As a plant scientist by education and an environmental policy professional by trade, I’m continually inspired by natural landscapes. A relative introduced to the natural world and horses in my pre-teen years and I’ve never looked back. As I’ve progressed from botany student and nascent outdoors person to an environmentally-focused regulator, policy advisor, and planner, I’ve maintained a sense of wonder about nature’s forms and functions. Parallel to this progression, I’ve created useful objects from beautiful materials, whether it’s quilts from fabric or socks from yarn. I’ve gone as far as owning small flock of sheep and fiber rabbits, spinning their coats to satisfy my creative cravings. The days of owning animals are in my past (except for my adopted Greyhound!), but I’ve never lost the sense of taking something that is in one form and making it into another, hence fabric to collage. My first go at fabric collage followed my becoming acquainted with Kate Furbish, a late 18th century/early 19th century botanist who traveled through Maine on her own to catalogue native wildflowers. She was atypical for her time, traveling alone and for weeks at a time, using watercolor and charcoal to document the unique plants she found. I find her drawings compelling and her fortitude inspiring. These are attributes I try to apply every time I sit down at my table to start a collage. In the spirit of taking risks, I started to consider myself an artist in 2021 and shortly thereafter began to look for venues to display and sell my work. I still work in a corporate world part-time, which really cuts into my creative pursuit, but I’m planning for a full metamorphosis in 2025.
Sambob
Posted by Samuel Roberts & filed under .
Sambob began in 2021, in Logan, Utah, as a Covid hobby, turned business for Sam Roberts. As a wildlife biologist and avid backpacker, Sam spent much of his working hours and free time in the outdoors. Always in search of the perfect mid-layer, Sam learned to sew in late 2020, and started making fleece tops right way. As the interest for his creations progressed from friends and family to strangers on Instagram, Sam was eager to share his fun designs and cozy layers with others and the brand was born!
Jennifer Visscher Art & Design
Posted by Jennifer & Douglas Visscher & filed under .
Color is one of Jennifer’s brightest joys. She embodies her slogan, “Live In Joy and Color!” Color gives energy and elevates our souls. She loves nothing better than when people tell her that her work makes them happy!
Her Mom told the story of a piece of art she did in kindergarten of an autumn tree. There were very positive reactions from teachers and family. From that early age Jennifer was an artist and in 1991 she received a Bachelors in Fine Art from the University of Massachusetts.
Then, in Jennifer’s 30’s she was challenged by a very difficult autoimmune disease called Axial Spondyloarthritis. One symptom called uveitis actually caused her to lose her ability to see colors correctly. It was such a confusing and devastating loss and painting became strained and frustrating. After starting treatment, the heaviness of the disease started to lift. It was like a dense fog had been covering everything and finally the sun was burning through and the colors were starting to appear once again. Her friends – magenta, turquoise, deep golden yellow, grass green, and sky blue, were back by her side. Because of experiencing the loss, she now celebrates colors!
When she finally started feeling better she needed to share about what she had just gone through and she decided on a creative avenue to do so, launching a year long daily “art apple” 2D piece on a blog where she talked about the disease, the challenges, and the need for better diagnosis protocol. After the successful completion of her 365 daily “Art Apple A Day” project, she founded a non-profit called Walk AS One to help other people with the disease.
In 2019 Jennifer finally decided to walk away from the corporate and non-profit world. The pull to devote herself to creativity and art was SO strong! This was a shift – a deep, confident, knowing – and all the stars aligned. In the last few years Jennifer has developed a strong and solid look that excites her to get into the studio every day! In addition to using bright, bold colors, Jennifer loves to create with an imprecise-ness. Life is messy & complex and Jennifer wants people to see immediately that her images are made with an energy by her hand using paint and ink. She does create digital images but mostly from hand drawn shapes first to keep a digital feel out of the work.
Gardens are emblematic of life, beautiful yet full of complexities and chaos. She also loves juxtapositions. Fast bold initial strokes of color vs. the minute details. A matte sheen vs. high gloss. Bleeding colors vs. controlled patterns. Jennifer also loves to innovate and experiment with materials. She’s bound and determined to create not only beautiful original fine art but to also design products with her art.
Jennifer has studios in Maine both near Portland and on the island of Vinalhaven where she lives with her husband Doug and their very loyal and charismatic doodle, Lola, and her reluctant sidekick, Lulu the tabby.
US Felt Company Inc
Posted by VINCENT BORAGINE & filed under .
As a felt manufacturer we have produced felt and fabrics for many applications. One of those being a major clothing and boot manufacturer. US Felt supplied this company with a fabric used as a boot line. After more than 10 years of making this material, we thought this US Felt fabric could be used in other applications. As a trial we had a dozen tote bags made using this material. Although the thickness of the fabric varied from the boot liner, the material retained its superior feel and durability. The material is made of Natural and Recycled fiber that is 100% manufactured from fiber to finished product, sewn, and assembled in Sanford Maine. We received positive feedback on the prototypes and have elected to add a sewing department to US Felt and create these felt tote bags to supply in a commercial setting.
Bootleg Jerky
Posted by Tammy Snider & filed under .
Adaptability and a strong work ethic are important for Maine living. Bootleg Captain, Tammy Snider, has a bounty of both. Raised in a rugged coastal Maine fishing and seasonal work community, I learned as a very small child to rake blueberries in the summer, make Christmas wreaths in the winter and go worming, clamming and lobster fishing in the spring, summer and fall. As most of us know, life in Maine is not easy. As a child we learned to grow our own food and preserve it for the winter months. I enjoyed learning to improve on the basics and add flavor to the food we grew. Then, as an adult, I discovered jerky making. Using a small home-kitchen style dehydrator, I started out making homemade gifts for my nephews and other family members. I soon discovered I had a knack for creating unique and flavorful beef jerky. Watching my nephews tear into their holiday gift packages seeking out the greatly anticipated jerky treats, I realized I might be onto something big.
Soon my family members and friends began requesting and sometimes downright begging me to make some of my jerky. They gladly paid me to make one Cabela’s dehydrator worth at a time. And so, Bootleg Jerky was born. As friends, family and local fisherman gladly snatched up as much as I could make, I knew there was a definite small business opportunity for me and my family. An opportunity that would provide financial stability for my hard working family. Armed with a belief that every experience in life is a learning opportunity, I began taking the steps to transition from a local friends & family bootleg operation to a legal jerky small business that provided a way for everyone to obtain delicious and flavorful beef jerky. It was a challenge I was ready to tackle. It’s been a long, frustrating, and sometimes overwhelming journey but very rewarding at the same time. Progress meant both success and failure. The support and input of my family and close friends was instrumental in my pursuit to keep going. They have been my eager taste testers, supporters, task helpers, and driving force through it all. Several years, headaches, and miles of red tape later, Bootleg Jerky is a thriving business with plans for a small retail shop in the near future. Featuring 14 delightful and unique beef jerky flavor profiles, it is no surprise that there are talks of having to expand the crew in the near future. Currently a one woman show, with occasional help from my mom, I look forward to the not so distant time when I will be able to offer stable income to hard working locals as my business expands. Well on my way to making my own dreams a reality, I offer these words of wisdom for others with a vision:
“Sometimes the best things in life are the hardest to obtain but always strive to reach for your dreams! ”
White Pine Bath & Brew
Posted by Elaine Kinney & filed under .
White Pine Bath & Brew is a woman-owned skincare business creating moisturizing, soothing, and nutrient-dense skincare. We implement Maine craft beer in each soap recipe due to the many benefits beer can bring to the skin. The hops in beer soothes your skin’s irritation and inflammation while the brewer’s yeast is loaded with essential vitamins that nourish and moisturize your skin! The beer itself also contributes to a more luxurious lather, providing you with a peak sensory experience with every wash. The beer used in each recipe is often repurposed, discarded beer sourced from local brewery excess to reduce waste across industries!
You prioritize quality and intentionality in your skincare. These are the values at the heart of White Pine Bath & Brew. Not simply opting for whatever ingredients are cheapest, our choice of high quality oils and butters brings unique moisturizing and nourishing properties to your skin.
Our beard care is formulated to soften and hydrate skin and hair without leaving a greasy residue. We choose carefully balanced oils to mimic the oils naturally produced by the face.
Every body is different, so our skincare is not one-size-fits-all. Got dry skin? Opt for one of our shea or cocoa butter bar soaps. Got greasy skin? Try a soap with sea salt! We ensure a personalized experience for every skin type and preference by offering beard care and soaps with a wide variety of scent profiles, textures, and special benefits. All of our products are handmade in small batches by a human – not a machine – and are sustainable, vegan, and palm-oil free.
LunaBee LLC
Posted by Kelly Withers & filed under .
We began keeping bees nearly a decade ago as an endeavor to share with our twelve-year-old daughter. After participating in a beginner beekeeping class at The Honey Exchange over the winter we started out with two hives in the backyard and grown every year since. Our daughter has since gone on to new horizons, but the hobby captured our fancy and has blossomed into a small local bee-based business selling honey and other products from the hive. Our commitment to producing natural pure raw honey is unwavering; we continuously seek ways to improve our craft and deliver a high-quality product. Over the years, we’ve delved into extensive intermediate and advanced beekeeping education and are on a mission to complete EAS Master Beekeeper certification. Giving back is a core value for us as we grow — we actively gather knowledge and provide support to our peers. With a keen ability to research and implement improvements, we are dedicated to advancing beekeeping practices. We are also passionate about expanding pollinator habitat, we emphasize the importance of pollinators to the public through interactions with our customers and educational sessions with elementary school kids.
Naptime Knots
Posted by Casey Blackstone & filed under .
In 2017 I birthed my first son and I wanted to have a “baby name hat” for his newborn photos. I didn’t fully understand how to sew/embroider at the time and my aunt helped me create my first hat. It wasn’t until almost one year later that I started to make these baby name hats for friends and started selling them on Facebook. The beginning of 2019 I opened an Etsy shop which brought me great leads and sales and in July of 2022 I started my own website, www.naptimeknots.com. I have since consigned and wholesaled my items into local gift stores in Aroostook County and Bangor.
Naptime Knots has been my creative outlet as a stay-at-home mom to three boys. I LOVE newborns and this is my little way to stay connected during this precious time of life. I have enjoyed seeing my past customers come back wanting a baby name hat to match what their older brother/sister had just a few years prior.
Bug-Eyed Co.
Posted by Gabrielle Stratmann & filed under .
Gabrielle Jolie Stratmann’s foundational background as an illustrator started from an early interest in all things creative. She studied under prestigious art schools participating in programs at Maine College of Art, Pratt institute, and Savannah College of Art and Design. She is inspired by traditional feminine crafts taught to her by her great grandmother and grandmothers like embroidery and felting, and hopes to modernize these traditions through unique crafting kits for makers today. Gabrielle is deeply rooted in Portland, Maine’s creative community, hosting and organizing multiple Art Markets and Creative Events through her business Fete Market. She also teaches workshops and classes that focus on demystifying creative practices like watercolor, embroidery, felting, and more into achievable processes that inspire beginners and pros alike to pursue their personal creativity. In addition to being an Artist, Gabrielle was a professional Irish Dancer (yes just like Riverdance) ranking 4th in the world, touring in Australia, and also designing Irish Dance Costumes.
Sweet Monkey Business
Posted by Matt Burke & filed under .
Sweet Monkey Business started with timeless, traditional shortbread and granola recipes. To those recipes we added new flavors and healthy, all natural ingredients. We believe that our company and products have developed a loyal and growing following due to our focus on core values – customer-focused, quality-focused, and employee-focused.