"Buy Local, Build Local" At The Artisans Marketplace in Mount Juliet

Handmade Goods For Sale At The Artisans Marketplace

Who's looking for a fun, new place to shop for authentic Tennessee handmade goods or a venue to sell your own creations locally? Thanks to Kathy Morgan-Thompson and her husband, Dave, The Artisans Marketplace has arrived in Mount Juliet! Kathy was so kind to answer questions about her shop and to give us some background on the community and the products they sell. She has also included information about what types of vendors they need and the terms of consignment for handmade items. Read on to see what Kathy has to say about this amazing, new shopping destination in Mount Juliet. There are also social media and contact links at the end of the article.

The Artisans Marketplace is a shop featuring local artisans’ handcrafted items. Our goal is to not only to support the local artisans, but also local businesses and the community. Our vision is "Buy Local, Build Local". Our store is about 350sq ft. and is a quaint space for a boutique-style artisans shop.The beautiful boutique style shop is filled with one-of-a-kind jewelry, shabby chic furniture, home decor, unique gifts & more!  We currently have room for more vendors and welcome additional vendors and their handmade/handcrafted items! The Artisans Marketplace is a business nestled in the community of Mt. Juliet, Tennessee.  We are located at 11870 Lebanon Rd., Mid-Way Center, Mt. Juliet, TN.  It is located in a plaza with some antique shops, hair shops, other boutique style shops and some other merchants.  

Dave and Kathy moved from Connecticut to Tennessee in September 2008 when Dave accepted a job as an engineering manager here.  Kathy is a Certified Professional Home Stager and brings her creative expertise to the business.   Kathy has been crafting and making handmade items for 30+ years and has an online business making and selling hemp and macrame jewelry and accessories for people and pets.  Between us, we have three children and five grand children. In their spare time, the couple volunteers for Greyhound Pets of America (GPA).  GPA promotes the adoption of retired racing greyhounds. They currently have three greyhounds, and two whippets.  Yes, it’s a full house!  Also, they host a monthly greyhound meet & greet at the new PetSense store in Lebanon where they bring some of our hounds for people to meet and promote greyhound adoption.

If you are new to Tennessee, Mt. Juliet is a city located in western Wilson County, Tennessee.  A suburb of Nashville, it is approximately 17 miles (27 km) east of downtown Nashville. Mt. Juliet is located roughly between two major national east-west routes, Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 70.  Mt. Juliet's official city slogan is "The City between the Lakes", reflecting the city's proximity to Old Hickory Lake (Cumberland River) to its north and Percy Priest Lake (Stones River) to its south, both of which are man-made reservoirs. There are also plenty of activities to do and things to see. Of course, shopping at The Artisans Marketplace is destination number one!

A new, large-scale commercial and residential development called "Providence Marketplace" is located on the city's southern side near Interstate 40. Tenants include Target, Belk, JCPenney, Best Buy, PetSmart, Old Navy, Kroger, and a 14-screen multiplex operated by Regal Entertainment.  Here is their website:  http://shopprovidencemarketplace.com/

•    Charlie Daniels Park (named in honor of the musician who makes his home in Mt. Juliet) is home to tennis courts, a large children's playground, the city's youth football fields, and the Mt. Juliet Community Center (a public meeting place and gymnasium). The city also recently constructed a band shell at the park for the purpose of hosting musical festivals.  Here’s their website:  http://www.cityofmtjuliet.org/charliedaniels.cfm

•    Long Hunter State Park consists of approximately 2,600 acres (11 km2) managed by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. The park includes two boat launch ramps on J. Percy Priest Lake, several miles of hiking trails, several group campsites and one back country campsite, a meeting facility, and a visitor center. Non-motorized boats are allowed on Couchville Lake.  The 5.5-mile (8.9 km) Volunteer Trail follows the lake shore, connecting the Couchville and Bakers Grove sections. Two back country campsites are located at the end of the trail. A flat, paved trail circles Couchville Lake, and includes a 300-foot (91 m) bridge spanning the eastern end of the lake. The Jones Mill Trail, in the Bryant Grove section, leads to the top of Bald Knob, a clear hilltop that overlooks J. Percy Priest Lake.  Here’s a website for the park:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Hunter_State_Park

•    Here is a website for Wilson County and Things To Do and See: http://www.visitwilsoncounty.com/things-to-do

The Artisan's Marketplace would love to have a large variety of handmade/handcrafted items available for customers to select from in our shop.  Right now, they are specifically looking for someone who makes pottery, stained glass, and children's toys, but they have room for other handmade/handcrafted items as well. Kathy says, vendors can contact us by emailing us at:  theartisansmarketplacetn@yahoo.com to request our Vendor Packet.

According to Kathy, here is an overview of the basic information for vendors:

"Each vendor pays $35 per month for rent. The Artisans Marketplace also keeps 20% commission on anything that sells. However, we are currently running a Grand Opening special for vendors.  For the first 25 vendors, we are offering a Grand Opening special of $25 per month rent for the first 3 months (plus 20% commission on sales) with a 3 month contract.  That’s more than 28% off the standard monthly rent!  We provide the physical storefront, including the many costs (lease, electric, water, sewer, insurance, etc.) associated with having a physical location.  This allows the vendor to focus more on their handcraft and less on the business end.  Plus, if a vendor participates in craft fairs, we like to share with them the cost of craft fairs vs. vending at The Artisans Marketplace. The total of the 3 months of rent at our shop is $75, which is on average the cost of a 1 day craft fair. When a vendor works at a craft fair there's a lot of work involved (as artisans may already know).  When a vendor consigns with The Artisans Marketplace, for their $75, they get an average of 90 days, not just one day, and we set up their display, man the store, sell their items and advertise. When a vendor thinks of it that way, the investment of $75 (plus 20% commission on their sales) for 90 days is much better than the same price, or higher, for a 1 day craft fair.  Keep in mind, our store is like an indoor craft fair all year long! "

Kathy also says that holiday items will be coming in soon for seasonal shopping and, "We have a future surprise coming, hopefully soon.  We are also planning on holding workshops and classes in the shop.  We currently have a couple of vendors who are interested in teaching classes and Kathy is planning on teaching a class on painting shabby chic furniture.  We are also planning on having an Artisans Showcase where we will feature an individual artisan (vendor) for a Saturday or evening.  This will allow customers to actually meet and talk with the artisan."

Here are some social media links to follow the exciting new developments at The Artisans Marketplace
Facebook.com/theartisansmarketplacetn
http://instagram.com/theartisansmarketplacetn#