Now that my shop is open for business I have been trying to find ways to broaden my horizon further than my Name Banners. Along with getting more customers into my store I have been trying to find ways that I can use those small scraps of fabric that I can’t get myself to throw away. Well I think I have succeeded. I have begun making “Drink Skirts“.  I am totally digging them and psyched that I found a way to use those “useless” pieces of fabric.

I made a stencil and then cut out the shape with some colorful fabric. I used some leftover canvas I had and then used some nice fabric glue and ironed them together. To finish them off, I just picked some colorful thread and ran it through the sewing machine with a zigzag stitch so they wouldn’t fray.

I loved how they turned out and I decided to package them in a clear plastic case. They measure in 3″ in diameter and fit perfectly as a group of 6. Each package holds six different patterns/colors so when you use them at a party people won’t get there drinks mixed up. Let me tell you, I have picked up many of drinks that haven’t been mine and it was both a good idea and bad. The best part about these is that they are washable. I priced them at $13.00 for 6 but that might change.

They are available in my store that you can find them right here on my website. To buy the Drink Skirts just click here. They are under the category “Fabric Goodies” if you are browsing the store.

The Drink Skirts are not the only product under Fabric Goodies. You can also fine my Fabric Gift Tags that I also decided to make out of scrap fabric around my studio. I also had some nice printmaking paper scraps that I couldn’t throw away so I decided to put them together. I already had my Notebook Gift Tags which I love but I thought these would be a great new addition to Fabric Goodies.

Like my Drink Skirts, I took my scrap fabric and cut it to fit the small pieces of scrap paper I already had. I sewed them together then added a piece of nice string so they could be tied on to most packages and gifts. I left the paper blank so you could write on them for any occasion. When I first made these I thought this would be great for Christmas time when you wanted to add a little something special to the package. But the more I make I think they would be great for every occasion. They also look great on a wine bottle. I have used them to label drinks and food for a party. These are very versatile and a great way to make a gift really special and unique.

The Fabric Gift Tags come in packs of 8 and they vary in size and color. Because I am using both scrap fabric and paper, there will be a good mix. They will come in a clear box with strings attached. They will cost $7.00 a package.

I hope you like the new products and please stop by my store and take a look around. Please keep stopping by my blog too because I hope to start blogging more regularly since I am coming up with more products. As always feedback is welcomed.

Thanks for stopping by!

When you go to my home page at uniqueannick.com you will see a button that says “Visit my store“. Click on that button and it will take you right to the store or type in shop.uniquannick.com. You can pay using a major credit card or paypal and it is all secure and easy.

Right now you will find fabric thank you/ blank cards, fabric banners, scrap fabric banners, wall letter art and my custom name banners. They all can be ordered directly through my website. You can also buy some artwork through my website as well. I only have a handful of pieces up but they are for sale and I will continue to add more.

So please take a look at my website and please give some feedback. This is all new for me and a work in progress but I got two amazing people that helped me set it up and make sure it was up and running. Thank you Keith and Nic!!! I still have to put my notebook gift tags on there but keep on eye out and please keep checking back because I am always developing new products.

Thanks for stopping by!

So what do you think? Notebook gift tags are here. I am really digging these. I had a lot of scrap paper around and I wanted to do something with it. The artist/hoarder in me said “don’t throw it away, you might need it someday!” Well, here is what I did with the scrap paper. The paper is really nice too. It is leftover printing paper so it is nice and sturdy and it great for writing on.

Each gift tag measures 2″x4″ and I sew the lines in to them one by one. Then I punched a hole in the corner and added some twine so you can tie them on a present, wine bottle or really any special gift to a special someone. I also thought they would be good for labeling in general. I would personally use them to label drinks or food at a party so people would know what they were consuming. What would you use them for?

There is 6 in a pack and they come in a cute little brown envelope at $3 a pack.

More pics below.

Like always these will be available on my website once it is up and running and I will have these at the Trenton Avenue Arts Festival this Saturday, May 21, 2011 from 12-5pm. Look for my booth and come visit. Keep checking back here on my blog too because I will be featuring and announcing new products everyday this week to get you all ready for the festival so come back and visit.

Cheers.

I took lined paper (5×7″) and sewed a piece of scrap fabric on the back and there they were. They are packaged folded, with kraft paper envelopes. In each package there are 6 and I am selling them  for $16. I chose this price because of how unique they are and each pack will be different. I am using scrap fabric (a.k.a what ever I have in my fabric scrap bin) and sewing it on the back. They are a little time consuming but totally worth it.  Below are some pictures.

I think these are great because they are blank and can be used for anything. They are great for a birthday card (especially since you forgot) because they have a little “something, something” to them and seem thoughtful. These cards can be used as a “thank you” card, “get ready cause we’re pregnant again”, “get well”, or “I’m thinking of you” card. I hope you all like them as much as I do so let me know your thoughts.

I will be selling these at Trenton Avenue Arts Festival on May 21 so if you would like a pack come buy one then. You can order them right now by emailing me but soon they will be available in my store. That should be up and running soon as well. My goal is to have that up before TAAF so I will keep you posted.

Hello all! I am here to introduce my latest product. I have decided to add another product to go with my fabric name banners. Above is a picture of my “fabric letter wall art”.

I decided that my site and inventory needed a product that was quicker, cheaper, fun, different and easier to make. I love doing the fabric name banners but since they are made to order they take longer to make so I wanted something available for people to buy as is. So that being said, I have created a new piece for wall decor. I think they are a great way to label a kid’s door or add color to their bedroom. I also see these as just an interesting and unique wall decor for any room.

How are these made? I take stretcher bars and stretch a piece of sturdy fabric over the bars and staple it. Then I sew a letter on a colored or patterned piece of fabric, iron, then stretch that over the bars and first piece of fabric. I do the first piece of fabric because the cotton fabric I use for the background color is too thin and can be a bit transparent. I wanted to add a little substance to the piece. I then add some hardware used to hang it. It is quick and easy for me to do and fun!

Here are the details. I will have two sizes available. The sizes are either 11×12″ or 8×10″. The smaller size is 18$ and the larger size is $22 and does not include shipping and handling. There will be hardware on the back so it is ready to be hung. I am not sure if I will give the option of choosing colors but that is still in the thought process. I am thinking of making a few and having them for sale and hopefully someone will buy them as is and I can also have the choice of the customer letting me know the colors they would like and I would go from there. I could even have the option of a patterned background or solid background available as well. Below are some more examples.

So far I have made three pieces. The letters “m”, “c”, and “a”. I am working on many more now and they range in colors and letters. My “store” on my website is still not quite there but soon you will be able to order Fabric Name Banners and the Fabric Letter Wall Art. I hope you like the latest product and I would love some feedback from you all.

Would you buy one as a gift or for you own child’s bedroom? Do you think this is a good product? Should I have the option of colors or just make them?

I’ll let you all know when they will be available to buy through the website. For now, you can email me or message me on facebook if you want one.

Thanks for visiting and pass the word on and look for me at the 6th Annual Trenton Avenue Arts Festival. I will do a post about that later in the week.

Hello again! Since the last post I have been working on many different banners. I have gotten 6 orders and I’m loving every minute of it! It is still slow going but I continue to hope that this business will just keep growing. To help it along I am starting to develop some smaller, quicker items that people can buy that are not “to order”. I will be putting them up on my website soon so stay tuned for that. I will say they are also for babies/kids. One product is for decor and the other a toy, both made from fabric.

I am also asking all of you that have ordered a banner and received if you could give me some feedback. I want to continue to make a great product and I feel as though there is always room to grow and get better, so any feedback would be great. Also, if you have given it as a gift, did they like it? Are they going to hang it up? Would they recommend it to someone else or buy it as a gift for another person? If you have hung it up could you send pictures too? That would be much appreciated.

Getting some feedback is a great way for me to make my business better. Along with customer comments, I have also been learning a lot on how to make this business more efficient by creating multiple banners over and over. I have learned that I have to keep certain things stocked up. This might seem obvious but I didn’t know how much material each banner would need. But I think I figure it out and I have to order specific things by the bulk and others not so much. After this weekend I will be rocking and rolling and hopefully getting more orders. If you are thinking about ordering or you know someone that is looking for a gift idea for a kid’s party or shower; below are some more examples of what I have been making.

Thanks for stopping by! So if you are interested in a banner you can either email me at marie@uniquannick.com or if you are on facebook you can message me and become my friend.  On facebook you will also find more pictures of banners and my progress on my Unique Annick page, so check that out. Please tell your friends and people you think that would be interested in buying a banner. Thanks everyone! Stay tuned for more updates, pictures, changes to the website and the ability to order/buy a banner through the website.

Cheers!

It all started when I wanted to make something for Annick’s first birthday party. So I decided to make a banner with just her name on it. I didn’t want to do “Happy Birthday” or “congrats” because I wanted it to be used for decorating her room. I didn’t want to limit the use of the banner. I like to sew and I had some really cool fabric around so I went at it. Along with her name I added a bear silhouette on either side because her middle name is Kuma which means “bear” in Japanese. There is a story behind this but I will tell some other time. Below are some pictures.

I have gotten quite a few orders since announced on Facebook that I would be selling these. I began a page on Facebook called Unique Annick.  I started posting pictures of the banners I make and have gotten 4 or 5 orders since then (friends of course) but still they are orders. I’m hoping that once I get everything set up here on my website that I will get more orders and really get this thing going.

I love what I am doing and would love to see it grow and become a business. Making these name banners allows me to be creative and gets this “antsy” feeling out of me. Creating artwork is just not suitable for me right now so I thought this would be a good way to “make art” and make some money at the same time. My goal is to make my website here a place where people can order and buy the Fabric Name Banners. It is in the works and I hope to have it all set up, ready to go by tomorrow morning. Of course, my wonderful husband Nic is helping me do this.  For now, people can email me or message me on Facebook to put in an order.

So here are the details about the Banners. Each Fabric Name Banner is $35 for the base cost. That includes up to 7 letters. There will be about 12″-18″ on each side for hanging and 1″ separation between each letter. There will be 3″ separation between animals/character silhouette and also words. If you have a name over 7 letters, it will be an additional $4 per letter. If you would like silhouette (like the bear seen above), it an additional $5 per panel. Each banner comes with it’s own handmade mesh drawstring bag with a little brown envelope and piece of blank card stock. This can be used for gift wrapping or just to store. Shipping and handling is an additional $4.95 through priority mail. People can pay me through Paypal or send me a check.

If you have any questions, please let me know and I would love some feedback so let me know what you think. Below are some more examples of name banners!

Thanks for visiting!

Hello all! Just a quick reminder that the closing for my show at Proximity Gallery is tomorrow. Not only is it a closing show but a Holiday Party too!

Everyone loves Holiday parties. I think this one is especially fun because a.) there is art and beautiful jewelry to look at b.) alcoholic beverages like mulled wine and beer c.) a chance to buy last minute gifts that are one of a kind/original and finally d.) good conversation with interesting people including myself!

So here is the deal. December 18, 2010 (tomorrow/Saturday) from 6-9pm at Proximity Gallery. The address is:

2434 East Dauphin Street

Philadelphia, PA 19125

Bring your wallets because there will be plenty that you can buy for last minute gifts (Christmas is only 8 days away!). Gifts include artwork and jewelry of course.  Cards and milk bottle prints will also be available so if you are a fan of Kensington/Fishtown area or know someone that is, a print would make a great gift. Colors include red, black, gray and green. They are limited edition. There are only 25 prints of each color and there will only be a few prints of each at Proximity. See below for image. They are only $25 too so get one.

I hope to see you all there. Swing by, have a drink, chat and enjoy the art and jewelry.  If I don’t see you, have a great Holiday and New Year. Cheers!

Anyway, I wanted to post some pictures from the opening show. I realized though that the only pictures I have are of the artwork, jewelry and babies…oops. By the time people started rolling in I got too distracted and stopped taking pictures. But you can at least see what was in the show. Of course Janine DeCresenzo’s work was beautiful and my artwork I think went great with it. Let me know what you think.

Thanks for sticking with me. I hope you enjoyed the pictures. There was a lot of jewelry that isn’t shown so please stop by Proximity Gallery on the 18th or during the week to take a look at the show. Remember if you still have gifts to buy for this Holiday Season then come to the 18th because there will be cards, milk bottle prints, artwork, and jewelry to buy for every person on your list. There will also be hot spiced wine….just sayin.

Again a big thank you to those of you that stopped by and said hello. I hope to see you again at the closing. Tell your friends!

I have to say I live in a great neighborhood. I live in a neighborhood and building where my neighbors are fantastic, the landscape is changing for the better and most importantly art is thriving. There have been many galleries that have been springing up here in Fishtown/East Kensington area. One of those galleries is Proximity where I will be having my show tomorrow night (more information here). Especially along Frankford Avenue, galleries have really made themselves known.

Part Time Studios is one of my favorites because of the fact that they have space for artists to work and show their work. You can get more information about them here. I love what they’re doing and they are a great example of how to run a gallery. They also show that being an artist is more than making art. More on that topic another time.

Frankford Avenue has really begun to grow. That being said I do think there is still a lot to be done. More commercial space would be great and a grocery store would be even better (still love our corner stores but there needs to be more options) and empty lots need to be turned into more than a park. Parks are great but we have plenty of those, we need shops and stores to continue to bring people to the area. People won’t come if there are just single family homes and parks.

The NKCDC is a major reason for some of the success the arts have had in the area. They have gotten the sidewalks re-done, which is awesome for me because I walk a lot with my daughter in a stroller and let me tell you, you don’t notice bad sidewalks until you have a baby. The NKCDC also got I-beams put up to show the Frankford Avenue Arts Walk with a “F” and an “A” on either side. Great idea but I’m gonna be honest, not a huge fan of the look. Something else could have been done. But things are happening and this area has become a destination for art enthusiasts, art lovers and artists.Great work is being shown at these galleries and to be honest I would rather go to the galleries in this area then in Old City. If you want more information on galleries, shops and other businesses in the area check out the website of the NKCDC and the Frankford Avenue Arts website.

If you haven’t been to the area before, tomorrow night, December 3, 2010 would be a perfect time to check out the neighborhood. Not only will I be showing but it is “First Friday” and Holiday Walk in Fishtown. There are a lot of places participating and there are discounts, refreshments, music and artwork to see. Click here for more information. You can find a list of participating businesses and where they are. There is even a great map that can show where everything is. So if you have nothing to do tomorrow night, come to my neighborhood–Fishtown/East Kensington and specifically Frankford Avenue. You won’t be disappointed. Oh yeah, bring your Christmas list too, you might be able to check some things off your list.

Cheers and I hope to see you at my opening tomorrow.