There is a new reason to come to South Britain, Connecticut.  Kate Gorham, a long time resident of Southbury is opening a new store, the Golden Button.  The Golden Button will be a retail shop designed to show-case hand-made articles for local artists and artisans.

Kate, an award-winning artist, is an illustrator, muralist and portrait painter.  She  has taught art at the Creative Arts Studio in Woodbury for three years. Her students’ parents and her co-workers have encouraged her to find an outlet for her talent and creativity.

Kate has always supported local craftsmen.  Last year, Kate signed “The Hand-Made Pledge” that states that you try to buy items that are hand-made or made in the United States whenever possible.”

When Kate’s husband Pauly was laid off from his job as a Tool & Dye Maker because of overseas outsourcing, it became even more important for Kate to be able to buy items made in U.S.A. and support local craftsmen due to all of the people she and Pauly knew who had lost jobs due to the economy.

Kate often purchased items made by fellow crafts people from Etsy, an on-line forum for hand-made crafts that she used to market her hair accessories and barrettes.

Kate has involved her family in her new venture.  Pauly has spent time helping to pick out and put together displays for her many items.  Kate asked her father to use some of his artistic talents to create counters for her new store.  Her brother Steve, a local blacksmith has metal sculptures on display.  She has even gotten her mother to dust off her craft ideas and make a number of hand-made holiday cards.  Her sister Chrissy will be on hand to decorate customers’ hairstyles with feather arrangements at the store’s openings.

Kate also has a rack of vintage clothing and will be selling other vintage items.

Kate is attempting to focus on finding inventory that are environmentally friendly, and use recycled materials. She plans on expanding her inventory to include native yarn, knitting needles, thread and different supplies for crafting and creating your favorite projects. Some of the activities Kate plans to have at the Golden Button are, weekly Knitting Bees, Craft Nights, and Ornament Painting parties.