Top 5 Reasons to Go to the Green Festival!

May 11th, 2012

1. The Green Kids Zone!

This photo of the Chicago Green Festival can’t even capture all the fun being had:

- Artterro bookmaking project       – Story Time Yoga

- Hula hoops & balance boards     – Delicious snacks from Cliffbar

- Two very different petting zoos (one with fuzzy bunnies and one with less fuzzy millipedes, roaches, worms and tarantulas!)

2. Scary Styrofoam Monster!

It’s huge, right?  Actually, this big, unfriendly giant is made up of only a fraction of the Styrofoam containers that the New York city school system uses Every Single Day.  Now that is scary.  But it also seems like something that would be easy to fix, if enough people speak out about it.  The Green Festival is a great place to learn about problems while simultaneously brainstorming solutions and making connections with others who want to help.

3. Delicious Organic/ Fairtrade/ Handmade/ Heirloom/ Raw/ Nutritious FOOD!

There was something for everyone in Chicago, from raw lemon bars to vegan lasagna.  I think we sampled every brand of fair trade chocolate known to man.  Yum.

4. The message of “Less Consumerism and Better Consumerism.”

So many of us buy more than we need, wasting money, resources and space.  Events like the Green Festival remind us of the cost of excessive consumerism, and also give us great alternatives to consider.  Some of our favorites from the festival are Mata Traders for gorgeous fair trade dresses and accessories handcrafted by a women’s cooperative in India, Malia Designs for beautiful bags and wallets that support organizations dedicated to ending human trafficking, and Cliffbar, one of the event’s sponsors and a great green business role model.

5. Meeting future leaders of the Green Movement:Seeing so many kids running around the Green Festival, learning about their world and what they can do to protect it from harm, is so inspiring and hopeful!  These kids will grow up very aware of the challenges we face and they’ll have the tools they need to think of CREATIVE solutions!

Thanks to everyone at Green Festivals for organizing a wonderful event and inviting us to be a part of it.  You inspire us!

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Retailer Spotlight: Fair Indigo

March 29th, 2012

In a recent post we shared a few of the new retail partners we met at the NY Gift Fair.  Today we’d like to introduce you to one that feels like an especially natural partnership for Artterro.  Fair Indigo is an online retailer with a wealth of beautiful, eco-friendly/ fair trade/ US-made and all-around fabulous clothing and gifts.  Their offices are just a few miles away from ours, and like Artterro, they are leading their industry by example, proving that sustainable values are an asset, not a liability.

You’ll find three of our kits in their Gifts for Kids and Made in the USA sections, and we’re thrilled to be in such great company.  There’s a common misconception that nothing is made in the US anymore.

If you click on the image above, you’ll see some wonderfully unique, US-made goods, from scarves and blankets to toys and garden kits.  So take a look around, and keep Fair Indigo in mind for your future clothing and gifts needs!

One Response to “Retailer Spotlight: Fair Indigo”

  1. Interesting! I will be sure to check the kids gift section. Thanks!

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Let’s Kickstart Artterro Together!

March 21st, 2012

Kickstarter Video Link

In case you missed the flurry of Facebook and Twitter updates, something exciting is happening at Artterro, and we need your help to make it a success!  Last week we launched a project that will connect us with a larger community of fans and supporters, boost sales, and help us grow our company.  It’s our Kickstarter Campaign featuring our very cool new video and lots of fantastic supporter rewards.

Not familiar with Kickstarter?  This “crowd-funding” website lets artists and creative companies bypass traditional banks and investors by going directly to their communities to find many backers.  Backers can give a little bit or a lot in exchange for a variety of unique rewards.  In our case, the rewards are various selections of Artterro kits at a great price.

So, why support Artterro via Kickstarter instead of ordering from our webstore or elsewhere?

  1. The infusion of sales will allow us to fund our next production run up front, which greatly improves our cash flow during our slowest season.
  2. This campaign will help us spread the word about Artterro.  Campaigns are designed to be easily shareable, so hopefully you’ll tell your friends and families, who will tell their friends and so on.
  3. When you support an up-and-coming business on Kickstarter, you’re voting with your dollars in favor of innovation, creativity and grassroots economic development.  We hope that you will explore lots of projects on Kickstarter.  We can all build the New Economy together!

We cannot do this without you.  We really need all our fans and supporters to help this campaign gain momentum and get off the ground fast!  Kickstarter is all or nothing, if we don’t reach our goal, we don’t get funded and no one is charged.  Here’s what you can do:

  • Click here to check out our campaign and very cool video
  • Pledge to our campaign
  • Link to our campaign on Facebook & Twitter
  • Forward this blog post to family, friends & co-workers

And please let us know what you think of this crowd-funding idea!   We hope that it will help us grow into a bigger, better, even more creative and sustainable Artterro.  Thank you for believing in us!

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NY Gift Fair: Finding Our Niche

February 11th, 2012

One of the coolest things about the New York International Gift Fair is how it promotes sustainable ideals and innovative products.  We were thrilled to have our Art Journal Kit and Wool Felt Bug Kit selected for the SustainAbility: Design for a Better World display, which meant being eligible for one of the exclusive Eco-Choice Awards.

SustainAbility Display

Only about half of the applicants were chosen for the display, so we felt incredibly honored to be included!

Here’s the bug habitat we made to show off our Wool Felt Bug Kit.

Art Bug Habitat

We also tried for the Best New Product with our Art Journal Kits.  Here they are in the Baby & Child display:

Although we didn’t take home any awards this time, it felt great to be recognized for our values along with our product design, and we left the gift fair feeling like we had connected with just the like-minded retailers we’ve been looking for.

We wrote orders for eco-boutiques on the hunt for sustainable, sophisticated gifts, museum stores looking for the next generation of arts and crafts for their art-loving customers and eclectic gift shops that are responding positively to consumer demand for US-made products.

Our Eco Art Kits were just what these buyers were looking for!  People told us over and over that they were grateful we were there.  We are proud to partner with so many stores that share our values.  Here are just a few of our newest retail partners:

The Guggenheim Museum

Fair Indigo

Contemporary Jewish Museum

greendesign

Green Ink

Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture

We can’t wait to reach a whole new audience through these great accounts.

As always, if you have a favorite local store that you think should stock our kits, please tell the manager!  Or tell us and we’ll contact them for you.  Word-of-mouth is the best advertising for a small, sustainable business like ours!

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NY Gift Fair: Booth Transformation!

February 7th, 2012

We had an absolutely amazing time at the New York International Gift Fair!  Our shipping department is bustling, and will be for months, thanks to our wonderful new accounts.  We were blown away by the glowing reviews and delighted responses we got from store owners and buyers everyday.  Thank you NYC!

Happy Artterro Owners, Forrest & Jen.

Designing our booth is always an especially fun trade show challenge–how do you catch the eye of busy, overwhelmed buyers and press people on the hunt for the hottest new products and trends of 2012?  We decided to highlight our beautiful materials with some handmade art of our own.  Our booth went from this:

The empty booth

To this:

Halfway there…

To (finally!) this:

Finished Booth!

Here are some close-ups on the homemade flag banner, paper crane mobile and various shadow boxes full of Artterro art:

A book in our gallery.

Paper Crane Mobile

Paper Flag Banner

Owls, flowers, spiders and more…

Bright & Cheerful

Stay tuned!  More New York excitement to come, including our debut in the SustainAbility showcase and the Best New Product competition!

2 Responses to “NY Gift Fair: Booth Transformation!”

  1. Laurie Meek says:

    This is awesome! I just emailed the link to my business partner and might “knock off” your idea for when we do our very first Expo at the Professional Organizing Convention in March. I remember seeing your booth at NYIGF but I’m not sure we stopped by or not. Will you be at the Stationary Show in May?

  2. Jen says:

    Hi Laurie! Thanks so much for the compliment. We’re not sure about our trade show plans for the spring, but maybe we’ll see you there. Either way, I hope you have a great show!

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Beautiful New Catalog for 2012!

January 6th, 2012

Hello again, and a belated Happy New Year from Artterro!  We are so excited to introduce something we’ve been working hard on for several weeks–our new catalog for 2012! Click on the image below to check it out.

Artterro 2012 Catalog

You’ll see a ton of gorgeous new samples and read more about what makes Artterro so special. Please feel free to share with family and friends, plus any stores you know who should be carrying our products. Thanks for your support!

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Announcing the Green Kids Holiday Party!

November 4th, 2011

UPDATE! Party date has been changed to Wednesday Nov. 16th.

Are you already stressed about shopping for the holidays this year?  Never fear, sustainable small businesses are here!

Artterro has partnered with several other unique, green and all around great companies to bring you the Green Kids Holiday Party!  Just head over to our Facebook page and RSVP to attend on Wednesday, Nov. 16, from 11-4pm CST.  Once you’re there, join in the conversation–your comments count as official entries.  We’ll be giving you lots of details on the prizes throughout the next week, below are just a few, so check back frequently!

1 Grand Prize:
Package worth over $300 of gifts from our participating companies

How to Enter:

1. RSVP to attend the Green Kids Holiday Party

2. Get to know all the participating companies via their websites and Facebook pages. “Likes” are highly encouraged, but not required.

3. Starting at 11:00 AM CST on Wednesday, Nov. 16, come over to the event page to join the party! We’ll be sharing ideas and inspiration for making your holiday season green, affordable and memorable, and we’d love to hear your ideas too! Each comment counts as an official entry, so let us know what you think!

4. Winners will be randomly drawn at 5:00 p.m. on the 16th and announced on the event page.

Rules:
Open to Continental U.S. residents 18 and older. Comment on event page on Nov. 16 from 11-4pm CST is the official entry


GRAND PRIZE INCLUDES:

Artterro:: www.artterro.com
www.facebook.com/artterro

With our line of 12 eco art kits, Artterro brings art into people’s lives by offering inspiring materials, operating a sustainable business and providing friends and families a fun and worthwhile experience to share.

Art Dolls Kit: Craft 4 fun dolls to design, dress and treasure! Art Journal Kit: (choose 2 colors) Learn fun doodling, drawing and collage techniques with inspiring materials.Wire & Bead Kit: Twist & bend amazing sculptures! Shape colorful wire & adorn with beads.

Celebrate Green:: http://www.celebrategreen.net/
www.facebook.com/celebrategreen

We’re a mother-daughter team, Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson who write, speak and spread the word that eco-friendly holidays and celebrations are easy, fun and affordable.

Celebrate Green!: Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family" Providing practical, fun ways to introduce eco-friendly ideas into celebrations throughout the year, this handbook gives families the means to launch green entertaining.

Glob:: http://globiton.com/
https://www.facebook.com/globpaints
Makers of natural non-toxic paints with vegetable, fruit, and flower pigments.  From the garden to the studio, GLOB paints naturally inspire.
Paint pigments come in packets in the jars. Fill jar with water and the desired amount of paint pigment. Blends and thickens as you shake. It’s that easy!
Each jar makes 2-4 oz of paint. A little goes a long way!
BOX OF 4 COLORS, 2 OZ JARS:
4 VIBRANT BOTANICAL COLORS: Lemon Verbena, Blueberry,
Pomegranate, Basil
GLOB arts and crafts products are sourced from natural, recyclable and biodegradable materials.
GLOB specializes in botanically crafted paints made from fruits, vegetables, flowers and spices with natural ingredients and organic extracts.
Six sustainable bamboo brushes.
2 flat (6.5″), 2 fine tip (6.5″) and 2 small stubby brushes (4.5″) with an aluminum ferrule and cruelty-free bristles. The soft brushes are great for arts, crafts, and cosmetic use.
Handmade seed papers made from 100% natural, biodegradable & recycled fibers, seeds & plant material. Printed with vegetable and soy inks.

Kidzaw: http://kidzaw.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kidzaw/160167827376266

Kidzaw’s Master Kitz product line is a fun and engaging way to expose children to the great master painters and art history.

Master Kitz for Van Gogh's Starry Night and Klimt's The Tree of Life include all the tools your child needs to create their own masterpiece along with learning materials to deepen their understanding of the Impressionism movement and mosaics. Prize package includes 2 of each kit.

Mama K’s Play Clay:: http://mama-ks.com/
www.facebook.com/MamaKs

A wholesome, all-natural addition to play time, Mama K’s Play Clay is a kid-safe clay with subtle aromatherapy oils to soothe the mind.

The complete set of 7 aromatic play clays, plus a maple roller and 3 cutters.

Peeps Eyewear:: www.peepseyewear.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Peeps-Eyewear/129044560444242

Peeps Eyewear is on a mission to help provide an empowering first glasses experience for children who GET to wear glasses and increase awareness of the importance of early childhood vision health.
The Princess Peeps package is equipped with the book, “Princesses Wear Glasses,” and a fun, age appropriate princess dress-up cloak and crown.

YumButter: www.yumbutter.com
www.facebook.com/yumbutter

Yumbutter is a delicious and utterly unique line of peanut butters that was created out of one man’s passion for “nutrition, responsible business, and helping others.”

Five 1 lb. jars of Yumbutter, including Asian Jazz, Cranberry & Coconutty, Dark Chocolate Delishe, On the Rocks and Straight Up...yum!

Zoe B Organics:: www.zoeborganic.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Zoë-b-Organic/129197130464852

Zoë b Organic is all about BPA-free, sustainable, organic products for babies and kids.

Keep baby happily asleep in the stroller, in the car, or on the plane - thanks to the unique, fold-down mask that blocks out light. Designed with safety in mind...this hat is breathable, super soft, 100% organic cotton

The world's only dishwasher-safe dishes made from corn. •No BPA or phthalates •Made from corn, not petroleum •Made in USA Set include 1 bowl, 1 plate and 1 tumbler.

• Made with 100% natural rubber from the tree Hevea Brasiliensis. • No BPA, PVC, phthalates, chemical softeners, or artificial coloring. • Uniquely hygienic, one-piece design, with no joints or cracks where dirt and bacteria can accumulate. • Made in Italy—by a family business manufacturing rubber baby products for 3 generations (see video). •Allergen-free. (The protein that on rare occasions can provoke a latex allergy is completely eliminated during production.) • Larger shield touches the nose, comforting baby and more closely simulating breastfeeding. • Softer than silicone—unlike conventional pacifiers, won’t leave marks on baby’s face. • Conforms to pacifier-safety requirements as determined by European standard EN 1400 and CPSIA.

Natursutten teething rings are filled with purified sterilized water, free of any chemicals. The rings themselves are made from EVAtane (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate), a material also used for medical products, free of BPA-A, phthalates and any chemical softeners. This product bears the EN 71 EU European standard, an EU norm concerned with safety in child use and care articles and conforms to CPSIA. Made in Germany.

And much more from the companies listed below!
The Amazing Participating Businesses:

The grand prize worth over $500 will include items from all of these companies!

Artterro: www.artterro.com
www.facebook.com/artterro

With our line of 12 eco art kits, Artterro brings art into people’s lives by offering inspiring materials, operating a sustainable business and providing friends and families a fun and worthwhile experience to share.

Celebrate Green: http://www.celebrategreen.net/
www.facebook.com/celebrategreen

We’re a mother-daughter team, Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson who write, speak and spread the word that eco-friendly holidays and celebrations are easy, fun and affordable.

Glob: http://globiton.com/
https://www.facebook.com/globpaints

Makers of natural non-toxic paints with vegetable, fruit, and flower pigments.  From the garden to the studio, GLOB paints naturally inspire.

Kidzaw: http://kidzaw.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kidzaw/160167827376266

Kidzaw’s Master Kitz product line is a fun and engaging way to expose children to the great master painters and art history.

LuSa Organics: www.lusaorganics.com/
www.facebook.com/pages/LuSa-Organics/57253869608

Handmade, organic, damn fine body care – joyfully made in Viroqua, Wisconsin.

Mama K’s Play Clay: http://mama-ks.com/
www.facebook.com/MamaKs

A wholesome, all-natural addition to play time, Mama K’s Play Clay is a kid-safe clay with subtle aromatherapy oils to soothe the mind.

O’Bon: www.myobon.com/
www.facebook.com/obonusa

A collection of beautiful, eco-friendly art and stationery products such as pencils, journals and erasers.

Peeps Eyewear: www.peepseyewear.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Peeps-Eyewear/129044560444242

Peeps Eyewear is on a mission to help provide an empowering first glasses experience for children who GET to wear glasses and increase awareness of the importance of early childhood vision health.

Scrap Kins: www.thescrapkins.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ScrapKins

The Scrap Kins is an NYC-based Creativity program for kids based on the adventures of a group of monsters that live in a recycling center and build their world out of the things we throw away.

Yumbutter: http://www.yumbutter.com/
https://www.facebook.com/yumbutter

Delicious and unique nut butters, with flavors like Asian Jazz and Dark Chocolate Delishe.  For ever jar purchased, a serving of Yumbutter is sent to kids in need.

Zoe B Organics: www.zoeborganic.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Zoë-b-Organic/129197130464852

Zoë b Organic is all about BPA-free, sustainable, organic products for babies and kids.

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Introducing the Art Journal Kit!

October 25th, 2011

We’re so excited to finally share a behind-the-scenes peek of our newest product with you: The Strathmore® Art Journal Kit designed by Artterro®.

Five beautiful colors to choose from!

I say finally because it’s been over a year in the making!  We met the Strathmore Artist Papers team at the National Art Materials Trade Association show a few years ago, but it wasn’t until last year that we realized there was exciting potential for collaboration.   In case you’re not familiar with their products, for over a hundred years, Strathmore has made exceptionally high-quality paper for a wide variety of media, everything from charcoal to watercolor.  We looked at their lovely line of art pads and sketch books and thought about our mission of inspiring creativity in everyone.  How could we make a plain pad of paper more inviting and exciting for people of all ages who don’t necessarily have a lot of art training but still want to create?  How could we transform it into a special, engaging place to explore your creativity and try out new-to-you art techniques?

After a little brainstorming and lots of conversations back and forth, we realized that the product we were imagining would combine tips and suggestions for beginners, along with a beautiful selection of papers to inspire mixed-media collage, doodling, drawing, painting and even writing.  In short, our dream product was the Art Journal Kit.

Happily, the team at Strathmore gave us the go ahead to design the kit and write the project sheets.  We handed out prototypes to friends and family, kids and grown-ups, novices and art school grads, and turned all that feedback into the great product you see here:

Tons of project ideas to get you started

We’re so proud to see the results of our collaboration with Strathmore.  The kit includes a cover you can decorate and make your own, pages full of project ideas and tips, a pocket for scraps and found objects, 100% recycled, handmade papers from Shizen Designs (they make all the beautiful paper in our kits) and Strathmore’s bright construction paper and fine art drawing paper.

Mixed-media collage in progress…

It’s perfectly sized for portability, so you can always have it with you when inspiration strikes (and you really never know when that will be).

Where will you take your new Art Journal Kit?

They make wonderful gifts for all the creative people in your life, or for those who may need some creativity in their lives.  Spark Blog readers can take 20% off with the coupon code 20OFF, so pick one up from the Artterro Store today!

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Inspiring Girls to Dream Big!

August 17th, 2011

We hosted some delightful visitors this week.  Two of Forrest’s neighbors, Destiny and Claire, took two days out of their busy schedules to be volunteer entrepreneurs at Artterro.

Our ambitious and enterprising volunteers.

They learned the ins and outs of running a small business: taking orders, packaging and shipping product, making samples for store displays and, since this is the 21st century, blogging!  We armed them with a camera and notepad, and as you’ll see, they took great behind-the-scene shots and made some very interesting observations.  Without further ado, I present this entry from our guest bloggers, Destiny and Claire.

Writing and editing this post.

At the Artterro headquarters there are lots of hardworking people, making an effort to sell good products to you.

Hard workers

Shipping

They have lots of unique strategies for packing and shipping art kits to different stores.

The awesome kits in their boxes.

They use all natural products, including wood, glass, shell, bone, and seed beads.

Wonderful, natural beads.

Each of Artterro’s art kits has a basic design, but lots of different ways to switch it up and be creative yourself.  There are lot of different ways to express your creativity in art with Artterro’s art kits.  You can make something for your garden, with a garden art kit, or make a neat pattern in your jeans with natural felt.

Natural Felt

You could even add a nice colorful touch to your car by designing something  from a creativity kit to hang from the mirror.  Artterro sends their costumers samples with their orders, so that people in the stores can see how to make it.

Different Samples

More possibilities

A big thank you to Destiny and Claire for visiting our office, helping us make some beautiful samples and sharing their inspiring ideas.  We hope they had so much fun they’ll start their own businesses someday.   We also hope to invite many more girls to explore our office in the future.  The next generation of women needs to know that owning a business is a fun and creative challenge well within their reach.

Tell us in the comments if you have any ideas on how to encourage entrepreneurship in young women.  Let’s make it happen!

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Bringing Art into the Community

August 5th, 2011

We’ve been having lots of fun on the road this summer, offering a free art project at all sorts of community events like the Chicago Green Festival and the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair.  It’s a great opportunity to connect with our customers and see how people of all ages and backgrounds respond to our products.  Kids light up when they see all the colorful papers and beads, and dig in without needing any instructions.  Their parents often sit down and join them, with assurance from us that it’s “not just for kids!”

Bookmarks

Bookmark Art

Our fans prove time and again that when you start with beautiful materials, like our handmade papers…

Handmade Paper

Showing off our 100% recycled, handmade paper!

…you’ll end up with something lovely!  Here’s a colorful collage bookmark complete with threaded border:

Flower Collage Bookmark

Flower Collage Bookmark

This is definitely the most beautiful, sparkly chicken we’ve ever seen on one of our bookmarks.  Look how the artist used our textured paper to make different kinds of feathers:

Artterro Chicken Bookmark

Pretty Chicken

These young ladies spent the better part of a day at our table, proving that our kits appeal to a wide range of ages:

Artterro Fans

Artterro Fans at the Energy Fair.

Check out the detailing on this artist’s tree and river collage bookmark:

Tree & River Collage Bookmark

Tree & River Collage Bookmark

Just beautiful.  Every time we pack up to leave another fun festival or fair, we leave with renewed purpose, excited to bring creativity and open-ended art to as many people as we can!

I hope you can make it to one of our frequent community events to make something beautiful yourself!  Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to find out where we’ll be next!  Our growing company relies on word of mouth to reach new customers, so your support truly helps us bring more art and creativity to the world.  Thanks for being a part of our success!

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