More Spring Inspiration

As I look out my window today, I am inspired.  The forsythia are now starting to bloom and our favorite red cardinal sat perched this morning just outside our kitchen window.   The days are getting longer and we're enjoying all of the new sounds and smells after the quiet hush of winter.

After a long, hard season, I am ready for the color and creativity of the Market.  Our sellers are busy right now collecting, gathering, and creating in anticipation of opening day.  They're thinking about their tent setups and perhaps feeling a little bit of nervous excitement.  I know I am, especially with the Market having more than doubled in size since last year!

I wanted to highlight a few more sellers who will be at Clover during all three spring Markets.  First up is Tree & Kimball, owned by former Anthropologie designer Lisa Bruemmer.  Lisa's beautiful vintage-infused pieces are carried at her Etsy shop and I think this lacy jewelry strung with delicate copper chains and gems is beyond lovely.

Lisa will be sharing her tent with Greatest Friend, owned by Angela Winter Means.  Angela is making the trip from Bethlehem to share her beautifully curated collection of vintage goodies with us.  Her shop is also exclusively on Etsy, and if you're interested in learning a little bit more about Angela, check out this wonderful interview on the Lily Love Lock blog here.   As you'll see from her shop, Angela has a great eye for craftsmanship and covers many eras and styles in her offerings.

Colleen Attara is coming back to Clover again this year!  She recycles old windows and leftover paints to create whimsical, color-saturated, three-dimensional art.  I love her use of recycled aluminum and discarded plastics in her work, as well as the notion of turning "oops" paints which she purchases from home improvement stores into something fantastically beautiful.  She also does commissioned pieces so don't hesitate to inquire with her about how she can great something special for your home.

Sarah Wimberley is a third generation fine artist and photographer based in Ambler, PA.  In looking through her work, I was especially taken by the photos below from Sara's three year documentary project for her Masters thesis (later turned into a book) which took her to 97 of the 100 counties in North Carolina to photograph the beautiful, and often disappearing, farm landscape. 

D.I.G.S. (for Designer Inventory Goods Store) was conceived by interior designer Patricia Gorman and opened on the ground floor of her design studio on Main Street in Manayunk two years ago.  Now run by Patricia's daughter Erika, the shop carries a variety of carefully collected consigned goods - decorator treasures at great prices.  For Clover, Erika will be bringing their favorite finds in antique furniture, lighting, and accessories!

 

Just 3 Weeks Till Opening Day

Happy first day of spring!  The daffodils are popping up, birds are actually waking me in the morning, and Clover Market is most certainly on its way.

Just under 3 weeks and counting and we are up to 50 confirmed sellers for opening day.  That's more than twice as big as our largest market last year.  I'm keeping the sellers tab above updated as we review and confirm applications, and I have to say, this is one stellar group indeed.

We've got some of the fan favorites from 2010 for furniture and antiques (Blueberry Bog, Chairloom, Kitsch-N-Kaboodle, Nannygoat, trove, Reclaimed Crafts) and vintage jewelry (Anna Beau Designs, joeyfivecents, No. 27 Collection, Salvation Nation among others) confirmed.  And, this year, we have a HUGE number of new sellers in the original art and artisan craft category which is something that I've been working hard on all winter. 

We'll have food and drink from Carlinos Market, Milkboy Coffee, Firinji, Peace A Pizza, and Taste of Olive, live music in the afternoon, free parking at the nearby lots in Ardmore, and free admission.

A great day in Ardmore awaits!

Lucky You Insider's Club!

 

Ready for some serious retail therapy? This year, we've partnered with some of the hottest local boutiques on the Main Line and beyond to bring you the "Lucky You" Insider's Club.
 
Just come to the Clover tent at each of the three spring Markets where you can pick up an Insider Card (for free!). New valid stamped cards will be given at each Market or we can update a card from a prior Market. Then, show this card at any of the participating stores listed below and enjoy 15% off all full priced merchandise (up to $200) in the two weeks following each Market.
 
Our list of participating stores grows by the day, so please check to the "Lucky You" tab for offer details and more information about the stores below.
 
Bedazzled Boutique - Newtown Square
Deconstructed Living - Wayne
Finer Things - Wayne
Flair Boutique - Haverford
Fresh Ayer - Wayne (Eagle Village)
Haven (formerly simplyCottage) - Haverford
Kat Bradley - Wayne (Eagle Village)
Local Home + Gifts - Media
Marlyn Schiff - Ardmore
Nurture - Ardmore
Octavio Miles Boutique - Manayunk
Skirtin Around - Wayne (Eagle Village)
Sorella Boutique - Media
Styche - Ardmore
The Little Apple - Manayunk 
The Nest - Newtown
The Pear Tree - Wayne

If you're planning your day at Clover, don't forget to visit the Ardmore Initiative's website for a list of other stores and restaurants in our downtown area. We have some fantastic choices for food, drink, and shopping within a block of the Market!
 
Finally, don't forget the Suburban Square shopping center (J. Crew, Apple Store, Banana Republic, Williams-Sonoma, Ann Taylor, Urban Outfitters, Lilly Pulitzer, Trader Joe's, and of course the Farmers' Market) which is also just a short walk from Clover. 

A wonderful day in Ardmore awaits!

Spring Posters

With big thanks to the Main Line Print Shop, the posters are finished and, along with our postcards, are springing up at retail spots along the Main Line & beyond.   If you'd like to post one at a favorite store, community bulletin board, etc., just head on over to Scribd.   The upload is expanding the margins slightly, but it's good enough!  As a bootstrapping operation, I greatly appreciate the extra help in getting the word out.

I'm really looking forward to opening day 4/10.  I'm still reviewing applications (with a pile sitting on my desk right now) and are currently over 45 individual artists, collectors, and craftspeople confirmed to participate, with May and June equally strong.  We've got some great food vendors signed up, and I'm finalizing details on the live music.  More on both fronts soon!

April, May & June Oh My!

It's just about 5 weeks out from opening day and I just confirmed another group of new and returning sellers for all three Markets this spring.  I'm so excited by the response and enthusiasm for this season's shows, and I continue to review applications on an ongoing basis.  I love supporting these small arts-based businesses for a great community event :)

Once again, we have a wonderful mix of art, antiques, vintage, and handmade which is exactly what makes Clover so special.   Don't forget to check back frequently to the "Sellers" tab for updated confirmed sellers for each individual show.

Anna Beau Designs - From her Philly studio, designer Anna Thompson uses traditional fabrication techniques to create beautiful jewelry incorporating sterling silver, vintage brass findings, and semi-precious stones.   I especially love the mix of the old and new in her designs.  Just beautiful.

Blueberry Bog - The mother-daughter team of Lynn Nolan and Rebecca Michelle Lee, formerly of Larney's Antiques, are back as The Blueberry Bog with a new store opening this March in Media, PA.   Congratulations to them!  They will be bringing their usual fabulous collection of art, vintage, collectibles, up-cycled and repurposed home decor.  Here are two shots I took last year of their tent at Clover, always, without a doubt, the most colorful and artfully put together.

Janzibar - Based in West Chester, Jan Cohen from Janzibar creates handbags, purses and totes from material that is on its "second life".  She uses recycled designer fabrics, clothing, thrift shop and yard sale treasures, remnants, and decorator samples for these one-of-a-kind pieces.  So fun!

Kaye Rachelle- Bonnie Kaye Whitfield & Susan R. Dreifuss are designers and printmakers who met at New York's Pratt Institute while earning their MFAs in Printmaking.  Thanks to Bonnie's love of pattern & Susan's eye for color, the duo fell in love with designing and printing home textiles.  Look for their fabulous screen-printed pillows, placemats, tea towels, and cloth napkins at Clover.  I've been crushing on their designs online all winter and am thrilled they'll be coming to Clover.

Lesley Haas & Rich Mantell -  Leslie returns to Clover this year with her signature handmade paper art, scrolls, and frames.  She will be joined this year by Rich Mantell, a woodworker who will be bringing his beautiful bowls, french rolling pins, salt caves and craft cheese boards.  Rich is our first woodworker at Clover, and I'm so excited to see his designs in person.

Marie's Soap - Brenda Olson will be making the trek from Ottsville PA (Bucks County) to bring us her line of handmade soap and skin products.  Her soaps are all natural and handcrafted with food grade vegetable oils, shea and cocoa butters, and scented with essential oils.  Yummy!

Nomaddicts - Utilitarian Couture & Rider Designs - Victoria Chan and Lauren Rider will be sharing a tent at Clover with her handcrafted leather accessories/apparel/housewares (Nomaddicts) and handmade and handpainted ceramic housewares and jewelry.  Victoria has actually made the fanny pack sleek and chic (with many of her items using recycled upholstery heather and vegan-friendly synthetic)!

No. 27 Collection & Barbara Shelley - Shelly Rabuse and Barbara Shelley will be sharing their tent again this year at Clover with up-cycled vintage jewelry (No. 27 Collection) and silk-screened clothing and handmade purses from recycled and vintage fabrics.  Shelley's statement piece jewelry is fabulous on its own, and even more beautiful in my eyes with the incorporation of the vintage elements.

Poppy and Bean - New moms take note: Colleen D'Agostino from Philly-based Poppy and Bean will be bringing her adorable handmade childrens' blankets and accessories made from vintage and up-cycled fabrics as well as her vintage and found treasures for kids (vintage smocked dresses anyone?).   I think I have the solution for all of my delinquent baby gifts!

Looking forward to a stellar spring.  The countdown is ON!