Columbus Day Festival Hot Air Balloon Regatta - Columbus, KS

Peaceacre will be at the Columbus Day Festival Hot Air Balloon Regatta  tomorrow in Columbus, KS, so look for us amidst the vendors as the parade goes by! We are still talking about the great time we had at this event last year, and all the very cool people we met. Can't wait to reconnect! It's only six weeks to Christmas, so now is the time to stock up on all your favorite Peaceacre stocking stuffers! See you there!

Here's a link to the Columbus Day Festival schedule of events.

And don't forget to click the link in the right-hand side bar to visit our new Peaceacre eBay store! Thanks!

Fort Scott This Saturday - Plus, Check out the New Peaceacre Store on eBay!

Just a reminder that, this coming Saturday, September 28th, Peaceacre will be at the Pioneer Harvest Arts and Crafts Festival in Fort Scott, Kansas. The time is 9:00 AM till 5:00 PM, at the Bourbon County Fairgrounds, at the corner of 23rd and Horton Streets.I hope to see you there!

While you're here on the website, check out the all new Peaceacre Store on eBay! Just click the link in the right hand side bar. We're adding cool stuff every day, so bookmark and come back often! Thanks!

Recent and Upcoming Shows

We had an awesome time last weekend at Little Balkans Days, in beautiful downtown Pittsburg, Kansas. We handed out lots of business cards, so if you're visiting this website today looking to restock on soaps, spa salt bars, sugar scrubs or anything else Peaceacre, all you have to do is email me at Peaceacre@ymail.com. We started down the path of selling products through the Peaceacre Facebook page, but that really hasn't panned out, so just send me an email and I'll be happy to create your custom order and ship it to you wherever you are!

This coming weekend, Saturday, September 7th, I will be an exhibiting artist at The Not So Square Arts and Literary Festival in Mt. Vernon, Missouri. I hope you'll come see me! This is an arts festival, so the usual Peaceacre soaps etc won't be there. But I'll have lots of paintings on display and for sale, and a selection of my handmade jewelry, felted items, etc. You can find more info about the festival at http://notsosquarearts.macaa.net/vp/gkcDm/call-to-artists.html. For a sneak peek at some of my paintings, click here!

Our next full show, featuring the full Peaceacre line of handmade soaps, scrubs, hip BoHo items and goodies galore will be Saturday, September 28th at the Pioneer Harvest Arts and Crafts Festival in Fort Scott, Kansas. The time is 9:00 AM till 5:00 PM, at the Bourbon County Fairgrounds, at the corner of 23rd and Horton Streets. See you there!

The Not So Square Arts & Literary Festival

Come see my art this weekend, at:

 

See you there!

Columbus Rocks!

Despite the cold, drizzly weather, Chris and I had a blast Saturday at the Columbus, KS Columbus Day Hot Air Balloon Regatta! Unfortunately, the biting north wind kept the balloons grounded, but there were so many cool activities going on nobody was bored, that’s for sure. No balloons overhead? No worries - how about watching a guy juggle machetes and eat fire? Or maybe just sit back and watch the longest small town parade we've ever seen anywhere (well over 90 minutes)... The real party was on the street where Peaceacre was set up between a group of energetic and fun young foreign exchange students and three snappily dressed young businessmen from California. We met so many fantastic people from Columbus who stopped by our booth to reminisce about fringe jackets and boots, tie dye, and the good old days of hippiedom. Wow. This is why I love to do festivals. So many great people to meet! We feel like we made some real friends in just one short day in Columbus. We will definitely be back! Thank you, Columbus!

Rosemary Hot Oil Infusion

Rosemary is a staple in most herb gardens. This plant is known for its stimulating effect on mind and body. It is antiseptic, analgesic and energizing. The therapeutic properties of leaves are most easily extracted by heating the material in a carrier oil. If kept in a cool, dark place, infused oils will last up to one year. You can use your rosemary hot infusion oil to reduce muscular aches and pains. It also makes an invigorating massage or bath oil.

Here's an easy recipe (makes one pint):

One cup fresh rosemary leaves

 8 oz sweet almond oil

Gently bruise the rosemary leaves to extract as much plant material as possible. Put the oil and the rosemary in a heatproof glass bowl, and place over a pan of simmering water. Heat the mixture for two hours at a very low heat. Strain and store in a glass bottle. How easy is that!

 Watch this space for more rejuvenating recipes for body and soul - coming soon!

What is a Spa Salt Bar?

Do you love how your skin feels after spending time in the ocean? Smooth, shining, glowing, healthy looking skin, A Peaceacre Spa Salt bar is not an ordinary bar of soap. It's a solid salt scrub that gently exfoliates your skin while leaving a milky white lotion behind. Peaceacre spa salt bars are all handmade, hand cut, and made in small batches using specialty clays that help to cleanse and nourish your skin, leaving it silky smooth. This soap has a creamy lather because of its high coconut oil content. This special bar will last and last. The best way to use a spa salt bar is to run hot water over the bar, rub it into your washcloth to create lather, then sooth your skin the natural way.

Peace Handmade Soaps, Salt Bars and Beauty Products Are Now Available at A Bit of Sas Salon!

 

After six months producing soap for wholesale distribution and craft fairs only, Peaceare finally has a retail presence once again in Lamar! You can now find all your favorite Peaceare handmade soaps, lotion bars, sugar and salt scrubs and more inside Crystal Starne's Salon, "A Bit of Sas," located at 602 E 12th St., Lamar.

Demand for Peaceacre spa salt bars has been so great that I have developed a whole new range of fragrances to delight the senses. New signature scents include a wonderful cucumber-melon made with French green clay, an exotic Thai Spice, a fresh spring Butterfly Garden, and a "beachy" summer fragrance I've named Sand Castle. Of course, all the best selling classic salt bar formulas remain available, including Moroccan Clay, French Market, Lavender, Beach Party and Nag Chompa.

In addition to the therapeutic French green, Moroccan red and white and pink Kaolin specialty clays you have come to expect from Peaceacre handmade soaps and beauty products, with the new fragrances I have introduced several new exotic clays from Russia - Cambrian blue clay, the rarest cosmetic clay on earth, plus Russian yellow and black clays. I love the Russian clays, and am really excited to be working with these amazing cosmetic ingredients you won't find in products anywhere else. Each Peaceacre spa salt bar is hand made, hand cut, and PH tested to ensure the quality of your spa experience.

Also new is my Spa Facial Set, with a variety of artfully blended botanicals, oatmeal powders and specialty clays designed to smooth, cleanse and purify your skin. I've had fantastic feedback on this set! So come in and check it out!

With questions or comments, please email me at Peaceare@ymail.com. Thanks!

New Year, New Digs!

New year, new digs! The Shops at the Gallery at 206 W 10th St. in Lamar is closing, so Peaceacre is on the move. We'll be sharing info about the new location soon. We are moving to a larger space, where we'll be better suited to serve our wholesale customers. But rest assured, Peaceacre will maintain a retail space as well. Watch this page for news. 2012 is going to be the best year ever! Thanks, everybody, for supporting Peaceacre all these years. Have a fun and peaceful new year!

New Hours and New Stuff!

Peaceacre is expanding! I've added tons of unique, fun gift items, as well as boutique style AFFORDABLE clothing, so come check out what's new! Our hours are Wed-Fri, 11:00  to 5:30. Come enjoy new art displays every month, and shop for stuff you won't find anywhere else in Lamar! 

Here's a photo gallery of the shop and a few of the newest items on the shelf. Enjoy!

 

What's New at Peaceacre

Peaceacre is now permanently located inside the Arts Council Gallery at 206 West 10th Street, Lamar, just west of the historic town square. The Gallery is the coolest place to visit in Lamar, but the hardest place to define. Is it a working art gallery, featuring a continually changing display of artwork and photography by local and regional artists? YES! Is it a shop, offering a wide variety of handmade items crafted by local artisans? YES! Is it a gourmet bakery? YES! Is it an incubator for artists and craftspeople seeking an inexpensive, low-risk opportunity to start the creative business of their dreams? YES! Is it an artistic community center where groups of people, from writer’s circles, to fiber arts fans, to Open Mic Night musicians and poets and beyond can meet to share and explore their interests in a comfortable, nurturing, and even “funky-cool” setting? YES! Is it a FREE WIFI hotspot? YES! Is it an arts classroom, with a special focus on providing free art classes for children? YES! Is it a concert venue, featuring live music by area musicians across a wide spectrum of musical styles, from folk, to jazz, to classical, to rock and roll, and more? YES! 

And now, it is also the exclusive home of Peaceacre!  The Gallery is open Wednesday through Friday from 11:00 AM to 5:30 PM. Come check it out! Lots of new stuff!

COLLEEN BRAND TO BE APRIL FEATURED ARTIST AT THE ARTS COUNCIL GALLERY

Local artist Colleen Brand loves color, and the vibrant hues in her many nature and travel inspired paintings seem to literally leap off the canvas, drawing the viewer into scenes that challenge us to experience, as if for the very first time, the profound, yet whimsical beauty of the world around us. Whether the subject is a Puerto Rican rain forest hut (complete with hot tub!), deer grazing in a Southwest Missouri wood, or her beloved schnauzer "Pookie" peeking slyly from the window of a passing car, Colleen's paintings show us, not only what these images "look like" to the eye, but how they "feel" when the eye, heart and imagination work together to catch a glimpse of the magic hidden beneath life's surface.

Colleen was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1940. She moved to Jasper, Missouri in 1970, and later to Lamar. Her first job in the area was at Judy's Cafe in Jasper, followed by 30 years of service with O'Sullivan Industries. She worked for several years at Summer Fresh, Wal-Mart and Lamarti's, and even moved briefly to Tallahassee, Florida to work in construction, before returning to Lamar and retiring in 2009.

She got her start as an artist when she opened "Herbs R Food & Gift Chalet," a store on the Lamar Square selling herbs, gifts and handmade ceramics. Her friends Steve Ortner and his wife taught her how to make the ceramics, and she took naturally to painting small decorative scenes on items before their final glazing. Upon retirement, she rediscovered her talent for painting, and now gives full expression to her love of nature, travel, life and color on canvas instead of pottery. In the few short years since taking up the brush in 2009, she has produced more than 150 paintings.

Her work will be on display throughout the month of April in The Arts Council Gallery at 206 W 10th St., Lamar, on the northwest corner of the Square. An artist's reception will be held Saturday, April 2nd, from 2 PM to 4 PM at the Gallery, with hors d'oeuvres, drinks and sweet treats catered by The Wild Plum Cafe and Colleen's granddaughter, Brandi Beam. Both Saturday's reception and the full April art show are free and open to the public. All are invited to come and meet the artist Saturday afternoon, and to enjoy her work all month.

How to find Peaceacre products!

Had a wonderful time at the Cecil Floyd handmade show in Joplin. Met a lot of very cool people, This show draws a HUGE crowd! From 9:00, when the doors opened, until around 1:00 PM or so, there were never less than 30 people in the room we were in, shopping, talking, and generally having a great time together. This was my first year at Cecil Floyd. The lesson I learned this year is that I DEFINITELY need more stock in future years. The Spa Salt Bars sold out early. And I sell them as fast as I can make them in my shop, as well. I played around with this spa salt bar recipe, and finally think I got it right. The feedback has all been positive.

The question everyone was asking at Cecil Foyd was. "Where can we find you? Where do we go to buy your products? We can't find them in the stores or on-line..."

As I have said before, after the holidays I will be shutting down the Artfire store and switching to Etsy. And I will list all of the favorites - handmade spa salt bars, lotion bars, and of course all the soaps you have come to know and love. And yes, French Green Clay soap will be available! Back by popular demand!

But for now, if you really need something, email me at peaceacre@ymail.com. Or visit me at the studio! Hours are Thursdays and Fridays, noon to 6PM, and Saturdays from 9AM to 2PM, through December 18th. In January, the studio/shop will be open one day a week for customers to buy directly from me.Address: 208 W 10th St., Upstairs, Lamar, MO.

Arts Council Christmas Bazaar!

I've been at the studio every day getting ready for Cecil, but I'm REALLY excited about the Arts Council Christmas Bazaar this year. This is fun! It's really cool turning the upstairs of the Arts Council building into a bunch of cool little shops. Today, Vickie Clark amazed me by turning an otherwise drab corner of the Arts Council main classroom into a stunning jewelry boutique. It's all coming together better than I ever expected. Here's the cool ad we are posting tonight all over the Internet. Check it out!

Arts Council Christmas Bazaar!

The Arts Council Christmas Bazaar opens Saturday, December 4th, 5PM-9PM, UPSTAIRS in the Arts Council building on the NW corner of the Lamar Square. Come visit us after the parade (or even before)! This is not like any ho-hum "Home for the Holidays" Arts Council event you've seen before. It's an all-local, handmade, ultra-cool "mini-mall" with three separate stores to choose from. The Handmade Shop features stunning (and affordable!!!)jewelry by Vickie Clark and Fern Brown, "Mo-Chocolate" gourmet cookie mixes and candy's by Janet Dermott, Queen's Family Farm's fabulous dips, jams, candied nuts, Pam Allen's local honey, plus wreaths, scarves, holiday decor, etc etc etc! Wow! Store #2 is a "re-sell-it" shop featuring high quality, gently used, items. We've got doll house furniture, hand-carved African masks from the Ivory Coast, beautiful framed art, books, movies, clothes, dishes, just tons of amazing stuff and more coming in every day. Last but not least, store #3 is Peaceacre - you all know who that is! Handmade soaps, scrubs, lotion bars, spa salt bars, gift sets, and other natural bath and body care products. Peaceacre has added imported Bohemian cloth purses, lace scarves, and all kinds of new goodies just for this Bazaar! And the best part is, after Saturday, all three stores will be open every Thursday and Friday from Noon to 6PM, and Saturdays from 9AM-2PM though December 18th!

But wait, there's more! The amazing Kristie Boswell of Creatively Designed Photography will be doing Christmas portraits. Visit her Facebook page for details - http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=100001893811571

There will be frequent drawings for gift baskets, jewelry and other "door prizes." Check back for details!

More info is available on the Arts Council website at http://ACOBC.org.

See you all Saturday!

Look like this Arts Council Christmas Bazaar is a go! So far there is going to be just tons of cool stuff ! And then there's the Bohemian Handbag! This is the only purse I have ever carried where total strangers stop me in the street to ask me where I got it. It's just wild! So I tracked down the company, did some research, found out they are a VERY ethical company (no slave labor here!), and decided to carry them at the Peaceacre shop. This is not the best picture, There will be at least 5 varieties to choose from, some with peace signs, some flowers, etc. All uber-cool. You have to see them to understand just how amazing they are. The fabrics are beautiful. And I can get by with selling them for only $20. How cool is that?

Peaceacre Will Be At the Cecil Floyd Craft Show!

The 20th Annual Cecil Floyd Craft Show will be held Saturday, December 11, 2010, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Cecil Floyd Elementary School, located at West 24th and Roosevelt Streets in Joplin, Missouri. This year the show will host more than 100 of the finest “jury” selected craft exhibitors from the 4-State area. AND PEACEACRE WILL BE AMONG THEM!!! Yea!


So if you missed me at the Lamar Handmade Show last weekend, I will be at Cecil Floyd, and also, I am once again opening Peaceacre Studio for the holidays, this year in conjunction with the Arts Council of Barton County Christmas Bazaar. We've got an awesome list of handmade vendors coming, even a professional photographer to take family Christmas portrait shots. We'll have events going on throughout the month of December. It's going to be FUN!


As far as the on-line store, I'm sorry! I am trying, but there just never seems to be enough time. Artfire is not really working out for me, so I will soon be changing to a different e-store provider. Watch this space for updates!


But you WILL be able to find me - just come to Cecil Floyd, or to the Arts Council Christmas Bazaar! The bazaar will be open from Noon to 6:00 on Thursdays and Fridays, and Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM,starting December 4th and running through the 18th. I look forward to seeing you all!


Happy Thanksgiving. everybody! We sure have a lot to be grateful for!

Arts Council Handmade Christmas Bazaar!

Attention Barton County Crafters!

Sell your handmade items at the Arts Council Christmas Bazaar! Everyone is looking for that ideal, unique handmade gift - make sure your work is available for them to find! Creative crafts of all kinds welcome. 10% of sales go to support the Arts Council. 90% goes to you! Call Carolyn, 417-214-5757.

Arts Council Christmas Bazaar "Regift-it" Store!

Need extra money at Christmas? Consign your unique, quality, gently-used "regiftable" items for sale in the Arts Council of Barton County Christmas Bazaar "Regift-It" store! 10% of sales go to support the Arts Council. 90% goes to you! Call Sue, 417-681-0646.

Upcoming Shows

First, I want to thank everybody for a great farmers market season. I want to acknowledge that Peaceacre kind of fell off the farmers market map there toward the end, but our loyal customers kept telling us we needed to take our show on the road and so we did. The success we had at some of the out of town shows has enabled me to invest in  bigger and better soap making equipment. I had trouble keeping up with demand in the past, making small batches, but with the new equipment, that should change. This is my second year in business, and I am learning as I go. Thanks for your patience! I could not have done any of this without my local loyal customers - Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Enough traveling for now. I am back in the area and will be at three major shows right here at home between now and Christmas.

The first is the annual craft show at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in Stockton on Saturday, November 13th.

The second show is Amanda Kenter's fantastic Lamar Handmade Boutique, Saturday, November 20th at Memorial Hall in Lamar.

The third event is very exciting. Beginning during Lamar's "Home for the Holidays" celebration on the Square, December 4th, lots of very cool stuff is going to be going on in the Arts Council building at 206 West 10th Street, on the northwest corner of the Square.  Downstairs in the Gallery, Lamar jewelry artist Joanna Turnbull is hosting an "Artist's Market" featuring the work of a variety of artists from far and wide throughout the four state area. Upstairs, the Arts Council will host a handmade store along the lines of what I did last year when I opened Peaceacre to the public for the holidays, only MUCH expanded and full of surprises. It's going to be really cool, featuring awesome handmade items, demonstrations, even a rummage sale! So, to all you crafty ladies out there, if you are interested in taking part, email me at peaceacre@ymail.com ASAP! It's going to be fun! Visit this website frequently for updates!

Thank You to Everyone Who Made the First Annual Lamar Fall Folk Festival Possible!

The Arts Council of Barton County and the 10th Street Community Farmers Market would like to thank all the fine folks who made The First Annual Lamar Fall Folk Festival possible!

Performers:

Dennis Wilson, The Drywood Bluegrass Band, Verne Young, Joe Smith, Pat Bean, Tom Richards, Ralph Williston, The HH Cloggers.

Artists:

Lowell Davis (and his wonderful wife, Rose), Carolyn Dunsing, Jason Branum, Pam Allen, Mick Lindsay, Brent Kelley, Lindy Davis.

Volunteers:

Sue, Rick and Emily Katz, Carolyn and Katlin Dunsing, Mike and Lesa Queen, Carol Branum, Pam Allen, James McMullen, Elizabeth McMullen, Jane and Roger McGuire, Betty Kuhn, Kathy Jenkins, Ione Chancelor, Bertie Wooten, Officer Greg Evans, Christie Boswell, Randall Miller, George Parsons, Bruce and Denise Clements.

Food:

Dixie and Junior Johnson, St. Mary's Youth, Rose Davis.

Donors and Supporters:

Donna Holt, Wes and Sally Hart, The Lamar Art League, Legacy Farm and Lawn, Jason Roark, Dennis Suiter, Walmart, Barton County Chamber of Commerce, Doyle Robinson, Marsha Doyle, The City of Lamar, The Lamar Democrat, Lamar Police Department, radio stations KNMO, KWRP and KRPS, TV station KOAM, The Joplin Globe, Kathy McComber, The University of Missouri Extension Center, Steve Shields, Jim Judd, all the area businesses and libraries that helped by displaying or distributing our fliers. Special thanks to all of the awesome craft and Farmers Market vendors. Our thanks and apologies to anyone we might have overlooked on this list.

And a big thank you as well to everyone who came out to enjoy the festivities - we couldn't have done it without you!

To one and all - THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!