MACON’S ENTERTAINMENT NEWSWEEKLY
Go. See. Do. THE CRAZY BULL WELCOMES Rising country artist Matt Stillwell
DECEMBER 6 - 20, 2013
• ISSUE #277
THE SOUND OF MUSIC at Theatre Macon SANTA SIGHTINGS Hay House to Christmas Parade
Holiday Gift Ideas From Macon Makers
MaKe MaKer it a
Holiday
MACON MAKERS .COM NATIVE
ROGER JACKSON MAKING A DIFFERENCE
MACON POPS
HOLIDAY CONCERT DECEMBER 7TH
CHUCK LEAVELL
COX CAPITOL THEATRE DECEMBER 21ST
MaKe MaKer Holiday it a
Long before big box retailers, concrete jungles of strip malls, parking lot angst and an age where Amazon Prime is preparing drones for same-day delivery, there were makers. So, just what is a maker and where are they here in Macon? The answer lies in anyone who creates. Who believes in their dreams. Who takes a risk. Yes, they are the butchers, the bakers and the candlestick makers. But they are also our poets (like Sidney Lanier!), our artists (like Otis Redding!), our inventors (like Alabama Vest!), our every day laborers, our neighbors and ourselves. Macon is founded upon the blood, sweat and dreams of makers. And it’s been rooted in them since the dawn of the Paleo Indian Ice Age – just take a gander at the Ocmulgee Indian Mounds. This fall, the College Hill Alliance launched an open call for Fluffy Flowers people in Macon to join the “Maker Movement,” a growing national network of artisans, craftsmen, small business entrepreneurs and innovators building new, locally-driven economies. Through a survey found on maconmaker.com, the Alliance is collecting the stories of makers who live and work inside Macon. Jason The Maker Movement is the approximately 135 million adults Frost – 57 percent of the American population ages 18 and up – who employ custom print their creative skills in craft activities, such as making clothing, jewelry, baked goods or art. Financial estimates show that these “makers” push $29 billion into the economy each year. Examples of makers range from computer programmers to wood workers and run the gamut of arts and crafts to engineering and technology. The College Hill Alliance is seeking Macon Makers as part of its expanded focus to boost entrepreneurship and attract homegrown businesses to Macon’s Downtown and College Hill Corridor. In honor of the season of giving, we’ve compiled a sample of Macon Makers collected from the survey. Read on to meet your makers and learn more about their locally made products perfect for giving the gift of uniquely made in Macon.
Debbie Grove & Heather Beall
Rachel L. Moore
From Makers to Macon by Jessica Walden
Doodles ‘n Stitches Custom painted tooth pillow
Zippy Custom Bibs
Valor shaving set
Macon Mud Pottery
Kathy Murphy
Doodles-N-Stitches
Moore of Rachel, Inc.
Macon Mud Clay Studio
Custom Spaces for Babies & Kids
Zippy Coverall Bibs
Functional pottery and sculptural ceramics
What We Make: We make unique and whimsical hand crafted items that combine our talents; Doodles being the art work & Stitches being our bedding, pillows, window treatments, etc. Together we have developed a style all our own.
How Long I’ve Been Making: 10 years for the bibs, 3 years for Tote-a-Vision
How Long I’ve Been Making: I have been a maker my whole life, but my focus on clay began in 2001.
What Inspires Me: My kids were the inspiration for both of my creations. A mother of three (the youngest are twins), I was one of the many parents who experienced frustrations during the feeding process when little ones make a horrible mess, especially on those cute, one-of-a kind outfits. One early morning, when I reached my wits’ end on the matter, I sat at my sewing machine praying for help. All of a sudden, I saw in my mind the perfect picture of what I was to make – a bib with legs. This bib didn’t just have legs; it had zippered legs. After cutting out a pattern, laminating and sewing, I could hardly believe my eyes and neither could my husband when we both gazed at the bib in amazement after sunrise.
What Inspires Me: Elements found in nature, textures, daily rituals and the vessels that support them (like coffee in a favorite mug), other artists, and teaching mentally challenged students who seem to have no conventional boundaries. My students teach me to look at everything differently, because they see everything differently.
How Long We’ve Been Making: We have been working separately for several years but came together as "Doodles-N-Stitches" last year. What Inspires Us: We’re inspired by many things! We love to take a fabric chosen by a customer or ourselves and design an entire room from that fabric. Color, nature, making things 100 percent unique to Doodles-N-Stitches; a unique idea from a customer that we can expand on; making art that we KNOW kids and their families will enjoy for years to come, that inspires us! What’s Special About Macon Made: Something made in Macon, Georgia is special because it showcases our city and the talent we have here. How to Purchase: Our products can be purchased on facebook.com/Doodles-N-Stitches, doodlesnstitches.com, or in our booth at Yesterday's Antique Market
08
DECEMBER 6 - 20, 2013
What’s Special About Macon Made:
After three It truly comes from the heart – the exhaustive years, the heart of Georgia – and every item is made with loving care. patent process was complete, and Rachel received her certificate How to Purchase: mrzippystore.com for the bibs and mindyourvision.com of patent on her for Tote-a-Vision. twin’s birthday!
What’s Special About Macon Made: I moved here from Indiana in 2001. What I found is that the world moves slower here. My passion for pottery seems to fit that pace. It is a laborious process that makes you slow down to enjoy it. In a world of mass-produced goods and fast paced lives, I think people appreciate something made by the human hand. Although I use a lot of stoneware clay, there are local clays available; so an indigenous material is often used to produce my wares. Nothing else looks like Georgia red clay. People from out of town are often seeking wares made from Georgia Clay. Macon is home to a lot of artists. There is a lot of quality, handmade work here in almost every medium. How to Purchase: Macon Mud Clay Studio, corner of Rose and Comer Terrace in Payne City, across from Payne Mill Antiques and maconmud.com.
Talisa Hanson & Catie Adams
Jason Frost
<<
Tipsy & Co. Handmade bracelets and necklaces We specialize in wine cork bracelets and custom-made bracelets, including hand-stamped personalized touches.
Modern Giant Design Graphic Design and Silkscreen Printing What I Make: Gig Posters, Art Prints, Wedding Invitations, Postcards, T-Shirts, Totes, etc. How Long I’ve Been Making: I’ve been designing and screen printing since 2010.
How Long We’ve Been Making: We are a new business, just beginning this fall. Talisa and her sister and mother used to create jewelry back in the late 80's for craft fairs. Now she and her youngest son’s girlfriend, Catie, have partnered their creative design, fashion appeal, love of jewelry and love of time with family to start Tipsy & Co.
What Inspires Me: As cliche as this may sound, everything around me inspires creativity. If I had to highlight a few of them, I guess they'd have to be inspiring others through my work, vintage design and advertisements and/or branding, and other artists that I admire, who inspire me to work harder and get better.
What Inspires Us: Catie and I love making jewelry that is both beautiful and meaningful for our customers. We want our jewelry to serve as both a fashionable piece and a sentimental token for the wearer. Whether they are sporting a bracelet that has the cork from that special bottle of wine they drank on a memorable date, or vacation, to personalized bracelets that hold the initial of someone special to them, or perhaps something they just think is soooooo cute that they cannot live without it!!
What is Special About Macon Made: Locally made goods and arts and crafts have a unique sense of a “do-it-yourself” mindset that I connect with immediately. Hanging a print from a local printmaker or reading a Macon writer's new book is inspiring. I know these folks personally, and that has more of an impact than someone’s work I may never meet.
What’s Special About Macon Made: There is heart and soul in Macon made items. Macon is home for both of us. We both love our hometown and want to encourage people to support local businesses. It is all about community supporting community!
How to Purchase: ModernGiantDesign.com
<<
How to Purchase: We are available in local shows and home parties. We are also on Facebook and update regularly where we will be showing next . Tipsy will even giftwrap for free!
Felicia Haywood
Fluffy Flowers Custom stuffed animals How Long I’ve Been Making: 7 years What Inspires Me: I make things that make me smile. Bright colors and cherry fabrics combined into a smiling creature make me happy.
Johnny Rohrbeck & Jeff Frankenfield
Valor Candles & Gifts For Men Scented candles and classic shaving soap How Long We’ve Been Making: 2 and 1/2 years. What Inspires Us: The way scent is so tightly tied to memory, emotion, and nostalgia. The desire to provide fragrance based products that appeal to both men and women. What’s Special about Macon Made: Products made in Macon have a direct impact on the local economy. Our products are handmade in small batches, insuring quality in every single item.
“In a world of mass-produced goods and fast paced lives, I think people appreciate something made by the human hand.” – Kathy Murphy, Macon Mud
What’s Special About Macon Made: There are so many talented crafters and makers in Macon. These individuals are using their talents to design and create something special that you can treasure. Supporting these folks supports our entire community. How to Purchase: FluffyFlowers.com
Suzanne MacCrone Rogers
Photography & Painted Works Fine art and monochrome photography
How to Purchase: valorcandles.com How Long I’ve Been Making: As long as I can remember . . . about 25 years professionally.
Margaret O’Neal All-natural, preservative-free dog & cat treats
<<
A Dog & Her Girl Bakery How Long I’ve Been Making: A Dog & Her Girl Bakery has been in business since May 2013. What Inspires Me: I love animals and I love baking, so this lets me combine both passions at the same time.
What’s Special About Macon Made: When you buy something from a local vendor, not only do you know where the product is from, but you are also able to form a relationship with the producer. This relationship is something that is missing when you purchase from a mega-box store. Plus, the money is returned to the community. How to Purchase: A Dog & Her Girl Bakery sells delectable dog and cat treats at the Mulberry Market, the Wesleyan Market and at TailsSpin. Check our Facebook page (Facebook.com/dogandhergirlbakery) for more retail sites coming soon.
What Inspires Me: I’m inspired by the challenge of learning something new; creating a beautiful product; making a stunning photograph and timeless work of original art. The delight that my clients and customers have when they have purchased or have received one of my photographs always inspires to continue doing my best work. What’s Special About Macon Made: Historic Macon offers an endless palette of design ideas and inspiration for someone in the arts – especially someone like myself with a background in architecture and photography. For as long as I have been in business I have always appreciated “Made in America” and “handmade” products. Buying local, in Macon, gives us the opportunity to purchase such items. How to Purchase:Contact me directly or visit my web site and online shops. Email: designgirl@SuzanneMRogers.com Website: SuzanneMRogers.com Shops: ItalianGirlinGeorgia.Etsy.com, and blog: ItalianGirlinGeorgia.blogspot.com
11thHourOnline.com
9