I was thrilled artsyletters was the Spotlight Business for First Friday this month. And icing on the cupcake was this TV coverage from Lyndsey Gough of WTOC in Savannah! Enjoy a taste of the celebration. (Ignore the windblown hair!) Link and pictures below.
http://www.wtoc.com/2019/03/02/downtown-beaufort-celebrates-fifth-year-first-friday/
JULY GREETINGS, Continued…
While I will actually be closed this week (July 19-20) because our kids are visiting, I’m delighted to share that you can now find some artsyletters offerings at the BEAUTIFUL Beaufort Emporium & Dry Goods Company on Bay Street!
Check out my table on the left after you walk in, and be sure to peruse the variety of gifts, souvenirs, and special treasures all around. Friendly folks and classy gifts!
I’m honored to have some items there, including some new local-themed goodies such as upcycled and handmade journals, magnets, key rings and bookmarks featuring hand-aged images from antique South Carolina maps. (Listing similar items in my Etsy shop in coming days!)
Enjoy Water Festival Week, whether you’re here in town or just here in spirit!
Greetings from the New Year side of the holidays! Thanks to all my wonderful customers who’ve filled a stocking or two with artsyletters wares in recent years. It’s an honor to be a part of gift-giving traditions.
I look forward to creating all kinds of new items this year, and more of the offerings which need restocking. My studio is my happy place. :0) I’ll resume more “open” hours in February here in Beaufort on Bay Street (this month I’m hibernating with multiple creative writing projects and traveling some, too). In the meantime, my Etsy shop is open 24-7.
Wishing you and yours an inspiring and creative 2017!
If you’re in Beaufort this busy holiday weekend, come on up to the Studio on Saturday afternoon between 2 pm and 4:30 pm! Browse handmade gifts for the bookish folks on your gift list and enjoy some refreshments.
An elf has told me Santa will be at the Clock on Bay Street from 11 to 2, and you’ll want to enjoy the Light Up the Night Boat Parade at 5:30. (The Parris Island Marine Corps Band concludes the festivities at 7 p.m.) What to do in the afternoon? Visit downtown’s shops and galleries, and come say hello! We are at 811 Bay Street, above Modern Jewelers. The stairs are steep, but the welcome is warm. (Note – we won’t be open during Night on the Town this year, but do come by Saturday afternoon!) See you then!
Confession: Sometimes I drive to work.
It’s only a mile, so when I walk, that’s an easy two miles of exercise to add to the day. But – when it’s cold, or rainy, or cold AND rainy, I can’t seem to walk past the car outside my door.
My creativity, though, is not fed by wending through traffic but by walking – taking in the surroundings which change each day with the tides, and noting what things remain more or less the same. On walks my wandering mind might be graced with a “haiku moment” or two. All my senses are engaged.
When I walk to my studio, in the heart of downtown Beaufort, there’s always a wonder along the way. This year I’ll share some of those here. Maybe a picture will strike your fancy, offer a spark of inspiration, or simply give you something to ponder.
Like this:
BAY STREET TREASURES photo ©Robyn Hood Black
Um, how could I not notice the clever use of an old typewriter?! It first caught my eye in the warmer months, and now it’s graced with bright pansies for winter. This delightful gem welcomes visitors to Bay Street Treasures, a wonderful antique store at the corner of Bay and Charles Streets, across from the marina. It’s owned by Ginny & Allison DeBose and Barbara Marsh . Ginny and Allison kindly granted me permission to share this bewitching garden art.
I’ve bought a gift or two at Bay Street Treasures, and my hubby spotted just the thing for when I set up on “First Friday” evenings – some vintage stacking metal shelves. 
Red.
Perfect.
From vintage jewelry to furniture to clever metal oddities in the garden, I’m always tempted in that shop!
Across the street is another little place you must duck in if you are vintage-inclined – Reflections Old & New. Friendly proprietors will greet you there as well – Lynda and Doug Bransford (and their parrot!). You’ll find just the thing to class up your home or your closet with some elegant history. I couldn’t resist these antique metal buttons:
BUTTONS FROM REFLECTIONS OLD & NEW photo ©Robyn Hood Black
Now, what will I use these for? Oh, the creative wheels are turning.
Especially when I walk.