Come See the Collective!

This weekend we're starting our spring market season! Come on out and join us at these great events:

InDee Designs

Payne & Comfort

The BURNT Shop

The Tiny Wren

Bags in Bloom

Whole Harmony

RiverDog Prints

Sprinkles of Color

Milo and Molly

Doug Hockman Photography

Wren in a Willow

Come visit tonight from 4-8.  See more here!

Hickster Tees

Whole Harmony

Wren in a Willow

Nutmeg Naturals

The BURNT Shop

The Tiny Wren

The market is open from 9-2!  See more vendors here.

And keep up with our Facebook page to see other vendor events.

Nutmeg Collective Instagram: Hickster Tees

We have some great photos in our #nutmegcollective Instagram feed.
On a regular basis, we'll feature some of our favorite photos here!

Test printing my moo-velous new design! I'm so excited that I finished her just in time for the Spring Break Market at @getbakedct this Saturday. I sure was close. I'll be experimenting with color combos tomorrow. #nutmegcollective #tattoomoo

A photo posted by HicksterTees (@hickstertees) on Apr 7, 2016 at 1:21pm PDT

Gift Guide: Teacher Appreciation Gifts

Tuesday, May 3 is Teacher Appreciation Day!  It's a great time to show your favorite teachers how much you care, and thank them for all their hard work and dedication.  We've rounded up some of our favorite gifts for teachers - click through the photos to find out how to purchase.

Fun for teachers and students, a perpetual calendar from Queenvanna Creations helps teach kids the date in a tactile manner, while brightening up the teacher's desk.

For the science and math teacher in your life, check out Quark Tees for some geeky humor!

Rough day at school?  Help your child's teacher relax with this aromatherapy Socket Sack and Payne Killer gift set from Payne & Comfort.

Show your teacher how much you appreciate what they do for your child every day with this stamped necklace from Lasting Impressions Jewelry.

Any art teacher would be thrilled to receive this letterpress notebook by Hartford Prints! - perfect for doodling in!

Mark all those manuals with an oversized paperclip bookmark from Milo and Molly, which will even stay put if the teacher drops the book!

No matter what you choose, a big THANK YOU to your teacher always means the most (but a little something extra never hurts either!).

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.

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

Connecticut businesses fill out this form!

Top Business Newsletters, Straight to Your Inbox

There are so many online resources out there for those in the handmade field, but how do you know who is a reputable source?  We've rounded up our five favorite handmade and business resources, all of whom provide amazing content right to your inbox. 

1. Academy of Handmade 
A community of makers and their supporters, Academy of Handmade offers up a host of resources, highlights handmade artists, hosts events, and offers online business content

2. Lucky Break Consulting 
Digital resources and innovative consulting for creative entrepreneurs, Lucky Break can help you build your brand through worksheets and other tools, plus weekly Periscope sessions with founder Lela Barker, online classes, and consultation

3. Maker Mentors 
"An online community designed to help you build a business you love", Maker Mentors offers webinars, online resources, a maker conference and more

4. Merriweather Council
An Etsy veteran-turned-educator, Danielle offers e-books, courses, tools, and other experience-based content to help you build up both your Etsy shop and your online business

5. Yes and Yes 
Because yes is more fun than no, let Sarah von Bargen provide you with business insight, online resources and articles, blogging experience, and personal consultation on your online presence

Stop by each of their sites and make sure to sign up for their newsletter so you don't miss a thing!

Earth Friendly Spotlight: Reduced, Reused or Recycled

Today we celebrate Earth Day and the final round up of eco-friendly, Connecticut made products.

 This collection features items that are made from re-purposed, up-cycled and/or sustainable materials.

Think Globally, Shop Locally!

Reduced, Reused or Recycled:

"Our candles are made from hand rolled sheets of 100% pure beeswax, which are natural, non-toxic, sustainable & renewable. Beeswax burns cleaner than paraffin candles and naturally give off a light, sweet honey scent without the addition of any fragrance oils. Available in pillars, tapers, and votives." - Scott owner of Little Bee

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"Petite textured studs handcrafted from recycled sterling silver and Moissanite (an Eco-friendly, sustainable diamond alternative)" - Erin owner of Erin Deluca Jewelry

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"If you love the stuff from the Burnt Shop but don't need anymore "stuff".... bring me your glass and wood pieces! I'm happy to add my original designs or something of your choosing to make your own treasured items that much more special." - Denise owner of The Burnt Shop

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"Bamboo is a durable, sustainable and renewable resource. And as an added bonus the dense grain resists bacteria. My housewares are conditioned with food grade mineral oil and natural unbleached beeswax. The bright pops of color are hand painted using non-toxic water based paints and sealed with a naturally ocurring resin." Alonda owner of Designer Dwellings

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"All of the paper in our buttons and magnets are recycled and our notebooks and cards are all made from recycled paper and cardstock!" - Kelly owner of Our Secret Treehouse

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"The Silver clay that I use to make my jewelry is manufactured using recycled and reclaimed silver. The silver is from eyeglasses, photography supplies, industrial sources, utensils and from silver jewelry that has been turned in for reclamation." - Denise owner of InDee Designs

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Written by Alonda Baird-Juhasz, owner of Designer Dwellings, who believes in adding color to life. An avid DIYer, sparkle-loving, all things fabulous addict, her shop features bright and fun home decor accessories and gifts. When not in the shop you can find her interior decorating or visual styling events and photo shoots.

Earth Day Spotlight: For the pets

This week to celebrate the upcoming Earth Day on April 22nd we are sharing daily round ups of eco-friendly, Connecticut made products. Around here we love our critters and we love celebrating them with natural, sustainable and organic finds. 

Think Globally, Shop Locally!

Eco-friendly finds for the pets:

"Made with sustainable Aspen wood, these leash hooks are painted using natural milk paint in gray or white. Aspen wood needs to be harvested regularly to keep other Aspen trees healthy and thriving." - Cyn owner of RiverDog Prints

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"Handmade by me, this soap was created using the old fashioned method of cold process soap making. No synthetic colors, dyes, perfumes, preservatives have been used." Jess owner of Treefort Naturals

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"It's for the Birds! Provide nesting materials for your feathered friends. Great for your indoor birds and their outside relatives! 4" vine ball filled with 100% all natural (no dye) fiber donated by our herd of alpaca - eco friendly and sustainable." - Lori owner of Flatland Alpacas

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"The Mary Chicken tote, printed on a bag made from Ecotech which is 65% pre-consumer cotton and 35% recycled bottles, made by a family/woman owned company in NH." - Jennifer owner of Hickster Tees

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"Handmade, wood and paper, use daily forever." - Vanessa owner of Queen Vanna Creations

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Stop by tomorrow for the final eco-friendly roundup!

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Written by Alonda Baird-Juhasz, owner of Designer Dwellings, who believes in adding color to life. An avid DIYer, sparkle-loving, all things fabulous addict, her shop features bright and fun home decor accessories and gifts. When not in the shop you can find her interior decorating or visual styling events and photo shoots.

Earth Day Spotlight: For the kids

This week to celebrate the upcoming Earth Day on April 22nd we are sharing daily round ups of eco-friendly, Connecticut made products. Our little ones deserve the best products free of harmful chemicals.

Think Globally, Shop Locally!

Eco-friendly finds for the kids:

"While all of our toys are made with child safe materials, our puppy pull toys go one step further and are strained with coffee and finished with our own blend of organic beeswax and organic jojoba oil." - Vivienne and Vinny owners of The Toy Box by Vinny

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"All natural, handmade products including 100% natural Baby soap, Calendula Lavender baby balm, hand knit cotton washcloth & natural wooden soap deck." - available at Treefort Naturals

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"The teether is made of solid maple and sealed with organic beeswax and olive oil, the ears come off so they can be washed. This is a greener alternative to plastics, and it will last for years and years" - Kristen owner of Milo and Molly

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"The Happy Snacker is a stand up on its own, generously sized reusable snack bag. The outside is made of sturdy duck canvas or organic cotton prints, and the inside liner is made of food safe ripstop nylon. The Happy Snacker features an end to end hook and loop closure to keep snacks fresh- and pull tabs made from re-purposed vintage grosgrain ribbon from France." - Carrie owner of Mister and His Sister

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"Many of my items are made from organic or upcycled fabric. These fabrics are not only super soft, they use far fewer resources to produce than conventional or synthetic fabrics. Tinymack clothing is also made to be worn and loved and passed on from child to child -- which further reduces its environmental impact. Love for the earth and love for little ones is what we're all about." - Kaci owner of Tinymack

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"Starting with a repurposed mint tin, I add full pans of handmade watercolor paint and a color guide. After that, I paint the top of each tin. The watercolor paints are handmade using quality ingredients including local honey." - available at Sprinkles of Color

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Stop by tomorrow for the next eco-friendly roundup!

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Written by Alonda Baird-Juhasz, owner of Designer Dwellings, who believes in adding color to life. An avid DIYer, sparkle-loving, all things fabulous addict, her shop features bright and fun home decor accessories and gifts. When not in the shop you can find her interior decorating or visual styling events and photo shoots.

Earth Friendly Spotlight: Bath and Body

This week to celebrate the upcoming Earth Day on April 22nd we are sharing daily round ups of eco-friendly, Connecticut made products. Today we have organic and natural finds for happy and healthy skin.

Think Globally, Shop Locally!

Eco-friendly Bath and Body finds:

"Solid lotion bar...all the good stuff of a moisturizing lotion minus the water and preservatives...plus you can ditch the plastic lotion bottles." Jess owner of Treefort Naturals

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"This soap was handmade using the cold process method. Contains NO animal products and no preservatives. The soap will arrived wrapped in 100% recycled banana fiber paper and fully labeled." available at Nutmeg Naturals

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"Pure, organic olive oil soap, nothing extra added. Extra gentle." - Erin owner of Pure Naked Soap

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"Handmade lip balms, scrubs, salves, and solid perfumes produced with only simple minimal ingredients." - Scott owner of Little Bee

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"All natural goat milk soaps , hand & body butters" - Nancy owner of Lyric Hill Farm

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"Handmade soaps, lotions, sugar scrubs & lip balms made with fair-trade butters, organic oils and essential oil. Family & friends are the only animals we test on." - Laura owner of Olive My Skin

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Stop by tomorrow for the next eco-friendly round up!

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Written by Alonda Baird-Juhasz, owner of Designer Dwellings, who believes in adding color to life. An avid DIYer, sparkle-loving, all things fabulous addict, her shop features bright and fun home decor accessories and gifts. When not in the shop you can find her interior decorating or visual styling events and photo shoots.

Earth Friendly Spotlight: House and Home

As makers we take great care in selecting our materials. For many that means finding local sources, organic or sustainable products. This week to celebrate the upcoming Earth Day on April 22nd we are sharing daily round ups of eco-friendly, Connecticut made products.

Think Globally, Shop Locally!

Eco-friendly House and Home finds:

"100% linen tea towels, hand stenciled with water based fabric paint. I use 100% linen because it's made from the flax plant. Flax is a natural fiber making flax linen recyclable and biodegradable. It's also incredibly strong and lasts for decades." - Cyn owner of RiverDog Prints

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"Add sparkle and shine to your glass and mirrors without filling your home with toxic chemicals. Available in many fresh scents, our glass cleaner is made from just a handful of simply ingredients and essential oils. Contains NO synthetic fragrances, no detergents, no SLS, no colorants, no unpronounceable ingredients." - Jen owner of Nutmeg Naturals

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"Goat milk soap detergent made from all natural sustain-ably grown ingredients including our own raw goat milk and organically grown herbs and flowers. Eco-friendly, all natural laundry detergent in refillable tins of all US made ingredients and and packaging." - Nancy owner of Lyric Hill Farm

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"Ditch the dryer sheets and soften your clothes naturally! Eco friendly wool dryer balls made with locally sourced, ethically raise wool, embellished with grey fiber donated by our herd of alpaca. No detergents, fragrances or chemicals - and all with a zero carbon footprint." - Lori owner of Flatland Alpaca

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"A clothesline is naturally solar powered! Line drying ensure fresh smelling clothes and linens." - Vanessa owner of Queen Vanna Creations

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"We hand-pour all of our candles using high quality soy wax (a sustainable) grown in the U.S., phthalate-free fine fragrances and zero dyes or bleaching additives. Also, each tumbler is adorned with a bamboo coaster that can be re-purposed alongside the glass after burning. Our site has super easy step-by-step tutorial of how to clean the glasses as well as a ton (I mean a ton) of suggestions on how to re-use the glass/coaster combo!" - Randi & Yolanda owners of Rayne Home Decor

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"At the Burnt Shop we're all about renewable and recyclable wood and glass. With care, my pieces will last for generations. Using glass water bottle is a stylish, great tasting, eco-friendly alternative to all those plastic bottles!" - Denise owner of The Burnt Shop

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"Beautify the outside of your home while helping save the bees at the same time. Our Gardener's Bouquet combines a beautiful art-themed pack of  pollinator-friendly flower seeds from the Hudson Valley Seed Library, with a colorful pair of  gardening gloves, and a 3 oz tin of our all natural hand & body salve with your choice of scent." - Scott owner of Little Bee

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Stop by tomorrow for the next eco-friendly round up!

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Written by Alonda Baird-Juhasz, owner of Designer Dwellings, who believes in adding color to life. An avid DIYer, sparkle-loving, all things fabulous addict, her shop features bright and fun home decor accessories and gifts. When not in the shop you can find her interior decorating or visual styling events and photo shoots.