On the Road - Arts Fest Beverly - MA

A gorgeous day, a street lined with talented artists, delicious food, and tons of visitors. These are the perfect ingredients for a springtime street festival. This past Saturday was my second time participating in Arts Fest Beverly in Massachusetts and I enjoyed the event from beginning to end.

Arts Fest Beverly 2013 - Beverly, MA

A gorgeous day with a big crowd

One of the best parts of doing a show is seeing friends. I had a late drive into Beverly on Friday night and was welcomed by warm hospitality, yummy desserts, and great conversation from the one and only Jen Gubicza of Zooguu. It was great seeing her new dinosaurs in a variety of sizes and colors. Her little spikey stegosaurus was my fave. Abby Berkson of Abby Berkson Ceramics was there with her husband Erik. Speaking of dinosaurs, she had new adorable mugs with two entwined, in love brontosauruses. Carrie Wagner of SepiaLepus was there with her husband Jim and dog Franny. She hopped up and greeted me with doggy kisses (Franny, not Carrie). I adore her new hand painted, woodcut narwhale with unicorn pilot. Just click here, and you'll see what I mean!

Jen Gubicza of Zooguu

Abby Berkson and husband Erik from Abby Berkson Ceramics

Carrie Wagner of SepiaLepus with husband Jim and dog Franny

I enjoyed seeing customers, both old and new, at Arts Fest Beverly. I was pleasantly surprised to meet a bunch of ladies who also collected Bakelite and Lea Stein jewelry. I could talk vintage plastic for hours! By the end of the day, a nice variety of pieces went hope with shoppers, including pinback button necklaces, blinking eyeball necklaces, lockets, and Fun 'n' Games rings. 

Twitch and Whiskers at Arts Fest Beverly

Sparkling in citrus

Florida Citrus Ski Show necklace

Eye-catchin' beauty

I Only Have Eye for You - blinking doll eye necklace

Dinorific dahling!

Doggone cute in a Fun 'n' Games ring.

Looking lovely in a Paris-themed locket.

Red Hot Mama went to a red hot mama.

I was wearing a protractor necklace with a creepin' brassy centipede and colorful plastic bubbles. Before long, It crawled right off of me and onto the neck of a happy customer.

The centipede crawled from one gal...

to another!

Thanks to the organizers of Arts Fest Beverly for a fabulous event and to all the visitors who came out and showed their love.

Let the summer begin! This weekend you can catch me in Brooklyn. Here is my upcoming schedule. 

June 23 - Smith Street Sunday Funday - Brooklyn, NY
June 29, July 13, July 27, August 3 - Greenway Open Market - Boston, MA
August 24 - Picnic Music and Arts Festival - Portland, ME 
 
Swing by a show, visit my Etsy shop, and like Twitch and Whiskers on Facebook for updates.

On the Road - The Greenway Open Market - Boston, MA

Six months is an awfully long time to be away from a place that you adore. That's how long it had been since I last had a show in Boston. The yearning to be back in Beantown took the edge off the early morning drive in from Connecticut. The Rings Fountain playfully welcomed Thom and me to the Greenway Open Market this past Saturday. It was hot, hot, hot out but it didn't stop us from enjoying the glorious Wharf District.

The Greenway Open Market in Boston

Cool down in the fountain.

I love learning about the life paths that guide people toward the arts. Amy Casher of Amy Casher Designs had her interest in jewelry sparked at an arts camp in her teenage years. This lead to many years of metalsmithing classes, a life in the non-profit world, and eventually a professional career as a jewelry designer. Her first studio was deep in the woods of New Hampshire surrounded by the great outdoors. She has since migrated to studio in the South End of Boston. Amy's organic, yet urban jewelry effortlessly blends together these two worlds. I have always been a fan of her striking Moonflower line with bold bursts. These beauties were recently featured in American Craft Magazine. Her Seaweed Globe rings are real show-stoppers and her Falling Water necklaces with whimsical lines can be worn in several different configurations. Explore Amy's world by visiting her website and FB page. See her gorgeous jewelry this weekend (June 8th) at the Coolidge Corner Arts Festival.

Amy Casher of Amy Casher Designs

Make a statement with Moonflower jewelry.

Dramatic Seaweed Globe rings.

Whimsical lines make for stunning necklaces.

Beth Rosa, the clever gal behind Pink Pigeon Creations, knows a thing or two about fanciful form and function. Beth has a background in graphic design and IT and is now a busy mom by day and sewer by night. Necessity is the mother of invention and Beth is the perfect example of that. Beth's son dreaded drying off after bathtime, so she created adorable hooded towels with creature features to make it a fun task. Similarly, when a friend couldn't find matching mother-daughter aprons, Beth jumped to the rescue with an adorable matching set. Pink Pigeon really stands out with their incredible fabric choices and vibrant colors. The patterned Wet Bags with waterproof linings are both versatile and stylish with many pattern options. Visit Pink Pigeon Creations' website, Facebook page, and Etsy shop to see their full array of reusable, eco-friendly products. Catch Beth at the Greenway Open Market and SoWa Open Market throughout the summer.




Beth Rosa of Pink Pigeon Creations

A perfect pattern for every person.

These hooded terrycloth towels add adventure to bath time!

Animal prints on parade. I adore the raccoons!

The sunny day brought waves of tourists and locals to the Greenway. For the first time, I showcased my pinback button necklaces by theme. I displayed one collection made out of 1940's and 1950's novelty pins and another assortment that used food-themed pinback buttons. Because of the kitschy imagery and unusual slogans they are some of my favorite materials to seek out. The highlight of my day was finding the perfect person for my newest statement necklace. Jen Gubicza of Zooguu looked incredible wearing the "Expressway to Your Heart" necklace. It was assembled from 1960's tin Japanese cars and vintage Lucite beads. It will be traded for a custom made Zooguu plush toy. I can't wait to share my Zooguu critter with you soon!

Twitch and Whiskers at the Greenway Open Market

Necklaces made out of novelty pins from the 40's and 50's.

Jen Gubicza of Zooguu ready to stop traffic in "Expressway to Your Heart."

Let the show season begin! Here are my upcoming spring/summer craft shows. Come by and say hello!

June 15 - Arts Fest Beverly - Beverly, MA
June 23 - Smith Street Funday Sunday - Brooklyn, NY
June 29 - Greenway Open Market - Boston, MA 
July 13 - Greenway Open Market - Boston, MA
July 27 - Greenway Open Market - Boston, MA 
August 3 - Greenway Open Market - Boston, MA
August 24 - Picnic Music + Arts Festival - Portland, ME 

More dates to come! Like Twitch and Whiskers on Facebook to see new pieces, learn about promos, and check out what we have to offer on Etsy.

Upcycling with the Brownies

Creating with kids is the best! These past 2 weeks, I've had a chance to do two more Brownie jewelry workshops with crates and crates of fun junk. Piles of plastic and wooden game pieces, old refrigerator magnets, squirting plastic flowers, little toys, Scrabble tiles, and old greeting cards were torn into by clever hands. The result: pure genius. These gals left the workshops with playful rings, pins, and necklaces.  Check out these fabulous first and second grade upcycled gems.

First Graders

Second Graders

I look forward to seeing these trashionistas sport their accessories at school. Way to go girls!

On the Road - Craftopia - Pawtucket, RI

The first craft show of the season feels very much like the first day of school. There's a lot of excitement, build up, and butterflies about jumping back into the crafty life after a long winter of being cooped up inside. You frantically create new pieces to sell, make a million to do lists, and pack (and repack) your car with a little voice in the back of your mind saying, "I just know I forgot something." As soon as I pulled up to Craftopia in Pawtucket and got a bunch of hugs from my creative friends, all that tension just melted away and I felt ready to play again.

A royal welcome from Craftopia's Kim in a Heart of Assemblage crown.

Craftopia 2013

This was my second time participating in Craftopia at Hope Artiste Village. The long hallways and greenhouse room were packed to the brim with talented artists, crafters, and makers from all over the northeast. I got a fun surprise visit from my pal Stacey. She looked incredible in her Folk Couture dress and received compliment after compliment from visitors at the show.

Zooguu and SepiaLepus at Craftopia

Stacey working it in Folk Couture

Whenever I see Red Staggerwing Designs at shows I am mesmerized by the array of gorgeous fabrics. Lisa DeMio puts clever twists on classic bag shapes and accessories with careful attention to detail. Since 2009, this New Hampshire artist has been sewing up a storm for her line. Vibrant patterns, clever textile combinations, and high quality hardware sets her designs apart from the everyday. At Craftopia, my eyes instantly gravitated toward her bright red and orange poppy clutch with digitally printed fabric unique to her collection. Her Urban Tote Bags were real show stoppers. Their spacious size, durable design, and patterned linings make them the ultimate go-to bag for work and play. It's always a joy to see Lisa at shows because she's such an upbeat and friendly gal. When I met her son Matt at the show, it came as no surprise that he too was a real gem (Thanks for the taco run Matt!). Shop Red Staggerwing on Etsy and visit their Facebook page to see where you can find these fab bags during the spring and summer craft show season.

Lisa DeMio of Red Staggerwing Design

Poppy clutches pop with vibrant color.

Beautiful form meets function - Urban Tote Bags

A basket of soft, smiling, striped kitties. It's enough to make anyone melt on the spot. Visit Arlette Laan Fiber Creation's booth and you too will be caught up in some serious cute. This Massachusetts artist, originally from the Netherlands is a real globe trekker who has a passion for sewing and photography. I got to hear about her recent adventures in Patagonia and Antarctica (Too cool, right?). Arlette loves to tinker with fabric and takes inspiration from the colors and patterns around her. Each of her sock dolls' personalities are revealed in the hand stitched details. Bold button eyes, expressive lips, clever embroidered features, and whimsical hair make each one unique. I picked up a striped Kitty and Smiley doll with long ears for an upcoming baby shower but the longer I have these dolls, the more I want to keep them for myself! It really goes to show you that Arlette's soft toys are perfect for kids of all ages. Swing by her website, Facebook page, and Flickr gallery to explore Arlette's whimsical world.

Arlette Laan of Arlette Laan Fiber Creations

kitten smitten

a lineup of quirky characters

I was so excited to display new Twitch and Whiskers pieces at Craftopia. A steady stream of friendly shoppers kept the day exciting. Thimblism necklaces, rouge compact lockets, protractor necklaces, and Fun 'n' Games rings went home with many happy customers at the show. One special gal loved the Sealtest Big Top TV Circus necklaces made out of vintage tin tab pins and Bakelite buckles. She wanted to wear them as pins on her coat, so I took them home, removed the bails, and turned them back into pins. How's that for re-upcycling?

Twitch and Whiskers at Craftopia

Megan of Apiary Designs in a rouge compact necklace with hidden bee.

Welcoming in the spring with a protractor necklace and winning smile.

Fun 'n' Games rings

From pins to necklaces to pins!

Thanks to everyone at Craftopia for starting my spring craft show season off with a smile. Visit Twitch and Whiskers on Etsy and Facebook for new creations and updates.  I have a great show season ahead and look forward to seeing all of you out and about.

June 1 - Greenway Open Market - Boston, MA
June 15 - Arts Fest Beverly - Beverly, MA
June 23 - TBA
June 29 - Greenway Open Market - Boston, MA 
July 13 - Greenway Open Market - Boston, MA 
July 20 - TBA
July 27 - Greenway Open Market - Boston, MA 
August 3 - Greenway Open Market - Boston, MA 
Other dates in the works!