Tag: #christmas #christmasfair #holidayshopping #holidays #whitingmills #tinasbaskets #christmasinconnecticut

Baskets, Bowls, And Wall Hangings Bring Holiday Joy @ Tina’s Baskets Nationally Award Winning Weaver

Joy comes in many forms, especially during the most wonderful time of the year, and nowhere more than at the Art Studio of Tina Puckett, a Nationally award winning woven artist located at Whiting Mills in Winsted. Puckett is known for her woven art, creative use of bittersweet, and dimensional weaving.

Puckett is rolling out the red carpet and inviting folks to visit her Studio #305 in the Whiting Mills, an award winning complex of more than 40 artisans and craftspeople on weekends in November and December. A highlight of visiting the studio is meeting Tina, watching her weave, and learning what inspires her to create her sought after woven pieces. A pleasant surprise is the variety of woven items to choose from in addition to affordable price points. For custom orders or to set up an appointment tina@tinasbaskets.com or text 860-309-6934.

Many things make Tina’s woven art unusual. Each piece is inspired by Tina’s imagination and woven with hand-dyed reeds into beautiful dynamic shapes that will not be found anywhere else. What enhances the character of each piece is the addition of the Bittersweet Vine foraged by Tina in the woods near her home in northwest Connecticut. The natural beauty of bittersweet is at the heart of the inspiration of every piece and often dictates the form a basket, bowl, wall hanging, or sculpture will take.

“So many things in our world are automated and made by machines. It is with great pride that I hand-dye and hand-weave each basket, bowl, wall hanging, or sculpture from all-natural sustainable fibers,“ says Puckett. “Each basket is an original and often handed down as a treasured heirloom,” she continued. Visiting her festively decorated studio that is chock full of merrily made things is sure to get you in the holiday mood.

New this year and perfect for craft lovers are the classes suitable for all skill levels that Tina is offering. All classes take place in Tina’s atmospherically inspiring Studio at Whiting Mills in Winsted. Part of the fun of is to choose the type of basket or bowl you want to weave, your color palate, and how much time you want to spend weaving it. Participants can choose a class on Saturday or Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. or from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Classes are also being offered Monday and Friday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. All participants will leave the class with a finished basket or bowl to take home. All materials are provided including a piece of locally foraged bittersweet vine or a wooden hoop, and a choice of hand-colored, custom reeds. All classes are by advance reservation only and can be made by clicking https://www.tinasbaskets.com/classes

Tina’s Baskets located at Whiting Mills, 100 Whiting Street, Winsted will be open on Saturdays and Sundays, November 30 and 31, December 7 and 8, 14 and 15, and 21 and 22 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. or by appointment. Sundays in December are extra special at Whiting Mills because 40+ studios will be open. In addition, the complex will be hosting Open Studios on Saturday, December 7 and Sunday, December 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All the festively decorated studios will be open and Whiting Mills will be hosting special guest artists to add to the fun. If you work up an appetite, no worries, food trucks will be on the scene offering up seasonal favorite.


About Tina’s Baskets
Tina Puckett is a nationally awarded weaver of baskets and woven art that is the owner of Tina’s Baskets that is located at Whiting Mills in Winsted, Connecticut. Tina has been weaving since 1981 using hand-dyed reeds, bittersweet, and a variety of objects like beads or seagrass. Her work is showcased at a variety of galleries across the United States as well as at her gallery/studio where you will often find her weaving on weekends from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

JanetLeave a comment

Make Holiday Wreath Inspired by Nature @ Great Mountain Forest

A quintessential symbol of the holidays, the wreath, is practically de riguer for yuletide decorating. Making a wreath from locally foraged greens and pinecones gathered by the staff of Norfolk/Canaan’s Great Mountain Forest (GMF) is a gratifying way to add festive flair, naturally, to your home. Best of all, GMF’s Wreath Workshop features boughs from species you will not encounter anywhere else! Join staff educators, Matt Gallagher and Vicki Nelson, as well as GMF Trustees, volunteers, and friends on Saturday December 7, or Saturday, December 14, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. or 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at their annual Holiday Wreath Workshop to make a wreath inspired by nature with materials harvested from GMF.

Resources in Great Mountain’s 6,000 unfragmented acres of forest are always changing and evolving. Some of the greens used in this workshop come from trees that were planted experimentally over the past century, and not native to the area. Due to climate change, and other stressors, many of these species are aging out. Don’t miss the chance to work with them before they’re gone! Greens from the Veitch Fir, a species native to Japan with its lustrous dark green foliage above and white bands below, and Oriental/Caucasian Spruce, native to Europe’s Caucasus and Pontiac Mountains with short, shiny, deep green needles will give your wreath a unique look that cannot be replicated with more common or artificial greens.

Participants may also choose from a variety of locally foraged native greens, berries, and cones such as White Spruce, Eastern White Pine, Northern White Cedar, Mountain Laurel (Connecticut’s State Flower), Winterberry Holly, and Juniper. There will also be four to five different types and sizes of pine, spruce, and hemlock cones to choose from as well as an array of ribbons and decorative items.

Friends old and new will gather around a warm wood stove as they make their wreaths while sipping hot cider and enjoying a variety of snacks. Great Mountain Forest’s staff is always at the ready to help. A bonus of this workshop is that tips will be given on how to properly care for your wreath to keep it fresh throughout the season. You will also learn a bit about each species. One important reason why this wreath will last throughout the holiday season is because the greens were locally foraged at their peak freshness by Great Mountain’s professional foresters. Additionally, using natural greens is eco-friendly and sustainable, because they can be composted after the holiday season.

Tickets are available online by clicking here https://greatmountainforest.org/events The cost of the workshop is $40 and includes all materials. Participants are asked to bring their pruning sheers and sense of fun and creativity to spread holiday cheer. The workshop will take place at the atmospheric Mountain House Barn located on 200 Canaan Mountain Road in Falls Village.


About Great Mountain Forest
Great Mountain Forest (GMF) is a leader in forest stewardship. For more than a century, we have been demonstrating how sustainable management can protect biodiversity and support ecosystems. By serving as a hub for education and research, we are spreading the benefits of sustainable management so that communities across New England derive educational, economic, and recreational and health benefits from their forests—now and well into the future. GMF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit encompassing 6,200 acres of contiguous forestland in Norfolk, Canaan, and Falls Village Connecticut.

JanetLeave a comment

Tina’s Baskets & Woven Arts Offers A Creative Option for Holiday Shopping

Are you ready for holiday shopping? It’s officially gift–giving season, and Tina’s Baskets and Woven Art located in Studio #305 at Whiting Mills in Winsted is here to help. Admittedly gift giving can be kind of selfish… what’s better than that feeling of satisfaction knowing you have found something wonderful and unique for that special someone on your list? At Tina Puckett’s art studio, shoppers will find something unique and not mass–produced for your just as unique friends and family members at various price points. Best of all, this shopping experience lets folks see and feel their choices in person while supporting Connecticut’s artists and the local community.

In an atmospheric studio, visitors will find Master Weaver, Tina Puckett, a national and international award-winning artist known for her woven arts and dimensional weaving creating phantasmagorical pieces that are as beautiful as they are useful. The studio is cheerfully decorated and is open on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in December. An added perk of shopping local is that shoppers will meet Tina and learn what inspires her sought-after woven pieces, making it a memorable experience this season. While shopping don’t forget to enter the raffle for a festive handmade basket!

Finding the perfect present can be a tricky business – and yet a local artist Tina Puckett weaves baskets, bowls, wall hangers, and sculptures that are pieces of art. Tina’s Baskets & Woven Art is sure to satisfy even the most discerning on your holiday list. Visiting her rustic art studio is an adventure in itself, especially if you are on the hunt for something special that is sustainable, ready to be used time and time again, and loved for years to come.

Many things make Tina’s Baskets and Woven Arts, unusual. Each piece is inspired by Tina’s imagination and the natural beauty of bittersweet vines that she weaves into the dynamic shapes with hand-dyed reeds that create a mélange of colors that will not be found anywhere else. What enhances the character of each piece is the addition of the bittersweet vine that is foraged by Tina in the woods near her studio in the Northwest Corner of Connecticut.

New this year and perfect for friends and family who love learning and creating works of art is a gift certificate to take one of Tina’s Basket Weaving Classes. The classes offer teens and adults of all abilities the opportunity to learn more about the timeless art of basket weaving from a master in the field.

Tina’s Baskets is also open by appointment and all woven art and baskets are available online at http://www.tinasbaskets.com.

About Tina’s Baskets
Tina Puckett is an internationally awarded weaver of baskets and woven arts. You can see her works in studio #305/ Tina’s Baskets. Located at Whiting Mills in Winsted, Connecticut. Tina has been weaving since 1981 using hand-dyed reeds, bittersweet vines, and a variety of found objects like beads or seagrass. Her work is showcased at galleries across the World and at her gallery/studio where you will often find her weaving on weekends from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Appointments are preferred and can be arranged by texting 860-309-6934.

JanetLeave a comment

Holiday Market Features Indigenous Artists & @ Institute for American Indian Studies November 25 & 26, December 2 & 3, 9 & 10

Once again this year, the Institute for American Indian Studies located at 38 Curtis Road in Washington is hosting a one-of-a-kind holiday shopping experience that celebrates Native American culture. What makes this Holiday Market unique is that it offers both deeply traditional crafts and more contemporary artistic expressions rooted in Native American cultural experience. Artists represented here are some of the finest working in the area today. It is a celebration of Native American diversity and inspiration.

The Holiday Market throughout the Institute’s impressive exhibition galleries takes place on Saturday, November 25 and Sunday, November 26, and Saturday, December 2, and Sunday, December 3. The final weekend for the holiday market is on Saturday, December 9, and Sunday, December 10. The market is free and open to the public from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. This is one of the few Holiday Markets that showcases only Native American-inspired artwork.

There are so many gifts to choose from including Native American jewelry, paintings, photography, apparel, and candles, to decorative gourds, pottery, rattles, flutes and more at a variety of price points. The chance to talk with the artists who have created these one-of-a-kind objects and to learn about the culture that inspired them makes your gift purchase even more meaningful.

For music lovers, musicians, and collectors, the magical-sounding authentic Woodland Native American flutes handcrafted by Allen Madahbee are truly unique. Madahbee is an Anishinaabe, born on Manitoulin Island, and is a registered Native American in Canada and the United States. In addition to the one-of-a-kind flutes, Madahbee is offering handmade beaded moccasins, woodcarvings, rock sculptures, and original paintings inspired by his ancestors and experiences.

Another vendor, Kim Lewis from Native Visions will be offering an astounding array of Native American Art from Oklahoma and the Southwest including a fine selection of original paintings and prints, Zuni Fetishes, silver jewelry, pottery by Mel Cornshucker, plus Hopi, and Navajo Kachinas.

A long-time favorite of the Holiday Market is Primitive Technologies, a nationally known small business that has worked with everyone from filmmakers to museum curators to recreate the material culture of prehistoric Native American life. They offer exquisite wood-fired replica pottery, hand-constructed from local river clay, hand-carved flint arrowheads and flint animal necklaces, carved stone art, traditional stone tools, containers made out of natural materials, unusual jewelry, and decorative gourds.

Jeanne Morningstar Kent, a recognized Abenaki artist and enrolled member of the Nulhegan Band, Coosuk-Abenaki of Vermont will be offering her artfully crafted decorative gourds in all sizes. Kent’s work is housed in many museum collections including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American Indian Studies, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Roger Williams University, Chimney Point Museum, and many more. What makes these gourds unusual is that they utilize traditional Abenaki and Wabanaki designs.

Brandy Sawyer Emmans of Cherokee descent and owner of bthunder will once again be at the holiday market. Runway model for the Sky Eagle Collection, Native American educator, and advocate for MMIW (Missing, Murdered Indigenous Women), which offers an evocative selection of contemporary Native American-inspired art, jewelry, apparel, candles, and accessories.

Not to be missed is Eva Newell, an enrolled citizen of the Pokanoket Tribe, Pokanoket Nation in Rhode Island. Eva is a multi-talented artist who offers a range of artwork including beadwork, coil baskets, paintings, and glass mosaic storyteller vases. When she is not vending, Eva is an exhibit artist and craft instructor who has worked with institutions throughout New England.”Newell’s beadwork and baskets are also extraordinary. Eva will be participating during the December 9th and 10th market only.

The Museum’s Gift Shop will be open and brimming with gifts large and small in many price ranges. Here you will find a distinctive collection of Native American jewelry, including wampum jewelry crafted by Annawon Weeden, Mashpee Wampanoag, and Pequot artist Dan Simonds, head of the Wampum Wear Collective. A highlight is the jewelry and gift items from Eighth Generation, owned by the Snoqualmie Tribe in Seattle, which partners with Native artists across the country. The result is some of the most beautiful and authentic items available.

For foodies, there is a wonderful selection of traditional Native American food products from Sweet Grass Trading Company from the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. And, in the spirit of the Metis culture, Pemmican Patty’s products offer a selection of bison berry-blended jerky that will connect you with Native foodways and nutrition. The gift shop also has a good selection of books and children’s items.

Although entrance to the museum and the Holiday Market are free, donations are always appreciated. A tour of the museum for a nominal fee is a fun and insightful experience that compliments this unique shopping experience.

About The Institute for American Indian Studies
Located on 15 acres of woodland acres the Institute For American Indian Studies preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs. They have a 16th c. Algonquian Village, Award-Winning Wigwam Escape, and a museum with temporary and permanent displays of authentic artifacts from prehistory to the present allows visitors to foster a new understanding of the world and the history and culture of Native Americans. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located at 38 Curtis Road, Washington, CT.

JanetLeave a comment

Annual Holiday Open Studios at Whiting Mills: A Creative Extravaganza for the Whole Family December 2 and 3

The historic Whiting Mills at 100 Whiting Street in Winsted, Connecticut, invites friends from far and wide to join them for their Annual Holiday Open Studios event on December 2nd and 3rd, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This unique venue, which opened its doors in 2004, is a hub for artists, craftspeople, retail shops, and small manufacturing companies, and a center for the artistic community, and social events. Once again this year, visitors will find that the holiday spirit is alive and well at Whiting Mills!

The Whiting Mills’ semi-annual Open Studio events have earned a stellar reputation, drawing visitors from near and far. It’s a destination for the public to connect with our resident and guest artists, explore their creations, and immerse themselves in the vibrant local art scene.

Attendees can expect a diverse range of artists showcasing their creations, making it the perfect opportunity to find exceptional holiday gifts. From exquisite greeting cards, handmade jewelry, and elegant pottery to scented candles, original paintings, evocative curiosities, and much more, there’s something for everyone’s holiday wish list. The first studio you will see when entering the Mill- #305 is Tina’s Baskets. Master weaver, Tina Puckett is a national and international award-winning artist known for her woven art, artful baskets, and dimensional weaving. Visiting her colorful studio is an adventure in itself, especially if you are on the hunt for something special that is sustainable, ready to be used time and time again, and cherished for years to come. When visiting Tina’s Baskets don’t forget to enter the drawing to win a free basket that is ideal for holiday merriment.

Tina’s Baskets decorated for the holidays!

Whiting Mills has organized a thrilling scavenger hunt for the young ones on Sunday that will provide hours of entertainment for the kids. Additionally, Santa Claus himself will be available for photos on Sunday from noon to 3:00 p.m., ensuring magical memories for the entire family. And for the adults, they’re spicing up the event with an “Ugly Sweater Contest” on Saturday around 3:30 p.m. So don’t forget to put on your most outlandish holiday sweater and compete for the title of the merriest and ugliest! Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three winners.

If you have worked up an appetite, no worries, there is plenty to eat and drink. To tantalize your taste buds, Whiting Mills is thrilled to have the Kraftwich Food Truck on-site. Kraftwich specializes in American comfort food, and its delicious offerings will be available for purchase.

This event is made possible through collaboration with the Warner Theater in Torrington, CT, and we’re excited to join forces to celebrate the arts and the holiday season.

Best of all, admission to the Annual Holiday Open Studios at Whiting Mills is free, and we offer ample free parking for your convenience.

Join us on December 2nd and 3rd for a weekend of art, entertainment, and holiday cheer. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with local artists and support their incredible work.

JanetLeave a comment