2010 International Gift Shop Artists

I sell Calendars and Notecards with photographs of urban wildlife, of which most of us are unaware. I have lived in the Riverwest Neighborhood for 18 years. I started taking photographs of wildlife on my daily walks and bike rides along the Oak Leaf Trail. I was amazed at the diversity of wildlife right here in the city, and thought of turning my photographs into note cards so I could share this beauty with others. I hope my cards will inspire people to get outside and look around them. We are very lucky in Milwaukee to have such a wealth of parks and greenspaces. We really do not have to travel very far to enjoy nature and wildlife. It's right here.

The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is grateful to the Milwaukee Friends Meeting for continuing to raise money for our organization through this gift shop. AFSC is devoted to service, development, and peace programs throughout the world. Our work is based on the belief in the worth of every person, and faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice. Founded by Quakers in 1917 to provide conscientious objectors with an opportunity to aid civilian war victims, AFSC’s work attracts the support and partnership of people of many races, religions and cultures.

I love looking at pictures of any kind and making a pins or magnets out of them. It's hard for me to throw away pictures so it's a way of making a picture more permanent and a way to keep some out of the dumpster. I love making things...and I love exploring what comes to me. The past few years I've been working with wheat. I'm looking forward to sharing my things with you.

I make necklaces with coin silver and beads. The coin silver is shaped into little fish, stars, turtles, dragon flies and flowers. It is a traditional art from the Hill Tribes in Thailand. I gather several different kinds of willow, dogwood, rushes, cat tail leaves and inner bark from white and red cedar for my baskets, all renewable material from the natural world, traditionally used by American Indians in this area. I dye silks with natural dyes for scarves. I have cards of photographs I take of our prairie in the summer, and leaves and ice in the winter. I make small baskets with branches and handmade paper - also paper ornaments. My work can be seen at Turtle Ridge Gallery in Door County or at my home in Milwaukee.

I Love to Create! I started making jewelry 10 years ago after completing a jewelry making class at MATC. I create jewelry from materials such as: natural stones, glass beads, and I re-purpose old jewelry. My designs are ever changing from year to year. I create a variety of items which include earrings, necklaces, bracelets, eyeglass holders, and hand-made cards.

Four Corners of the World is a not for profit retailer of Fair Trade products from numerous developing countries. A second mission of our Board, is to educate the public about Sustainability and related issues of Fair Trade, Sweatshop labor and Migration. We have an active Education Committee with a speakers group and a lending library of videos.
The store has gifts which contribute to the economic, cultural, social and ecological sustainability of the farmers and artisans who make our Fair Trade products. Choose from a huge array of unique and beautiful jewelry, textiles, housewares,carvings, baskets, musical instruments, cards and decorative items. We also have sweatshop free organic cotton, wool and alpaca clothing and accessories, Putumayo music and, of course, coffee, tea and chocolate.

I have woven functional baskets for over 20 years. I wove and taught loom-weaving for several years, prior to becoming involved in basket-weaving and still enjoy the common thread that is a part of both weaving processes. I exhibit at 5-6 art shows in the Milwaukee and Chicago area in the summer and fall. I will exhibit baskets of various styles and sizes at the Quaker International Gift Shop this year - woven with dyed and natural reed and cane, and pine needles. My baskets can be used throughout the home for storage, carrying and serving, and as works of art.

My artistry with gourds began in 1997 when I took a gourd workshop during one of our Basket weaving Conventions.  I have been hooked ever since.  I use some of my basket making techniques as well as natural fibers to create my pieces. 

My designs are influenced by nature. I enjoy working with gourds, the 3 dimensional surface takes my imagination to a new level.  Because every gourd is different, each piece is unique.

I am a potter whose been playing with clay for some 30 years. I like to make pots that people can use: coffee mugs, teapots, bowls, casseroles, and colanders. The basic form is created on a potters wheel and later pinched, twisted and pulled bits of clay are added forming handles and knobs. With the layering of glazes I to create rich, mottled surfaces to enhance the forms. I also teach wheel throwing classes for adults at Murray Hill Pottery Works.

kaiba beadworks and more
(kaiba means unique, different in Filipino)

The idea behind establishing kaiba is to offer affordable and eco-friendly items that are one-of-a-kind, trendy, and elegant. The bags are made from buntal (a type of palm tree) and are handcrafted by artisans in Manila, Philippines. The beadworks and fabric brooches are designed and made by Elaine Jorque-Augustine. Each necklace, bracelet, and pair of earrings are composed of various natural and recycled glass beads and are inspired by the fun and eclectic colors of nature.

I enjoy exploring a variety of techniques to make all sorts of things out of clay. I use the wheel, I hand build, I carve, I stamp, I paint with under glazes, I paint with majolica glazes, and I use traditional glazes – but not all on the same piece! I create a variety of forms including mugs, bowls, platters, and message tiles.

LifeWays is a non-profit child development center located in the lower level of the Friends Meeting House. We serve families with children three months to six years, and offer part-time and full-time childcare as well as two different preschool programs. Unique to LifeWays is our KinderForest preschool program, an entirely outdoor preschool program in which the class spends its entire morning in the beautiful wooded Koenen Nature Preserve outside our back door, rain or shine, all year round!

LifeWays will be offering handcrafted items made by our caregivers and parents, as well as all-natural handmade dolls that support a Waldorf initiative in Argentina.

Watching birds and listening to them makes me smile. For me, this is a good start to my day. My small wooden birds are made from nature's materials, mostly found branches. Each bird is unique (as we are too!). My goal and hope is that my "treepeeple" would bring a smile to those who adopt them.

MayaWorks empowers women artisans from the highlands of Guatemala by providing an outlet for their beautifully hand-woven and beaded creations through sales by volunteers in the U.S. Hand-crafted bags, wallets, luggage tags, placemats, runners, wall hangings, beaded jewelry, ornaments, evening bags, scarves, kitchen textiles, and baby items will be offered. MayaWorks is committed to fair trade pricing and also gives microcredit loans and scholarships to Mayan women and girls.

Mary Ellen Quesada devotes herself to both teaching and creating works of art. Mary Ellen works as an elementary art educator at two public Montessori Schools in Milwaukee. She has also taught at community based programs throughout the city.
For the past fifteen years, Mary Ellen has been exploring the art of printmaking. She draws inspiration from her experiences as a teacher, a mother, and an artist. Some of Mary Ellen's artistic themes include community, children, peace, and nature. Several years ago, she started creating three-dimensional pins using her printing stamps. She will be selling matted block prints, note cards, canvas bags, and original pins.

My goal is to provide my customers with well designed functional and decorative hand crafted items including velvet scarves, aprons for adults and children, journals, purses and soft sculpture.

Scotch Hill Farm is a 16-year-old certified organic vegetable grower and registered pastured dairy goat farm operated by Tony and Dela Ends family near Brodhead, Wisconsin.

We'll be selling moisturizing, molded, handmade bars and liquid bottles of soap, which we make from our milk, essential and natural oils, herbs and flowers on our farm. Soaps come in fun holiday, animal and bar shapes and sizes. We'll also have a terrific moisturizing pet shampoo that we make from our goat milk and 6 essential oils. We also hope to have some certified organic, cool season and winter storage vegetable crops for sale outside of the building, as we did for several years previously at the Friends Gift Shop.

Susan Scott has been making soaps from simple, pure ingredients to create a product of honest, unadorned beauty and everyday usefulness for over a decade. The soaps are made, by hand, at home with vegetable oils and are then lightly scented with essential oils, some having organic herbs and spices added for color and texture.
You will also find photographs, cards, knitted items and jewelry. The cards are made by Sensei, 13, Una, 9, and Edmund, 1(almost 2).
All proceeds help support our family in the tradition of home industry - proving that work done by the original machines - human hands, powered by head and heart, will always have a place in our lives.

Jean Smaglik Wells, a potter since 1994, lives and makes functional pottery in Brown Deer, Wisconsin. Jean creates simple traditional shapes to show off the stylized designs that are all hand drawn and carved into each piece. A lot of the imagery comes from nature: ferns, morning glories, flora and fauna from under the sea, and swinging monkeys.
Jean’s stylized designs are carved onto each piece by a process called “slip-carving” or “sgrafitto.” After the piece is thrown on the wheel and trimmed, a layer of colored clay called “slip” is brushed on to the surface. Once the slip has been allowed to dry slightly, Jean draws the design through the slip and carves the background away; no stamps or stencils are used.

Soft-Sculptured Design Handbags & Accessories are one-of-a-kind designs. The fabrics that I use inspire every handbag I design. I like to use natural fibers and authentic African fabrics in sewing my handbags. Most of the handbags are small to moderate in size. Joy and delight are infused in every one of my hand-crafted handbags. Hope that everyone feels the warm spirit of my creations. -Theresa Brunson, Designer

My mini acrylic paintings on canvas combine my love for the outdoors and painting. I enjoy painting both inside and outside. In summer I plein air paint several days a week with my painting buddies. In cold weather very few will accompany me but I still paint. I'm interested in a wide variety of subject matter although I do tend to paint a lot of landscapes as they sit still for me while I'm painting. I am currently an active, exhibiting member in the Milwaukee Sketch Club, the Wisconsin Pastel Artists, and the AC Art Association. I enjoy showing and sharing my work in our beautiful creative world where you can be your best, true self.

WAVE Educational Fund is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing gun violence injuries and deaths. Through research, education and advocacy, WAVE Educational Fund raises awareness about firearm violence throughout the state, provides up-to-date information to the public and to policymakers, and promotes commonsense measures that will bring our state to the forefront of gun violence prevention. Please visit our website for more information or call (414) 351-9283 to volunteer. WAVE will be selling a wide variety of 2011 calendars, multi-colored origami wheels and hand-crocheted cat ball toys and coasters donated by a WAVE volunteer–all benefiting WAVE and the AFSC. We look forward to seeing you at one of our favorite holiday events!