The Handmade Parent is a series of interviews with parents who have an art/craft business or passion. The series explores how artists/crafters manage their family and their creative passion while promoting their work. Today Linda Demers interviews Margaret Owen of PermanentMagenta.

Kidoinfo: Please briefly tell us about yourself, your family, and your art or craft.
Margaret: I grew up in Farmville, Virginia, and then in suburban Washington, D.C. I received a BFA from the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, and an MFA from the New York Academy of Art. There I met my husband, Michael Owen, a painter and native Rhode Islander. We now live in Providence with our 5-year-old son. I paint, teach, and work as a caricature artist. Last year I bought a sewing machine from Craig’s List and went crazy for fabric. Since then I have made a lot of handbags and my own clothes. In the past year and a half, I have discovered that I love to teach and lecture on art. One night this February my friend Bronwyn, who writes the casapinka blog, suggested that I start a daily painting blog. I have enjoyed it immensely, expanding my comfort zone in terms of what I paint, my ability to accept myself as an artist. and presenting my art in a public space.

Kidoinfo: When did you begin your art/craft?
Margaret: I began painting as a girl. Oil pastels were a first love. I remember my father making me a tabletop easel from a cardboard box.

Kidoinfo: Is your art part of your business or do you hold another job in addition to your artistic work?
Margaret: My business and my art are thoroughly intertwined; painting, caricature, and teaching.

Kidoinfo: When do you find time to make your art/craft?
Margaret: I have evenings from 7:00 or 8-ish to 10:00pm (my husband and I alternate story/bedtime with our son). Many nights I am able to use that time to work. My son has been in a variety of care situations for 2-4 days each week since he was 2. So I have those weekday hours to work with as well. There are exceptions to the rule, however; for example, it is 11:00 pm as I write this.

Kidoinfo: What prompted you to choose your art medium?
Margaret: My great-aunt Ellen was an oil painter. Because of her I received a set of oil paints early on and just kept coming back to them.

Kidoinfo: What inspired you to become an artist?
Margaret: Other artists. Living in the D.C. suburbs I had access to the National Gallery of Art, the Phillips Collection (still a favorite museum), and the Hirschorn. I spent many Saturdays with my best friend, Peyton Marshall, taking classes in painting, sculpture, and printmaking at the Corcoron Gallery of Art. (Gosh, at the time I can’t possibly have thanked our parents enough for chauffeuring us back and forth.) One of my most exciting drawing memories is working from Rodin’s Burghers of Calais, a giant multifigure bronze in the Hirschorn sculpture garden. I was (and still am) so excited by El Greco, Degas, Cezanne, Vuillard, Schiele, Kollwitz, Mondiran, Rothko, Diebenkorn and others. I have to say, though, that I remain mystified as to why I have the burning desire to translate my experience into two dimensions with gooey pigment. What an odd thing to do! If it weren’t for all the other artists and those 30,000-year-old cave paintings I would think I was a total nut.

Kidoinfo: Where do you find your inspiration?
Margaret: The sale of my work! Because, much more than inspiration, I need permission to do what I love. (True of most everyone, I think, whether or not they have figured out that they are an artist.) I have to help support our family so my painting/teaching/drawing hours must be justified financially. Happily there is no other work that I am qualified for right now that would do more than pay for childcare.

Kidoinfo: How do you promote your art?
Margaret: I hand out my business cards and put art class flyers up at Whole Foods, Seven Stars, and local libraries. Last year I called a couple of local libraries to arrange lectures and demos. Oh, and I pester friends, family, clients, and acquaintances with promotional emails.

Kidoinfo: How has having a family impacted your work?
Margaret: Geeze. It certainly has changed life as I knew it. Since having a child, my threshold for stress has risen dramatically, and I can fit more work into less time. One parenting perk I hadn’t considered before my son is all the time I get to spend reading children’s books. It always feels luxurious to sit down with a stack of wonderful stories and beautiful, lively, funny pictures. It is a great pleasure.

Kidoinfo: How do you work around your children?
Margaret: PBS kids! Oops, you are publishing this. Um, he has a big desk with lots of art supplies in my office, which opens onto our livingroom/playroom, so I am able to do a bit of desk work with him in my care. He used to endure the occasional trip to the post office, but I have since discovered home pick-up and bought my own postal scale! Mostly I work when my son is asleep, in preschool, with his dad. etc.

Kidoinfo: How do you involve your children in your art?
Margaret: A couple of years ago. we would shoot photos together of all manner of trucks, and I made a children’s book about a grappling digger. Sometimes he will operate the pedal [of the sewing machine] while I work on a handbag. Though we often draw together, I rarely do work-related drawing with him.

Kidoinfo: What sparks your creativity? How do you keep focused once in “the creative zone?”
Margaret: The aforementioned desire to interpret my world in 2-D seems to just be there. I stay focused with a balance of structure and freedom. My studio space is a constant, always my place to work with my supplies ready to use, when not actually making something I can sweep, prep canvas, sketch, put hanging hardware on the paintings. Funny, I think my biggest key to success is washing my brushes. As long as I take care of the practical matters, the art takes care of itself. I am sensitive to my changing desire. I may be working on a portrait commission and want to paint a fish or make a handbag or dress or do something else entirely. I find that the more I honor those small urges to change focus, the more productive I become overall.

Kidoinfo: How do you find time to accomplish everything?
Margaret: Thanks for the grin. My therapist would really get going with that one. Um, if i could rephrase the question, “How do you manage not to drown in your own expectations?” I would say that I recognize that I am capable of a finite amount of stuff and that certain things have to be prioritized or they don’t happen. I have the phrase, “Put the big rocks in first,” on my bulletin board. It refers to a story in Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung? by Ajahn Brahm. It’s a wonderful book, as helpful as a flotation device. In this particular story a professor demonstrates that you can add gravel, sand, and water into a jar with big rocks, but not the other way around. To keep my head above water, I try my best to put at least some of the big rocks in first. Journaling helps keep me balanced, and I am an absolutely insane list maker.

Kidoinfo: What do you like to do in your “spare” time for just yourself (read, garden, travel, run, etc.)?
Margaret: All of the above, walking, running, yoga, biking, swimming, playing chase on the playground, these are essential to me. I have to have some physical play in order not to fall apart emotionally. I do love to garden, but mostly I only fantasize about it and am grateful for the perennials we put in five years ago. I love spending time with my friends and family (and am surprised at how much effort is necessary to make this happen, considering that I live within two of those people!), and the fact that I can check out 99 books and from any Rhode Island library never ceases to delight me.

Kidoinfo: One random fact about yourself or your family–relevant or not.
Margaret: For a couple of artists, we are pretty uptight. It’s early to bed, early to rise, dinner begins at 5:45-6pm almost every single night. We heavily rely on routine in order to be creative and are sissies when it comes to varying the schedule. The school teachers and lawyers I know lead wild and crazy lives by comparison.

Kidoinfo: How do you support the handmade community?
Margaret: I trade a lot with other artists. My husband buys gifts from Craftland and the RISD store. I buy jewelry designed by local artists from Studio Hop. I love Kreatalier. You could also say I support the handmade community by unabashedly encouraging anyone within earshot to make more of their art and offer it for sale or trade.

Kidoinfo: What was the last handmade item you purchased? Made?
Margaret: I recently bought some earrings from an Etsy seller (a pay-it-forward sale piece—$3!!).  Today I made a whale finger puppet. A couple of nights ago I made some desperation pillow covers for our couch, the old ones have been a downer for years!

Kidoinfo: Where can we find your art?
Margaret: You can 1) go to my daily painting blog, PermanentMagenta.com; 2) go to my website, MargaretMOwen.com; and 3) go to my Etsy shop, PermanentMagenta.etsy.com. You can also find me at the monthly market bizarre at Kennedy Plaza downtown.

__________________

Linda Cox Demers moved to Barrington from Chicago with her husband and her two boys, ages 13 and 8.   She runs her handbag and accessories business, à la mode, from home and has recently discovered a passion for blogging.  As an independent designer, Linda enjoys promoting local artists and the “buy handmade” movement. Visit Linda’s blog at www.alamodestuffblog.com

Wooly Fair, Providence’s own do-it-yourself art carnival, will rear its shaggy head on Saturday, July 31st at Monohasset Mill and the Steel Yard in Providence. Now in its sixth year, this vibrant spectacle that showcases the city’s creative community adds kid friendly acitivities to the mix.

Wooly Fair features a host of games, amusements, music, food, and interactive art exhibits. Each year, the carnival centers on a theme and the entire event is built from scratch by volunteers. “The Woolies” are Providence-area artists, writers, crafters, poets, designers, engineers, and entrepreneurs—art freaks and geeks. And wool attracts wool. Fairgoers are also artists, writers, crafters, poets, designers, engineers, and entrepreneurs. Last year, 500 people attended from across Rhode Island and from all over East Coast, from Maine to New York.

The Fair features a host of exciting performers and interactive installations with a Back to Nature theme from 1 p.m. ’til 1 a.m. The kid-friendly activities are between 1 p.m. until 8 p.m. After 8 p.m., plan to take the kids home to stay with a sitter and head back for the adult fun.

Here’s what’s happening during the day for the kiddos:

The planting of The Flower Tower. The Flower Tower is a 24′x24′ tiered pyramid that will be lined with over 100 container gardens. Attendees of Wooly Fair will be invited to plant the gardens, which will be distributed throughout Rhode Island after the event.

Fearless Mobile Mini Golf. The Woolies have custom-built mini golf courses and kids love them! We’ve brought them to Foo Fest and Maker Faire and they’ve been a hit with families.

Marvelous Marvin’s Circus Arts Workshop. Marvelous Marvin will be at Wooly Fair from 2-6pm teaching kids and adults how to juggle, stilt walk, twirl rings, and more.

Tricycle races. Kids and adults can partake in our 3rd annual tricycle rally. There will be a custom-built course for all to enjoy.

Details:
When: July 31, 2010 from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. Rain date is August 7, 2010. Family-friendly activities between 1 p.m and 8 p.m.
Where: Monohasset Mill, 532 Kinsley Avenue, Providence Rhode Island. Access to the Flower Tower at the Steel Yard will be through the Monohasset Mill fairground.
Cost: Tickets are $15 each at the door or $12 each through thewooled.com. Kiddos under 12 get in for free.

The handmade parent is a series of interviews with parents who have an art/craft business or passion.  The series will explore how the artist/crafter manages their family and their creative passion while promoting their work.

The Handmade Parent – Maeve Donohue – Queen Maeve (fine art) and Nami Studios (commercial art + marketing).

Kidoinfo:  Briefly tell us about yourself, your family, and your art or craft.
Maeve:  I’m a Vietnamese Irish American visual artist and creative services professional living in Rhode Island.  A few years a go I sold my Yoga studio to make more time to dedicate to art, family, and my marketing business. I grew up and went to art school in Rhode Island (R

ISD), then bopped around Europe and the Caribbean for a long while, dabbling in languages, jewelry, puppets, tattoo and piercing, living in a tent on the beach, studying Yoga and painting murals and signs for the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Organization, getting back to my roots in Asia, and then moving back home to Rhode Island, where I ran into and married my childhood sweetheart.  We started a creative services studio (web, print, illustration, photography, marketing), got married in Las Vegas, and had a beautiful girl named Mirabel. My husband and I are also both fine artists and are currently collaborating on a series of paintings for a children’s book based on a story told by our 4 year old daughter. Life is good.

Kidoinfo:  When did you begin your art/craft?
Maeve:  I have been practicing art since I was very young and have explored many different styles and artistic mediums over the years.  A few years ago, I bought a professional model Epson printer that allows me to create fine art (giclee) prints with archival inks on museum quality paper.  I turned some of my illustrations into prints and started selling them on Etsy.

Kidoinfo:  Is your art part of your business or do you hold another job in addition to your artistic work?
Maeve:   My fine art  is a separate business from my commercial art and creative services business.  I get to be creative in both jobs, which I like, but eventually, I would like find more time to dedicate to my fine art.

Kidoinfo:  When do you find time to make your art/craft?
Maeve: My personal art comes after family and work, so it’s often hard to find the time.  Now that my husband and I are collaborating on a specific project, I think it will help to keep me working some fine art more regularly.

Kidoinfo: What prompted you to choose your art medium?
Maeve: When I was at RISD, I started as a printmaking major, but became frustrated because I didn’t have the technical skills to do the type of prints I wanted to do, so I switched my major to illustration in order to become more practiced at drawing and painting.  I then focused on puppet animation as my main concentration.  It was only a few years ago that I started to explore printmaking again.

Kidoinfo:   What inspired you to become an artist?
Maeve: I don’t ever remember a time when I didn’t do art.  We have seven kids in my family and I was always referred to as ‘the artist’. When I was young, I used to look at the art books in my dad’s study.  I was especially drawn to Michelangelo.

Kidoinfo:   Where do you find your inspiration?
Maeve: I am strongly influenced by my asian heritage and perhaps more subtly by my pursuit of a peaceful, spiritual, and simple life.

Kidoinfo:  How do you promote your art?
Maeve: I have a website (queenmaeve.com), I post some images on my facebook page, and I have an etsy shop.  Honestly, I haven’t been able to spend much time promoting my art in the past few years.  I am always surprised when someone purchases my prints on-line.  Etsy is really amazing.  I ship prints all over the world.

Kidoinfo:  How has having a family impacted your work?
Maeve: Now that my daughter is a little older (4 years) it’s a little easier to find time.  Now she will draw on her own piece of paper instead of having to draw on the one I am drawing on.

Kidoinfo:  How do you work around your children?
Maeve: I do just that.  I work around my daughter.  She is usually right there when I am drawing.  She has an art table in our family room, where she can paint, draw, and craft whenever she wants to.  We have a chalkboard wall that she can always draw on, and every room in our little house has an area where we can draw or hang artwork that we are working on.  My husband has his painting studio in the basement and she will often sit with him and paint while he paints.

Kidoinfo:   What sparks your creativity?  How do you keep focused once in “the creative zone?”
Maeve: I am lucky to be married to an artist.  Both my family and my husband’s family are filled with visual and performing artists.  It makes it easier when everyone around you always wants to talk about art. My sister lives in New York City, so we go in often to see the galleries and museums.

Kidoinfo:  How do you find time to accomplish everything?
Maeve: I don’t.

Kidoinfo:  When do you make time for your art?
Maeve: What do you like to do in your “spare” time for just yourself (read, garden, travel, run, etc.)? We have a vegetable garden in our front yard.  Right now I’m really into running, reading books with my daughter, and hiking.

Kidoinfo:  Give us one random fact about yourself or your family – relevant or not.
Maeve: I am currently on the executive board for a non-profit organization, Parent Partners, that provides one-to-one mentoring for parents from lower incomes or recently immigrated. Experienced parents help new parents to define their dreams, set goals and create a road map to success.  The program is currently in Newport and we will be bringing it to the East Bay in the Fall.  The website will be launched this month: parentpartnersri.org.  Please visit the website and let us know if you would like to participate either through donations, ideas, mentoring or refer a family.

Kidoinfo:   How do you support the handmade community?  What are your favorite local handmade venues?
Maeve: I buy toys and dolls on Etsy.  Muse is a great jewelry store in Warren that has wonderful handmade jewelry from local artists.

Kidoinfo:  What was the last handmade item you made?
Maeve: Mirabel and I recently sewed a doll together and we had lots of fun with all sorts of easter crafts to give to family.

Kidoinfo:  Where can we find your art?
Maeve: My etsy store is mirabel.etsy.com you can find a link to my etsy store on my website queenmaeve.com.  There are some examples of my commercial illustration and photography on my website, namistudios.com.

__________________

Linda Cox Demers moved to Barrington from Chicago with her husband and her two boys, ages 13 and 8.   She runs her handbag and accessories business, à la mode, from home and has recently discovered a passion for blogging.  As an independent designer, Linda enjoys promoting local artists and the “buy handmade” movement. Visit Linda’s blog at www.alamodestuffblog.com

By Mary Smith

Karen Pace, owner of Kafe Lila in Pawtucket, has a lot to say when it comes to “homemade” ice cream. Pace is ready to bust the myth of what “homemade” ice cream is at most cafes by letting me follow her step by step through her process of making ice cream from scratch. Most of the time, ice cream classified as homemade means that a pre-made base has been combined with other in-house ingredients on premises. When it comes to Pace’s artisan ice cream, however, it is the product of two years of experimentation with methods and mixtures to develop the perfect technique for making high-quality ice cream. An experimentally driven, science-minded artisan, Karen Pace gives us the scoop on how real homemade ice cream is made.

It all begins with a base. Beyond milk and sugar, pre-made ice cream bases may include any or all of the following: corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, mono and dglycerides, cellulose gum, guar gum, and carrageenan. Now let’s contrast that with the base that Pace uses: it includes milk, half & half, heavy cream, salt, vanilla, and sugar. All of Pace’s milk is Rhody Fresh, part of her commitment to using local products from milk to eggs and farm-fresh produce. Pace’s base is whisked and heated to 100˚. She then tempers the egg yolks, a process by which the yolks are heated by mixing them with the 100˚ base. It is important for the yolks to be heated in this way so they do not cook and they maintain their liquid consistancy. The tempered eggs yolks are then combined with the base and heated to 166˚. At this temperature, the dairy is pasteurized, and the mixture begins to resemble custard, what Pace likens to crème anglaise.

After the heating process, the concoction is cooled. Pace then puts the milk and egg mixture through a strainer (the flecks visible in these photographs are tea leaves that have been heated with the base to infuse the base with flavor). When the temperature of the  mixture is lowered to 40˚, it is ready to be frozen. Pace uses a Carpigiani batch freezer with low-medium overrun to produce a dense ice cream. The density factor is important because a dense ice cream with a low overrun has been slow churned and contains a small amount of air, giving it a creamier, fuller flavor.

Speaking of flavor, Pace’s base-producing method not only eliminates the amount of foreign ingredients—it also allows her to infuse flavors into her ice cream at an earlier point in the process. Ingredients such as white pepper, Earl Gray tea, and orange blossom water are included in the initial heating and then strained before cooling. Pace’s distinctive method flavors the base so subtly that there might be several ice creams that appear to be vanilla but they have been infused with any number of exotic, unusual, and ultra delicious flavors!

Pace’s methodology is all her own. She spent two years developing her technique and the result, lucky for her patrons, is the perfected art of ice cream making. Stop by Kafe Lila for a free sample of any of her invigorating flavors, or visit her at the Winter Farmer’s Market at Hope Artiste Village until it closes for the season on May 29, 2010. Open every Saturday from 11am-2pm

Karen encourages Kafe Lila enthusiasts to follow her on twitter, to find out where the bicycle powered ice cream cart will be stationed throughout the summer.

Mary talks to Karen about making ice cream at Winter Farmer’s market.

Mary Smith is a freelance writer who lives on the West Side of Providence. To see more of her writing and pictures, visit her blog at allthingsace.wordpress.com/.

Photo Credit: Mary Smith

By Elyse Major

Growing up, I shared a bedroom with my older sister. I still think of those nights when we stayed up past bedtime to share “secret talks” among my most cherished memories. When my husband and I began house hunting for our family of four, a third bedroom never made my wish list. I wanted our boys to share a room holding onto the belief that a small space would provide them with some serious bonding time. Okay, so most nights it sounds like a slumber party going on across the hall, but it’s all for a good cause, right? Bonding.

My boys are just two years apart and while they share many interests they naturally differ on issues and being my offspring they are both inherently passionate about color. My oldest is crazy about blue while my youngest favors green. I wanted the boys included in the creative process of their room re-do but we talked in circles about wall color choices for months. Blue or green? Orange? Tan? One day the idea of dividing the room in half by color was suggested and it stuck.

Choosing the right shades of blue and green became overwhelming as the boys would exit the paint department with shopping bags full of paint chips. Taking a cue from furnishings my oldest had liked at Ikea, I covertly selected the paint colors myself. I also bought white paint for trim and the ceiling, and plenty of painter’s tape.

I am a messy painter so needing to be precise for lines where the two colors meet was difficult for me. In other rooms I favor pale (read: forgiving) colors and tend to accept imperfections as elements of shabby-cottage style. This wasn’t the case painting the boys’ room using bolder choices, which required multiple coats of paint over primer. I also had the brainstorm to repaint their furniture the color of each side of the room, outlined and dotted with hardware, a darker tone from the same paint chip panel.

After a few days of prep, priming and painting, the room was uniquely two colors, balanced by white. Slowly we have been adding decorative elements (see below). It makes me very happy that the boys are excited to show friends their room. Wouldn’t it be nice if having “a cool room” also motivated them to keep it neat? Well, one dream at a time.

Target is terrific but don’t ignore Ikea

Ikea was a great resource for fun, uncommon, and yet still affordable things for the room. At just $24.99, it was easy to agree to new nightstands. Other favorite purchases: mounted lamps, L-shaped shelves, poster frames and fabric. Did I mention the cinnamon buns? So worth any drive.

Don’t sew? Don’t sweat it.

I can barely sew but when I saw blue and green striped fabric at Ikea, I had to buy it. I also purchased Ikea’s Dignitet cable and clips set which meant all I had to do was hem edges, which I did using fusible tape and an iron, mount the cable system to the wall, and we were covered.

Wall art

For wall décor we framed posters the boys already had, saved from packages of trading cards and boxes of themed valentines. We used vibrant construction paper (a perennial Ikea fave) to fill the extra space, like a mat.

Spotlight on collections

My boys probably have more collections that I can list. By providing some display space, these groups of beloved plastic can have their moment in the spotlight instead of underneath the bed or scattered in bins and boxes.

Bedding

Because I wanted this room to be personal for each child, I gave up control of the bedding choice. One bed has robots and the other has Wolverine, and that’s okay.

Prep is key

To save time and minimize frustration, read about how to paint a room before you even buy a brush. The prep work is so important and involves spackling holes, washing walls and painting on primer before any real painting should begin. I like Brian Santos, The Wall Wizard.

Elyse’s Décor Do’s

• Look at everything around you as possible décor. Even crayons look cool when displayed in jars by color.
• Make throw pillows out of favorite but outgrown T-shirts and jammy tops: buy pillow inserts from a fabric store, stuff and sew (or fuse)
• Add embellishments from the scrapbooking aisle to curtains and lampshades
• Replace or paint furniture hardware – a super easy update
• Back the inside of a bookcase with paper that can be seen from behind shelves. Use color copies of favorite illustrations, even comic book pages
• Use tension rods to hang anything with a spool
• Keep things unfussy, kid-friendly, washable and comfortable
• Display art projects, Lego and other constructs, small action figure scenes

Take it from me …

• Don’t begin painting without first learning about how to prep and prepare
• For safety and your own sanity, have someone available to watch your children while you do any work that requires all of your focus
• Don’t underestimate how much time a project may take. I once believed I could tape and paint a small bathroom while my son was at preschool. Not quite
• “Cotton tarps” are an oxymoron; they will not protect work surfaces from paint
• Always sand any glossy surface before priming if you want the paint to properly adhere (despite what “advice” you might get from any well-meaning home supply store staff)
• For tightening and loosening screws, always remember what Luke from Gilmore Girls advised, “Tighty Righty and Lefty Loosey”

The process of choosing colors and materials can be lengthy but it’s part of the fun. When a room is “finished” I am always surprised that I took it on, trusted my design instincts, and completed the job. Sure, there are mistakes and drips but they’re all part of the story: your story.

Elyse Major divides her time between being a mostly stay-at-home mom, communications consultant, tinkerer, blogger and online seller. Elyse’s efforts are cheered on by her husband and two boys in northern RI. Elyse is featured in both the May and June issues of Romantic Homes magazine. Visit her blog at http://tinkeredtreasures.blogspot.com

Kidoinfo is partnering with Rag & Bone Bindery & Soul at Work on May 1 for a day full of fun.

• Bookbinding workshops for children
• Rag & Bone Bindery’s Spring Open Studio
• Have your portrait taken by a professional
• Buy tickets for the next KidoConversation

DETAILS

Rag & Bone Bindery Spring Open Studio and Children’s Bookbinding Workshops
Saturday, May 1 from 10 AM – 2 PM.
Workshop sessions at 11 AM and 1 PM.
Join us before you shop for a cafe style May breakfast with delicious muffins, scones, coffee and juice.
Location: 1088 Main Street Pawtucket, RI 02860 (more…)

Here is a lovely egg project from Beth Curtin.  Find more of her clever crafty ideas on her blog, Acorn Pies.
To make a little egg like this, start with some dyed raw eggs. Make a few; some may break.

Put a tiny pinhole in the narrow end of the egg for a thread to hang it by. Gently put another pinhole in the side of the egg, as a place to begin cutting with a pair of sharp nail scissors. Cut ever so gently, with tiny, tiny little cuts. Pour out the raw egg and let the shell interior dry.

What do you want to put inside your egg? I snipped the thread off a little painted wooden bird Easter ornament, and glued it into a little nest made out of dried grass. The tree branch is from a dried out thyme plant I have in my garden. The children might have fun making little chicks or eggs or a bunny out of modeling beeswax. You could also decorate the interior with a little scene made out of cut paper, or with a tiny drawing. A nice finishing touch on my egg would have been a border of rick-rack around the cut edge, but I couldn’t get to the studio this week!

Childhood Magic learned how to do this from her grandmother. Visit her blog and see her amazing eggs!

Related Easter Ideas:

• Coloring Eggs
• Natural Egg Dyeing
• What does the Easter Bunny bring?

There are so many fabulous craft shows, studio sales and local places this time of year selling lovely things made by hand—whether it’s $2 or $200, there is something for every budget.

In Rhode Island:

Craftland Show
December 4-31, 7 days a week, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM.
Open late on Thursdays and Saturdays ’til 8:00 PM.
Location: 235 Westminster Street, Providence. Admission is free.

While the Craftland Shop is now open year round, it will soon shift gears from the shop to the annual Craftland Show on December 4. Featuring over 170 artists, the Craftland Show is where you will find everything from silk-screened onesies, stuffed toys in the form of slabs of bacon, as well as fine jewelry and paintings. Always eclectic and fresh, with special events scheduled throughout the month.

Special Events:
Opening party: Dec 4th, 5:00 – 9:00 PM
Girls Rock! RI Party: Dec 9th, 6:00 – 9:00 PM
Buy Art reception: Dec 10th, 5:00 – 8:00 PM
Hive O’Clock Happy Hour Workshop: Dec 15th, 5:30 – 7:00 PM – $10
Meet the Artists evening: Dec 17th, 5:00 – 8:00 PM

The Foundry Show
Friday, Dec 4th, Noon – 8:00 PM
Saturday, Dec 5th, 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Sunday, Dec 6th, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday, Dec 11th, Noon – 8:00 PM
Saturday, Dec 12th, 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Sunday, Dec 13th, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Opening Gala – Thursday, Dec 3th from 5:00 – 9:00 PM

Location: Pawtucket Armory, 172 Exchange Street, Pawtucket. Admission is free (donations of canned goods are encouraged—they’ll be given to the RI Food Bank)

The 27th annual Foundry Show encompasses both fine art and functional craft with works in a range of media, styles and functions including jewelry, ceramics, textiles, wood, home furnishings, clothing paintings, sculpture and photography. The show is on the first two weekends in December with a Gala Opening night (featuring live music and refreshments). A Charity Benefit Silent Auction showcasing items donated by each Foundry Artist will start on opening night. All proceeds from the auction will benefit the St. Mary’s Home for Children and the Pawtucket Armory Center for the Arts.

photo albums by rag and bone bindery

Rag and Bone Open Studio
Saturday, Dec. 5th, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: Rag and Bone Bindery – 1088 Main Street, Pawtucket. Admission is free (create your own book workshop is $15.00)

Rag and Bone Bindery is kicking off the holiday season in a big way by inviting customers into their world of quality handmade albums and journals. The bindery company will also be offering a workshop on how to “create your own book,” as well as major discounts (as much as 25% off regular priced merchandise and 50%-70% off of already reduced clearance items) on a wide selection of items.

Buy Crafts at Chez Pascal Gift Sale
Sunday, Dec. 6th, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Location: Chez Pascal – 960 Hope St., Providence, RI. Admission is free. Please bring food to donate to the Food Bank.

Support local artists and the Rhode Island Food Bank. This small salon style show will feature a handful of local artists. Shop scarves, art, jewelry, sock monkeys, pottery, handbags and more!

painting by deb hickey

RISD Alumni Art Sale
Saturday, Dec. 12th, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM. (Arrive early to avoid—or to get a good place in—a long line.)
Location: Rhode Island Convention Center, One Sabin Street, Providence.

Alumni from all over the world come back to Providence with thousands of items for sale, including toys, fine art, greeting cards, jewelry, furniture, clothing, ceramics, and much more. Admission is $7, free for children under 14 and current RISD students.

RISD Expose
Open daily (except Mondays) through December 12th, 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Location: 232 Westminster Street, Providence RI. Admission is free.

A “pop-up” gift shop/gallery featuring RISD student own original works of art – perfect for holiday giving. Working with the Office of Student Life, the organizers found a suitable location in Downcity Providence, invited all undergrad and grad students to submit work and designed the displays and presentation.

Rhody Craft 100
Every Saturday in November, December, and January from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Location: Hope Artiste Village – 1005 Main Street, Pawtucket RI

Presenting a keen collection of local artists and crafters creating a one-of-a-kind seasonal shopping opportunity.

BUY ART
The city of Providence supports the arts with their new BUY ART program. When you shop from downcity merchants this holiday season you will receive a limited edition “I BUY ART” button created by Providence artists. Find out more about participating venues and local events at BuyArtProvidence.com.

In Massachusetts:

Bazaar Bizarre
Sunday, Dec. 6th, Noon – 7:00 PM
Location: BCA Cyclorama, 539 Tremont Street, Boston. Admission is $1.00

A group of artist friends started this show in 2001 as an antidote to that dreaded other kind of craft fair (the kind with duck silhouettes stenciled on little shelves and rosebuds formed from wood shavings). Expect irresistibly clever and lovely jewelry, clothing, art, and toys.

Start at the Station
Sunday, Dec. 6th, Noon – 5:00 PM
Location: Union Station, Worcester MA

A premiere holiday arts event with over 120 artists and crafters, food and more, just in time for all your holiday festivities! Hosted at historical Union Station, Worcester’s renovated train station boasting soaring ceilings and marble floors.

SoWa Holiday Market
Saturday, Dec. 12th & Sunday, Dec. 13th, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Location: Cathedral High School Gym, 74 Union Park Street (on the corner of Washington Street) in Boston’s South End. Free parking at 500 & 540 Harrison Avenue Admission is $5.oo, children under 12 free

Over 80 New England artisans featuring a wide variety of handmade offerings from the fashionably chic to the cutting edge.

The Harvard Square Holiday Craft Fair
Nov. 28 & 29, Dec. 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18 – 23
Saturdays: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM, Sundays: noon – 6:00 PM, weekdays: noon – 7:30 PM
Location: First Parish Unitarian Church (at the corner of Mass Ave. and Church Street in Harvard Square). Admission is free.

A long-running, juried show featuring the work of a changing mix of New England craftspeople and world-traveling importers. This show aims to be less like a show and more like a party where you can buy awesome stuff!

Tell your friends! Give handmade gifts this holiday season—to yourself and the ones you love. If you have a local holiday show to recommend, please share the details in the comments below.

Looking for gift ideas for everyone on your list? Check the 2009 RI Handmade Holiday Gift Guide here.

Linda Cox Demers moved to Barrington, RI, from Chicago with her husband and two boys, ages 12 and 7. She runs her handbag and accessories business, à la mode, from home and has recently discovered a passion for blogging. As an independent designer , Linda enjoys promoting local artists and the “buy handmade” movement.

Visit Linda’s blog at http://alamodestuff.blogspot.com.

This list was so handy last year, I decided to re-use it. Here is a summary of articles from the Kidoinfo archives that may be helpful as readers plan their month. Find craft projects, local events, and books to read, along with tips and ideas to make your holidays a little easier, hopefully less stressful—and memorable for the kids. Some of you may be way ahead of me, so pick and use what you need and please share your own helpful tips and ideas below with the Kidoinfo readers.

1. Make an advent calendar to count down the days till Christmas or buy one at a local shop (probably on sale now).

2. Mark you calendar with upcoming events and parties for school, home, work, etc. Plan which local events or family traditions you plan to participate in this year. If you plan to see a show, order your tickets and put them in safe place. Subscribe to Kidoinfo and receive our newsletter list of “Weekend Picks” in your inbox every Thursday.

3. Plan your holiday card. Find an adorable photo of your child(ren) or schedule a professional or at-home photo shoot. Buy ready-made cards or make your own. Use old magazines to make collage cards for family and teachers. I organize my contacts in BatchBook so I can easily print all my addresses on mailing labels.

4. Teach your children about the many holidays celebrated at this time of year. (Christmas, Hanukkah, Eid, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice). Read books, listen to music, and try new foods associated with the various holidays. We have an international house—our family celebrates Christmas, Eid, and Hanukkah.

5. Make paper snowflakes.

6. Plan as a family or as a class how you will thank your child’s teacher or caregiver this year. (Gift Ideas)

7. Buy and trim your Christmas tree. I find it easier—and less frustrating for my boys—to bring out all the decorations and test all the lights before announcing that it’s time to hang the ornaments on the tree. After the decorating is done, we usually celebrate with hot cocoa and popcorn or holiday treats.

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Alizah Holstein is the owner and founder of Kowalli, a new company based in Providence that makes fleece baby-carrier covers. Kowalli Baby Carrier Covers keep parents and their babies close and warm when on the go and allow them to get out of the house quickly without worrying about bulky layers or unruly blankets. Alizah also happens to be a professional medieval historian.

Kidoinfo: What inspired you to start your business?

Alizah: Last fall, when my baby was about 4 months old, I searched and searched to find a good solution to carrying him in cold weather. I tried blankets (they always fell off); I thought about a big coat (they’re unwieldy, and I didn’t want to spend the money to buy an ugly coat that I didn’t like); I tried a vest designed for carrying babies, but my son hated it. So I made my own fleece cover – it was a simple design and I didn’t think much about it. Until mom after mom (and grandparents too) stopped me on the street to ask where I had gotten it. After a few months of this, I thought, hey! I have no background in business or manufacturing, but I do have a little extra time and the desire to do something creative. And soon after, Kowalli LLC was born. So that’s where my inspiration came from – necessity and public appreciation.

I had never aspired to be in business. Part of this was because I had always found my inspiration in writers and teachers- thus my career as a historian. But in recent years I started to notice that some great things can be achieved through business. For instance, I read about the founding of Patagonia and how that company was a pioneer in offering maternity leave. I have come to realize that some companies, through the vision of their owners and management, contribute in tangible ways to their employees and the communities around them. This is my long-term objective with Kowalli – to grow into a company that can offer progressive policies and a job that enhances, rather than detracts from, quality of life.

Kidoinfo: How did you start your business?

Alizah: I basically asked as many people as many questions as I could. I talked to retailers, business owners, designers, manufacturers, teachers, family members…anyone. I continue to read blogs every day – one that I would highly recommend to any mom (or dad) starting out in business is The Mogul Mom, written by local “mompreneur” Heather Allard. She’s an amazing resource and really willing to share her knowledge and insights. I also went to trade shows to see how things worked. I mulled for months over the right name. And I hired a lawyer. Oh, and an accountant. I never thought I’d say those words! So many people were so kind, candid, and supportive – Line and Pernilla at Kreatelier on Hope Street, for example, were exceedingly generous in sharing their own hard-earned experience – that it was difficult not to start a company!

The only other thing I would say is that in addition to the excitement of it all, starting a business can be a nail-biting experience. It’s expensive, and you can never fully predict what the outcome is going to be. I would recommend to anyone starting out to try to project the first year’s expenses at the outset, before you even take the first step, so you have some idea of what you’re getting into. I say this because it’s something I didn’t do.

Kidoinfo: How do you balance work and family?

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