stART at the Station - Worcester, MA art fair

It's that time of year again! Time for the indoor, wintry version of stART on the Street known as stART at the Station (Worcester's Union Station, that is).

As they say on their web site:
A premiere holiday arts event with over 80 artists and crafters, food and more, just in time for all your holiday festivities! Hosted at historical Union Station, Worcester's renovated train station boasting soaring ceilings and marble floors. Click here for their site. Right now, as I write this, there is a minimum of information up about this show, but at some point they will put up artist "thumbnail images" and information about those of us taking part.
I will be there selling my paintings and cards. In fact, it's my last show (until further notice), because as I said in my previous post, I am now concentrating on wholesaling (and some consignment through several wonderful stores that currently carry my work). So if you like Jen Niles Art and you can get to Worcester on December 7th, I hope to see you there!

Heartfelt Designs by Trish - Paxton, MA

I wanted to let you know about my friend Trish and her business, Heartfelt Designs by Trish. She does great work, with lots of heart (no pun intended); her crafts really have a nice spirit to them. Click here for her web site.

In addition to all the great wool crafts on her web site, I have to put in a "plug" for her tiny wool animals. Trish hasn't photographed any of these yet (or should I say we've tried to photo them and our skills are somewhat lacking), but they are the cutest things! These tiny little fuzzy sheep, dogs, and more are tiny enough to fit in your hand and they're light as air, because they are made from something called "wool roving." Be sure to ask Trish about them. I know she takes custom orders...imagine giving someone a gift of a tiny wool version of their pet. To honor pets who have passed away, Trish can add little wings to the animal.

I've been away too long

It has happened again! Life has gotten in the way of blogging. So sorry for my prolonged absence. This is the time of year where buying local and handmade is the most important, so I really feel I've dropped the ball!

Some changes: I have had to pare down my Etsy site, which had gotten quite large, actually. That's because I joined www.WholesaleCrafts.com and I am focusing on selling to retailers now. That's not to say I don't sell to individual humans any more, but it just means I have less time to work on getting my work "out there". Wholesaling makes the most sense at this time of my life. And I've found out that retailers don't much care for competing with artists' Etsy sites for retail business! So I removed (from Etsy) all items that I'm selling wholesale through Wholesale Crafts.com.

Any people who would like to buy Jen Niles Art cards (individual or boxed), can do so by emailing me directly. Shopping this way is still easy, because once your order is totaled up, I can send you a PayPal invoice for the total....you can click and pay the total with credit card, even if you are not a PayPal member. Not bad!

Etsy shop

I now have an Etsy shop! Well actually I started it back in 2006 but closed it because I could not devote sufficient time to maintaining it. It's been reopened (this month) and so far it's looking good. My shop name, should you want to look it up at www.etsy.com is "jennilesart". Or you can click here for the link.

I also made my first Etsy purchase recently and it was very cool! The Etsy shop name is "lulaballou" and she makes the cutest little fabric handbags. Etsy also has a way you can shop locally because they can sort the offerings by location, which is a great way to buy handmade AND shop locally, at the same time.

Urban gardening & Youth employment program

I heard about this local program here in Worcester, Mass., and am mentioning it here because it sounds very worthwhile. I hope you will read on... (this is a condensed version of the writeup I received):

"Pernet Family Health Services is a neighborhood-based home health and
social service agency with a commitment to supporting families to be
physically, socially, psychologically, and spiritually whole. The
agency has been serving the Green Island region of Worcester, MA since
1968. This summer, Pernet received funding to create part-time
summer jobs for underprivileged youth. Pernet has decided to use its
youth employment program to fund the creation of a community garden
and install container flower beds throughout the area's small business
district.

Why Youth Gardening?

Pernet chose to create The Green Island Garden because...

1. The garden will bring healthy, affordable, organic food to the
people of Green Island, helping to eradicate food insecurity and
malnourishment.
2. Community gardens offer space for citizens to socialize and bond
with one another, fostering a stronger and healthier social fabric.
3. Community gardens localize the food industry, reducing both the
price of people's food and the city's carbon footprint created by
imported products.

The Youth Program

Pernet's youth employment program is one piece of a city-wide
initiative to give underprivileged youth access to part-time summer
jobs. Any youth (ages 14-21) that qualifies for free school lunch or,
for those youth not in school, meets other income-based requirements,
is eligible for the program. Various organizations throughout the city
have been given the responsibility of placing youth into employment
situations.

Pernet seeks to involve the Green Island neighborhood in this project
as much as possible. We will be selling low-cost shares in the
community garden to its neighbors, guaranteeing them a portion of the
harvest throughout the summer. We will also be sponsoring community
events. The first such event will be on Saturday, June 21st from
8am-3pm, during which time we will be raising the garden beds while
enjoying live music from Melo-Deego and free food from local
restaurants."

I've edited the writeup because the information provided to me was quite lengthy. But it sounds terrific and that is why I wanted to put in a good word here. For More Information, call Lizzy Fox at (508) 755-1228 or email her at lfox@pernetfamilyhealth.org

Pajama Gardening and Plastic Bags

The rising gas prices have really forced some changes around here. When I have to go out in the car, I do multiple tasks on that one trip rather than waste gas going to that neighborhood more than once.

One thing that causes us to do too much driving is searching around for healthy food that won't put us in the poorhouse in the process. We are not strict health food adherents by any stretch, but we're very wary of pesticides on our fruits and veggie. In foods, we avoid high fructose corn syrup and trans fats, and in meat and dairy, we avoid hormones and antibiotics. That right there could tack a lot of miles onto a shopping trip!

We like Whole Foods for some things, but the drive from Worcester to Framingham is just too taxing on our conscience and our wallet these days, so we rarely make a special trip that way. Living Earth in Worcester....well....that's always been cost-prohibitive but now, with gas at $3.60 or so per gallon, I wonder if staying close and shopping there might be cheaper than driving to Trader Joe's. This is awful.

Anyway, I digress. One day recently, as I mused about how little cash my art was generating these days, and how high the cost of fresh organic vegetables (and the gas to drive and get them) is, the proverbial "light bulb" went off over my head. Instead of leaving the gardening to my already overworked husband, I would do it. Heck, I'm here all day homeschooling the little one anyway....what a great educational opportunity! Honestly, when I saw how many hours my work was taking me away from my family and houseworking and other important jobs, and how little profit I was reaping in return, it really made me see the need for this change. By maximizing the capacity of my yard to grow food, I am "earning" in another way. Rather than bringing in money to buy food, I could be bringing in the food itself. After all, my work on Freecycle allows me to bring in many of the items we need or want (and unload them when we're done)...why not bring in food too?

Of course, I have never gardened and don't know a darn thing about it. Thank goodness for the internet! Anyway, my son (age 5) and I have invented a new ritual called Pajama Gardening. Right after breakfast we charge outside in our sleepwear (usually sweats and a t-shirt anyway) and get right to it. I do the work; he's in charge of running around the house waving his rake. In his mind, that's gardening. LOL!! Anyway he sometimes takes loads of yard waste in his little red wagon to dump out back. It's great fun and great exercise. I used to make the mistake of waiting until we got dressed, but by the time THAT was accomplished (those of you with young kids will get this), the sun was too high in the sky and I was, frankly, too exhausted and demoralized to tackle a weedy and unruly yard which sometimes resembles a rain forest!

Anyway, back to work for me. I just wanted to tell you about Pajama Gardening and this cool thing. A nearby town recently voted down a ban on plastic bags at several of the larger offenders...er....I mean stores. That caused quite a debate, or should I say shouting match, on some of the message boards. Don't get me started on what a bunch of babies I think people are when they freak out over a plastic grocery bag ban. For heavens sakes, we're Americans and should be quite resourceful. Bring a cloth bag! Case closed. Anyway, speaking of alternatives, look at this thing I found while Googling the whole plastic bag issue. It's a reusable tote bag that is MADE from old plastic grocery bags! Check it out:

http://www.marloscrochetcorner.com/Plastic%20Bag%20tote.html

So clever!

To h_ _ _ in a handbasket

Ok, maybe I was just in a bad mood. Maybe I was put off by the price of the gas I burned going to Shaw's in the first place. Or I was secretly mad at myself for thinking I'd actually find organic vegetables there (what was I thinking?). But in any case, the other night I saw the evidence that we are indeed headed to hell in a handbasket.

I picked up a nice red vine tomato and looked at the little label that contains the produce number. You know, the one that helps the cashier know how much to charge (the number which, when it starts in "9" means it's organic, "4" means conventional). Well imagine my horror when the little number of the tomato was there, along with an AD for Disney's movie called Ratatouille!! There it was! Disney * Pixar * Ratatouille. On my TOMATO!

I wrote to Shaw's. I told them that if I see the word "Ratatouille" on my produce it damn well better be part of a recipe.

Wal-Mart and the community-owned store

Last night on NPR I heard about a community-owned department store in the Adirondacks that was one town's answer to a proposed Wal Mart there. So, I decided to Google it and find out more. In the process I came across this funny quote that I just had to pass along:

Take Wal-Mart, the most famously offensive, town-destroying, junk-purveying, labor-abusing, sweatshop-supporting, American-job-killing, soul-numbing, hope-curdling retailer in the known universe, moving upward of $300 billion in cheap mass-produced slurm every year via more than 5,000 landscape-mauling eyesore stores stretching all the way from Texas to China and Argentina and South Korea and Mexico and your backyard.
--Mark Morford, San Francisco Chronicle

There's nothing I can add to that. :-)

Even if there were, I don't have the time. I am SO busy, making new art, redesigning my web ite (I plan to go "live" this weekend 3/15 or 3/16/08), finding new markets for my cards....the blog suffers.

The Cooperage - a gift shop in Townsend, Mass.

I discovered the cutest store this weekend! It's the kind of place that makes me fall in love with New England all over again. It is an old mill building right on a rushing waterfall, and it's called The Cooperage. They have an eclectic mix of items and a wonderful, warm atmosphere. If you click here for their web site, you can see a photo gallery of the inside and outside of this lovely old store. The owner, Susan Bates, is the nicest lady who just loves to talk with her customers. When I was there, an adorable little sheep--I mean, a DOG--got down off his cozy spot on the couch and let me pet his soft curly hair. I was enchanted with the sweet little fellow (and that is really saying something since I generally am not considered a "dog person".)

I had a really good time there, and of course my full disclosure would not be complete if I didn't say that Susan also bought a bunch of my cards and magnets. She's got an "animal corner" of her store with animal-themed gifts, both for humans and for the animals (like catnip).

I'd probably say more, but I am being called by my son...he needs help with yet another project involving the Solar System.

Art Workshop by Susan Champeny

I've been busy discovering (and selling to) new stores! And, of course, keeping up with the creation of new designs and merchandise to sell. Sometimes the blogging takes a break when I get this busy.

First, let me say that my friend Susan Champeny is at it again. She is offering an art workshop on Saturday, March 29 at the Alternatives Unlimited building in Whitinsville. It is called "Paint Beyond the Horizon Line - create landscape greeting cards with artist Susan Champeny". Contact Sue at champeny@attglobal.net for more information. She has a nifty emailed postcard she can send you with more about what she will be teaching and a sample of her technique.

As for my latest news, I will be writing about those adventures in my next blog entry. (I like to keep topics separate.)

Crow Feathers Shop - Blackstone, Mass.

Last night I found out about a small shop in a barn in Blackstone, Ma. Called "Crow
Feathers". Here's how the owner, homeschooling mom Jeannine Manzola, describes it: " It's a combination of bulk herbs, herbal products I make, and salvaged things I find here and there. It has a bit of everything, including hand crafted furniture my husband makes and walking
sticks from the homeschooling family up the street. I also carry heirloom organic seeds and garden stuff in the spring. The name Crow Feathers came about because I was getting in touch with my Cherokee roots," Jeannine explains. "My Grandfather on my father's side was Cherokee, as was my Great Grandmother on my mother's side.

This lady's pretty amazing. I have not met her yet, but when I found out some of the things she's involved in, I could tell she is someone special. She's got a large house in Maine, a former tavern built in 1804, that she's turning into a retreat called The Bloomin' Lupine. She's also involved with some other local homeschooling moms in helping to establish a farmers market arrangement at a renovated, very "green," mill site in Whitinsville, Mass. to feature local artisans, crafters, and farmers. (Some of these homeschooling mothers are amazing. Where do they--we--find the time? As the old saying goes, "if you want something done, ask a busy person.")

Anyway, The Crow Feathers shop is located at 26 Chestnut Street, Blackstone, MA. They're open by chance or by appointment, and the phone number is (508) 883-1033 or (508) 330-1636.

Lottie Ta Dah (gifts & jewelry) - Hudson, Mass.

Ok, so after I went to Serendipity (see my latest post, below), I glanced over at the car and sure enough, my son and husband were still happily dozing. Time for one more store! (It’s wonderful, really, as nice art & gift shops had been increasingly hard for me to visit since my little one became mobile. It’s only now that he is nearly five years old, that I’m beginning to be able to trust him in such places--places full of what we call “breakables”. But I digress..)

Right around the corner from Serendipity, located on the rotary in the center of Hudson, is another lovely shop called Lottie Ta Dah. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to stop in there, but I’m usually whizzing around the rotary with a child in the back seat, so I just never have until now. I wish I hadn’t waited so long. It’s a place that is at once fun and elegant, and full of unique items. And you’ve really got to check out their web site (www.lottietadah.com) and read the story about how that name came about. The owner, Kim Gilligan, is yet another one of those fabulous woman/mom entrepreneurs who I admire so much. In the interest of full disclosure, I now have some of my art for sale there at Lottie Ta Dah, so while I am telling you what a great store it is (which it is), you must know that having my art there increases my own level of excitement! If you stop by, tell Kim you heard about her store from me.

Serendipity (gifts & art) Hudson, Mass.

I am so glad I didn’t let yesterday’s nasty weather keep me from going out. The family piled into the car and we took a drive out to Hudson, Mass. My goal was to investigate a store that I heard about from a fellow artist (Sarah Stallings of www.3catnite.com). Since my husband was with me, there would be someone to watch my little boy while I went in. Well, it turns out I might have had a nice visit even if my husband wasn’t there to watch the little guy, because this store has a play room for children! Let me tell you who this ingenious woman is. Her name is Lori Burton and her store is Serendipity. (Lori knows about the need for a childrens’ area because she’s a mom of a young one herself, but this brilliant feature is something you just never see in high quality gift stores.) You MUST go to this store! It is bright and cheerful and the art is so original and beautiful, your spirits will be lifted merely by walking through the door. Lori was nice enough to talk to me, despite the fact that her store was very busy indeed. Why not take a look at the web site (www.serendipityinhudson.com) and read Lori’s terrific story. And for all you guys out there....Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. (hint, hint)

Stay tuned for my next post, about another great Hudson find...

Creative Toys

My son has taught me that nothing can stop a child's imagination.

We've probably all heard that toys which do everything for the child are used for a short time and then set aside, because they don't require much imagination. An example is those Lego sets that are designed to create one specific kind of object. To the contrary, open-ended toys that allow the imagination to flourish have stood the test of time--think of Etch-A-Sketch, Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs and plain old wooden blocks, just to name a few.

This is all easy to understand intellectually, but until I had a little boy, I never knew the extent of it! Sometimes I complain about not having enough money for the latest toy, but most of the time, I'm glad of it. You've heard of the expression "necessity is the mother of invention." We're living proof, and it's turned out to be a real blessing. When Thomas the Tank Engine trains proved to be too numerous and too expensive a passion to sustain beyond the initial burst of birthday gifts, we started making our own out of Sculpey clay. I'd make them with little holes in either end for a wire to go in, and after adding a paint job and a face to each one, we'd connect them up and have a great time. At first I was the craftsperson, but soon my son was busy making the most adorable little lumpy, misshapen train cars and having the time of his life playing with them.

When construction vehicles were his favorite thing, we'd often want a toy that just was not being made, such as an old-fashioned steam shovel or an auger driller. Have no fear! There's nothing that a little duct tape, cardboard and wire cannot achieve. We'd just modify our existing vehicles with whatever attachment was deemed necessary, and it would become his new favorite. And it's been like this right along.

Now that he's almost five, the trend shows no signs of abating. He's a homeschooler and I've always stayed home with him, and he's never watched cartoons on TV (even PBS. We prefer video), which means he's been blissfully shielded from the high pressure applied to children by Madison Avenue to buy the latest toy, gadget or character. Our philosophy has always been, if we like a character from a book we've read, then we'll either make the character ourselves or pick it up at a yard sale. There is NO running to Wal Mart or Target for the latest mountain of Dora The Explorer or Bob the Builder merchandise. (We assembled a nice collection of Bob The Builder vehicles through the yard sale method, and I am certainly glad we did it that way...he played with them faithfully for a short period of time, and they now collect dust. Good thing they each cost no more than 50 cents!)

Anyway, all this is just my way of explaining today's photo. What you see is my son with his hand-sewn Giant Clam. Sea creatures are all the rage with him now, and sometimes you just cannot find an octopus, jellyfish or giant clam at the toy store. Nor, at regular store prices, would I want to! I sewed the jellyfish and octopus by hand, but when he asked for a giant clam that's where I drew the line. I dragged out the sewing machine I got for free from Freecycle (www.freecycle.org), figured out how to work it, and using free fabric and rick-rack trim from the Holden Recycling and Resource Center (Holden, MA), I fashioned this lovely stuffed Giant Clam toy for him. Frankly, I don't know which one of us was more thrilled.

Today, he spent the day making little beige mollusk animals (i.e. basically blobs) out of modeling clay to go inside all of his univalve seashells so that they look like live creatures. He's pretty passionate about mollusks right now. At night when we read books, he sits with a blob of clay in his hands and makes creature after creature depending on what animal we're reading about. He's rarely without a clump of modeling clay these days. Last night he made barnacles. Real-looking "goose barnacles."

Who needs Toys R Us?

Coyote's Corner

I came across a web site today for a business run by a fellow homeschooling mom. Located in Rhode Island, this lady's got an incredible story and tons of spirit and determination! You should check out the products her company sells, especially if you are interested in feminist and environmental issues. Of course that doesn't begin to sum it up, so why not visit the site yourself at www.coyotescorner.com

Worcester, Mass. artist Susan Champeny

I have an artist friend, Susan Champeny, who is a real inspiration. I really love the way she handles her business so professionally, yet never loses sight of the art itself. She doesn't let the business of selling put a damper on her spirit. (This is something I struggle with, in all honesty.) I asked Sue to write a blurb; here it is:

"Susan Champeny is commuting to the Blackstone Valley to paint on-site for the next two months. She is preparing a series of watercolor paintings for a show at the Alternatives Gallery, housed in a rehabbed mill in Whitinsville. She loves the old mills found in the area, and is enjoying an excuse to get outside and paint them, despite the winter weather. If you know of a site you think would be good for her to paint, please send her an email at champeny6@yahoo.com."

Happy New Year

Hi all; sorry I've been away for a while. Christmas has that effect on you when making gifts is your business. :-) Not that the new year has brought much of a break--I'm busy making new, fun creatures for the Kids' Expo I am in this February 2nd. I'm using the jigsaw to cut out whimsical animals for kids' rooms. I call them "Mural Shapes" (for lack of a better name) because you can really create a mural-like effect with these--without the hassle of having an artist set up shop in your kid's room and paint directly on the walls. Not to mention that they're removable, for when you move or redecorate.

I photographed this T-Rex on the couch next to an Etch-a-Sketch, for a sense of scale. These Mural Shapes attach to the wall with just a few nails placed through the black areas, which are then practically invisible if you blacken them with a Sharpie marker.

For info on the Kids' Expo, visit my Kids' Art web page and scroll down to the bottom. Here's the link:
http://www.jennilesart.com/artforkids/index.html