(Indie)Pendent Business: Big Style for Little People!

Locally owned and operated website UrbanBabyRunway.com is expanding and bringing it's sense of style from the vast interwebs to the streets of Baltimore. Opening in Hampden Sept. 17th, Urban Baby is the brick and mortar children's store owned by Baltimore mama Cara Shrock. The website has been operating since 2006 shortly after Cara's son turned 1. She decided to open the webstore first as a way of starting a business and continue to stay at home with her child.
"I wasn't willing to sacrifice some of the parenting choices I would have had to in order to run a store." Since her son started school full time this fall she has had more time to dedicate to running and expanding the business.
"I figured it was now or never. Plus, I have really been itching to get out of the house. Working from home for the last 4 years and mothering in the spare time around that, I was starting to feel a bit isolated. My mind needed more stimulation and new challenges. And so far this has been quite a challenge!"

The lines and designers Urban Baby carries are all carefully chosen by Cara, many are local or were started by other stay at home mom's. The collections are definitely on the edgier side of fashion for kids and appeal to urban hip parents.
"I've tried to focus on small lines that aren't oversaturing the online market. I've gotten to know most of the companies I work with pretty well. Almost all of them are moms just like me so I like knowing my money (and my customers' money) is going to support another family."
Knuckleheads, one of Cara's favorite brands for boys, features fedora's for infants, skateboard inspired onesies, and button down shirts with a Rockabilly flavor.
"They are a bit bigger than most of the brands I carry but the quality is good, always stylish season after season and it's a reputable brand customers know. Having a strong, well known brand balances out the smaller lines. A brand like Knuckleheads draws in the customers which gives me an opportunity to introduce lines they may not have heard of otherwise."

Urban Baby is located 3608 Falls Road, Baltimore MD 21211.

Twenty Things- Dandelion Blu Jewelry

1. I am recovering wedding and event photographer. I owned my business for 5 "seasons," and it almost killed me.

2. Although I am professional photographer, I rarely have a camera on me, and when somebody says "we should get a picture of that" everybody turns to me expectantly...

3. I have several rescued animals, and lost dogs seem to find me everywhere. My dream is to one day have a sanctuary where packs of homeless dogs can run and be guaranteed a home for life.

4. On the topic of animals, my other dream is to one day have enough space for a goat, a pig, and free range chickens (not for eating.)

5. On the topic of chickens, I have seen a chicken "running around with it's head cut off." Growing up my dad made an incubator and thought it would be educational for us to see chicks hatch. Pretty soon we had a huge flock and well, some became dinner.

6. I love ketchup. I would put it on pretty much anything if it was socially acceptable. I consider french fries to be just a vehicle for the ketchup.

7. I am directly related to Edwin P. Hubbell, the scientist who discovered the "Big Bang Theory," and for whom the Hubble Space Telescope is named for. When it was launched, my family got to go to Florida to see it.

8. Halloween is my favorite "holiday." I eat up all those ghost story shows, and consider October the best month for t.v. watching.

9. I can't wait till my boy is old enough for trick or treating, I want to make his costumes- yeah I'll be "that" mom, and he's going to be "that kid in the homemade costume."

10. My Dad and I both think the house I grew up in was haunted. Also, every year my friend and I go on a ghost tour. We've exhausted all the ones in the area. I believe.

11. My guilty pleasure is watching "90210" re-runs on the Soap channel.

12. Speaking of "90210," when I was in college at UMBC I got a job at Planet Hollywood in the harbor. I was working at the opening and Luke Perry (aka Dylan McKay) was there. I was really disappointed in how short he was...

13. I do not sing in public. Ever. Not even Happy Birthday. I've been caught lip syncing it!

14. I never held a little baby till I had my own.

15. I am not a natural red head- gasp! I've been dyeing my hair so long I am not sure what color it is naturally.

16. My Grandmother is a professional clown named Petunia. She went to Klown Kollege and everything!

17. My Grandmother also used to have a champagne pink Cadillac and she used to have her hair dyed to match it.

18. I love to vacuum, my Dyson Animal is one of my favorite possessions. I also have a robotic vacuum that I named Rosie. I've been known to just start vacuuming at friends houses.

19. I actually really like my Mother in law.

20. Mango is my favorite flavor, gardenia is my favorite smell, baby sneezes are my favorite sound, fall is my favorite time of year, shades of blue/green are my favorite color, and near the ocean with my husband, baby and dogs, is my favorite place to be.

Would you like to be featured? Email your twenty things (keep it clean, please!) to baltimoreetsy (at) gmail (dot) com. Be sure to include your name and URL.

Handmade Mart!

Join BEST members Dandelion Blu, Tigerlilly Shop, Block Party Press, and Sugar Paperie this Sunday, May 31st, in Downtown Silver Spring for the first ever Handmade Mart! Come for Indie Crafts and Indie Rock, 10am-5pm on Ellsworth Drive between Fenton and Georgia Ave. We hope to see you there!


Dandelion Blu
Block Party Press


Tigerlilly Shop


Sugar Paperie

What I'm Working On Now

6 enamel on copper pendants for a bridal party. Fresh from the kiln! These still have finishing, polishing and then the sterling chains need to be made. To see more Dandelion Blu enamel work go to http://www.dandelionblu.etsy.com.

Classic Rocks! MICA Wearables at the Walters

Check out BEST's own DandelionBlu a.k.a. Sherry Insley at The Walters Art Museum! In a collaborative effort, students of Jewelry Design and Experimental Fashion created wearables inspired by the Walters Ancient Collection. The works, which premiered at the Art Blooms Jewelry Fair, will be featured at the reception in a documentary video, alongside select displays.


Chatelaine with Watch, 18th century from the collection of the museum

The pieces will be debuting in a runway show tonight during a private party for The Walters' members. There will also be a reception this Saturday morning. Work and a video of the event will be on display at the museum through Thanksgiving weekend, so if you get a chance, come check it out!

Classic Rocks! MICA Wearables at the Walters
Morning Reception with Video, Artifacts and Refreshments
Saturday Nov 22 2008 from 9:30 am to 10:30 am at The Walters Art Museum.

600 N. Charles St., Baltimore , MD 21201
Ancient Gallery Lobby, Second Level
Charles Street Entrance
Admission is Free!

WE SURVIVED BUMBERSHOOT 2008!!!

It was a loooong 3 days for the dandelion and this chickadee at the festival- full of non-stop bumber action. While we were in a much quieter area then the main Indie Market, it still was a constant flow of traffic. It was a change from the traditional craft dedicated venues we were used too, a lot more "lookey-loos," packs of teenagers roaming and roughly handling merchandise, and hoards of beer soaked Stone Temple Pilot fans milling around waiting for the next show. Despite the slower sales, and over stimulation, I did pretty well and managed to pay for my trip and my husband's, plus a little "walking around money" to spend in Seattle.


Our wares and display survived the cross-country shipping and cramming into suitcases. We survived the extra fees for over weight bags, the stress of waiting for our boxes to arrive in Seattle, and the "scavenger hunt" we had to go on to retrieve our canopy and shipment of goods. I do have to say that our display may have rivaled others- AND we dragged it from the East Coast!


The festival itself was awesome, an overload of music, art, performance, and handmade goods that overtook the entire Seattle City Center for three full days. The headlining acts included Beck, STP, and Death Cub for Cutie. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see any of the main stage performances, as you had to get into the line for passes very early on. But we did enjoy a water opera, and aerial performances by Australian based Strange Fruit.



As night fell each day we recreated our little home away from home as the festival ran till 9pm! Quite lovely no?


Will we do it again next year? That remains up in the air as we try to recuperate and get back to East coast time, but I can say I'll take any excuse to visit Seattle again!

Post written by DandelionBlu

1000 Jewelry Inspirations

Check out this new jewelry design book that just hit the shelves! 1000 Jewelry Inspirations by Sandra Salamony. And it is just that- inspiring.


With 1000 beautifully shot images of pieces ranging from traditional beading to mixed media design, there is something sure to please everyone. 2 BEST members, Block Party Press and Dandelion Blu, have work featured in the lovely pages alongside many recognizable pieces by Etsy sellers. While not a "how-to" book, it does have a small section with some basic tips and a supply directory. Pick it up for the amazing array of design and material, plus the nice styling and photos. You can get your copy on amazon here.



Enjoy!

Post written by dandelionblu

dandelionblu

I can remember painting seashells and selling them to neighbors on the side of the road. The best were shells that had holes in them so I could make necklaces. My Grandfather was a jeweler, I had a Great Grandmother who was an outstanding artisan wood carver, and my father is a landscape designer, so creativity is genetic it seems.

In undergrad I majored in photography and creative writing, but somehow always seemed to be making artist books and more sculptural objects. I started teaching black and white photography at UMCP while wrapping up my degree at UMBC. I taught at several different schools and art programs once I graduated, and then started my own business shooting weddings and events. That same year I took a job teaching photography at the high school level and got accepted into MICA's MFA program for photography and digital art. The following year I got engaged, bought a house that needed total renovation, continued with my teaching job, was shooting several events every weekend, and juggling grad school. Busy.


Between the teaching, my event photography business, and developing my thesis, I became very burnt out on photography. Once I completed my grad program, picking up a camera was the last thing I wanted to do. My thesis show involved steel frames I had fabricated and welded, and I became intrigued with metal working. I had always been interested in small scale sculptural jewelry, so not long after graduating from MICA, I returned to take some metalsmithing classes.


Fast forward 2 years and I am now enjoying working with enameling and metals. Color is very important to me, and as a photographer I worked with color extensively. I even painted my entire house specifically for my thesis body of work. I have since closed my event photography business, preferring to have my weekends back to work in the studio. I am currently still teaching photography and studio art full time. I started my etsy shop last year and am hoping to work towards being a full time working artist next year.


I mainly work with enamels and metals, but also have a line of jewelry with vintage beads. Today, I am living in my second house that is a total renovation in progress, with my graphic artist/musician/home renovator extraordinaire husband, and a menagerie of rescued animals. In my spare time I manage to squeeze in volunteering with Adopt A Boxer Rescue, and when I can, donating a portion of my etsy sales. Thanks for reading!

"The one absolutely unselfish friend that a human can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him and the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous... is his dog."

Post written by danelionblu