Vendor Feature: Liz Clark Jewelry, Virginia Piazza Pottery, The Hudson Standard, and Matt Pleva

This bunch of fantastic Hullabaloo vendors includes the award-winner for the furthest drive to Hullabaloo (if there was such an award), a third year Hullabaloo veteran, a Hullabaloo newbie, and a hometown favorite!  They should all be able to help you knock a few more gifts off your holiday list, so learn a little more about them and click on their links to start getting some ideas!

Liz Clark Jewelry, Providence, RI

In her metal studio in Providence, RI, Liz uses floral and geometric elements with simple lines and silhouettes to create a subtle-but-striking collection of earrings, necklaces, rings, and brooches. Her work has a sculptural feel, yet her pieces are delicate, unobtrusive, and comfortable to wear. The organic elements of her work lend a classic feel and timeless elegance to balance the modern edge of the shapes and materials used in her unique jewelry.  Whether you’re looking want an un-fussy brooch for a classy lady on your list, a unique statement necklace for New Year’s, or a gorgeous pair of studs for a trendy teen, Liz has the perfect piece! It’s her first Hullabaloo and she’s making a long drive to join us, so give her a warm welcome! 

Virginia Piazza Pottery, Beacon, NY

As soon as Virginia started working with clay, she knew it was her medium! After experimenting with different firing techniques and types of pieces, Virginia now focuses on functional ware, mostly with porcelain in a limited glaze palette; lately, though, she’s been incorporating some neat embellishments. Her work is clean, simple, and charmingly understated, with a muted color palette and comforting, functional shapes. Her mission is to make work that speaks to the user and finds a special place in their everyday life. Virginia’s work somehow feels both familiar and completely fresh, bringing to mind breakfasts on summer porches and cool nights spent in warm places!  Her bowls, mugs, vases, pots, sugar bowls, nesting bowls, berry bowls, and serving dishes make great gifts for so many occasions. Virginia has been with us from the beginning, so please join us in welcoming her back to Hullabaloo!

The Hudson Standard, Hudson, NY

Using traditional processes that date back to colonial times, The Hudson Standard hand-crafts cocktail bitters and shrubs (deliciously tart syrups made of fruit, spices, vinegar, and sweetener) that are creating delicious cocktails, sodas, foods, and sauces in top-notch regional restaurants and in homes nationwide. Their products highlight the flavors of the Hudson Valley (think Apple Coriander Maple Shrub and Spruce Shooter Bitters, for starters) and work with NYS farms to source the best ingredients. Doesn’t a nice fall cocktail (like the Pear Honey Ginger Shrub with rum, gin, or bourbon!) with Thanksgiving dinner sound like a good idea? Stop by The Hudson Standard’s table at their first Hullabaloo and pick up some of their products for the home bartender or chef on your list...and some for yourself!

Matt Pleva, Kingston, NY

If Matt Pleva’s intricate work looks familiar, it’s because he was one of the muralists whose work was part of the O+ Festival last year!  On a smaller scale (pretty small, actually) he creates these incredible dioramas, illustrations, and miniature pen and ink drawings, and turns them into wearable art (buttons, earrings, pendants) and display pieces. He takes his inspiration from his vast range of interests including history and pop culture—so you’ll find tiny scenes from Dr. Who, Monty Python, Office Space, Star Trek, The Wizard of Oz and more, as well as historical “reenactments” in pen and ink! He also offers a large selection of prints, cards, and postcards.  Have a favorite movie moment you’d like him to recreate in paper? He does commissions! Stop by Matt’s table at his first Hullabaloo and check out his work—he’s got a piece for every type of enthusiast—and if you don’t see your favorite, he can probably make it for you!

Vendor Feature: Cynla, KnitSquid Fiber Arts, Pterodactyl Pottery, and Fleurs Jolies

These vendors know that “what’s old is new again,” that traditional processes and simpler times have a place in our speed-of-light world, and that…well, dinosaurs are cool! Meet a stationer whose cards remind us to slow down, a fiber artist creating critters using some of the world’s oldest crafting techniques, a jewelry maker with an appreciation for history and its remnants, and a potter of vessels with timeless appeal (and a kick-butt name!).

Cynla, Newburgh, NY

Cindy’s noble mission is to inspire her customers and the recipients of her hand-illustrated greeting cards to keep in touch, celebrate ALL the special moments in life (big and small), and to stress less! Her casual invites are the perfect way to prompt a brunch date, suggest going out for cheeseburgers, schedule a stitch and bitch, or even get together to brag about your pets!  She’s also expanded her offering of get well, sympathy, new baby, and birthday cards, added new holiday cards, and created new paper products like gift tags, enclosure cards, and a calendar! We’re so glad to have Cindy of Cynla returning for her third Hullabaloo…Her detailed, whimsical, playful cards just make us happy (and, actually, a little less stressed!)!

KnitSquid Fiber Arts, Pittsfield, MA

Stop whatever you’re doing and take a look at this magnificent dragon Eliza from KnitSquid Fiber Arts made! Since last year, Eliza has added some new hand-knit animals to her herd and she’s also experimenting with needle felting to add unique features to her critters (take a closer look at that dragon).  Whether you’re looking to take home a pink elephant, a wooly mammoth, a big-earred fox, a purple octopuses, a lazy sloth, a long-necked giraffe, or something even more exotic (like the dragon), Eliza’s creatures have character and craftsmanship that will ensure you’ve got a friend for life! She’s also launching a new line of small cat toys, inspired by her cat, Clyde!  We’re so happy to have Eliza and her critters back for their second Hullabaloo—say hello, but be prepared to never say goodbye, because we KNOW you’ll be bringing a KnitSquid critter home for the holidays! 

Fleurs Jolies, Olivebridge, NY

Maya’s unique earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, pins, and bobby pins use elements of bygone eras—(think buttons from the 40s, hand-dyed acetate pieces from the 50s, vintage brass stampings, antique beads, old license plates and more) as well as modern elements (like Swarovski crystals, African beads, semi-precious stones, and metal chain and findings) to create a collision between modern and classic styles.  Maya takes her inspiration from the colors of nature, and from the periods of history in which her materials were created—but she celebrates her luck that she gets to wear pretty clothes, make her elegant jewelry, AND vote! This is Maya’s first Hullabaloo and we’re glad we voted HER in, so that she can offer you her handmade jewelry with its classic beauty and modern attitude!

Pterodactyl Pottery, Manchester, CT

George Hakkila is an award-winning ceramic sculptor who decided to work on some ideas he had for pottery, and started Pterodactyl Pottery as a way of pushing himself further. As he says “So far, so good,” and we agree wholeheartedly! The name implies a certain primitive and ancient aesthetic—and we would say that’s accurate…if by “primitive” you mean simple, earthy elegance and by “ancient” you mean timeless and traditional. George’s pots, plates, jugs, bowls, vases, and jars are beautiful and expertly constructed, and the way he uses texture and glazes would blow the mind of any caveman. We love his masculine-yet-sophisticated lidded jars to keep desks neat (perfect gifts for messy guys), the saki-sized cups, and the gorgeous oversized salt-fired serving plates. Check them out and say hello to George at his first Hullabaloo!