Walk up the stairs of the Old Mill, and you may think you’ve entered another world. There you will find Gypsies Eclectic Boutique and Workshop, a shop that sells Elise Hartmann’s custom-made artwork tha
by David Kilby, Special Writer
ALLENTOWN — Walk up the stairs of the Old Mill, and you may think you’ve entered another world.
There you will find Gypsies Eclectic Boutique and Workshop, a shop that sells Elise Hartmann’s custom-made artwork that ranges from authentic paintings to dark faerie dolls.
With the help of her mother-in-law, Mary Jo Hartmann, Elise Hartmann’s boutique has become a welcome addition to the Old Mill’s growing collection of small shops.
Gypsies opened last month right before Allentown’s Fall Harvest Festival and shares the second floor of the Old Mill with another new shop, the Green Lace Lion, which sells vintage and handmade items.
Ms. Hartmann’s boutique and workshop, adorned with her Dark Faerie Creations, create a mystifying and eccentric atmosphere similar to that of Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” or “Corpse Bride” and would fit right in place with gypsy shops in eastern Europe.
”Elise is our artist in residence,” her mother-in-law said while explaining her daughter-in-law’s art studio is part of the boutique and workshop.
”I’ve always been an artist since I can hold a pencil,” said Elise Hartmann, who studied fine art in Longwood University in Virginia.
While Mr. Burton is her main inspiration, over the years she has come up with her own style, she said. Her Dark Faerie Creations, for example, shows examples of her unusual collection of custom-made faerie art dolls, illustrations, jewelry, “jester sticks” and “faerie wands.”
Those who can’t make it to the Old Mill shop can see samples of her artwork at www.darkfaeriecreations.com or order them from www.darkfaerie.etsy.com.
The shop is called Gypsies because “No matter when you call them, they’re somewhere else,” Mary Jo Hartmann said, mentioning how her daughter-in-law and son, Patrick, have traveled everywhere.
”It took us a long time to settle down in one spot,” Elise Hartmann said, adding she has lived in Allentown for nine years and is one of the few business owners who lives in town.
Her creations aren’t the only thing the shop offers. Gypsies also will host workshops on upcoming Wednesdays and Thursdays from 7 to 9 p.m. Yesterday, (Nov. 20), it hosted a “Mixed Media Family Garden,” a class that taught participants how to create a “whimsical mixed media piece of art featuring family photos.”
Today, there will be a burlap wreath workshop, and Dec. 4, there will be a class on creating a faerie portrait “dark faerie” style. Then, on Dec. 5, there will be a basic machine sewing workshop. The workshops are $35.