Not a pop-up

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Stopping in Ingrid Goff-Maidoff’s Tending Joy Artisan Shop at the end of opening day on Saturday, Nov. 21, I learned her shop was not a holiday pop-up, but a year-round, colorful, and affordable shop. The store is in the front, while she maintains her mail-order business from the back half of what was for many years Bananas on State Road in West Tisbury, next door to the iconic beetlebung tree. Artisans like Ingrid who are used to participating in the Vineyard Artisans Festival miss the interaction with friends and customers, and getting to open her own store, at least for the moment, is filling that void. In fact, Ingrid said she’d seen more people on her opening day then she has since April.

There is a hand-sanitizing station set up on the porch, with baskets available for shopping. You may assume you don’t need a basket, but I definitely recommend taking one. There are so many interesting and small items, it’s hard to just find one gift. Ingrid has been creating books, cards, notes, earrings, gifts, and writing her heartfelt missives of everyday wisdom since 1993. She represents other local artists, including jewelers Stephanie Wolf and Sarah K. Young, cheese and cutting boards by Laura Silber of Demolition Revival Furniture, photographs and tea towels by L.A. Brown, artwork by Tara Reynolds, plus fair trade items from India, Mexico, Nepal, Peru, Turkey, and other countries. She’s got local soap from Breezy Pines Farm, Island Bee Co.’s beeswax emollient bars, local salt, chocolate, candles, bath oils, Kelly Rae Roberts stickers and prints, and New Mexico artist Lynn Garlick’s retablos.

There’s a small men’s section with practical gadgets, tools, and black messenger bags. Tending Joy offers “an eclectic mix of beautiful things locally or globally made, mostly fair trade items” and just way too much to mention.

Treat yourself, or get your holiday shopping done, at Tending Joy, open 11 am to 4 pm weekends and when the “Open” flag is flying, 697 State Road, West Tisbury. Curbside pickup is available. For information about Ingrid Goff-Maidoff, her work, her blog, and more, see tendingjoy.com and read foltbolt.com/post/ingrid-goff-maidoff.