A Visit from Johnny Cupcakes

Artists, designers, foodies, & fashionistas: Johnny Cupcakes is coming.



Johnny Cupcakes represents everything I love about the indie & handmade world. After dropping out of college, he started selling awesome screenprinted tees out of the trunk of his beatup Camry. His shirts feature designs poking fun at pop culture icons, such as his signature skull and cupcakes logo. From the beginning, he chose quality over quantity. All of Johnny Cupcake's shirts are made, manufactured and printed in the USA. Today, his collection of limited edition clothing and accessories is sought after internationally.

Want to learn more about the man, the dream, and what cupcakes have to do with it? Come hear Johnny Cupcakes speak at this Monday, May 18, at West Potomac High School in Alexandria, VA.


Check out more awesomeness at JohnnyCupcakes.com!


Images courtesy Johnny Cupcakes & Crew.

Congratulations, Irina!

Congratulations to Irina of Gemini Belle Designs, who won my tickets to Sugarloaf Crafts Festival in blog giveaway last week! I hope she had a great time and lots of funnel cake.

I got to meet Irina when she picked up her tickets, and checked out her Etsy shop, Gemini Belle Designs. It's full of awesome. Seriously, I think I need this in my life.

Take Flight Mother of Pearl Pendant by Gemini Belle Designs

Call for Entries: Bike Helmet Design Competition

The Renaissance Youth Bike Shop (a project of The Engaged University at UMCP) is a youth-based, bike recycling shop and afterschool program. Pretty awesome, huh? Using the bicycle as a catalyst, they work to enhance the lives of young people through educational, recreational and entrepreneurial hands-on learning opportunities.

They've got a call to local artists to add their own "awesomesauce" to bike helmet design. Check out the details below.

A call to artists of all ages, backgrounds and descriptions to showcase your talents. Re-invent, Re-define and Re-brand the bike helmet to save lives. Design is the extra sizzle and awesomesauce that can change minds and shift actions. We are reaching out to others with ideas and imaginative design skills. Can you help to redefine bike helmets as an essential fashion statement?

To Submit: Contact Adam or Noma @ The Renaissance Youth Bike Shop to register, submit designs and receive special prototype helmet canvas.

Concept Designs due April 24st, 2009
Completed helmets due May 22nd, 2009

Award & Exhibition Opportunities: You could be eligible for a 25% creatorʼs commission on a custom line of helmets offered for sale at local shops. Selected entries will also be featured in Art-O-Matic 2009, on our University-linked website and in many other broadcast and print media.

Eligibility: Any resident of Washington, D.C. metro area, Maryland, Virginia

Judging criteria : Youth appeal, humor, and audacity rule. Vibrant colors, powerful letterforms and character renderings welcome. Creative pastiche, sampling o.k. Please, no copywrite or trademark violations. Collaborations encouraged. A fully realized, completed helmet is a necessary part of the final entry.

Jurors: Youth and staff at The Engaged University (http://www.engagedu.umd.edu)

Contact us!
Adam Schwartz, 301-405-3213, adamgs@umd.edu
Noma Mpofu, 301-405-2285, nmpofu@umd.edu

Indie Finds: Artomatic Veterens

Just in case you live outside of the DC area, or under a rock, Artomatic is returning.

Artomatic is (now) an annual month-long arts festival/exhibit/ball of wonder, and of course, it's all I can think about these days. I'm not alone. So many DC area visual artists visited Artomatic.org on the first day of registration that we nearly broke the site. I, along with 900 others, registered that first day, as soon as Artomatic.org was able to dust off the wreckage and stand again.

With over 1000 visual artists already registered and more than 1200 events expected, Artomatic 2009 promises to be the biggest and baddest yet. Be sure to check it out-- it opens May 29 and runs through July 5. In the meantime, check out these artists... They were part of last year's Artomatic awesomeness and I hope to see them back this year!

Work by Sean Hennessey at Artomatic 2008

People - Concrete and Glass Sculpture by Sean Hennessey
Available at scenicartisans.etsy.com


ktog Series by Rania Hassan at Artomatic 2008

ktog (knittng together) 17 by Rania Hassan
available at shoofly.etsy.com
Compton's PreEncyclopedia Vol. 15 T-U Book Purse by Rebound Designs

A-Z Book Purses by Rebound Designs at Artomatic 2008

FREE Tickets: Sugarloaf Crafts Festival

I'm so looking forward to a weekend of sunny, 60 degree weather. It's perfect weather for checking out the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival!

Best of all, I'm giving away free tickets!

Sugarloaf is a huge juried fine art and crafts festival, with events along the East Coast from Virginia to Connecticut. This coming weekend, April 3, 4, 5 -- the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival will be held in Gaithersburg, Maryland at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. This fun venue offers a great mix of indoor and outdoor areas for more than 300 fine artists and craft designers to display their beautiful work.

Expect amazing craft demos, and a wide selection of fine art and handmade goods, including original paintings and photography, functional crafts, designer clothing, jewelry. leather goods, and more. The young ones (ages 3-11) are invited to don costumes and join in the fun as actors in the Middle Earth Theatre. Outdoor stands will be serving fresh foods prepared on site, including pit beef, grilled chicken in a pita, turkey legs, vegetarian foods, Vietnamese foods, falafel, funnel cakes and éclairs. Yum, yum.

To enter for free tickets, simply comment on this blog post.

• Winner(s) will be chosen randomly from all entries Friday morning, April 3, and may receive 1-2 tickets each.
  
• Each ticket is good for all 3 days-- April 3, 4, & 5.
  
• Your comment is good for 1 (one) entry.
  
• Be sure to include an e-mail address or some way for me to contact you.
• Want additional entries? Visit MeristemStudio.etsy.com, and mention your favorite item from my etsy shop in your comment. Include the link to that item, and you'll get 2 additional entries!

Happy Festival-ing!

Now Showing...

Whew.

Taxes are done, I'm all caught up in my classes, and I'm ready to go out! I missed the openings, but I'm looking forward to checking out these two exhibits this week.

I lovelovelove Billy Colbert's mixed media prints, and am pretty excited about his new show, "Love is a Losing Game" at Longview Gallery. Love and Helmets, huh?


I recently discovered the beautiful work of photographer Pamela Viola. Luckily, she's exhibiting right now at the Torpedo Factory's Art League Gallery in Alexandra, VA, and at Lustine Center Gallery in the Hyattsville, MD. I'm not sure yet which works are featured in which show, but I'm looking forward to seeing them in person. From her travel photography to her botanicals, each piece has a dreamy, ethereal quality.

Above: Photography by Pamela Viola

March is for Taxes & Tarea

... and rain, apparently. But at least I'm not using up all my sunny days working on taxes and Spanish homework.

I have senioritis like idunnowhut.

It is taking all I have to get up and go to class, when I'd rather be getting stuff ready for Artomatic, throwing clay, or even working on my website. But I'm caffeinated and I'm focusing. And once these taxes and este examen espanol are done, I'll have some more exciting things to talk about.

See you tomorrow!
Monique

PS... This is new in my Etsy shop... I have Spring on the brain...

First Green: Original ACEO Painting available at MeristemStudio.etsy.com