Shop Spotlight: Quark Tees

Meet Hadria Beth of Quark Tees out of Manchester, Connecticut!

I am a fine artist with a passion for science, puns, and cartoons. Smash all those together and you get Quark tees! In addition to my t-shirt company, I also write a weekly webcomic called Microcosm. Microcosm explores our solar system with a unique blend of astronomy, science, and humor. So not only is it funny, it's quite educational as well! I have a BA in Fine Art and I am also a lover of fantasy so I create quite a bit of fantasy art as well.

I began making t-shirt designs for a small company back in 2007. While I only worked there a year, I really enjoyed the idea of people wearing my artwork. Years later, I began submitting my t-shirt designs to a website called Threadless, where they judge your designs and will print/sell them if they score well with the community. I had some success there, and one of my designs in particular went semi-viral. People were asking where to buy it on a shirt, but I had none.

Realizing that I really have a talent for t-shirt design, I decided to start my business. I used the crowdfunding website Kickstarter to get my business started and had an extremely successful Kickstarter campaign.

My process begins with a good nerdy design idea. I create my designs using Adobe Illustrator. Once complete, I send them to my screen printer, who prints them for me onto transfer sheets. Using a heat press, I am able to place my designs on all sorts of products - shirts, hoodies, bags, etc."

Find more of Hadria's products on her website

or connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.

***

Would you like to be a featured in the Shop Spotlight?

Connecticut businesses fill out this form!

Shop Spotlight: Little Bee of Connecticut

Meet Scott Priore of Little Bee of Connecticut out of Southbury, Connecticut.

"My wife and I have resided in Southbury, CT with our 11 year old daughter since 2003. We love to go skiing, relaxing by a warm campfire, and traveling the world. When not beekeeping I work as a packaging engineer for a consumer goods company.

To be honest, the idea of starting a small business scared me. What did I know about starting a business? It's been 18 months since we launched and with support from friends and groups like the Nutmeg Collective, we continue to grow and look toward the future.

We like to describe our products as "Unique & Affordable Gifts From The Hive" and have selected items to produce such as hand rolled candles and solid perfumes that are not commonly found. Everything is handmade in small batches by our family and only include simple, minimal ingredients.

My journey to becoming a beekeeper started in 2012 with a trip to a Farmer’s Market in Rhinebeck, New York. My daughter and I approached an observation hive in one of the booths. While she was trying to find the queen bee, I had a conversation with the local beekeeper about how he got started. A few books on the subject, along with beekeeping classes taught through Flanders Nature Center in Woodbury, CT, and I was ready for my first two hives. Fast forward several years later and a simple hobby has spiraled into 10 hives and the creation of Little Bee of Connecticut.

The name “Little Bee” was a part of our family long before beekeeping was. It has been our daughter’s nickname since she was a toddler. Her Winnie the Pooh toy would say “Little Bee likes to go, go, go…” as she chased it across the floor. When our first hives were in place she took an immediate interest in the management of them and naming the business after her just seemed natural."

Find more of Scott's products on his website

or connect with him on Facebook and Instagram.

***

Would you like to be a featured in the Shop Spotlight?

Connecticut businesses fill out this form!

Shop Spotlight: The Burnt Shop

Photo: Connecticut Food and Farm

Meet Denise O'Reilly of The Burnt Shop out of Glastonbury, Connecticut.

"Hi, I'm Denise. I'm a self-taught artist creating usable art in the form of woodburned and hand etched kitchenware and other home décor items. I now work full time out of a studio in my home.

I love to spend time with family and friends. Cooking, sewing, hiking, camping, kayaking, biking, Motown oldies, home projects and woodworking are all things that make me happy. I love the simple life and find nothing more enjoyable than hanging out with a woodburning pen in my hand and a big pile of spoons in front of me. 

Photo: Jeanine Rose Fine Art Photography

This all started a year ago when I was working as a team leader for Whole Foods and needed 40 holiday gifts for family, friends, coworkers and my employees.

I decided to do woodburned spoon sets and it just took off from there. Within 6 months after picking up my first hot pen, I had incorporated my business and retired to pursue art full time. I enjoy the whole process, start to finish. 

Photo: Jeanine Rose Fine Art Photography

I research and purchase high quality finished materials. Wood pieces need to be sanded, burned, sanded again and finished with coconut oil. Glass is purchased, etched and polished. My designs are inspired by nature and whatever music I'm listening to at the time. I sell at local farmers markets, artisan events, and a few retail gift shops throughout Connecticut. 

In the summer of 2015, I was so proud to be accepted into the Nutmeg Collective. Fall of 2015, I was featured on WFSB's Better Connecticut and then in Connecticut magazine's Holiday Gift Guide. 

It’s been a whirlwind first year and I'm incredibly grateful for all the opportunities I've been blessed with. There's nothing better than doing what I love while being available to care for family."

Find more of Denise's work on her website

or connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.

***

Would you like to be a featured in the Shop Spotlight?

Connecticut businesses fill out this form!

Shop Spotlight: Portraits by ShawnaLee

copyright Portraits by ShawnaLee

ShawnaLee W. Kwashnak is a portrait artist specializing in portraits of pets and children. She works in pencils, charcoals and oils.

Born and raised in Ridgefield Ct, where her artistic roots began, ShawnaLee is now a resident of Middlebury Ct. ShawnaLee is a 96' cum laude graduate of Western CT state university and is board member of the Connecticut Society of Portrait artists. ShawnaLee's love of animals comes through her heartwarming portraits of cats, dogs, horses, and children.

copyright Portraits by ShawnaLee

Many of her current works include Charcoals on toned art paper, rich oil paintings, or a blend of Graphite with an occasional hint of colored pencils. ShawnaLee helps support animal shelters such as the Danbury Animal Welfare Society as a DAWS Partner, Ct Draft Horse Rescue, Hidden Acres therapeutic riding center, New Fairfield/Sherman Animal Welfare Society etc.

ShawnaLee works out of her home studio in Middlebury CT, where she works side by side with her doting cats (actually - they are always trying to climb in her lap whether she is sitting or standing!) As a lifelong artist and animal lover, ShawnaLee's latest chapter of portraiture came from an opportunity to learn more about the Danbury Animal Welfare Society. She painted the Greeting Room Mural and became a DAWS Partner. When "Partner shop" is mentioned for a pet portrait commission, 10% is donated to DAWS in support of the animals.

 

Find more of ShawnaLee's work on her website 

or connect with her on Facebook

***

Would you like to be a featured in the Shop Spotlight?

Connecticut businesses fill out this form!

Shop Spotlight: ArtSmith Studio

Meet Ruthie Sutter of ArtSmith Studio in Somers.

"I feel particularly blessed to have found my passion at a very young age and now have the great fortune to make art out of my home studio with my kids often getting in on the action. Having a busy family life means I fit work in whenever possible whether it means early mornings, naptimes, or late nights. It isn't always easy, but I feel like I'm living the dream!

I have always known that I wanted to work as an artist, but for many years I wasn't sure how to go about actually making it a career. After college I spent time teaching art at a private school and working at a gallery part time. I really enjoyed those jobs, but I felt the itch to create more on my own. I thought it was time to try to start selling my work. I consider my expertise to be in drawing and painting, but fell in love with making pottery during college.

I had heard about Etsy in 2010 and thought, "what can I lose?" and so I created a shop. I had my first sale in less than 24 hours and I was hooked. I've learned a lot about running a business since then and how important it is to value your own time and talent. If you don't, no one else will. My most popular items have been custom recipe platters and wedding gifts. I have more product ideas than I have time and that makes me excited for the future."

Find more of Ruthie's work in her Etsy shop

or connect with her on Facebook and Instagram

***

Would you like to be a featured in the Shop Spotlight?

Connecticut businesses fill out this form!

Shop Spotlight: The Blue Twig

Meet Virginia Kemp of The Blue Twig from West Hartford

"I'm a Michigan native who married a Connecticut native. We have three kids who are adorable, funny, exhausting, curious and sometimes cranky all wrapped into one. I was a clinical social worker (in a previous life) who loved living all over (San Francisco, Chicago, Colorado, DC, Spain). I am now a converted New Englander who is very content living a more quiet existence with the above mentioned in our cozy old home.

The Blue Twig offers a rare collection of antique and vintage prints as an alternative to mass market decor. Only the most beautiful and interesting works on paper make it into the collection. The prints I'm most drawn to lend themselves well to more eclectic and even modern home interiors. I will often pair a 150 + year-old print with a clean understated frame to give it an elegant modern feel.

The Blue Twig Backstory: After working in the social work field for over a decade, I turned to full-time motherhood for several years. As our little ones became more independent, I began to think about shifting gears professionally. We moved to West Hartford around this time and I started to search for unusual art for our new home. I discovered the world of antique prints and was hooked. Soon our walls were covered but my hunt continued. My growing collection of curious old paper needed a home. The Blue Twig was born.

Owning my own business has been a fantastic adventure. Despite the amount of hours it takes to make it work, I feel incredibly lucky to wake up in the morning excited to take on my experiment in entrepreneurship."

See more of Virginia's work in her Etsy shop

or connect with her on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

****

Would you like to be a featured in the Shop Spotlight?

Connecticut businesses fill out this form!

Shop Spotlight: Jenny Fields Fiber

Meet fiber artist, Jenny Fields of Jenny Fields Fiber out of Berlin, Connecticut.

I'm a full time mommy and fiber artist, specializing in processing and dyeing wool sourced from family farms. Handspinners, felters, and doll makers from around the world enjoy using my fibers to realize their creative visions.

My grandmother taught me to crochet when I was a little girl. In my adult life, my passion for fiber art inspired my engineer husband to build me a spinning wheel. After intensive handspinning study with a master spinner, I expanded my repertoire to include processing and dyeing.

My love of wool and color have been driving forces in my life for many years, and being able to supply luxury fibers to other artists is deeply satisfying. I currently sell the majority of my fiber on Etsy, but I'm exploring other options.

See more of Jenny's work in her Etsy shop

or connect with her on her website and Instagram.

***

Would you like to be a featured in the Shop Spotlight?

Active Nutmeg Collective members fill out this form!

Shop Spotlight: Persimmon Pearl

Meet Cyndie Jarrett of Persimmon Pearl from Bristol, Connecticut.

"I have always been making things, I love to do all things from scratch. I'm kind of a purist that way. My grandmother taught me so many things, coming from the Ukraine, she did everything from scratch. I mean growing the flax, picking it, spinning it, weaving it...amazing! I still have a cloth that she wove when she was 16 years old! I love that kind of thing, history, art, antiques. Because of her, I love all fiber arts, as mentioned below.

"I am an avid gardener, animal lover/ dog trainer, bookkeeper (don't know where that came from!), I am passionate about life and an all or nothing kind of girl. Because I am a tree hugging, birkenstock wearing hippie type, I am all about being eco-friendly, and am obsessive about living life as naturally as possible. I have chemical sensitivities which is somewhat limiting, but even before that, I have always been a nature lover, label reader, and anti- chemical in just about everything.

Those are just the highlights of me, but like Shrek, I am like an onion....so many layers!!!

I am a self taught...well pretty much everything! I love fiber arts, have been sewing, quilting, weaving, spinning, knitting, crocheting, rug hooking, braiding etc, for many years. About 12 years ago I started making jewelry, stones, sterling silver, beads and such, with my daughters, we mostly did home parties. When they didn't have time anymore, I put jewelry making on the back burner for a little while. Then I just couldn't stop thinking about new designs, kept a pad and pencil by my bed, you know the feeling! At the urging of family and friends, I decided to go off on my own as Persimmon Pearl, and opened an Etsy shop. I was invited to the Whole Foods farmers market, and did a few other shows, which is opening up another world to me.

I am inspired by so many things, colors, patterns, designs, something vintage. But what I often find inspiring is a certain stone, or bead, or chain, then right away I get an idea for it, I never know though, exactly where it will take me. I am not a neat creative person, I try to be organized, but that usually doesn't happen. I tend to start many projects at once, especially when ideas are flowing, and try to keep those components together, or put it in my creative journal, then when I might not be as much on my game, there it is!!! This seems to work for me, even though it may be messy at times!

The most exciting thing so far in all this, is I have finally been able to take jewelry/metalsmithing classes since January 2015. Something I have always wanted to do. So the adventure continues....

See more of Cyndie's work in her Etsy shop

or connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

***

Would you like to be a featured in the Shop Spotlight?

Active Nutmeg Collective members fill out this form!

Shop Spotlight: RiverDog Prints

Meet Cyn Thomas of RiverDog Prints from Avon, Connecticut.

"My business was named for my dog, Scout, who is an almost 14-year-old Chesapeake Bay Retriever. I think of her as my partner, even though she is now almost deaf and sleeps about 20 out of 24 hours. My connection with her drives quite a bit of what I create and how it's produced. All RiverDog Prints products are as eco-friendly as possible, using only recycled paper and envelopes produced by wind power. The other materials I use have to fit within that earth-friendly philosophy and can sometimes be difficult to source, but it’s a commitment I feel strongly about in both my business and personal life.

I am an extremely late-bloomer as an artist. The fact that I can draw and paint still surprises me. I began RiverDog Prints in 2004 as a part-time venture with the idea that it would be a destination for well-designed pet photo cards. It did well in its small way initially, but a few urgent family matters put the business on hold for an extended period of time. When I was able to return, photo cards had become big business for some major companies, so I decided to switch creative gears and create stationery. It has developed into many paper goods, greeting cards, art prints, canning & preserving papers, notepads, notebooks, as well as gifts, like recipe binders, tea towels and totes.

I create my art, paper goods and gifts out of my home studio in Avon, as well as in my new out-of-house studio and shop, Hello!, in Simsbury. Hello! Artisan Shop & Studio is a joint venture with two other creative business owners, Kristen Skelton of Milo & Molly and Vanessa Felie of QueenVanna Creations. We have an Open House scheduled for the evening of August 27 as our first official event. We are still defining and planning what Hello! can offer to our other creative colleagues and the local community, but we’re excited about the opportunities for the future.

I also am in the beginning stages of offering logo design and branding to businesses. You can look at my portfolio here, http://cynthomas.com  This new direction has been great so far! I've loved creating logos and graphics for some very talented people."

See more of Cyn's work in her Etsy shop

or connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

***

Would you like to be a featured in the Shop Spotlight?

Active Nutmeg Collective members fill out this form!

Shop Spotlight: Little Rose Studio

Meet Cynthia Kalmanides of Little Rose Studio out of Norwalk, Connecticut.

"I am a wife, mother, and professional designer. I run my business full time out of my home (some days without a sitter, so it gets pretty crazy around here :) I am dedicated to my shop and always finding ways of improving my craft. I find passion in DIY projects around the house, and I look for inspiration everywhere.

I started my shop out of a desire to create, and work for myself at the same time. I attended the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale where I earned a degree in Fashion Design, and shortly after moved to NYC to begin my career as a fashion designer. Along the way, I learned to design graphically and realized that I loved it more than working with fabric. 

After years of experience as a "graphic fashion illustrator", and other positions in the fashion field, I began doing freelance graphic design gigs on my own while working full-time. After settling down and having a child, I decided being a work-at-home mom and running my own small business was the ideal job for me. I had designed some of my daughter's event invitations and thought that would be a path I would truly enjoy, and so Little Rose Design Studio was born. My daughter's middle name is Rose, so that is where the name derives :)

I am a one-woman show here at Little Rose Design Studio, I do it all from designing to customer service. (Days without a babysitter means I do it all during naptime!). I conduct seasonal research to be on trend, but work hard at each design to make them all unique from anyone else's. I do have my own style, and any artwork used in my designs is all illustrated by me, making every creation truly original."

See more of Cynthia's work in her Etsy shop

or connect with her on Facebook.

***

Would you like to be a featured in the Shop Spotlight?

Active Nutmeg Collective members fill out this form!