VOL. 2 | GBK’s Pre-Primetime Emmys Celebrity Gift Lounge
Find Out What Makes HANDMADE So Special! Which TAG Products Have Been Featured on Hit Television Shows? The Artisan Group Gives Back to Worthy Causes
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Inside this issue... Why Handmade? There is no better way to show family and friends how much you care than with an individually handcrafted item.
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Featured Artis ts Victoria Dao Serum No. 5 Cosmetics
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Mark Giarrusso
Mark Giarrusso Photography Fine Art Photography
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TV Show Giftings Our member’s products have been prominently featured on many top TV shows over the past few years. Can you spot your favorites?
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Billie Hackett Amayeli Jewelry
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Kristal Lee
Atutudes Hand Made Tutus Children’s Apparel
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Kellie Medivitz PrintableGirl
Charity Giftings The Artisan Group is as known for our charitable giftings as we are for gifting celebrities. Take a peek at some of the great causes we’ve gifted.
Paper Goods & Stationery
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Toni & Lily Perez
SimplyCaprine Goat Milk Soaps Bath and Spa Products
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Shawna Ziemer Wags & Wiggles
Pet Toys & Accessories
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Why
Handmade?
There is no better way to show family and friends how much you care than with an individually handcrafted item that says, “You are important to me.” Our philosophy is simple. Buy handcrafted because you CARE… about beauty, about quality, about community and small business, about entrepreneurialism, about sustainability, and simply because there’s no greater expression of soul. It’s been said that...
“Knowing someone has left their handprint on the product you’re using connects you to them—and that connection makes us more human.” 4 | Vol. 2 | GBK’s Pre-Primetime Emmys Gift Lounge
We couldn’t agree more. Members of The Artisan Group® come from the United States, Canada and around the world, representing a varied group of individuals whose mission is to spread the word about handcrafted by gifting celebrities, VIPs and members of the press at elite Hollywood award show gift lounges and through specially prepared collaborative gift bags. Above all though, it is a community of creatives supporting one another through the sharing of its collective knowledge and experiences. Members of The Artisan Group are not only passionate about, but very good at what they do, which means you will be the beneficiary of the life, passion and years of experience that have gone into creating the products you purchase. That’s a gift that’s hard to put a value on. When buying handcrafted, you’ll find you touch many hearts, and make a real difference in the life of our members. Whether you’re looking for jewelry, bath and spa products, cosmetics, designer stationery, crocheted accessories, children’s apparel, purses, hand-poured candles, hand-bound journals, paintings, hand-dyed scarves, fine art photography, hair accessories or pet accessories and toys, you’re certain to find the perfect handmade gift created by The Artisan Group’s members.
“So, visit our member’s shops and purchase directly from them. You’ll love how you feel and the difference you’re making.” theartisangroup
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Our Sponsors...
Celebrity love for The Artisan Group... Feel free to tweet or Instagram a word of thanks to the TAG Team, too!
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Victoria Dao Serum No. 5 Cosmetics
I’ve always been interested in nail art and am heavily influenced by nature and fashion. I often follow the color trends set forth on the runways and use these color palettes to inspire my collections which are grouped into traditional runway seasons: Spring/Summer, Fall/Winter and Holiday. I try to bring fashion forward color combinations and fun surprising colors.
“I am a big DIY’er and will often hand-make cards, baby clothes, bouquets… pretty much you name it and I can find a way.” What made you start your small business? I started Serum No. 5 in 2012. I have been making nail polishes since I was very young and it wasn’t until I was in law school that I began making custom nail polishes for myself and as gifts. It was a creative outlet for me when the rest of my life was in books and legalese. Then when I was in a hard place, professionally, with some encouragement, I took a leap of faith and started Serum No. 5. Are there any moments that stand out for you over the years? Any accolades or awards you’re most proud of? Within months of starting Serum No. 5, I have gained international attention for Day Glow, a strong and vibrant glow-in-the-dark polish that can even glow in the shade! I have also been featured in NAIL IT! Magazine several times. In November 2013, I curated a special charity event called Love, Preview which celebrated small businesses owned by women, where people could come and explore with the profits going to No Kid Hungry. All in all, I have donated over $8,000 and hope to reach $10,000 by the end of the year.
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Mark Giarrusso Mark Giarrusso Photography Fine Art Photography
Five years ago, my mother told me one day, “I think you would be a good photographer. I am going to get you a camera.” Up until then my photographic equipment consisted of disposable 35mm Kodak film cameras. Nothing wrong with those, but a far cry technologically from the Nikon she got me the next Christmas. About 11 months later, I was admitted into my first gallery and sold my first photo soon after.
“The best photos aren’t worth a thousand words; they don’t require any at all.” What is the hardest part of running your own business? One of my favorite photographers, Tim Hetherington used to say, “We live in an image driven society. We see thousands of images a day but do we really ever look at a photo?” Catching someone’s eye in a sea of photos on every social media platform as they fly by is extremely difficult. It’s almost as if you are trying to produce a unique needle in a stack of needles. However, if you take an honest and fresh approach, I feel you can separate yourself quite easily. What’s your most popular items to date? I think I am most well known for my photos of New York City. I live my life in the proverbial time warp and that definitely is evident in my work in the city. I love art deco design and architecture so naturally I am drawn to Rockefeller Center, the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building and so forth. But like every gorgeous thing there is much more to it than exterior beauty. There really is a palpable feeling of listening to relative silence in a city of 8 million people as I walk through them with my camera in the middle of the night.
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Our Sponsors...
Celebrity love for The Artisan Group... Feel free to tweet or Instagram a word of thanks to the TAG Team, too!
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Our Sponsors...
Celebrity love for The Artisan Group... Feel free to tweet or Instagram a word of thanks to the TAG Team, too!
10 | Vol. 2 | GBK’s Pre-Primetime Emmys Gift Lounge
Billie Hackett Amayeli Jewelry
There There are two important aspects to my approach to business; treat my customers how I would expect to be treated as a customer, and focus on detail. In regards to a custom order, a customer once wrote a review saying “the artist is highly perfectionistic” and I took that as a huge compliment! Sometimes the smallest detail makes a big difference.
“I’ve always been interested in creating, and I really just started out making little gifts for friends, until someone said, ‘You should sell these.’” Tell us about your shop and the idea behind it. My shop name is Amayeli, (ah-maw-yeah-lee) which means, “an Island” in the endangered language of Tsalagi (Cherokee) which is part of my heritage. I had a fulltime job that I enjoyed, but that wasn’t fulfilling. I thought I should sell my designs, so I opened an Etsy shoppe, called Billie’s Designs. After about a year with some success, and acquiring new skills, I took my shop in a new direction, and Amayeli was born. It’s been a journey of ups and downs, and I am constantly evolving, and learning. My desire is to keep creating jewelry designs, that are both artistic and wearable. What are your favorite design/product trends? Right now, I am into creating pieces with floral, or feminine accents. For instance, my riveted copper and brass bangles are wire wrapped with sweet rosesin various colors. The wire I use to make the bracelet is hammered, so they still retain the rustic feel that is Amayeli. I’ve also been drawn to brass and gold lately, especially in my wire designs. Its beauty rivals that of gold, and gold is really making a comeback! Mixing rustic and feminine are being seen a lot in my designs lately.
amayeli.etsy.com
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T.V. Gifting Ever noticed the beautiful jewelry and accessories on your favorite television characters? The Artisan Group works directly with many costume stylists to provide handcrafted products created by our team for use on such hit shows as “The Vampire Diaries,” “Parenthood,” “Scandal,” and “The Voice,” just to name a few. The stylists we work with often say our gift bags of handcrafted goodies are “just like Christmas morning!” To date, The Artisan Group has successfully placed over 125 of our member’s products on hit television shows.
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A Few Hit TV Shows We’ve Worked With...
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Kristal Lee Atutudes Hand Made Tutus Children’s Apparel
I was reading Martha Stewart Living and came across an article about Etsy and decided to check it out. I opened our tutu shop in 2010 and Atutudes was born! The rest, as they say, is history. Etsy made it much easier to grow our business due to its built-in base of handmade fans and shoppers.
“The beauty of owning my own Etsy shop is that I can set the turn-around time based on the demand. I believe the customers understand they are buying a hand-made item.” How did your business begin? We became business owners quite by accident. My best friend, Jennifer Lee, and I were planning her daughter’s first birthday party. She purchased a tutu at a local shop, but it was not exactly the perfect one. We decided to do a little research and try our hand at making them ourselves. Once I made the first one, I was hooked! Quickly, we knew we were onto something and started our own website. What’s been your most popular item or line to date? Definitely the Mini Audrey Heburn Tutu Dress. Our products were heading to Hollywood with The Artisan Group for the GBK Luxury Celebrity Gift Lounge honoring the Oscars and I thought it would be fun to create a Red Carpet line. I did the research and could not believe that no one had created a mini Audrey costume yet! I chose her most iconic Breakfast At Tiffany’s outfit and put my twist on it. It took off immediately! One lucky pin on Pinterest and it was pinned and re-pinned hundreds of times. We could not keep up with the orders that Halloween. It was a blessing.
atutudes.etsy.com
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Our Sponsors...
Celebrity love for The Artisan Group... Feel free to tweet or Instagram a word of thanks to the TAG Team, too!
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Our Sponsors...
personalized jewelry
w w w. C a mi l e e . co m
Celebrity love for The Artisan Group... Feel free to tweet or Instagram a word of thanks to the TAG Team, too!
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Kellie Medivitz PrintableGirl Paper Goods & Stationery
I’ve worked as a graphic designer for over 20 years in a corporate environment which sometimes can feel like I sold my chevron-floral-print soul to the devil for a steady income and medical insurance. I love what I do but I needed more creative, and outside-the-box ways to develop and practice my passion.
“Keep your eye on that big goal you have for yourself. Hardly anything happens exactly when you want it to.” Tell us about your shop and the idea behind it. I wanted to offer fun and attractive stationery designs that can be edited and used for many different occasions, as well as offer the full-service treatment with professional design, print and delivery that is ready to send. Whether you choose a design from PrintableGirl.com or ask for a one-of-a-kind Kellie Medivitz creation, I always want my products to leave them with a “Wow!” impression. What’s the hardest part about running your own business? Juggling a full-time job, family, and client needs all at the same time. I will admit to getting up at 5 a.m. on a Saturday morning, while everyone else is tucked away sleeping, just to get a few more designs done for the next holiday season or working on custom orders. What’s the best lesson you have you learned in running your own business? In the wise words as only Disney can deliver, “Let it go… Let it go!”. Life happens and you just have to roll with it.
printablegirl.com
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Toni & Lily Perez SimplyCaprine Goat Milk Soaps Bath and Spa Products
The initial idea behind SimplyCaprine was to utilize the milk that we were accumulating from our lovely dairy goats, and to provide people with an affordable, all natural alternative to the mainstream skincare lines. Four years later this is still our primary focus.
“SimplyCaprine is all about simple. We believe that nature and creativity are simplicity in themselves and it is our goal to incorporate both into all that we do.” How did your business begin? Our mother-daughter business actually grew out of our dream to have a farm and the desire to have a more holistic and sustainable lifestyle. In moving from Los Angeles to Florida, we found a happy space between city and rural living. As daughter Lily grew older, raised by Toni’s belief in quality and ingenuity, she felt an excitement to create a goat milk skincare business together as a team. Thus it was from the endeavors of a loving mom and the far-reaching imaginations of her daughter that SimplyCaprine was born. What is your favorite part in the process of designing products? The beauty of being equal partners in business and that we are both able to contribute our own talents to the creation of SimplyCaprine. Toni has a knack for creating formulas and blending oils that result in the highest quality products. Lily, on the other hand, applies her rife imagination to new product ideas and the design and packaging.
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Our Sponsors...
Celebrity love for The Artisan Group... Feel free to tweet or Instagram a word of thanks to the TAG Team, too!
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t y i r a Ch ing Gift
Charity gifting. The reward in knowing you made a difference in someone life. As Charity Ambassador and charter member of The Artisan GroupŽ, I have the opportunity to work closely with our members and charitable organizations to make these gifting events come alive. Seeing first-hand the work that goes into the products our members create and knowing they are gifting these items for a good cause touches my heart. 20 | Vol. 2 | GBK’s Pre-Primetime Emmys Gift Lounge
Kellie Medivitz Charity Ambassador, The Artisan Group Designer, PrintableGirl
Hearing what a difference we’ve made and the lives we have touched through these events makes charity gifting one of the most rewarding aspects of being a part of The Artisan Group.
“Opening The Artisan Group’s package made it feel like Christmas came early because there was something unique for everyone!” – The Joyful Child Foundation, Auction Winner To date, The Artisan Group has helped raised over $10,200 for charities such as Project Chemo Crochet; Animal Rescue Fund of Mississippi; Let’s Move Together Arthritis Foundation; WipeOUT Cancer Foundation; and The Joyful Child Foundation, just to mention a few.
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Shawna Ziemer Wags & Wiggles Pet Toys & Accessories
My personal approach in business is I am an entrepreneur, but I am also a consumer. I always look for quality in what I buy so I have very high standards for what I create. My own dog’s toy box is filled with ‘misfit toys’. Most of them no one can see the flaw in them, but I am a bit of a perfectionist. I would never sell anything that I didn’t think was my best work.
“I have learned to become content with slow steady growth for my business rather than fast overnight success. In the end, the journey is just as important as the destination.” What is your favorite part in the process of designing products? I would have to say my favorite part of the design process is picking the fabric for each toy. I can spend an entire afternoon in a fabric store. The colors, the textures, coordinating different designs, I love it all! It is probably the aspect of designing a toy I spend the most time on as well. If I am not 100% satisfied with the way the fabrics look I will not make the toy. I currently have a few new toy designs that I have not produced because I just can’t seem to get the right fabrics to fit my vision. What’s been your most popular item or line to date? My most popular toy has been my Pepperoni Pizza slice. I have sold more of these than any other item by far. Which doesn’t surprise me because what dog doesn’t love people food?! The pizza actually came about from a custom toy request from one of my fellow TAG members. After the pizza passed her dog’s taste test, I added it to my line and sell out of them often. It’s great to be able to say that I deliver pizzas all over the world! 22wagsandwiggles.etsy.com | Vol. 2 | GBK’s Pre-Primetime Emmys Gift Lounge
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