LBPopUpShop

Don't Forget - We're Opening Tonight at Portfolio Coffee House, starting at 7pm

2009-12-18T09:23:00.000-08:00

We're taking a quick break from our final Pop Up preparations to invite you once again to join us tonight (Friday 12/18) at Portfolio Coffee House for the LB Pop Up Shop Holiday 2009 Opening Night Event.

I feel like there should be a drum roll and cymbal clash, or one of those retro "tah-dah" horn blasts in there somewhere. Maybe you'll indulge me and imagine it. There. Wasn't that cool?

Anyway, please stop in. We'll be at it from 7 pm to 10 pm. And it's going to be as good as it sounds, we promise.

2 Days 'til the LB Pop Up Shop pops up at Portfolio Coffee House on 4th Street!

2009-12-16T19:43:00.000-08:00

I've never been very good about keeping news under wraps. And right now I'm bursting, really.

I want to tell you everything about everything we're cooking up for the LB Pop Up Shop holiday event this weekend. Unfortunately, my fellow Poperatives have sworn me to secrecy about certain things. Like this year's very different Pop Up Shop look and feel, complete with live Christmas trees from toddschristmastrees.com. And the live music we're having at our Opening Event on Friday evening (12/18 -- 7 pm to 10 pm). And most definitely the Secret Santa Mystery Gift that you can snag if you present one of our postcards* to any of the Poperatives manning the Shop this weekend.

Rest assured, it will be all I can do to hold back. The best thing for all of us would be for you to stop in and experience it for yourself.

Something I can share with all of you is the work of one of our new LB Pop Up Shop artisans, Anna Bae. Anna is a Long Beach artist, textile designer, art instructor, and fashion and costume illustrator whose hand-painted silk scarves and accessories have been showcased in greater-LA museum stores and local boutiques:

No silk-screening or mass production here. Each piece features hand-drawn images that are painted with dyes and then steamed for up to 4 hours to produce rich, brilliant colors.

Several of my most fashionable girlfriends back east were lucky recipients of Anna's sleek, chic silk eyeglass cases a few holidays back, and they rave about them to this day. I predict you will rave as well.

I also predict that you'll be seeing more updates to this blog as we get closer to Opening Night. We hope that you'll check back and we hope that you can join us this weekend.

Cheers!

Your Long Beach Poperatives

LB Pop Up Shop Holiday Event

Portfolio Coffee House - 2300 4th Street, Long Beach

Friday 12/18 -- 7 pm to 10 pm (Opening Event)

Saturday 12/19 -- 9 am to 5 pm

Sunday 12/20 -- 9 am to 5 pm

*Postcards can be found for the taking at shops throughout Long Beach, including (spoiler alert) Portfolio Coffee House.

Featured Artists: LB Pop Up Shop 2009 Holiday Edition

2009-12-13T14:09:00.000-08:00

We have several of your favorite artists/Poperatives from our 2008 Holiday Pop Up Shop back by popular demand, including:

Jennifer Alden -- Jennifer Alden Design

Since last we Popped Up, Jen has been quite busy making both new merchandise and a big name for herself throughout the greater LA retail scene. You can find her handcrafted fashion accessories, home items, and artwork in an increasing number of local boutiques and on her just-launched website, www.jenniferaldendesign.com

We're bringing you some of the most sought-after items in her collection, all in one hot shopping spot.

Chris Giaco -- Circle Six Books

Circle Six Books continues to offer the most eclectic gift book and all-occasion card selection you'll find anywhere in Long Beach, and Chris has pulled the cream of the crop especially for us. And whether you've been naughty or nice, you can snag them at the LB Pop Up Shop for 50% to 70% less than you'd pay at retail.

Myriam Joseph & Steve Meyers -- Joy Spread the Word

We couldn't be happier to have Myriam, Steve and their wonderful Joy Jerseys with us again for 2009. These soft-as-your-favorite-blankie childrens shirts (made from bamboo and organic cotton fabric) are printed with inspiring and soulful words that make your little ones partners in spreading messages of joy.

Visit her website for more info: www.joyspreadtheword.com

Laura Crawford -- Tangerine Treehouse

Long Beach's favorite bike touring adventuress/blogger/metal artisan is back with a brand new item: The Bike Mustache! Laura is hand-crafting these copper 'mustache' head badges in her mobile studio during stops on her current Path Less Pedaled US bike tour, and is making a selection available through the LB Pop Up Shop this year.

See more of Laura's work at www.tangerinetreehouse.com, and follow her bike adventures at www.pathlesspedaled.com.

Jayme Lynn Basset

Speaking of bikes, the Bike Burrito is another sure winner for the cyclist on your gift list. We featured these last year, and Jayme is back with more styles to please any road warrior or casual rider. We'll also have a selection of her adorable handmade purses and clutches that will keep your essential items fashionably at hand once your bike is parked and locked.

See more Bike Burrito styles at www.bikeburrito.com

Cari Marshall

Gift a dash of Long Beach style to friends near and far with Core Poperative Cari's hand-applied transferware ornaments and cachepots featuring the most delightful retro images. We were able to snag the last pieces in this particular series for this year's LB Pop Up Shop, so be to sure to check them out before they're gone!

In addition to her artistic, curatorial, and promotional talents, Cari is plugged in to just about everything cool happening in Long Beach and pens an awesome travel and art blog that's well worth a regular read. Check it out at holarubia.blogspot.com.

Along with these LB Pop Up Shop All-Stars, we have several new artists joining us for this year's Holiday Event. Check back soon for information and photos.

See you soon!

Your Long Beach Poperatives.

Season's Greetings from your Long Beach Poperatives!

2009-12-06T09:45:00.000-08:00

We have news to share with all of you: we'll be popping up again this year on 4th Street to bring you our special brand of hip holiday cheer. Here are the details:

We are thrilled to be working with the good folks at Portfolio Coffee House on 4th Street to once again bring you the coolest holiday shopping experience in Long Beach. We'll be there Friday December 18, Saturday December 19th and Sunday December 20th. We hope you will be, too.

Please bookmark this blog and visit us often in the days leading up to this year's event. We'll have lots of great things to share about the wonderful goodies you'll see at the LB Pop Up Shop this year -- lots of your favorite artisans are back, along with some exciting new discoveries -- as well as other cool tidbits to make your spirits bright throughout this special season.

We can't wait to show you what we've been up to!

Even Better The Second Time Around

2008-12-18T15:35:00.001-08:00

Many, many thanks to all the fine folks who came out for our second Art Theatre Pop Up last Sunday.

The weather held out, a bunch of cool new merchandise was on-hand, and lots of people were able to knock out their entire gift list in one shot -- all while eating peppermint bark, enjoying vintage holiday cartoons and music, and picking up a few wonderful (yet economical) gifties for themselves.

Is your own gift list unfinished -- or untouched, even? Well, we're here to take care of things.

Our final Pop Up of the holiday season is just days away -- this Sunday, December 21, from noon to 6 pm, once again at the Art Theatre on 4th Street in Long Beach. All you have to do is stop in, tell us who's left on your list and where your budget is at, and we'll treat you to our Personal Poperative Shopping Service. It's a completely stress-free shopping experience, with ooh's and ah's from delighted recipients included at no extra charge.

And let's face it -- you do deserve a bit of a treat these days.

Yours Most Merrily,

The Poperatives

Opening Day

2008-12-07T13:13:00.000-08:00

We did it!

On Saturday, the LB Pop Up Shop made a delightful debut at the Art Theatre on 4th Street as part of the Annual 4th Street Holiday Open House.

I'm happy to report that all the work it took to produce our little project was proven well worth the time and effort -- both by the fun we had seeing it all come together and by the enthusiastic reactions we received from the wonderful shoppers and passers-by we met during the day.

I feel truly good in saying that we made a lot of folks smile yesterday, including ourselves.

I could go on, but in my pleasant post-Pop Up haze I think it's best to let the pictures tell the story. But before I knock off for today, I will encourage everyone to pop on in for our next Pop Up at the Art Theatre this Sunday from noon to 6pm. We're adding even more new treasures this week and we wouldn't want you to miss them.

Your Mother Was Right...

2008-12-01T15:42:00.000-08:00

A handmade gift is the very best kind. I used to make and give them all the time -- always to great accolades and gushes of hugs and kisses. And I can still find the glazed ceramic top hat bank I sculpted for Father's Day sitting atop my Dad's bureau. The eggshell-covered plastic juice bottle "vase" made for a long-ago Christmas is on display nearby, holding a fresh seasonal sprig. Never mind that my eggshell application technique hasn't exactly stood the test of time, or that I had to initially convince my Dad that the bank was indeed a hat and not a freakishly thick-stemmed mushroom. My parents cherished these one-of-a-kind creations that were made especially for them, and have kept them to this day.

Alas, what was charming in Kindergarten does not a good gift make once you're an adult. With my crafting skills leveling off at about a third grade level, I went to mass-produced presents. I didn't like it, but I didn't feel I had any other options.

Luckily, the fog has lifted. A wonderful discovery has brought renewed purpose to my shopping and giving: Handmade gifts can bring great joy even if (or in my case, especially if) they are not made by you.

There are so many talented, creative folks out there making beautiful things that you, your friends, and your loved ones will use, enjoy, and ultimately cherish. And that's what gifts are all about, really.

I have many favorites to share, starting with some gorgeous goodies whipped up by a few of our own Poperatives:

With their whimsical retro images, Cari Marshall's delightful transferware pots and ornaments could be treasures your adventurous Aunt collected when she ran off to Europe for that year after finishing school. Several of my friends back East will be receiving some of Cari's cool California-themed ornaments this year to remind them of what they're missing out here! If you don't have an adventurous Aunt, or if your own family heirlooms are more Franklin Mint than Paris Flea Market, you'll want to start a new tradition with these:

Laura Crawford combines bits and pieces of nature with meticulously crafted metal work in her line of Tangerine Treehouse jewelry. The seeds, petals, leaves and bark that are her hallmark "precious gems" are paired with 100% recycled sterling silver. I gifted my seriously stylish cousin in NJ with a Tangerine Treehouse bracelet last Christmas; she mentions how much she loves it pretty much every time we talk:

I own an awesome leather clutch from Jennifer Alden Designs, and whenever I take it out on the town I get approached by women who want to know where I got it. What gal doesn't love that feeling? Once you see her ethereal hand-felted flowers, scarves and custom-fashioned leather hair accessories, you may need one of her larger totes to hold all of your new favorite things:

You can find these and other equally special items for sale at the LB Pop Up Shop on Saturday, December 6th (that's this Saturday -- goodness, time is flying!) in front of the Art Theatre on 4th Street in Long Beach.

We'll be there from noon to 6pm as part of the Annual 4th Street Holiday Event, and we hope that you will, too.

Warm Regards,

The LBP's.

Counting Down to Popping Up: The Poperative Elves build a Workshop!

2008-11-24T17:04:00.000-08:00

As you'll see from these photos (from the camera of Poperative Cari), we Poperatives gave Santa's elves a run for their money this weekend as we transformed a host of found/recycled furnishings into our LB PopUp Shop displays. Under the guidance of Poperative Jen -- and with the help of supportive co-Poperatives Eric and Eric -- our set-up has started to come to life.

Jen's extensive experience in the retail design/merchandising arena has translated into a clever, inviting, yet brilliantly functional floor plan that manages to conquer all of those pesky space challenges that go along with popping up in non-traditional locations. Check out our postcard and poster image on this site and around town to get a preview of our unique holiday wonderland.

Now that it's all coming together, we can't wait for you to see it!

LA Times Gives Props to Handmade

2008-11-22T12:25:00.000-08:00

There's a great article in today's LA Times Home section, titled Craft-making grows in popularity among young artisans. Although the story is a bit heavy on felt (who knew LA had a Felt Club??), it's a great glimpse at the resurgence of handmade goods on the marketplace. It even includes a quote from Etsy Vice President Matt Stinchcome.

This cute gal and her handmade friends were at the Felt Club's recent annual holiday sale, which drew about 4,500 shoppers and included 144 booths. Go handmade!

Join us for three Pop Ups in December!

2008-11-12T14:00:00.000-08:00

We’re So Happy You’ve Popped In!

2008-11-11T21:24:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the LB Pop Up Shop blog.

We're the Long Beach Poperatives, a group of local artisans, trend spotters and all-around smart shoppers on a mission to share the kinds of "where did you get that...?" items that we especially enjoy. Through LB Pop Up Shop, we'll bring you all of your new favorite treasures; most created locally, and all creatively cool.

We thrive on the unexpected. We'll offer up our goods with a dash of surprise and delight, in a way that makes people look forward to their next LB Pop Up Shop encounter. When you see us, it won't be in your typical retail setting, and it will be for a limited time. And we promise you: we'll never be the same Pop Up twice.

In between Pop Ups, we'll keep the good energy going through this blog. We'll chat. We'll give you clues as to where we'll Pop Up next. And we'll tell you about the special and unusual things we've come upon that we think should be on your radar, too. We invite you to do the same for us.

LB Pop Up Shop debuts at the 4th Street Holiday Open House on December 6th, 2008. We've teamed with the wonderful folks at the Art Theatre (If you haven't been since the reopening, go. Today. You'll thank us for the tip.) to plan a handful of Pop Ups that we hope will give you a whole new outlook on holiday shopping. Unless you love it already. In which case you'll want to marry it once you get a load of us!

Full details will follow. We hope to see you there.

Warmest Wishes,

The Long Beach Poperatives