our artists
in their own (or sometimes our own) words
Allison Eastman Britt
Allison's jewelry has the handmade feeling paired with the quality of craftsmanship that we were looking for when we set out to start this fair. Allison is self taught in jewelry with a background in graphic design. She works with precious metals and gemstones, creating delicate, elegant pieces. Her silver is reclaimed, all of her packaging is recycled and recyclable. She lives in downtown Hot Springs with her husband and 2 of the cutest children you'd ever want to meet.
Annalisa Nutt
25 year old craftress Annalisa Nutt (aka littleAnu) has been making handmade goodies off and on for several years now with the help of her trusty seamstress and ideas freak momma, Sharon. She lives in Hampton, AR with her parents, 4 year old nephew, & Fraidy her cat. Annalisa loves lemons, painting quirky pillows, inside jokes, a good caffeine buzz, vintage buttons, trip hop, dachshunds, chenille blankets, shades of green, a good glass of cab sav, the smell of shampoo'd hair, & her crazy fam. She sells online through Etsy at www.littleanu.etsy.com & with a new independent clothing line Rotten Thread. Annalisa believes if you follow God (LOVE), everything will work together for the good in your life.
Barbara Jones
You only think you've seen a gift card. Barbara will change your mind about what that can mean. Her creations break the bounds of the cardstock on which they're built. She uses dried botanicals and silk flowers in unexpected, sophisticated and charming ways so that a card becomes something sculptural; a card becomes a gift in itself. Oh, and her pagemarkers will make you hurry back to that page you thought you just finished.
Brandy Davis
An abstract artist who creates on a whim. I dabble in all forms of art I can get my hands on. Mostly painting, photography and jewelry making at the moment. My favorite evening activity is to stitch robots together in my mad scientist coat. (insert evil laugh here)
I love to explore nature and my local thrift shops. I can't find a better way to become inspired than looking at the world around me.
I love to explore nature and my local thrift shops. I can't find a better way to become inspired than looking at the world around me.
Briana Moore
Lemongrass Citrus, Grapefruit Bergamot, Eucalyptus Spearmint... Couldn't you just swoon?! Briana makes the yummiest soaps going. She uses essential oils in the nicest combinations - you're almost guaranteed extra hugs from those you love (since you'll smell so sweet). She's even come up with a Hunter's Soap for that loved one who's oh-so-busy blending in with the trees... She uses a cold process technique for a soap that is mild and gentle and has moisturizing properties due to the retained glycerin that occurs in the soapmaking process.
It doesn't end with soap, though - wait until you see the needle-felted flowers and other nifty assorted goodies Briana makes....
It doesn't end with soap, though - wait until you see the needle-felted flowers and other nifty assorted goodies Briana makes....
Cheryl Roark
I had a tanning salon and candle store for 9 years and bought my candles from a local maker. About 6 years ago, I noticed a change in the quality of the candles I was getting from this company. After about a year or so I decided that to insure that the candles were of good quality I would learn to pour them on my own . I closed my retail store about 2 years ago to devote more time to my family and my craft, pouring candles. I still have many clients from my store, I also have a website and do various craft shows. All of the candles are hand-poured, with quality ingredients. The process I use to pour them makes them burn longer and hold more scent then most candles. By pouring them myself and no longer having a retail location I can offer them at a reasonable price.
Dawanna Young
I love everything about creating jewelry. I find inspiration in the texture, color and history of my materials. All of my designs are one-of-a-kind or few-of-a-kind, ensuring that you won’t see the same piece on anyone else.
My European and Cherokee heritage adds an eclectic flavor to my designs. My heritage is an inspiration in my quest for making the world a better place. I am passionate about helping to ensure that every human being on our planet has access to clean drinking water, so I donate a portion of my sales to Blood:Water Mission.
My European and Cherokee heritage adds an eclectic flavor to my designs. My heritage is an inspiration in my quest for making the world a better place. I am passionate about helping to ensure that every human being on our planet has access to clean drinking water, so I donate a portion of my sales to Blood:Water Mission.
Doc Ray
DocRay, a multiple discipline artist and teacher for over 40 years - working in a variety of art forms over the years and as an exclusive Tie-Dye artist for Mommaluna Tie-Dyes out of northern California for the past decade. He and his wife Milli moved to Hot Springs about a year ago for the lively art scene and laid back lifestyle here. One thing has lead to another and DocRay is now producing some of his hippest and coolest wearable artwork since leaving NorCal.
Mommaluna Tie-Dyes are all individually hand tied and then color specific dyed using only the finest dry powder pigments in the industry - more expensive to produce but the end result is worth it! Working only in 100% Cotton and 100% Silk – using age old techniques - once tied, each item is custom color blended using a multiple dying process to achieve the superior colors. Though close – no two are ever exactly the same!
Mommaluna Tie-Dyes by DocRay are available in a variety of styles and sizes; from cool infant Onesies (newborn and up) to hip children and adult t-shirts in both short and long sleeves, as well as colorful Habotai silk scarves, sheets, pillow cases and full size tapestries. Custom orders and requests are available.
If it can be dyed DocRay does it!
Mommaluna Tie-Dyes are all individually hand tied and then color specific dyed using only the finest dry powder pigments in the industry - more expensive to produce but the end result is worth it! Working only in 100% Cotton and 100% Silk – using age old techniques - once tied, each item is custom color blended using a multiple dying process to achieve the superior colors. Though close – no two are ever exactly the same!
Mommaluna Tie-Dyes by DocRay are available in a variety of styles and sizes; from cool infant Onesies (newborn and up) to hip children and adult t-shirts in both short and long sleeves, as well as colorful Habotai silk scarves, sheets, pillow cases and full size tapestries. Custom orders and requests are available.
If it can be dyed DocRay does it!
Heather Montgomery
i love a story. if i eavesdrop on only part of a conversation, you can bet i'll make up the rest. that's kind of how my pendant series using vintage postage stamps came about. i started listening in on what the stamps had to say. mainly, they wanted out of those old books!! i was happy to oblige. they've taught me a lot. they've taught me that some countries are willing to commemorate dark times in their history on a piece of mail that may well traverse the world, that silly costumes and cartoons are universally fun, and that love is all around. oh, and that historic figures look oddly similar across most cultures.
Jeanne Garrett
Hi, my name is Jeanne - aka Art Genie. I would probably be labeled a "self-taught" artist/crafter, but that would not be giving credit to the talented artists who have trained me through seminars, books and DVDs. My experience in ceramics and tole painting has given me an eye for color which I now bring to the sewing machine. Most of my work is made from simple patterns using fabulous fabric from the most current designers. At Handmade for the Holidays, I will be offering aprons, purses, scarves, and pincushions. My quirky personality peeks out in the quilted wall hangings.
Jeannette Barry
Delicious textiles, appliqued jackets!
Jeri Hillis
We're so happy Hot Springs artist Jeri will bring her elegant collage aesthetic to our fair in the form of boxes and mixed media works. Can't wait to see what else she has up her sleeve for us!
Joey Ruhsam
Joey gives paperwhites a happy place to call home in the beautiful vessels she makes. She loves plants and planters but makes beautiful functional pottery of all shapes and sizes.
Karen Tyler
Fabulous fabric purses and totes.
Kay Jennings
The ring's the thing for Kay - fun, chunky, beaded, sophisticated - she does it all.
Kevin Riley
We were hoping for pottery like this!
Laurie Ament
Isinglass Design glass beads are handmade by Laurie Ament using the centuries-old lampworking process. Lampworking is the art of working glass over an open flame. Colored rods of “soft” glass made in Italy are torch-melted and applied around a steel mandrel rod. The beads are then kiln annealed to ensure the stability of the glass.
Isinglass Design had its origins in 1999 when I began experimenting with hot glass with my daughter. Since then, I have continued to find glass, with its malleable colors and endless possibilities of form, to be an ideal vehicle of creative expression.
My work doesn’t have a central theme, and I am not trying to convey a message other than ‘look at all the great things you can do with glass!’ One of the wonderful things about working with glass is that there is an element of surprise to almost everything. The colors react with each other in unexpected ways, so there are often “happy accidents” when the kiln is opened several hours later. This is one of the things I love about hot glass work. There are always new things to learn, and experiments to be tried. Every time I light the torch, there is an opportunity to learn something new.
Isinglass Design had its origins in 1999 when I began experimenting with hot glass with my daughter. Since then, I have continued to find glass, with its malleable colors and endless possibilities of form, to be an ideal vehicle of creative expression.
My work doesn’t have a central theme, and I am not trying to convey a message other than ‘look at all the great things you can do with glass!’ One of the wonderful things about working with glass is that there is an element of surprise to almost everything. The colors react with each other in unexpected ways, so there are often “happy accidents” when the kiln is opened several hours later. This is one of the things I love about hot glass work. There are always new things to learn, and experiments to be tried. Every time I light the torch, there is an opportunity to learn something new.
Lisa James
My name is Lisa James. Hot Springs native, recycler, artist, extraordinaire. I make up-cycled journals out of your trash. :) And I call them Golden Muses. One reason is because I'm trying to help redeem that which the common eye would see as having no worth or beauty. Everything is redeemable. So I make these gems with love, laughter, prayer, and a 100% recycled materials. This quote inspires my life and my work.
life moves on, whether we act as cowards or heroes. life has no other discipline to impose, if we would but realize it, than to accept life unquestionably. everything we shut our eyes to, everything we run away from, everything we deny, denigrate, or despise, serves to defeat us in the end. what seems nasty, painful, evil, can become a source of beauty, joy & strength, if faced with an open mind. every moment is a GOLDEN moment for him who has the vision to see it as such. - henry miller
...there is a golden moment behind every corner...
love, Lisa James and her Golden Muses
document a legacy worthy to read about.
life moves on, whether we act as cowards or heroes. life has no other discipline to impose, if we would but realize it, than to accept life unquestionably. everything we shut our eyes to, everything we run away from, everything we deny, denigrate, or despise, serves to defeat us in the end. what seems nasty, painful, evil, can become a source of beauty, joy & strength, if faced with an open mind. every moment is a GOLDEN moment for him who has the vision to see it as such. - henry miller
...there is a golden moment behind every corner...
love, Lisa James and her Golden Muses
document a legacy worthy to read about.
Lucy Bright
A 5th generation Hot Springs native, Lucy's beautiful designs speak for themselves. But wait - she's writing a new chapter in her design book. She's lately been working on steampunk pieces that incorporate vintage elements and even shrinky-dinks. Now, how can that be anything but wonderful???
Mindy Lacefield
Painting for me, is a nostalgic descent back to my childhood - a time when dolls were a huge part of my life. Today is not altogether different. I think of my paintings as play sets where I dress my dolls up and create their own environment. Sometimes this “land” is a sweet setting of animals, nature, and innate innocence while others are captivated by a mysterious engulfing darkness. I can relate. Memories of playtime and my special collection of “neat stuff” that I kept in a wooden trunk made specially for me by my uncle were treasures to me. Baby doll heads, vintage dolls, sweet scents of everything yummy are areas of great inspiration. Artists such as Mark Ryden, Joe Sorren, and Casey O’Connell also capture my heart with a sweet tenderness encompassing subtle moments of time we all would like to revisit; a dream state so unique one could only wish to take part.
Rachel Starr
I've been making jewelry for about 10 years now. I made my first
necklace when I was 14, at a friend's birthday at The Bead Merchant in
Tulsa, Oklahoma. Since then I have moved to the beautiful river valley
of Arkansas. I now live along the Arkansas river in Ozark, AR with my
husband, step son, and pet chinchilla. My favorite thing about living
in Arkansas is the beautiful scenery; artists of any medium are never
without inspiration around here. I love making all kinds of jewelry
using glass, gemstones, crystals, and more recently metal stampings.
necklace when I was 14, at a friend's birthday at The Bead Merchant in
Tulsa, Oklahoma. Since then I have moved to the beautiful river valley
of Arkansas. I now live along the Arkansas river in Ozark, AR with my
husband, step son, and pet chinchilla. My favorite thing about living
in Arkansas is the beautiful scenery; artists of any medium are never
without inspiration around here. I love making all kinds of jewelry
using glass, gemstones, crystals, and more recently metal stampings.
Robbie Robinson
You'll find a beautiful range of Native American crafts and goods at Robbie's booth - from turtle-shell rattles to dreamcatchers.
Sunny Skaggs
I, the beehive, am on a mission to get all the photos, souvenirs and memorabilia of the world out of those chintzy, mass-produced albums and dust covered, mildew prone shoe boxes and into beautifully handcrafted, archivally sound splendor.
I want to make life easier for all those sleep-deprived super moms, busy punksters, doting grandmas and overworked people of the world who want their memories to last for generations but just can’t find the time to conquer such a task. How will I accomplish this colossal goal you ask? With custom, pre-made scrapbooks, full of great papers and embellishments, that await only your photos to be complete. With my unique Memory Catchers that let you jot down notes and collect souvenirs in a way you’ll be proud to show off, without the time and effort of taking on scrapbooking from scratch. Busy people of the world have no fear, I have done your scrapbooking for you!
My pre-made scrapbooks, memory catchers, and other paper wares are made in a smoke-free home using acid free, archival materials.
I want to make life easier for all those sleep-deprived super moms, busy punksters, doting grandmas and overworked people of the world who want their memories to last for generations but just can’t find the time to conquer such a task. How will I accomplish this colossal goal you ask? With custom, pre-made scrapbooks, full of great papers and embellishments, that await only your photos to be complete. With my unique Memory Catchers that let you jot down notes and collect souvenirs in a way you’ll be proud to show off, without the time and effort of taking on scrapbooking from scratch. Busy people of the world have no fear, I have done your scrapbooking for you!
My pre-made scrapbooks, memory catchers, and other paper wares are made in a smoke-free home using acid free, archival materials.
Vickie Hillis
We love the show-stopping appeal and warmth of Vickie's hammered metal jewelry pieces. Yes, we're trying on that cuff bracelet...