Tuesday, February 9, 2016

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!





Monday, February 8, 2016

How-to: Create Photo Mosaics for Instagram


At a recent Nutmeg Collective Social Media Meet Up, a few members mentioned they’d like to make the mini mosaics that several of our members have been making for a while and sharing on Instagram, like the one above. It looks like there are a lot of steps, but I promise I’m just being uber-specific. Once you get the hang of it, making mini mosaics doesn’t take much time at all.

1. Choose four items you’d like to use.   If you don’t have specific users or items in mind, this is a trick I use so I don’t re-create the wheel: Look at etsy treasuries. Someone took time to sort through and find a theme, chose coordinating items, and all the information you’ll need is 80% right there. In the search box on the treasury page, search NUTMEGCOLLECTIVE.  Evelyn Pelati, DiGiJewels, and Designer Dwellings have current treasuries that have some Nutmeg Collective items in them that I have used. Note: They’re not ALL member items in team treasuries, so you do need to select who is a member to use this method.


2. Once you’ve picked your items, save the picture to your computer or device. Since I usually do this task while my family is relaxing at night, I mostly make these mini mosaics on my laptop, but I can do this from my phone just as quickly. Make note of the people who made the items and what they have named them, this will help when you add a caption. On my laptop, I just leave allllll the tabs open, or put their name as the file.


3. Using the design app of your choice, arrange photos in a square mosaic format. I use Pixlr. When our group was polled, others use Picstitch (for phone), fotor (for computer), Aviary, PicCollage, and PictureCollageMakerLite. What it comes down to is that there are plenty out there, you can pick the one you like the most.


4. Once you have the layout you like, save the photo mosaic. If I’ve done these steps on my computer, I now email the mosaic to myself so Iyou can access it from my phone. If you use a cloud or link your devices, move to the one where you can upload to Instagram.

5. Upload to Instagram. List the items shown with the maker’s Instagram username. If they’re not on Instagram, I use their Etsy shop or web address. Note: I started making these mosaics to share Instagram user’s items, and people are more likely to click and follow your team members on Instagram if the links work. I try not to use too many items that are for people NOT using Instagram.

6. Tag the users on the photo as well as in the description.

7. Hashtag #nutmegcollective so team leaders and your teammates can see it!

8. I also hashtag #madeinct #ctmade #connecticut and maybe one or two other relevant tags.



That’s about all there is to it! Some nights I’ll make three or four and space out posting them to prolong the fun.   Please ask if something isn’t clear here, I do love to chat!

Photos and items in this sample mosaic are by:





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


Friday, February 5, 2016

Valentine's Day Gift Guide

Valentine's Day is coming and love is in the air!  Whether you are gifting something to your one and only, or simply celebrating with friends, family, kids, neighbors, teachers - you name it!- The Nutmeg Collective always has the best handmade goods to share with someone special.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/113461203/soap-gift-set-soap-lip-balm-gift-bag
Soap gift set by Treefort Naturals, $11

https://www.etsy.com/listing/221751225/valentine-pennant-tags
Valentine's Pennant Tags by MSD Design, $5

https://www.etsy.com/listing/229295853/girl-rex-dinosaur-magnet-set-girl-t-rex
Girl & Rex Magnet Set by our secret treehouse, $8

https://www.facebook.com/theburntshop/photos/a.336299493242812.1073741829.334649313407830/450731521799608/?type=3&theater
Wood-burned and etched glass goods by The BURNT Shop, starting at $10

http://www.littlebeeofct.com/shop/sweet-summer-rain-solid-perfume
Solid perfume from The Little Bee of CT, $10

https://www.etsy.com/listing/217064932/baby-boy-valentines-day-outfit-first?ref=shop_home_feat_1
Baby boy Onesie by Brimmer Baby, $30

https://www.etsy.com/listing/180070157/blank-greeting-card-sammy-the-black-cat?ref=shop_home_active_17
Sammy the Cat on a Heart Pillow card by fallenpeach, $4.50

Click through each photo to be taken to the maker's website for ordering and contact information.  We hope you will continue to shop local with us and share the CT love!

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Love Local Presents: The "Love is in the Air" Market

artwork by the always fabulous Woodward Paper Co.

We're at it again!

The Love Local market at Get Baked bakery in Windsor, CT will be in full swing this weekend.
Stop by February 6 and 7 from 10am - 3pm to see over 30 amazing local CT-made vendors each day! We will have so much to offer you for this pre-Valentine's Day shopping weekend, including jewelry, pottery, handcrafted bath and body goods, knit and crochet goods, photography, glassware, and more.

What's more, Get Baked cooks up the most amazing treats and coffee so you can have a sweet treat while you shop for that sweet someone.  We hope to see you there!

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

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 FacebookInstagram and Pinterest.

****

Would you like to be a featured in the Shop Spotlight?
Connecticut businesses fill out this form!



Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Valentine's Fun: DIY Conversation Hearts


Valentine's Day is on its way, and for those of us with kids, we're always looking for a fun holiday project we can do each other and to make as gifts.  We made these a few years ago and we have fond memories of how fun they were to make, we may try again soon!

We’ll need:
  • 1 packet (1/4 oz, or 2 tsp) unflavored gelatin
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tsp light corn syrup
  • 2 lbs powdered sugar, plus additional for dusting
  • Assorted flavoring extracts of your choice
  • Assorted food colors of your choice
  • Heart-shaped cutters
  • Food coloring markers

Put the corn syrup, gelatin, and water in a small microwave-safe bowl.  Stir until the gelatin is well-distributed.  Microwave the mixture for 30 seconds, so the gelatin dissolves, and stir well.  Pour the gelatin mixture into mixer bowl (mixer prepared with paddle attachment).  Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and turn the mixer to low, mixing until the sugar is incorporated.

Once the sugar is mixed in, add another cup of sugar, again mixing on low until it incorporates. Continue to add the remaining powdered sugar, one cup at a time, pausing in between additions to allow the sugar to mix in, until the full two pounds of powdered sugar is added. Periodically, stop the mixer and scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. The candy will progress from a thin, watery liquid to a very stiff dough.

Once all of the sugar is incorporated, dust a work surface (counter or large cutting board) with powdered sugar and scrape the candy out onto the work surface.  The candy will be very sticky and stiff.  Generously dust the top of the ball of candy with powdered sugar, and begin to knead the candy like bread dough: fold the ball of dough over onto itself, then use the heel of your hand to push it down.  Give the candy a quarter-turn, and repeat the process, dusting it with more powdered sugar as often as necessary to prevent it from sticking to the board or your hands.  Knead until the candy is satiny and not sticky.  TADA!


Decide how many colors/flavors of conversation hearts you want to make, and divide the candy dough into that many portions.  To flavor and color the candy, take one of the balls and flatten it into a palm-sized disc.  Add a few drops of food coloring and flavoring extract to the center of the disc, and fold it over on itself.  Your hands will look and smell lovely.  Probably for days.


clockwise from top: pink = vanilla, purple = root beer, green = spearmint, orange = tangerine 

Dust your work surface and a rolling pin with powdered sugar and roll out one of the candy balls to your desired thickness.  Ours were about 1/4″.  Use heart-shaped cutters to cut hearts out of the rolled candy, and transfer the hearts to a baking sheet.  Once you have cut out your hearts, you can re-roll the scraps to get more shapes out of the dough.  We were able to get 2 runs out of each color with some extra.   Repeat with remaining candy balls.  Allow your hearts to air-dry for at least 24 hours before you write on them.  This step is VERY important, because any extra moisture in the hearts will cause the ink to run later if you do not let them dry properly.



Once completely dry, decorate as you like with edible/food coloring markers. This is a great part of the project for just about any age.


Package them up and they are a sweet gift for friends, neighbors, family and teachers!




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


Monday, February 1, 2016

Local Love: Hartford Prints! Presents Addicted to Love


Join Hartford Prints! on Friday, February 5th for a special tribute to love. They'll be hosting some of our favorite Connecticut makers in their Pratt Street shop just in time for Valentine's Day. 

Ratbear Handmade // hats and rad accessories
Rayne Home Decor** // soy candles 
Kate Stephen Jewelry // sculptural jewelry
Whole Harmony 4 U** // artisan tea
Cinder & Salt** // eco-friendly and sustainable apparel
The Brothers Crisp** // handmade footwear
Chalk Art New England // hand-painted signs

Grab a cocktail and graze some snacks while you pick out that perfect valentine for your squeeze or yourself!

**Nutmeg Collective member


https://www.facebook.com/events/1579263495646455/