Small Towns, Big Finds

Chicken Sam, that was his name, perched in the front window at the Brandon Artists Guild Gallery.  Sam is a two-foot tall chicken with blue stars and a bright red tail, and he was surveying the action on main street.  He's the type of art work that makes the gallery one of my favorite day trips from Lake George, New York. The gallery features whimsical pieces and beautiful art work. You never know what’s waiting for you at the crossroads of Routes 7 and 73 in Vermont. 

We trek to the Adirondack Mountains each year and have found great character in communities knit close together, in the rural country of Vermont. The town of Brandon, which touts a population “hovering around 4000,” is worthy of exploration for artisan treasure seekers. It sits on a fabulous stretch of road if you love small town charm, hidden gems, and fantastic scenery along the way.

Inside the Artists Guild Gallery you’ll find a variety of collections, representing different mediums, for those who enjoy beautiful craftsmanship. On this visit, we admired smoothed stone miniature figures in a range of sizes and colors, and ceramics, my favorite being a coffee mug that looked like it was dripping in sky blue glaze. A unique wooden angel, aptly named, “Ready to Fly,” was another piece that went home with us that day. 

Around the corner, you’ll discover a large fabric shop (I’m not into sewing, but I always stop here) and book store, located conveniently near the deli with a porch to watch locals move about town. Save room for sweets at Cafe Provence which attracts regulars to their gourmet bakery at the river bend. It is charming, with folding orange tables and chairs, and flowers decorating the doorstep. The bakery is well known for its “Cowboy Cookie,” need I say more? As you stroll between Provence and the Artists Guild, it’s easy to see why Brandon is the self-proclaimed “Art and Soul” of Vermont. 

An added benefit of traveling this region is its proximity to other small towns sprinkled together, making it easy for a full day of exploration.  The main street of Vergennes is on the north end of Route 7, and the more established town of Middlebury, Vermont is an easy 16 miles up Route 7, between Brandon and Vergennes.  Among the many restaurants, galleries and shops in Middlebury is the addition of the Edgewater Gallery, with a focus on artisan pieces for the home, downstairs. And it’s just two blocks from Otter Creek Bakery and their raspberry oatmeal squares!

There is something special about the winding, open roads of Vermont. A short ferry ride across Lake Champlain delivers you into these small towns filled with creative energy, offering a charm and inspiration that lures me back every year.

Chicken Sam!

Timelines to Saw Teeth, Three Key Points in Launch Prep

(2) 

Shipping, not sexy, but boy does it force you look at your launch timelines. If you're launching the deliverable of a physical product, specifically one with multiple pieces, then we've learned a few things that might assist you.  

The first thing we realized is how all the pieces hinge together as you wade through the process. Sounds logical, but it’s amazing the degree to which so many different business decisions tie together, like adding lengths to your rope as you float further from the dock. We looked at inventory and different artists’ timelines, talked about the size of boxes, operational flow, and, then everyone’s favorite, shipping (a beast in and of itself). Do we build a website with professional photos – or use our iPhone? Each time you add a puzzle piece, you extend your timeline. This process was almost nine months in advance planning and we wanted more time.

Next, we had to acknowledge that our gift experience is all about working with customers who appreciate unique artistic pieces, and is a conscious choice to go with quality elements that don’t come off an assembly line. We settled into the fact that speed cannot be the priority focus for our market since we’re delivering a custom combination of artists' work. Ours has to be a customer focus on those who get excited about beautiful, hand-crafted items, and agree to plan ahead. 

Third, to arrive at a decision on packaging this content, we had to commit to the box. Nothing happens before a box size, which then relates to what goes in it. You see where this is going?!  We're full circle, back at shipping. The box design itself involves a discussion around not wasting wood, and the teeth on a saw blade. Crazy, right? Yes, more teeth mean less sanding – which saves time on each box.  This matters because of the cost of wood, the tools required, and the time it takes to package each box. 

All this is to share a sliver of our experience with you in pre-planning.  Inventory, shipping, content, and whatever physical elements your business involves, means you cannot underestimate the need to plan months ahead and document the process. If this…then that. You may be amazed at how your plan, and lead time, expands. Be ready. And I haven’t even mentioned building the website yet.  

Check out our hand-crafted gift boxes to see how it all came together. 

A live action shot of those saw teeth mentioned above

Hit the Switch, Let's Get This Party Started!

(1)

That’s what it’s felt like for a long time…us fumbling around in the dark as we searched for the switch, hit the lights and launched this gig. Now here we are, a husband and wife team, starting a new custom gifting experience.

We arrived at this place because we both really enjoy having a creative element in our lives, and it's time for a change (Can anyone else relate to that?!)!  Over the years we’ve visited many small artsy towns and attended plenty of big art shows, a favorite being the American Craft Council,  where we've met folks who are wicked talented. We’ve got a long history of hunting down cool artistic pieces. We love the artists’ work and we recognize we have no gift for throwing pottery or forging metal ourselves.  What we are betting on is our passion for the launch and build and creating beauty from a pile of lumber. As you might guess, this combination has led to many dinner conversations, early morning coffee “what if” discussions, walks around the neighborhood, and drive time talks about what’s next?

Finally, we decided we’d talked enough (we aren’t getting any younger in this process!) and we took the crazy step to start. One can only research and talk for so long before the world – and life – pass you by. Time to put a stake in the ground and our passions to work and hit the “go” button.
 
We hope you’ll join us on this journey. You can check out more details on who we are in About Us.  Feel free to reach out, follow us on Instagram (@red.rugged) share feedback, and suggest artists we should be considering on the Artists page. This blog will focus on the business side of our efforts and the creative opportunities – and challenges - we face.

If you haven’t already, it’s time for your first look at these hand-crafted gift boxes and artisan pieces!
 

A scene below from one of our many days talking about launching a business...