from the Rustic Hearth

Moving

2011-03-11T09:37:00.002-06:00

Yes, from the Rustic Hearth is moving. Will be located in Montana by April. Will be taking a much deserved time off from creating. I shall be enjoying the natural hot springs in the south central part of Montana.

but, I will be producing soaps again by the fall. Photography will still be my focus - keep checking back on www.janis-shortridge.artistwebsite.com

Follow me for updates or email me and I will put you on the mailing list.

j

Photography

2010-09-19T09:07:00.002-05:00

To the left are some links to a wealth of photos on Fine Art America. I am sponsoring these pages which also include some of my photos. Please take a look.

For local fans, come over to The Painted Turtle studio in the Northwestern Warehouse Building - corner of Prince and Broadway. Email me for a schedule. And, remember we are always there for Lowertown First Fridays - every month except April & October when we have the art crawl event.

See you soon!!!

Announcing!!!

2010-04-27T06:56:00.001-05:00

We can now accept credit cards!!!

TRUNK SHOWS - By Invitation ONLY

2010-04-02T18:13:00.002-05:00

We'll be starting trunk shows starting in June. This is by invitation only. Please sign up for the mailing list. Do not miss this event! Trunk Shows will be held every two months.

Art Crawl is April 23, 24 & 25....

2010-04-02T12:37:00.002-05:00

Mark the dates on your calendar. We are having the Crane Ordway artists displaying in the community room. A very nice selection of art for this Spring Art Crawl. I'm hoping to have a photo display of Lowertown in addition to my natural dyed silks.

Hope to see you there.

Lowertown First Fridays!

2010-02-25T08:48:00.003-06:00

Visit me at Northern Warehouse, 308 Prince Street, #206 - Painted Turtle studio has invited me to share her space on First Fridays. Come and see the silks!!!

First Fridays start at 6pm. Join us on the First Friday of March.

Lowertown Art Crawl - Spring is almost here!

2010-02-07T17:29:00.002-06:00

I've had a busy few months. Moved into a loft in the heart of Lowertown!!! I'm organizing the Crane Ordway for the April 23-25 art crawl. New items will be part of this art crawl. I've had so many comments about the silks being like paintings that decided to frame the pocket squares and create some wall hangings. Am excited and watch for photos as I add new items.

Also if you are participating in the Lowertown First Friday - I am participating and you can find me in the Great Northern Building Studio 206.

My studio/loft will be open after the art crawl upon appointment. Watch for updates!!!

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-22T17:24:00.002-06:00

My computer has been on the fritz. Hope everyone has a great Holiday and a very Happy New Year.

2010 will be very different for me. I'm taking a much needed rest but the good news is that I most likely will be in an artist's loft in Lowertown and yes I will have studio space for my customers to visit. There will be limited varieties of soap but will still have the soy candles, reed diffusers, silks and re-sweatered purses. More to come.

j

Landmark

2009-12-12T17:42:00.002-06:00

What a way to end the season!!! Landmark Holiday Bazaar was fantastic. Thank you to all my friends who came to support me and all the new friends I made at the show.

November Events

2009-11-10T11:39:00.002-06:00

Come and say Hi at the Holiday Bazaar (Relay for Life of Eden Prairie - American Cancer Society) November 21st at the Sofitel in Edina (494 & Hwy 100) 10am - 3pm.

Drop on by. I will have my soap products, reed diffusers including the new Little Magic Bloomer, and new silks.

See you there!

US Trendy

2009-05-11T12:35:00.002-05:00

Recently I was invited to join US Trendy as a Designer. My Portfolio is now up and running. Please take a peek. http://www.ustrendy.com/gypsywoman/

I have had such positive response with my silks and will definitely be expanding what is offered.

My scheduled shows for the 2009 season will be featuring this new direction. Soaps, reed diffusers, candles and incense will still be offered but the selection of handcrafted soaps will be limited.

Spring is Almost Here!

2009-03-15T10:44:00.003-05:00

It's been a very long winter in Minnesota. Spring is almost here and April quickly arriving. The "launch" of Gypsy Woman line of "passive" dyeing of fabrics and re-sweatering will be at the Artcrawl at the Rossmor in downtown St Paul, MN on April 24 - 26th. Lowertown is just east of the Rossmore and is part of the event.

I will have all my scarves plus some silk body wraps and pillows at the Artcrawl. Re-sweatering items will consist of clutch purses, coin purses and tea cozies. These are made of wool sweaters that are felted. All recycled.

I hope you stop by to say hi and take a look at these new items.

A New Direction......

2009-01-30T10:05:00.003-06:00

After years of doing arts and crafts shows as a soaper, I've decided to expand and move into a more boutique setup. A couple of years ago I started this transformation by offering a "create your own private sanctuary"....

Bath time is NOT about just getting clean. It's about reconnecting with ourselves or our significant other. In the rush of this world and all the stress we are encountering, we need to learn to relax - to create a place where we can just lie back and enjoy the bath or a shower. Candles (palm & soy), soft music (yes, I have some great relaxation CDs available), massage oils and creams (soy massage candles, rock massage kits), reed diffusers (and other flameless scent options) and now for 2009 I am adding the silks.

I have used silk fibers in some of my soaps. What does silk do? Well....my recipe already produces what they refer to as a hard bar of soap which for you means a longer lasting soap (remember not to let it sit in water)and produces even more silky luxurious lather. Now all of our soaps will have silk fibers in the recipe!

What could be more elegant than the feel of silk on our skin! Step out of the bath or the shower and wrap yourself in a silk body wrap....we will offer caftans and robes. And, our newest creation will be available by late spring - cleavage necklaces! We'll be posting photos as soon as they are available.

It's all about the ambiance. YOU can create your own private sanctuary with more then soap! Silk pillows, scarves, Scarf pins (similar to the cleavage necklaces). Just dream away....after all it's your private sanctuary.....

Our booth setup will be like entering a boutique....soft music, marvelous fragrances...and I can help you select products for you to create your private sanctuary!

2009-01-12T15:16:00.005-06:00

Welcome to from the Rustic Hearth. Soapmaking has been part of my life for over ten years now. Slowly the business has grown and is changing even more so this year - 2009. I totally believe that in this day of rush, rush, rush - we (women) have forgotten to take care of ourselves. We wear so many hats and take care of so many others but forget that we are important.

Creating your own private sanctuary.....is the way to reconnect with ourselves. It's a time to relax, to pamper ourselves, to enjoy time by ourselves. And, once we reconnect with ourselves then we can reconnect with our significant other. Bath time is more then just getting clean.

This blog will inform you about the products I offer to help you create that private sanctuary - YOUR private sanctuary. We offer some of the finest handcrafted soaps in the area. In addition, unique soy or palm candles, reed diffusers, incense (both resin based and sticks & cones) and now I'm pleased to announce we are adding Whisper Silks.

Our first offering are 60" x 11" 100% silk scarves. These are individually dyed using herbs, botanicals and/or spices. These are all natural dyes - they do not come from a bottle. Every scarf is unique and the resulting pattern is random.

We will be adding various textiles as 2009 progresses. A very generous size 45" x 72" (4'x6')silk sarong to use as a body wrap after your shower or bath. We all know how silk caress our skin - it seems to whisper......

In February we will be adding 14" x 14" pillow covers plus 10" x 15" mini "flags" which can be used as wall hangings. And, of course, more 60" x 11" scarves. Remember every piece is totally unique - patterns can never be duplicated. These are truly unique one-of-a-kind gifts.