The Boston Gift Show has generously donated exhibit space to further the American Dream for Patrick Mulumba, a political asylee from The Congo (formerly Zaire).  Patrick is the proprietor of Malachite International, a family business he founded in 2003, after arriving in the United States.  Patrick will showcase his beautiful malachite creations in booth #624 at the Show.  Malachite is the most abundant copper mineral found in The Congo.  It is considered a semi-precious stone in the jewelry industry, with the United States representing the largest demand.  

Patrick’s story is one of courage and inspiration.  Born and raised in The Congo, his childhood years were marked with political unrest which culminated in the overthrow of the government while Patrick was attending college.  Although not a family with political involvement, his father was killed during this unrest.  His mother, believed to be in immediate danger of persecution, was granted a visa in 2001 to enter the country as a political asylee.  Two years later, Patrick and his five siblings were able to join her.

Patrick’s integration into the Boston area is being supported by the International Institute of Boston (IIB), an organization that provides immigrants and refugees with literacy courses, resettlement services, citizenship education, economic development, employment training and social services.  Additional information is available online at www.iiboston.org.

Founded in 1932, the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen is one of the oldest and most prestigious craft organizations in the country.  The League was formed during the years of the Depression to help New Hampshire craftspeople make a living through difficult financial times, through education and by building an audience and market for fine handmade craft.  The League continues this mission today. Through its education and marketing programs, the League has fostered appreciation and pride, throughout New Hampshire and beyond, in the overall culture and creativity of high-quality handmade craft.

To mark its 75th anniversary this year, the League is hosting several events, including a Gala Anniversary Celebration May 10, featuring remarks from prominent craftspeople, awards, and a premiere showing of the League’s new documentary – A LEAGUE OF OUR OWN: New Hampshire and the American Craft Movement; Annual Craftsmen’s Fair August 4-12, the oldest and one of the largest in the country, featuring contemporary and traditional handcraft; 25th Biennial Members’ Juried Exhibit September 8 – October 15, showcasing the technique and artistry of the League’s juried and supporting members; Retail Gallery Craft Weekend September 22-23, featuring special events and demonstrations at the League’s seven Retail Galleries located throughout New Hampshire; 3rd Annual Open Studio Tour November 9-11, when more than 75 juried members of the League will open their studios and shops to the public to showcase their techniques and artistry; Gallery 205 Exhibitions featuring work by the League’s juried members.

For additional information about the League of NH Craftsmen and its anniversary year activities, visit www.nhcrafts.org or stop by booth #1735 at the Boston Gift Show.

Dr. D’s for Dogs (Booth #617), SupahFans.com (Booth #634), Sweet Scentsations (Booth #1624) and Talvel have teamed up to sponsor a Buyers Lounge at the Boston Gift Show, located midway down the 1100/1200 aisle.  Stop by to rest your feet, or chat with an exhibitor away from their busy booth! 

The New England Sampler, Manchester, NH
Barbara Potvin, Owner
2007 Pride of New England Finalist

1) What makes your store stand out from the rest?
People love to buy locally-made products.  Our store is 80 percent New Hampshire-made and 20 percent made or designed in New England.  Having more than 120 local vendors allows this store to have great selection, where you can find something for everyone.  Also, I try to have tastings every month or every other month.  People love to try the products, and I find that when I have tastings, my customers frequently buy the products they tried.  It’s like having friends over for a party, and I think my customers walk out with that sense too.  I always try to make my customers feel comfortable and nurtured. 

2) What is the store’s theme?
It has a warm and cozy country feel, from the time you walk into the store and breathe in the great smells, until the time we say goodbye.  It’s a relaxing, never-rushed environment for both the customers and me.

3) What is your advice to a start-up retail operation?
When I started developing my business plan, I was lucky enough to find www.nhstories.org, now known as www.NHMade.com.  They are a nonprofit organization that greatly assists retailers and wholesalers with marketing New Hampshire-made products, specialty foods and services.  Anyone who wants to go into retail needs to be quite sure of themselves and their products.  You need to offer high quality products at the right price. 

4) What is the value of the Boston Gift Show for your store?
I always manage to find new vendors or lines that we didn’t know about.  I’ve purchased signage from Kingston, NH; candles from Pilgrim Candles in Westfield, MA; specialty foods from Bittersweet Herb Farm in Shelburne, MA; and gift baskets from Basket Weaving 101 in Stafford Springs, CT.  This year, I’m looking forward to finding more unique New England product lines.

Born in the U.S.A.

By Carla O’Connor

While all Boston Gift Show exhibitors are passionate about their offerings, those offering products made in their home state and country feel a strong connection to their goods. And at this month’s show, merchandise ranging from pottery to wall décor, jewelry to candles and clothing to soaps will proudly boast that it’s made in the U.S.A., and the manufacturers will be sharing their stories. “We feel strongly that our work - made in America of American raw materials, hand-made with pride one by one by just us, a wife and husband team - is important in bolstering the economy and raising awareness of the importance of continued craftsmanship in a world of mass production and overseas labor,” said Meb Boden of Meb’s Kitchenwares of the company’s hand-carved wood tongs, decorative cheese boards and cooking utensils, wine stoppers, one-piece handled coffee mugs, party bowls and spoon rests. “Our tags, artist cards, website and presentation all focus on these aspects of our work.

Connie Davidson of North Country Wind Bells, which will be showing several bells and complementary wind catcher designs, as well as wreath hangers, book ends and doorstops, likes to “be there in person to speak with every active and potential buyer with our ‘family story’ of how our work came about.” She will be promoting her products’ heritage with Made in America and Made in Maine signage and showing pictures of her company’s workshop and its employees. Arra David of Sea Stones LLC also will be sharing his story with attendees, citing “booth signs, literature, and personal conversations with buyers” as the ways in which he will be promoting the made-in-America aspect of the company’s products, including its newest StoneStoppers with a Judaica theme. According to David, the StoneStoppers are handmade from smooth beach stones gathered from New England beaches.

Other handmade products for the home that will be vaunting their made-in-America quality include limited-edition Florabunda stoneware serving bowls and lighting fixtures, each piece signed with the name of the hamlet in which it was made, from Ellany Gable and Honey Hill Pottery; Great Bay Pottery’s Tallow Matte line of pâté dishes, bottom-stamped with the company’s name and the year in which it was made; canvas prints featuring award-winning photography and local points of interest, including Nantucket, Boston and Cape Code, from Nature’s Eye Photography; and hand-painted table runners and decorative pillows, the Beachsand collection of candle holders and vases and new home fragrance products from Seaside Designs, which also will be showing new jewelry and an expanded Seaside Stationery collection, all of which state that they are made in Massachusetts.  And for the garden, the Vermont Post Planter, made in Middlebury, VT, allows for decoration anywhere there's a 4-foot by 4-foot post, such as fences, pool decks and mailboxes.

“Most of our products include natural and New England materials that we find on our local beaches,” said Seaside Designs’ Rebecca Townsend. “New England sea glass, sand and shells are some of the materials we incorporate into our designs. We try to source most of our materials locally, if possible. Our company's location on Cape Cod helps, too, as a lot of our retailers promote our products as being made on the Cape, and that has not only New England appeal, but country-wide appeal.” There also will be several lines of made-in-the-U.S.A. products for pampering the body and soul. Danica Design will be introducing a line of soy and beeswax jar candles, as well as adding to its line of hand-dipped beeswax tapers. Sweet Scentsations for the Home & Body Inc. will be showing its new soaps and soy candles, all made in Cape Cod. In addition to its line of premium natural soaps, Summer House Natural Soaps of Cape Cod will be debuting a new line of lotions that are paraben-free, made from 85 percent organic ingredients and match two of the company’s most popular soap scents, Beach Rose and Lavender. And Candlevida will be highlighting its SpaVida line of candles, hand and body wash and bath salts, TeaVida line of candles featuring four tea fragrances, Candlevida for Men collection of candles with earthy fragrances and GardenOfVida line of soy wax candles and moisturizing hand and body wash inspired by garden fragrances.

For retailers looking to please their customers’ taste buds, Cape Cod Provisions will be responding to the increased demand for dark chocolate by combining red tart dried cherries, dried blueberries and glacéd orange peel with dark chocolate and adding lemon, orange and banana fruit truffles in dark chocolate shells to its Harvest Sweets line. Reid Foods will be introducing chocolate fudge and raspberry rum sauces, mango peach tequila and garlic habanera vodka salsas and a pomodoro tomato dip, all featuring a “made in Illinois” product seal. Several exhibitors will be debuting lines that cover the body from head to toe. From Minnesota, For the Journey will be introducing its Signature Collection of limited-edition jewelry designed with hand-picked gemstones, as well as showing its Peace bracelets, one-of-a-kind bracelets packaged with a message that promotes peace. Pieces of a Girl’s spring jewelry line will feature good fortune flowers, love sparrows, filigree butterflies, vintage hearts, embossed lockets and etched hoops, all hand made by designer Lizzy Carter in her New England bungalow. And Kabana will be introducing new jewelry items in its Equestrian line, focusing on Western and English clientele.

Silks by Lucia’s hand-painted, one-of-a-kind silk scarves, neckties and shawls, featuring a technique called marbling, will be on display from Connecticut. One Lupine Fiber Arts/Fusion OL will be showing its collection of women’s accessories and apparel and line of home accessories made from hand-dyed merino wool and chiffon and manufactured in Bangor, Maine. Vermont’s Solmate Socks will be showing its newest sock style, Crocus, which is part of the company’s Garden Collection. For babies and toddlers, New Hampshire’s Cuddlebee will be introducing a line of baby bibs, burp cloths, blankets and toddler wear with “Made in the USA” promoted on its merchandise tags.  Also for children, Basket Weaving 101 will be showing an educational line of do-it-yourself basket-making, weaving, sewing and quill and ink kits, which come from Connecticut. And for further learning, laminated folding nature identification guides, posters and greeting cards showcasing the birds, shells, fish, whales and lobsters indigenous to the New England, Eastern Atlantic Coast and Gulf of Mexico areas will be on display at New Hampshire’s Folding Guides booth.

Stylish Souvenirs on Hand at Boston Gift Show

Souvenir-seeking shoppers will have a day at the beach at this month’s Boston Gift Show, with a slew of new items for the body and (or vacation house!) on display in the Souvenir Source division. For “retailers looking for good-quality merchandise with a catchy theme that will bring customers into their shops,” Work Sucks Gear will be showing its line of bottle Koozies, t-shirts, tank tops, hats, fleeces, jackets and other apparel all centering on the “belief that vacation is better than working,” said Work Sucks Gear’s Wendy Aimola. “We have a basic logo that captures what we feel is the true essence of relaxation on vacation. We also offer some catchy slogans that can be added to any apparel further defining your belief that work does suck.”

Quality, price and trend-right designs are also what other apparel manufacturers in Souvenir Source are hoping to provide to their customers. “I think it is a buyers’ market because of import pricing and selling competition,” said Monte Gross of A.M. Associates Inc., which will be showing first-quality closeouts. Among the rep’s offerings will be a new show special, the denim executive unlined full-zip jacket with two side pockets and two inside pockets by Three Rivers. Brian J. Limberger & Associates will be showing MV Sport’s fashion resort wear for women and men, including zip hoodies, lounge pants and t-shirts, that focuses on softer fabrics and better fits. Price and trend are what Ellen Glickman Associates will be offering with polar fleece-lined jackets and other logo resort wear, according to Bruce Mandelbaum. And JCA Sales will be showing slippers and socks from Acorn Footwear, sandals from Rafter’s Footwear and pirate-themed apparel and gifts from Pirate Crew.

ESY will be highlighting new colors and designs, as well as its private-label and custom-order capabilities. “And we can make products in the U.S.A for customers that need that,” said ESY’s Barry Shore.  The company will be introducing juniors’ tank tops, t-shirts, roller shorts and zip hoodies in new colors; women’s ring spun cotton products with tagless labels, v-neck sleeveless t-shirts, shorts, sleeveless cover-ups and night shirts; and men’s soft pique sport shirts with contrast tipping, ringer t-shirts, pigment-dyed t-shirts and tie-dyed t-shirts, as well as beach towels, diamond-washed hooded sweatshirts and hoodie sweatshirts for adults and children and full-zip sweatshirts and onesies for infants and toddlers. ESY also will be showing new colors in its Nantucket fleece program. Those shopping for beach- or nautical-themed gifts for the home also will find what they need in Souvenir Source’s aisles. According to Beachcombers International’s Harry Chernin, his company will be showing 185 to 200 new items at the Show. These include two new ceramic Lighthouse Birdhouses, each with small wooden perches and its own gift box; the wooden "Every Hour is Happy Hour" sign; and a resin Sandal Pair Banner Magnet, which features a beach scene and can be imprinted in small quantities with individual city names. Med Maps will be debuting Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard frameable maps, as well as a wide variety of pirate-themed souvenirs, including magnets, key chains, hats, maps and shot glasses.

Carla O'Connor is a New York City-based freelance writer and editor who specializes in the home furnishings and gift industries. She was a reporter for HFN and Facilities Design and Management magazines, and her work has appeared online and in several other national publications.

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