On the Road - Smith Street Funday Sunday

Once a year Smith Street comes alive with eight blocks-worth of handmade wares, unique merchandise, street food, and live music during Smith Street Funday Sunday. Twitch and Whiskers was thrilled to be a part of this street fair for the third year in a row. 

Smith Street Sunday Funday 2013

Bustlin' BOCOCA

I was a lucky duck to be next to the clever Courtney Church of Periodically Inspired. This Rhode Island native treats the periodic table like her personal Scrabble board and turns out geek-chic clothing and housewares with sly phrases using letters from each element. At the show, her "Baby Genius" onesies were big crowd-pleasers with the new parents and folks looking for the perfect, unique baby gift. My favorite Periodically Inspired items were the "Talk Nerdy to Me" pint glasses and t-shirts. Speaking of t-shirts, here's some very exciting news: Periodically Inspired t-shirts are now offered on the Big Bang Theory Web Store! How's that for the ultimate geek stamp of approval? Visit Periodically Inspired's website, Etsy shop, and Facebook page to see Courtney's fabulous wares and events calendar.

Courtney Church of Periodically Inspired

Oh baby, you're lookin' smart.

I'll drink to that!

I love it when life puts new and interesting people in your path. Midway through the day, a creative gal named Suzanne Bagdade visited my booth. She was really interested in my jewelry and the materials I used to make them. Suzanne also makes handmade wares and has a shop on Smith Street just a few steps away. I dashed over and the moment I stepped into Refinery, I was absolutely enamored with the place. Suzanne started creating durable and artful handmade bags in 1997. This evolved into her shop on Smith Street, which now carries her line of gorgeous bags and pillows, work from local artists, fabulous footwear, and treasures from around the world. On August 1st, Suzanne will be opening a second Refinery shop in Northampton, MA at Thornes Marketplace. And guess which jewelry she'll be carrying...Twitch and Whiskers! Suzanne left with a bunch of necklaces for her new shop and I took home an adorable reused wire ring and happy red Salt Water sandals from her shop. How's that for a win-win situation? Visit Refinery online and swing by one of their two shops for an unforgettable shopping experience.

Ava and Suzanne of Refinery in Brooklyn

Suzanne's

Reused wire rings

Recently, my dime store dreams came true when I acquired a whole fleet of vintage tin cars. After much tinkering and experimenting, I created eight new colorful necklaces. I was excited to debut the new pieces on Smith Street.

Pride Ride - tin car necklace

fun tin car necklaces

I got not one, not one, not two, not three, but four surprise visitors 'neath my tent on Sunday. My friend Mary (who interned/student taught at my school) swung by with the adorable Sean - a boy she nannies. He's moving with his family back to France very soon so they picked out a special celebratory gift for his mom. Sean chose a pretty pink locket necklace made out of a vintage Photo Finish rouge compact. Word on the street was that the gift was a big hit! Local CT legend Wendy (yes, THE Wendy of Molten Java) came by with Lauren to brighten up my day. They had the brilliant suggestion of installing a disco ball in my tent. Break out the mirrors!

Mary and Sean find the perfect gift.

rouge lockets

Wendy and Lauren - oh the cuteness!

The "Fun 'n' Games" rings made from wooden nickels and vintage game pieces were a big hit on Smith Street. Customers walked away with pawns, dice, and tiny plastic houses on their fingers.

Fun 'n' Games rings

Three little houses = one cute look!

By the end of the show, a fun variety of necklaces went home with folks including some tin car necklaces and vintage pinback button necklaces.

Taxi! She's ready to stop traffic.

Lookin' pretty in a vintage pinback button necklace with bead chain.

I had a wonderful time at Smith Street Sunday Funday and thank everyone who came out to show their support.

Here is where you can find me this summer:

July 13, July 27, August 3 - Greenway Open Market - Boston, MA
August 24 - Picnic Music and Arts Festival - Portland, ME 

Swing by a show, visit my Etsy shop, and like Twitch and Whiskers on Facebook for updates.

On the Road - Smith Street Sunday Funday

For the second year in a row, I was Carroll Gardens bound for the Smith Street Sunday Funday. Grace Napoleon of Folk Couture and I traveled in together. We both had been very busy making new items for the fair and were excited to be out and about on a sunny Sunday. This 8 block long event always has a great combination of handmade items, import items, live music, and even a cheese eating competition from Stinky's Bklyn.  One of the benefits of doing this show is indulging in local food. I started the day noshing on a scrumptious almond croissant from Provence en Boite and enjoyed a delicious plate of tikka masala and rice from Bombay Dream for lunch. It was a yummy funday indeed!

Smith Street Sunday Funday

Candy Colored Clown - Twitch and Whiskers

Folk Couture is Pure Genius!

tikka masala magic from Bombay Dream

One of my favorite go-to accessories is a patterned head wrap with vintage-inspired black, maroon, and tan flowers. Every time I wear it, I feel like I have instant good hair day. I bought it last year at the Brooklyn Flea from Chika Michieli of Mercato Style. As soon as I found out she was at Smith Street, I made a bee line to her booth. I was so excited to see her head wraps in spring/summer colors and new patterns. She also offers adorable onesies with appliqued flowers and bunnies with pom pom tails. Chika's mix of colors, fanciful prints, and easy-wear designs make her pieces a must have. I left with a pretty purple and green floral head wrap for the summer ahead. Visit her website to get one for yourself!

Mercato Style

head wraps galore

for somebunny cute in your life

It's always great to have a fun neighbor at a street fair. I had the pleasure of meeting Linda of the cleverly named A Tee Grows in Brooklyn. I was instantly drawn to her shirts with brownstones, stoops, cornices, and doorways. It was no surprise when I found out that she has a  background in architecture. Iconic Brooklyn images like the Cyclone and the Brooklyn Bridge grace her high quality tees and make the perfect gifts for the Brooklyn-phile in your life. I picked up a brownstone t-shirt for Thom and he looks amazing in his new gray T! Check out A Tee Grows in Brookln's website to see their whole line of men's and women's shirts.

Linda of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Brooklyn beauties

Thom's new brownstone shirt (center)

I went on a making spree recently, inspired by my new favorite material: vintage advertising pinback buttons. Their bright litho colors, kitschy logos, and iconic imagery look striking when paired up with Bakelite buckles, brass stampings, and rhinestones. At the end of the school year, one of my teacher friends passed to me an old chessboard and it worked as a great new backdrop for these pieces. A fun variety of pinback button necklaces, one-of-a-kind necklaces, rouge compact lockets, brooch necklaces, Thimblism necklaces, and game piece rings went home with Carroll Garden cuties.

vintage pinback button necklaces - many went off to happy homes

looking magnetic Tail Bait

mom in bunny Thimblism

daughter in dice Thimblism necklace - It's a family affair!

The Bee's Knees rouge compact locket - robin's egg radiant

Garland of Eden - vintage brooch necklace

I will be putting new pieces in my Etsy shop in the weeks to come. Keep your eyeballs peeled! My next show is the Greenway Open Market in Boston on July 7th. In the meantime, like Twitch and Whiskers on FB to see new pieces and to find out about promos. Hope to see you out and about!

On the Road - Smith Street Sunday Funday in Brooklyn

Last Thursday, I said goodbye to my second grade students for the summer, did a quick celebration dance, and promptly got into craft show mode. Being my first summer of doing outdoor shows, I have been prepping for the past few weeks. I got a new tent, weights, and all the doodads that go along with braving the great outdoors. Thom made me an amazing new spinning jewelry display out of an upcycled metal lampshade and patio umbrella base. He also created a lazy susan-type base for my favorite topiary display so my thimblism necklaces could really whoosh around like carnival swings. I couldn't wait to try my new set up at the Smith Street Sunday Fun Day Event.

new display

Grace Napoleon of Folk Couture and I miraculously squeezed both of our set ups into her car. We had a smooth ride into Caroll Gardens and pulled up to a fabulous neighborhood filled with interesting shops and tempting restaurants. Eight blocks of Smith Street were sectioned off for the event and there was a nice mix of handmade wares, import items, and food. Just a block away from us was a stage that hosted a great variety of music for the day and the stinky cheese eating contest. 

one car - two full set ups - pretty impressive if you ask me!

welcome to Grace's place

We were lucky to be surrounded by other great vendors. To our right was Avian and John of My Little India. You couldn't miss their colorful display of handmade pillows with bold colors, patterned recycled plastic area rugs, and tables made from upcycled wood and pipes. I would buy "one of each" from their shop if I had my way. On top of having amazing wares, they have to be the nicest couple around. They are well-loved regulars at the Brooklyn Flea. If you're ever there, make sure to check them out. I dare you NOT to leave with something from their shop!

dynamic duo

color abounds

I couldn't have been happier to be set up next to Heather of Bright Lights Little City. I had seen her clever cocktail umbrella lamps all over the internet and it was great to finally meet the artist behind the design. I enjoyed poking through all her stuff. She makes a great variety of limited edition jewelry and accessories from vintage items. Her nightlights made out of antique glass slides flew off the shelf, and I adored her headbands embellished with vintage cloth and plastic flowers. Heather had a bowl filled the the cutest tiny origami stars. Once she gave me a quick tutorial on how to make them, I had to go home with one of her star kits. Something tells me there soon will be tiny stars all over my apartment! 

Heather's treasures

oh my stars!

I enjoyed watching people "ooh and ahh" at Grace's creations all day. Many lucky ladies went home with her dresses and tunics, but one in particular literally stopped foot traffic at the fair. Sometimes the right outfit finds the right person and this was a perfect example of that. There was this one woman who tried on Grace's "Wild Thing" dress and once she stepped out of the dressing room, people stopped on the street and said she just had to take it home. Every time this attractive gal emerged from the dressing room with a different dress, the same thing would happen. She got so many compliments, she kept jokingly asking if the compliments were coming from one of Grace's sisters at the fair. Grace doesn't have any sisters...just lots of fashion panache!

wild and wonderful

great from the front and the back

Several of my "hot off the press" pieces went home with happy customers. Two of my favorites were the "Shady Lady", featuring a cameo framed by a perfectly patina-ed escutcheon, and "Steeplechase" a bold and brassy horse hurdling a protractor. The crowd really seemed to enjoy and appreciate vintage-inspired designs. I had some great conversations with people about their vintage collections at home. Meeting these folks is one of my favorite things about doing shows.

Sunday shoppers

Shady Lady

Steeplechase

After a busy day on Smith Street, Grace and I moseyed on over to Chestnut for dinner. The restaurant had an inviting interior with warm wooden tones and a relaxed but refined atmosphere. We sat down to some lovely rosemary focaccia and a bowl of pickles that perked us up after a long day outside. A tall, beautiful woman walked by with her kids and I instantly remembered her from the street fair. She came over to say hi and it turned out that she was the owner of Chestnut. Her name was Susan and her warm and welcoming personality definitely spilled over into her restaurant. Grace ordered a delectable bowl of house-made cavatelli with goat cheese and sausage morsels. I got a lovely, perfectly-cooked chicken breast with spicy Toulouse sausage stuffing and asparagus. The clean presentation, perfectly-sized portions, and clean flavors were a such a treat and a refreshing way to end the day. 

Chestnut  - 271 Smith St. (between Sackett and Degraw)

delish!

Grace and I hopped in the car and noshed on a few delicious French pastries from Provence en Boite while on the road. With a sigh and a smile, we headed back to Connecticut with a fun day behind us.