Easter Basket Giveaway!

We have a great new giveaway this week!

Stop in to Boutique 208 between now and March 24, 2016 to receive an entry to win this great assortment of items donated by several of our artists. No purchase necessary for the first entry!  Get one entry just for coming in to see us, then earn 1 entry for any purchase, and then additional entries for every $20 you spend! 

Come down and see us!

Prize includes: Cake earrings from Evan Tillie of Tillie's Clay Treats, an Easter Pin from Tam of Barker's Herbs and Heirlooms, Easter egg earrings from Jenn of Charmed by Jenn, silly soap from Bethany of Indulgence Bath & Body Products, a green table mat from Pamela of A PG Creation, a pair of pot holders from Susan of Meanderer, a pair of tie dye socks from Leslie of LArtC, children's hair clips from Angela of Funnermother - all wrapped nicely in a lovely reversible fabric bowl from Lynn of Textile Gifts!

Winner will be randomly drawn the morning of Friday, March 25 and notified via phone call (or email address depending on which the winner provides on their entry form).

St. Patrick's Day Giveaway!

We have a fabulously GREEN giveaway just in time for St. Patrick's Day!

Stop in to Boutique 208 between now and March 10, 2016 to receive an entry to win this great assortment of items donated by several of our artists. No purchase necessary for the first entry!  Get one entry just for coming in to see us, then earn 1 entry for any purchase, and then additional entries for every $20 you spend! 

Come down and see us!

Prize includes: a pair of Kiss Me, I'm Irish earrings and card from Jenn of Charmed by Jenn, a green floral cotton baby bib from Jody of The Point Needlecraft, a bath cupcake and green silly soap from Bethany of Indulgence Bath & Body Products -  all wrapped up nicely in a lovely reversible fabric bowl from Lynn  of Textile Gifts!

Winner will be randomly drawn the morning of Friday, March 11th and notified via phone call (or email address depending on which the winner provides on their entry form).

We'll be having more giveaways in the coming weeks - stay tuned!!

Trunk Show: Charmed by Jenn, Friday, December 12, 2014

Enjoy an evening with Featured Artist, Jennifer Baldauf of "Charmed by Jenn".

Also featuring musical Guest Jon Dull.

Boutique 208
208 6th St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(Located across the street from Heinz Hall).

Come out and support local handmade art and jewelry.

Friday, December 12th, 2014

4:00pm until 8:00pm

Earring special for the trunk show only:  Buy 2 get one free (of equal or lesser value to lowest priced pair).

Meet Your Makers: Jennifer Baldauf of Charmed by Jenn

This is the first in our series of "Meet Your Makers" blog posts.  We interviewed each of our artists and the first is Jennifer Baldauf of Charmed by Jenn.  Following are her answers, in her words.

Please introduce yourself and tell us about your handmade business:  My name is Jennifer Baldauf of Charmed ~by Jenn and I've been with Boutique 208 since our inception.  I began designing while living in Arizona as a reprieve from my day job as a Director of Marketing and Human Resources.  I found the variety of landscapes out West to be great inspiration.  Eventually I moved back to Pennsylvania, and found that I had missed the seasons, lush forest and greenery more than anything and began painting trees, and incorporating more nature into my designs.  My first tree painting was used for an album cover for Peter DiStefano's album Unconditional".  You can find my miniature works of art exclusively at Boutique 208.

You will find a theme of nature in a lot of my work; from my use of natural gems and minerals, my hand embossed designs of nature,  and my miniature tree paintings.  

 

 

Everything I do  is a one of a kind, so my inventory is constantly changing.  Stop in to see my work! 

How did you come up with your business name?  My company was formerly known as "Faerie Beautiful Jewelry."  I decided that I wanted a change, and wanted to come up with a word that conjured an image of magic, fantasy, beauty, and whimsy, as well as jewelry.  Charmed came to mind, and the name "Charmed ~by Jenn" was born.  My tagline is "Jewelry and Art for the Soul." 

Where do you live? I live in Bradfordwoods, and am inspired by the trees and woods on a daily basis.  This is where I live and create.

Who’s in your family? I live with my man and my cat.  I moved back to PA 11 years ago to be near my sister, Anna, and the rest of my family.  

If you could sit down and talk to any person, living or dead, who would it be and why? I struggled to answer this question since there are so many amazing minds and artists to choose from, however, my great grandmother passed away when I was 19, and although I had 19 wonderful years with her, I would give just about anything to be able to sit and talk with her now as an adult.  She was an amazing woman, a WWII vet and heroine.  Rosella Painter taught me how to be strong, independent, loving, and caring, and I would love to thank her for everything she did for me.

 

What inspires you?  My main source of inspiration is life in general.  There's inspiration around every corner, in every soul, in a persons eyes, my cat, in the trees, and in every sound!  Music is a huge source of inspiration for me as well.  

 

What is your favorite item you make for Boutique 208 and why?  This is also a hard question to answer because everything I do is a one of a kind, therefore I don't duplicate items.  My miniature tree paintings and hand embossed and patina'd jewelry are my favorites to work with, but I also love to bead, as well, and work with natural gems and minerals, and Swarovski Austrian Crystal.  I got my start in jewelry by beading, so it will always be a love of mine, but once I discovered embossing and working with patina's I quickly became hooked.  My favorite aspect of my jewelry is that I only work with metals that are nickel-free and lead-free and safe for all skin types.  I take a lot into consideration when designing, and whether or not people may have metal allergies is a huge concern, so I eliminate that worry by choosing my metals very carefully.

 

What is your favorite item at Boutique 208 that’s not one of your own and why?  My favorite item by another artist in the shop is the upcycled tea cup candles by "Barkers Herbs and Heirlooms."  They smell delicious whether they are lit or not!  I have had mine sitting on my shelf in my living room for almost 3 months, and have not had to light it to give off fragrance yet!  They are wonderful, hand poured and soy based!  And, I am a tea addict, so the look of the upcycled tea cup is perfect to me!

What advice can you offer to someone who would like to start selling their handmade creations?  I would suggest to start off doing some small art and craft shows to get a feel for what the public thinks of your items.  I believe the public dictates what is and what isn't sellable since they are the ones purchasing it.  Friends and family will always tell you your art/craft is good, the public will determine whether they are being honest with you.

Artist Bio, Jennifer Baldauf of Charmed by Jenn

Artist Bio, Jennifer Baldauf of Charmed by Jenn

I met Jenn the first day I worked at Boutique 208. She has a great personality and makes an array of different styles of jewelry. She makes all of her pieces one of a kind. With a huge selection she definitely has something for everyone! She has designed for celebrities and charities. She has also won numerous awards. She is typically in the shop every Thursday evening with her sister Anna. Stop in and find a beautiful peice of one of a kind jewelry.
Enjoy!
Amy Levier

Jennifer Baldauf of “Charmed by Jenn” is an 8 time award-winning jewelry designer and DIY artist originally from Pittsburgh that began designing in 1997 while living in the beautiful South West in Tempe, Arizona.  She drew great inspiration from the desert backdrop, especially in Sedona and found a different inspiration from the mountains and landscape in Flagstaff, AZ.  She received an award in Arizona for helping to better women's lives. She also won two awards for best in shows as voted by the public. In 2002 she returned to Pittsburgh to focus on her designing and establishing her name in her hometown.  Since returning she has designed jewelry and focused on her artwork, pulling inspiration from the seasons, the city, music, her family and friends. 

Her artwork has taken her on a journey, opening her to opportunities to collaborate with musical artists.  This has lead her to accomplish a dream goal of designing an album cover.  She has designed three thus far, and has collaborated on lyrics for another, and is in the process of working on her 4^th cover now.

Jennifer believes that everyone is unique and their jewelry should be, too, which is why all of her designs are one of a kind and never duplicated!

You can find her easily under her own name on Facebook, Charmed by Jenn on Facebook, or reach her at jenniferbaldauf@yahoo.com.