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The Timeless Craft of Jewelry Making: From Ancient Snail Shell-Beads to Modern DIY

The Timeless Craft of Jewelry Making: From Ancient Snail Shell-Beads to Modern DIY

Uncategorized

May 24, 2023

Jewelry has been a form of artistic expression since ancient times, with evidence dating back 150,000 years to the discovery of snail shell-beads in Morocco. It’s truly awe-inspiring to think that even centuries ago, people desired to adorn themselves and found ways to do so using whatever materials were available. From natural gemstones to acrylic, […]

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Meet our Monthly Maker: Omar Buenaventura

Meet our Monthly Maker: Omar Buenaventura

Artisan Entrepreneur

May 10, 2023

Meet our Monthly Maker: Omar Buenaventura Tell us about yourself I am a self-taught Filipino-American installation artist living in Lenapehoking. In 2020, my partner Nicky Uy and I formed Bahay215, an ongoing art collaboration inspired by Filipinx tradition, diaspora, community, and nature. Inspired by the local environment as well as my childhood experiences growing up […]

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From Stick to Stool: Unleashing Your Inner Woodworker

From Stick to Stool: Unleashing Your Inner Woodworker

Uncategorized

April 26, 2023

With Spring easing its way in, many of us are spending more time outside enjoying the sunshine. On walks around the neighborhood, you might stumble across a patch of flowers or your dog might bring you a stick to play catch. In fact, you might find yourself a stick, a broken tree branch now visible […]

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Artificial Inspiration: How AI is Revolutionizing the Creative Process

Artificial Inspiration: How AI is Revolutionizing the Creative Process

Uncategorized

April 12, 2023

In the last few months, ChatGPT launched an artificial intelligence (AI) to the forefront of news outlets and while it may seem that it’s new, AI has been available for public use since at least the 1980s and was in development decades before that. Despite the mixed reviews, AI assists its users by making some […]

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Tools of the Trades Conference 2023

Tools of the Trades Conference 2023

Artisan Entrepreneur

March 14, 2023

NextFab and CraftNOW present: Tools of the Trades Conference 2023! If you’re looking for a way to kick off Spring, join us at the Tools of the Trades Conference! The conference designed for makers by makers is back! Craft organization CraftNOW and makerspace NextFab have partnered again, welcoming new partner LaserPhilly, to present the second […]

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In A Pinch: Hacks for Creators and Makers

In A Pinch: Hacks for Creators and Makers

Uncategorized

March 1, 2023

Children always assume that they’re going to be amazing at something on the very first try. And sometimes they are! This attitude sneaks its way into adulthood: if we’re not good at something on the first try, we’d rather not try at all. It makes sense. Sometimes trying can be expensive, even if we want […]

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Liquid Limbs: Assistive and Accessible Solutions

Liquid Limbs: Assistive and Accessible Solutions

Product Development, Venture Services

February 8, 2023

Looking at the chair at your dining room table, you probably wouldn’t call it ‘technology’ but at one point, it was. Everything from the phone in your pocket to the glasses on your face is a technological advancement. Now, it may be difficult to believe that glasses can be classified as technology perhaps because most […]

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Meet Our Monthly Maker: Michael Ferrin, Woodworker

Meet Our Monthly Maker: Michael Ferrin, Woodworker

Artisan Entrepreneur, Member Stories, NextFab Stories

January 31, 2023

Website: www.michaelferrin.com Instagram: @ferrin.woodworking Tell us about yourself I grew up in South West Philadelphia. My father is a luthier and when I was a child he repaired instruments for the Philadelphia School District while he took care of me – he clamped my baby seat to his workbench. In my work, I am interested […]

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2022 NextFab Gift Guide

2022 NextFab Gift Guide

Artisan Entrepreneur, Member Stories

November 8, 2022

“Part of my journey is, as I was finishing my formal education, I experienced a life-threatening illness, which took me many years to recover from. So, in the process of recovering, I started making artwork again and was able to meet people who were able to help me. During my illness, I realized it’s important […]

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Getting your Handmade Products into Stores

Getting your Handmade Products into Stores

Artisan Entrepreneur

September 19, 2022

On Thursday, September 15th, NextFab hosted Margaux DelCollo, the CEO of TWEE, on our monthly webinar series, “From Making to Selling.”  The handicraft market has been slowly growing over the years, and online platforms, such as Etsy, Shopify, and Instagram shops make it even easier to sell and shop online for small businesses. These handmade […]

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