1. How did The Cosmic Fun Palace start?
I suppose it really started a few years ago, when my niece Miss V and I took a jewelry-making class together. After the class I began looking at all sorts of beads, charms and other small items in a new light, considering their potential to become earrings. Around the same time we had a lot of little plastic toys hanging around the house, and I got the idea to make some of those into earrings. Miss V loved them. So did a lot of other people on Etsy.
2. What type of things do you make?
Just what our slogan says: fun and funky accessories for the discriminating geek. We make earrings, pins, tie tacks, cufflinks and necklaces with a geeky/pop culture vibe. We prefer to make jewelry that’s fun, the kind that makes people smile when they catch sight of it. I also make handmade greeting cards, mostly from found art and origami models.
3. What is your inspiration?
Geeks! Geeks are awesome. They’re unabashedly passionate and enthusiastic about the things they love and want to share that passion with others. They’re smart, they have a great sense of humor and they don’t take themselves too seriously. Plus, they run the world.
4. Where can we find your stuff (other than at our market)?
Oh, SO glad you asked. http://cosmicfunpalace.etsy.com is our presence on the Web. And, of course, if you happen to find your way to our workshop — that free-floating techno-magical bubble hovering over the Puget Sound — you’re welcome to buy direct from the source.
5. What are your social media properties and where can we find them?
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/The-Cosmic-Fun-Palace/79578900287
Twitter: twitter.com/cosmicfunpalace
Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/cosmicfunpalace
I, Soozcat, also run a personal blog called Confessions of a Laundry Faerie where I sometimes display sneak previews of new items for sale.
6. Any other question you can think of that people might want to know about?
Q: Is there an ATM close to Occidental Park?
A: Why yes, yes there is! If you are smitten with our stuff and must have it for your very own, you might want to stop by the ATM first, as we aren’t yet set up to accept credit cards in person (if you just gotta use the plastic, we happily accept credit card payments through PayPal on Etsy).
1. How did Ugly Baby start?
One day I was bored while taking a shower and when I came out I mentioned to Doug that there should be art that you can look at while you’re taking a shower. Doug likes to solve mysteries and his wife’s problems, so he figured out how to make art pieces our of rubber with suction cups on the back. And they lived happily ever after.
2. What type of things do you make?
We make Shower Art – waterproof art that you can hang in the shower with a suction cup. Or anywhere else. We’re no dictators.
3. What is your inspiration?
We encase weird, small toys in rubber and write sarcastic things in them. Sometimes we are inspired by the toy and sometimes we have a phrase in mind and find a toy that fits with it. In short: Our inspiration pretty much always comes from mocking something.
4. Where can we find your stuff (other than at our market)?
In our Etsy shop: http:/www.uglybaby.etsy.com — and in our studio in the OK Hotel every First Thursday. We also sell at Caffe Lieto on 1st and Stewart downtown.
5. What are your social media properties and where can we find them?
How much time do you have?
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/showerart
Etsy: http://www.uglybaby.etsy.com
Twitter: @ugly_sauce
Okay, well, I guess that didn’t take long at all.
6. Any other question you can think of that people might want to know about.
Shower Art FAQ:
Q: Is Shower Art soap?
A: Nope (that rhymes)
Q: How come you guys are so funny?
A: We’re both stand up comedians.
Q: How many of these can I buy?
A: All of them.
1. How did Marilyn’s Nut Butters start?
I realized after eating peanut butter on toast all my life that peanut butter just didn’t agree with me. After trying other nut butters, I just didn’t find anything with much flavor. I started roasting nuts and combining them, adding spices, and making them into nut butters – and they were great! I created recipes for all different kinds of dishes using my nut butters. People who ate them encouraged me, so I started Marilyn’s Nut Butters in September of 2008.
2. What type of things do you make?
A few of my varieties include: Cinnamon Walnut Pecan (tastes like a cinnamon roll), Pistachio Hazelnut with Cumin and Black Pepper (it goes great with veggies, melons, stirred into rice or other grain dishes), and the newest one, Chipotle Chocolate Pecan (use it like a molé, or add it to vanilla ice cream).
3. What is your inspiration?
My mission is to provide organic, delicious food that people can enjoy in many ways – and to contribute products or part of my profits to shelters for homeless women and children
4. Where can we find your stuff (other than at our market)?
Farmers markets in the Seattle area (varies by season), Savour in Ballard, Picnic in Greenwood, Seattle and Bellevue Whole Foods Markets.
5. Any other question you can think of that people might want to know about.
My products are organic, vegan, and gluten-free. Tree nuts contain good fats – omega 3 fatty acids, plus many other nutrients, depending on the nut type. They are a great way to get protein and add flavor to your diet.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marilyns-Nut-Butters/193865850343
The Facebook Photo Booth has been such a fun part of the market — I have a blast looking for new outfits and it just gets better when I get to see the results. If you haven’t seen it on our Facebook page, here is the photo of the July 24th photo booth winner:
Congrats you guys! You won some fun prizes from the Klondike Gold Rush Museum, including your own gold panning kit, gold rush scrabble and some real gold.
I’ve just uploaded last week’s photos from the Facebook photo booth and I just crack up when I scroll through them. Don’t forget to tag your picture for a chance to win a $50 chocolate gift basket from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory!
Here are a few of my favorites:
Tracy is a new stay at home mom who has discovered that you can make pretty much anything from cut up wool sweaters. Happy to have time at home to take care of her teenagers, she has a newfound freedom from the daily grind that has afforded her the opportunity to take her love of crafting to the next level.
If you’re wondering what exactly you can make out of wool sweaters that are cut up and resewn, check it out:
Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/wooltastic
Twitter: http://twitter.com/wooltastic
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wooltastic/356132052126
Tezome means hand dye in Japanese — and at this Saturday’s market, here are the type of things you will find at her shop:
1) handmade jewelry with stones and shells (love!)
2) handmade cards with wood block print
3) obi (kimono belt) accessories
4) ready to mail gift package with hand dyed cotton bandana, greeting card & envelope
5) baby bibs with hand dyed cotton fabric
Website: www.mytezome.com
1. How did Shamila start?
Started purely as a hobby, it became my creative anchor between moving to Seattle, starting a new life here and within a year losing my job after 9/11. Designing kept me flowing through these milestones in my life. When externally major changes were occurring, internally I was honing my skills as a designer.
8 years later, I am running a solo atelier based out of my work/live loft in Fremont. I studied cultural anthropology and had a career in project management at various non-profits and therefore am completely self-taught but have a keen and a magpie trained eye for exquisite stones. A couple years ago after having journeyed internally I decided to leave my job and focus on designing beautiful jewels full-time. My decision coincided with the Great Depression of 2008 but that was not going to make me change my mind and the rest is history.
2. What type of things do you make?
I design a bespoke collection of jewels incorporating rare and sometimes never-before-seen gemstones in their most stunning qualities set in very thoughtful and inspirational settings with a distinct dash of global flair. In designing very limited edition jewels, I allot a lot of personality to making them very simple, elegant and timeless pieces of adornment. My collection is known for the usage of very high and gem grade quality of semi-precious and precious stones, with Labradorite (the stone of new beginnings – being the signature stone of my collection.
Lately I have been designing Cocktail Engagement Rings – these are rings with lots of heft and a bounty of elegance all rolled into one smashing piece of jewelry. The band is inspired by the infinity symbol (men love this part!) and the stones are anywhere from 15 to 40 carats of either London Blue Topaz, Aquamarine or Color Changing Bolivian Ametrine. These bold rings are for a very special and a unique kind of a bride; one who does not want a diamond for her big day but rather a colored gem that is indicative of her vivacious or strong personality, someone who is very confident in her own skin or just wanting something fun and uniquely elegant.
For the Seattle Square Market, I am going to present a petite collection of jewels that will incorporate all my fabulous stones in a marche luxe collection. These pieces will be available for under $50 and in a variety of styles and gemstones. This will be a great opportunity for people to add pieces to their collections. The collection was received fabulously by market patrons on the inaugural day of the Square!
3. What is your inspiration?
Inspiration is a strong emotive experience for me. Exotic travel is a very big mover and shaker of ideas within me. Lately I have been inspired by Turkey. So much so that not only designed a significant collection of jewels there but had many stones custom cut to feature architectural delights quintessential to Istanbul. In all my years of wandering the globe; it is Istanbul that has managed to completely behold my heart like no other city can. Much of my collection is a tribute to this magnificent city that is rich in every possible way. As a city it is a walking, breathing museum of beauty both in people and in architecture.
The Harem Stacking Rings Collection and the Minaret Stacking Rings Collection are superb examples of how I translate my inspiration into something beautiful and wearable. The Green Onyx pieces that reminiscent of stunning Emeralds which are also new for the Summer 2010 collection is a tribute to our fair city of Seattle. Seattle is where I built my business and it is where I have my most amazing community of supporters, designers and friends.
4. Where can we find your stuff (other than at our market)?
Essenza in Fremont, Seattle Art Museum and the Seattle Asian Art Museum, Corktown Gallery in Toronto, The Art Gallery of Calgary and at Atelier Shamila in Fremont 
5. What else should people know about you?
I enjoy educating my clients about gemstones and I pride myself in providing a quality and thoughtful product. I encourage my clients to ask questions and to show interest in wanting to learn about what they are buying. I am thankful for the support they provide to independent artisan like myself.
This Saturday will be the first time that March Hat + Anak Anak will be at the market. Normally I’m able to blog about them from information that I find in their application or on a website “about” page. This time, however, the pictures will just have to speak for themselves.
March Hat + Anak Anak will be selling children’s clothes and hats that are hand batiked and hand sewn.
What do you think? Adorable, right?
Lunch was brought to life inside a garage in LA around 2006. a geographis back to hometown
Seattle finally happened in 2007 and Lunch found a home again and a wonderful arts scene.
All graphics are hand drawn by Lunch Designs aka Gavin Carrol without the aid of any computer program. Non toxic waterbased inks and eco friendly silk screen supplies are used in the lunch process. All images printed by hand without a press or hinges for you by him.
lunch is good.
James Grindle, owner of Earconscious and partner in Knight Riders Inc, is the genius behind our “Music in Seattle Square” program every Saturday. They have scheduled anywhere from 3 – 5 local and national DJ’s every Saturday that all bring a unique style to the market.
This Saturday, Grindle will be on www.kbcs.fm (91.3) from 11pm-1am with Gregory D’Elia on the show Variations where they will be talking about the market, including House of Stank, the featured New York City-based DJ this weekend.
