Meet our Makers
--------- FEATURED ARTIST: John McQuade Photography ---------
John's appreciation for natural beauty is evident in his photography. The most simple things are transformed into images that can take viewers to another place. He can bring us to a southern plantation in the mid-1800s just as easily as he can to the extraordinary plush mountain range in another country. We are there with him, enjoying the moment as if our own.
Over the years, John has photographed areas all over the United States and has ventured into Canada, Ireland, Italy, and Iceland. His travels always bring him back home to North Carolina where he has great enthusiasm for photographing along our coast and in our mountains. John continues to master various techniques; moving from developing black and white photographs in the darkroom to creating digital images on the computer. The gallery for John McQuade Photography is located within Small Batch where you'll be delighted to find a collection of images as well as stationery and encaustic photo journals in a variety of sizes.
--------- Blackwater Bitters ---------
Blackwater Bitters was born due to the lofty idea of providing friends and family with homemade coffee bitters over the Christmas Holidays. When the founders discovered/affirmed their love for mixing flavors, they decided to trek onward with a small scale production of bitters. From there, they’ve been working diligently to create both practical and unique blends to elevate your cocktail and culinary experiences. They couldn’t be happier about serving local and surrounding communities with small batch, handcrafted bitters.
--------- BLOCKED by Brenna ----------
Based in Scarborough, ME, Brenna helped start a fabric line created from antique block prints and fell in love with every pattern and print. She found herself wanting to create a business where she could feature her own block prints. Brenna uses organic cotton fabric for the outer shell of her bags and a durable, quality re-purposed fabric for the lining.
---------- Clay and Compass ----------
Clay and Compass creates elegant, simple, functional ceramics to be used in everyday life. Each piece is carefully handcrafted using the slab building technique and no two are exactly the same. The clay is often left exposed and unglazed in Kathleen's work. Feeling the raw earth under your fingers allows her a connection to the origins of the piece - dirt pulled from the ground and molded, as has been done for millenia.
---------- Four Birds Beauty ----------
Erica has been making bath and body products for nearly 15 years. She enjoys knowing her ingredients as well as the hands-on process of creating new products and testing new formulas. Her other passion is art, which is illustrated on the labels and tags used on her products. With the carefully formulated recipes and beautiful, hand designed labels, Erica's products make unique and thoughtful gifts.
---------- Fulton & Roark ----------
Born out of Winston-Salem, NC, Fulton & Roark began in 2013 with a series of a solid, super-concentrated wax-based colognes. Featuring a variety of scents, each comes in a refillable metal container that fits in pant pockets. It’s also great for traveling since there’s no need to worry about spills. The company also offers other personal care items, including bar soap, shave cream, shaving kits, dopp kits, and more.
---------- Gretchen Quinn Pottery ----------
Gretchen makes functional ceramics that are a reflection of her love for simple luxuries. By combining hand-carved patterns with clean, modern shapes, she craft wares that are a pleasure to both use and admire.
---------- Jolynn Hook ----------
Jolynn Hook first became interested in creating pottery while taking art classes in high school. After being away from it for about twenty years, she had the opportunity to return to her craft and is thoroughly enjoying it. “To see what I can make is so exciting. I love the challenge of throwing new things. It is a great joy to be able to create things that are both beautiful and useful.” Jolynn’s honey pots are a perfect example of the union of form and function.
---------- June and December ----------
Husband and wife team in Detroit, Michigan, Nick and Katie Forte, founded June & December with an adventurous spirit and the idea that the most memorable gifts have a meaningful story to tell. Katie’s amazing artwork celebrates and explores the natural wonder found all around us. The company focuses not just great design, but great products: Their texture, their weight, the feel of quality-made paper and fabrics. The company also uses locally sources materials made in the USA.
---------- Kei & Molly ----------
Founded as a printing studio dedicated to creating artisan-quality, hand-printed fabric goods -- all with the goal of creating good jobs for immigrant and refugee women in our community. Kei & Molly hopes to help re-vitalize Albuquerque's International District. All of their silkscreens are pulled by hand on a 15 yard-long table. They mix all of their inks by hand and images start as paper-cuts before we even turn on the computer.
---------- Lemon Sweet Jewelry ----------
Leslie Matheney, based in Vancouver, WA, designs modern, simple, and gorgeous jewelry. She designed her bangles featuring a real lava rock bead wire wrapped with a small brass hex bead and prism rhinestone bead for an unexpected and modern look. Rub a favorite essential oil on the lava bead—it will be absorbed and provide a subtle aromatic experience for several days. Just re-apply oil as needed.
---------- Lithology ----------
Dawn Atkin learned silver work and lapidary from her Grandpa when she was in high school. She received a BFA from the University of Utah with an emphasis in painting and metal sculpture, but did not do clay in college. She took a community education pottery class and has been selling pottery and fused glass at various galleries since 2006. She enjoys experimenting with new ideas, and her current obsession is with crystalline glazes, resulting in mesmerizing swirls of color.
---------- Little City Designs ----------
Little City Designs is a creative print studio in Ventura, California. Imagined and wielded by a husband and wife team of artists, all Little City's original designs are inspired by the beauty of their little Southern California beach town. Each and every treasure that comes out of the studio is hand printed by Mia and Ian — from the flour sack tea towels, to the linen table runners, the organic market totes to the recycled California sweatshirts. Working with an earth conscious process, Little City Designs carefully chooses the materials they print on and the water-based inks that bring their distinctive creations to life.
---------- m.bueno ----------
For almost two decades, Mariella Luz, the 'm' of m.bueno, worked behind the scenes in the music industry. She worked for a record label and ran an all ages venue. In 2014, when the music venue closed its doors, she took a ceramics class, and a year later, sold some of her first work. Needless to say, she was hooked. Based in a small town in Washington State, m.bueno attempts to create work that is beautiful, functional and affordable; items that can be used every day and are simple enough to mix in with things you already own.
---------- MISSIVE Letterpress & Design ----------
This San Francisco Bay area studio was founded by designer Lisa Willis in 2008 with a mission to bring stylish correspondence to mailboxes everywhere. Her offerings have expanded to include greeting cards, social stationery, announcements, and more. Each piece is hand-printed on vintage presses, using luxurious cotton and recycled content papers. This collection of charming cards and social stationery is will delight both the writer and the recipient.
---------- Naked Goat Soap Co. ----------
Naked Goat Soap Co. is a direct reflection of our family's passion to produce fresh farm products. We feel that soap so pure should not be set on display but should be used to nourish your skin and feed your soul. Our ingredients have been researched, selected and assembled in a way that is simple and straightforward. By keeping things honest and uncomplicated, we have been able to create an amazing line that has time and time again proven that nature is the answer.
--------- Olive & Loom ---------
Olive & Loom. Soul-made, simple, traditional, functional products. We started this journey in 2016 inspired by the wonderful Turkish Baths / Hamam rooted in the rich history of the Ottoman Empire. Our hand-loomed peshtemal towels are made from 100% Turkish cotton, enriched by bright sunny skies and warm Mediterranean breezes. We accompany our towels with rich Olive Oil soap bars: natural, moisturizing & soothing, and infused with wonderful fragrances.
---------- Prodigal Pottery ----------
Prodigal Pottery started from the dream to create jobs for women fleeing homelessness and domestic abuse in a safe and therapeutic environment. Kings Home is home and safe haven to over 50 women who are seeking hope and restoration from pasts riddled with abuse and homelessness. When King's Home was donated an industrial kiln and pottery supplies, the dream to create jobs for the women of Kings Home in a safe and therapeutic environment became a reality. Since Prodigal Pottery started, the women, many who are working on their GEDs, grow in their basic job skills. As they have learned how to roll clay, “love” any imperfections, paint, tag and inventory pottery, they are also creatively solving problems and developing relationships in the workplace.
---------- PurePalette ----------
Usa Leckenby, the woman behind PurePalette, hails from Thailand, but gathered design experience after college at a furniture and rug company in Southern California. She was inspired to start her own business after moving to Woodbridge, Virginia and now creates her own scents and crafts hand-poured soy candles. In addition to candles, she produces a wide variety of natural products, including massage and body oils, room sprays, reed diffusers, lip balms, and more.
--------- Root & Branch Paper Co. ---------
Root & Branch Paper Co. makes paper goods for nature-lovers and gift-givers: people who are passionate about caring for the earth and loving others well. Their products are hand-illustrated and made in small batches with the goal to deepen relationships, grow imaginations, and cultivate beauty in the everyday. Their name comes from an English idiom, root and branch, which means thorough and complete. They chose this name to reflect their purpose: to create beautiful, meaningful products that cultivate wholeness and togetherness.
---------- RACHELelise ----------
Rachel Aughtry founded RACHELelise in 2008 while earning her BFA in Fiber Art at the University of North Texas and made it her full-time job in 2011. Her husband Bo joined in on the fun in 2016 and together they design, print, and stitch unique, durable bags, totes, wallets, wristlets, and more at a studio in Hendersonville, North Carolina.
---------- Route 4 Glass ----------
Lada Bohac is an artisan glassblower who was trained in the Czech Republic. From the age of 14, Lada started to learn the craft. He then continued his study and work at Crystalex in Novy Bor, a renowned company for glass art and design. In 1995, he was approached by Simon Pierce Glass Company and offered the opportunity to move to Vermont as its glassblower. After 10 years working for Simon Pierce, Lada decided to build & open his own glassblowing studio. Located in Windsor, VT, the studio specializes in colored glass in a variety of styles and shapes.
---------- Ruby Press ----------
Ruby Press started when Ruby Shadburne decided to shuck off corporate servitude and put her design education and experience to more exciting use. When a couple of presses mysteriously came her way, Ruby remodeled her garage into a print shop and began letterpress printing day and night. Sustainability is a top priority - Ruby Press uses tree free and recycled papers, low VOC cleaners and soy based-ink.
