Downtown Phoenix’s First Friday is back for the month of November bringing more business and people to the art district.
1st Page Crafting
1st Page Crafting, owned by Nayeli Padilla and her husband Diego Medina, sells handmade jewelry, bracelets, necklaces, and anything involving gemstones.
The business originated as a hobby of Padilla’s, as she started making her own jewelry. She would enter thrift stores looking for items to upcycle, or reuse items to create a new, higher quality item. Friends and family later on encouraged Padilla to start selling her creations, which eventually led to 1st Page Crafting.
“They told me I had the ability to create something out of nothing, which really encouraged me to make jewelry and embrace my talent,” said Padilla
1st Page Crafting has been coming to First Friday for 4 years, and Padilla says it’s been great for meeting new customers and friends.
“Meeting new people, even making new friends, has made it very beneficial for the business,” she said. “People are open to giving new ideas and it’s definitely encouraged me to create new things, helping my business grow as well.”
Currently, 1st Page Crafting sells its products through Etsy and promotes through its Instagram @1stpagecrafting.
Artsy Cat Studios
Artsy Cat Studios, owned by Cat Davenport, offers a variety of items, including stickers, canvas art and resin art, made by Davenport herself.
Davenport had always been an artistic person, making gifts for friends and family out of the blue.
“Somebody would come do my plumbing and I would give them a piece of my art, and that led me to decide that I was going to start my business,” Davenport said.
Having started the business in 2019, First Fridays was one way of getting to sell her art.
“My first sale was at First Friday,” she said, explaining how that motivated her to continue selling.
Now, Davenport takes her business to many festivals and markets, citing the Full Moon festival that took place last September.
She also mentioned that tabling at these events also brought attention to her Etsy account, saying that her account didn’t gain much attention until after attending events.
Davenport’s favorite projects to work on are geometric abstract paintings, and think’s they’re her customer’s favorites as well.
LuLu’s Sorbetto
Joe Natale, owner of Scottsdale-based business LuLu’s Sorbetto, puts a healthy twist on the popular dessert.
Their sorbetto is 100% natural, dairy, soy and gluten free, according to Natale.
“It’s fruit in a different form,” he said. “Nothing artificial, nothing added, no byproducts. A healthy alternative to ice cream.”
Natale cites his Philadelphia origins as one of the reasons why he opened his business.
“There was nothing like this in Arizona when I moved here, so when I wanted to go into business, I thought that this would be a great idea,” he said.
As for reaching potential customers, Natale believes that First Friday has a huge impact on their business.
“It’s one of the busiest nights of the month, lots of people come to visit Phoenix just for First Friday, so it’s important to make an appearance.”
In addition to First Fridays, LuLu’s sells their sorbetto at their Scottsdale location, and offers catering services for parties and other special events.
