Meet the Makers - December 2022

Welcome to our “Monthly Mini Feature”, we are highlighting different local artisans and crafters who have been busy imagining, creating, dreaming, and doing!

Our Maker of the Month for December 2022 is Ginny Walker, the designer of this year’s special ornament/ fundraiser for Hospice of St. Mary’s. We had an amazing chat about this very special project!

How were you chosen to design the beautiful 2022 ornament?

Earlier in the year I submitted the design to the Hospice Festival of Trees committee for consideration of this year's Fundraiser. I was really excited when they chose my design!

Were there any specific inspirations/ thoughts/ ideas incorporated into the design?

When coming up with the design I knew I wanted to incorporate a house and cardinals. We have loved ones who have received great care at the Hospice House, and I wanted to have the house included. There are many signs we receive on a daily basis showing us that our loved ones are near, but I loved the idea of having a bright red cardinal against the bright white snowflakes.

I was trying to design something that wasn’t overly complex, but that also could represent different elements that bring meaning to different people.

How was the creation of the ornament meaningful to you?

Hospice of St. Mary’s is such an amazing organization, so having the privilege to do this ornament meant a lot to me. I love making things, and I've done things for other fundraisers in the past, but this was the first time I knew that the design would be relevant to a larger community.

As an artist what have been your past or current experiences?

Creating is a hobby for me, and my day job gets in the way of me doing as much creating as I'd like. A few years ago we did a "do it yourself" style ornament kit as a fundraiser. Those turned out great because people enjoyed doing their own painting, while also supporting a great cause. My friends and family know I'm crafty, and I always get requests to do unique gifts they can give. Mostly I just craft for the fun of it!

How long have you lived in St. Mary’s County?

I moved to St. Mary's over 10 years ago, and was in Charles County before that. My husband, kids and I love that Southern Maryland has so much to offer - changing seasons, you're never too far from the water, and there's always something to do!

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Ginny perfectly captured all that is hospice in these wonderfully designed wooden ornaments.

Each ornament is only $25 with all proceeds to benefit Hospice of St. Mary’s, a vital not-for-profit service which provides physical, psychological, spiritual care, as well as comfort to the terminally ill and their families.

Hospice services also includes support to both families and community members who have experienced a loss.

Thank you Ginny for being both a valued part of our artistic community and also for your part in a very important cause!

Thank you also to MedStar Health: Hospice of St. Mary’s for your collaboration and providing select images below.

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Learn more about Ginny Walker and her artwork at links below:

Website - Etsy: SoMDDesigns - website

Ginny’s handcrafted items are available at The Craft Guild Shop in Leonardtown - Facebook page

The Hospice Ornaments are available at the locations below at the time of publishing, more to be added!

• Apple Basket - Mechanicsville, MD - website

• Cecil’s Country Store - California, MD - website

• Herring Creek Furniture at Cecil’s Old Mill - California, MD - website

• Hospice of St. Mary’s 15th Annual Festival of Trees - December 3rd , 2022 from 10 AM to 3 PM at University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland, 44219 Airport Rd, California, MD 20619, details here.

  Festival of Trees Facebook event - click here.

• Hospice at St. Mary’s Office - purchase from the hospice office by calling 301-994-3023. Address is: 44724 Hospice Ln, Callaway, MD 20620

• RE/MAX 100 Leonardtown - website

• Suttler Post Farm Clysedale’s Gift Shop - website/ Facebook

• The 2022 Holiday Open House at Suttler Post Farm to Benefit Hospice - December 10th and 11th from 11 AM to 4 PM at the Suttler Post Farm in Mechanicsville, MD.

• Vintage Source - Compton, MD - website

Learn more about MedStar Health: Hospice of St. Mary’s see links below:

Website: MedStar Health: Hospice of St. Mary’s

Facebook: Hospice of St. Mary’s (@hospiceofstmarys)

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Photo provided by Ginny Walker.

Photo Credit: Hospice of St. Mary's

Photo Credit: Cecil's Country Store

Photo Credit: Cecil's Country Store

Photo Credit: Cecil's Country Store

Photo Credit: Suttler Post Farm Clydesdale's Gift Shop

2022 Ornaments are only $25/each, plus additional locations to purchase the ornaments being added!

Image above courtesy of MedStar Health: Hospice of St. Mary’s.

Image above courtesy of MedStar Health: Hospice of St. Mary’s.

Meet the Makers - November 2022

Welcome to our “Monthly Mini Feature”, we are highlighting different local artisans and crafters who have been busy imagining, creating, dreaming, and doing!

Our Maker of the Month for November 2022 is Brandy Blackstone! Brandy is a mixed media artist who specializes in realistic abstract works of art inspired by nature and the world around her.

From a very young age, our featured artist has loved being creative and working with her hands. She recalls making dollhouses where she designed and constructed both the house and the small furniture pieces. Brandy also crafted flowered wallpaper to complete the detailed décor - meticulously measuring the dollhouse walls and then cutting and trimming the paper, followed by the addition of delicate painted flowers.

Botanical themes have been ever-present inspirations, beginning from the long summer days when Brandy played in her mother’s garden. “I would spend hours trying to capture the vibrant colors and translucent qualities - my work is still influenced by the beauty of flowers to this day, although now I also find inspirations in other objects in nature such as birds, trees, sea creatures and landscapes.”

Brandy relates that it is exciting how each medium captures a painting in a completely different way. When she begins contemplating a new project, the process is usually started by envisioning a subject in a specific medium such as watercolor, acrylics or oil.

While she has other creative pursuits (photography, graphic design, sewing, and more!), Brandy finds the most joy when creating works of art with her own hands. She hopes that others experience the same joy which she feels when experiencing nature while viewing her paintings.

Thank you Brandy for being a valued part of our artistic community, we enjoyed learning about your artistic journey and look forward to seeing your future projects!

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Learn more about Brandy Blackstone and her artwork at links below:

Facebook: Brandy Blackstone Art

Instagram: @brandy.blackstoneart

Website: Brandy Blackstone Art

Brandy’s artwork is featured at:

The CalvART Gallery in Prince Frederick

St. Mary’s County Arts Council - Gallery & Gift Shop

Memberships/ Organizations/ Affiliations:

Calvert Artists’ Guild

The Color & Light Society of Southern Maryland (Brandy is part of a current in-house art exhibit at St. Mary’s County Arts Council Gallery & Gift Shop running Oct & Nov 2022)

St. Mary’s County Fair - volunteer judge for art category entries, 2022

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Meet the Makers - October 2022

Welcome to our “Monthly Mini Feature”, we are highlighting different local artisans and crafters who have been busy imagining, creating, dreaming, and doing!

Our Maker of the Month for October 2022 is Cindie Macomber of She Shed!

Cindie is quite a crafty person with a deep passion for design, originality, creativity, and hard work. Her latest craft excursion has been the creation of decorative pumpkins through the repurposing of sweaters.

Each and every handmade pumpkin is a one-of-a-kind piece carefully constructed by our featured artist’s visionary talents and artistic flare. They are adorned with seasonal items, beautiful beads, crocheted flowers, gnome friends, and other media.

A majority of Cindie’s life has been spent as a homemaker raising her own children and now helping with her grandchildren. Her “pumpkin habit” started as a result of the pandemic since most of the social aspect of life had gone dormant and she found that she had extra time to pursue her creative passions.

As life returns to a new normal, Cindie is excited to share her pumpkin obsession with all who would like to spruce up a room or remember a friend or loved one. Custom orders are accepted which include designing and personalizing sweater pumpkins as remembrance for lost loved ones. A favorite sweater of the loved one can be used as well as mementos and tokens incorporated.

Cindie’s treasures are created with love and a desire to make others happy through her work. Our artist may be contacted per the links below. Items in the photos may possibly be sold by the release of this feature however more are always in the works!

Thank you Cindie for being a valued part of our artistic community, we love the pumpkin sweaters and the originality invested in each and every one!

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Learn more about Cindie Macomber and her artwork at links below:

Facebook: SHESHED1 by Cindie Macomber (@Sweaterpumpkins)

Instagram: @sheshedcrafts1

Contact Cindie by email at: sheshedcrafts1@yahoo.com

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Meet the Makers - September 2022

Welcome to our “Monthly Mini Feature”, we are highlighting different local artisans and crafters who have been busy imagining, creating, dreaming, and doing!

Our Maker of the Month for September 2022 is Melanie Dyson of Apple Mill!

Our featured maker is best known for her laser engraved giftware, custom etched cutting boards, unique glassware, bottle openers, engraved wooden spoons, and so much more!

Melanie holds a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) where she majored in Illustration and concentrated in Graphic Design and Book Arts.

It was there that she was first introduced to laser engraver technology and completely fell in love it with it!

Melanie even centered her senior thesis around the laser machine with a focus on creating wearable art.

After graduation and with support from her family, Dyson found a way to purchase her own professional-grade laser in 2014 and has been working with it ever since.

After experimenting with a wide variety of different materials, our featured artist found that she liked the creation of functional art (cutting boards, glassware, etc.) the best.

A large goal from the beginning was to make sure that her items were affordable for everyone. Most pieces range from $3-$30. Everything is engraved by Melanie herself at her local studio and most of her designs are inspired by her longtime home in St. Mary's County.

When not busy engraving Melanie can be found working at her family’s hardware store, Dyson Building Center.

Thank you Melanie for being an important part of our artistic community, we love your creativity and dedication to paying tribute to landmarks and favorite items of our local area!

Fun fact from Melanie: “The Shepherd's Old Field Market, where I have a large display, used to be Leonardtown Building and Supply Company which was owned by my Grandfather, Jim Miedzinski and his brother, Bob Miedzinski. It's awesome that it has been transformed into something new and I am excited to be there!”

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Learn more about Melanie Dyson and her artwork at links below:

Website: Apple Mill

Facebook: Apple Mill (@applemill2)

Find Melanie’s work at larger local displays:

Cecil’s Country Store in California, MD

Shepherd’s Old Field Market in Leonardtown, MD

And also at smaller local displays:

Patuxent River Naval Air Museum

Piney Point Lighthouse Museum

St. Clements Island Museum

Next Craft Shows:

The U.S. Oyster Festival at Leonardtown Fairgrounds, October 15-16, 2022

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Meet the Makers - August 2022

Welcome to our “Monthly Mini Feature”, we are highlighting different local artisans and crafters who have been busy imagining, creating, dreaming, and doing!

Our Maker of the Month for August 2022 is Amy Goddard of Leonardtown Home Sewn!

Our featured maker is best known for her super cute, fun-and-functional wristlets!

Less cumbersome than a large purse and perfect for a phone, keys, wallet, and other essentials, these wristlets are just the right size for carrying what you need while on-the-go! For those who do desire a bigger bag, Amy also creates purses of varying shapes and sizes.

Mrs. Goddard and her husband Stephen, along with their son, live on a working farm in Leonardtown, Maryland. Amy started creating tote bags in 2018 using repurposed feed bags to not only minimize what went into the landfill but also to sell at their produce stand. These totes were quite popular and very useful for her customers to take their produce home in.

With a lifelong love of art, Amy continued to harness her creativity and began making purses out of other repurposed materials such as denim jeans, dress shirts, and old purses.

Eventually, Leonardtown Home Sewn was born which gave Amy a platform to handmake and sell quality purses, wristlets, and other bags using hearty materials such as cork, vinyl, and durable fabrics. All of her items are meticulously crafted and built to last!

Goddard’s vision of reciprocal support of local business owners actualizes her dedication to our community. Our artist’s business plan includes wholesaling items to local small businesses which creates a connection with other business owners to benefit from one another’s work. She also makes a point to buy sewing patterns from women-owned small businesses to support their entrepreneurial endeavors.

Leonardtown Home Sewn items are currently available at The Potomac Gardens, on Etsy, through Facebook, at the St. Mary’s County Arts Council Gallery & Gift Shop, and also by local pick up and delivery via contacting the artist.

Thank you Amy for being an important part of our artistic community, we love your concept of collaborating with others while offering amazing high quality, hand-crafted, and locally sourced products!

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Find Amy’s wristlets, purses, and more at:

Leonardtown Home Sewn on Facebook.

Leonardtown Home Sewn on Etsy.

The Potomac Gardens located in Colton’s Point, Maryland.

The St. Mary’s County Arts Council Gallery & Gift Shop located in Downtown Leonardtown, Maryland.

To inquire about any of the pieces below or to place a special order contact Amy by email at: leonardtownhomesewn@gmail.com

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Meet the Makers - July 2022

Welcome to our “Monthly Mini Feature”, we are highlighting different local artisans and crafters who have been busy imagining, creating, dreaming, and doing!

Our Maker of the Month for July 2022 is Tyler Roy of Mother of Girls!

Tyler is a multi-talented artist who enjoys “dabbling in many different things, from textile art to painting. I didn’t enjoy doing large batch work, so I started making jewelry.”

Our featured maker is well-known for her unique pieces, many with botanical origins intertwined with figments of colorful flowers and celestial themes.

After experimenting with different techniques, Tyler found an appreciation for all things nature. From her family hiking trips she picked up colorful leaves and ferns and started to press them. From there her favorite flora have been worked into one-of-a-kind dangle and stud earrings, intricate necklaces, paperweights, and much more.

Roy also draws from these same inspirations to design and collaborate with another local artist on pouches and wristlets of a variety of sizes, both fun and functional!

Just two years ago Tyler incorporated resin with her current jewelry methods and materials. “I’m constantly amazed at how beautiful our planet is and feel so fortunate to be able to honor that in my work.”

Roy’s work has been featured in the recent past at local shops but at present all of Tyler’s efforts and energy have been directed into the opening of her very own store!

The new shop, Marie & Nash, is named after Tyler’s two young daughters and will include her beautiful jewelry (still under the Mother of Girls brand) as well as clean beauty/ self-care products, a variety of curated art pieces, pottery pieces, home goods, accessories, and much more!

Marie & Nash will be located at 22675 Washington St. at the storefront formerly housing car dealerships in the heart of Downtown Leonardtown. As part of the vibrant Arts & Entertainment District, Tyler will be offering small batch, sustainable brand items - “all the good stuff” she says!

“I pride myself in being able to create small batch, slow made, and unique pieces that make the ones who wear it, feel absolutely beautiful!"

Thank you Tyler for being an important part of our artistic community, we are looking forward to visiting the fabulous new storefront!

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Find Tyler’s amazing artwork at:

Mother of Girls - Facebook

Mother of Girls - Instagram

Mother of Girls - Website

Coming soon to Downtown Leonardtown will be Marie & Nash! Projected opening: August 2022, exact date TBA, shop address: 22675 Washington St, Leonardtown, MD 20650. (Facebook/ IG also coming soon @marieandnash).

To inquire about any of the pieces below or to place a special order contact Tyler by email at: motherxgirls@gmail.com

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Meet the Makers - June 2022

Welcome to our “Monthly Mini Feature”, we are highlighting different local artisans and crafters who have been busy imagining, creating, dreaming, and doing!

Our Maker of the Month for June 2022 is Lonnie Harkins!

Lonnie’s work caught our eye at a recent Pop-Up Show “Artists in Leonardtown” this past First Friday Weekend of May 2022. We had a chance to meet this amazing artist, learn about his work, and even see an “in-action” demonstration!

Harkins is a multi-talented artist who enjoys photography (including astro-photography), pottery, jewelry making, and perhaps most of all - scratch art. He is hard to miss at any given Calvert Artists’ Guild show, just look for the trademark top hat!

Also referred to as “scratchboard” and “engraving art”, scratch art is a method used to create an image utilizing sharp tools and a special board with a top black surface layer and an underlying white area.

Lonnie’s work is based on making small intentional cuts in a variety of patterns, shapes, and depths in order to achieve a desired outcome; much detail and planning is involved in each and every completed piece. He embarked in this art form when introduced to it through a fellow artist from the Calvert Artists’ Guild, and was quickly hooked!

Harkins explained that he will often use a photo or drawing which serves as a general guide for his current project, with the end product taking a life of its own as reflected by his choice of tools and techniques.

Each project is truly one-of-a-kind with smaller and simpler designs created in a matter of hours, and upwards to days and weeks required for the more complex and larger works.

Through the use of an X-ACTO knife and a variety of sharp tools in addition to a steel wool pad, brushes of a variety of sizes, engravers points, and at times water based inks to add color, Harkins is able to create his designs, one etch at a time, into an array of amazing finished products.

Although some of his favorite subjects are animals such as tropical fish, exotic tigers, majestic lions, cougars, and an assortment of domestic pets, Lonnie’s portfolio has also included a portrait of a woman with praying hands, emu, hotrod cars, snails, mushrooms, macaws, and much more!

Harkins enjoys the “portability” of scratch art and that it utilizes relatively few materials and is easily transported to shows and events where he can work and share his methods with others.

Lonnie served exactly “twenty years and two weeks” in the United States Navy before retiring and entering a second career in the civilian sector where he currently works full-time. Despite his busy work schedule and also being an active member in the Calvert Artists’ Guild (CAG), Harkins still finds time for creating and sharing his work with others.

Our featured artist now resides in Southern Maryland along with his wife Deb (also an artist!). Lonnie currently serves as the Show Coordinator for the CAG.

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Find Lonnie’s artwork at:

Artworks @7th - 8905 Cheaspeake Avenue, North Beach, MD. Click here for Gallery info and hours of operation.

Upcoming Calvert Artists’ Guild events, be sure to visit the CAG website for details and current schedule.

• July 23rd & 24th - Summer Art Show - at the Southern Maryland Sailing Association in Solomons, MD.

• August & September 2022 - calvART Gallery Show (110 South Solomons Island Rd, Prince Frederick, MD) in partnership w/ The Arts Council of Calvert County.

To inquire about any of the pieces below or to place a special order contact Lonnie by email at: lonnieharkins@upinthecellar.us.

Please note that some of the scratch art pieces featured below may be sold already, however custom orders and special requests are welcomed!

To view Lonnie’s photography work and read his bio visit: www.upinthecellar.us

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Scratch Art By Lonnie Harkins

A Little Birdie in the Making….

Taking a break at the recent Pop-Up Art Show “Artists in Leonardtown”! Lonnie and wife Deb were two of the featured artists!

Meet the Makers - May 2022

Welcome to our “Monthly Mini Feature”! We are highlighting different local artisans and crafters who have been busy imagining, creating, dreaming, and doing!

Our Maker of the Month for May 2022 is Holly Dilatush of Tonglen Art!

Holly’s love for flowers has grown substantially over the years. As a prior owner of retail floral shops she has very much enjoyed learning about “all things flower”, growing her own plants, and designing beautiful flower arrangements.

Her latest works have been based on pressed flowers, a process in which she hand-selects the desired flora, carefully collects them for drying and pressing, and then transforms them into works of art!

Holly has created colorful greeting cards w/ matching envelopes, multi-media art pieces, and sometimes sells her pressed flowers for others to place their own creative touches on them.

Born and raised in New Jersey, Holly has since lived 20+ years in upstate New York, spent some time in Maine, resided for a year-and-a- half in South Korea, and 19+ years in the Charlottesville, Virginia area. Holly now lives in Southern Maryland where she continues to grow, maintaining several gardens at her home.

Find Holly’s artwork for sale at:

Tonglen Art on Etsy

Tonglen Art on Facebook

St. Mary’s County Arts Council Gallery & Gift Shop in Downtown Leonardtown

By special order via contacting Holly via her Facebook page.

Watch for an upcoming summer 'make and take' offering here at SMC Arts Council - Gallery & Gift Shop when you can come meet Holly, learn more about pressing flowers, and create your own pressed flower note card and frame-able pressed flower artwork!

Meet the Makers - April 2022

Welcome to our “Monthly Mini Feature”! We are highlighting different local artisans and crafters who have been busy imagining, creating, dreaming, and doing.

Our Maker of the Month for April 2022 is Lorie Burch of Crescent Moon!

Lorie specializes in fun and functional handcrafted pottery items, each one is different and unique! Her style includes a wide variety of creations from traditional wares to cute and quirky characters and creatures.

Mrs. Burch moved to St. Mary’s County from the DC area 50 years ago. After working in the medical field most of her adult life she was diagnosed with lupus, which presented many challenges for her to keep working at her job at that time.

With the support and encouragement of her husband, Lorie made a big decision to leave her medical career and pursue her creative side full time. After purchasing a used pottery wheel and kiln, she quickly found herself hooked with making amazing works of art!

As her health declined our featured artist found herself unable to keep up her presence at local craft shows and markets. She connected with Gerrie L’Heureux, the owner of Shepherd’s Old Field Market, and was able to make her dream come true of having her own small scale art studio!

Lorie crafts mugs and bowls, jewelry holders, toothbrush and soap storage pieces, seasonal snowmen, and many other pottery pieces.

Crescent Moon mugs and dishes are fired with food-safe glaze and are also oven, dishwasher, and microwave safe.

Recently introduced are a beautiful line of ramen bowls, conveniently completed with cut-outs to hold a pair of chopsticks!

Find The Crescent Moon’s shop at:

Shepherd’s Old Field Market in Leonardtown.

Click here to visit the Crescent Moon Facebook page to contact Lorie and to see more of her wonderful products!

Meet the Makers - March 2022

Welcome to our “Monthly Mini Feature”! We are highlighting different local artisans and crafters who have been busy imagining, creating, dreaming, and doing.

Our Maker of the Month for March 2022 is Maddie Burch of Luna Love Candle Company!

Madison “Maddie” Burch is the owner and of a small scale candle company based out of Southern Maryland. Each piece is uniquely different, meticulously hand-poured and hand-crafted from 100% soy wax. As a student at the College of Southern Maryland, Maddie balances her studies with thinking of her next projects and creating new candle scents.

Maddie and her mother make regular trips to Pennsylvania where she purchases some of the best wax available in order to maintain a high standard of her products. Despite the 8-hour round trip, Maddie says that it is worth it to make sure that her candles burn well, retain their scents, and to be able to offer quality items.

Luna Love Candles often appear almost good enough to eat! From Fruit Loops inspired creations to Iced Lemon Biscotti, Orange Creamsicle, Blueberry Cobbler, Lemon Pound Cake, and Warm Vanilla Sugar there are so many different (and nearly delicious) options to choose from!

Maddie’s spa-themed line includes Lemongrass, Midnight Orchid, Sea Salt & Orchid, Beach Day, and White Linen scents.

During the holidays our artist expands her selections to Christmas Eve, Christmas Tree, Blue Spruce, Flannel, Frosted Juniper, and other specialty themes.

Maddie creates both candles and melts and may be contacted for special orders. Her candles are often adorned w/ semi-precious stones, seashells, shiny glitter, and a variety of other toppings.

Way to go Maddie! Thank you for being part of our creative community, we are very much looking forward to seeing your future creations!

Find Luna Love Candle Co. at the following shops:

Keepin’ It Local in Morganza

St. Mary’s County Arts Council Gallery & Gift Shop in Leonardtown

Various Craft Shows, click here to visit Luna Love Candle Co. on Facebook for announcements about upcoming events.

Maddie may also be contacted via Facebook for direct purchases.

Meet the Makers - February 2022

Welcome to our “Monthly Mini Feature”! We are highlighting different local artisans and crafters who have been busy imagining, creating, dreaming, and doing.

Our Maker of the Month for February 2022 is Anita Evans of Sandjewells!

Anita is a self-described “Mixed Media Maniac” with a passion for all things nautical and “sea shore-ish”, with a fair share of treasures found during her walks and searches for cool stuff!

A majority of Anita’s life has been spent on St. George Island in St. Mary’s County, Maryland in where she grew up and still resides today. Connected to the mainland by a single steel bridge, this island is well known for picturesque water views and excellent fishing spots.

Evans has had a life long love of beach glass, old bottles, oyster shells and driftwood found from the shores of St. Georges Island of which she has collected ever since she can remember.

She has used her found treasures along with an array of gems and shells to adorn old windows and give them a new life. Anita also creates wire wrapped beach glass jewelry including colorful pendants, earrings, and whimsical sets.

“ I love giving items of the past a new life and a second go around.” Anita takes pride in preventing items with a past ending up in the landfill - her motto is Repurpose, Re-invent, and Re-Fabulous!!

Our featured artist also creates alcohol ink wine tumblers, mugs, and hand draws designs with acrylics on an assortment of tumblers, canvas bags, and purses. Her sun catchers are uniquely works of art often integrating items not traditionally found in such pieces such as parts of old and new chandeliers!

Anita also offers a Beach Glass Kit which includes all of the supplies for DIY artists to make their own creations such as key rings, necklaces, magnets, and more.

Find Sandjewells at two local spots: Shepherds Old Field Market in Downtown Leonardtown and also at Keepin’ It Local in Morganza. Anita’s larger items such as the window pieces are located at Keepin’ It Local and she also offers the sale of her items via her Facebook page.

Check out the links below to see our featured artist’s amazing work!

• Facebook: Sandjewells

• Instagram: Sandjewels01

• Keepin’ It Local (Morganza)

• Shepherd’s Old Field Market (Leonardtown)

Meet the Makers - January 2022

Welcome to our “Monthly Mini Feature”! We are highlighting different local artisans and crafters who have been busy imagining, creating, dreaming, and doing.

Our Maker of the Month for January 2022 is Ev Andrianos of Ev’s Glass Creations!

Ev has been inspired to create unique jewelry and gifts that are personal to each individual. She specializes in designing and fabricating holiday ornaments, jewelry pieces and sets (earrings and necklaces), sun catchers, home decor, and more.

One of her most popular items have also been custom “Nested Crosses” which she has designed for weddings, memorial services, and other special ceremonies and events.

Our featured artist gives back to the American Cancer Society with each ribbon glass item purchased.

Ev is very proud to be a U.S. Navy Veteran and often incorporates themes within her work connected to her past military service and related travels and duty stations.

Thank you Ev for being a valued member of our artistic community, we are very much looking forward to seeing more of your future projects!

• Facebook: Ev’s Glass Creations, LLC

• Website: Ev’s Glass Creations, LLC

• Phone number: (540) 412-8242

• Email: evsglasscreations@gmail.com

• Ev will have her work featured at the White Rabbit Bookstore located at 23415 Three Notch Road, Suite 2032 in the Wildwood Center of California, MD starting December 30th, 2021. There will be special “Meet the Artist” events scheduled at that location for January 2022, dates TBA soon!

Also on her Facebook page will be news about any upcoming special events. In 2021 Ev was a guest artist at the Kris Kringle Christmas Market in La Plata, The Fall Craft Show at the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department, the Annual Christmas Bazaar at St. Francis Xavier Church, as well as at other venues and craft fairs.

Meet the Makers - December 2021

Welcome to our “Monthly Mini Feature”! We are highlighting different local artisans and crafters who have been busy imagining, creating, dreaming, and doing.

Our Maker of the Month for December 2021 is Theresa (Terri) Hunt of Terri’s Touch of SOMD!

Terri is a self-taught artist who has had a great love for art since elementary school, where adding drawings to her assignments helped to keep her interested in schoolwork at hand.

As she grew older, Terri started painting on her father’s homemade wood furniture and her mother’s hand-sewn fabric art pieces which were in turn sold at local craft shows.

“Terri has to touch everything!” was how James described his daughter’s keen interest in adding flair to anything and everything destined for the shows.

Years down the road, Terri’s mother presented her with a simple dried gourd.

“What do I do with this?” was the pressing question in Terri’s mind, whilst not very impressed with the very plain-looking plant material.

“Paint a Santa on it!” her mother Carolyn replied, resulting in the first of many holiday creations!

As she was first introduced to gourd art at a very busy period of her life, Terri found her free time to be limited as she was married and simultaneously working and raising children, including Morgan, a special-needs daughter .

When Morgan passed away all too soon, Terri found painting to have a therapeutic and calming effect which evolved into her “happy place” amidst the sorrow and grief of losing her daughter.

Through support of friends, family, and her faith Terri applied to rent a small shop area in the newly opening Shepherd’s Old Field Market.

As one of the first tenants in 2017, Terri entered a new chapter in her life and has since found much joy in creating and sharing her crafts with others.

Terri’s specialty to this day is - you guessed it - hand painted and dyed dried gourds, with her favorite decorated in Christmas themes!

Since no two gourds are alike, each has its own personality and meticulously designed style. Other items featured in her shop are painted vintage pieces such as old wooden sleds as well as cutting boards and utensils decorated using wood burning techniques.

In honor of her late father’s memory, our featured artist fittingly named her new business “Terri’s Touch of SOMD”.

Be sure to visit Terri’s page on Facebook to see a preview of items headed to Shepherd’s Old Field Market for weekly deliveries.

Each piece is handcrafted and one-of-a-kind, if you see one you love Terri welcomes you to contact her via sending a Facebook message, email: theresabhunt@yahoo.com, or by phone at 240-925-5773.

Thank you Terri for being a valued member of our artistic community, we are very much looking forward to visiting your shop at SOFM and seeing your future projects!

*Shepherd’s Old Field Market: https://shepherdsoldfield.com/ (Located at 22725 Duke St, Leonardtown, MD 20650, see website above for current open days and hours (including special event and holiday hours).

*Facebook: Terri’s Touch of SOMD (https://www.facebook.com/Terris-Touch-of-SOMD-580130772485956)

Meet the Makers - November 2021

Welcome to our “Monthly Mini Feature”! We are highlighting different local artisans and crafters who have been busy imagining, creating, dreaming, and doing.

Our Makers of the Month for November 2021 are local artists and entrepreneurs Donald “Murph” Murphy and Margaret Oliver (and family)!

Murph and Margaret, along with their blended family of five children, have found a calling and common bond in both their business interests and artistic pursuits.

With a degree in Business Development & Accounting, Murph has long been the “numbers guy”. His past passions have included running a small business of 20+ years (Murph’s Lawncare). Despite a difficult time where personal issues necessitated the closing of those operations, he met Margaret who encouraged him to consider restarting his services.

In March of 2019 “Murphy Enterprises” was established, a new name and a new start to the next lawncare venture! With support from Margaret as well as the children being involved in various aspects of this new endeavor, Murph found his life to be moving in positive directions and his clientele steadily rebuilding.

Although this type of work had always been of much enjoyment to Murph, Margaret keenly envisioned other opportunities, mainly in the artistic realm. Following Murphy Enterprise’s second anniversary, Margaret organized her ideas and interests into a plan for incorporating hand-crafted and custom-made, yet still affordable, locally sourced goods into the umbrella of their business model.

Having a passion for art and creativity since her own youth, Margaret always enjoyed thinking about how to bring her children’s artwork, as well as other people’s ideas, to life while creating cherished memories in the process.

A short time later, a laser engraver was purchased and a whole new branch of their business was born! All of the family members take part in different aspects of design, implementation, and marketing as well as sales at local festivals and craft shows. Each person, regardless of age and skills, has contributed in their own unique way.

ILLUMINATE ME offers the customization and creation of images on various types of materials including wood, acrylic, marble, tile, leather, glass, paper and more! Their services include engraving, etching, cutting, and printing. Types of wood incorporated into their designs have been birch, cedar, cherry, hickory, mahogany, maple, and walnut. Free estimates are provided for custom projects.

Creating custom photos has been one of their newest endeavors and highly popular for the holiday season. Find all of these and other amazing items in person at these locations:

*Port of Leonardtown Winery in Leonardtown (www.polwinery.com)

*The Gathered Roots Boutique in Leonardtown, behind Kevin’s Corner Kafe (https://www.facebook.com/Gathered-Roots-Boutique-105615191368779)

Upcoming vendor events:

November 11, 2021 from 1 to 5 PM at Port of Leonardtown Winery.

November 21, 2021 from 10 AM to 3 PM at the Fall Craft Fair - Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department, info here.

November 27, 2021 from 10 AM to 3 PM at Briar Branch Alpaca Boutique & Farm, details here.

December 10, 11, and 12th, 2021 at the Charles County Fairground/ Kris Kringle Event, details and hours here.

View their work on Facebook and reach our featured artists by email at: murphy_enterprises@yahoo.com. Phone numbers: 240-925-6925/301-672-7554

Meet the Makers - August 2021

Welcome to our “Monthly Mini Feature”! We are highlighting different local artisans and crafters who have been busy imagining, creating, dreaming, and doing. Our local artists have been and always will be important facets of our community and valuable contributors to the rich artistic heritage of our county.

Our Maker of the Month for August 2021 is Barbara Hak of Occasionally Round Pottery!

Barbara started creating much of her hand built and wheel thrown pottery pieces following her retirement in 2010 from an extended career at a local hospital. Her husband Larry was worried that she would be “very bored” after switching from a full-time job to full-time retirement, so he encouraged her to explore her interests before the upcoming big transition.  

Mrs. Hak had held a longtime curiosity about working with clay but with time constraints due to work obligations her interests were more just thoughts than actual endeavors.

Shortly before retiring, she had enrolled in a few pottery classes and found herself hooked! It was but soon after that she dove in and started experimenting with different designs and glazes and started to create a unique style all of her own.

By 2013, three years into her retirement, Larry had helped to design and transform their home basement into a full studio complete with a potter’s wheel, kiln, and plentiful storage space, a potter’s dream workshop!

Barbara has since created a wide variety of mugs, cups, “Mommy & Grandma Vases”, bowls and platters, plus much more! What started out as simply a joyful hobby evolved into gifts for family and friends, special requests, and for the past few years a growing business given the popularity of “Occasionally Round” handcrafted items.

 One of Barbara’s most recent exhibits was at “The Cat’s Meow”, a kitty themed art show and fundraiser in May of 2021 hosted by the St. Mary’s County Arts Council and Feral Cat Rescue of SoMD. Barbara generously donated a large variety of pottery pieces of which all proceeds from sales were given to the rescue group to help purchase food, medicine, and offset medical costs for the kitties.  Pictured below is one of the kittens helped by the pottery sales! (kitty photo by Jenn Dorsey)

Barbara Hak is an active member of the Color & Light Society and an artist at the St. Mary’s County Arts Council Gallery & Gift Shop. Her beautiful pottery pieces can be found at several upcoming events and locations including:

·       The Coastal Arts Market (select months, email barbhak@gmail.com for dates booked at the Market or visit https://www.coastalartsmarket.com/ to view current list of vendors per event). 

 ·       The Riverside Winefest at Historic Sotterley (Hollywood, Maryland) on Oct. 2nd and 3rd, 2021 – details to be announced at: https://www.sotterley.org/

 ·       Various exhibits and shows sponsored by The Color & Light Society (http://www.colorandlightsociety.org/)

 ·       St. Mary’s County Arts Council Gallery & Gift Shop located at 22660 Washington St. in the Arts & Entertainment District of Downtown Leonardtown. (www.stmarysartscouncil.com/ FB - https://www.facebook.com/smcacgallery

 Barbara will also be featured in the August edition of Discover Southern Maryland!

Meet the Makers - February 2021

Welcome to our “Monthly Mini Feature”! We are highlighting different local artisans and crafters who have been busy imagining, creating, dreaming, and doing. During this particularly difficult time please remember our artists and small businesses who support them as they have been and always will be valuable contributors to our quality of life, our economy, and one of the many important of facets of our community.

Our Featured Artist for the month of February 2021 is Robin Ogline!

Robin created “SmashedCereal”, featuring handmade body care products to create a fun, colorful, and natural bath escape. Robin’s business was founded in 2014 by “a mom on a mission to find a safer, fun way to bathe her children”. Every bath bomb, soap, scrub and much more is handcrafted with high quality ingredients – and super cute too!

Robin’s creativity is boundless when it comes to incorporating bathing-suit clad yellow rubber duckies, mystical mermaids, friendly frogs and a wide variety of other treats-to-keep into bath bombs and soap bars. Also of mention are the wonderful whipped soap scrubs and body butters in an array of scents and styles, we must try them all!

Visit www.smashedcereal.com to see the full catalog of goodies, find her on Facebook and Instagram or visit Shepherd’s Old Field Market (www.shepherdsoldfield.com) in Leonardtown, MD to shop in person!