What you want to spread the word about out amazing, magical shop of art? No problem, here is a blurb that you may post away on your Facebook if you so choose…
Mushpa y Mensa, is a small eco-boutique that moves around the city’s outdoor (& at times indoor) markets, advocating for local, eco-conscious, women-owned, queer-owned, small businesses all over the world, and of course to spread our art, messages, laughter, & love! We (Cara Elaine (Mushpa) and Maria Emilia (Mensa)) hope people see we love what we’re doing (making a living selling our art), and get inspired to make small changes in their lives. Small moments become large movements. Mushpa y Mensa is a small team with really big dreams.
Wanna tweet some love as well? We’ve written something for you…
Small moments become large movements. Mushpa y Mensa is a small team with really big dreams. Come check us out http://www.mushpamensa.com
No, but seriously thanks to everyone that has supported us over these last few months. To family, friends and the multitudes of strangers we’ve met and not one of them we haven’t genuinely liked. People who have really made us feel good about our decision to do something different, doing what we love for a living.
Working the Bohemian Hall Beer Garden is the Good Life.
We applied for Pridefest today. They asked us 2 questions, we have them below to check out if you’d like. It may help you get a better idea of who we are and how we think. Enjoy…
What are your group’s major accomplishments?
i.e., are you the longest running, oldest, largest of any kind?
A major accomplishment, well starting a business in January of this year for one. Secondly, people really loving our raw attempt at different types of art forms than we’re used to working with. Maria Emilia, being more of a painter, sculptor and I, a film major who fixes computers and builds websites. Nevertheless, people love our jewelry, which we design from a force beyond our own brains into our capable hands, magic felt dolls made out of recycled plastic bottles, 100% organic cotton tees with fantastical original designs like Binary Queer, which is Queer spelled out in binary code (check it out here http://www.etsy.com/listing/150007505/binary-queer-organic-cotton-t) and whatever else our maniacal minds may come up with. We didn’t really think of the selling part so much, but jumped right in after opening our Etsy store, www.mushpamensa.com. Markets we have done thus far are, The Market NYC, Fulton Flea, Astoria Market and we are doing Saint Anthony’s Market over on Sullivan and Houston this weekend. Maria Emilia and I really like being mobile. We also like meeting the people who buy our art. We tend to strike up conversations about their career choices, life choices, they laugh, relate, appreciate our shirts and generally are really good, interesting people themselves. These good people are drawn to our stuff (and us). That gives us hope in humanity. It sounds dramatic, but riding the New York City subway during rush hour, well that changes a person, people are at their worst then. People on a Saturday or Sunday walking in the sun, well they’re alright.
Give us a brief description of your main goals, functions, and/or mission.
PART 2
We are a small eco-boutique that moves around the city’s outdoor (and at times indoor) markets, advocating for local, eco-conscious, women-owned, queer-owned, small businesses all over the world, and of course also to sell and spread our art, messages, laughter, love, et cetera! We hope people see we love what we are doing (which is making a living selling our art), and get inspired to make small changes in their lives. Small moments become large movements. It’s true. Mushpa y Mensa is a small team with really big dreams.
Remember in science class we would do random experiments that would ultimately teach us something about our elemental world. Salt crystals, freezing flowers with liquid nitrogen and then shattering them, testing liquids and forming chemical reactions? Well, quite accidentally we did an experiment when dying a shirt this week and it was totally cool!
We dyed a batch of shirts with organic turmeric. Note that this was our first time using this specific natural dye for cotton fabrics. Pretty straight forward dying technique. Hot water + a good amount of turmeric + a natural mordant, like salt, y listo, we had yellow shirts. We rinsed them with water until no more dye came out, like three times. Perfect!
Then we wanted to double test the fabric so we warmed up some water with soap, dipped the shirts in the water….and…sayyy whaaaaaaaat? The water and shirts immediately turned red!!!! We had no idea what had just happened. Magic!?!? : ) It brought us back to doing those experiments in science class.
After a quick research we found out the following
“Turmeric has a pigment known as xanthophylls, which lends the yellow color to it. It also has a pigment called as carotene, which is reddish orange in color. When turmeric comes in contact with detergent, it reacts with the fatty acids present in the detergent and hence the carotene pigment gets more active than the xanthophylls and turmeric turns red. When turmeric is combined with any base liquid like soap it turns red in color while when turmeric comes in contact with any substance like that of vinegar, that is acidic in nature, it turns yellow.”
We had no idea, so for those of you who have bought our amazing turmeric shirts I would say make sure you wash them by hand, separately, just in case of any bleeding.
On to future discoveries.
– Mushpa y Mensa
p.s. – Come check out these amazing turmeric shirts today at The Fulton Flea (located at 650 Fulton Street between Fort Greene Place and South Elliott Place (near the intersection of Lafayette Avenue) in Brooklyn, NY.). We will be there from noon to 8PM. The market is right next to BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) http://www.bam.org/, Brooklyn Botanical Gardens http://www.bbg.org/, the Brooklyn Public Library http://www.bklynpubliclibrary.org/, good food and many other amazing Brooklyn sites! Make it a great day.
I see so many unhappy people around me stuck at jobs they hate, to pay mortgages (or rent) on houses (or apartments) in towns (or cities) they hate, trapped by debt they hate, with spouses (or significant others) they hate (or aren’t who they thought they were) and kids they use as an excuse to why they can’t live the lives they desire. No thank you. I want adventure. I want to live in a society not fearful of taking a risk, one where people have faith and are strong even when it would seem so much easier to be weak. That my friends is a lie. Fear will fuck you if you let it, understand this. No matter what you think the risk is, no matter who tells you to give in, to be safe and take that $70K job don’t believe the hype. Stop and take a look at the person’s life telling you this, then gauge their happiness. I bet you that safety they chose at the end of the day, did not reward them with the life they dreamed of, not even close. If this was the case people would be a lot healthier and happier, not to mention a lot of shrinks would be out of business.
We need to help each other fight against this brainwashing that only rewards corporations with employees and consumers. I have fought my whole life not to give in on many levels and I still fight, because at the end of the day I choose to live not survive. It can be lonely, yes, especially when the people you love fight against it and you, but don’t give up. Lead by example and others will always follow, I promise.
I love you world and only want the best for all my fellow earthlings…on the real.
Summer is here and we at Mushpa y Mensa were ready to get out into the sun. We decided to give Fulton Flea a try and loved it. Keith the market manager was cool, well cool sounds so what you’d say. Let me try again, Keith didn’t suck. That is even better than cool. :] The other vendors, shout out to Harry and Queenie, were fantabulous as well! The customers were real and engaging, but it’s Fort Greene Brooklyn we’d expect no less.
It’s every Saturday at 650 Fulton Street between Fort Greene Place and South Elliott Place (near the intersection of Lafayette Avenue) in Brooklyn from 10-6PMish sometimes later. We are going to do it again next Saturday, so stop by and see us.
Alright, we have to run to the Astoria Market in Queens to sell our art in the garden at Bohemian Hall (aka an outdoor beer garden) from 1-6PM. Everyone should come down and grab a beer and some Mushpa y Mensa organic, original, hand printed, fantastical t-shirts, jewelry, art, stuffed animals and more in the sun!!!
We here at Mushpa y Mensa have been working hard to get new products out there for our people. Last week I decided to print all 10 of our designs using the white 301 ECO-Series by Matsui (which is an amazing, eco-friendly ink we use on all our shirts) on ocean colored scoop and crew organic cotton Alternative Apparel shirts.
Working Hard in the Studio
You all wanted more white on ocean, well now you have it in every flavor!!!
Our Silk Screens Drying
Hit up our shop to order your very own organic, original, hand printed white on ocean fantastical shirt (or any of our other gorgeously designed shirts, jewelry, stuffed animals, etc). You’ll be helping two amazing ladies trying to make a difference while making a living doing what we love. That’s not so bad. :]
We here at Mushpa y Mensa have been working the last few weekends at The Market NYC. It was a great few weeks, but now that the weather is getting nicer we have decided it is time to hit up the outdoor markets. We applied to a few other venues this week for this weekend and the next few throughout the summer. Once they get back to us we will let you know. If you have any ideas or suggestions where you would like us to sell, feel free to comment away. This is our first few months of business and our first experience at markets so let us know. Also, any insider tips from other vendors are welcome as well.
One upcoming market you can come and chill with us at is Astoria Market in Queens. It will be in the garden at Bohemian Hall (aka outdoor beer garden) on June 2nd from 1-6PM. What does that mean???? It means come, drink, be merry, buy awesome, organic, original, hand printed, fantabulous t-shirts in the sun!!!! That sounds awesome!
Thanks to everyone for their support and love these last few months. We appreciate it.
We here at Mushpa y Mensa wanted to wish everyone in the know and unknown universes a Happy Mother’s Day!!! We hope it is filled with much love and fantabulous brunches. If you don’t fall under the Mother’s Day umbrella then we wish you an amazing Sunday of fantastical brunches. You’re welcome. :]
We honor our Mothers and our dear Mother Earth at Mushpa y Mensa with our “No More Stitches, Mama Earth Needs a Cure” shirt. You may pick one (or a fafillion) up for you, your mom, your mom’s mom, or anyone really since it is about honoring Mama Earth today at The Market NYC (159 Bleecker Street) from 12pm-8pm!!!
In other news, Mushpa y Mensa got a shout out this week by Jeffrey Hartinger of Generation: (WH)Y?. Check out the story here.
Alright, I think that is enough exciting news for now. We hope you have enjoyed it as much as we have.
