On the Road: Hot Cup o' Handmade 2

My last hoorah for the 2011 holiday craft show season was the Hot Cup o' Handmade 2 show at Molten Java in Bethel, CT. And what better way to end the year than being surrounded by my talented friends in one of my favorite places? We set up early for an afternoon show. The gals all charged up with toasty drinks and snacks from the counter. We were visited by many of our local friends, including Julie - who was knitting colorful goatees for an upcoming Pantera tribute party. My pal Alex also stopped by to say hello wearing one of my pieces. She looked fabulous!

caffeinated craftanistas

Panteriffic

Jen Matlack of Milly Gilly Home and Garden (aka Daisychestnut on Etsy) brought a lovely array of whimsical terrariums, vintage utensil garlands and garden markers, and creatively embellished ceramic goods. I adored her hand dyed cotton ribbon that was wound with care around wooden sticks. Her vintage ceramic plates are specially marked with poems and quotes, but my favorite had to be the "Crap" plate. Jen also had a new terrarium with a grazing deer that was oh-so-sweet. I love how she used the candle holder on the deer's back to hold a tiny spot of moss. Visit Jen's shop on Etsy for a charming holiday gift from the heart.

Alex and Jen

Milly Gilly's goods

the dearest deer

My favorite Little Cowgirl, Lys Guillorn was adorned with a new fringed outfit that shimmied and shook the day away. Lys displayed new snazzy Christmas stockings, fabulous purses, and jewelry with candy-colored vintage buttons. I couldn't resist getting one of her adorable collaged Christmas cards with sewn details and a little clear pocket o' sequins. I like it so much, it just may be a Christmas card to myself. Don't fret...you can get one for yourself in her Etsy shop (in addition to many other unique gifts). Word on the street is that her shop will have many new things in it soon!

Shake it cowgirl!

Bags for stuff and stockings for stuffing

stationery go round

Folk Couture's display is ever-changing and inspiring thanks to Grace Napoleon's busy hands and clever point of view. I got to thumb through racks and racks of dramatic dresses and swanky sweaters. I was so impressed when her friend Laura showed up in a Folk Couture original with a dramatic floral neckline. She looked like an absolute knockout! You can find Grace and her fabulous frocks this weekend at IDM Boston, SoWa Holiday Market, and Craftopia. Pepper your conversation with the phrase "grace and glory" when you see her and get a special discount. Pass it on!

Grace had Laura the acupuncturist on pins and needles.

sweater land

two beauties

It was a pleasure having Jean Maimone of Vintage Gems join us for Hot Cup o' Handmade 2. I had first met Jean at Dawn's Vintage Jewelry when her striking redesigned vintage creations were being showcased. I have always appreciated Jean's use of color n' glitz in her statement pieces. From beaded tassels to brightly hued chokers she offered an amazing array of showstoppers.  I fell in love with her orange and gray acorn necklace and was thrilled when Thom surprised me with it during the day. Visit the Vintage Gems website and Facebook page to find out where to find Jean next.

Jean of Vintage Gems

make a statement with these pieces

I squirreled away the gray and orange acorns!

Throughout the day I got hellos from local friends, pals from school, and family. A fun array of jewelry scooted out the door, including thimblism necklaces, REcap bracelets, and one of a kind pieces. A 1920's powder compact locket called "Encharma" and a vintage bicycle headbadge necklace called "Knight Night" went home with happy customers. The day rounded out nicely with a fun visit from Gwen (who looks splashingly sensational in her whale tail thimblism necklace) and hubby Keith. My in-laws, sister-in-law Marnie, and niece Darla also popped by to show love. It was a superb Sunday all around!

Twitch and Whiskers

Encharma

Knight Night

Gwen and Keith

we are family

If you're looking for a unique handmade gift or a personalized present - I'm your go to gal! Shop local and handmade this holiday season. Pop on by to my Etsy shop or email me if you would like me to make ya something special.

Happy Holidays from Twitch and Whiskers!

On the Road - Hot Cup o' Handmade at Molten Java in Bethel, CT

There's nothing like being on your home turf when doing a show. Not only is traveling a breeze but you also get to see many familiar faces. This was definitely the case at Hot Cup o' Handmade last Tuesday. It was great to see many friendly visitors from around town, and my school. Plus, I was surrounded by some of the most talented local craftinistas in my favorite coffee shop - Molten Java in Bethel, CT.

Molten Java - hot stuff!

Michele and Jeanny stopped by to say hi.

Sue and Mark perked me up!

Lys Guillorn of Little Cowgirl was saddled up next to me at the show. This creative gal really does it all, and her table was a great reflection of her many super powers. Besides being a very talented photographer, Lys sews bags with whimsical prints, creates a cornucopia of kitchy tiny pins with vintage ephemera, and fashions colorful jewelry out of buttons. I am now the proud owner of one of her button necklaces in red with a white heart detail. My husband Thom couldn't resist getting a few pins as well. In addition to exploring the wide world of crafts, Lys is a gifted songstress and performer. You can find her next at the Hot, Rock, & Holiday Party in Windsor, CT. Behold the power of Lys' crafts and music!

Lys Guillorn of Little Cowgirl

pin up!

Lys' photography is indeed the BESTEVER!

The clothing designer extraordinaire (and my often time craft show travel companion), Grace Napoleon of Folk Couture, represented with racks and racks of new and amazing designs. Her hands have been on overdrive getting ready for the upcoming holiday season and it was great seeing all of her new sweaters and dresses in person.  Everyone at Molten Java was treated to a little fashion show every time someone tried on her unique "clothes out of clothes." The only thing that was missing was a red carpet! She's all over the place in the weeks to come, including Wellesley Marketplace in MA, Festival Fete in RI, and SoWa Holiday Market in MA. Visit her on Facebook to see where else you can find her in the weeks to come.

Grace Napoleon of Folk Couture

roses n' ruffles

Folk Couture's recent display at Handmade Arcade in Pittsburgh. Love the bear!

When you walk up to Jen Matlack's table you feel like you're strolling through an enchanted garden. Milly Gilly House and Garden (aka Daisy Chestnut on Etsy) offers mysterious terrariums with hidden treasures, hand-stamped vintage platters, and a whole variety of hand illustrated note cards/paper items. What Jen is best known for is her garden marker spoons and silverware garland. She embellishes vintage silverware with lovely hand drawn illustrations of herbs, vegetables, and plants.  Her items are so treasured that she got on Etsy's front page as a featured seller! Dontcha just love it when a local gal goes big? I fell in love with one of her terrariums in a mason jar, and just had to bring it home. You can really see and feel the amount of care and detail that go into each and every piece. If you're looking for the perfect holiday gift for the garden/nature lover in your life, take a romp through Jen's world.

Jen Matlack of Milly Gilly House and Garden

the right utensils for the job

pleasant under glass

At Hot Cup o' Handmade, I displayed a lot of new pieces and many went to great homes. My friend Karin swung by and treated herself to an early birthday gift. She looked fantastic in the vintage rouge locket necklace called "Feather in the Heather." Two of my favorite pieces also went to familiar faces:  "Eye-Lash-Ine" with a 1920's tin, monocle, and diorama & "Oh Deer, Oh Deer" which held a nature scene with two gold tone deer in a watch parts tin. Many thimblism necklaces went a-jinglin' out the door and several folks requested custom necklaces made with their own thimbles. I just love making pieces out of other people's treasures!

the birthday beauty

"Oh Deer Oh Deer"

Eye-Lash-Ine

on the flip side

Wendy, the owner of Molten Java was there to partake in the crafty festivities. Most recently, she shared the exciting announcement that Molten Java will soon be relocating down the street into an amazing Victorian house. She's been hard at work painting, uncovering the beautiful wood floors, and getting the space ready for its opening. Read all about it here in the Bethel Buzz News. I'm so proud of Wendy, that I just want to stick a giant gold star in the middle of her forehead. 'Like' Molten Java on Facebook to get the most up-to-date info on the big move.

I love Wendy for many reasons. Giving me a zombie finger puppet just added to the list.

Molten Java's soon-to-be new location! Oooh! Ahhh! Ohhhh!

a sneak peek of the new space - colors abound

And finally...drum roll please...I am excited to announce that Hot Cup o' Handmade will be returning for a holiday show on Sunday, December 4th! We are still hammering out some of the details but will post more info soon. In the meantime, save the date and spread the word. Thank you to all who came out to the show and supported the local craft scene. Hope to see you again come December!

You can find me at these upcoming holiday shows:

Wellesley Marketplace - Saturday, November 19 at the Wellesley Middle School in Wellesley, MA.

Hot Cup o' Handmade - Sunday, December 4 from 12-4 at Molten Java in Bethel, CT. Facebook invite to follow soon. Follow Twitch and Whiskers on Twitter or Facebook to get the official announcement. 

On the Road - Heirloom Flea Market

There's no place like home, or several blocks from home when doing a show. The second show I participated in during the weekend of the 9th was the Heirloom Flea Market at the Heirloom Arts Theater, just blocks from my home in downtown Danbury. Organized by local photographer Mandee Potter, this show brought together local artists, flea market vendors, and a few acoustic performers.

I was thrilled to be sandwiched between and across from many craftanistas extraordinaire. To my right was the multi-talented, always inspiring Lys Guillorn of Little Cowgirl. Lys offered an impressive variety of photographs, cards, jewelry, purses, and other what-nots. I love her new vintage button bracelets and always find her photography striking.  Perhaps it would be easier to list what she doesn't do! And on top of it all, she finds time to write and perform her own music. I recently saw her perform her lovely ditties during Record Store Day at Gerosa Records. Her lyrics made me melt. Lys's superpowers are far-reaching and endless!

Suburban Citizens by Lys Guillorn

The table directly to my left belonged to another busy bee - the jewelry designer and girl with go-go spirit Lydia Mandell of Rubystreet. Her playful use of color, vintage flare, and chunky plastic pieces are reminiscent of the hard candies in grandma's candy dish. She assembles kitschy necklaces, hair accessories, and bracelets, but my favorite pieces of her have to be her "UnDead Ringers." Every time I don one, a fifth grade girl will stop me at my school and compliment me on my cool ring. You know you're cool if a 5th grade girl takes the time to compliment any part of your wardrobe! In addition to creating a color frenzy, you can find her doing the pony in All Systems Go Go.

UnDead Ringer by Rubystreet

 The Hat City Scissor Squad, our local Tuesday night craft group, represented well at the event. One of the founding members, Michelle Barney-Saucier had a terrific table filled with all sorts of goodies including fanciful handmade journals, head wraps, and other fun accessories. She made a clever display/holder out of Legos that made me smile. The other members of the Squad showed up to show their support. You could feel the crafty love!

In Squad We Trust

Only Lauren could make a decapitated head thimbilism necklace look that good!

I was thrilled to get a visit from the Abby and Brian, the soon-to-be newlyweds from New Haven. It was great to finally meet Brian after hearing so many wonderful stories about him and seeing their great 50's style engagement photo shoot. Abby was wearing my "Bam! Pow! Zap!" Batman necklace from the Indie Craft Extravaganza and she wore it like a superhero! I am currently upcycling some of Abby's family heirlooms to make her a necklace to wear on her wedding day in October. She's such a creative bride and I know her DIY wedding, complete with local food trucks, is going to be quite the event. Stay tuned...I will be blogging about her necklace soon.

  

Dynamic Duo

It was a great day to hang out with friends in my hood and share my wares. In the end I said farewell to another one of my favorite necklaces (That-a-Way) and a few other goodies that went to loving homes. What's not to love?

That-a-Way went that-a-way.

All day laugh track provided by Lys and Lydia. I spell my name "Mei- LYng" whenever I'm around these gals to fit into their "LY" club.