Friday Night Post

Tags

blog, hull street, new site, tops finds

We finally got the new site up and running. For all future blog posts, go to

http://hullstreetstudio.com/blog/

This is where you’ll find all our updates, our new weekly finds, and it will also provide convenient links for our shop. We hope to see you all there. And keep smiling. We’re all in this together.

Wall Snail Crochets Rain Dolls

Tags

apple, crochet, cupcake, doll, etsy, fixture, lamp, magnet, mail, necklace, print, rain, snail, stamp, totoro, toy, wall, wood

This week we have a varied pick of items from some very skillful crafters. We also have our very first follower-submitted find. The follower submitting is a lovely young lady from North Georgia by the name of my mother. Hi mom. That’s right, people. You went and let my mom be the first person to submit a crafting find. I’ve been asking for them for weeks, and it took my mom to be the first. For shame. It’s okay, though. I still love you.

So first off, let’s take a quick look at ourvery first follower-submitted find:

This cupcake magnet is one of several lovely decorations made by the Cherry Cute Shop. The magnets are about the size of a bottle cap, and are each handmade with a rare earth magnet. Expect some variation, read: uniqueness.

 

I must say, it works marvelously as a first find. Thanks, mom
Now, moving on to our top five finds of the past week. As always, there are countless more items and skilled artisans out there that we don’t have the time or space to mention here. Go fishing for some marvelous finds of your own.

This lovely wall fixture is brought to you from Studio Snowpuppe. This is a customizable wall lamp, as well as original. I’m also fond of the fact that the creator links to yet another artist within their own listing. We are, after all, all in this together.

 

 

 

 

This cute stamp is masterfully made by fellow Tennessean Chastity. This is my favorite find this week. If you’re in the mood for a good stamp, make sure you contact Chastity. She offers the opportunity to create a stamp of your very own design.

 

These adorable crochet apple toys are put together by Tanya. These are great ideas for toys for a young child, or simply as decoration for your living area. Tanya has many other options worth investigating, as well.

 

 

erica’s favorite find this week, this beautiful Rain Note Necklace is a design by Courtney. Courtney offers any of her original prints as a necklace. This particular necklace is a mix of acrylic and collage between resin layers. It’s a lovely necklace, perfect as a gift for a friend, significant other, or yourself. Check out the shop for many other options.

 

 

My Neighbor Totoro is a magnificent film from Studio Ghibli. Patai offers a wonderful wooden homage to the wondrous creatures of the film. There are also many other wonderful items in the shop, worthy of checking out.

 

 

 

There you have it, friends. Another wonderful week of beautiful pieces. We hope you enjoy these items, and we ask that you take a little time and look around for anything else you might want. Support your local crafters, have a great week, and of course, keep smiling.

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream . . .

Tags

china, craft show, emperor, foothills mall, george washington, history, ice cream, king, maryland, maryville, nero, new york, origin, rome, tang, tennessee, thomas jefferson

Around the 4th century B.C., ice was brought down from the mountains around Rome. The ice was served with fruit toppings. This is the earliest known mention of ice cream, all thanks to Emperor Nero. The fiddle guy? The fiddle guy. King Tang of China (618-697 A.D.) was known to mix ice and milk combinations. It is said that ice cream was brought to Europe from China, as a form close to what we now know was probably created by King Tang (Sorry. I can’t find a legitimate link for King Tang of Shang, China. At least, not this particular King Tang. If anyone can find something for me, I would be greatly appreciative.).
A little closer to home, namely Maryland, there is record of Governor Bladen serving ice cream to his guests around 1700. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson also served the delicious treat to many of their guests. Eventually, in 1776, America built its very first ice cream parlor in New York. American colonists were the first to refer to the treat as “iced cream,” due to the similar sound of “iced tea.” Over time, the “-d” was dropped off the end, and that’s how we got “ice cream.”
You’re welcome.

As a side note, if anyone is going to be near the Foothills Mall in Maryville, TN, next weekend, come by and visit us. We’ll be appearing at our first show of the season, and we hope to see your smiling faces. Speaking of which:

Keep smiling.

 

Looking Forward, Not Back

Tags

hull street, smile, techincal difficulties

Hey kids,

Sorry about the last couple of days. I’ve had some technical problems with the site, but I’ll be back up and posting again starting tomorrow. I’ll try and catch up today if I have time, but. . . I won’t have time. Don’t forget:

Keep smiling.

-Jeb

Food Printed the Hummingbird’s Wire Arrow Flower

Tags

arrow, art, beads, bracelet, brass, copper, craft, flower, hull street, hummingbird, jade, leaf, print, red green, scrabble, vintage, watercolor, wire, ze frank

Okay, kids. We have a returning artist today: Dean Crouser. We haven’t run this blog long, but we already have a repeat favorite artist. I wasn’t sure if we should skip him so we can feature somebody new. But then I said, “[Bleep] it. He did well enough to get popular twice? He did well enough to get featured twice.”
We also have more watercolors, a print, and a couple of bracelets. I find that jewelry and paintings seem to be rather heavily favored. So, let’s get into this week’s top finds, and see if we can’t get you something new to buy.

This leaf print was created by Naomi. The print is based off of one of her original watercolor paintings. This is a magnificent piece, and Naomi has many other great works in her shop. Be sure to check them all out.

 

 

 

This is Dean Crouser‘s second appearance in our Top Finds post. This beautiful watercolor hummingbird is erica’s favorite find of the week, as well. Go visit Dean’s shop, as I’m sure you’ll find something else you love.

 

 

 

This copper wire bracelet, created by Murat, is handmade with copper wire and decorated with sleek pink jade beads. It is a masterfully detailed piece out of Turkey. Be sure to check out the shop it comes from.

 

Nuria and Lucia’s vintage arrow bracelet is my favorite find this week. It’s a simple piece, but gorgeous. Pink orange coral thread and a brass arrow adorn this piece.

 

 

 

Sylwia painted this original 4″x4″ watercolor. There is only the one available, but if you miss out, you can visit her shop for many other wonderful paintings.

 

 

 

 

That’s it for this week, friends. Once again, we have many international sellers, showing just how close we are all truly connected. We at Hull Street hope you have a wonderful week. Keep smiling, and remember: We’re all in this together.

The Root

Tags

dogs, money, poem, superpower, underwater, writing, zefrank

I broke a little window,
And then I ran away.
Zero little neighbor kids
Hung around to play.
I bought a bunch of candy,
And gave it all away,
Only one neighbor kid
Didn’t come that day.

When I got much older,
I drove a little car.
Zero of my friends
Would let me drive them far.
I stole a real nice sports car,
But I got caught the same day.
It only took one officer
To lock my ass away.

Now I am much older,
I’ve learned a lot from life.
I bought a golden ring,
And got myself a wife.
But just a few short days ago,
I learned one final thing.
She straight up went and left me,
And found a bigger ring.

But it’s all okay now,
There’s nothing left to learn.
I’m heading out to Vegas,
’cause I’ve got some cash to burn.
I’ll win a bunch of money,
Then head straight to the mall.
I’m going to buy them presents,
And get my friends back, all.

-Jeb Herrin
“The Root”
07APR2012

I wrote this solely because we couldn’t think of anything to post today. Keep smiling. We’re all in this together.

An Adventure Through Imagination

Tags

circus thing, cirque de soleil, hull street, knoxville, max fightmaster, music, quidam, sherlock holmes, thompson boling arena, university of tennessee

Not my imagination, mind you. Though I have to say, what I’m about to tell you about was easily the single most entertaining event I have ever witnessed. And I’ve seen my dad try to use a computer.

I’ve never been to a Cirque de Soleil show before. erica’s been to a handful, but that doesn’t count because it wasn’t me. If you’re keeping count. Quidam is in Knoxville this week, and erica and I went to the first show last night. I want to go again, and again, and again, and again.

Now, I’m not going to go in to detail about the show, because that would just be rude. It would be like telling the entire story of a book, and then the audience never buying the book, thereby stealing money from the author. We don’t support thievery here, so if that’s what you’re after. Naughty, naughty.

So, you know when you go to an event that you really enjoy, and later you discuss the event with a friend that was also there? What do you talk about? “My favorite part was when . . .” “I really think that . . . was better than . . .” You can’t do that at Cirque de Soleil. It would be on par with saying Max Fightmaster is better than Sherlock Holmes. Now, while you could say that one thing is technically better than another, they don’t truly compare. Laughing until you weep openly, just to witness in awe as a woman is thrown to a man standing on the shoulders of a man standing on the shoulders of another man. The performers must go through countless hours of training to get to where they are. They have to trust each other with their very lives. I  couldn’t imagine doing that with anyone, shy of a few guys I’ve deployed with. Even then, I wouldn’t let them throw me around like that.

And the music! Oh, the music! I knew I was going to witness an amazing show, with flips, and jumps, and agility, and clowns. What I was unaware of was the auditory narcotics they would introduce into my system. With a few more years of practice, access to the most elite of dictionaries, and countless hours of intense concentration, I might be able to describe the melodious paradise I visited last night.

I feel inadequate every time I try to describe last night’s show in my head. Reading the words in print does no better. Just take my word for it. The next time you have the opportunity, go see Cirque de Soleil. You’re welcome.

Now. Keep smiling. We’re all in this together.

The Necklace Combs the Printed Turqoise Heart

Tags

comb, etsy, felt, flower, heart, necklace, owl, pendant, print, rain, softie, stuffed toy, tea, wood

We have a rather varied haul this week, with a particular interest in neck-wear. Check out what people have loved, and maybe buy some stuff:

Natalia handmade this beautiful felt necklace. She makes each one with 100% wool, and has many other wonderful items in her shop.

 

 

 

 

 

Mariya hand-carved this cypress wood comb personally. There are many designs, and if you check out the item’s page, you can see the many benefits of wood combs.  This is my favorite offering from this week. Make sure you check out the rest of Mariya’s items, as well.

 

 

 

This is one of Estera’s many beautiful prints. This would make a lovely decoration for an office, kitchen, or other living space. Check her artwork out.

 

 

 

Olga presents us with this recycled turquoise owl. It would make for a great toy,decoration, or gift. Though not technically eligible for today’s post, I would also like to direct you to another of Olga’s creations, Owly Owl.

Kateryna made this lovely pendant using polymer clay and a silver chain. This is erica’s favorite listing this week, and well-deserved. Make sure you stop by Kateryna’s shop as soon as possible.

 

 

Thanks for checking out our top finds for the week, once again. Every week we find some of the most creative and talented artists on etsy, and present them for your viewing. We also hope that you will send us some of your favorite items that you have seen. Let’s see what we can do to promote artists and crafters around the world. Have a great week, friends.

Oh. And keep smiling.

The Case of the Crazy Call Conundrum

Tags

australia, flash fiction, garlands, lmfao, wins

Okay, Mr. Barry Tomlinson, prepare to be sold some insurance. Let’s see, the phone number, phone number, phone number. . . Huh, that’s weird. Need to be careful with that.
“Hello?”
“Hi there! This is Kate with International Insurance, Inc. May I speak with Barry, please?”
God, I’m good.
“Oh, she’s not here. Let me give you the cell number and see if you can track her down. It’s . . .”
“Thank you very much, madame, and you have a pleasant day.”
She? Her? Okay. Now, that number she gave me. . . Wait a second. That old bitty gave me my own cell phone number!
—–
“Grammy, I’m home and I brought dinner!”
“Hey, how was work? Oh, Kate’s work called today looking for her.”
“Grammy, it’s six at night, what time did they call?”
“About a quarter ’til nine, I think.”
“A quarter? Why didn’t you call me?”
“I didn’t want you to come home from work.”
“I wouldn’t have come home for that. I would have called her house, then her cell. If I still couldn’t get her, I would have called her husband and said, ‘She’s your problem now, find out why my daughter didn’t go to work today.’ Hold on, I’ll go give her a call and see what happened today.”
—–
“Grammy, between you and Kate, I will never have a dull life. That wasn’t someone calling for Kate. It was Kate calling for someone else. Apparently, she was trying to get a hold of some gentleman who’s phone number was one digit away from yours. She didn’t even realize it was you. Once we figured it out, she was like, ‘Yeah, I was surprised that some old bitty would give me my own phone number!”
“Ha ha ha! Oh, lord. I can’t believe that happened. I guess I just wasn’t paying attention.”
“Yeah, well it happens-”
“Wait a second. She called me an old bitty?”

 

So that may or may not have been a true story in which I changed some names so my sister and grandmother don’t beat me for revealing a personal moment between them. But also, I haven’t posted all week, as my dear sweet mother was quite willing to point out. Also, mom’s birthday is Monday, so make sure you wish her a happy birthday.
We’re about done with a custom order for 30 garlands. It’s the biggest single order we’ve filled since we started Hull Street. It’s always nice to take a moment and look back on some of our big personal wins, like when we got our first international order from Australia. We just sold a few more items to Australia, recently. Another big win was the day we had 97 views on the blog. I was checking in every five minutes to see if we hit 100, but it never happened. Ah well, such is life. Now I’m going to throw in a random photo that has nothing to do with this post, just so I can pin it. I’m a cheater sometimes.
Keep smiling.

The Teacup Mouse Rose the Felt Hummingbirds

Tags

bouquet, cat bed, felt, hummingbird, mouse, necklace, romantic, rose, tea set, teacup, watercolor

Well, we’re back in Knoxville and I’m getting ready to head back to school tomorrow. It was a good break spent with great people, but now I must face the horrors of scholastic adventures once again.

This has actually gotten to be my favorite day of the week for posts. I love flipping through the shops of other artists and witnessing exceptional work like some of the following. Take a look, browse the shops, and enjoy.

This Tea Set was hand painted by Sanja. The set is absolutely beautiful. If you flip through her shop, she also has a wolf-painted plate that I absolutely adore. Definitely take the time to check out her entire shop, as she displays a phenomenal amount of talent.
The Teacup Mouse, crafted by Kirsten, is my personal favorite item this week. Kirsten makes each mouse entirely by hand, so they will be a little different from the one pictured, but that just adds to the uniqueness of each one. Check out the rest of Kirsten’s shop, as I’m sure you’ll find something you like.
The Romantic Rose Bouquet Necklace, made of high quality dyed mulberry paper and wire, is made by Patricia. The entire necklace is lightweight and beautiful.
The Felted Cat Bed is put together by Vaiva Nat. The hole size can be adjusted to suit the preference of cats who prefer larger entrances. I would love to have one of these for Loki. Vaiva Nat does a lot of great felt-work that you should take a few minutes to browse.
Finally, we have erica’s favorite: a watercolor hummingbird painting by Dean Crouser. This man has some of the most amazing pieces of art that I have seen in a long time. Check him out.

That’s all I’ve got for you this week, but as always, look around for yourself. See what you can find, and be sure to share some of your treasures with us. Also? Keep smiling.