Sandwich Artisans Fine Arts & Craft Show

Every year the Sandwich Artisans hold a juried fine arts and craft fair on the lawn of the Sandwich Public Library. All the proceeds from the vendor fees are donated directly to the library. If you haven’t been to the Sandwich Public Library, you should stop in. They have a wonderful staff as well as many programs for the children. 

This is Cape Cod Clutches' first year participating in the show. After a lot of encouragement from a friend and fellow artisan Elisa Sullivan of Swirls Jewelry, I decided to apply. If you haven’t heard about Swirls by Elisa, you can check out her Facebook page here. She makes wonderful one of a kind and custom pieces. I have a beautiful necklace I purchased from her last Summer. I’ve worn it almost every single day since then and I continue to receive compliments on it. For Mother’s Day, I gave my mom a gorgeous copper bangle bracelet. It was a tad too small for her. I told her I would just exchange it for a larger size. Nope, she jammed it on her wrist! It may never come off again, but she loved it so much she just couldn’t wait for another one. 

Preparing for my first show was stressful to say the least. It was more pressure that I placed upon myself more than anything else. I’ve been so fortunate to be busy with custom orders from my Etsy shop that I didn’t have much inventory for the show. So I worked hard. Every “free” second I had was spent sewing. I use the term free loosely. As you probably know, mom’s don’t have much free time. So, as they say, hard work paid off. I was ready for the show and had plenty of inventory for my customers to choose from.

The day had finally come. Unfortunately it was a little rainy to start off. A few breaks of sun were showing through here and there. The artisans around me were great. When I had trouble setting up my tent for the first time, they were right there to give me a hand. Thanks Sarah from Owl's Nest Pottery!

I had a wonderful day! The customers were all awesome. It was especially nice to see some local Sandwich Mom’s come out to support me! That made my day. Thanks ladies!!

So now I prepare for the next one. Saturday May 24th from 10am to 4pm, I will be back on the lawn of the Sandwich Library. I’m very much looking forward to it! The feelings of the unknown are gone and excitement has taken its place. So come on down and say hi! I would love to meet you. As always, if you can't make it to the show, feel free to order from my Etsy shop here. If you don't see what you're looking for, send me a message and I will work with you to create it!

I will have plenty of Quilted Wristlet designs, Structured Totes, Boardwalk Totes, and the new Double Zippered Wristlets seen here in the Mini and Large. (Maybe more depending on my “free” time.)

I'd like to be Under the sea In an octopus' garden In the shade -Beatles

And that is exactly where I was when I entered the Wellfleet Marine Corp! 

After a beautiful drive in my Jeep down Rt 6 on a sunny Cape Cod day, I landed here at the Wellfleet Marine Corp to drop off some gorgeous (If I do say so myself) Cape Cod Clutches. I was looking forward to seeing Jill, the shopkeeper again. She was so kind and offered to meet me close to Sandwich but I was anxious to see her shop. Boy am I glad I made the trip out to Wellfleet!

This shop has something for EVERYONE! I loved how she had it set up. The colorful pegboard on the walls made for a beautiful and genius display. They had everything from beach toys for the kids, to amazing home decor items. I was truly impressed with the diversity of her items. They even had the cutest toys for our four legged companions.

There were so many items I wanted, but my favorite of the day was this whale with the teeth! How cute is he? I will be going back for him as soon as I do some re-arranging of my walls. 

One of the unique things the Wellfleet Marine Corp has is a pick your own sea glass bin! This sea glass is authentic Cape Cod sea glass! Umm. Wow. I'm always looking for sea  glass and always come up empty handed. Jill, what is your secret? 

This shop is one you DO NOT want to miss! Take an afternoon and treat yourself to a trip to the Wellfleet Marine Corp. You will not be disappointed. Especially if you feel like this:

I know I do...

Welcome Spring Wristlets!

I've been very excited to debut some fresh new patterns for Spring! Spring time is one of my favorite times of year here on Cape Cod! It reminds me of quiet beach days, picturesque harbors, and favorite restaurants re-opening. Everyone comes out from hibernation. After the winter we've had, I was beginning to wonder if Spring would ever arrive. As I look out my windows on this rainy, dark day, I'm reminded that Spring is indeed here. ( It could be snow!)

Here is the first look at a few new Cape Cod Clutches patterns for Spring. I'm loving the coral colored starfish! This pattern has always been a big hit. It is also available in Navy, Turquoise, Gray, and Green. The Navy Anchor print really pops with the contrasting red zipper! The Multi-Colored Anchors are so fun and great for Spring. All of these wristlets come with a coordinating chevron cotton lining! There are more patterns in the works, so stay tuned!

Photos taken by Kristin Sullivan

You can currently find Cape Cod Clutches at several retail locations here on Cape and one in North Carolina! Tides of Cape Cod in Charlotte, NC, Mermaids on Cape Cod, The Picket Fence Consignments, Cranberry Collective, and coming soon to the 1856 Country Store. As always, you can purchase them directly through my Etsy shop too. You can follow the link here. www.capecodclutches.net I'm working with a few other stores and hope to be able to share them with you shortly!

I'm so grateful to be able to work with such wonderful local retailers. I love to shop locally and support my community whenever possible.

Below is my latest fabric bowl.

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” - Confucious

Photo taken by Kristin Sullivan 

Cape Cod Clutches was established in late 2013 and has been going strong ever since. All the items are handmade in Sandwich, MA. I've always loved bags. Handbags, tote bags, wristlets, and wallets, my closet is full of them. They are all displayed nicely in my closet and it makes me happy to see them each time I open the door. 

When it was time to give gifts to my twin boys teachers, I was trying to think of something unique that they hadn't received 1000 times before. So, I decided to make them quilted bags. What lady couldn't use those? I had plenty of fabric leftover from a quilt I had recently made. From that night on, I was hooked. I love to choose nautical fabrics that remind me of the gorgeous landscape that surrounds us here on Cape Cod. A Facebook page, Etsy Shop, and a magazine article later, here we are. You can also find Cape Cod Clutches in several retail stores on the Cape.

 So, I'm a pretty busy girl these days. I spend most of my time sewing. I enjoy almost every minute of it. I do occasionally have to take a break from the repetition and let some creativity out. My most recent "creative" project was this fabric bowl seen below. I adore the bright colors. It is proudly displayed in my beach themed living room.

Photo taken by Kristin Sullivan

Photo taken by Kristin Sullivan