Artfully Elegant — Handmade Jewelry & Handcrafted Gifts

Our children’s section at Artfully Elegant has been exploding recently. The biggest bang for your buck, it seems, has been our Modern Moose three dimensional wall hangings and clocks. After 25 years as an industrial designer for a big name companies, Paul Ocepek went out on a limb producing his personal designs. He blames it partially on the purchase of a laser cutter to appease his gnawing midlife crisis. However, that impulse buy has proven to be quite profitable. Paul designs and builds his laser cut wood wall hangings and clocks in “Moosachusetts”. The mix of natural materials and themes, with bright colors, clean lines, and bold patterns make every customer smile. Who can resist a shark clock, with a fishbone for a pendulum hanging from its mouth? Or a polkadotted moose with a purple rack? They bring to mind the trophies often seen hunting family homes, but with the humor of a saturday morning cartoon. You can feel good about these products not only because they are handmade in the USA, but because they use safe materials. Each one is crafted from sustainably harvested baltic birch plywood and printed with non-toxic, water based inks. No glue or chemical coatings either. We’re in love with all of these wall pieces. Visit us to pick the right one for you!

Shopping for any small children? Stop by Artfully Elegant and check out our latest in kids toys, including the whimsical creations from Little Korboose! April Nemeth is the brains and artistic brawn behind Little Korboose. By day she works as a graphic designer and illustrator in Cleveland Ohio, but at night her imagination runs free in her playful sketches. These sketches often become big, squishy pillow pals, kids tees, and art prints to decorate you walls. Little Korboose products have a sketchy, childlike quality combined with a sophisticated design sense, making them accessible to children while still appealing to adults. Here at Artfully Elegant we have just begun to carry her screen printed pillows, in a large and mini sizes. From bright pink elephants to smiling blue robots, there is certainly one that you’ll want to take home and squeeze. We are also offering a range of screen prints by April including airplane, bicycle, helicopter, and skateboard prints. Frame them as a collection or individually to add a little fun to your home. With Little Korboose products you are also sure to get something made in America, from materials that are sourced in the most sustainable manner possible. Just visit us and hug a pillow. You won’t be sorry.

We are excited to announce our newest artist, Beth Mueller. Beth’s tiny ceramic vases are hand-painted with simple phrases and images. We think they are the perfect gift, regardless of the occasion. Maybe you have a wedding coming up. We love the Happily and Ever After vases paired together. Or if you have a friend that just needs a pick me up, check out Friends or Happiness. My personal favorite is definitely the Enjoy vase, with it’s little adirondack chair. It reminds of perfect summer afternoons, spent relaxing with a good book and a cold beverage. Best of all, these vases retail at $50 or less, with most of them at $25 or $30 each. They’re perfect when you need something quickly, but aren’t looking to break the bank. Check out her entire collection now!

As September approaches, so too does the second annual Bethlehem Fashion Show! This year’s event, being hosted on September 22 in the Celtic Classic Grand Pavilion Tent at 5:30, is going to be an event to remember. Unlike last year’s all day affair, this year all FIFTEEN participating boutiques will present their Fall and Holiday trends in one, single epic combined show, that will certainly show that shopping local is not only great for the small businesses of the Lehigh Valley, but also great for your wardrobe! In addition to the fifteen clothing boutiques sending looks down the runway, Bethlehem salons and accessory boutiques will be highlighting some of their favorite pieces as well, included Artfully Elegant! As for which boutique we will be paired with, well let’s just say that is a mystery for now, but looking at some of the excellent downtown stores represented, including Loose Threads Boutique, Apotheca Salon and Boutique, Sophistikate and more, there are plenty of fantastic options. Don’t worry guys – with menswear from Homebase Skateshop and Donegal Square among others, you will find plenty of styles to inspire your wardrobe as well. Begin the night at the cocktail hour, tunes courtesy of DJ Discreet, and stick around for an amazing after party, featuring yummy treats from Yianni’s and an explosive live performance from The Waffle Stompers.  Tickets are limited and already on sale, buy yours here before they are gone! Want to reserve seating? Corporate packages are also available.  Feel free to check out the Bethlehem Fashion show on Facebook and Twitter (@BethlhmFashion) as well, for continuos updates! In honor of the upcoming Bethlehem Fashion show, and due to the incredible fashion available in local boutiques, we are beginning a new feature called “What’s HOT to Wear.”  Each week, we will highlight a look from one of the participating boutiques, and what Artfully Elegant styles we would pair it with. Stay tuned for our first post – It will be up shortly!

Welcome kudu-lah critters to AE! Fun and affordable, these little critters are just waiting for you to take them home! Inspired by both the pets and people he meets in late night New York City, artist Kenneth Kudulis creates each piece of artwork by hand through their own unique photo transfer process. The special print is then mounded to a wooden block, ready to hang and bring a smile to your face! Each collectible Mason Jar Critter (3.5” x 4.5”) comes with a name and little biography, and are super affordable at only $15! They are the perfect gift for imaginations young and old – I know I can’t wait to start my collection with Plumb, the leader of the critter crew! We also love Shark Jr.! Just remember, if you’re out late in NYC and acting critter-y, you could be the inspiration for the next kudu-lah critter!

Most of our finds from the New York International Gift Fair in February of 2010 focused on additions to our collection of jewelry, but we were lucky enough to find one beautiful potter.  Combing poetry and pottery, husband and wife team Eric Hendrick and Noelle Van Hendrick create soulful, beautiful pottery for all. With ZPots, we’re branching out and introducing our first fine art lamps to our collection. Lamps are something we’ve never explored before, either at Artfully Elegant or our brick and mortar store, Monsoon Gallery. We are very excited to get these in. Featuring a handthrown base emblazoned with their signature poetry etched on it, topped off by a screen printed shade, this art will do more than light a room, it will light up your life.  We’re also featuring some of their “buckets of love” plus their “cups of new day, love, healing, and joy” (at left). Perfect for wedding gifts or a housewarming surprise, these food safe pots will be welcome additions to any art collection and table. Look for the lamps to be up on the site soon.

One of the great things about Artfully Elegant is that it allows us to expand into accessories. If you’re shopping for jewelry, then you’re also going to want to see some cute handbags. We’ve got a few great options for you from Tivi. We first started carrying Tivi as a jewelry designer. Their wood veneer jewelry with silkscreening is super lightweight and wearable. I have these earrings and wear them often. Their clutches are what first attracted us to them and we’re happy to be carrying them now. Made of wood veneer, the clutches have an elegant shape that makes them perfect for a night out. They’re able to be dressed up or dressed down, so they’re very versatile. Each bag has super-soft hand-sewn leather in a complimentary color. Whether you’re choosing a silk-screened version or a plain version, you’re bound to get a ton of compliments on these funky clutches.