On the Road - Art is...You - Stamford, CT

A superhero donning a cape made of dozens of CD's. Tables piled high with vintage ephemera, doll parts, and colorful buttons. A festive atmosphere swirling with talented and enthusiastic artists. Though it was my very first time participating in the Art is...You "Art Trunk", it made quite an impact on me the moment I walked into the event!

Sallianne Superstar - One of the original creators of Art is...You.

Dazzling dahling!

Wonder Woman! Fighting for your rights, in her satin tights...

Enthusiasm swirling around Suze Miller Weinberg.

Fairy Vintage Rose's bits and pieces.

The Art Trunk was part of the five-day mixed media art retreat at the Stamford Sheraton. The Art Is...You Mixed Media Retreats have been around for nearly ten years and stretch far and wide to California, Australia, and of course Connecticut. It was great to have one in my neck of the woods. The Atrium at the Sheraton was packed with displays from artists who were teaching at the retreat, mixed media suppliers, and a nice mix of artists from the surrounding states. I was excited to be in the artful mix.

Art is You 2014 - Sheraton Stamford

Twitch and Whiskers at Art is...You

upcycled rings and necklaces

It was so nice to see a friendly and familiar face at the event. Janice Kissinger is the creative force and talented hands behind Felt Sutra. I originally met this Rhode Island native while vending at SoWa Open Market in Boston. Janice is known far and wide for her one of a kind, hand felted creations. Janice is a sculptor of fabric. She starts with natural, loose wool fibers as a base and builds with other textile elements such as Merino wool, reclaimed vintage silk saris, and hand dyed silks. Her process involves soap, water, a careful eye, and a lot of elbow grease. The results are pure magic. Janice's shawls, scarves, and stoles wrap you in elegance and ease. Look closely and you will see interesting folds, bold shapes, and gorgeously blended colors. Her sculptural hats and purses are full of personality and whimsy. Janice's customers love the versatility of her artful pieces. I have seen pictures of happy customers wearing her designs both with casual jeans and at red carpet events. You really must see her work in person. Visit Felt Sutra's webpage and Facebook page to see a fine sampling of Janice's wearables and to view her upcoming shows and events. Janice is also happy to do custom work, so keep her in mind for that perfect, unique gift.

Janice Kissinger of Felt Sutra

vibrant sculptural hats

beautifully hand felted wraps, stoles, coats, and dresses

accessories with interesting textures and vibrant colors

The best part about vending at a show for the first time is meeting a whole new group of wonderful people. This show proved to be the perfect place to meet a fun array of mixed media artists and suppliers. In addition to being a creative lot, these folks were very welcoming, oodles of fun, and great to chat with throughout the day! Click on the links below to learn more about this clever bunch.

Cheri Moyer (hard at work) - Fairy Rose Vintage

Jenny Holiday, Aaron Nieradka, and Lieutenant Dan - Every Day is a Holiday

Vanessa Kiki Johanning - The Rhinestone Contessa
and the wonderful work of Persimmons Studio

Doreen Gay-Kassel - Doreen Gay-Kassel's Uncommon Creatures and Beasts

Brittany and Debbie Gabel - 413 Glassworks

Carol Boden Mania of Lodestar Wovens

Throughout the day, I got to mix and mingle with both Art is...You attendees and teachers. The folks at the event were very kind to this newbie and left with a nice variety of Twitch and Whiskers pieces.

Hob Knob Rings

Lookin' fab in her Fun 'n' Games rings!

Wet Paint and Tell It to the Marines

Turn up the volume with Hob Knob Rings.

Some of my favorite playful and interactive necklaces went home with happy customers.

U-Turn vintage tin car necklace

Looking dazzling in her new dexterity game necklace!

Tickle Your Prince - interactive dexterity game necklace

vintage 1940's rouge compact necklace

floral surprise inside

I cannot thank the organizers, artists, and attendees enough for making my first experience at Art is...You a stellar one! I am counting down the days 'til next year's event. I look forward to taking some classes myself and meeting even more fabulous people!

Psst...the secret is out! I was featured on NPR's Education Blog series called "The Secret Lives of Teachers" Check it out!

There are three chances to catch Twitch and Whiskers during the holiday season:

November 16 - Craftopia - Pawtucket, RI
November 28 through December 31 -Craftland Holiday Show - Providence, RI
December 13 & 14 - New England Open Markets - SoWa Holiday Market - Boston, MA

You can also find my pieces all year round at the oh-so-fabulous PURE.original in Rutland, VT. 


Follow Twitch and Whiskers on Instagram and Facebook for new pics, promos, and updates. Swing by our Etsy shop for the goods. 

On the Road - Jamaica Plain Open Studios - Jamaica Plain, MA

Right on the cusp of fall, I got to head north for one of my favorite family friendly arts events: Jamaica Plain Open Studios. It was my third year participating in this annual show and second time located at the Samuel Adams Brewery with a wonderful group of artists.

A beautiful weekend at JPOS!

Bustling at the Brewery.

I was nestled into a cozy corner of the courtyard under a brand spanking new tent. The beautiful in-between-seasons weather welcomed a good amount of foot traffic through the Brewery both Saturday and Sunday.

A beautiful almost fall day.

Twitch and Whiskers at the Brewery

What's really nice about returning to a show year after year is reuniting with the people you've made special connections with from the community in the past. Back in 2012, I met a very creative boy named Jack and his mom Erin. Jack showed an interest in jewelry design, so over the years I have been sending him care packages and he's been busy creating his own special pieces. It was so nice to get hugs and hellos from Jack and his family.

Erin, Chris, Jack, and Kieran

I also got a warm visit from my friend from work Judy and her husband Stan. It was their first time at JPOS and they really enjoyed exploring the different locations throughout the town.

Smiles from Judy and Stan

On Saturday, a dad and his enthusiastic daughter swung by my tent right after a soccer game. The young girl said that she wanted to be an artist one day and so she was checking out all the booths at the Brewery for inspiration. I think I spy a future JP artist!

A JPOS artist in the making!

The nicest treat of the weekend was being next to Amy Jensen Trueblood of Amy J. Designs. All day long we laughed, shared stories, and laughed some more. I got to meet her fabulous family and by the end of the weekend, I felt as though I had known her for years! In addition to being an all around funny person and great mom, Amy is a talented jewelry designer. Amy searches the world for public transit tokens and coins and turns them into gorgeous necklaces, rings, cuff links, and bracelets. Her small pieces pack a lot of nostalgia. She often gets to hear customers' tales of grandfathers who've worked for the railroad and family memories of riding transit lines. Amy appreciates the beautiful details of each coin. The cut out letter-shaped centers, the old fonts, and the tiny pictures hold a piece of history that's unfortunately disappearing. Thankfully, Amy is there to preserve these tiny relics in her fine silver and gold work. Amy specializes in custom work and is the perfect person to contact for wedding party and regionally-inspired gifts. Visit Amy J. Designs' website and Etsy shop to see a fine sampling of her jewelry.

Amy Jensen Trueblood of Amy J Designs

tokens of nostalgia

Get a perfect pendant from any part of the US.

Elegant earrings

Amy's daughter Gwen and Tegan were the sweetest helping hands around!

The customers at JPOS were very enthusiastic and fun to talk to. I met a school nurse who found several whimsical pieces to wear to work, including a Miss Curity necklace and several lenticular pieces. She said they would be the perfect thing to wear to cheer kids up when they visited her office.

A stylish school nurse wearing her Miss Curity necklace

Miss Curity pinback button necklace

Add caption

A sweet mother-daughter duo visited the booth and had fun checking out many of the necklaces upcycled out of vintage tin toys. Mom went home with a vintage Cracker Jack tin fish whistle. Her daughter's tenth birthday was just around the corner and she left with the perfect ring to celebrate.

Mom looks fabulous in a tin fish whistle necklace.

A special 10th birthday ring!

It's always a hoot to see customers checking out the Fun 'n' Games rings made out of vintage pinback buttons, poker chips, game pieces, and wooden nickels. Some of the novelty pinbacks from the 1940's are especially sassy and many went away on the hands of happy ladies.

Fun 'n Games rings

"Chicken Inspector" and "It's O.K" rings look great on these two friends.

These twins are adorable times two!

The biggest surprise came in the form of a cute five year old customer who purchased her ring two years ago at JPOS. I was thrilled to see that she was still wearing the ring and amazed at how much she had grown in two years!

Age 5 - Still looking as stylish as ever!

Age 3 - Looking cute when she first got her ring.

Toward the end of the show, I met Bridget and Takara; two friendly local artists who share a studio space just down the street from the Brewery. They took the time to look through my entire stock of blinking doll eye and brooch necklaces. I think they found the perfect pair!

All eyes on these creative gals!

blinking doll eye necklaces

Thanks to all of the wonderful customers, artists, and organizers for making another year of Jamaica Plain Open Studios a success! I'm looking forward to returning again next year. 

Twitch and Whiskers' fall/winter schedule:
October 11 - Art is You - Mixed Media Art Retreats - Stamford, CT
November 16 - Craftopia - Pawtucket, RI
End of November through December - Craftland Holiday Show - Providence, RI
December 13 & 14 - New England Open Markets - SoWa Holiday Market - Boston, MA

Follow Twitch and Whiskers on Instagram and Facebook for new pics, promos, and updates. Swing by our Etsy shop for the goods. 

On the Road - SoWa Open Market - Boston, MA

How did my last SoWa Open Market of the summer sneak up so quickly? I had four wonderful shows in Boston's south end leading up to this final one and I couldn't wait to see what my season closer had in store. Though Mother Nature served us a "sun, rain, sun, rain, sun" club sandwich it didn't stop loyal customers, tourists, and market enthusiasts from coming out and shopping handmade.

SoWa sun

SoWa rain

Twitch and Whiskers was all set and ready to go with lots of new pieces and special rings to ward off wet weather. It didn't keep the sprinkles away but it did manage to keep spirits up as the rain came down.

Twitch and Whiskers at SoWa Open Market

Well, maybe just a little mo'.

One of a kind assemblages and a tin clicker pup

There's a lot of love, thought, and design wrapped into every one of Melissa Rocklen's creations. She's the clever hands behind RocklenDesigns Mobiles and Jewelry. I was set up diagonally to her at SoWa and got to gaze upon her gorgeous mobiles all day. Her elegant, sculptural pieces are adorned with vibrant beads, jeweled grape-like wisteria clusters, and sweet, petite birds that curiously perch upon swirled branches. As you watch them slowly turn and catch the light, you feel as though you're walking through a whimsical garden. Her skilled wire work can also be seen in her pretty earrings and necklaces. Her hammered necklace components are quite eye-catching and unique.  Melissa carefully selects beads from different parts of the world and eras, so there are special stories and cultural connections tucked into her work. Visit RocklenDesigns webpage, and on Etsy, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to see a nice sampling of Melissa's work and to find out where to catch her in person next.

Melissa Rocklen of RocklenDesigns Mobiles and Jewelry

Fine feathered friends

Earrings with beautiful beads

Vibrant rainbow arc mobile

Protractor necklaces were the big seller this weekend and ladies left the booth wearing their necklaces embellished with panthers, greyhounds, butterflies, birds, and flowers. 

On the prowl!

Looking beautiful in a butterfly.

Brass protractor necklaces

Shopping at SoWa is often a family affair. You could feel the love  when these mother-daughter and mother-foster pup duos visited.

A garden of beauties!

These two love clownin' around!

Whistling for a furry friend

The best part about working with vintage items is you never know when someone will make a personal connection to a piece. A fellow jewelry designer visited my booth and zeroed in on a lenticular necklace that said "Fancy Me in My Rona-Lee" and had a cute image of a girl primping herself in a mirror. It just so happened that her name was Rona, so she left with the piece around her neck. What a perfect match!

Rona wearing Rona!

Twitch and Whiskers lenticular and dexterity game necklaces

This market was the perfect end to my SoWa summer season. Thanks to all the supportive customers who came out and showed some Twitch and Whiskers love this spring and summer! I will be back in the area before you know it.

My fall/winter schedule is starting to shape up. Here are my event dates (so far):

September 20 & 21 - Jamaica Plain Open Studios - Jamaica Plain, MA

October 11 - Art is You - Mixed Media Art Retreats - Stamford, CT

December 13 & 14 - New England Open Markets - SoWa Holiday Market - Boston, MA

Also, swing by the fabulous new shop PURE.original in Rutland, VT to see a wide variety of Twitch and Whiskers jewelry.

Visit Twitch and Whiskers on Facebook, Instagram, and Etsy to see new pieces, get updates, and find out about sales. I recently added over 100 new pieces to my shop.

Hope you're enjoying the summer!

Cheers,
Mei-Ling