Newest Member of Boston Handmade: Early Bird Designs

BH: Tell us a bit about yourself. What is your background?

Jill Burns: I studied painting in college and after graduating went to work in the museum field. I was the registrar at the Worcester Art Museum, which was a wonderful environment for inspiration. Not only was I exposed to the great works in the gallery, but my favorite places were the storage areas. Lots of treasures there. I took ceramics classes several years later and was hooked!

 BH: How long have you been doing your artwork?

Jill Burns: I have been working in ceramics for over 20 years. About 12 years ago I was an artist in resident at the Worcester Center for Crafts so I could devote full time work at my craft. At the end of that I was awarded the Worcester Arts Council Fellowship. It was a marvelous validation to what I was doing and it gave me the courage to start a ceramic studio called the Fire Works, a suite of studios and shared equipment for ceramic artists.

BH: Tell us a little bit about Early Bird Designs. How did you come up with name?

Jill Burns: Early Bird Designs is my line of functional pottery and personal accessories. I am, in fact an early bird. Always have been. I could never sleep late even though the teens years. Plus I think it reflects the sort of fresh and playful take on the porcelain work that I have been doing for the past few years.

BH: Tell us about your work. How is it made and what are your inspirations?

Jill Burns: Most of the pieces start as porcelain slabs and are formed into functional ware, such as cups, platters, vases etc. When the clay has stiffened I inscribed a design and inlay a dark slip. That forms the base drawing, so subtle color can be added later in the process. The ware is very durable and can be used everyday and is fine in the dishwasher and microwave. Images are lively versions of grandmother’s bone china and 18th-19th animal and plant engravings. It is a marriage of my early training as a painter, with my love of clay.

BH: What can we expect from you in the next couple of years?

Jill Burns: I am always creating new forms and designs, but I have been thinking about doing a pottery subscription of some kind. Maybe a “Cup-of-the-Month”! I also have a small line of porcelain jewelry and accessories and I’d like to expand that as well. I usually post updates on my Facebook page, so check it out. www.facebook.com/Earlybirddesigns

Cody's Creations Year in Review

by Kerrie Beck of Cody's Creations

Every January I sit down and create a goal list, things I want to accomplish, new products to add, new designs. Last year I wanted to add eight new Exclusive Designs to my line, counting up the tally I added 12 (I do count when I offer in different colors as I have to create a new graphic file).

I will be sitting down in the next couple of weeks to write out my goals for 2014, how many Exclusive Designs should I aim for? What are YOUR creative goals for 2014?

Monday Mosaic: Our newest members

We are so pleased to welcome five new members to Boston Handmade. You can see (and buy) some of their work live at a special event at the Boston Handmade pop-up Gallery in Brookline Village on December 21st from 3-7pm (more details here).

1. Florence and the Stars - Original Mixed Media Collage Ready to Hang, by Shannon McDonald

2. Black and Purple Leather Clutch, by Lida Brooke Designs

3. Cotton Handwoven Spaced Scarf - Camelia, Blue Iris, and Black, by Leanne Tremblay

4. Sculpture mobile, by Kim Poler

5. Glimmer Glass Pillow, by Lauren Teller of Trope Pillows

Designing New Yarn

by Diane of Lady Dye Yarns

I am so glad that Fall has finally arrived! I spent the last couple of months restructuring the way that I dye my yarn as I move to grow my business by getting into more yarn stores. I have created ten new dye lots of my yarn and I am happy to share with you a couple of signature yarn creations.

I realize as a longtime knitter and instructor in knitting, that many people who knit, often times want to purchase the same yarn. I have had many knitters over the course of the year contact me to purchase additional yarn that they have purchased from me in the past. This is a huge step in growing my business. I am proud of the colors that I have created. I look forward to sharing more photos of my yarn with you in the upcoming months.

Adele

Lemon n' Lime

Potluck

Starburst

New Member: Anna Koon, Artist

Anna Koon/a2n2 of www.a2n2.net My name is Anna Koon and I am one of the new members of Boston Handmade. It is an honor to be joining you, and I am looking forward to getting to know the other members. In order to begin introductions, I’ve answered a few questions about myself. You can view my work at www.a2n2.net, and www.etsy.com/shop/a2n2koon Q: Tell us a bit about yourself. A: I was born in Boston while my father was finishing his business degree. My first home was the uber-small married housing at Harvard (which the college still uses today). Our little family (Dad, Mom, Me) moved to Dixie after graduation, so I grew up all over the South. I returned to New England for college to attend the Rhode Island School of Design, and during those years I fell in love with the North. After RISD I moved to JP, but only remained for a couple of years before heading South again to be closer to my family. However, I visited friends in Boston often. Through my best friend from RISD, I met my husband. After a year of long-distance courting (He-Somerville. Me-Atlanta.) we got married and moved to JP. We’ve been here for over a decade. I never tire of living here. I love Boston, and I love New England! Q: How long have you been doing your artwork/craft? A: I started creating when I was a baby. In fact my mother took some of my drawings into an elementary school for feedback. The teacher she spoke to said, given the attention to detail (in this case: ears, pupils, and belly buttons) the child who made the art was around 6 years of age. I was two at the time. No one else in my family (Dad, Mom, and three younger siblings) is creative so it was a bit of a challenge to get the support and understanding I needed as a young, angsty artist, but these days family members come to art events when they can. In fact, my Dad and Mom are coming to JP Open Studios this year. Q: Describe your work. What inspires you? A: For the most part my work is mixed media paintings of moments in contemporary, urban life. I am inspired by my life as a female in the city of Boston. I walk everywhere, and when I say everywhere, I mean EVERYWHERE (JP to downtown, to Cambrige, Watertown, Arlington, Waban...), so I find a lot of inspiration during my walks. My schedule is set up to allow me to get to appointments and meetings on foot, so I take in new images and ideas for hours at a time. Q: Apart from creating things, what do you do? A: Are you ready for this? In addition to managing my full-time art career, I am a small business consultant and a creative coach-offering practical assistance and pricipled guidance in both capacities. I develop and teach professional workshops for creative entrepreneurs through the Jamaica Plain Arts Council and the Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston. I also volunteer-my husband and I are spokespeople for the national, non-profit RESOLVE, and we run a ministry through Park Street Church-You Are Not Alone-to support individuals and couples battling infertility. I manage our home, including all the finances. And I’m a writer. My husband says I’m the busiest person he knows!

Spring is in the Air

by Anne-Claire Regan from HibouDesigns

Here are a few pieces that were inspired by the beautiful weather here in Boston.

A whole new batch of "Voodoo Dolls" in bright Spring colors...

Yes even voodoo dolls follow fashion trends :)

Coming soon on Etsy!

A fresh bouquet of plush scissors!

And don't forget to say it with a plush... "You're the Apple of my Eye"

Happy Spring!

Hibou

New 2012 Calendars

by Leah of cricicis design

Next weekend I'll be at the Jamaica Plain Holiday Fair, and the Bazaar Bizarre with two 2012 calendars for sale. One is an 8" x 14" single-sheet, frame-able wall calendar, featuring prints of my fish drawings, and the other is a smaller hanging calendar featuring 12 different bird illustrations. Here's a sneak-peek!

New Items in My Etsy Shop

by Lucie of Lucie Wicker Photography

I have been pretty busy in the past week restocking my Etsy shop in time for the holiday shopping season. I have some new designs that I'm pretty psyched about that I wanted to share here-

New card designs

New coasters!

(I'm still offering my Fenway Park set too)

New pocket notebooks

I will be participating with Boston Handmade at the JP Holiday Fair on December 3; all of these new items will be for sale (along with a few others). Come by and see them in person!

1 Year Later

by Kerrie of Cody's Creations

My vision for Cody’s Creations is to have a collection of exclusive and unique offerings for your pets. After creating several products, like the Pocket Treat and Training Pouch, and the Partner Link, I was determined to be able to offer collars and leashes that you couldn’t find everywhere. I began researching how I could have ribbons and trims made with my designs.

Just about a year ago, I began working my first custom ribbon design. After spending hours and days on the graphic, I could not wait to see my design come to life. Today, I have seven ribbon designs under my belt. And each time I send off my graphic, I get so excited to open the package and see the ribbon. I feel energized and recharged and cannot wait to begin to make collars and leashes with the new ribbon.


Lobsters

Gemstones

Bow Ties

Bow Ties

Devils

Pugs

Squirrels


My goal going into this year is to at least double the amount of ribbon designs that I created this year. I already have a few designs in the works and hope that I can get at least 1 more new design before the end of the year. What would your ultimate collar design be?

Hibou Designs

by Nancy of nancyrosetta

Boston Handmade is pleased to welcome our newest member, Anne-Claire of HibouDesigns!

Just in time for Halloween!

Colorful and collectible hand sewn plush toys. These are so much fun! Welcome Anne-Claire!

Saturday Etsy Finds

by Lucie of Lucie Wicker Photography

Happy Saturday! Here are some of the latest listings on Etsy from members of Boston Handmade-

nancy rosetta

Lady Dye Fiber Arts & Design

Elizabeth Brennick Designs

Stray Notions

Not Without Merit

Designing for Museum Shops

by Jen of Parrish Relics

I was lucky enough to be contacted by the British Museum in London last year to create an exclusive line of jewelry to coincide with their "Italian Renaissance Drawings" Exhibition. It was a dream come true to work for one of my favorite museums visited on a trip a few years back. How they found me is a mystery, so thankful for the exposure and instant access the internet provides.

Early this year they came to me with an even more exciting offer, to work with them on designs for "Treasures of Heaven: Saints, Relics and Devotion in Medieval Europe". Reliquaries and Medieval Stained Glass have been some of my biggest inspirations for many years, so this was quite a thrill for me.

The best part of working on these projects is getting the idea boards from the Museum Shop design department. They send over images of pieces that will be in the collection, their own designs that will adorn mugs and t shirts, before everyone else gets to see them. I look for design elements that call out to me, and make a few samples to show. They then choose what they like from my designs and the fun begins!

This time around, the order was around six times larger than the first. Panic was my initial reaction, then determination as they all have to be handcrafted by me alone and shipped before the deadline of the Exhibition opening! It was about a month of very long days of nonstop work, neglecting all else (sorry to the husband, pets and the gym!). I had nightmares about not completing my mission in time or the order getting lost in the shipping process, but other than a nail biting stay in customs they all got there just in time. Whew!

Cats just aren't much help in the studio!

Shopping for supplies at Wolf E. Myrow ~ a must-see-to-believe shopping experience for anyone who uses glass, filigree, random bits & vintage pieces for their work!

All lined up and ready for shipment!

The hardest part of this experience is not being able to run off to London to see all of these amazing shows! The museum staff has been kind enough to send pictures of my work on display, you can see them and a closer look at the collections here.

Recently Spotted on Etsy

by Lucie of Lucie Wicker Photography

Every once in a while, I like to browse Etsy to see what Boston Handmade members are listing. Here are a few delightful new items I found (to see more, click here)-

Merriweather Council

Fraske Designs

City by the Sea Ceramics

Parrish Relics

cricicis design

New Work

By Danielle of The Merriweather Council

As we all know, my favorite compositions happen in circles and so I've been working on a bunch of new necklaces in circle pendants to add to my collection of oval necklaces.

Circle necklaces will be in my shop soon! Circle and oval pendant necklaces are also en route to a consignment gig in Chicago - look for them at Sacred Art if you are in the area!

Maybe I'm a little early, but I have also started to collect Christmas fabrics for making hoop ornaments and other seasonal decorations for the holidays!

I've added a couple Christmas hoops to my shop already and will be adding more in the coming weeks/months.

Lastly, I've also been brewing up some Halloween decorations in hoops!

I'll have all of this new stuff and more with me at Union Made on Sunday so come visit!