Events at Jen-A-Fusion Next Weekend‏

Happy Spring! Blues skies, birds chirping, flowers popping and new purses are in the air!

Purse-spirations: Purses Inspired by Other Art Opening

Come to the Workhouse Arts Center for the opening of my show Purse-spirations: Purses Inspired by Other Art on Saturday, March 10 from 6-9pm. This opening is part of the on going 2nd Saturdays here at the Workhouse. Every month, we have a reception for the featured Artist of the Month. This month, it is Jen-A-Fusion Fashion Accessories!

What: Purse-spirations: Purses Inspired by Other Art

Where: The Workhouse Arts Center, 9601 Ox Road, Lorton, VA, Building 9

When: Saturday, March 10, 6pm-9pm

Cost: FREE, family, date and singles friendly!

For more information, you can check the Workhouse website here.


Recycled Fabric Tote Bag Workshop

Ever wonder how I do what I do? Want to learn a little of how to do it yourself? Take this workshop and get an introduction to working with vintage and recycled fabrics!

This workshop will cover the basics of making bags out of recycled materials. Learn how to evaluate the fabric and create a functional tote out of old clothing and housewares. Remember, Green is the new Black!

You can look at the course catalog online and register here.

What: Recycled Fabric Tote Bag Workshop

Where: The Workhouse Arts Center, 9601 Ox Road, Lorton, VA

When: Saturday, March 10 and Sunday, March 11, noon-2pm both days

Cost: $75 members / $85 non-members, PLUS a materials cost of $25, payable to the instructor.

Please bring a sewing machine and iron.


If you are not able to make it to either of these events, please feel free to come and visit me at the Workhouse and see the show during the month of March. In April, a whole new set of classes and workshops will start up for the spring session.

Happy crafting! ~Jen

Sewing Class Starts This Week‏

Happy New Year!

Hope the holidays didn't overwhelm you and the new year is treating you right. Was one of your resolutions to learn a new skill? If it was to filet a fish, play chess or make a souffle, I can't help you. However, if it was to learn how to sew, especially, make your own clothing, I can!

I will be starting a sewing class at the Workhouse Art Center this coming Wednesday, January 11, from 7-9pm. This six week course will cover the basic skills of how to read a commercial pattern and make slight adjustments for your figure. You will make a simple skirt as a base for future creative fashion adventures.

If you think you would like to make your own clothing, this is a great place to start! I will be able to guide you through the beginning steps and process to something a little more complex. You should have your own machine, iron and basic sewing supplies.

The cost is $110 for members of the Workhouse and for $125 for non-members. There is also a $10 materials fee to be paid to me for materials I will provide. The class meets at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, VA from 7-9pm for six weeks.

To learn more and/or register, please visit the Workhouse Arts Center's catalog here. In addition to this class, I will be teaching a Fiber Photo Transfer Workshop and a Recycled Fabric Tote Bag Workshop.

Please let me know if you have any questions! Happy creating!~Jen

Happy New Year!

Happiest of all New Years to you! Hope that the first week has been spent doing all those resolutions! ~Jen

I'm Dreaming of a Green Chirstmas

This time of year is all about more: more love, more fun, more food, more drink, more gifts, more consumption, more waste. What's an environmentalist to do? Not love more, not eat more, not give at all? No, we just have to be smarter about want we buy and how we dispose of the leftovers.

We can use the 3 Rs to combat the massive amounts of waste after our festive time is over.

Reuse: Last year, I went to the dollar store and invested in a package of colorful paper bags. I say invested because I plan to use them over and over and over. I also bought colored tissue paper. I wrapped the gifts in the tissue paper and stuck them in the bags. I saved time and money AND the environment because it took so much less time to wrap, I'll use the bags until they fall apart. After gifts were opened, I collected them up and re-used them this year. I even left the name tags on and matched them to gifts and people again.

Recycled: Don't what to use the same bags over and over, or even take off the used wrapping paper and carefully keep it for the next year? There is super fun 100% recycled gift wrap. Green Field Paper Company is just one corporation that offers this option. Cheery snowflakes and whimsical trees are too cute to pass up. (In addition, they offer cards and tags and hemp paper, oh my!)

Recycle: Separate paper waste from the actual trash. Recycle the paper waste, or perhaps save it. Planning on moving? This is better than newsprint for dishes! Or, shredding it and saving for packing materials for future mailings. The shredded paper can also be used in an animal's cage for bedding. I know my childhood hamster would have loved this colorful confetti.

Reuse: Save the wrapping paper, bags and tissue paper for future use. I used to meticulously take wrapping paper off presents, take off the tape, flatten out the paper and save it. My family seemed to think this was more time consuming than need be. So, I rip it all off, but save it to stuff some of my purses.

What about the old versions that new gifts will replace? If still in good condition, most could be donated to worthy causes.

Reduce: Electronics, such as a tv, iPod, cell phone or a computer in working condition can be donated to thrift stores to be re-sold, or perhaps even sold on eBay or Craigslist. (Remember to wipe your drives clean before donation or selling.) Several major department stores have collection areas that will take some small electronics. Check Target, Best Buy or Staples, for example. Or, save these for a future electronics donation drive. Schools and scouts often organize electronic fundraising drives that collect electronics and essentially are sold to a third party company. Your child's school is not planning such a fundraising drive? Why not organize it yourself?

Reuse: Got new pjs, t-shirts, ties, socks or slippers? If the older ones are in good condition, they could be donated. Look for homeless shelters and relocation organizations. If not usable, cut up old clothing, flannel pjs, sheets, t-shirts to use as cleaning rags.

I recently cut up a pair of old flannel pajamas because they didn't fit anymore. Flannel is super soft, absorbent and washable. These make great rags for emergency clean up of spills and can do hard time for heavy duty scrubbing.

There is a year end Japanese tradition called oosoji "which means extensive cleaning." These rags are going to be used for my very own oosoji!

Reuse, Recycle: New towels and sheets donning your racks and beds? Donate old sheets, towels, bathmats and the like to animal shelters. Often, the budget for the care of such places does not cover luxuries like cage liners and comfy blankets. Check with your local shelters for details or check this website.

Reuse: Got a gift basket of new fancy soaps, shampoo and body wash? If you have older full bottles, they can often be donate to local homeless shelters. However, your partial used soaps can be donated too! Clean the World accepts used soaps and such, clean and distribute it to "impoverished people, prevent the millions of deaths caused by hygiene-related illnesses every day." YOUR new gift could mean someone's clean hands!

Reduce: Kids got too many toys? They don't even play with all the plays they have? Research a local nursery school that might need a new load of play things, or may know a family that could use some new ones too.

This is *just a few* suggestions of how to reduce, recycle or reuse the waste from our festive celebrations. Also, don't forget the artists!! Pretty much everything I've listed here could be an art supply. Check with your local art center to get rid of some them!

How do you reduce waste? Add a comment to this blog post or leave one on the link on the Jen-A-Fusion Facebook page and pass along some knowledge to others!

The most happiest of holidays to you and yours! ~Jen

Black Friday at The Workhouse Arts Center

On Friday, November 25, as you are waking up out of your turkey stupor, and not sure what to do with your out of town relatives, plan a day of relaxing among beautiful artwork, instead of driving around parking lots for hours and standing in long lines, just to purchase hum drum gifts.

Come to The Workhouse Arts Center for a full day of shopping. Artists will be on hand to talk about their work and assist in selections. Drinks and light snacks will be available for purchase. There are family friendly activities as well, so everyone is invited!

We have a variety of activities for the whole family. The fun starts in my building, #9, at 9am! We open a full two hours earlier than the rest of the complex for the early birds out there. Then move a few doors down to the Glass Hot Shop for demonstrations. There will be an all day food drive in Building 4, as well as pictures with Santa from 11am-3pm in Building 3. The wonderful day will end at with a tree lighting ceremony at 5pm in the quad, followed by the opening reception for The Art of Fiber exhibit in Building 16.

The complete list is on The Workhouse website. PLUS, I'm sure there will be some impromptu surprises that will pop up. Come early and stay all day!

Hope to see you there! ~Jen

Green Tip~ Rent a Christmas Tree!

Sadly, most of the folks reading this will not be able to do that. Like many great eco ideas, this one started on the 'left coast'. Companies in the Portland, OR and San Francisco areas can rent potted christmas trees, only for the length of the season. They are no cut down to die, nor made from petroleum based plastics. Perhaps by this time next year, someone in your area will be offering this service!

OR, you could make your own recycled christmas tree, like this one by artist Hadas Itzcovitch, installed in the city of Haifa, Israel.

Click here to learn more about this tree.

Happy Holidays to all!

November Artist of the Month~ Lauren Beacham, jerseymaids

With all that is going on in the world economy today, it is so *great* to see someone who can step out of a comfortable spot in life and follow their (he)art in a full time business. Lauren Beacham is a craftsperson who focuses on items made from the images of her Polaroid photography. This creates a truly unique look as no one else will have these photographs. Earlier this year, she made the huge step to focus on her craft full time.

Read on to find out what other life decision has been shaping her product line.

Q~ How did you get started?

A~ I got started on my first piece of functional art when I went on a fruitless search for Polaroid jewelry, coming up empty handed. With that disappointment, I decided to make my own using my Polaroids on shrink plastic and they were adorable! I got so many compliments, gave a number of them as gifts and I finally realized I could probably try selling them. What would it hurt? So the jerseymaids shop on Etsy was born in July 2007. Since then, it's been quite an adventure.

Q~ Do you have any special training or education?

A~ I have a bachelor's degree in photography and computer imaging.

Q~ Do you have a favorite material, medium or substrate you love to work with?

A~ Being a photographer at heart, Polaroid film is my number one favorite tool to use and it's the film I use exclusively in all of my public work. The medium produces a nostalgic dream-like world that has always captivated me. Merging these images with vintage and antique inspired materials, such as jewelry, results in a very fun and easily enjoyable line of products.

Q~ Why do you continue?

A~ For the sheer love of it and the knowledge that I would not function as a normal human being if I didn't. That love and drive has also brought me to a point in my life and business where I was able to leave my job and focus on my art as my entire livelihood.

Q~ What is a greatest success story?

A~ For me, thus far, my greatest success was coming to the realization that I could do this for a living. The preparation time was stressful and full of doubt. When I finally made the plunge in July of 2011, it has been nothing but an uphill journey since. Knowing I can pay the bills, put food on the table and still have some left over based on my hard work is the most gratifying feeling in the world. And I got here on my own terms - without depending on anyone else.

Q~ Where are you based?

A~ I'm in the DC metro area, Frederick Maryland to be exact.

Q~ Where would you live if you could live anywhere?

A~ I actually really love where I live right now. It's a big city with a small town feel and a great community - particularly in the arts. It has everything we need and love - great food, good friends, easy access to DC, Baltimore and family. So, right now, I can honestly say I don't have an enormous desire to LIVE anywhere else. Although I am dying to go spend a bout of time in Italy.

Q~ What would you be doing if not this?

A~ If not doing this, I would probably continue down the career path I began on - in the gallery directing and curating line of work. Right out of college I had the good fortune to be hired as a gallery director in a great place in Frederick (which is what brought me here in the first place.) Without being given the opportunity and gaining the experience I did, I really believe I would not have been nearly as successful as I have been. Seeing the world of art from a business perspective, while maybe a harsh awakening to the starry eyed art student, was a very important bundle of knowledge I needed to have in order to succeed.

Q~ What is next?

A~ Next? Well...as jerseymaids, I'm extremely excited about the holidays. This is the first year I've offered personalized items in my shop and think they will be a booming success this holiday season. My wedding line has been a great new success for me this year, so I plan on giving that more attention in the coming months. I also hope to push myself outside the box for shows in 2012, trying new things I had not thought of before.

For me personally, I just got engaged! So the new year will also be full of lots of wedding planning, crafting parties, and getting ready to share the rest of my life with the man I love. All very happy and exciting things :)

Contact Lauren on the following websites:

Website: www.laurenbeacham.com

Shop: www.jerseymaidshop.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jerseymaids

Blog: www.laurenbeacham.com/blog

Twitter: www.twitter.com/jerseymaids

Email: lauren@laurenbeacham.com

Now that you know more, and since you just *have* to order something, Lauren is offering 15% off for the month of November on everything. Order through her Etsy shop and use the coupon code “happyholidays”, valid only November 1-30. Personalized, handcrafted jewelry? Who wouldn’t want that!

Isn’t it curious that Lauren’s wedding line just happened to be popular the year she gets engaged? Perhaps in a few years, the baby picture items will be taking off!

There has been an image flying around online lately:

While we all can’t help but shop at a few ‘big box’ stores, this holiday season, perhaps we can also try to frequent some smaller stores and boutiques, support artists and local businesses. Look around your neighborhood, where you live and work. Has a new business opened recently? This holiday season will be of the utmost importance for them. Help make the business solvent by supporting them in your shopping decisions.

I’ve already started my shopping by getting some earrings from Lauren, as well as a custom made book from Sande’s Handmade Books, some bath products from Interlaken Soak Company and soap from the Bunny Butt Apothecary. I love giving special, hand crafted items to people I love, as I think those things are more personal and endearing.

Buying from local craftspeople and business helps keeps your dollars local, where it matters most!

Happy shopping! ~Jen

Green Tip~ Save time and money at crafts shows this holiday season
There is probably a school or synagogue or community center in your neighborhood that is having a craft show or holiday bazaar in the next few months. In shopping there, you are supporting the crafters, that organization and the community at large. Save time and money with one stop shopping, instead of driving all around town!