DreLove Designs by Dre Fagan

Have YOU felt the Love?

When asked about her DreLove Designs, Dre describes it as "a collection of all things fabulously felty! My collection ranges from hair accessories to fantastical stuffed creatures." Dre began designing DreLove back in October 2011 with bobbies, and quickly expanded her line to meet the growing demand for her products.

The collection now ranges from accessories to decor, and the newest line - cozy, colorful Creatures - will make their debut this Friday at Troy Night Out. Dre works mainly with felt because "it's got great texture, is soft and cozy," and allows her to experiment with 'funtastc' color combinations.

Dre has incredible energy and excitement about DreLove, saying "if it doesn't make me squeak or giggle with delight, it's not finished." Her collection continues to grow with the help of Anchor No. 5 Boutique - "Petra has been such an amazing mentor, friend and inspiration - she constantly supports me with her time, expertise, and praises."

Here is a list - as written by the Artist of the Month - of DreLove Designs are featured at Anchor No. 5 Boutique.

Babybands - Bright fabric bands popping with rosettes, pompoms & bling for your wee one!
Bobbies, hair clips & ponytail elastics- From rosettes to geometrics, these little darlings add a pop of color and texture to your hair!
Bookmarks- Mark your page with these fabulous heart-shaped bookmarks, available in every color of the rainbow!

Brooches- All shapes, colors & sizes of flowers & geometrics to jazz up your blouse or coat!
Headbands- Darling little bows and flowers to adorn your cranium!
Stuffys- Monsters & assorted Creatures! The newest line from DreLoveDesigns, cuddle up with these fun new cuties! Starring: Moustachio, Monsters, Eyegor Monsters, HootyOwls & Plushy Penguins, with many more to come!
"Text-ure" Cards - For any occasion, send a little love with these felted texty designs
<3 xoxo YTB ;)
Wreaths - Add some cozy color to the entrance of your home! Custom Orders are ALWAYS WELCOME!

Update

We are currently scheduling our Artist's for Spring!

Check back to learn about Next Month's Artist of the Month before April's Troy Night out on the

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day. I know, it's an over-commercialized holiday, supposedly to celebrate some Christian Saint, or some cherub with an arrow in a diaper, perpetuated by diamond and greeting card companies. I agree, but does that mean we say 'screw it' and move on to the next day? Or do we make it our own and celebrate?!

Get past the tacky red foil you're bombarded with at the grocery store. Show your Valentine you love them with something special. Anchor No.5 has an assortment of locally handmade items that will remind this person you love them, every time they use, look at, or wear it.

Holiday 2011

Last holiday season, Anchor No.5 Boutique had only been open a few months. Petra Jancovicova had gathered an exceptional group of artist's, and we all jumped in right before the whirlwind of holiday shopping on River Street commenced. A year has passed and Anchor No.5 is nothing short of a chic, sophisticated boutique. It's gained a few more talented, local designers, while giving all of the artists it represents an opportunity to expand on our product lines, both in creativity and in extensiveness. Petra has been encouraging preparation for the holiday season for months, and every artist has met the challenge. Anchor is packed with unique, artisan gifts, with something for everyone.

This Troy Night Out falls on Black Friday. Whether you're avoiding, or braving the festivities of the day, strolling through the Market Block will be a fun and relaxing evening, and you can probably even get a few holiday gifts checked off your list.

If you can't make it Friday, come out for Shop Local Saturdays. Anchor No.5 is not only an independent, locally owned business, but features all local artists. Support your neighbors, support your region, Enjoy Troy.

This year, using Anchor No. 5's Facebook page, customers can shop online, and compile a wish list of items. Whether it's a list of things you would like others to buy for you, or gifts you would like to buy for others, contact Petra via Facebook, and she will have your wishlist on file when you walk into the Boutique.

From all of the Artists represented at Anchor No. 5 Boutique, have a wonderful holiday season, and thank you for your support.

Kristin Gallo
Revel

Handmade by Jody Morin

In 2005 Jody Morin found herself anxiously needing something to do with her hands as she was stuck home in bed recovering from surgery. So she called up her dear old grandmother who came over and taught her to knit. Jody had dabbled in jewelry making, painting, scrap booking, and clay work before, but fell in love with knitting, and the ability to combine a beautiful aesthetic with functionality.

Jody started making her bite size hats in 2008 after she saw an amigurumi cupcake and thought, 'that would make a cute baby hat!' She went into production with the cupcake hats and sold them at Tight Knit, in conjunction with Troy's Winter Farmer's Market. Here she would see patrons
walk by withtheir bags overflowing with apples, and thought an apple hat would be a nice balance to the cupcake. Her collection
quickly grew to also include tomatoes, oranges, peaches, plums, blueberries, lemons, limes, strawberries, and most recently pumpkins and acorns. Jody writes her own patterns with sizes ranging from newborns, to toddlers, to big kids.



Jody Morin's hats are an adorable garnish for the little ones as the colder months approach. She also has beautifully constructed mittens for adults, which extend high up the arm to keep you nice and warm. Join us at Anchor No.5 this Friday for Troy Night Out and check them out.

Sock the Monkey and Friends: Nicole K.

Dubbing herself "Head Monkey Mistress," Nicole K. uses socks to create charming, oddball creatures, that amuse and delight young and old alike.

The collection includes monkeys, monsters, bunnies, owls, puppies, lions, and baby dinosaurs. Every creature Nicole creates is unique, and she'll often go as far as naming and making up little tidbits about them.

"I sold one that had one arm that turned out longer than the other. I named him Special Ed and wrote a sign that he was bad at math. A math teacher ended up buying him for her classroom.
It was awesome."


Nicole doesn't just create pieces of artwork, but personalities. Take her monkey "Clocky" (Alex from the Clockwork Orange), or her "Hipster Monkey, complete with skinny jeans and ironic belt buckle." Nicole loves coming up with new ideas and perfecting the characters she is creating, but she especially loves the joy they bring to others.

"I LOVE to make customs ones! I WANT people to bring me socks that they love so I can make something awesome for them." You can place a custom order through Petra at Anchor No.5, or email Nicole at SocktheMonkeyandFriends@gmail.com.

Nicole was making them all by hand until a good friend decided to invest in her and bought her a sewing machine and materials. Let's all show our support for Nicole, and our love for Sock the Monkey this Friday at Troy Night Out.


Become a fan of Sock the Monkey on Facebook, and check more out at Anchor No.5 or Nicole's Etsy shop.

When Nicole's not Socking Out she's Rocking Out, check out her band Hot Cousin here.

Kristin Gallo
RevelinArt.com

Kendra Conroy Photography

For such a young photographer, Kendra Conroy already has an advanced skill set, and captivating expression. Her ability as an artist is affirmed by the fact that she is already a working photographer, selling her work at Anchor No. 5 Boutique, fresh out of High School and now studying Fine Art at the college level.

Do you have a favorite subject matter?
"Yes I do, I love morning dew! I lay down in the wet grass, bright and early while ignoring the neighbors dog barking, just so I can get that one drop on the grass blade. I love taking pictures of morning dew because I know that if I move on to another spot I might just find an even better shot."

When describing her nature photos, Kendra says, "I am trying to get people to look into the picture, rather than just seeing that it is a regular old flower." She accomplishes this with photographs that are much more about light, shapes, and layers of color than subject matter. They force you to stare and observe these elements, rather than think about the specific object you are looking at.

Even her photos of food communicate texture and color. Greeting cards with photographs of cupcakes are available, which make a perfect Birthday Card for everyone.

"I started getting serious about portraiture when I babysat two young girls, when I was about 17. I would take pictures and learn from them how to pose people, what angles to shoot at, and to just have fun. They motivated me to keep going and I worked with a photographer in Avalon, NJ who mainly focused on portraiture. I noticed how great she was with the children and fell in love with her pictures. She is one of the many fabulous people who have motivated me to continue with photography and learn more about it."


Kendra says that she enjoys portraiture because she wants to create memories for families. Through her lens she is able to capture the distinct personality, and genuine emotion of her subjects.

Join us this Friday during Troy Night Out, at Anchor No.5 Boutique, to celebrate the photography of Kendra Conroy. Become a fan of Kendra's on Facebook, and check out her website for more photos and information.

Kristin Gallo
RevelinArt.com