Pine Needle Baskets

Hi Everyone!! My name is Elaine Ussery, and I make pine needle baskets. I first discovered this craft while traveling in Florida, and then I started to see the baskets in other places. The first person that I came upon that was creating these baskets was Jeanne. Jeanne was drying some pine needles on a picnic table, and being the nosy person I am, I had to ask "What are you doing?" Then she told me about the basket making and showed me some of her creations. Wow! I was hooked! She was kind enough to show me the basics, and then I took a few classes on the how to's. I decided to get involved in some of the craft shows, as my hobby got out of control. When I do get into a craft show, I demonstrate how I make them. Most people have not seen them before, and I found out if I didn't demonstrate, they didn't believe that they were made from pine needles! Come see my creations!

Colorful Spanish tees from Los Pollitos Dicen (The Little Chicks Say)

Happy Spring, all. We are preparing for the best Mamamade show ever and we're bringing with us lots of colorful fabulousness such as tank tops, and new baby bibs and hats -- all 100% cotton and made in the USA.

Come shop the new designs and find a sweet sale in the bargain bin.

-- Carrie

Participant -The Creative JAR - Jodi Reeves

Being creative, but especially painting, has been part of my life since childhood. I get the creative gene mostly from my mother’s side. I am a self-taught creator. Though I have always made creative things I did not began creating commissioned paintings until 2003, and did not bring my work to the public in November 2005 at the TN Fair Grounds Flea Market. In the spring of 2006, I began showing with Nashville’s Untitled Artists’ Group. I was invited to be on the board of Untitled in 2007. Also in 2007 I co-created CRAFT - a creative community which I also coordinate. I am involved in other creative groups in Nashville such as Plowhaus Artists' Cooperative, Nashville Craft Mafia and Artsy Mama's. I created my company The Creative JAR but is also involved in many other business ventures such as Par Deux Meres a collaborative project with Kim Smith of White Cottage Design, JAM in a JAR Apparel as the designer, Artsi Moments as the co-owner and creative director of Clint the Black Cat.


I was born and raised in International Falls, MN. It is a remote town in northern Minnesota on the Canadian border. My family moved to my husband's home state of Tennessee in 1994. I have worked in Nashville’s printing industry since 1995 and worked her way up the ranks as an Advertising Account Manager of many nationally known magazines. Besides being heavily involved with the growing art scene in Nashville, I also do freelance graphic arts and design mostly for print production. I reside with my husband and three girls near J. Percy Priest Lake, where they enjoy spending time outdoors, fishing and swimming.









Creating is an important part of my "me" time. It is a way for me to experience a creative life and a tool for maintaining my sanity. Acrylic is my favorite medium on wood or canvas. My favorite tool besides my paintbrush is sandpaper. I like to paint in many styles and have enjoyed experimenting with a wide range of art and craft media. I use a lot of natural elements, found materials and text in my work. My pieces are mostly fun and whimsical, but some of my works have a more serious side. I continue to try new styles and medias, and learn more every day. My current work explores the themes of the roles and emotions of woman, nature and words. A new project of mine is The Land of Neevin which is a story told via softies, they have their own blog.

We're excited to be Mamas!

Limited Edition KnitOwl toys at MamaMade

Alien Monster Doll
handmade baby toys

I will be making some 'limited edition' versions of popular KnitOwl toys to have available at MamaMade. These fun aliens and rabbits in Michael Miller fabrics are part of the Special Editions. There is also one of each type to be available in the online store, with the rest sold at the show or raffled off afterwards in contests on our blog.


Playtime Rabbit
handmade baby toys

Creative Minds Signature Designs

The Creative Minds Signature Designs team is a creative collaboration of artistry and the home life that we so value. We want to enrich our children's lives as well as pursue a business that keeps us close to home. We want to model for our families that life is a series of beautiful creations that with time and effort can be made into anything you can dream. We have a business that doesn’t compromise our priorities but gives us a tremendous outlet to offer something that defines us as more than parents and teachers to our children.

We create fabric art that consists of painted or fabric wrapped custom framework and includes hand cut and hand stitched appliqués as well as ribbon, wood and beaded embellishments. We also have acrylic and mixed media artwork that is equally unique as all of our work is one of a kind. We love to personalize and customize art for individual spaces.

From Tisra: treebranchONE

Linoleum block prints (linocuts) are similar in concept to a stamp, in that they are relief prints. I hand cut my artwork on natural linoleum, which is a thin, carve-able layer of cork and linseed oil with a burlap backing. After the cutting and carving is done, the image is inked with a brayer and transfered to paper. I prefer the old-fashioned method of burnishing with a wooden spoon, and do not use a printing press. This allows me to be more hands on with my work, and results in subtle differences in each print- making them each unique!  For this reason, linocut prints are each considered original art.  All of my linoleum block prints are signed, dated, and numbered.  The numbering allows you to see which print, out of an edition that you have (ex. 1/30).  The smaller the edition, the rarer the piece.  So far, I have kept all of my linoleum block prints in editions of 30 or less, and my most favorite I tend to print even less of, like my "Mother and Child" print (now sold out) that was an edition of only 10.

This linocut, titled "treebranchONE", is a recent carving and will be available for sale at Mamamade Market.

Babybearshop is excited to participate in the Spring Mamamade!

We will be there with our TRULY organic and natural skin care products! Can't wait to see you there.

Three Pine Design- Ashley Griner

My name is Ashley Griner and I am the oldest sister of Three Pine Design. I am a mother of four awesome kids and am blessed to stay home with them. They bring me such joy everyday and keep the Griner family life very busy.

My sisters and I started making baby products late last year and are enjoying the creative as well as the business aspects of it. We started an Etsy shop (www.threepinedesign.etsy.com) and also have sold product to two baby boutiques in the Knoxville, TN area. The Mamamade Market will be our first venue like this and we are really excited about it. Our products include stationary, baby blankets, burp cloths, bibs, hair bows, ribbon bow holders, party hats, etc.

When I have free time, after busy family life and Three Pine Design, I enjoy musical theater, being involved with my church, and spending time with my husband and family.

I am looking forward to sharing our products with the many people we will meet through this Mamamade Market opportunity. I have seen some of the other contributors products and am really impressed! I look forward to meeting you all!

Polka Dot Baby blanket


Pretty Paisley Baby blanket


Ribbon bow hangers


Happy Birthday Party Hat!


Baby bib for the hip baby!

Participant Bio: Samantha Harris

My name is Samantha Harris and I am the youngest of the three sisters in Three Pine Design. I live in Clinton, TN. I grew up in Palmetto, GA in a fun and creative family. I have always had a desire to create! I am a new mother of a baby girl named Kaori! My husband and I are headed to Tokyo, Japan in 11 days to pick her up and bring her home! You will all get to meet her the day of the festival!

My passion is musical theatre, I have a degree in musical theatre and a minor in dance. I love watching it, talking about it, creating it and performing it! My sisters and I decided to start creating baby products at the end of 2007 and we have been successful in selling some of our products to local stores around Knoxville. I will let my sisters tell about their individual products that they have made. I make stationary, head wreaths and paintings. You will see all of the pictured items at the Fair. You can access our etsy site by clicking on the title of my post! (Participant Bio: Samantha Harris) It will take you straight to our products. All of the items posted below are note cards that come in sets of eight. Some are blank and some include messages.

Participant Bio: Marie Lamb

I'm Marie Lamb of KnitOwl toys, and this is Esmerelda MonaLisa. We live in Hollow Rock, Tennessee. Esme is four months old and our greatest work of art. Daddy does computers and networking. I used to be a programmer as well, but now we run a little online electronics shop and I design and make toys. Toys are my way of making art that will be used and loved for years to come.

Besides Esme and her Daddy, my greatest joy is taking an idea and some materials and making it real. Whether it be a small handheld baby toy, or a two foot dragon, I delight in the process of 2D pattern piece to 3D object. Daddy gives Esme lots of extra cuddle-time, picks up materials and sometimes thinks up new types of toys. Esme helps out with the product testing and has really given me insight into what young babies like in a toy. Bright high-contrast colors, chewability and arms and legs that put up with a lot of yanking are very important when working for babies and toddlers!


Esme and her Mousebear
She's really wondering why we're all outside and
Daddy has that camera thing again...

All of my toy patterns are handcrafted originals that I can do up in custom colors and features. I do entirely custom toys for some customers, creating the pattern from their ideas and fabric suggestions. Custom work usually takes a week to two months.

We're really excited about MamaMade! I'm very thankful to be invited and will be happy to meet some other mommies from this area of the country and see what crafts they are bringing!

Click below to see some of our toys (new window)


Come see us at our KnitOwl blog, where Esme will give a lot more smiles ;) We also sell our toys on Etsy at mariemeyer.etsy.com.

Participant Bio: Freshie & Zero

Hi there! My name is "Freshie" (a.k.a. Beth) and I make a line of jewelry called Freshie & Zero. Zero is my Jack Russel Terrier. I am an "honorary" mama.

Freshie

Zero

I was born and raised in Nashville, TN and I am so happy to still be living in this area! I have been making jewelry full time now for two years. I strive to create pieces that are pretty, modern, and classic by using simple geometric shapes. Each piece is handcrafted using a hammer and sterling silver or gold-filled wire and the end result is a mix of delicate sophistication and irregular organic beauty. Occasionally I add touches of semi-precious gemstones or pearls, and have recently added elements of delicate and edgy wire wrapping. Prices range from $18 earrings to $112 lariats, but the average price is around $40-$60.

All of the above & more will be at the Mamamade show! Please visit my website or my blog to learn more about my jewelry & my crafty life!

xoxo,
Freshie

Participant Bio: Tisra Fadely

I have been married for nearly ten years now, and am Mommy to three children: Grant (7 1/2), Dean (5), and Lael (3). We are currently a year into the process of adopting our fourth child and should be matched with an infant girl from Taiwan in the coming months.

So, these are obviously some pretty busy years for me- but they are also some of the most creative years I've ever lived!

I was raised in Southern California and had a super-artistic mother. She did pottery, jewelry, leather working, painting, stained glass, drawing, and glass blowing. Was there any choice but for at least a little of that to rub off on me?! :-) (Incidentally, my dad can play the saxophone by ear, and is a great gardener but I got none of that!) As a young child, I drew constantly and played with craft stuff all the time. Academics took over as I hit middle school and high school and I spent less and less time feeding the creative side within me.

But, a funny thing happened when I started staying home to raise my own children- that creative spirit wiggled it's way out again. I thank God often that He allowed me to rediscover that part of myself. I am forever changed.

Just like my mother, I'm a "dabbler". A little of this. A little of that. I work in linoleum block print, knitting, sewing, painting, and drawing. At this season's Mamamade Market, I will have available framed and unframed art, artistic photography, and blank art cards. My Etsy shop is here.

Official Invite

Announcement!

I will be out of office from March 1- March 12.  If your Mamamade participant application is postmarked by March 1st, you should hear about your acceptance by March 13th.  Sorry for the lag, but my personal schedule will have me putting mail on hold for a short time, and then catching up on the processing.  If more applicants come in than the number of booths, I will give preference to existing Mamas (those who have participated in past Mamamade Markets), followed by those with the earlier postmark.

All that said, if I get your application in this week or next, I'll be able to let you know immediately.

Thanks for your understanding,

Tisra Fadely

Spring 2008 Mamamade Market organizer

Mamamade Market 2008 - Event Details!

For the first time, we are having a SPRING Mamamade Market and we would love to see you there!  The weather will be gorgeous, and the event will be outdoors under a covered canopy at an amazing location, Lillie Belle's teahouse in Franklin, TN.  Each show just gets better and better!  We have new participants in addition to the wonderful Mamas who have had booths in the past.  Lots of inspiring talent and plenty of wonderful goods to purchase for yourself, your children, and your favorite people: jewelry, artwork, handbags, baskets, clothing, stationery, baby and children's accessories, bath and body products, and things for the home.  You might even find a mom-made gift for your Mom, as Mother's Day is coming soon!

And, don't forget to bring the whole family!  The city of Franklin will be having their Franklin Main Street Festival the very same day, just one block over. The town will be bustling with music, activities, food, and other vendors.  In fact, our very own Lillie Belle's will be serving up some amazing BBQ and other goodies that day, too!

We look forward to seeing you, and thank you for supporting the handmade products of local Mamas!

DATE: April 26, 2008

TIME: 9am-2pm

LOCATION: Lillie Belle's Tea House - Franklin

Call for Participation, Spring 2008 Mamamade Market

************Edited 03/14/2008- all of the participant spots are full, thank you for your interest!***********

Mamamade, a collective of artist mothers and honorary mamas, is looking for artists to participate in our third show April 26.

If you are a creative crafter looking to sell your products, expand your business, and have fun, we want to hear from you.

Mamamade values innovative design, handmade and high quality made by mothers. We’re looking for all kinds of art, from canvas to jewelry to clothing to paper and for all kinds of people, young and young-at-heart.

Our fourth annual show will be held Saturday April 26 in the covered back garden and courtyard at Lillie Belle’s tea house in Franklin (pictured above). The date coincides with the annual Franklin Main Street Festival, which draws 50,000- 100,000 people.

To be considered for participation please send contact information, product photos, product description and a personal Web page link -- if you have one -- to tisra AT fadely DOT net (remove spaces and convert capitalized words to their appropriate symbols). Prospective vendors are selected by a Mamamade committee. Once accepted, you will receive an application form and a more detailed event informations sheet. There is a small booth fee to participate. $60, if applications are postmarked before March 1, 2008. $75, if postmarked after.

We look forward to hearing from you,

The Mamas

Stay Tuned!

Plans are being made for the first ever SPRING Mamamade Market.  Tentative date is April 26, 2008 and will be firmed up this week, along with location.  If you are interested in participating as a Mama, leave a comment with your e-mail address and we'll make sure you get the appropriate details.  If you're planning on attending, you'll want to save the date!

Photos from the event: