Enter our raffle and you could win:

• A year’s supply of Fair Trade Coffee!
• A 1 year membership to the De Young Museum!

Simply spend $30 or more at Urban Bazaar (in-store purchases only) and you get a free raffle ticket. Spend more than $30, and you get an extra raffle ticket for every $30 you spend. Now through March 31st! We’ll announce our 2 winners in early April.

www.UrbanBazaarSF.com

1371 9th Ave., San Francisco

The Lords of Print (a group of awesome local artists) will be doing LIVE screen printing on t-shirts.  $15 for your choice of print and a tee or $5 for your choice of print on your own tee.

There will be PBR and 2 Buck Chuck for those old enough to partake, plus FREE button making, and lots of craft-loving folks to mingle with.  And as if that isn’t reason enough, select LOCAL ART will be on sale!   Awesome, right?!

A great time will be had by all, so don’t miss out.

(Please keep in mind that we cannot promise the weather to cooperate for us, so maybe grab a sweater along with your friends!)

Nidhi Chanani Illustration

Owner and Artist

Location: San Francisco

Medium: Graphic Illustration

“Road to Hana”

How would you describe your work?

Colorful, happy illustrations.

                                         What inspires you?

Everything! The sunlight cascading on buildings, the fog rolling in, the love in my life, the cute things that people say, nicknames and delicious food… the smell of summer. Inspiration is everywhere.

“City Lights”

How did you get started as an artist or craftsperson?

I feel as though I’ve always been an artist or a creative person… I originally started with creative writing and then found my way into art. I love being able to tell stories with my illustrations… its a way of creating narrative through images.

When and why did you start selling your work?

I started selling my work in the middle of 2010 so that I could explore the idea of a career based on passion. It’s worked so far!

“Rolling in the Deep”

What is a favorite piece of art you’ve created that you just can’t bear to part with?

I have a wood burning that I just finished that I absolutely love… I will be putting it in a show, but part of me wants to keep it!

Who are some of your favorite artists?

I love the work of Kurt Halsey, Julie West, Norman Rockwell, Renee Magritte and so many others – musicians, writers… so many artists influence me I would be here all night listing them!

Nidhi is having her first solo show Friday, September 9th at Rare Device at 1845 Market St. San Francisco, CA.   The opening reception will be the 9th from 6pm-9pm and her work will be displayed from September 9th thru October 31st, 2011.

Nidhi Chanani Illustrations can be purchased at Urban Bazaar, 1371 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA.    For more information on Nidhi Chanani, check out her website at:  http://e-nidhi.com/

www.UrbanBazaarSF.com

the fall ‘Vagabond Indie Craft Fair”!

Vagabond will be held on Saturday and Sunday, October 15th and 16th. But, in order to have more artists represented, we’ll be accepting most vendors for ONE DAY ONLY. You can pick your day on the application. Oh yeah, the APPLICATION!  You probably want the link:

http://www.tinyurl.com/VagabondApplication

It’s only $3 to apply! And table spaces are $50 for a 6′ table or $30 for a 3′ space (shared table). The deadline to apply is August 22nd. Contact us at (415) 664-4422 or UrbanBazaarSF@gmail.com with any questions- but please read the application first, as many of your questions will be answered there.

Spread the word and tell your friends!

We were excited to get an invitation to participate in this community-based video project that aims to increase the visibility of some of the best, most forward-thinking businesses and non-profits San Francisco has to offer. The goal of the project is to help promote the growth of the local economy, inspire more social responsibility, and foster a stronger community. To help the project achieve it’s goal, URBAN BAZAAR is contributing lots of cool prizes, including gift certificates, discounts to the store, and free succulents & pots at our soon-to-be new Succulent Bar! Check it out here:

http://www.indiegogo.com/The7SquaredProject

And if you can donate a bit to the cause (and get rewarded with some of the awesome perks we’re offering), all the better!

Sat. July 9th, 1-3pm

Find fantastic Fair Trade Summer outfits from SET Boutique!

Here’s a fun opportunity to shop with a conscience! SET Boutique will be in our back garden showcasing some fantastic outfits and accessories from a number of different Fair Trade clothing companies. All clothing and accessories will be on sale from 1-3, with a fashion show starting at 1:30pm. There will be light refreshments available, too. So come on out to Urban Bazaar for a fashionable afternoon this Saturday!

… oh, and did I mention, Urban Bazaar will be giving 15% off all Mata Traders jewelry! From one of the same companies whose clothing will be for sale through SET Boutique, Mata’s jewelry pieces will make great compliments to the outfits you’re sure to find!

To preview some of the items that will be available, visit SET Boutique at www.SETBoutique.com.

Rubber Ducky Soap Co.

Owner: Kelly Smith

Location: San Rafael, CA

Medium: Bath & Body Products

How would you best describe your work?

Hand made soap and skin care products.  We use fresh, natural, local ingredients to create our skin loving soaps, lotions, lip balms and scrubs.

What inspires you?

I am inspired by people.  I love hearing what people want.  Nature is another huge inspiration for me.  It’s always evolving.  I love that. Yesterday I was picking flowers in the forest to put into soap.  The irony is that the flowers make soap on their own. You just crush them under water and rub them on your skin and you have soap.  The plant is called Ceanothus.  It’s everywhere in springtime.

How did you get started as an artist or craftsperson?

I grew up with an artistic family.  My dad is an oil painter, my mom is a jewelry maker and my brother is a musician.  I’m a little more math oriented so making soap and lotions are perfect for me.  It’s a creative use of chemistry.

When and why did you start selling your work?

Someone gave me a bar of soap they had made when I was in my early twenties.  After using the soap, I was curious about making soap because the soap was so emollient and bubbly.  It took me a year of experimenting until I had “the” bar of soap I had wanted.  At that point I was hooked.  I sold soap at a local craft fair in my little home town of Inverness, CA and sold out!  It was very encouraging.

What is a favorite piece of art you’ve created that you just can’t bear to part with?

I make a lotion called Desire. It’s about wishing.  I make it with Litsea Cubeba, Ylang Ylang & Bergamot essential oils.  It’s sweet and floral but light.  My lotion batches are small runs so when I make a batch I keep a 3rd of it for me.  It’s the one product that I give myself first, everything else is being made for my customers and usually everything I make is already spoken for.  So, it’s nice to treat myself.

Who are some of your favorite artists?

This is a difficult one to answer. I love visuals but I do love David Wong’s art.  You can see his art at www.davidcwongart.com. He is created my logo but I love his monkeys and bunnies that he paints.

Tell us some other important things about you or your work:

I love that my products are used and enjoyed all across the world.  It’s really exciting and validating to receive emails requesting more product or special orders.

Rubber Ducky Soap Co. soaps, lotions, sugar scrubs, and lip balms can be purchased at Urban Bazaar, 1371 9th Ave., San Francisco CA. For more information about Rubber Ducky Soap Co, visit their website at www.RubberDuckySoap.com

www.UrbanBazaarSF.com

Artist: Shayna Norwood

Location: Chicago, IL

Medium: Letterpress printing

How would you best describe your work?

I create high quality letterpress cards and custom invitations with an edge that offer an alternative to Hallmark’s sappy-sweet.  Influenced by vintage illustrations I use clean, simple designs and print every card by hand.

What inspires you?

where the magic happens

I’m inspired by old mechanical tools, vintage objects, collectables and type. The Vandercook and Chandler price presses that i print are from the midcentury and have fascinating cranks and levers and gears. I love the tactility of it all.

How did you get started as an artist or craftsperson?

I’ve always known I wanted to be an artist.  Right out of high school I went straight into art school to study painting.  Since then I have explored many different mediums before finally landing in book arts and letterpress printing.

When and why did you start selling your work?

Because I have always wanted to be an artist, it only made sense that I start selling my work as soon as I could.  I had my first art show while I was living in Los Angeles in 2001 at which I sold some pieces.  That was when I was working in multimedia collage and photography. I first printed letterpress cards to send to all my friend over the holidays in 2008.  I dropped off any extras a consignment craft shop in my neighborhood in Chicago “”Wolfbait and B-Girls.”"  The cards sold really well there and the owners encouraged me to continue bringing in more inventory.  The business just grew from there.

handmade map journals

What is a favorite piece of art you’ve created that you just can’t bear to part with?

I have a little doll I created back in 2001 (that was a part of the show in LA) called Rebel Ruth.  I made her by putting a Pocahontas doll head on an army doll.  I painted her hair and gave her make up.  She is one of a kind and can’t be duplicated.  I could never sell her.

Who are some of your favorite artists?

Basquiat, DuChamp, Banksy, Cy Twombly, Matisse, Olafur Eliasson, Swoon

For more of Shayna’s work, visit Urban Bazaar at 1371 9th Ave, San Francisco CA or view her website at http://steelpetalpress.com.

www.UrbanBazaarSF.com

www.UrbanBazaarSF.com

Check it out for great Fair Trade & handmade gifts. And if you buy something, you can share discounts with your friends through Facebook, email, and Twitter. How cool.

whimsical wooden mushrooms

“Does anybody else feel as if the whole country is collapsing around us?”

It went on to describe some of the more outrageously frustrating things happening in our government in relation to the economy. I felt angry, disheartened, and downright pessimistic while reading.

Then I realized I was at my stop, and I gathered my things to get off the train and come open up shop for the day. And it struck me- what we’re doing here, every day at URBAN BAZAAR, is incredibly empowering. There’s no way for this not to sound cheesy. But we’re making a real difference with the work that we do . And by supporting Urban Bazaar, our customers- YOU- are contributing in a very important way to making the world, including our local and national economy, better too.

Want to know how, specifically?

I did the math this morning, and it turns out that Urban Bazaar, in less than 9 months in business, has spent over $60,000 on Fair Trade & locally made goods. That’s a $60,000 direct injection of money into the economy- and every penny has gone towards good that are ethical, eco-friendly, handcrafted, and all around good for the world.

To break it down:

• We have purchased $25,815.17 worth of Fair Trade goods that support poor, disadvantaged artisans around the world. This has helped keep women out of sex slavery, children fed and educated, and families empowered to operate their own small businesses.
• We have purchased $34,227.20 worth of local- and US-made goods. Most of this money  has gone into the crafty hands of Bay Area artists, and a small percentage has gone to companies based in the US who follow ethical labor and environmental practices.

photo courtesy of Asha Imports

I hope you find this information as inspiring as we do, and feel good knowing you’ve been a part of making this possible. With your continued support, we can continue to grow and become an ever larger contributor to global well-being.

Visit Urban Bazaar at 1371 9th Ave, San Francisco CA. (415) 664-4422.  Soon you’ll be able to shop on our website, too!