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Say hello to Vanessa of Baltimore Bumble Crafts! This earthy crunchy lady is all about doing good for the planet and she works to ensure that her business actively contributes to this effort. Read all about her all natural products and eco-friendly practices in this week’s vendor profile. Vanessa joins us every month on the plaza so be sure to re-stock up on her products in July!

1. Who are you, where are you from and how are you known at the market?

Hi!  I’m Vanessa, sometimes known as “The Bee Lady,” and I sell handcrafted, all-natural, organic skincare.  I’m from the Baltimore area, hence the name of my shop: Baltimore Bumble Crafts.

2. How did you get started in your business and what is your future vision? 

My family has always been a bit “crunchy,” and we love all-natural, real ingredients and home remedies.  Since I’ve always struggled with healthy skin myself, when the opportunity to learn about soap-making presented itself, I leapt at the chance!  A few years ago, I was dating a man who had suffered from eczema since childhood.  His mother taught herself to make soap to deal with his skin condition, and she taught me.  And while he wasn’t a keeper, soap-making was!  These days, I’m working hard to establish the business, and I hope to make this my full-time job in the coming years.

 

3. Why do you do what you do? What is so special about your business?

I do this because I care about respecting our planet, promoting good health, and establishing some autonomy for myself and my customers.

I’ve always loved bees, and when I heard about Colony Collapse Disorder, I realized how devastating that could be to our planet.  To that end, I donate part of the profits of my business to Pollinator Partnership to fund research on CCD.  As I explored the benefits or essential oils, I came to realize that certain species were endangered by our use of those oils, so I also donate part of my profits to the Sustainable Sandalwood Foundation.  On a more regular basis, I use re-used, recycled, and recyclable materials in my packaging.  In fact, if you bring back the tins or jars from a previous purchase, you receive 75 cents off your next purchase!

I believe that what you put on your body is as important as what you put in your body.  To that end, I use only recognizable, food-grade ingredients in my products.  You’ll notice that most of my products are solids: soap bars, solid shampoos, solid lotion bars, etc.  Doing this allows me to use far fewer preservatives, and you’ll be surprised how short the ingredient lists are!  There are no surprises, and when I say “all-natural,” I mean it.

Autonomy is important to me, but so is interconnectedness.  Running a one-woman business means that I can oversee the process from start to finish, from purchasing supplies to discussing finished products with customers.  But that moment, when I’m standing in the market talking to you about soap, is the best part of this whole business.  I can be confident in the quality of my work, and responsive to your needs.  Selling and shopping at FSM should be an empowering experience, and I try to make time to talk with each customer, addressing your needs, answering your questions, and never pressuring you to purchase an inappropriate item.  I’ll let you in on a little secret: I price my items so that every products “earns” me the same amount of money.  This means that I will never recommend a more expensive product to you unless I genuinely think it will be more appropriate for your needs.

4. What do you love about FSM?

I love so much about FSM that I honestly don’t know where to start, but if I had to pick, I would say the community of vendors.  While I’ve never had a chance to attend one of the vendor support meetings, I have made so many friends at this market, gotten so much good advice, and found real opportunities for growth here.  My days here may not be the biggest shows I do all year, but I always look forward to the 3rd Saturday of the month, when I get to come to FSM.  And to be honest, I feel just a teensy bit sad on the other three Saturdays of the month when I’m not here.  Oh, and I love crêpes …

Summer is here! Relax your mind and body with yoga at the market this morning courtesy of Sky House Yoga. We’ll also have some acoustic blues music by Social Ramble, a performance by the Capital Accord Chorus, a super-sized train show and a Goodwill Donation Drive!

Joining Us This Week:

Pazmino Pottery: Rayna is an expert potter and one of our newest vendors to the market! In addition to traditional pieces, Rayna also makes amazing votive candle holders and bowls to hold yarn while knitting. See them in person on Saturday!

Goodwill of Greater Washington: Refresh your summer wardrobe this Saturday with some new-to-you garments – find a new statement piece that will turn heads all summer and won’t be found in any other store around! GGW will also have a donation truck at the market from 10 am – 2pm. Details below.

Baltimore Bumble Crafts: Vanessa is our resident beeswax body care lady. She joins us the 4th Saturday of the month all season, bringing with her butters and creams to get your skin through the summer. Try her bug-repellent lotion and read all about her and her work in her new vendor profile.

Larry Stevens Art: Have you met Larry Stevens yet? He is definitely a guy you want to know at the market. He has great prints to brighten your house this summer.

Great Ape!: These are not sock monkeys – they’re sock apes! One-of-a-kind apes handsewn from soft socks by one of our Takoma Park neighbors. We think these make great report card gifts for your young scholar.

Community Programing:

10:00 a.m. – 2:00 pm: Goodwill of Greater Washington Donation Drive: Donate electronics and used goods including: electronics, clothing, housewares and furniture. Donations provide job training and employment services to people with disabilities and disadvantages. The donation truck will be on Ellsworth Drive close to the corner of Fenton Street.

10:30 am: Live Music by Capital Accord Chorus

10:30 – 11:30 am: Kids Yoga at the market with Sky House Yoga

11:30 am – 12:30 pm: Teens/Adults Yoga at the market with Sky House Yoga

1:00 – 3:00 pm: Social Ramble

Riverdale Model Train Club will have a super-sized edition!

We are so excited for our Etsy Craft Party at Kefa Cafe!

Have you met Etsy? Etsy is the largest online handmade and vintage marketplace, but it is much more than a marketplace – it is a community, much like Fenton Street Market, and you can find shops for a lot of our vendors on Etsy. We even have a Fenton Street Market Etsy Team where you can find all our vendor Etsy shops in one place.

Every year, Etsy has a global craft party. All over the world, groups of Etsy sellers and craft enthusiasts come together to make and craft. This year’s craft party theme is “Craft for Community.” We really wanted to host an Etsy party this year, and we couldn’t think of a better activity than to craft in the name of Bonifant Street where many of our local small Silver Spring businesses (just like us) call home.

For the party, we will “craft bomb” Bonifant Street in between Fenton Street and Georgia Avenue to highlight these small businesses. A team of FSM vendors will also work to create three crafty window displays along Bonifant Street for the occasion.
What is “craft bombing,” you may ask? It is a craft explosion in a public place to lift up the community and in our case, stimulate more economic growth for our neighborhood small businesses. It is similar to “yarn bombing” – find examples here and here. But we will craft bomb together, as a party and it’ll be lots of fun! Be sure to RSVP today!

We are proud to announce that we will once again be partnering with Silver Spring Green to bring you a green-themed market!

The second annual Silver Spring GreenFest will take place on Saturday, October 5 from 10:00am – 4:00pm. In addition to green businesses at the market, there will be a full program of eco-minded speakers, demonstrations and community-related events inside the Civic Building.

We are looking for environmentally and community-minded businesses and organizations to participate as vendors at the market. This will be a great opportunity to reach the over 4,000 customers that visit FSM each Saturday.

Prospective vendors should first consult our FAQs to learn about booth fees and market procedures. Then, submit your application by July 15th via email: megan@fentonstreetmarket.com  Preference will be given to local companies and small businesses that actively contribute to sustaining our local community.

All applications should include the following information:

1. Name
2. Business name
3. Email
4. Phone
5. Address
6. Website (if you don’t have one, please attach 2-3 product pictures)
7. Vendor Statement

• Brief description of goods/services to be offered, and how you would engage shoppers
• Explanation of how the products or services you sell promote a green and sustainable lifestyle and/or work environment
• Description of how you carry out your business in a green and sustainable way

Meet Mariam of Bahari Deco Crafts. Mariam has been vending with us for a while now and we are a big fan of her work. She applies her textiles in many forms. This Saturday [June 15], she will have cup sleeves, device cases, bags, summer clothing for children and adults, colorful animals and hand painted handmade paper and cards.

1. Who are you, where are you from and what do you sell? How are you known at the market?

I am a seamstress. I come from East Cost Tanzania. Normally I should just say I am from Tanzania, but put that way, in relation to my business. What I sell is fashion accessories made from traditional African made fabrics – Kanga cloth is my specialty, followed by Kitenge and Kikoi ( as we call hand woven cloth).

Also, I share stories and create awareness of the Swahili culture. I think people need information from the native as opposed to information wrote by visitors on  what they captured during their few days visits in the Swahili coast. I appreciate their effort, and wish to compliments and correct when possible.

At some markets I am known as the Kanga Lady and some just the Swahili Seamstress.

2. How did you get started in your business and what is your future vision?

Fenton Street was my first market to vend. Prior to that, I used to sell on consignment to a vendor who used to vend at D.C. Eastern Market. She moved away to the other state. My first products in Fenton Market were Kanga cloth, Kanga bags and some mixed handicrafts from Tanzania. Megan was among my first buyers (Kanga bag) and Laura Costas ( Kanga clothes). She is regular FSM visitor) and my regular customer and devoted motivator. That is worth mentioning for FSM Customers – most of them become vendors’ friends.

On my early days on FSM, I met Emily Morris, who worked lived and work in Tanzania for 7 years representing a non-profit organization based in WA DC, -EDC. She was very excited to see Kanga again. We ended up talking for a while, and she introduced me to Empowered Women International, then the journey with EWI begun in Spring 2012, onwards.

3. Why do you do what you do? What is so special about your business?

I chose to do this because I love art and I love Swahili culture and all that it offers. I am missing a lot of what is available there in this part of the world. Even at the Smithsonian Museum, the Swahili Coast is only place in Africa which, is  either not represented or with very little representation to notice. Unfortunately, I don’t see representation in other African art, crafts and culture.

As a Swahili native, and skilled artisan I decided to do this to make a contribution, in my own small way. I have been my mother’s helper, and as an adult, I opted to resign from a white color job to work in the handicrafts field. My presence in America is an opportunity and a platform for my advancement and inclusion of the Swahili coast’s skills in the wider market.

4. What do you love most about Fenton Street Market?

What I like about Fenton Street Market its POSITION, Diversity and A Very Nice community of vendors and visitors. Last but not least, I with I could composed a song about FSM.

ALL THE BEST.