In 2007, the Lexington Farmers' Market was pleased to provide tent space for local artisans.  Each week four artisans are invited to share two tents to display their work and provide items for sale.  The selection includes a variety of work, from jewelry and ceramics to fiber-arts and hand-crafted furniture.  

We invite you to stop by the market and view the work of these creative and talented individuals.

Pam Newman makes custom jewelry using fresh water pearls, semi-precious stones, sterling and gold filled beads and chains, and crystals.  Many unique pieces are also available for children's parties or adult girls' night out.

At the market: June 8, July 6, Augut 31

All of Carolina Portillo's crafts are made from recycled material. The jewelry and accessories, for example, are handmade out of glass recovered from window fragments, bottles, jars and other more traditional sources. When the glass fuses, each design becomes a unique creation. Recycled printed matter is the main ingredient in her new line of paper earrings featuring whimsical designs. She also offers a range of mini-sculptures, such as the tree of life, fashioned out of cork, wires, paper and other "found" ingredients -- "eco-friendly art" at its finest!

At the market: July 13, August 17

 At the market: September 17, September 28

Handcrafted fine artisan jewelry using semiprecious gemstones and freshwater pearls and finished with sterling silver and 14kt gold-fill. Inspired by nature's offerings, Deb MacFail strives to find unique and unusual gemstones and endeavor to create jewelry that enhances their natural beauty. Her designs range from the small and delicate to the large and dramatic. Custom orders are also welcome.

At the market: June 1, July 20, August 17

An avid scuba diver and world traveler, Diane Page has searched the most exotic waters and shores of the world for colorful treasures known as beachglass.  Ms. Page uses the color, form and shape of each unique piece to reflect the ocean's beauty, power and mystery.

At the market: June 29, July 20

 At the market: June 8, June 22, October 12

Erin Moran hand-builds ceramic tableware using a low fire white clay and underglazes. She keeps the forms and colors simple, which makes them perfect for blending with her customer's other pottery collections.  Erin says, "If you have never tried using hand-built ceramics you will be amazed at how much you love it!"

At the market: June 15, July 13, August 10, September 7, October 5

Gail Frain, shown here with her granddaughter, does mosaics -- she breaks up china dishes and makes cement garden stepping stones, serving trays and use shards to decorate picture frames.  She also uses stained glass to decorate tables, chairs and small bird baths.

At the market: July 6, August 24

George Beland is proud to offer an exclusive line of affordable modern furnishings featuring clean lines and thoughtfully balanced proportions. Each piece is handcrafted in Portsmouth, NH.

At the market: June 15, July 13, August 10, September 7, October 5

Grace Farm Organics is a small, family run, bath and body business run out of their home in Lynn, MA.  They use only Organic and Fair Trade ingredients when available.  Every one of their products is handcrafted and "Made in Massachusetts."  All of their packaging is made from recycled materials (if available) and their packaging is all certified Made in America.  Deb Scanlan is one of only 47 Certified Soapmakers in the USA; they have a legal business licensed and are fully insured.

At the market: June 29, August 17, September 7

Seaweed from New England beaches is carefully selected, pressed and dried before being artistically arranged by Lisa Van Citters, who learned her skill while living on the island of Oahu in Hawai'i.  Each piece is unique and hand-crafted to echo the natural beauty of the seashore.

At the market: June 29, October 5

Mei Mei of Lexington, Fine Handcrafted Jewelry, in business since 2002.  One-of-a-kind jewelry designed and created by owner and registered architect Henrietta Mei.  Her jewelry is made out of fine hand selected beads during her travels abroad.  They are made of hand-made glass, Swarovski crystals, fresh water pearls, semi-precious stones and metals right here in Lexington, MA.

At the market: June 15, August 3

Rebecca Schreiber from Sudbury, MA is an artist producing original paper quilted artwork and stationery from her designs.

At the market: June 1, July 27

Tseh-Hwan Yang crafts bath and body products that combine the goodness of nature and science.  Their soaps, lotions, lip balms, bath scrubs and other products are made from scratch with fresh and natural ingredients. They are complemented with safe and effective ingredients from science only if there is a tangible benefit, e.g. lactic acid for skin hydration. They want their products to be fun too!  Look for unique scents such as sangria, guava and lychee, as well as their chocolate chip cookie soap.  They are former research scientists who bring an artisan's passion and a scientific eye to their creations.

At the market: June 15

Karol Peralta's hand-made line of jewelry is created with simplicity in mind working with different types of metals and incorporating beautiful Swarovski crystals in a hue of colors.  At times she does work with natural stones.

At the market: September 14, October 5

Prudence Horne is happy to introduce her series of hand-painted silk scarves. Their bright colors and modern style will enhance any wardrobe. Each scarf is of the highest quality silk. The silk is considered "First Class", "Grade A" silk. The scarves are soft, luxurious and wonderful to wear. Each scarf is unique as they are all individually hand-crafted and expertly designed.

At the market: June 22, October 12

The furniture built by Susan Rioff includes tables, benches, stools, planters, and trellises.  Rustica furniture is build using wood she finds: branches blown down during storms, trees cleared for other uses of the land, trimmings cut to clear paths, lumber scraps, building demolition remnants, and discarded furniture pieces.  All proceeds are donated to the Boston Minstrel Company, bringing music to homeless shelters and prisons in the Boston area.

At the market: August 3, September 21

At the market: July 13, October 12

Shayna Loeffler offers handmade handbags made from upholstery and leather.

At the market: July 20, August 31

In the art studio of her Lexington residence, Sue Acton creates one-of-a-kind precious metal and dichroic glass jewelry using kiln-fusing and cold-working techniques.  Dichroic glass and precious metals are both highly reflective mediums that can be used to create stunning pieces.  After Sue has sketched a design, dichroic and artisan glass are kiln-fused and cold-worked multiple times to achieve the desired look.  Once finalized, precious metal wiring or precious metal clay is used to accent the unique glass.  Sue has several collections including the Sea Collection, Forest Collection, and the Fire & Ice Collection.

At the market: July 6, August 10

Handmade Jewelry:
I am relatively new to jewelry making, coming instead from a background in painting.  I take inspriation from ancient symbols - spirals, labyrinths, hearts and crescent moons - and from nature: leaves, ferns, seashells.  I love incorporating unusual stones and beach glass into my designs, combining sterling silver with touches of gold, and experimenting with surface texture and patination.

Paintings:
My watercolors reveal my love of color, pattern, line and texture.  I often find compelling combinations of these elements in the interiors and still lifes that are my frequent subject.  I use watercolor a little unconventionally, with more opacity and boldness. I particularly like giving positive and negative spaces near equal value, and finding the interesting patters that a close cropping often reveals. The prints are archival "giclee" prints on rag watercolor paper.  Thanks to the high standards of my print shop, they are nearly indistinguishable from the originals.

At the market: September 28, October 26

Thomas Park originated as a small gift shop located in South Boston, Massachusetts. After ten years in business, Andrea Thomas-Lambe closed her retail store to pursue her business of designing and sewing children's & women's clothing and accessories. After a few brief lessons on her Singer sewing machine, she was soon selling her signature reversible jumpers to the public with great success. Her designs are available in shops throughout the U.S., her website and various open markets throughout New England. Andrea's inspiration comes from the beautiful designers whose fabrics are featured in all her creations.

At the market: August 17, October 19

At the market: July 20, August 3

Helene Matteson says that at Urban Kitchen, their mission is to create the best handmade soap using the finest ingredients nature has to offer.  The soaps are made from scratch using the old-fashioned cold process method of soap making.  All of the soaps are made from 100% vegetable oils such as olive, coconut, palm, hemp, castor and wheat germ. 

At the market: June 1, July 27, August 10, August 31, October 12

Underground Velvet is a collection of hand-embossed velvet and fleece accessories. Amy Hedler uses copper templates and a heated press to emboss her whimsical designs into velvet. The mittens, hats, scarves and earmuffs she creates are wonderfully soft and warm and made right here in Arlington!

At the market: September 28, October 19

When I moved to Boston in 1996 for graduate school, I started working with papers and stamps as a hobby. I then moved to Charlottesville, VA, where I taught high school for seven years. While I loved my time in the classroom, I was distracted by how much I loved pairing words with images, playing with white space, and designing invitations for people’s special events. I eventually left teaching to pursue weehah! more fully. Now I’m back in New England, closer to family and the water. Each day I have a new card idea. I have a studio in my home, where I can (and do) play for hours with colorful cardstock, sweet stamps, interesting inks, and, of course, sparkle.

At the market: June 29, August 31