2011 RooTs Holiday Shopping Guide

Hiya RooTs Fans!   Here is just a smidgen of what RooTs has in “store” for the holiday season.  With over 70 local artists and thousands of items to Ohh and Ahh over, we’re sure there is something for everyone on your holiday gift giving list at RooTs.   Swing on it to see what’s new and remember to support your local artist community this holiday season.

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STOCKING STUFFER: beaded braclet – Irene Storch

STOCKING STUFFER: lavender sachet – Kimberly Wheat

STOCKING STUFFER: door charm – Catherine Vignale

STOCKING STUFFER: bottle cap magets – Julie St. Marin

FOR HER: leather wallet – Timmy May

FOR HER: elegant earrings – Cola Burch

FOR HER: Mt. Tam painting – Terry Lockman

FOR HER: beautiful necklace- Ann Marie Hodrick

FOR HIM: bike clock – Liz Dickey

FOR HIM: feather fan – Ken Mineni

FOR HIM: concrete votive – John Vignale

FOR HIM: succulent planter – Edna Robers

LIL’ TOTS: nighty night pillow – Kimberly Wheat

LIL TOTS: lil owls – Tisha Thompson

LIL TOTS: booties – Tisha Thompson

LIL TOTS: plush toy – Maggie Hurley

HOSTESS: bar soap – Etta & Billie

HOSTESS: block print cards – Yoshiko Fujii

HOSTESS: ornaments – Yuka Mann

HOSTESS: Pop! – Wraparama

HOUSEWARE: mini paintings & blown glass mugs – Kary Stickney & Jen Morgan

HOUSEWARE: scultures

HOUSEWARE: ceramic platters – Mary Barone

HOUSEWARE: ceramic vases – Jennifer Fisher

RooTs goes Rogue. Visit us at the Petaluma Antique Faire this Sunday

Owners of RooTs, John & Cat, love the hunt of cool things.  Whether it is reclaimed, recycled … or simply old old old… we love to remake it into something that can be reloved for a looong time.  We have a booth at the Petaluma Antique Faire this weekend (sunday) selling found objects from around the world (well marin & sonoma) and old store fixtures once loved and now ready to find a new home. Come down and enjoy the show… we promise, you will not be disappointed.  Hundreds of vendors, great weather and super great deals will be found.  Here is a peek of our goods… come see us in the parking lot, far west aisle this Sunday – 8 – 4pm.

RooTs Thematics: Coastal Beauty

Like many of the artists here at RooTs, you may have a special love of the coastal landscape and all its wonders – after all, we are on the astonishingly beautiful west coast – and we have many works of art that have been inspired by the locale.

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Artwork shown:

Art Seeds/Kary Stickney  >  Susan Lustenberger’s Seashell Frame  >  Donna D’Acuti

Summer Sale This Weekend at RooTs!

Come in between Thursday August 18th and Wednesday August 21st and receive 20% selected items.

Look for *SALE* signs around the shop and all items on the center table will be offered on sale as well!

Sale items will be offered from the following artists:
Heather Graef of G Studio
Ceramics by Mary Barone
Jewelery by Ann Marie Hodrick
Glasswork by Alanna Brady
Silver Jewelery by Tisha Thompson
Art from Donna D’Acuti
Pendants by Virginia Simpson-Magruder
Art Pendants by Liz Kalloch

Artist Profile: Kendra Renee Jewelry Design

Another in our series of artists profiles!  This week, Kendra Lawrence…

Please tell us the name of your business and what you create.

The name of my business is Kendra Renee Jewelry Design.

I make sculptural, exciting jewelry using traditional metalsmithing and hand fabrication techniques.  This basically means that I start out with flat sheets of metal and wire, and form each shape using saws, hammers, pliers, and countless other tools.  I join piece together by soldering with a torch, and I finish them by hand.  My goal as a jewelry artist is to make pieces that inspire confidence and happiness in the wearer.

Where do you live?

I am originally from Vermont, but I recently moved to San Francisco and I love, love, LOVE it here!

Give us a little history of how you got into the business. What inspires you? Do you have a day job?

I have always loved jewelry.  I’ve made my own jewelry since I was six years old!  In college, I learned how to work with metal from an artist in Boston, and I was hooked.  I knew then that I wanted to make jewelry for the rest of my life.  When I graduated, I moved to San Francisco to launch my business, and have been loving every second of it ever since.

I am inspired by the metal and the tools that I work with.  I am constantly dreaming up new shapes that I can create from the tools that I have.  I also find inspiration from the body- I create each piece to be a beautiful accent to the way we move in the world.

What do you enjoy most about your work? The least?

I really do love everything about my job.  From dreaming up new designs, to hand-making each piece, to being my own bookkeeper and product photographer, to working on my website- I do it all myself and I love each of the hats that I wear as a business owner.  My favorite part though, is when I create a new design in metal from an idea in my head.  It’s so much fun to take an idea, problem solve the kinks out, and end up with something beautiful and fun to wear.

What have you learned along the way?

I am constantly learning.  In fact, that’s one of the best parts about being an artist!  I love learning new techniques that allow me to work metal in new ways.  I’ve also learned a lot about business along the way- too many things to list!

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American Craft Council show this weekend in San Francisco!

Don’t miss the greatness of beautiful handmade crafts at this years show at the Fort Mason Center August 12-14. And if you don’t already subscribe to Craft Magazine, you should. Every month you’ll get a great periodical full of beautiful artwork by master craftsmen and women, informative articles, and access to everything that good regarding American crafts.

Hope to see you at the show this weekend!

RooTs Thematics: Home Spa

RooTs carries a variety of home spa products guaranteed to have you feeling relaxed, pampered, and smelling sweet! Products range from lotions and body butters to aromatherapy candles and spritzers.  And the best part of these products?  You know they were made with wholesome, natural ingredients with attention paid to your overall well being.

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products featured:

Etta + Billie  >  Rubber Duck Soap Co.  >  Good Life  >  Peacock Brand Candle

Artist Profile: Note-ify

Another in our series of artists profiles!  This week, Samantha Barsky…

Please tell us the name of your business and what you create.

The name of my business is NOTE-IFY.  I create note cards, gift tags, and other paper products.

Where do you live?

I live in San Francisco.

Give us a little history of how you got into the business. What inspires you? Do you have a day job?

I majored in photography and graphic design, so I have always crafted and created.  I was making cards from my photographs for my family and they encouraged me to try it as a business.  I still have my graphic design business and do that as well as the note card line.

Describe your creative process when creating your product line.

I take a lot of photographs everywhere I go and then manipulate them on the computer to make them more of a graphic. I also search for vintage graphics that I can manipulate in the same style.

What is something unique or interesting about you or the process?

Since most of my cards are based off of my original photographs, each style is very unique.

What do you enjoy most about your work? The least?

I enjoy the people I have met, the friends I have made, and getting to do something creative and fun every day.  I do not enjoy bookkeeping!

What have you learned along the way?

I have learned that working for myself is not only fun, it keeps me healthy – less stress and I’m the boss!

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Artist Profile: Villain Accessories

This week, our artist profile is Villain Accessories…Don’t let the name fool you – it’s all good!

Please tell us the name of your business and what you create.

The name of my company is Villain Accessories.  I create jewelry from the heart.

Where do you live?

Pleasanton, California.

Give us a little history of how you got into the business. What inspires you? Do you have a day job?

I try to find beauty and light in that which is ostensibly dark. Embalmer and Funeral Director by day, and jewelry designer by night.  I have learned to embrace a life of seemingly disparate worlds.  However, my passion for helping people who are dealing with death lends itself directly to the creative beauty of my artwork, and the two pursuits overlap and interlace to drive one another.

Describe your creative process when creating your product line.

From an idea, an image, an inspiration, I am dedicated to my station.  Once I begin to put the pieces together, 9 hours could pass before I noticed.  There is no real awareness  of time, and I am in the zone until exhaustion or completion of the piece (or occasional blood loss)!

What is something unique or interesting about you or the process?

I am self-taught, with some more formal training last year.  But I am keenly aware of how things are put together.  I enjoy taking pieces apart in a mental deconstruction in order to reverse and teach myself the process.

What do you enjoy most about your work? The least?

I love bringing my pieces to life.  I am creating images in my mind and with a little work and a lot of attention, they become a reality.  Least of all do I like letting my pieces go since each piece takes a bit of me with them.

What have you learned along the way?

Life is precious.  We are given tiny moments to truly appreciate what we have, so we are and what we can provide for others.  If for one moment a piece of my work can make someone feel beautiful or special, I have done it right!

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Artist Profile: Margo Zucker Jewelry

Another in our series of artists profiles!  This week, Margo Zucker…

Please tell us the name of your business and what you create.

My business is Margo Zucker Jewelry Design. I live and work in San Anselmo.

I design and create contemporary, elegant, and unique jewelry that is very wearable and transitions easily from day to evening. I use only the finest freshwater pearls and semiprecious stones combined with sterling silver and gold fill. I am torn equally between simple and classic design to the very ornate.

Give us a little history of how you got into the business. What inspires you? Do you have a day job?

I have always had a love of jewelry, and as I grew up I beaded and created my own necklaces and earrings. I lived very close to the ocean and would take walks to the beach often to pick up shells and sea glass. The warm sandy shore became my retreat and I would spend hours there just lying on the damp sand combing through it to find treasures to incorporate into my necklaces. Rocks and shells with natural holes in them often became the focal point in my early necklace design.

Throughout High School art became my passion. I went to college to pursue some form of art as a career receiving my Bachelor of Science degree in Graphic Design. Happily, I was able to find a job at a large design/marketing firm in San Francisco named Landor. Very successful at my profession, and after a wonderful career there for twenty-one years, I decided to leave my graphics work to be closer to my two growing children.

Invited to go to a local gem show, the masses of pearls and gemstones took my breath away. I was brought back to my childhood and the hours spent at the beach. I was inspired and instantly hooked and decided my next career was to be that of a jewelry designer. From that moment on I set about to define my style and develop my craft. I took several jewelry design classes and poured over books on gemstones and freshwater pearls. I practiced my techniques and experimented with the raw materials. I found that my graphic design style and my jewelry design style were naturally very similar. I truly loved what I was doing. I worked diligently and created many signature pieces to incorporate into my portfolio.

The piles and piles of gemstones and pearls are what really inspire me. The color of one gemstone in conjunction with a different color of pearl often sparks an idea about how to use them together. Both color and texture play an important role in my design aesthetic. I love to combine rough-cut stones (for example, Pyrite nuggets) with the softness of a beautiful white pearl. This kind of juxtaposition I find interesting and unique. I am always searching for unusual or rare stones to incorporate into my designs and often use rough cut stones as a focal point in my pendants.

Tell us something unusual about your creative process.

Sometimes I even use found pieces in my work. For example, recently I used antique mother of pearl, Chinese poker chips as a pendant. Currently, I have developed a new line of earrings that uses silver-plated Victorian filigree stampings in conjunction with pearls and semi precious stones. I call it the Moroccan Collection because the filigree is reminiscent of the patterns and textures of Moroccan fretwork. Often I create pieces that are one of a kind.

What do you enjoy most about your work? The least?

I enjoy having my own business immensely, although I find the sense of isolation sometimes frustrating with no one to bounce ideas off of. I enjoy shopping at the gem shows and being able to come home, get comfortable and start creating something beautiful. I usually have so many ideas that I cannot get to all of them.

What have you learned along the way?

Through the last few years, and with the slowing of the economy, I have found the jewelry business to be very competitive. I have found that standing out in this competitive environment is a huge challenge. As a jewelry designer, my goal is to use the finest materials combined with the finest craftsmanship, develop elegant and unique pieces that are wearable, and price my work fairly. I strive to keep up with what is in fashion but I do not let fashion dictate what I create.

From the natural quality of the gemstones, to the innate beauty of the freshwater pearls, I am passionate about creating jewelry that is elegant, unique and wearable. My work continues to evolve while still keeping this philosophy. Many of my designs are one of a kind and all are created by hand in my studio in San Anselmo.

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