Summer Celebration Finds.

A summer staple is getting together with family and friends for picnics and parties.  The Nutmeg Collective has a wide variety of products to help you celebrate this summer!

Designer Dwellings

Make your favorite salad and serve it up at a picnic with these bamboo utensils from Designer Dwellings.

 Hartford Prints!

Hartford Prints! knows what summer is all about.  Send this card to a favorite friend!

and Morgan

It's cherry season! Bring a pint to a picnic along with this cherry print tea towel from and Morgan.

Treefort Naturals

After being out in the yard all day, clean up with a bar of blue clay soap from Treefort Naturals.

Hickster Tees

Pack up a swimsuit and towel in this organic Mary chicken tote from Hickster Tees.

Rhymes With Smile

Pack up some snacks and drinks and go have a picnic with this rope tote from Rhymes With Smile.

Have a wonderful summer!

Hand-Lettering Classes with Brittany of Glitter & Bold

Have you ever wanted to learn hand-lettering? Brittany from Glitter & Bold has some great classes coming up at some of our favorite local places!

This beginner class at Vintanthromodern will teach you the tools of brush calligraphy (students will work with both brush and brush pen), brushstroke and technique, and a modern calligraphic alphabet. Whether you're just starting out or looking for some one-on-one assistance, this is the workshop for you!

Ticket price includes:

- Two hour session with Brittany, who will offer both group instruction and one on one assistance
- 1 keepsake #GABworkshop tote bag
- Instructional guide with 2 complete alphabets and tracing guide
- 2 different style brush pens
- Several styles of paper for practice and experimentation
- Light refreshments

Ticket sales will CLOSE Monday, July 13th at midnight, so be sure to grab your spot soon here!

Learn the basics of hand lettering while sipping on mimosas and taking advantage of all the yumminess Get Baked has to offer.

Ticket price includes:
- Two hour session with Brittany, who will offer both group instruction and one on one assistance
- All necessary hand lettering supplies for you to keep
- Food and drinks (vegan and GF options available!)

Ticket sales will CLOSE Wednesday, July 15th at midnight, so be sure to grab your spot soon here!

This class is the same as the July date at Get Baked, but ticket sales CLOSE Wednesday, August 12th at midnight. Get your tickets here.

If you can't make the classes, Brittany has a Hand Lettering Instruction Book available on Etsy as a digital download here.  Happy lettering!

Coventry Regional Farmer's Market 2015

The Coventry Regional Farmers Market (or CRFM for short) is beloved here in Connecticut. The market, at the beautiful Nathan Hale Homestead, bursts at the seams each week with delicious prepared food, fresh produce, meat, fish, cheese, and handcrafted items.

Members of the Nutmeg Collective often sell at the CRFM. Here are a few photos of NC members at past markets, along with more dates you can shop:

Cyn Thomas of RiverDog Prints with cheery illustrated canine cards, art blocks, canning labels, tea towels, and more. RiverDog Prints returns to CRFM August 2!

 Handmade jersey scarves, fabric headbands, polka dot earrings and more from Kristen Skelton of Milo and Molly.

 

Solstice Handcrafted makeup and skincare products are all made by Jeanine Dell'Orfano with gentle, botanical ingredients.

Katherine Lile of Rhymes With Smile with her classic rope baskets and handmade quilts. Rhymes With Smile will be back at CRFM July 12, August 30, September 20, and September 27.

Tees and bags inspired by gardening and geekery from Jen and Nan at Hickster Tees. Catch Hickster at CFRM July 19, August 2, August 26, August 30, September 13, September 20, September 27, October 11, and October 25.

Get picture frames, coasters, perpetual calendars, and a little bit of sparkle from Vanessa Felie, aka Queenvanna Creations.

This summer season is the CRFM's very last, so if you haven't been to this friendly and inspiring market yet, go while you still can.

The market is open Sundays, 11am to 2pm, at 2299 South Street in Coventry, CT. You can also find CRFM onFacebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Thanks for a wonderful run, Coventry!

Kaci White of Tinymack: Obsessed with finding cozy, playful clothes as special as her toddler, Kaci took things into her own hands and started sewing. After filling her daughter’s closet with beloved handmade clothing, Kaci opened Tinymack, a line of playwear for babies and kids where softness, comfort, and color are paramount. Join Kaci in her quest to outfit kids with the coolest handmade clothes in the world, one closet at a time.Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | hello@tinymack.com

Shop Spotlight: Kingfisher Lane

Meet Cory Hunter of Kingfisher Lane out of Guilford, Connecticut.

"I have found such peace, walking the beaches of my life. Collecting bits and pieces of shells, pebbles, and of course, sea glass. I have collected it since I was a kid. I always look down on the tide line, or my feet to see what the waves have brought in.

I decided about 5 years ago to do something creative with my best finds. I love to look it all my glass in various bottles, but it brings me more pleasure to think of something I made, from something old and outcast, being worn and admired. It is very mystical, sea glass. What was this shard before? How was it discarded? There is nothing like a walk on the beach to lighten the day's load.

I learned the basics of beading from my sister. I have taken some classes, and was lucky enough to have had a good friend to guide me.

There is nothing like a walk on the beach to bring on that peaceful feeling. I love to walk on my favorite beaches. And then to find a 'jewelry grade' piece of sea glass. It is such fun to determine how best to showcase the glass. And then, at the end of the process, someone may favor me with a sale. The circle now complete.

See more of Cory's work in her Etsy shop

or connect with her on Facebook and Pinterest.

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Advice for Starting a Business

We asked "What is one piece of advice you would give to someone starting a business?" on our Friends of the Nutmeg Collective page and wanted to share the advice.

"Don't be in a rush...it will take time...lots and lots of time. Just get ready for the ride!"

~Cindy from 24 Peace

"Believe in yourself and your ability to make it happen.As there will be a lot of people telling you why you can't..."

~Gracia of Grassillini Creations

"Allot plenty of time for each task you do -- it takes time to do things well. i like to estimate how much time i *think* something will take and then multiply that by 3 to get a realistic number."

~Kaci of tinymack

"Use Etsy's shipping labels..."

~Suzanne of Smirking Goddess

Nothing ever goes exactly how you dream it will, but don't get discouraged - just keep at it!
~Vanessa of QueenVanna Creations

"Have a local mindset first 

instead of thinking to take over the world.

You can take over the world later..."

~Cyn of RiverDog Prints

Do you have any advice for new business owners?

Add your thoughts in the comments!

Alonda Baird-Juhasz, owner of Designer Dwellings, 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.

Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | designerdwellingsllc@gmail.com

FIRE!

I am by no means a photographer, but I like to fool around with my camera. This holiday weekend we’re going to play with sparklers and see what kinds of pictures we can get…

I have found a few tips for taking sparkler pictures:

• Plan ahead – the darker it is the better, as little ambient light as possible. 
• Use a tripod or a level surface to lay your camera down – the person taking photos shouldn’t hold the camera, any movement at all will make photos blurry.
• Set the camera to a long shutter setting if you have a shutter priority choice (5-10 seconds depending on what you are writing), or the fireworks setting if your camera has it.

The technique:

Hold the sparkler away from yourself, and move quickly. If you’re writing letters, draw them backwards.

Have fun practicing and experimenting!

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

Local Love: Muriel Badinelli Designs

Meet Muriel Badinelli of Muriel Badinelli Designs.

"I have been making and selling jewelry for 5 years. It started as a hobby, making things for me to wear to work or with an outfit, but it evolved into a business when friends and colleagues would ask me where I purchased my jewelry.

I've always been a designer in one field or another so the leap into jewelry design wasn't a large one. After a few years of "stringing" I started to learn bead weaving and that is my current focus now, it is something that I find very relaxing and fun.

I do all kinds of jewelry; necklaces, bracelets, and earrings as well as some specialty items such as headbands, leather wrap bracelets and eyeglass holders. I will make one item as a sample, and often my work is custom. Right now cuff bracelets seem to be at the top of shopper's lists!

The first business challenge was designing and putting up a website. Since then, keeping up with all of the social media PR is a challenge. I do select craft shows and also teach bead-weaving at the Redding Community Center and at Sugarbeads, a bead shop in Ridgefield. I post my shows and classes on my website. as well as my Facebook page.

The next craft show is the Litchfield Jazz Festival Craft Show on August 7-9 at the Goshen Fair Grounds, Goshen CT."

Muriel Badinelli Designs

No physical shop, although my jewelry is carried at 

The Jewelry Cafe in Southbury and at The Funky Hippie in Stamford.

Phone: (203) 938-0424

Email: embedesign@sbcglobal.net

Find Muriel Badinelli Designs on Facebook.

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Get a feature by clicking here.

Know a shop that deserves a feature? Contact us at thenutmegcollective@gmail.com.