Out of My Studio: Gifted Hudson Valley

Beautiful Pottery by Hesters Studio

In the small town of Red Hook, just a few miles from Rhinebeck a holiday pop up shop has opened its doors to customers. Featuring wonderful handmade items from 7 of the Makers on Hudson team this is a one stop shop for any discerning customer.

Situated in the Red Hook Community Arts Network or RHCAN gallery space in the heart of Red Hook artists and designers have collaborated to  bring you a wonderful diverse selection of pottery, jewelry, apparel, holiday decorations and more.



Gifted HV is located at the RHCAN Gallery Space located at 7516 N Broadway, Red Hook

Gifted Hudson Valley is the brain child or Amber Haqu of Amberhlynn. She wanted to create a space for local artisans to share their incredible creations. She is manning the space and is looking forward to welcoming you, as she says:

"Not only will these gifts make you and your friends happy, but your purchase will also help out your neighbors"


Amber of Amberhlynn at Gifted Hudson Valley

Gifted Hudson Valley features Makers-on-Hudson team members:

Cards by Cynla

Pottery by Hesters Studio

Jewelry and Scarves by Amberhlynn

 Jewelry by Digilio Designs

Pouches and Purses by H&J Star Creations

Holiday Decor and Kids stuff by So Handmade

Luxury knits by Huzzah Handmade

and also art work by Jenevieve at Herbaceutikals, 
Daniel Evans and Holly McCabe



Small coin purses by H & J Star Creations

Scarves, shawls, and more knitted goods by Huzzah! Handmade

Ornaments from Digilio Designs

Jewelry by Amberhlynn

Gifted Hudson Valley will be open from now until Christmas Eve at these times:

Wed/ Thurs 11-5pm

Fri/ Sat 11-6pm

Sundays 12-4pm

and is located at RHCAN Gallery Space - 7516 N Broadway, Red Hook



Holiday décor and kids stocking stuffers by So Handmade

Happy Holidays!

Sarah

So Handmade

Where To Find Hudson Valley Etsy This Weekend

Shop Local, Shop Small, Enjoy!

 

Owl Soft Sculpture, by digiliodesigns

 This weekend ushers in the "official" holiday shopping season. Saturday has become known as "Small Business Saturday," and the movement has really taken off. So, if you'd rather not get "malled," then Hudson Valley Etsy has many alternatives to that "black" experience. We are all over this weekend and these events are just the thing to lift your spirits with an amazing array of handmade, locally sourced holiday gifts.

Sue, of  Digiliodesigns  will be at the 44 Annual Dutchess Community College Holiday Craft Fair on Saturday and Sunday. Sue is inspired by the beauty of the natural world when creating her prints, paper goods and original art. While you're there stop by to meet Kathryn, from HuzzahHandmade to discover some of her luxury hand knits and Nuno felted accessories for special people on your holiday list.

 

Bulky, Cabled Alpaca Cowl by HuzzahHandmade

 

Sue, Kathryn and Hester, from Hesters Studio  are also participating in Gifted, Hudson Valley, a sweet, little Pop-Up Shop right on the main street in Red Hook, N.Y., that opens this weekend and continues through Christmas. 

Also, if you are in the vicinity of Garrison, N.Y. you will also find a selection of Sue's items at The Desmond Fish Library Holiday Boutique

 

Oval Bird Ornament by Hester's Studio

 

Up in the city of Hudson, N.Y. at the Basilica Farm and Flea, Christina, from Hudson Naturals returns to this unique venue with her all-natural body products for both women and men.  

 

Rosemary Mint Soap by Hudson Naturals

For something a bit different, visit Erin, from Harp and Thistle at the On Trend Holiday Market  in Hadley, MA on Saturday. Erin's beautiful punch needle embroidery will charm anyone on your shopping list.

 

Black Capped Chickadee Punch Needle Embroidery by Harp and Thistle

 

And finally, Hudson Valley Etsy wishes you a very Happy Thanksgiving, and a joyous holiday season. We thank all of you for continuing to support handmade products and the artisans who live and work in your communities. Cheers!

 

Finding Artistic Inspiration in the Hudson Valley

In northern Dutchess county there are several locations that offer breathtaking scenery. To find serenity, solitude, and artistic inspiration, here are a few suggestions;

  1. Poets Walk, River Road, Red Hook, NY

    This park has 2 miles of trails through the woods and meadows, and offers scenic views of the 

    Hudson River. Along the trails you will find rustic cedar pavilions, footbridges, and benches.

    Bring a camera, a sketch pad, or paints, to capture the beautiful scenery. 

2. Mills Mansion, Staatsburgh, NY

    

A Greek revival mansion sits on the top of a grassy hill offering stunning views of the Hudson River. Tours of the mansion are only available through November. The miles of trails are open year round. You can choose to walk along trails in the woods, or a narrow trail that winds along the Hudson. Both trails provide views of the river, and you can find much inspiration.

3. Vanderbilt Mansion, Rt. 9, Hyde Park, NY

The mansion is surrounded by 200 preserved acres from the original mansion. There is an     extensive rose garden which is magnificent in season. There are wooden trails, and a paved road that leads right to the Hudson River. There are benches, where you can sit, ponder, dream, and gain inspiration.

There is inspiration to be found in any season, here in northern Dutchess county.

The Quest for Materials

There are many reasons to love summer; warmth, flowers, swimming, fireflies, grilling, gardening, and spending time outdoors.  One activity that I look forward to every summer is going to yard sales.

On the Saturday mornings that we have no plans, my husband and I have a ritual. We search through Craigslist for local yard sales. We usually don’t have to travel too far and rarely come home empty handed. Often, we meet interesting people in our town.

Today, we went to a barn sale, which was actually a garage and driveway sale,  and a flea market that was held on the grounds of a local church, and included multiple vendors who were selling vintage items. While my husband ran an errand,  I  was able to visit my favorite place for gathering supplies; Hoffman’s Barn in Red Hook, NY, which sells used vintage furniture and housewares.

At garage sales, my husband usually searches for computer parts, gardening tools, and musical instruments, while I search for materials to use in my mosaic pieces. I look for items that have a wooden base, china dishes, bottles, boxes, silver plated dishes, old photos, and vintage books.

Today, we both got lucky. I came home with a vintage wooden framed mirror, a wooden bread tray with handles, 2 vintage bottles, 4 flowered china teacups, a silver plated plate, and an aluminum bowl. My husband came home with a computer to refurbish, a mechanical drum set, and after having a conversation with a garage sale seller, he was offered one a free ticket to the Clearwater Festival for tomorrow!

Jenny - Reclaimed Designs

The Hudson Valley: Crawling with Yarn

Notes From the Road

by Kathryn Hunter Luciana

Front window of The Perfect Blend Yarn & Tea Shop, Saugerties, N.Y.

  Though it was officially Spring, March was going out like a lion; cold, wet and bleak, but for the avid fiber fool and her intrepid companion that was no deterrent to the quest. The Spring Yarn Crawl was in full swing. For those unfamiliar with a Yarn Crawl, let me enlighten you. You've heard of Pub Crawls and Wine Trails, well yarn crawls are pretty much the same thing. You follow a map throughout the region leading to designated stops along the way where you can indulge in various "varietals" of fiber. Shops, mills and farms sign up to participate. They open their establishments to the public, sometimes offering special deals to the "crawlers:" goodies, samples, and a peek into how their products are made.
   The farms are of particular interest to me, because I love to learn about the animals from which the fibers originate. Many farms are not open to the public, so "crawling" offers a great opportunity to see them. This year I set out to visit two farms first, but unfortunately I read my map wrong and arrived at one farm too early, and the second on the list was not open. Dejected, I told my companion not to worry, that we would soon turn our luck around, and finally in Red Hook, we did.
   As the drizzle increased, we pulled into Hudson Valley Sheep and Wool Company and opened the door to a warm and friendly greeting. This shop is also on a farm. Mary, the owner, explained that she raises Icelandic sheep, most likely brought to that country by the Vikings, and Shetland Sheep from the Shetland Islands north of Scotland. They process the fiber into yarn right there. You can't get more local than that! I was given a short tour of the processing room by Mickey and was particularly keen on the large felting table.  After experiencing the process of wet felting by hand the previous weekend, renting this table for a project seemed particularly appealing to me. I purchased skeins of Shetland/Icelandic Lopi blend yarn for felting and some scrumptious merino/silk blend for a soft next-to-the-skin something.

Raw fiber drying on the screen

Felting table

The spinning machine drafts and twists the fiber roving to produce yarn

   Sunday dawned not much better weather-wise, and it was tempting to stay home, but the Call of the Crawl was strong, and we ventured out again. This time we had our sights set on an interesting sounding shop in Saugerties called The Perfect Blend Yarn and Tea Shop. We found the shop easily in its location in the quaint little village of Saugerties, and the charming exterior and antique spinning wheel in the window looked inviting. The shop didn't disappoint. Mary Ebel, the shop keeper has perfectly blended her wonderful selection of locally sourced yarns and fine quality commercially produced yarns with an equally scrumptious  selection of teas.

Arturo Ceballos and his needle felted sculptures

   As I looked around I was drawn to the back of the shop where a gentleman, sitting at a small table, was working on the most beautiful menagerie of needle felted creatures: perfect portraits of little rabbits in various colors and aspects. His name is Arturo Ceballos.  He teaches needle felting at the shop and also also sells his wool sculptures at Cottage on the Hudson Fiberarts Studio. Many examples of his work adorn the shop. Still further, in a second room I found a diminutive lady, serenely sitting at her small spinning wheel spinning fiber into yarn. Not unusual for a yarn shop, but as I looked more closely, I realized that in her lap, under her arm was a large, very fluffy, very quiet rabbit, and she was spinning the yarn directly from her fur.

Mariepaule Rossier spinning fiber from her Angora rabbit

Beautiful Angora Rabbit taking a break

   Mariepaule Rossier explained that since the Angora Rabbit was shedding, she was able spin directly from her fur. Mariepaule showed me around and talked to me about her beautiful fibers. What a wealth of knowledge she is! I had a difficult time choosing, but I finally purchased some of her Cormo sheep/kid mohair blend yarn in teal. Mariepaule is also part of The Cottage on the Hudson Fiberarts Studio with Arturo, teaching classes, and selling her hand-spun yarn and garments. After chatting with shop owner Mary, sampling and purchasing some organic tea, and saying goodbye to Mariepaule and Arturo, my intrepid companion and I made our home with my treasures. The next "crawl" cannot come too soon for us.

Intrepid companion, April

 A visit to these local businesses supports our talented local artisans and is a wonderful way to discover the richness of the Hudson Valley.
Hudson Valley Sheep and Wool Company 190 Yantz Road, Red Hook, N.Y. 12751 845-758-3130
www.hudsonvalleysheepandwool
The Perfect Blend Yarn and Tea Shop 50 Market Street Saugerties, N.Y. 12477
www.yarnandteashop.com
Cottage on the Hudson 951-642-8750
cheltenhamcottage@hotmail.com

Kathryn - Huzzah! Handmade https://www.etsy.com/shop/HuzzahHandmade

Let's Visit: Red Hook Community Garden

We love living in the Hudson Valley and sharing with others some of our favorite places to visit in the area for fun, inspiration, and exploring! Today we share another Let's Visit... blog post with Amber from amberhlynn.etsy.com.

The Hudson Valley has quite a few community gardens.  Most are run by Earth To Table, a group dedicated to the slow food movement.  Community gardens hold a special place in my heart as my boyfriend and I spent part of our first date walking to the one in New Paltz (although it was dark and we couldn't see much, especially not the dragon made of tires that was the excuse for the walk). 

This summer, I finally got over my fear that anything I try to grow will die, and started my own vegetable garden!  It was an excellent learning experience, if at times frustrating and upsetting.  Once, some deer got through the fence and devastated my young tomato plants, but they mostly recovered.  I recommend everyone tries to grow their own food, or at least visits a garden once in awhile.  They're gorgeous!

The Red Hook community garden is on Route 9, just past Holy Cow if you're coming from Rhinebeck (I highly recommend their ice cream by the way!) and between two banks.  The front has quite a few small bricked flower gardens, a shed for tools, and a place for composting.

and this cool wood thing too

Inside the fence, there's a few raised beds full of tomatoes and different foods that are open to the community and are to be used for community events.  The rest of the space is free for residents to stake out and do pretty much whatever you want with it.  Just call Joseph Baldwin at (845)635-9388 so he knows who's working in the garden. 

A birdhouse in my neighbor's garden

Even if you're not going to grow your own things, feel free to stop by, smell some flowers, take some pictures, pull some weeds, and maybe even bring home a fresh tomato! They're delicious.

That's really all I have for you, but I hope you liked the info and photographs!  If you have any questions feel free to email me at amberhlynn@gmail.com or call  Joseph Baldwin, and keep an eye out for Earth To Table at local events.  Maybe you can even find or organize a community garden near you!

See you next time!

Amber