The 1st Weekend...um...2nd Weekend Handmade Market Returns!

The 1st Weekend Handmade Market returns to the War Memorial Building (102 E. German Street, Shepherdstown, WV) this weekend, July 13th-14th.  But wait....this the 2nd weekend! What's going on??  The War Memorial Building was scheduled for another event last weekend, so we rescheduled the event to the 2nd weekend in July. The Handmade Market will resume the 1st weekend schedule August-November.

Come and discover a delightfully curated marketplace of local independent artists, designers and crafters.  Find unique creations from Susan Carney (fine art paintings, monotypes, cards), Nature's Inspirations (gemstone jewelry with fair-trade components), Creative Art and Soul (engraved stone/glass pendants and mosaics), Shea Wolfe Designs (clothing, accessories, masks, jewelry and fine art),  MFJ designs (knitted/crocheted items, polymer clay creations), Two Rivers Turnings (functional hand-turned woodcraft), Cottage of Herbs (herbs, teas, dips and vinegars), Sweetwood Fine Art (photography, prints, mixed-media and collage), and No Match Studio (hand-thrown functional pottery).  

The Market's hours are 10:00 am-7:00 pm on Saturday and 9:00 am-4:00 pm on Sunday.  The 1st Weekend Handmade Market is a wonderful celebration of handmade arts, crafts and community!  We hope to see you there!  

 Pod by Barry Chlypavka at No Match Studio

 Beaded Sash by Liz Chlypavka at No Match Studio

 Fine Art Butterfy by Susan Carney 

Jewelry, hats, scarves by Teddy Shea at Shea Wolfe Designs

 

Gemstone Chakra necklaces and pendants made with fair trade components by Susan Halbert of Nature's Inspirations

Custards Last Stand - Art photography by Peggy Meckling at Sweetwood Fine Art

Sandcarved (engraved) glass gem magnets by Kristian McIntyre at Creative Art and Soul

Hand-turned wood based wine glasses by Neil Super at Two Rivers Turnings

 Herb mixes by Inge Ledden at Cottage of Herbs

Polymer clay earring creations on handpainted cards by Susan Holloway at MFJ Designs.

 

Building Community

Shepherdstown is a unique community.  It is different than any other place I have ever lived, and I've lived in over 20 cities and towns in 9 different states and 2 different countries.  We moved to Shepherdstown nearly 7 years ago and I must say honestly that I was a bit hesitant.  Unable to find a job in my field as a non-game wildlife research biologist/ecologist, I had to think fast and start over. I started my new venture as a small business owner, learning how to sandblast stone and glass, making jewelry at home, selling my creations online, in shops and at arts and craft shows and festivals. I take great pride and joy in working with local shop owners, and show promoters, and meeting interested locals and tourists. Never before until we moved here, have I ever really involved myself with a community, or community events. Becoming a part of the Shepherdstown community has enriched my life in many ways.  I have come to know my neighbors, our hard-working postal employees, many shop and restaurant owners, some police officers, bartenders, students, artists, musicians, folks who work for the media, folks who work for the town, community organizers, movers and shakers, dreamers, activists, and others who care about this town as much as I do...if not more.  

I feel lucky that the opportunity to help co-coordinate the Shepherdstown Community Club Christmas Bazaar and the 1st Weekend Handmade Market was presented to me.  I adore working with co-coordinator Susan, and with Tom, Austin, Don, Marit and all the other wonderful SCC folks. I am thrilled to be able to contribute my time and energy into building something for this community that locals and tourists enjoy, that helps bring feet to the streets of downtown Shepherdstown, that helps energizes the local economy, that helps boost small businesses.  While reflecting on all of this yesterday, I happened to come across this inspirational poster by Karen Kerney © 1998, that has been making the rounds on Facebook and I was compelled to share this with you. I love how some of the buildings in the artwork resemble some buildings in downtown Shepherdstown.  

How To Build Community Text:
Turn off your TV * Leave your house * Know your neighbors * Look up when you are walking * Greet people * Sit on your stoop * Plant flowers * Use your library * Play together * Buy from local merchants * Share what you have * Help a lost dog *
Take children to the park * Garden together * Support neighborhood schools * Fix it even if you didn't break it * Have pot lucks * Honor elders * Pick up litter * Read stories aloud *
Dance in the street * Talk to the mail carrier * Listen to the birds * Put up a swing * Help carry something heavy * Barter for your goods * Start a tradition * Ask a question * Hire young people for odd jobs * Organize a block party * Bake extra and share * Ask for help when you need it * Open your shades * Sing together * Share your skills * Take back the night * Turn up the music * Turn down the music * Listen before you react to anger *  Mediate a conflict * Seek to understand * Learn from new and uncomfortable angles * Know that no one is silent, though many are not heard * Work to change this. 

We hope you can find time to visit downtown Shepherdstown, walk the streets, take in the history, enjoy a coffee, browse the shops, visit James Rumsey Memorial Park and take in the scenery of the Potomac and C&O Canal, have some lunch, talk to the locals. stop by the Visitor Center and Museum, see the Little House, find some art, purchase some local produce, learn something new, and enjoy the day.
 

Hello, Spring! I'm Feeling Crafty!

blmiers2 / Nature Photos / CC BY-NC-SA

What a joy the first day of Spring is this morning! The first thing I notice is the sunshine, glorious sunshine! I also notice the cool slight breeze, not the gale force winds that have persisted for what seems like forever.  The bright green leaf buds are popping out on the trees and shrubs.  Numerous species of birds were singing, foraging, and flitting about the yard (I counted 18 species in less than 3 minutes!).  So uplifting!  My creative juices are flowing!  I'm inspired to pull out those half-finished projects out of the closet, delve into new projects that I have been thinking about all winter, learn a new technique, and explore new possibilities!

Need a little inspiration?  Get out the glue, glitter, paint, fabric, scissors, hammers and saws!  Perhaps some of these Spring craft ideas will motivate you. Explore some of these Spring project tutorials and learn a new technique!   If you are preparing to show your creations at shows and festivals this season, these awesome craft booth spaces may inspire you!  Find more craft booth ideas here!

How about you...are you feeling invigorated, innovative, and inspired ?  What  things are you planning for this Spring season?  What influences your creativity?  Please share your thoughts by posting a comment!   Me?  I'm now off to Home Depot for some tools and supplies!

New Contact Form

I received a message today via our new contact form on this blog, but the service I was using failed to provide the email address of the sender with the message so I could not reply!  I have just replaced the old contact form with a new one from another service and it tested just fine. So, if you sent me a message today (Tuesday) with the contact form, please resend so I can answer your question! My apologies for any inconvenience. Kris

Send those applications in!!

The applications are starting to come in and we are getting very excited! The launch weekend is barely over three weeks from today! Is your application in the mail yet? If you are planning to participate in April, please send it in ASAP!!  Apps and payment are due by March 30!  It will also help our planning if you can send us a message via the "Contact Us" link on the right menu to let us know you are planning to participate.

Although we need April apps ASAP, we will be accepting applications for unreserved spaces throughout the next few months.  But hurry, spaces go FAST and are on a first-come basis!!

And please help us promote, promote, promote - to potential vendors as well as the community as a whole.  Feel free to contact us if you have ay questions!

Hoping to see you soon.

Shepherdstown = Home

A big kudos to David and Cari Rosen of Plum for creating and sharing this wonderful tribute to Shepherdstown!  Beautiful! 

When in town, be sure to stop by Plum at 108 E. German Street for Cari's lovely custom jewelry, David's beautiful artwork, and many other unique local and regional finds! 

Thank You, Aha!

On behalf of the Shepherdstown Community Club (SCC), we want to publicly thank AHA! Arts and Humanities Alliance of Jefferson County for awarding us with a Community Arts Impact Award (CAIA) grant to help the 1st Weekend Handmade Market project get started and gain momentum!  

From Aha!  The "Community Arts Impact Award (CAIA) Program provides operational support for existing and emerging arts and humanities programs and projects at both the organizational and individual level."

The Shepherdstown 1st Weekend Handmade Market will:

• increase revenue for the SCC by securing space fees from participating artists and crafters.  Revenue from these space fees will help maintain the War Memorial Building (WMB) and Morgan's Grove Park to ensure they are available for community events
• offer local/regional makers of handcrafted items a dependable venue for sharing, promoting and selling their work locally in safe indoor setting
• provide an intimate and creative shopping experience for locals and tourists alike
• increase the exposure of traditional and alternative arts and crafts in the region
• promote "Shop Local" which is important for the local economy and small businesses
• promote "Shop Handmade" which is important to local artisans and lovers of true craft
• create an ongoing presence for the SCC and WMB in local traditional and social media
• introduce the SCC as a major supporter of the arts so that other organizations may approach the SCC with their art, craft, music, and dance events in mind 
• create an recurring event in which each show will be anticipated, talked about, shared by, and remembered by all who attend. 

 We are so thrilled to have received this funding for our community arts project.  Thank you, Aha!! 

  

Hello, March!

Dougtone / Foter.com / CC BY-SA

While it's still cold, gray and windy, we have spring on our minds!   We're dreaming of bright warm sunny days, iced tea on the porch, community gatherings, and smiling faces.  We're anxious for the days when when downtown Shepherdstown is buzzing with activity with runners, cyclists, musicians, students gathering at the wall , locals sharing stories in front of the Sweet Shop, the Farmer's Market, shop owners dressing their shop windows, and tourists discovering our town's unique shops and eateries.  Many folks are anticipating the start of festival season with Panhandle Earth Day, Shepherdstown StreetFest and the Contemporary American Theater Festival quickly approaching! 

Well, here is one more event to bring you into town!  The Shepherdstown Community Club is sponsoring the 1st Weekend Handmade Market.  The Handmade Market begins in the first weekend in April and continues until the first weekend in November.  We will bring you a diverse array of juried arts and crafts that are handmade by the seller.  The Handmade Market will bring more folks into the downtown area to discover local artists and crafters, shop with local boutiques and stores, enjoy the local restaurants, experience the vibrant community, and honor the history in Shepherdstown.  

The Shepherdstown Community Club supports many civic events, cultural activities, and social gatherings as well as public facilities such as the War Memorial Building and Morgan Grove Park. The Handmade Market, will help support local artisans and crafters, enrich the local economy, and contribute to the local community by ensuring that these important facilities are well maintained and available for use. We hope you join us in our extensive celebration of handmade arts, crafts and community!