News & Events
Spring Time Is Festival Time at the Marketplace
April 25, 2009
Hooray for Mom!
Mothers are very special people. On the second Sunday in May, it will be the 102nd anniversary of Mother's Day. In a report I read recently, it stated that 96% of us in the U.S. celebrate Mother's Day. Mother's Day is the day phone companies log the most long distance calls, it is the busiest day of the year for many restaurants and retailers rank Mother's Day second only to Christmas.
If you are a statistics junkie, like me, here are some numbers that I found really interesting. In the U.S. there are an estimated 82.8 MILLION mothers, of mothers with infants, 27 million (almost 3/4) work outside of the home. The odds of a woman delivering twins are 1 in 33 and for triplets or other multiple births, 1 in 539. The woman from California who gave birth to octuplets earlier this year should be living in Vegas.
My mom is great. I'm lucky. She lives in the area and I get to see her often.
Remember Sunday, May 10th. Give your mom a call, take her to lunch and if you want to send her a gift especially created with her in mind, we would be happy to design one for you. We also have a great line of gift basket designs that are perfect for Mother's Day . We deliver locally and ship anywhere.
Happy Mother's Day Mom!
Spring Arts & Crafts Festival
Come and join us at the 6th Annual Spring Arts & Crafts Festival at the Marketplace at Eastworks. Laurel Mountain Basket Company is proud to be organizing and sponsoring the event this year. We have an incredible line up of local talent! Some of your old favorites will be back but as our reputation has grown within the craft community, so has the number of applications from the many talented artisans from around the region. Here is a list of who you will find at the Marketplace on May 9th.
Nita Brown of Country Accents by NJB - Easthampton. Nita closed her studio in Eastworks in December but is still creating her unique style of home decor. Stop by and catch up with Nita and see her new spring line. www.countryaccentsbynjb.com
Erin Beaudet of Oui Bags - Conway. Erin designs her handbags in styles and fabrics to suit the sass in everyone. www.ouibags.com
Lori Scott of BeautiControl, Inc. - Florence. Lori does FREE in home spas for women and their guests. These spas consist of facials, hand and foot treatments and relaxation. What a great Mother's Day gift idea! www.beautipage.com/spas4relaxation
Noreen Lucey of HerBiblio -Eastworks, Easthampton. Noreen is an artist of mixed media collages. A really beautiful art form.
Donna Mae Campbell of Silver Linings - Easthampton. Donna Mae is one of our returning favorites. A piece of her hand made jewelry is the perfect gift for Mother's Day, graduation or as a bridesmaid gift.
Bruce Campbell of Little Sugar Shack - Easthampton. Maple products fresh from his own back yard! If you are planning on giving a gift of Bruce's maple sugar or maple coated nuts, be sure to buy extra because one package will never make it home!
Dawn Forde of Sley the Dent - West Boylston is another of our returning favorites. Dawn's handwoven guitar straps, totes, scarves, shawls and other items make wonderful gifts for any occasion. www.sleythedent.com
Elizabeth Drozdal of Liz's Links - Easthampton. Liz is a new kid on our block but after you see her interesting and unique chainmail jewelry you will know why she is one of our up and coming stars.
M.Kwan Chan-House of Waste Not Saks / Blossom Merchantile Company - Granby. Another brilliant new talent we are happy to have join us. For new moms Blossom Toys are delightful hand sewen crafts appropriate for infants to preschoolers. You will also find reusable, fabric sandwich/snack bags, deli wraps, and coffee cup sleeves made with a modern flair that are great for all ages. www.wastenotsaks.com
Carol Ostberg artist - Eastworks. If you don't know Carol's work, shame on you! Carol creates some of the most uniquely beautiful painted furniture, painted and multimedia pieces, cards and ornaments anywhere in the reagion. Like most Eastworks artists, her studio is not open to the general public so shows like this one are a rare opportunity to see her delightful (and reasonably priced) work.
Constance Baugh of Out of the Earth Pottery - Goshen. Constance is another of our new artisans. I've always admired the skill of the potter and Constance's line of functional stoneware pottery for home and garden is high fired, lead free and microwave safe.
Christophe Brunski of Bane Apparel - Northampton. Christophe's line of screened t-shirts and photographs make a truely unique gift. www.baneapparel.com
Lou Leelyn of Lou's Upcycles - Greenfield. Lou's love for planet earth is most evident in her choice of art form. Lou's Upcycles creates fashions or "transhion" accessories from plastics that can not be recycled. Her wallets, purses, messenger bags and more are made from 99.99% recycled material and are 100% awesome! www.lousupcycles.etsy.com
Patricia Teres of Rheesiquills - Easthampton. Quilling is the art form that involves the use of strips of paper that are rolled, shaped, and glued together to create decorative designs. Pat has a wonderful collection of beautiful one of a kind quilled pieces that make excellent gifts for all occasions.
Brenda Wilkinson of Tranquil Treasures - Easthampton. Brenda's line of handmade eye pillows, heating pads, soaps, oils and more have the single purpose of helping us to relax. Great gift ideas for the stressed out person in your life. www.tranquiltreasures.com
Terry Spier of Magical Beadstalk - Easthampton. There are beaders and then there's Terry. Her handcrafted beaded jewelry incorporates semi precious gemstones, freshwater pearls, sterling silver and other "unique findings" from all over the world. Terry's jewelry is designed to be enjoyed and worn for years. www.magicalbeadstalk.com
Jennifer Tibbetts of Artik Design - Greenfield. Jennifer grows and presses her own plants to create breath-taking botanical prints. She hand scans the design and prints them on acid free paper using archival inks so they can be enjoyed for generations to come. Simple elegance.
Linda DiMartins - Polish Pottery - Easthampton. We enthusiastically welcome Linda back. An Eastworks Festival would not be complete without Linda and her Polish Pottery. Join the list of collectors who look forward to seeing the new pieces that are available. Polish Pottery is a beautiful and practical gift.
Sharon VanKruiningen of Bailey's Bakery - South Hadley. Sharon is chief baker at Bailey's Bakery. Her specialty is homemade dog biscuits! In addition to the dog treats, Sharon makes dog scarves and cards. I've already talked to Sharon about supplying Laurel Mountain Basket Company with homemade dog biscuits to sell in the Studio year round.
Tom Regnier of Sustainable Designs - Hampden. Tom creates candle cradles, which are wood framed, glass sided holders designed for use with jar candles. A beautifully hand crafted gift idea.
Linda Gordon of The Twisted Cow -Rutland, MA. Linda's gifts are as whimsical as her company name. Hair bows, lunch sacks, java jackets, pendants, an assortment of wonderfully interesting little gifts for all of the women in your life. www.pinque.etsy.com
Ed "Boots" Flebotte of Photos By Boots - Agawam. Ed calls himself an "amateur" but his work has been published in the Springfield Republican and Lasting Illusions. His portfolio consists of scenery photos from several national parks, local landmarks and parks. Ed also loves photographing flowers. He often finds his inspiration in his own back yard.
Join these artists and crafters as well as me and Jerelyn of Toddles Boutique on Saturday, May 9th from 10 until 4. for a day of fun and shopping. Be sure to stop by Your Way Gourmet for a snack or lunch. Free admission, lots of free parking.
Dates to Remember May 2009
- 1st Mother Goose Day
- 2nd Kentucky Derby
- 3rd Motorcycle Mass & the Blessing of the Bikes Day
- 5th Cinco de Mayo
- 6th Nurses Day
- 8th Military Spouse Appreciation Day
- 9th Spring Arts & Crafts Festival at Eastworks
- 10th Mother's Day
- 13th Bearfest in Easthampton MA
- 25th Cookie Monster's Birthday
- 30th Memorial Day
