Even Better The Second Time Around

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

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...

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!

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

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!

We’re So Happy You’ve Popped In!

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