Tomorrow!

Arts on the Arcade is tomorrow, 11 AM to 3 PM, at City Hall Plaza, Boston.  Hope to see you all there!

Arts on the Arcade!

Hieropice is back in Boston!  And I'm excited for the art/craft/farmer's market/concert series sponsored by the City of Boston, Arts on the Arcade, beginning tomorrow!  Hieropice will be one of the juried art vendors, and I've got some pretty cool new items to debut. 
Arts on the Arcade will be every Wednesday, through August 29th (so Aug. 15th, 22nd, and 29th) from 11 AM to 3 PM, in City Hall Plaza/Government Center.  We'll be under the tent, and hope to see you there!
For more info on the event, check out the City's site here: http://www.cityofboston.gov/arts/visual/artmart.asp
Or, check out the Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/417390741650449/