Get Fruitful with the {NewNew}!

In true NYC fashion, we went directly from winter to summer. One of my favorite things about summer is FRUIT! I am crazy about berries, cherries, and peaches. There is nothing quite so excellent as biting into a luscious strawberry or peach or as disappointing as finding them tasteless or mealy. For me, a perfect fruit salad consists of orange segments, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries and peaches. And then with a little vanilla yogurt mixed in? Heaven! Ooh, I can't wait to visit the farmers' market! So being in a fruity state of mind, I thought it might be fun to see how our talented artists and crafters have been inspired by fruit!

Look at this adorable banana bag charm by Dessert First Designs. Judging by her shop name, I'd say this crafter has her priorities straight!
Strawberries are excellently represented by Mulry Jewels Swarovski pendant.
hycCreatives has these beautiful pear blossom letter-pressed note cards
I love the gorgeous greens in The Honey P1e Tree's zippered pouch.

Having kgudahl's matted cherry blossom photo on your wall will put you in a spring state of mind all year round!
What summer fruits are you dreaming of?

Until next time, say hello to the dang pansies!

LuCrafts

What Makes Valentine's Day Sweet To You

If you can't get enough Valentine's Day, then today is your lucky day!  Get your fill of sweetness from The {NewNew} and then check out some of our friends and their blogs about this notorious day of romance, flowers and of course sweets.
Andrea Davis: Pure Food Nutrition: Valentine’s Day Chocolate: Good & Good for You?
The Bitchy Waiter:  F*ck Cupid
Brooklyn Flea:  You Gotta Have Heart
The Experimental Gourmand:  Valentine’s Day Special Dinner
Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market:  A Blog Affair to Remember
Metalicious Jewelry:  Well Hello February 
Kumquat Cupcakery:  My Messy Pink Kitchen

Did I mention sweets? Chocolate and conversation hearts, what more could you ask for? Maybe a lot of them.  Did you know.....
A bowl just waiting to be filled with conversation hearts by LennyMud
  • More than 36 MILLION heart shaped boxes of candy will be given and received this year. (www.sugarstand.com)
  • About 8 BILLION candy hearts will be made.  If you put them all side by side they would reach from the city of romance, Rome, all the way to Valentine Arizona -- not just once mind you, 20 times and back again! (www.iowastatedaily.com)
  • Those candy conversation hearts have been around a long time.  NECCO, the maker of them, started putting those catchy little phrases on them all the way back in 1866, and we've been in love with them ever since. (Sweethearts: The Continued Success of America's Favorite Valentine's Candy, 2010)
Of course, candy is only one of thing that makes Valentine's Day sweet for The {NewNew}, when I posed the question I found out there was a whole lot more.

Home is Where The Heart is by JDavisStudio
Mom has been making Valentine's day special for a long time and {NewNew} members Lorrie from LennyMud, Alton of AltonWeekes and Jill from JDavisStudio remind us how sweet mom can make Valentine's Day:

Lorrie's mom made the day special by summoning the Valentine's Day Pixie.  The Pixie is a magical creature that would ring the doorbell several times over the course of the day and leave presents on the doorstep.  Today, Lorrie shares the same tradition with her kids.

Alton's mom and her Valentine's day tradition are actually the driving force behind him starting his stationery design studio.  Every year Alton's mom would give him and his sisters a box of valentine cards to share with classmates.  Those little cards with cupid, hearts and sweet sayings were Alton's introduction to stationery beyond birthday cards.  It was the holiday of love that inspired Alton's love of stationery.

Jill's mom started sending her special Valentine's day care packages back in college and still does today.  They are filled will fun things like candy, silly jewelry, even the occasional McDonalds gift card. Way to go Jill's Mom!

I Do Card by Alton Weekes
Let's face it, nothing makes Valentine's day more romantic than a ring, and I don't mean the doorbell.  A ring is exactly what Loella from LoellaMedina and Angel from CardsInStitches got one Valentine's day.

With the view of the New York skyline in the night time sky Loli's best friend surprised her by popping the big question.

Now Angel, has a bit of a different story.  She got married not just on Valentines day 2003, but on the 5 am Eyewitness News along with 4 other couples!  She found out on Monday that she'd be getting married on Friday at Tavern on the Green in Central Park all expenses paid.  Now that's what I call one sweet Valentines Day!

Since The {NewNew} is an Etsy team made up of the best and brightest artists and designers in the tri-state New York craft scene, it is no surprise that DIY valentines are high on the list of sweet things about the day. Nothing makes Simone, from Groundsel, smile more on Valentine's day than a handmade valentine.  Anne from Felt It loves making valentines for family and friends with her three year old.  Each year her daughters designs become more creative and intricate, I bet it won't be long before she has an Etsy shop.  Jennifer from MellowBeing recalls Valentine's day as a time to make valentines for her mom and friends.

Love painting by LennyMud
Dinner, mix tapes and wearing red made the sweet list among {NewNew'ers} too.
Jody at AStudioByTheSea makes Valentine's day sweet by planning a special night out with her husband of 23 years.  But they do it a little different, they skip the February 14th crowds and inflated dinner prices and celebrate at a fancy restaurant a day or so off.  What a great idea, we may just do that this year too!

Te Amo Card by S2 Stationery and Design
Sara from S2 Stationery and Design has mixed feelings about the holiday but has a great tradition of making a mix CD she calls the "Love Mix" and shares it with friends.  It's her way to let them know that she supports and loves them no matter what.

The perfect notebook for February by CardsinStitches
Lisa from Pretty Stationery loves that Valentine's day is close to Chinese New Year so she gets to wear red and eat candy for two weeks.

And finally, Stephanie from MulryJewels finds sweetness on Valentines day by simply remembering and being thankful for all the love in her life, romantic and otherwise.





Wishing you all the sweetest Valentine's day.
Holly / EllisDesign



Thanksgiving weekend promotions are not over yet!

The Sunday after Thanksgiving hasn't coined any phrases nor does it have an official 'name', but this year it is sure to be just as spectacular.  Today and tomorrow are the last two days to take advantage of some amazing promotions - with more than 30 members of The {NewNew} participating in a Thanksgiving holiday weekend shopping extravaganza, you're sure to find a gift for everyone on your list.
Check out these stores and get in on the holiday shopping fun!

Fubabee is an award winning design studio and her cards are sure to please! from wedding stationery to baby showers she'll have the card you need.
Fubabee gift card sets


At romi ceramics, you'll find beautiful ceramic vases and spinners, perfect for keeping plants and flowers. the soft colors and cool hues compliment any decor.
Romiceramics large spinner

Thepeachtree makes jewelry in striking jewel tones using gemstones, rocks and raw minerals. this freshwater pearl bracelet caught my eye!
thepeachtree freshwater pearl bracelet


Knittingguru knits and crochets beautiful accessories, perfect for those cold winter nights - all the better to snuggle up with a soft scarf or cowl.
the knittingguru eco-friendly cotton handknit cowl


Mulryjewels has a passion for making jewelry. this freshwater pearl cocktail ring is the perfect companion for a night out on the town!
mulryjewels cocktail ring - freshwater pearl and swarovski crystal

Kbatty is ready for the holiday season with a wonderful assortment of beautiful stationery. send your holiday greetings in style!
Kbatty holiday greeting card set

Latelier des bijoux uses high quality gemstones and metals to create her lovely line of jewelry. these garnet earrings are perfect for gift giving!
Latelier des bijoux rhodolite garnet and spinel earrings

Heartfelt4kids makes childrens clothing using wool and eco-friendly bamboo felt. her capes are especially lovely and would be a unique gift!
Heartfelt4kids hooded wool felt cape

Jdavisstudio's line of jewelry is fun and unique. her signature jewelry featuring houses and trees are whimsical and make a perfect gift. i love her teeny house ring!
Jdavisstudio teeny house ring sterling silver
Additional shops participating in The {NewNew} Thanksgiving Weekend promotions
Join us for your holiday shopping fun!

Be sure to check out all the other shops with great Black Friday / Cyber Monday specials:

Webbedware - unique fabric wrist cuffs
Key Element - metal and stone jewelry
Hanky Blanky by Rosi Rouge - baby blankets, infant clothing and more
Knock Knock Studio - jewelry knits and accessories
HeartFelt4Kids - eco friendly kids clothing
Romi Ceramics - unique handcrafted ceramics
Mulry Jewels - elegant, fun and sparkly jewelry
Kipi - affordable original art
Ellis Design - one of a kind and limited edition hats (and more)
KimmChi - silk screened apparel
Pretty Lovely Painting - paintings and mixed media
JDavisStudio - handmade jewelry
Alton Weekes - handcrafted stationery and papergoods
Knitting Guru - natural fiber knitted and crochet wearable art
Kim Last Designs - sterling silver jewelry
Meliannaa - wire wrapped jewelry
Apertureagog - fine art prints, embroidered art and photo cards
Loella Medina - gemstone jewelry
The Honey Pie Tree - designer toys and accessories
Persuede - handmade jewelry
KBatty - stationery and notecards
SDVDesigns - one of a kind and limited edition jewelry
Felt It - eco felt applique clothing for kids and adults
latelier des bijoux - limited edition gemstone jewelry
PriaVanda - handmade personalized stationery
AdornmentsNYC - vintage inspired jewelry with a modern twist
KittyJones - toys for cats, dogs and kids
Groundsel - handbags made from recycled materials
The Peachtree - classic gemstone and pearl jewelry
Projects by Carm - handknit and crochet accessories and toys
Rose McKay Designs - handcrafted jewelry
Fubabee - stationery, notecards and graphic design
Sans Map - handmade bags and accessories
Deborah Julian - unique notecards, print and fine art