Vermont Open Studio Weekend – Montpelier/Calais Artists

Vermont’s 20th Open Studio Weekend is just around the corner (May 26 & 27)! If you’re planning on visiting my studio (and you totally should), you can visit other great artists within a 20-ish minute drive of here.

There are 7 studios participating in the Montpelier/Calais area. Artists are offering exhibits and demonstrations of pottery, jewelry, photography, mixed media, painting, and more.

I’ll be referring to studios by both name and number – the number refers to a listing in the 2012 Vermont Studio Tour Guide. There are several ways to get your hands on a map:

• Pick up a copy at Artisans Hand Craft Gallery at the intersection of State and Main Streets in Montpelier (they’re an official Regional Information Center)
• Print out a full copy (warning – this is a big file)
• View a detailed map of Washington County on the Vermont Crafts Council website

Here’s the rundown of who’s who (click on the links to learn more about specific artists):

• #209 - Annie Tiberio Cameron Photography/Annie Tiberio Cameron: Photography, botanicals, abstracts, nature, wilderness. 
• #210 – Artisans Hand: Vermont State Craft Center. Contemporary Vermont crafts, jewelry, photography.
• #211 - Blue Roof Designs/Elissa Campbell: Handmade books (that’s me!)
• #213 – Thistle Hill Pottery/Jennifer Boyer: Functional stoneware pottery.
• #215 – Ray Brown: Memory-based landscapes painted in oils.
• #216 – Missy Storrow: Expressionist water media paintings, photography, oils.
• #217 – The Happiness Paradigm/Ginny Sassaman: Banners, mobiles, pins, cards, happiness.

Please note that (unfortunately) studios #212 and #214 have had to opt out of the tour.

I created the map below to help you plan your travels. Because the studios are so close to each other, you can visit quite a few of them within a short period of time.

Have fun!

Make that map bigger!

Artisans Hand annual winter sale

The holiday season may be long gone, but it’s never the wrong time to get in some shopping!

Starting today, Friday, January 20th and lasting through January 29th is Artisans Hand Craft Gallery‘s annual winter sale. The gallery exclusively features work created by Vermont artisans. The sale offers items from 10% – 20% off, with each artist setting their own discount.

All of my work in the gallery will be offered at 20% off during the sale.

In addition, artists have brought in their seconds, experiments, and discontinued pieces and are offering them at discount prices during the sale. When you look at the seconds, you really can’t even see any defects (they’re more like birthmarks). This is your chance to get fabulous work at even more fabulous prices.

I’ll be heading there tomorrow…maybe I’ll see you there!

Artisans Hand Craft Gallery
89 Main Street, City Center
Montpelier, VT 05602
(802) 229-9492

Help me get to the gallery

I heART Waterbury Artisans Boutique

Tomorrow I’ll be selling my work at the I heART Waterbury Artisans Boutique.

I heART Waterbury is a collective of artists from the Waterbury and Duxbury area. I worked on the Stowe Street Arts Festival for two years and have developed a special fondness for this area of Vermont.

I’m very excited to be hanging out with this cozy group of artists for the first time. It’s a great opportunity to buy local art this holiday season.

The Boutique is part of the 5th Annual Waterbury Holiday Stroll. The Stroll is Waterbury’s official kick-off of the holiday season and is held annually on the first weekend of December. Download the schedule of events and make a day of it!

The van is all packed and ready to go.

I’m not entirely sure how I’m setting up. I’m used to having a 10′ x 10′ booth and much more time to set up – I have 2 hours to get it all done tomorrow morning. I see a very large cup of coffee in my future.

I’ve intended to design a smaller-scale booth so I can sell my work at more intimate venues. I guess it’s trial by fire tomorrow…and here’s how I feel about that:

I accidentally took a picture of myself when walking from my van to my house. I can’t imagine a more appropriate self-portrait at the moment.

The Boutique is one day only (only…only…only…):

• Saturday December 3, 2011: 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Here’s a map to help you get there:

Make that map bigger!

I hope to see you there!

Craft Vermont 2011 wrap up

This past weekend, I exhibited at Vermont Hand Crafters’ Craft Vermont for the eighth time. I was in a different spot than in years past, which made me feel discombobulated for most of the show.

Here’s the abridged life cycle of my craft show booth:

Just like being there – isn’t it?

I am so thankful for my wonderful customers, many of whom told me how the recipients of their gifts (my books) were thrilled with them. Stories like those really motivate me to keep working – to keep making books, which I so love to do.

At the Art & Artisans Holiday Market, I met a couple and we discussed the possibility of my using a set of their own chopsticks in one of my chopstick journals. They came to Craft Vermont with their chopsticks, along with two pairs for me to keep and play with!

This is the work I adore, making something personalized that goes to a specific person and meeting the folks behind the gift. There’s always so much warmth there and I value being a part of it.

If you have a pair of chopsticks that you love, I’d be happy to work on a similar project with you. Contact me and we can work out the details. I have lots of Japanese papers to work with – and they’re all so yummy!

Worktable Wednesday

Trying to get some new journals done before this weekend’s Craft Vermont. Nothing like waiting until the last minute!

Drilling holes in pages for chopstick journals:

Choosing colors of waxed linen thread takes me way too long.

I still haven’t figured out this one…there are just too many possibilities.

Once I finally get going, I’m so in the zone.

I love the way waxed linen thread feels on my fingers.

Come to Craft Vermont and I’ll show you my new work!

Craft Vermont 2011

This weekend marks the 59th annual Craft Vermont, a craft show hosted by Vermont Hand Crafters (a.k.a. VHC).

This will be my 8th year doing the show! I started thinking about annual wedding gifts, since this is an anniversary of sorts. Here’s what I found:

Modern: Lace/linen
Traditional: Bronze/pottery

So what does this mean? Maybe I’ll get something for myself at the show to commemorate my 8 years…as if I need an excuse to buy something handmade.

You should definitely come to the show and stop by to check out my new work – I’m in booth #34 in the Emerald Room. The VHC website has an exhibitor list you can check out to help you better plan your shopping. And you can save $1.00 on admission to the show by downloading a coupon.

I set up an event for the show on Facebook and I’d love to know if you’re coming. And while you’re at it, let your friends know that there’s some great shopping waiting for them this weekend!

Here’s the scoop on the when:

Friday November 18, 2011: 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Saturday November 19, 2011: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sunday November 21, 2011: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

And here’s a map to help you get there:

Make that map bigger!

I hope to see you there!

Art and Artisans Holiday Market

This week has been crazy. I’m pretty sure I’ve said that before.

Tomorrow marks the official beginning of craft show season! For the next two days, I will be selling my work at the Art & Artisans Holiday Market.

You’ll find a wonderful collection of artists at this show. My friends Mags Bonham and Shannon Greenleese will be selling their work at the show as well. Mags has mad skills when it comes to polymer clay and Shannon does fabulous things with precious metal clay.

Today was super-happy-set-up-day, so it began with the packing of the crap. I mean booth and inventory. No, I really mean crap.

It all starts the same way – with a chaotic studio.

Ask me how many times I tripped on stuff today.

Then the van-cramming begins. My packing system is pretty methodical (a.k.a. anal).

I immediately fell in love with my space in the Mt. Mansfield Union High School library. There really couldn’t be a better space. Except for the fact that I’m not selling zines. Anyway, many thanks to Shannon for snagging me this rocking spot!

Next there is the moving of the crap from the van to the booth. Hooray for plastic tubs!

And then at some point, it stops looking like crap and turns into an actual booth. I know I was there and I did it, but I really don’t remember much of it.

I still have some tweaking to do tomorrow, but thankfully not much. The show is open on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and admission is free. Get more details about the show here.

Come by, say hi, and support handmade craft!

Artisans Hand annual sale

It’s that time of year again!

Starting on Friday, November 4th and lasting through November 6th is Artisans Hand Craft Gallery‘s 33rd annual birthday sale.

Everything in the gallery will be 20% off during the sale.

This is a great time to get a jump on your holiday shopping – the prices on my work at the gallery will be lower than at any of my shows this season. If you’ve seen something on my website and they don’t have it at the gallery, let them know and they can put in a special order for you.

As I’ve mentioned many times before, once upon a time, Artisans Hand took a chance on a curly-haired bookbinder and became the very first gallery to sell her handmade books. The gallery is nestled in a very warm place in my heart. I love that the gallery is located in Montpelier, VT, where I live and work. The staff has always been very good to me and I feel like I’m at home whenever I visit there.

In addition, the State of Vermont has designated the gallery as a Vermont State Craft Center. This honor is given by the state to craft galleries and education centers that meet a strict set of standards for quality and diversity of crafts.When you buy work at Artisans Hand, you are selecting from work that’s among the best the state has to offer.

Be sure to stop by the gallery and pick up something made lovingly by hand.

Support Vermont artists!

Paperwork in 3D exhibit at the Shelburne Museum

A few weeks ago, I saw the Paperwork in 3D exhibit at the Shelburne Museum. It was amazing!

I have to admit that I don’t visit the Shelburne Museum often enough. I think I’ve taken it for granted because it’s right in my backyard. It really is a beautiful place and they have great skill in how they curate their exhibits.

Paperwork in 3D features the work of 23 artists who use paper as their medium, using a wide variety of techniques. The paper used varied as well – from discarded books to tax forms.

Something I thought was brilliant was how the Museum put out samples of the different materials used – it offered a wonderful way for people to better understand the work. It also gave me the opportunity to paw at paper, one of my favorite pastimes.

There were so many fabulous pieces in the exhibit. I had to limit the number 0f photos I took because I realized that it kept me from really experiencing the work.

Here are some of the pieces I liked:

I tend to have magical thinking about artwork, like it just comes out of thin air and doesn’t start anywhere. It was awesome to see the working model of one of Matt Reinhart’s books – it brings me back down to earth.

It’s not too late to see the exhibit for yourself – it runs now through October 30, 2011. And if the thought of seeing all the awesome work doesn’t get you to the Shelburne Museum, maybe the vintage carousel will (yes, you can ride it).

If you’d like to learn more about the artists featured above, here are their websites:

• Doug Beube
• Lauren Clay
• Matt Hawkins
• Nava Lubelski
• Matthew Reinhart
• Jared Andrew Schorr
• Matt Shlian

Elissa’s Picks for Vermont Open Studio Weekend

Open Studio Weekend is mere days away.

Must.clean.studio.

In this post, I listed the book arts studios I’d visit if I were touring this weekend. Of course, I would also visit studios by artists working in other media. Some of my suggestions are listed below.

I’ll be referring to studios by both name and number – the number refers to a listing in the Vermont Studio Tour Guide 2011. The colors of the studio numbers in this post match the colored markers in the Google map below.

There are several ways to get your hands on a map:

• Request a copy from the Vermont Crafts Council
• Print out a full copy
• View detailed maps by county on the Vermont Crafts Council website

First stop would be Gallery at the Vault, #16. It’s a great place to get oriented for the start of your tour – they’re one of the official regional information centers for Open Studio Weekend. The gallery has been carrying my books for the last several months and they have a wonderful collection of craft work. As the name of the gallery suggests, there’s an actual bank vault in there. And they display artwork in it. I want to live in there. The gallery also has the honor of being one of only three galleries to have received the official designation as a Vermont State Craft Center. Awesome.

Laura Zindel, #37, would be my next stop. I really love her ceramic work – her designs remind me of scientific textbook illustrations.  She starts with pencil sketches and then silkscreens the images onto her pieces using an enamel transfer process. One of my favorite things to do is to explore tide pools and it’s for this reason that I love love love her Sea Life series. Dear Laura, you had me at starfish and spikey urchin.

Next I’d visit Tom Homann Pottery, #112. Tom’s booth was near mine at the 2009 Vermont Hand Crafters show and I was lucky enough to acquire one of his gorgeous steins. It’s my go-to mug for hot chocolate – it has a thumb perch on the handle (love it!). He uses earthy glazes in warm tones that are so lovely.

Lastly, I’d visit #184 - Pikku, a.k.a. Valerie Ormiston. In Finnish, pikku translates to little or tiny. On her website, Valerie says that she enjoys celebrating the simple pleasures of each day – a great philosophy. I love her gift wrap designs. Ooohhhh and the pillows! The patterns are colorful, modern, and elegant. I am aching to use the Crazy Daisy paper on a journal.

Like the book arts studios, these studios aren’t very close to each other either. If you split them up between two days, it should be doable.

Make that map bigger!