Category Archives: talented artists

talk about some sassy curls!

talk about some sassy curls!
Meet Laura Torchia of St Clair Shores, Michigan.  She is the sassy gal behind these cute clips for little girls curls.  We carry an assortment of her pretties at our Berkley & Rochester locations, plus she also sells her goods through etsy.  I had the opportunity to ask her a few questions about her crafty business… What inspired you to start creating cute hair clips & how did you turn it into a business? .

vanity plates like no other

vanity plates like no other
Meet Fred & Donna Kostrick.  This young spirited couple have been married over 50 years & spend their extra time transforming old license plates into recycled hip signs. We had a chance to ask Fred & Donna about their inventive signs… What inspired you to start creating your art work & how did you turn it into a business? We started collecting license plates as a hobby.  We got so many plates we needed .

marvelous michigan etsy artists

marvelous michigan etsy artists
So… one reason why I haven’t been blogging as much lately is because of our latest retail adventure, Yellow Door Art Market.  I’m having a blast seeking out new talent on etsy & have found some gems to bring to downtown Berkley this November. Unfortunately not all artists can commit to selling their wares at Yellow Door, but that won’t stop me from sharing some of my favorite etsy gals who make a living .

bel chere art fair

bel chere art fair
As I mentioned in my previous post, Steve & I took a detour after the Atlanta Gift Show & perused the wonderful art that Asheville offered up at the Bel Chere Festival.  Since I visit many Michigan art shows throughout the summer, it was fun exploring a fresh set of talented guys & gals.  Here are a few of my favorites… Moni Hill (my friend Karen Fincannon has a cute collection of her work .

the whimsical world of karen fincannon

the whimsical world of karen fincannon
Instead of flying to participate in the Atlanta gift show this summer, we thought it would be fun to make a road trip out of it & visit some friends in the area… one of the them being the lovely Karen Fincannon (and her humorous husband, Paul;) We got to tour through her studio which is behind her house… In my opinion, her talent is limitless.  She clearly get’s bored easily and is always .

helping create hope one bracelet at a time

helping create hope one bracelet at a time
Wear jewelry that makes a difference!  We're thrilled to offer these beautiful recycled bracelets, necklaces & earrings made by the talented women of Uganda.    The money made from selling jewelry goes to providing education to both the women and their children and assisting the women to establish business opportunities to promote economic stability and sustainability. Founder Karen Sparacio talks about Project Have Hope–how she came to found the organization, what its mission and .

my plymouth art fair picks

my plymouth art fair picks
For the first time in a long while, I got to attend the Plymouth Art Fair.  Normally Steve & I are always at the Atlanta Gift show during the dates, but since there are 5 weekends in July… it didn't overlap this year. So, my 1st stop was Heart to Heart.  I bought one of thier fantastic bird house stakes a few years ago and my mom always comments how she loves it.  And .

the family collage

the family collage
I made a stop by Northville this weekend for the Art in the Sun show and stumbled upon this out-of-the-box photographer…   Talk about an orignal family portrait!  She takes over 1000 photos of your family then assembles an large collage by layering hundreds of the shots to create a very whimsical scene that's unforgettable. Love to see how creative people see the world?  Then sign up to receive these colorful blog posts in your email .

simply pretty posies

simply pretty posies
Meet Melissa of Simply Pretty.  She started making these pretty posies in 2008 by combining both modern and vintage designs and fabrics allowing the wearer to be as bold or as subtle as she sees fit, and always “simply pretty.” With surprising and vibrant color combinations, interesting details, and multiple ways of wearing each piece, this product gives the wearer the versatility and freedom to create her own look. Each of the designs is .

the ladies from laffodil lane

the ladies from laffodil lane
Meet the gals from Laffodil Lane of Raleigh, North Carolina.  They are four girlfriends who started this business venture together. It all began one weekend on a beach. They made a magnetic frame and started brainstorming right then and there on how they could sell them as a business.  Here they are three years later, still making fabulous magnetic boards for you to showcase photos and other mementos in a beautiful way! Come see .