Our Little 'Country Living Fair' in MA

This weekend was The Country Living Fair in Rheinbeck, NY. I so wanted to go, but due to family commitments it was not to be. BUT (lucky me!!) I was able to participate in a great local market called The Cabinet of Curiosities in Berlin, MA. It took place in the barn, outbuilding, front porch and tents of Counting Sheep Antiques. The owner, Sally Barker, has a great year round antique shop there, where she is also the local Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Stockist.

 She and two others, Keri Bacon-Seery and Sharon Mattos-Lund had great vision to do this mini-Country Living style show. They added more sales space to the barn by expanding into the back room. Here are some before pictures of my space...as I said, they had vision!

My inspiration for my space was this spring display at my local West Elm. I love the rustic wood and all the greenery...

 

Here's my display space after the walls were built and I finished setting up...

Here's a small selection of the other creative vendors...

 

 

 And there is a brick oven food truck as well as a cupcake station. There was a photo booth on the first day, and Matthew Mead was there Saturday for a book signing of his latest book.

I know, right!! A mini-Country Living Fair. Last day is today! Check it out at 79 Central Street, Berlin, MA. Open 10-6.

The Cabinet of Curiosities!

The market starts today!

 Here are some pics of my space and a few of the others.

Stop by Friday, Saturday or Sunday 10am-6pm

at 79 Central Street, Berlin, MA

 

 

Hope you can make it!

For more info go to the

 Cabinet of Curiosities Facebook page click here.

~Kris

The Week Recap-My Cup Runnith Over

What a week!

Work was busy-getting ready for The Cabinet Of Curiosities Market, which is this up coming weekend. There was a lot of furniture prep, pricing, and the first delivery trip to the space. I am lucky that I am inside in the barn (in the back-come find me!) and can start bringing merchandise over prior to this week. This week will be the 'big move' and set up-love that part! I am also taking a 3 week on-line course with Jeanne Oliver called Building a Creatively Made Business 2.0-it's great! Check it out if you have time-it's full of useful information for working in the craft industry.

Family life was busy-it started on Memorial Day with a parade that my husband and son marched in, then we hosted a BBQ, complete with a competitive round of wiffle ball.

 Tuesday morning, we put our son on a bus with 140 of his classmates for the annual 8th grade trip to Washington, DC. They had a phenomenal week in our nations capital.

 While he was off on his adventure, my attention was turned to our daughter who was getting ready to go to the prom. Our son returned home late Friday night with 800 (!!) pictures to share and stories galore.

Saturday night, my husband and I saw our little girl turn into a beautiful young lady filled with class.

(photos by Jack Vogelsang)

 I am so proud of them both! And I am so happy to realize that my life is so full that it's overflowing. Husband, kids, family, friends, work that I love...I am happy.

 I hope that you have found joy in all that you do too!

Kris

A day of work-YAY!

Sorry I haven't blogged in a bit, I have been very busy with getting ready for The Cabinet Of Curiosities Market June 6/7/8, Berlin, MA (click here), maintaining my space at The Spaulding Cooeprage (click here), end of school year activities, family, friends, and, well, just life. You know how that goes if you work from home. You 'juggle many things at once', 'wear many hats', just simply 'multi-task'. I'm trying to squeeze it all in. Today is my 'work' day-and I LOVE my job. When I can have a day to just stay focused on my projects, wear one hat all day, I'm a happy girl!

Here's what's on my list for today...

 

 Sort, wash, fix, paint, tag etc. my loot from the weekend flea market.

Come up with the plan for each piece.

Does it need to be painted, or wood shelves added to it? Any repairs needed?

Start washing, sanding, painting, waxing multiple pieces at once.

Soak and line dry vintage cotton christening gowns, slips and petticoats. (ok, if you follow me on Facebook, you know I did this last week, but I love the pictures and just had to share them.)

Also, put a final coat of paint on the wall in my barn studio. I can not wait to be working in there!!

Gotta run and get back to work before the kids come home...

hope you have found work that you love to do!

~Kris

The Love for a Mother by Her Son

Last weekend, as I was unpacking and cleaning my treasures from the flea market, I came across this letter. I love to find old love letters, they're always so romantic, and with today's technology, it's a dying art. This one though, is actually a eulogy, from a son to his mother. There was no date or names published on it, but it is typed on a typewriter, so you know it's pre-1984, and yet, it's timeless. Please take a moment to read it.

May we all have, or strive to be, a Mom like this!

Happy Mother's Day! (Especially to my own Mom! XO)

~ Kris

The R.E.A.L. Town Markeplace Part 3

Let me introduce you to my latest artist under The R.E.A.L. Town Marketplace line...some of you may already know her, it's my great friend Michelle Cooke of Birch Paper and Home (formerly Brookline Street Studio). This woman is a plethora of ideas and inspiration. She has been my motivator, mentor and conspirator in this exciting thing that we love to call 'work'.

(Michelle's photo from her set up at The Vintage Bazaar last fall)

Not only does Michelle repurpose furniture with a slight, or not-so-slight, industrial edge, she has a love for paper....and books, lots and lots of vintage and antique books! She quotes herself on her blog, as having 'a passion for rescuing old treasures and giving them new purpose. As a collector of old books, I love to use vintage illustrations in my creations, whether they be handbound books or pieces of furniture.'

This is so true!

We had a joint venture for a year called BarnLoft, and we loved the concept of this shop and working together, but it wasn't the right location nor the right time. But it was fun, we learned a lot, and we met some great people!

Michelle is passionate about using and encouraging others to use recycled and responsibly made products in their art and in their life. She wants us to think about where your products come from and make informed choices that are better for the environment and each other.

I'll be carrying a selection of her Vintage Inspired Flash Cards and her Swallow Bird Banner.

 

 

 

All the 9 1/4 x 3 1/2" folded cards come with an envelope ready to be mailed.

The Barn Swallow Banner is a kit containing 12 vintage sheet music die cuts of a swallow in flight, 12 mini clothespins and 2 yards of jute twine. Doesn't this just say 'spring'??

You'll be able to find these at The Spaulding Cooperage starting this weekend,

and they'll be available at The Cabinet Of Curiosities Market 

June 6, 7, and 8th in Berlin, MA.

~Kris