Alternate Histories

Next Friday, December 15 we’re getting very merry at the Studio with our Greenfield Ghoul Beer Release & Holiday Party! Lauren from Necromancer beer will be here at 6pm to debut our collaboration beer, a sneaky double red IPA that you can drink on site or take home in a four pack. Plus treats from the kitchen at The Midnight Whistler, and our pals & neighbors from Greenhouse Co-Op will be sampling their new cider! I’ll be breaking out the vintage Christmas albums so stop down to the Studio on Friday, December 15 starting at 6pm for some neighborhood cheer.

Very excited for this Holiday Saturday with The Bearded Iris Floral Design Jeffrey will have wreaths & swags for sale as well as pickup for pre-orders, from 12-5pm here in the studio. Give him a follow and place your order now!

Holiday card packs are flying off the shelves! Which set is your favorite?

Green Ware Studio is set up at the Studio with some great locally made pottery! Stop in to see Kelsey and check it out til 5pm today.

All set up at booth 85 here at Handmade Arcade! Early bird runs til 11am then it’s free until 5pm. Come check out tons of great makers!

Thanks to Virginia Montana for including the 8bit Pittsburgh Monster Glass in her Yinzer Holiday Gift Guide! You can come grab one in person this Saturday at Handmade Arcade!

The 2023 Yinzer Holiday Gift Guide! Enough local holiday spirit to gag a reindeer

Ready to rock at Handmade Arcade Holiday Market Happy Hour tonight and the big event tomorrow! Come say hey at booth 85 right near the entrance!

Apologies for the inconvenience but the studio is closed today, Friday December 1. We’ll be open regular hours 12-5pm on Saturday, December 2!

Thanks NEXTpittsburgh for featuring the Crafts and Drafts Market on Saturday, December 16 in your roundup of December events! See you at East End Brewing Company!

16 ways to embrace December, from the Lawrenceville Cookie Tour to holiday markets From Handmade Arcade to the Lawrenceville Cookie Tour to First Night, there are plenty of things to do in Pittsburgh this December.

Because of the prep for Handmade Arcade, the store will be CLOSED on Friday, December 1. Open regular hours, 12-5pm on Saturday!

A holiday party AND a Greenfield Ghoul beer release? Save the date! Friday, December 15 Necromancer Brewing is releasing a new collab with Alternate Histories, The Greenfield Ghoul! A double red IPA, strong enough to slate the thirst of the undead who prowl the streets of Nantasket and Greenfield Ave (featured on the label which I designed). Join us at the Alternate Histories studio starting at 6pm for Greenfield Ghoul in cans to drink to take home, plus treats from Midnight Whistler and holiday tunes from DJ MB. We may even show “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians,” who knows? Come get some Greenfield Holiday cheer on Fri, Dec 15!

The big dance, Handmade Arcade is this weekend! I’ll be at booth 85 on Friday & Saturday, with a new 11 x 14 inch version of a classic “Flee Pittsburgh” design, along with tons of other stuff. Get your tickets now at Handmade Arcade’s website!

For me, every Monday has been CyberMonday since the 1980s.

Small Business Saturday is in full swing here at Alternate Histories! Greenfield maker Shakita from is here with a big sale for Holiday Saturdays, 50% off all candles! And we have some new ceramics from .ware.studio for sale too! We’re open until 5pm so stop on down.

Surprise! We have a few extra Greenfield hoodies in stock! For sale only at the studio, $40 each. We’re open 12-5pm Friday & Saturday.

Some bad news; due to unforeseen issues I have to cancel my appearance at Crafty Supermarket this Saturday in Cincinnati. The Studio in Pittsburgh will still be open normal hours 12-5pm Friday & Saturday.

I want to offer my sincere apologies to the great folks of Cincinnati and the amazing gang at Crafty Supermarket, especially Chris. I have grown to really love this city and it's bumming me out to not be able to visit.

As a consolation, all Cincinnati items are 40% off in my online store through Monday; the discount will pop-up at checkout. If you're in the area I urge you to go to Crafty Supermarket on Sunday, see some amazing vendors and get some great stuff! Sorry again Cincinnati. Hope to see you soon.

I love these mixes but they never make one for Tidal, so here’s a Tidal version! Happy thanksgiving!

https://tidal.com/playlist/02bcc24d-f48d-45a7-92b0-a0b8dbde6809

Happy ! We've got the perfect soundtrack! 🦃🎶 We've updated our Stax Thanksgiving playlist with cozy classics from legends like The Staple Singers, Barbara Lewis, The Dramatics, and many more. Here’s to enjoying the season, remembering all that we have to be thankful for while enjoying some of the BEST soul music Stax has to offer. Listen here:

Reposting this old favorite and saying how thankful I am for family, friends, pets, and you good folks who support my shenanigans. Happy Thanksgiving!

Very excited to have Shakita from in the studio for Small Business Saturday / Holiday Saturdays this weekend, Nov 25! They’re doing 40% off all candles so you won’t want to miss this! Xpresshuns of love was at one of our block parties over the summer and we love their work so much we had to have them back. See you at the Studio this Saturday, 12-5pm and don’t miss this big sale!

Want to give a little more than just a calendar this year? Check out these brand-new PACKAGE DEALS for each calendar, including the Pittsburgh Calendar with a Yinzilla Pennant, the National Park Monsters Calendar with super-soft baseball cap, and the Masterpieces Calendar with accompanying tote bag. Plus I'll throw in a sticker for each one too. Bundle it up and save! Click below to get yours now!
https://alternatehistories.com/collections/2024-calendars

Get all the latest goods and gear and gifts from Alternate Histories, plus some special bundle deals on our calendars!

Gift Guides! Looking for some gift suggestions? Look no further than this list of Alternate Histories artwork, sundries, and more! Here's a quick overview of some of my best and highly favored work in this 2024 Gift Guide. Looking for something specific to Pittsburgh? Here's the Pittsburgh Gift guide! Want more....

Folks this really is what it comes down to, this week more than ever. I do get that times are tough and not everyone can afford to buy local or shop from independent businesses. We all have to get through life and take care of ourselves as best we can.

But if you have some money to spend on gifts this year, I am literally begging you to not just buy everything on Amazon. Go out to your local independent bookstore or card shop. Visit a craft fair to see what independent folks are selling. Hit up that winter farmer’s market. Chances are you’ll see tons of things you never would if were just scrolling online. You’ll be introduced to new sellers, new designs, new books, new foods, new everything! You’ll get hands-on customer service and recommendations from actual live people. And best of all, when you shop from small local businesses, your money stays in your community rather than going into a billionaire’s pocket. This is make or break time for a lot of businesses (myself included) and the money you spend over the next month and a half can be the difference between them closing or staying open.

I make most of my income from holiday seasonal shopping so I can’t very well urge you to buy nothing (hey, did you know that my calendars make great gifts). But I do hope that you’ll make an effort to get out, talk to, and shop from local businesses in your area. I guarantee you’ll be glad you did.

Green Hazel is here with terrariums, moss art, and more! Stop by til 5pm

Folks, just another reminder that Hidden Pittsburgh is a scam. They're the same company that promised but never delivered the "floating cinema" on the rivers during the pandemic, the same company that promised a "Dark dining" event that Di'Anoia's apologized for, the same company that promoted a jail-themed party where you sleep in cells, the same company that did the underwhelming Mad Hatter and Tipsy Elf pop-ups, and on and on and on. Do not buy tickets to their events, do not support them. They are not local and there are TONS of great folks in this city doing amazing things!

From the pittsburgh community on Reddit: Hidden Pittsburgh is a scam. Explore this post and more from the pittsburgh community

I love seeing all the different colored envelopes in my greeting cards stacked up for a wholesale order! These are heading to - let me know if you’d like to sell my cards, calendars, or other geegaws in your shop!

Excited for Greenfield resident Katie and Green Hazel to pop up this Saturday at the studio from 12-5pm! What will they be selling? In Katie’s own words:

Green Hazel botanical craft will be selling living moss terrariums, dried and preserved botanical wall art, mossy ornaments and wreaths, pollinator hotels, and other bits and baubles. I use second hand and reclaimed goods and dried florals grown in my garden in Greenfield.

(First pic taken at Handmade Arcade’s annual Spring Market)

Holiday markets! I'm excited to be hitting the road and heading to Cincinnati on November 25, as well as selling at some great local shows here in Pittsburgh. Come see me at:

- Crafty Supermarket
November 25, Cincinnati Music Hall, 11am-5pm
This is one of my favorite shows to travel for! I love Cincinnati and the Music Hall there is such a great spot. Come check out some new stuff and exclusives at the show, or just find me at the Rhinegeist taproom at some point.

- Handmade Arcade
December 1 & 2, Pittsburgh
Delighted to be back at Handmade Arcade again, both for the Happy Hour Friday Night from 5-7:30pm and the main show 9am-6pm on Saturday. I'll have calendars, cards, and a few surprises so come say hello at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

- Holiday Crafts and Drafts at East End Brewing
December 16, Pittsburgh
Not only do I organize the Crafts and Drafts show at East End Brewing in Larimer, but I also sell there! This is a great holiday shopping opportunity, inside with tons of great vendors + beer & pizza. How can you lose? See you there, 12-4pm.

- Krampus Holiday Market at Necromancer Brewing
December 22, Pittsburgh
Some great last-minute shopping on Friday, Dec 22 from 6-10pm at Necromancer! More info coming soon.

And as a reminder, if you're in the Pittsburgh area you can always stop in my Studio at 517 Greenfield Ave, every Friday & Saturday from 12-5pm. I've got some great pop-ups happening with local artists every Saturday in November & December too! Check out the list of artists at HolidaySaturdays.com

Greenfield artist Deborah Lieberman is popping up in the Studio today, Saturday Nov 11 until 5pm! Come check out her collages and mixed media work!

Greenfield Hoodies are here- thanks CommonWealth Press! If you pre-ordered yours, come get it any Friday or Saturday from 12-5pm. We MAY have a few extras to sell; stay tuned!

Three different calendars for 2023, three different monsterrific experiences. Which one will you pick?
#2024

Deborah Lieberman is our featured local artist for this week’s Holiday Saturdays (after a little schedule change). Deborah’s work combines painting, collage, and other mixed media elements to make original art and prints that I absolutely love! Stop by and see Deborah this Saturday, Nov 11 from 12-5pm at the Studio!

New Greenfield mugs are here in the studio! $15 for these gorgeous mugs, locally printed by A Small Boat Press.

Hello! I've got some new followers so I figured it's time for one of those "got some new followers" introductory posts. Howdy! My name is Matt Buchholz and I run Alternate Histories here in Pittsburgh, PA where I have a studio in Greenfield. I've been doing this since 2010 when I first started with a show at Wildcard in Lawrenceville. My work started by adding monsters into historic images and writing little stories for them and has since branched into a million different things, including:
- Calendars! I have three different calendars for 2024, including a National Park Monsters, a take on art history, and one focused entire on Pittsburgh, all printed locally by Broudy Printing Inc.
- Books! I've written three different Decide Your Own Fate books for kids where they get to escape from, fight with, or even be the monster!
- Greeting cards! I've got a huge selection of everyday cards plus a bunch of monsterrific Holiday cards.
- Glassware! Whether it's my 8bit Pittsburgh tumbler glass or my National Park Monsters & Greenfield mug (printed by A Small Boat Press), you'll never drink the same again!
- T-shirts! Good old-fashioned fun featuring my Pittsburgh monster "Yinzilla," as well as a local t-shirt for the neighborhood (printed by CommonWealth Press).
- A vinyl album! Yes! What? Yes! It's real, it's a collection of actual 1950s & 60s space age music, pop, garage rock, & soul and it's great.
I love working with different businesses around Pittsburgh; you may have seen my work decorating the walls at the The Independent Brewing Company. And starting this weekend (Saturday, Nov 4), I'm hosting a series called "Holiday Saturdays" where I'm inviting a different local maker & vendor into my space every Saturday. Come down at 517 Greenfield Ave and see what we've got going on, or visit AlternateHistories.com to purchase any of this stuff on the interwebs. And thanks!

Saturday, 12-5pm! Stop by the Studio to check out work from artist Rigel Richardson and books from New Evil Press!

New Evil Press and Rigel - Pop-up Market New Evil Press and Rigel - Pop-up Market New Evil Press and Rigel Richardson will be vending books by all local authors, original art, and art products for one day only during the Alternate Histories 2023 Holiday Saturdays pop-up series!

Our first Holiday Saturday is THIS Saturday, November 4 from 12-5pm! And we’re very excited to be featuring artwork from Hazelwood resident Rigel and select titles from New Evil Press featuring all local authors. Genres include: novels, short stories, and poetry.

Plus more fun stuff like:
- stickers, bookmarks, and other art products
- art prints
- original art
- a pop-up exclusive 'fill a tote' bundle! You can select a bunch of products when you purchase one of our high quality reusable totes, union-printed here in Pittsburgh at Commonwealth Press.

Stop down to the studio at 517 Greenfield Ave and see what Rigel & New Evil Press have for ya!

Happy Halloween!

Here's a selection of mostly 1980s songs & movie themes that I used for the Alternate Histories Video pop-up! Perfect for spooky music on the porch during trick or treating...IF YOU DARE!

The Sound of Halloween Happy Halloween! Here's a selection of mostly 1980s songs & movie themes that I used for the Alternate Histories Video pop-up! Perfect for spooky music on the porch during trick or treating...IF YOU DARE! Click here to listen on Tidal Click here to listen on YouTube