Shoutout for Four Winds Farm

Day 3 of 10

(In a society dominated by big name box stores, it is quite refreshing to network, interact, and shop from small businesses.  Especially when they are local!  For 10 days, I will be talking about 10 small businesses that I have the pleasure of having made their acquaintance.  Networking is everything, as is reaching out a helping hand to your peers and neighbors.)

 

 

Four Winds Farm in Maine is run by Jan Winsor.  After purchasing their farmhouse in 1997, she met members of the Saco Valley Fiber Artists and discovered that she could combine her love of animals, art, and teaching into one endeavor. They now have a small flock of sheep, along with a variety of other animals at Four Winds Farm.  Jan is a very talented fiber artist offering felted, knit, and woven fiber arts and sculptures.  She also hand spins her own wool!  Wool sculptures?!? you may ask.  Look again at the adorable little lab picture...That is a felted wool sculpture...NOT their pet!  

Her Facebook page is full of many more examples of exquisite felted sculptures and felted soap.  Need a souvenir of Maine?  Why not lobster felted soap???  

     In a world where everything is mass produced and you never know where your purchases are REALLY coming from...Four Winds Farm Maine makes us all feel a little bit better.  All of her wool products are produced right at her own farm.   Meet Josie and Morgan, twins, displaying their gorgeous winter coats. :)

 

For more photos and information about her amazing fiber art, you can find her on Facebook HERE.

 

She has her own website, www.fourwindsfarmmaine.com which you can find by copying and pasting the web address, or by clicking HERE.

 

You can shop for your fiber art needs at her Etsy store, HERE.  

Thanks for stopping by to support small, local businesses!!  Please continue to follow me the next 7 days for more shoutouts to small businesses! 

 

   

Shoutout for Friesen Art

Day 2 of 10

(In a society dominated by big name box stores, it is quite refreshing to network, interact, and shop from small businesses.  Especially when they are local!  For 10 days, I will be talking about 10 small businesses that I have the pleasure of having made their acquaintance.  Networking is everything, as is reaching out a helping hand to your peers and neighbors.)

Daisy Friesen of McPherson, Kansas is the mastermind behind Friesen Art.  She is a VERY talented ceramic artist and I feel honored to call her my friend.  She finds great joy in being able to take a lump of clay and transform it into something useful and beautiful with her hands.  She also finds the process calming and relaxing. "I love being able to make something that someone else will cherish and be able to use to serve lovingly prepared food to friends and family."  You can see the love of the process in each and every piece of her pottery. 

 

 

Her Facebook page is full of photos so you can see the process and what it takes for her pieces to come to fruition.  I LOVE these dragon fly dessert plates!! 

One thing I truly love about being a ceramic artist myself, is that the community of ceramic artists is soo amazingly helpful and inspiring.  Daisy is not different.  I WISH I was capable of some of the pieces she creates.  This GORGEOUS lamp from her Etsy store is just an example of one of her pieces that inspires me. For the every day person who values a good mug for that cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, here is a wonderful mug for just that!!  Also from her Etsy store.  I LOVE the bright blue glaze she uses!!  She also stays true to her "branding".  Most all of her pieces feature the wheat design. 

You can find her on Facebook HERE.  

You can see her amazing pottery on Etsy HERE.