Renegade Boston: A Few of My Favorite Things
Last weekend my husband and I had a blast hanging at Renegade Boston! We saw so many incredible makers and artists display their work and craft--it was the perfect place to start shopping for holiday gifts!
If you haven’t heard of Renegade Craft before, it is a traveling “curated marketplace of makers, designers, doers, and dreamers,” and one of the most beautiful and pleasant shopping experiences I have ever had. Here in Boston, Renegade was held at the Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts. Even the bathroom was a beautiful design experience.
But! We are not here to talk about the bathroom--I wanted to share with you my FAVORITE makers and give you some gift ideas. Check out my top ten list of makers below!
Kate Martens
Kate Martens is an artist, educator, and mother living in Boston, Massachusetts. Her art is whimsical and fun, and she is a wonderful conversationalist. Not only did we have a great time lamenting over the Astro's together, but I was happy to hear that she is also a fellow beach walking enthusiast. I fell in love with her gnomes and the sweet wooden houses that she created for them. Kohlton and I left with a few punny fish postcards to frame for our bathroom wall decor.
I love love love this brand, because she is a promoter of women, craft, sustainability and social responsibility. Jackelyn is a savvy business lady and creative visionary. Her table featured three different artists besides herself and everything was beautiful and unique. If you’re looking for a socially responsible gift for someone who loves uncommon and eclectic things, you need to click on over to her shop because it is full of rare beauty! Hubby even picked up one of these incredible pressed floral pouches because he knew it would be the most perfect business card holder for me. (And...he was right!)
Tiny Acre Farm
The Tiny Acre farm is one acre in Woodstock, NY--they micro farm produce for local communities and ship gorgeous dried flower bouquets and wreaths. Any wild-child would be excited to get crafty with one of these dried bouquets, or overjoyed to hang a strawflower wreath in the doorway.
Melissa Gisele
Her tagline is “Powerful jewelry for the adventurous soul,” and perfectly so. I felt like a little girl while staring at her delicate pieces of jewelry. Everything was exquisite and carefully handcrafted. Her work is absolutely delightful and she makes jewelry for those who love both the understated as well as long dangling earrings. Basically, she had to wipe my drool off her table after I was finished browsing. She was even allowing folks to try on the gorgeous earrings and rings.
McCreas Candies
I was a little bit of an art snob at this event and didn’t take much time to browse or look at food, but I’m so thankful that the folks at McCreas put two pieces of their delicious salted caramel in my hand. Three days later, I found it at the bottom of my purse and tried it--right away it was bookmarked on my Pinterest page for holiday gifts. Seriously, folks--my mouth is watering right now just remembering how delicious.
Cecilia East/West
This woman is an incredibly talented (And fun!) artist local to Boston. She was so much fun to talk to and the whole time I was hoping to add her to my circle of friends. She is a potter who uses bold colors and design--and a little cheeky too! My favorite of her pieces were these bright blue vases that feature a nude female form on one side and a monstera leaf on the other...you know, for when your parents are visiting and you need to turn it around. She also has some gorgeous mugs and other incredible pottery. Her work really reminded me of Matisse—one of my favorite ever painters!
Razimus Jewelry
Razimus Jewelry was one of the most unique jewelry booths at Renegade Boston. Virginia, the owner and maker of Razimus, is “dedicated to producing eco-friendly fabric bands using 100% organic cottons and upcycling (deconstructing & repurposing) vintage and other clothing,” plus, she is just a really cool lady. I was nerdily obsessed over the amazing magnetic closures that she sourced for her gorgeous outstanding jewelry. She is a champion of slow fashion and her website has a lot of great education on that subject if you’re looking for it. Plus, ever the lover of sentiment--Virginia can take special pieces of clothing (think wedding ties, uniforms or even favorite blankets) and turn them into treasured jewelry to wear your whole life long. Truly a unique, thoughtful gift if there ever was one.
Howell Handwoven
This was my favorite booth at the event. Laura Burnum, the weaver, had the most incredible, gentle presence. She was actually on break when I popped over to her rack of breathtakingly beautiful scarves and shawls, but ran over when she saw me and enjoyed her lunch while telling me the story of each specially crafted piece. I loved the stories she spoke of sourcing materials, her experiences dying wool and cotton, and could feel the joy and passion she has for weaving. So much of fashion is neutrals these days--and I am all about wearing neutrals, but Laura has an understated way of infusing color into her pieces that they could go with any outfit in your closet. I think I dropped seven hundred hints to my husband about two of the scarves on the rack (so, honey--if you’re reading we’ll count this seven-hundred and one, k?)
It was an INCREDIBLE experience and I’m so happy that my husband joined me to explore the work of such amazingly talented folks. To see even more of my favorites from Renegade Boston, check out my Pinterest board here.