This August, I celebrate two full years of Rumphius Creativity Unhinged in Westford. Little did I know two years ago that my business would soon completely engulf our entire lives, that I would get to be creative with hundreds of children, that I would use over a hundred glue sticks in a week and that a flock of little hens and roosters would keep me company late at night in THE SCHOOLHOUSE! Yes, the Rumphius Recycled Schoolhouse is a transformed 1850 schoolhouse which has become the home of my dream business as of June 1, 2011 (my birthday!). I spend more hours here than I can imagine. The building has a life to it- perhaps it is its history and the energy of all the children who were schooled here for decades. And, now, children are schooled in art, music, theater and more. This summer, I held my first summer week-long workshops. We created 18 recycled dollhouses, used dozens of spools of thread, made midsummer fairies for the apple tree opposite the porch, played 18th c. parlor games and so much more.

Here is to another year of Rumphius. I raise my cup of tea and toast to another great year of stress, joy, and glue gun burns.

I loved miniatures as a child. I spent hours decorating and cleaning my dollhouse my father made for me when I was 7. I still love little things, and I often think in 1/2 inch scale. When I lived in Chicago, my favorite place to go was not Millenium Park, the Lincoln Park Zoo or Michigan Avenue. It was a little vintage and antique shop in Evanston, called Secret Treasures. I spent a lot of time (and $$$) there finding all sorts of treasures for my charming city apartments and tiny ephemera for art projects. One day, as I was looking for a cabinet for extra storage in my kitchen, I spotted a $20 top of an old kitchen cabinet. It looked like the top of an old hoosier, and it was painted plain white. I thought, this will do nicely, and when I am finished with it as storage, it will make a fabulous dollhouse! So, I bought it, lugged it home in a van cab and almost lost it to city junkmen as it sat next to the curb for a few minutes while I searched for help to carry it up the stairs to my apartment.

It served its purpose in the kitchen and then became a bookshelf for my husband’s obscenely large book collection when we moved to our little farmhouse in MA. Then, last summer, I knew it was time. It was time to transform the vintage cabinet into a French Dollhouse! I was able to partially complete it last summer with the help of my dear friend, Gail. Then, I taught a camp for kids on making recycled dollhouses, and my own creation was put on hold. This winter, I finally found time to complete it. It made its debut at the Westford Winter Farmers Market here in Westford, MA. What fun it was to see children’s eyes light up – especially when they saw the sign, “PLAY WITH ME!” And, everyone was mesmerized that things we usually throw out or put in the recycling bin could become tiny masterpieces – Altoid tin refrigerator, cellphone box beds, soap box sofas, yogurt cup cafe tables, wine cork chairs, vintage linens-turned curtains, and etc. My husband especially loves the stove with old buttons for burners and metal snaps for knobs. It was a labor of love for me and my beloved glue gun.

The Recycled Dollhouse will do a bit of touring this Spring and then find its permanent home in the Rumphius Recycled Schoolhouse here at Meadowbrook Farm. And, every summer, it will inspire children to create their own Recycled Dollhouse at the Rumphius Recycled Dollhouse camps. I love having something that is totally unique. No two recycled dollhouses are alike which is part of their enormous charm! Enjoy!

Having tea and a biscuit at Kimball’s here in Westford with my gal pal, Gail Flannery, is dangerous! One can never tell what new project will come about when our two minds connect over tea! Within a few minutes of me mentioning that I would like for us to host a doll tea party, we already had the space booked and were working on the menu and doll bonnet buffet! Gail is a fabulous artist and baker here in Westford with her own certified kitchen. She specializes in butter-rich French treats that make your mouth water! We became fast friends last year when she helped me host my Winter’s Tea Gallery Reception at the PCA. The tea was such a hit, I knew that we would someday be at it again!

On Wednesday, April 20 from 1:30-4pm, Rumphius Creativity Unhinged and Sweet Visions Patisserie will host All Dolled Up! A Fashionable Tea at The Parish Center for the Arts, 10 Lincoln Street, Westford, MA. Join me, Emily Piper of Rumphius Creativity Unhinged for a doll spring fashion sewing workshop including a “bonnet buffet” for your favorite doll! Then, enjoy a grand tea hosted by Gail Flannery of Sweet Visions Patisserie.

Springtime fashion, fine china, vintage linens, old-fashioned tunes, delicious teatime treats and favorite dolls! It’s the perfect way to celebrate Spring for adults and children alike! Come “All Dolled Up” in your favorite Springtime fashions and bring along favorite dolls and teddy bears for a Springtime fashion makeover! This is a great event to share during Spring Break with your daughter, grandchild or your child’s best pals.

$75 for a table of four – includes fashion workshop, full tea and gift bags. Ages 4-104! Reservations are a must as there are only 12 tables available for the event. To reserve, contact Emily Piper at rumphius@creativityunhinged.com or call 978.995.7002.

Curious about the fabulous tea menu presented on tiered china servers?
Here is a sneak peek (subject to change):

Traditional Cucumber Sandwiches
Tomato and Goat Cheese Sandwiches on Focaccia
Mini Currant Cream Scones
Assorted Filled Mini Cupcakes
Petit Fours
Spring Bonnet Cookies
Butter Shortbread Teapot Cookies
Honey Bee Cakes
Sparkly Pastel Meringues
“Tuxedo” Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Assorted Chocolate Truffles

Plus, of course, an assortment of fine teas and punch served in Gail’s collection of lovely china tea cups!

This is an event not to be missed! We hope to see you there in all your finery!

Sign up now for the Winter Break Crafternoons at The Parish Center for the Arts in Westford!

Not going away during the February Break? Make it a special week for your child(ren) with one or more of Rumphius’s Winter Crafternoons in the big art classroom of the Parish Center for the Arts, 10 Lincoln Street, Westford. Hopefully the kids will not make quite as big of a mess as my cat, Callie, in the picture above! She loves her crafternoons!

Want to do all five Winter Crafternoons? Receive one free!
Cost is $30 for each Crafternoon. $5 Friend and Sibling Discount. All materials are included.
Crafternoons are from Monday – Thursday noon-3pm and Friday 11am-2pm and for ages 6-12. To sign-up, please e-mail me at info@creativityunhinged.com or call 978.995.7002. Registration forms and fees are due on the day of the workshop. Forms are available on the left toolbar under HOW TO REGISTER.

Monday, Feb. 21: Winter Painting on Canvas (with perspective)
Tuesday, Feb. 22: Needle Felting on Scarves
Wednesday, Feb. 23: Paper Quilling and Collage
Thursday, Feb. 24: Glitter, Glitter and more GLITTER!
Friday, Feb. 25: Potato Print T-shirts and Canvas Bags

I have often been teased that I move around to places near my literary heroines. (I used to live on PEI of Anne of Green Gables fame.) Well, I now live about 20 minutes away from wonderful Concord, MA – home of Orchard House, Louisa May Alcott’s beloved home. I am so excited to share this beautiful story of a very special family with a group of such talented young actors and actresses. Our hard work will soon come to fruition! Our play is December 18 at the Parish Center for the Arts in Westford, MA. There are two performances: matinees at 1pm and 4pm. Tickets are $5 each. Two acts with an intermission. For tickets, call 978.995.7002 or e-mail tickets@creativityunhinged.com.

Come for a history lesson, a life lesson and a lovely atmosphere complete with hot cocoa! Perfect for the whole family!

I had to share these two incredible doll creations from the Doll Fashions Workshop at the PCA on November 11. Two themes- a Western outfit for a horse-lovin’ gal and a beautiful holiday ensemble. Great job, fashionistas! We had so much fun that I will be holding two more Doll Fashions Workshops at Roudenbush Community Center on January 28 (no school in Westford). Doll Fashions, Jr. will be from 9am-12pm (ages 6-8) and Doll Fashions, Sr. will be held in the afternoon from 1pm-4pm (ages 9-12). Contact Roudenbush Community Center to sign up. Limited space.

I live on an amazing 18th c. farm in beautiful Westford, Massachusetts. Everything has been painstakingly restored to beauty from the house to the barn to the cider shed to even the two seater outhouse, except for one rather decrepit, yet picturesque little building. The old schoolhouse. Meadowbrook Farm, LLC has been looking for just the right reason to restore this former schoolhouse, and I am happy to announce that the right reason is me!

Rumphius has found a home. The little schoolhouse, nestled in the backyard of the farm, behind the big old tree and next to the stone fence and garden, will become my classroom and office for my business. Once again its walls will hear the sound of children’s voices and its floors will feel the scuffle of little feet. However, my lessons will not be grammar and arithmetic, but instead, creative classes, workshops, camps and parties of all kinds from creative writing to art to puppetry to historical model-making and more!

And, in true Mrs. Junkbox style, we hope to restore it using recycled materials. If you have access to roofing, flooring, clapboard siding, perennials and more, please contact me at rumphius@creativityunhinged.com.

The work begins this Fall and will continue throughout the Winter and Spring. There is much to do! I will try to document its progress as best as I can. It is a dream come true for me and my business – and, I think for the little schoolhouse!

I grew up between some of the best country auction houses you can imagine. This was not in a little town in New England, but a beautiful, yet economically struggling county nestled in NWPA in Amish country. Old wooden floors (if there are floors at all), grimy junkmen bidding against each other, ladies fighting for pretty china and lamps, and the furniture people with big bucks to spend to fill their antique stores with 19th c. finely crafted furniture. I recently brought one of my dearest friends to my parents’ farm in Beaverdam, Pennsylvania to witness this little piece of antique heaven. She was in awe of the auctions, the shops and the gorgeous countryside.

My mom is an antique dealer in little Waterford, PA. Her shop, All Things Nice, is an amalgamation of cool Fifties kitchenware, “chippy” chairs, folk art, china tea cups, grape carts, and other items which raise the question, “What on Earth was this used for???” (always followed by an excited description of its function by my mother). Her store is a treasure of wonderful vintage and antique items.

About a year ago, I was reading Country Living magazine. I stumbled upon an article of “occasional stores.” In this economy, a lot of small retailers who sell antiques and decorative goods are giving up their store fronts and overhead costs and opting for the occasional sales they hold in their barns or a rented space. It is becoming quite popular and is fun not only for the seller, but also the shopper. My mom and I are great teammates, so I immediately called her and told her that she should close up shop for a weekend and do an “occasional sale” right here in Westford. She could bring up her really cool items and sell them to New Englanders who love a great bargain and great antiques. The Antique Boutique was born!

This Friday and Saturday, my mom and a small collection of other NWPA and local vendors will hold the Antique Boutique at Westford’s Parish Center for the Arts on Westford’s Common (10 Lincoln St.) There will be a wide variety of affordable antiques and vintage goods, fall flowers, my recycled art, a café and live music on both floors of the PCA. The admission is $5 which includes complimentary coffee and tea and a cookie. The hours are Friday, Sept. 10: 9-7 and Saturday, Sept. 11: 9-5. Come for great shopping, a place to relax and chat with friends, to enter for prizes and to meet some fun antique people who have been in the business for decades. And, remember, bring your friends! Shopping is always more fun with pals!

Proceeds from admission support local art events and Sustainable Westford.

We are so excited to share with you our recycled dollhouse project from beginning to end! We started just a few days ago with a vintage kitchen shelving unit. By the start of our recycled dollhouse camp in August at the Parkerville Schoolhouse in Westford, it will be transformed into a Parisian Flats building complete with flower shop and café. We are not overlooking any detail – balconies, curtains, little French kitties and more! If your child is interested in signing up for our camp, please check out our Summer Camps on the left toolbar for more information. And, if you get a friend to join, there is a 10% discount for both of you! All materials are supplied.

And, come to the Westford Farmers Market every Tuesday to see our dollhouse’s progress in person! (2:30-6:30) Check out this blog regularly for the complete transformation.