Shop Spotlight: DiGiJewels

Take a look at the work of mother/daughter team, Diane DeVos and Glynnis Killen, and their shop, DiGiJewels.

"Di stand for Diane and Gi stands for Glynnis. Diane is mom to Glynnis (now 14 years old). Glynnis is a passionately creative person. She started making jewelry when she was 11 as a way to give her friends friendship bracelets. As I watched her create, she inspired me to make a few pieces of jewelry. I have learned that I love to make jewelry!

My sister-in-law opened a shop in Kent and asked Glynnis to make some stretchy beaded bracelets to sell in her shop. When the first bracelet sold, hobby turned into a business. A couple of craft shows later (Kent, CT sidewalk), we discovered Etsy!

Glynnis took a picture of all her bracelets and named her business, DiGiJewels. We have evolved from stretchy beaded bracelets to gold and silver jewelry. We have a wonderful working relationship now that we have settled into our creative process."

See more of Diane's and Glynnis's work in their Etsy shop, DiGiJewels.

or connect with them on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Wanelo and Twitter.

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Active Nutmeg Collective members fill out this form!

One Thing: Add a Photo.

What is one thing can you do today that's quick and easy to accomplish that can help run your business in a better way?  One very simple suggestion is to add a photo to your social media postings.

People are visual- they like to see what it is you're talking about, or want an image to guide their mind along with your words- and they're more likely to click if you include an image:

Infographic via Socially Sorted

Instagram and Pinterest are built-in visual platforms, but for Facebook and Twitter, it does help if you add an image to you post.  If you are on your smartphone, emailing yourself an image from your blog or other source makes for easy posting, as does taking a screenshot with your phone.  (Just make sure to credit any borrowed images.)  This will help you make the most of your posts!

What's one quick thing you can do to help your business?

See more here!

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.

Nutmeg Pets: Knuckles The Dog

Knuckles The Dog (Who Helps People), who is the boss dog at The Octopress.

Maple Syrup Season in Connecticut.

Maple syrup season is here in Connecticut!  The state ranks tenth in maple syrup production.  The season, where trees are tapped, and sap is collected and then boiled down by sugarmakers, runs from early February to late March, when the nights are still cold but the days are sunny and warmer.  Making syrup is an intensive process requiring strict standards of heating and filtering to maintain purity.  Find out more about maple syrup production, or how to learn how to make your own on the Maple Syrup Producers Association of Connecticut website.

 source

This coming weekend is the Hebron Maple Festival, celebrating it's 25th anniversary!  Learn how maple syrup is made, take a tour, see some demonstrations, and stock up on a variety of maple-related products, all produced here in the state.  There will be activities for the kids, treats to taste, crafts, and other fun activities.  The Hope Valley, Wenzel, Woody Acres, and Winding Brook Sugar Houses will all be participating.

Connecticut has sugar houses in all of its counties.  For more information, and to find a sugar house near you, click here, or check out the Maple Syrup section on the CT Department of Agriculture website

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.

Homemade Peppermint Patties.

The sun is getting brighter, the weathermen are promising that the temperatures outside will get warmer, and I’m about ready to come out of hibernation. I’m ready for some color, and maybe a little something sweet. These homemade peppermint patties are a simple recipe that I've made with my children in the springtime for the past few years. They love to help, but also love a good snack!

Homemade Peppermint Patties

4 cups confectioners sugar
3 Tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon peppermint oil
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
4 Tablespoons evaporated milk

In the bowl of a stand mixer or other mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of confectioners sugar and the rest of the ingredients. Add remaining sugar 1/2 cup at a time until completely incorporated.

Roll mixture out into 1/2 – 3/4" balls, then slightly flatten into discs with the palm of your hand. Place on cookie sheet.

Note: they’re very rich and you might like to make them just slightly smaller than you think you would – Think somewhere between Junior Mints and York Peppermint patty sized.

Freeze for 20 minutes.

While discs are freezing, melt colored candy wafers or chocolate candy bark of your choice until smooth. We've tried the dark chocolate candy wafers and they are amazing with the cool minty inside! Dip discs one at a time into candy coating, shake off excess then place on wax or parchment paper to dry. It takes a lot of practice to make them look pretty (I have not mastered that skill!) – once they’re dry, use a little more of the melted candy to drizzle a design on top. I usually use a fork, but this time I dragged the back of a spoon dipped in the candy and smeared it on top – that way the messiness looks like it was on purpose!

Makes about three dozen, depending on size. They’re great as an addition to a holiday dessert table, or bagged up as treats for teachers or friends! Store in an airtight container.

C’mon, spring!

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

Shop Spotlight: Start Talking Vintage

Meet Jessica Labowski of Start Talking Vintage, a preschool teacher with a love of history. "I am a recent college graduate with a creative outlook on life. I went to school for early childhood education and am a brand-new full-time head preschool teacher with a classroom of my own. I spend my entire day getting to be creative with the kiddos to come home and continue my creativity with Start Talking Vintage.

My shop is a mixture of vintage and antique curated goods and handmade goods inspired by vintage beauties.

I have always had a love for history. I could often be found on the couch with dad watching the History Channel and Antiques Roadshow. Since I was a child, I have been a lover of flea markets, tag sales and thrift stores. I remember strolling in the hot summer sun at the Cape Cod flea markets as a youngster searching high and low for treasures. As I entered college, the passion only grew stronger. Being on a college kid's budget, I found myself frequenting thrift stores more often, where I really started to uncover the potential for 'other people's junk.'

Start Talking Vintage began on Etsy the summer before my sophomore year of college. I worked out of my dorm room and drove home on the weekends to pack and ship items. (Luckily, college was only a 20 minute drive from home!) It has grown slowly since then, and is now in its 4th year! I love hitting up thrift stores, estate sales and flea markets on the weekends to uncover the forgotten treasures and make them available to my customers. I love the idea of relocating the items to a brand new home where they will be loved and cherished."

 See more of Jessica's work in her Etsy shop, Start Talking Vintage.

or connect with her on Instagram and Twitter.

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

Active Nutmeg Collective members fill out this form!

One Thing: Use Social Media Tags.

What is one thing can you do today that's quick and easy to accomplish that can help run your business in a better way?  We already suggested some ways to tweet smart to connect with your followers, so now it's time to reach out to others in your community that you wish to interact with.  The easiest way to do this is through social media tags.

There are two main types of tags:  a hashtag and an "at" tag.  

A hastag, initiated with a number sign (#) is an unspaced phrase used to identify a group of similar comments.  Hashtags are searchable, so if you click on one, you can see who else is tagging the same thing.  Many groups and businesses online use branded hashtags to connect with followers and reach out to their community.

At "at" tag, using the @ symbol and the person's or business's username will usually trigger a notification to a person's account that someone is tagging them and commenting about them.  It's a great way to give a quick shout-out to someone whose product you like, whose blog post is a good read, or whose an awesome member of the community.  Many times, you'll get a comment back, and if you do, you can start a dialogue.

By using tags, you are putting yourself out there to connect with others, plus it makes your social media posts searchable.  Others may find you through a common hashtag or a trending topic.  A few words to the wise: just make sure not to overdo it.  Too many or excessively long hashtags can be an annoyance to followers, as can persistent spammy tagging.  Make sure you are genuinely tagging someone to give kudos, and keep the amount of hashtags to the most important ones for the best results.

What's one quick thing you can do to help your business?

See more here!

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.