Connecticut Gift Shop Connection Group

The Nutmeg Collective is all about making connections.  Connections between our makers and curators, makers/curators to shows and venues, and now a specific place for our makers/curators to connect with local brick and mortar shops.

The Connecticut Gift Shop Connection's** purpose is to connect members of The Nutmeg Collective with gift shops and other goods shops in Connecticut who are looking for products to sell. Brick and Mortar shops can apply within Facebook if you own a gift shop/goods shop in Connecticut. Visit the Page here:  Connecticut Gift Shop Connection Facebook Group

All of our members look forward to connecting with local shops and being able to supply a selection of handmade goods for your shelves!


**This is a closed group and we ask that no vendors apply, please. Thank you.

Take a Workshop: Hartford Prints!

Looking for a fun winter activity once the holiday hustle and bustle is done?  Check in with our friends at Hartford Prints!  They have an amazing schedule of handmade workshops lined up.  Click on each photo to learn more.

One Thing: Believe in the Value of Your Work

Believing in your work is crucial, but sometimes believing your work has value is hard. 

People ask for discounts, groups ask for donations to raffles, everyone wants a bargain. Believing that your work has value helps you to say no, or negotiate fairly, or work out a deal that works for both you and your customer. So many handmade businesses price their items too low. 

If you browse Etsy or other handmade markets, this becomes clear very quickly. There is a basic formula used to price handmade items - sometimes the number you end up with might be surprising. Would someone actually pay that? Yes, someone would pay that. They’ll pay because they cannot make the item themselves, or don’t have the time or ambition to do so, or the quality of your creation will be better because of your experience, or because handmade is awesome! 

So many sellers think “bargain” prices mean selling more. The reality is that handmade shoppers looking for quality items disagree. Bargain pricing could mean pricing yourself out of the sale. Your price communicates your product’s value to the consumer and is a major factor in your success.

Believe in yourself!

Vanessa Felie, aka "Queenvanna" juggles a husband and two blond pixies while running her burgeoning paper arts and crafts business, QueenvannaCreations. Her job and family inspire her to create crafty projects for holidays, vacations, as well as times when there's just not much going on. Perpetual calendars and other home items, scrapbooking album kits and personalized gifts of all kinds - She looks to add a little flair to everything she makes, to put some extra fun in to daily life, as well as special occassions.
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | queenvanna@cox.net

Love Local Market at Get Baked

The cure for Cabin Fever! The Love Local Market is back at Get Baked in Windsor, CT, with thirty vendors on both Saturday and Sunday starting at 10:00 am.  Nutmeg Collective makers and artists are listed below.

Patti Wunder of Easton Place Design Studio created a video from some of the photographs Emily Woodward and NC members took at the January market.  It's a great round-up of some of the talent in The Nutmeg Collective.  Check out the video and come to the market this weekend!

The Nutmeg Collective from Easton Place on Vimeo.

BMR.Photographs

Cinder + Salt

Glitter and Bold

Good for You Spa

The Leather Genie

Lismi Knits

Milo and Molly

QueenVanna Creations

Rad Dad Tees

RiverDog Prints

Smirking Goddess

            

Cinder + Salt

Cottage Wicks

Evelyn Pelati

Glitter and Bold

The Leather Genie

Lismi Knits

Milo and Molly

Nutmeg Naturals

QueenVanna Creations

tiny mack

*****

Cyn Thomas is the illustrator, designer and pattern maker of RiverDog Prints. Her paper goods and gifts are guided by earth, animals, function, food and cocktails. You can also find Cyn canning in her kitchen, walking her dog, being outnumbered by her boys and husband or reading herself to sleep.

At Work with Glitter & Bold

Brittany Morgan from Glitter and Bold gives some insight into her process and what goes into making her handmade items:

"Designs come to me in fits and spurts, taking anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to get things just the way I want them. From there, I use two coats of quality porcelain paint and a teeny tiny brush (seriously, check out the picture!), taking roughly 30 minutes to an hour per mug, depending on the detail of the design and colors used. After 24 hours, I bake the mugs in a conventional (read: my kitchen) oven and leave them to cool for several hours. Add some tissue paper, a fun tag and bakers twine, and a whole lot of packing peanuts and they're ready to go!"

To learn more about Brittany and her work, check out Glitter & Bold online.

Written by Kristen of Milo and Molly.  Kristen runs her business while staying at home with her two small children. Fueled by an endless supply of tea, she sews late into the night when the house is quiet, most often accompanied by her faithful poodle, Casey.

5 Handmade Valentine Gifts & Decor

Hey there! Sami here, blogger and natural cosmetics maker behind Poor & Pretty. Valentine's Day is only 10 days away! Make this the year you give something handmade. Pick up something from our members' shops or create something of your own. Here are five ideas:

1. DIY Hand-Stamped Valentines: Create your own heart-shaped stamps with a sheet of sticky-back foam and a cork, then stamp kraft paper cards. See the full tutorial here.

2. DIY Conversation Heart Candle Holders: Place a votive and tealight candle into a clear glass jar and sprinkle conversation hearts around the votive. Voila! You've just made a pretty Valentine centerpiece. Full tutorial here.

3. DIY Mason Jar Hot Cocoa Mug: They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, right? Give the gift of homemade hot chocolate in a sturdy and reusable mason jar mug. Full tutorial here.

4. DIY Teacup Candles: I made these adorable candles from vintage teacups for my friend's tea party themed wedding shower, but they would make a great handmade gift, too! See the full tutorial here.

5. DIY Vanilla Coconut Sugar Scrub: Skip the expensive spa gift card and give homemade luxury instead with this luscious and heavenly-scented handmade sugar scrub. Full tutorial here.

Poor & Pretty Apothecary is a line of 100% natural bath & body products, handmade in Connecticut by Sami Jo Jensen. Sami uses only the highest quality natural, organic, and fair trade certified ingredients in her expertly crafted sugar and salt scrubs, bathing salts, lip and body balms, whipped body butters and more. Her products contain absolutely no artificial colorants, fragrances, parabens, preservatives, or other toxic chemicals, and they're vegan-friendly! You’re a natural beauty; keep your beauty natural.

Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest