ARTE celebrates our beautiful ladies

October is a beautiful month, whether you celebrate the spring in the Southern hemisphere, or the autumn in the Northern. The change in weather is rejuvenating, the excitement in the air for the end of year is slowly brewing. We have all fallen back into normal routine again- the summer holidays long forgotten. Why not take a little time to remind ourselves of Women’s Health during October. Get yourself checked, get your wife/ partner checked… your daughters… mothers… grandmothers… friends…

Let’s take care of each other.

 

ARTE is celebrating women this month. Look at our new poster featuring our calligraphy artist Mags Cluley and Sarah Matthews from Hector’s Handmade:

 

 

Thinking PINK, our vendors are getting creative with their products and advertising! Here are a couple of images we found surfing the net….

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

FASHION POP UP !!

Show us a woman that does not like fashion?! ARTE is having a Fashion Pop Up this weekend! Come check out the variety of designs available from our fashion forward vendors. Remember, these are all unique designs, handmade in the UAE. ARTE is the only Makers’ Market after all.

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

ARTE is this Friday, 9th October, 12 – 7 pm, in Times Square Center Dubai.

 

FOLLOW US:

 

Website:              www.arte.ae

Blog:                    www.artedxb.wordpress.com

Facebook:           https://www.facebook.com/ARTE

Twitter:               https://twitter.com/arteuae

Instagram:          http://instagram.com/arteuae

Pinterest:            https://www.pinterest.com/arteuae/

 

Advertisements

Meet a vendor: Jawad, the man behind Ylabes Soaps

Jawad Sebaali is Lebanese- Canadian and has lived in Dubai for 20 years. This HR Director for a global company, does not have too much time to relax by the pool, as his favourite pastime is to make soap. Amused at customers’ disbelief that it is him making the soap, he was trained in Marseille (France) where the famous Savon de Marseille is made. Inspired by his close family, Jawad is encouraged  by his father’s words that an artisan will always survive no matter how the economic situation changes.

 

Jawad does not have a favourite fragrance for his soaps. With a fondness for the natural, his soaps are perfect for people with sensitive skin.

He is at his most happiest when he can take the time to explain his passion for the process of creating his products to his customers . The greatest advice Jawad can give to other artisans is to “be passionate in what you are doing and always change and surprise yourself with creations. Never give up.”

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

With this in mind, Jawad is working on a new product line soon to be revealed. He is also developing his packaging, labelling and logo to realize his dream of registering his own company.

 

 

Find Jawad with his Ylabes soaps regularly at the ArtE events.

 

 

Follow ArtE:

Website:              www.arte.ae

Blog:                      www.artedxb.wordpress.com

Facebook:           https://www.facebook.com/ARTE

Twitter:               https://twitter.com/arteuae

Instagram:          http://instagram.com/arteuae

 

BOOK YOUR TABLE

 

ARTE cures your winter chills

We at ARTE love nothing more than to get cosy on a chilly winter’s evening. If a night in is just what the doctor ordered, then ARTE has got the goodies for you to treat yourself to some well-deserved downtime. Visit ARTE at Al Hamra Mall, RAK this Friday 16th January to stock up. Here are our top tips for keeping warm this winter:

 

Soaps of Ylabes

Take a long, warm bath with Soaps of Ylabes by husband and wife team Jawad and Jumana Sebaali. Made from natural ingredients such as vanilla and cocoa, you can choose from a variety of soaps and bath salts to soak away the winter woes. See more of Soaps of Ylabes products on their Facebook page.

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

NightingOils

Soothe your skin with Melanie Jane’s NightingOils products. A qualified Holistic Therapist and Beauty Specialist, she follows her true passion in making aromatherapy blends, skincare products and fragrances for nearly 20 years. “I believe in every single thing I make. I create, produce and package everything myself”. Melanie likes to ward off the winter chills by “eating hot buttered toast with a steaming cup of tea, in front of a roaring fire while watching scary movies”. Navigate to NightingOils webpage or Facebook page for more information on her body care products.

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

ARTE’s blog had published a previous feature, read it here: Aromatherapy products by NightingOils.

 

Auntie Becca’s Crochet

For Rebecca Ferrari, keeping warm in the winter is easy: she crochets blankets while snuggling on the sofa with a hot cup of cocoa. But if you are as brave as the Ferrari family to dare the cold outdoors for camping trips, be sure to wear one of Auntie Becca’s crochet hats. An ex-teacher, Rebecca is a long-time resident of Sharjah and now spends her time running crochet workshops. View more of her fabulously creative pieces on her Instagram page @auntiebeccascrochet

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Auntie Becca’s been on the blog before. Click this link to see some of her other works:

https://artedxb.wordpress.com/2014/10/07/our-pink-october-favourite-picks/

 

Whipped

American baker Gina Pistoni serves up the most delicious treats to spoon with on the couch this winter season. A Dubai resident of 8 years, Gina dreams of opening her own bakery here soon. This ARTE ‘quality control taste tester’ (yes, this should be an official title) definitely recommends you try the Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel. Meant as a topping to your favourite desserts, we won’t blame you if you eat it straight from the jar! View Gina’s Facebook page for other wonderful goodies by Whipped.

By the way, the Quote of the Month goes to a young vendor at the Whipped table at the ARTE market on Friday 9th January. Upon tasting the Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel, she was overheard saying ” I definitely need THIS for when I break up with my next boyfriend”.

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Feline Friends

Finally, curl up with your nose in a book. Support a good cause and grab a second hand book for a special sofa snuggle session. Read more on Feline Friends here.

 

Feline Friends book tables in Times Square Center

Image courtesy of www.arte.ae .

 

We look forward to seeing you at our next markets in January:

Friday 16^th January, Al Hamra Mall, RAK, 12 – 7 pm.

Friday 23^rd January, Times Square Center, Dubai, 12 – 7 pm.

 

See our website for booking procedures and more information.

 

Here is the poster for Al Hamra Mall, RAK this weekend:

 

 

 

Unless otherwise stated, all images in this post were supplied by the individual vendors or copied from their respective pages with their permission. Thank you!

 

Interview with Polymer Clay artist Anne-Sophie D’Souza

French artist Anne-Sophie is known of her eye-catching polymer clay jewelry work. She has chosen this handcrafting form to work with because she finds it a flexible medium to creating something bautiful either to wear (for example, jewelry) or embellish one’s home (vases, cutlery and even light switches). “Working with polymer clay is like entering a new dimension. The possibilities of creating amazing art are so many, I could not list all of them,” she says.

Anne-Sophie’s booth at ARTE.

She gains her inspiration from world leading polymer clay artists such as Donna Kato, Sara Shriver and Alice Stroppel. Hailing from Maine et Loire, France, a region known for its castles and history, she also gains inspiration from nature.  If you were to pop by Anne-Sophie’s studio, you will not only find polymer clay and liquid polymer clay but an array of other tools and materials which may be trash to others, but remain invaluable to her work. “I use alcohols to enhance my work. Apart from pasta machine, cutters and tools that are part of the polymer clay art creation process, I keep every single thing that I feel I may use in some project or another. Things like glass jars, bulbs, spoons to shape a bead. For creating impressions on the clay, you may find that I use a cap of a pen, or even a kid shoe print with flowers.” She smiles smugly and declares, “I have become a collector in my own home!”

Pretty Polymer Clay Flowers made by Anne-Sophie

 

Earrings that look like butterfly wings, ready to fly away!

Like many artists, Anne-Sophie loves working in other art forms, stitching and painting being on top of her list. “But only second and third to polymer clay,” she reminds us. While she invested in her first pack of colourful polymer clay way back in 2006, she only started to work with the technique in 2009. Eventually, this led her to participate at ARTE in early 2011.  “I love Mokume Gane technique, which involves having several layers of different colours and then impressing with tools of your choice (either stamps or sharp tools). Then you slice delicately and each slice is a different pattern with different colors. You use these slices to cover your core beads or shapes.”

Autumn and winter leaves?

Find Anne-Sophie at ARTE this Friday, Times Square.

Her website can be accessed here.

Follow her work on Facebook.

 

When in Ras Al Khaimah, go to ARTE

The best excuse for a road trip to Ras Al Khaimah this Friday is taking a pit stop at the ARTE Arts & Crafts market at Al Hamra Mall. Our vendors are showcasing a variety of unique products and with the Festive Season approaching fast, head out with your family for a fun shopping spree.

Here is a small sampler of what to expect at UAE’s only artisan market.

 

MVCO- Mary’s Virgin Coconut Oil

Kick off your visit with MVCO- Mary’s Virgin Coconut Oil. Passionately handmade by Mary Hubert (who is based in Ras Al Khaimah) from selected matured coconut kernels, this versatile and naturally healthy oil boosts the immune system, keeping those seasonal cold and flu bugs at bay.

MVCO

MVCO

MVCO

Images courtesy of Mary Hubert.

 

 

Palm Lights candles

Eco-friendly Palm Lights candles are created by environmentalist Bhawna Sehra. Using vegan palm wax, 100% pure aromatherapy grade essential oils, aniline free dyes and cotton or wooden wicks, she ensures that each candle is unique in colour, fragrance and design. Read more on Palm Lights in a previously published blog story on this versatile artisan.

Palm Lights

Palm Lights

Palm Lights

Images courtesy of Bhawna Sehra.

 

Sand Pictures

Join in the fun at the Sand Pictures table hosted by Iva Kostadinova. With cartoon character pictures and multi-coloured sands, we cherish their slogan, “We make kids happy.”

Sand Pictures

Sand Pictures

Sand Pictures

Images courtesy of Sand Pictures.

 

3H by Tatyana Pastukova

Tatyana Pastukova’s handmade teddy bears and dolls inspired her trade name, 3H, from the ideas in her Head, to working with her Hands, each character becomes a piece of her Heart.

3H Tatyana

3H Tatyana

3H Tatyana

Images courtesy of Tatyana.

Lola Team

Travel back in time with these custom-made, vintage inspired accessories and watches by the Lola team.

Lola jewelry

Lola jewelry

Lola jewelry

Images courtesy of Lola Jewelry/ Watches.

—

ARTE Art & Craft Market at Al Hamra Mall, Ras Al Khaimah will run from  12 – 7 pm on the 21st of November, and every third Friday of the month. Click here to find your way to ARTE at RAK.

The Rise of the Arte-san Man

When ARTE came into existence just over nine years ago, we only had a couple of male artisans as members, Colin Roberts (who was known for his Dirham coin bottle stoppers) and Paul Beaujangles (the silversmith and ARTE’s co-founder) to name two of them.  In recent years, we have seen the number of male artisans join our ever expanding family. Sadly, May 2014 saw the departure of the Roberts family (a blog story that traces their journey with ARTE is published here).

Do you remember Colin Roberts, our regular vendor since the beginning of ARTE.

The Roberts’ son Nicky of Pink Poodle was known for his love for old Hollowood movies and musicals.

 

Paul Beaujangles is known for silver smithing themed cufflinks

Here is a lowdown of some of the male artisans who make us proud.

Fluke photography

 

Of his photos, Fluke photography says, “One of the stand-out things about Dubai is the extreme contrast between tradition and the modern, such as the minarets and the fancy resorts.” In the photos below, he sought to capture this contrast by braving the 42 degree heat and high humidity. We think it’s a job well done!

 

 

Follow Fluke photography on facebook.

 

The Howlin’ Rooster

Basil, the cigar box guitar lover brings his unique handmade guitars to ARTE. Read more about his work in a separate blog post here.

 

Follow The Howlin’ Rooster on facebook.

 

Photo GT – Motorsport Photography

 

If you are a motorsport afficianado, and you love photography, then Photo GT is your man. This photographer has an ‘obsession’ as he calls it, with capturing razor sharp images of fast cars, “while the rest of the world screams by in a blur of confusion.” Check the photos and see if you don’t agree with what we say.

Follow Photo GT on facebook.

 

IntentionS by Paul Mercer

We have already blogged about IntentionS collection of essential oils and creams by Paul Mercer, here. Some of his latest inventions include the divine blend of essential oils with seaweed and Vitamin E. Hmmm, that already feels so wicked and good on the skin! Try some at the next ARTE market.

 

Follow IntentionS on facebook.

 

Stefano’s Jewels

Jewels by Stefano range from rings to earrings are hammered to perfection. We covered his handcraft in a separate blog post here.

\

Follow Stefano’s Jewels on facebook.

 

All photos used as owned by the artisans unless otherwise indicated.

—

If you are an artisan, making your own crafts right here in the UAE, and you would like to sell your work at ARTE, all the application details are on our website.

 

 

Our Pink October favourite picks

October, being the month to raise breast awareness, many of our artisans have decided to go pink.  The following items will be available at ARTE at Times Square this Friday, 10th of October. Don’t miss out.

Aunty Becky’s Crochet Corner has a pink stool seat in store for you

Find Aunty Becky’s Crochet Corner on facebook. This crochet aunt will soon be starting workshops for crochet lovers.

Designs by Anna D

Anna D likes to create pretty cards, canvasses and jewelry. Find Designs by Anna D on facebook.

 

It’s all on paper by Susan Lee

Find IAOP  – It’s All On Paper on facebook.

 

Pearls and Rose Quartz make the perfect pink bracelet to wear this October – by MC StudioNDesign

Find MC StudioNDesign on facebook.

 

Silk sachets in the making by RedCat-SilkArt

Knittox and their cute toys

Find Knittox on Facebook.

Doggie wants pink biscuit today – by Mutt Madness

Pure Candles Dubai generous with their pink hearts!

Like the luxury eco-friendly soy wax candles by Pure Candles Dubai on facebook.

Ragmatazz goes pink with their fancy purses in pink and blue

Find Ragmatazz on Facebook.

Rebecca Bear’s pink doodle of Audrey Hepburn

Find Rebecca Bear and her iconic UAE doodles on facebook.