Stainton’s on Asbury

Art Corner

Richard Casamento

Rich lives in Pine Beach, NJ, and has been selling his creations for 15 years. After he retired, Rich decided to funnel his love of art and carpentry into a business, which allows him to stay busy with his skills. Rich finds it fulfilling to be able to display, share, and sell his crafts and other merchandise to the public.

ASOM Studio

Lynn Harrington

Lynn lives in Linwood, NJ, and has been creating resin art for five years. As it happens with many artists and crafters, she turned her hobby into a business after realizing so many people enjoyed her pieces. Lynn’s husband was definitely on to something when he jokingly told her to get a hobby. She not only built a business from it, but she also found her perfect form of meditation, something she says is her favorite part of her work.

Ava’s Closet Boutique

Tracy Wahler

Tracy lives in Marlton, NJ, and has been running her own boutique since 2020. She went to school for fashion, and after working for well-known retail stores, opening her own boutique became a goal and a passion for Tracy (she even named it after her daughter, Ava). She loves working to instill confidence in the women and teens she styles, and enjoys the smiles on her customers’ faces when they leave her shop.

Back Bay Designs

Aimee Cohen

Aimee lives in nearby Dennisville, NJ, and has been creating sea glass art pieces since 2013. She never intended to make this nature-inspired hobby into a business, but during one particular day of crafting, she felt it become something of a calling. Aimee loves spending time in nature and creating things that bring so much joy and inspiration. She takes great comfort knowing that her art can make a difference in someone’s life every day.

Baskets and More by Betsy

Elizabeth Barnes

Betsy is from Somers Point, NJ, and she has been making gift baskets since 2010. When she wasn’t able to find the perfect gifts for people, she started making her own gift baskets and continued to do so for any and all occasions. Betsy loves gift giving and creating the perfect basket that is personal and one of a kind.

Beachy Keen

Christen Sorenson

Chris lives in Sea Isle City, NJ, and started her business in 2009. She first started making her raspberry jalapeno jams as gifts, but as the gift list grew, she decided to create her own private label and carry her jams and salsas in the beach shop she already owned. Chris loves having the freedom to create her own jams and salsas.

Birds Eye View

Karen Jennings

Karen lives in Egg Harbor Township, NJ, and started her business when Stainton’s first opened in 2012. She has alway loved collecting and arranging beautiful things and her business came from a wish to share that with others. Karen loves seeing her customers’ appreciation for others’ art, from tiny handcrafted earrings to 7’ carved shore animals, and everything in between.

Bogy Art

Aaron Bogushefsky

Aaron (or Bogy) lives in Marmora, NJ, and started his art business in 1999. Bogy has loved art since he was very young and has been working on one project or another every moment since (the creative process is a never-ending journey). He loves capturing the main attractions and small details of our local area and sharing them with others.

Boujee Brew

Jonathan Ramos

Jonathan is from Ocean City, NJ, and he started his business in 2023. He loves all coffee, but Bones Coffee in particular, and found the opportunity to sell their many flavors and roasts irresistible. Jonathan loves being able to hang out with family and friends over a cup of one of their blends.

Bully Bows

Brian Plodizyn

Brian lives in Haddonfield, NJ, and has been selling his doggy bow-ties for four years. Brian’s dog Kaighn, who is a rescue dog, inspired him to create a line of fun and durable pet accessories as a way to help other dogs and the shelters that rescue them. He loves talking to people who get as excited as he does about their four-legged family members.

Burton Baby Designs

Tammy Burton-Sheehan

Tammy is from Haddon Township, NJ, and started her business in 2019. She could sew from a young age and frequently made baby gifts for family and friends, so she quit her full-time job and opened her own business. Tammy loves the creativity that comes with making unique gifts being part of a creative community of people who are living out their dreams using their talents.

Candace’s Canvasses

Candace Menno

Candace is from nearby Mays Landing, NJ, and she started her business at 14 (she did her first OC Block Party at 15). But she started painting at the age of 2 and never stopped. Candace is also a Licensed Associate Counselor in NJ, which is how she so easily recognized the therapeutic value of painting and how it calmed her busy mind and helped her to be present and lean into imperfection. She loves those things about her business, as well as getting to meet so many different people.

Cape May Soap Company

Joe Rhile

Joe lives in Cape May Court House, and he opened Cape May Soap Company in 2010. For Joe, the business was a no-brainer. He wanted a better soap, so he just went ahead and made one. Joe enjoys using fresh, natural ingredients for the soaps we all love so much.

Central Square Gallery

Leonard Mecca

Len is a resident of Somers Point, NJ, and has been working in fine arts and toys for 45 years. His business stemmed from the joy he gets from these things. Len loves being able to share his enthusiasm and experiences with his customers.

Clotilda’s By The Sea

Carol Karr and Christi Laky

Carol and Christi are from Pennsylvania, and they have been crafting and creating art for over 30 years. Both ladies have artistic sides, which have allowed them to turn their hobby and passion into a business using their skills. They love that they get to create unique items to share with others.

Craft Tree NJ

Nicole Kohler

Nicole is from Clermont, NJ, and has been producing resin kits for four years. Nicole found herself frustrated with difficulty in quickly sourcing materials for her resin crafts, so she started her business as a way to bridge this gap for other crafters. Nicole rarely lets a day go by without crafting one thing or another and she finds joy in watching an idea become a finished project. Nicole hopes that each resin kit purchased spreads this kind of joy.

Crescent Moon Clothing

Gretchen Hulse

Gretchen lives in West Chester, PA, and has been selling her handmade clothing since 1994. Her business began with a love of different fibers and creating beautiful clothing. Gretchen’s passion for her work is so well-rounded that she couldn’t pick just one thing she loves the most about it.

Curated Styles

Stacy Murphy

Stacy is from Pine Hills, NJ, and she opened her business in 2023. She has always been passionate about fashion and dressing differently with style. Stacy loves giving people the opportunity to buy something special to enhance their wardrobe.

Damon’s Treasure Chest

Damon Stevens

Damon lives in Harrison, NY, and has been selling collectibles for two years. Damon’s own collecting went from a hobby to a business and he has a lot of fun curating and sharing his finds with his customers.

Dan Myers Photography

Dan Myers

Dan is a resident of Somers Point, NJ, and has been a professional photographer since 1984. He has been involved in many different kinds of photography since before becoming a professional. Dan’s passion is producing fine art prints that his customers will love.

Dogs of Ocean City

Barry Huston

Barry lives in Nazareth, PA, and started his business in 2004. He owned a custom screen printing shop, working mostly with corporate clients, when he decided he liked dogs way more than people and started making his own designs for fun. Now he creates all art that aligns with his passion for dogs (and animals in general). Barry loves when he sees people look at his designs and say, “Yep, that’s totally me.”

Dr. Gem and Flowers

Nataliya Kriventsova

Natali is from nearby Egg Harbor Township, NJ, and she started creating jewelry in 2020. She combined her love of nature and flowers with her meticulous fine motor skills (honed through years of working with small samples as a laboratory geneticist) and a jewelry-making hobby into a blooming business. For Natali, Creating a new piece of jewelry is akin to meditation. She takes pleasure in assembling disparate elements into something entirely new.

Earth Products Essentials

Carmen Adamucci

Carmen lives in Bridgeton NJ, and has been working with CBD products since 2014. His business came from a desire to provide health and wellness products that are all natural and free of chemicals and toxins. The best part of his job, he says, is helping people feel better.

Fizzle Creations

Carolyn Van Pelt

Carolyn is from Bethlehem Township, NJ, and she started her business in 2016. After being diagnosed with cancer, Carolyn began learning from her daughter how to make bath and body products. While it started as something meaningful to help keep her busy, the craft soon blossomed into a business. Carolyn loves that she can use her business as a way to let her creativity flow.

Flor da Lua

Melissa Perrotta

Melissa lives in Stone Harbor, NJ, and started her business in 2024. During her extensive travels in South America, she fell in love with the gorgeous decor hand-made from tropical leaves that she now sells. Melissa loves inspiring others through nature, optimism, and the guidance of our own hearts.

Gina & Co

Gina Rouso

Gina resides in Atlantic City, NJ, and believes she has been working in fashion and retail forever. Her love for fashion and design prompted the start of her business, and she gets a lot of joy out of it. She loves the excitement of new styles and helping her customers look fabulous.

Gnarly Barnacles

Billy Tizol

Billy is from Ocean City, NJ, and has been running his business since December 2021. His father raised him loving the ocean and all things related to it, so when his father passed away, Billy was inspired to build a business around the thing they both loved so much. He loves working with something that makes him so and says it’s hard to have a bad day when it revolves around your passions.

Hanging on Hope

Susan Hutchinson

Susan lives in Newtown, PA, and has been running her business for three years. Susan is a survivor of ovarian cancer and wanted a way to inspire hope and help other women deepen their faith. She loves curating her subscription boxes because she knows they will bless and encourage other women battling cancer.

HG Workshops

Laura Beningo

Laura is from Marmora, NJ, and she started her business in 2022. After 10 years of service in the Air Force, Laura struggled to find the camaraderie and collaborative space she had experienced there, so she created her own space for community connections. Laura loves seeing the pride in people’s faces when they complete a craft kit or guided project, and as they become curious about what other skills of theirs they might uncover.

iAmazing

Ming Ying Gao

Jalma Farms

John And Alma George

John and Alma are from Ocean View, NJ, and took over the family Christmas tree farm in 1991. They felt strongly about continuing the 330 years of farming in their family, and switched to native fruits in 2006. Though it’s the farming that runs in their blood, John and Alma love that their organically grown fruits contribute to the protection of fresh- and salt-water wetlands.

JCaplan Art

Jordan Caplan

Jordan lives in nearby Linwood, NJ, and started her business in 2020. She had many people tell her she should make a coloring book from her illustrations, but not knowing how to do that, she started making coloring pages on her iPad. This led to the idea of making paint-by-number pages, followed by paint-by-number kits. Jordan loves making art more accessible to anyone, no matter their age, skills, or patience level.

Jewelry With Words

Angie Gant

Angie lives in Egg Harbor Township, NJ, and has been metal stamping for nine years. Angie has always loved jewelry, so she learned to create metal-stamped pieces as a craft and business. She loves to create with her hands and she loves having this business as an outlet for her creativity.

Just C Gifts

Courtney Raiken

Courtney lives in Cherry Hill, NJ, and started her business in 2000. When her demanding full-time job became unsustainable as a mother of two, Courtney began creating baby gifts, which soon grew in demand enough to start her own business. Courtney loves bringing her new ideas to life for others to enjoy.

Kim’s Place

Kimberly Wolansky

Kim lives in North Arlington, NJ, and has been working in retail for 35 years. Her entire career has been in wholesale and retail of clothing and accessories, so Kim’s Place is a natural consequence of her years of experience and know-how. Kim’s favorite challenge in this business is to see how creative she can be with clothes and coordinating outfits. She loves to see how happy her returning customers are with her products and her work.

Klothes Kove

Eva Marie Perrotta

Eva Marie is a resident of Stone Harbor, NJ, and has been working in retail for over 50 years. Her family owned a business when she was growing up and she grew to love helping out over the years. Eva Marie loves so many things about her work, including being a part of ever-changing styles and fashions and customer interactions.

Majestic Spun Art

Gerald Bruman

Gerald resides in Millville, NJ, and has been turning wood for 20 years. He was inspired by a master woodworker who became his mentor and helped him to become the professional woodturner that he is now. Gerald loves taking a piece of lumber that he either harvested and milled or salvaged from the trash, and turning it into functional art.

Mercabows

Alexandra Mercado

Alexandra is from Cape May, NJ, and she started her business in 2020. She loved putting big pretty bows on her newborn daughter, but found them to be too expensive, so she began making and selling her own. Her favorite part of her business is meeting so many different women all on the journey of motherhood.

Miss Reenie’s Babies

Nikki Jackson

Nikki lives in Atlantic City, NJ, and started the business she named after her mother in 2018. Nikki learned to make dolls from her mother, who made them for all but one of her daughters in the 80s. When Nikki made one for her sister and friends and family began admiring her work, her business was born. Nikki loves that her logo, her mother’s face, tickles her 87 year old mother so much, but she also really loves that her dolls are incredibly diverse, because she knows every child deserves a doll that looks like them.

Mulberry Designs

Marlene Kobilnyk

Marlene is from Chester County, PA, and has been creating and selling home decor for more than 25 years. She has a lifelong love of crafting and design and finds joy in creating something new for others to enjoy.

Obsessive Sports

Suzanne and Jay DeVito

Suzanne and Jay live here in Ocean City, NJ, and they started their business in 2023. They chose to open their sports apparel shop because they love sports, both watching and playing. They’re so much fun to be had related to sports, and they love meeting new people and of course the health benefits.

OC Bakehouse

Jillian Middleton

OC Candyland

Offshore Drones

Mike Bersuch

Mike is a resident of Egg Harbor Township, NJ, and has been capturing drone art for two years. Mike’s hobby of capturing photos from drones turned into a business when people really started to take notice and asked to buy the images. He loves getting unique views and angles from the air of the beach and shore to remind people of their happy place, as well as exploring the tech side of drones and drone photography.

Oliver and the Sea

Oliver

Oliver lives in Medford, NJ, and his mom created her business in 2015. His family learned he had an enlarged heart and they knew they would do anything to save him. When Oliver’s mom saw wood bow ties at a market in New Orleans, she was inspired to create her own line of wood accessories that would ultimately help save Oliver’s life by financing his treatments. Oliver’s favorite part of this business is when his mom comes home with treats, but his mom’s favorite part is using the profits from these gorgeous, high-quality items for something she considers incredibly important to her family.

Patches and Lace

Nancy Sapir

Nancy is from Cranbury, NJ, and has been selling children’s apparel for 25 years. She started her business because she wanted to be creative and to be able to give people what they want. Nancy loves finding new styles and the latest trends, going to the trade shows, buying new products, and making people happy.

Patricia Neville Art

Patricia Neville

Patricia lives in Cape May, NJ, and has been creating art for 45 years. She has been painting since she was five years old and pursued a degree in the field. Patricia loves going through the creative process and connecting with nature through her art.

Perpetually Painting

Kathy Reilly

Kathy is from Mullica Hill, NJ, and has been painting for 30 years. Drawing and painting have brought her enjoyment since she was a little girl. Kathy loves that she gets to create beautiful pieces of art that will be enjoyed by others.

Pumpkinbuds

Barbara Hensyl

Barbara resides in Egg Harbor Township, NJ, and has been selling children’s clothing since 2018. When she was starting her business, Barbara only had to think of the children she worked with as a classroom aide and their utter joy over mermaids, unicorns, dinosaurs, and the like. She loves introducing new brands to Ocean City shopping, but more than anything she loves hearing stories about how much happiness a tiny pair of slippers or a fun animal hoodie has brought children and adults alike.

Resin Madebymegans

Megan Seeley

Megan comes from Middletown, NJ, where she started her resin business in 2022. Social media and Christmas both played a part in creating her business, as she received a resin making kit as a gift and she fell in love with the craft she had been seeing all over the internet. Megan gets joy from her customers’ love of her pieces, and she loves knowing they are in other people’s homes bringing even more joy.

Rittenhouse Embroidery

Janelle Rittenhouse

Janelle is from Souderton, Pa, and she started her business in 2023. She has always loved sewing and needlework, so when she wanted to start a business she could do from home, she invested in a single-needle embroidery machine and began creating personalized designs. Janelle loves finding and creating a range of designs that appeal to a wide variety of tastes and creating pieces of art that speak to others.

Salty Acres

Stephanie Thomas

Salty’s Sensations

Dianna Saltmer-Wells

Dianna lives in Voorhees, NJ, and has been crafting for over 30 years. Dianna’s love of crafts helped her tremendously as a teacher, so after she retired, Dianna took her passion for crafts and developed it into a business. For Dianna, crafting is a calming practice, and it makes her feel great when people love her work.

Santosha OC

Rebecca Beall

Rebecca is from neighboring Marmora, NJ, and started her business in 2024. Her business was born of the desire to share ethically produced and sustainable goods and to support female and family-owned businesses. Santosha means to be grateful and content in the moment and finding beauty in her products while knowing they are supporting others brings Rebecca great joy.

Sasscer’s Cheesecakes

Richard Zak

Richard is a resident of Ventnor, NJ, where he and his wife have been running Sasscer’s Cheesecakes for 10 years. Though he claims his wife is the main reason he got into this business, he won’t deny that he absolutely loves the looks of satisfaction and bliss when customers taste their desserts.

Seafindings

Elyssa Glenn

Elyssa lives in Northfield, NJ, and has been making jewelry for 25 years. When Elyssa had kids, she wanted to be able to stay at home to raise them. Creating Seafindings allowed her to do this while also providing a creative outlet and an income stream. Elyssa’s favorite part of this business is seeing the looks of delight on her customers’ faces when the find the perfect piece of jewelry.

Serenity by the Seas

Dana Migliaccio

Dana lives in Ocean View, NJ, and started her business in 2021. As a mental health and substance abuse professional, Dana understood the need for holistic self care for full-body wellness and created her business from there. She loves providing all natural, handmade products from small businesses and the healthiest alternatives for her customers.

Shabby Chicque

Kimberly Bucher

Kimberly lives in Mays Landing, NJ, and has been designing children’s pieces for five years. She gets inspiration from those around her and created her business from that inspiration. Kimberly loves designing each of her pieces individually.

Sinking Ship

Steven Starr

Steven is a resident of Ocean City, NJ, and has been running his gift, candy, and apparel shops since 2017. Steven has always been outgoing and creative, and his business ventures were the natural result of these two characteristics. He loves being around happy, business-minded people, and it pleases him to be a part of the Stainton’s family of small businesses.

Starr Gift Shop

Steven Starr

Steven is a resident of Ocean City, NJ, and has been running his gift, candy, and apparel shops since 2017. Steven has always been outgoing and creative, and his business ventures were the natural result of these two characteristics. He loves being around happy, business-minded people, and it pleases him to be a part of the Stainton’s family of small businesses.

Steve’s Trains and Toys

Stephen Lattanzio

Steve hails from Philadelphia, PA, and has been a train and toy collector since 1986. What started as a hobby eventually grew into a business for him. Steve says this may be proof that he never grew up, but he loves interacting with people at his booth and at train and toy shows.

Surf Cottage Shop

Karen Cooper

Karen is from Atlantic City, NJ, and has been selling women’s fashion for five years. She wanted customers to have a wearable version of the cozy, endless summer vibe you can only get when visiting the shore. Karen loves the connection her shop gives her to the community and hers customers, as well as giving customers styles to feel good in.

That Crafty Family

David Hagan

The Hagan Family - Dave, Kelly, Lily, Maya, Kinsey, and Trey - are from Egg Harbor Township and have been working as a team since 2022. Being the creative family their business name suggests, the Hagans have always enjoyed making gifts for family and friends. Dad Dave says the passion and work ethic being developed by the kids through their enterprise has been amazing, and the positive responses from the community have been incredible.

The Cricket Box

Bill and Lois Maguire

Bill and Lois live here in Ocean City, NJ, and they first opened their business in 1976. They started with small floral arrangements in cricket boxes, the small hinged boxes with holes used for pet crickets, giving their business its distinctive name. Bill and Lois love that their small start developed into a combination of fun and decorative items designed to make a house a home.

The Salti Claw

Marley Dolente

Marley lives in Devon, PA, and Ocean City, NJ, and has been creating art since she was a little girl. Marley has always loved sharing her art, and after years of working in and out of retail, decided to combine the two into a business. Marley loves that she is able to express her passions while challenging herself to stay sharp, connect with the community, and aspire to find success in business.

TSR Creations

Tina Sacco

ina is a resident of nearby Margate City, and has been doing acrylic-pour art for seven years. Her business evolved from her love of art, and she says creating one-of-a-kind pieces is still what she loves best about it. Tina also loves having the ability to do her artwork from home.

Two Tin Crows

Barbara Van Sant

Barbara lives in Somers Point, NJ, and has been involved in this business for 15 years. When Mary opened her business a few blocks away, Barbara loved what she saw, so she created a few items to sell in her shop. From there the two created their current business partnership. Barbara loves creating art by hand and digitally and this gives her the opportunity to share her art and make money at the same time.

Two Tin Crows

Mary Jansky

Mary lives in neighboring Somers Point, NJ, and has been running her business for 22 years. Mary worked in retail from the time she was 16 years old, and ultimately decided she would like to run her own small business. Her two favorite things about her work are creating beautiful displays with her merchandise and meeting new people when she is in the store for tastings.

Waxed Surf Flags

Woodcraft Creek

Denise And Charlie O’Kane

Denise and Charlie live in Southern NJ, and have been running their home decor business since 1994. Kids’ activities and sports can become costly, as many parents know, so Denise and Charlie started Woodcraft Creek as a means to supplement their income and pay for these extras. Newer technologies played a part, too, by allowing them to create their designs in a more streamlined fashion. If you ask them, they’ll tell you that just being able to be creative with their business is what they love the most about it.

Wreaths by Charlene

Charlene Spavlick

Charlene lives in Cherry Hill, NJ, and started her business in the Fall of 2023. She spent some time watching YouTube tutorials to learn how to make a rag wreath for her door, and she was so pleased with how well it turned out that she made it into a business. Charlene loves how relaxed she feels when she’s making wreaths, and she really enjoys coming up with new embellishments for themed wreaths.

Yahwaves

Lexie Palladino

Lexie lives here in Ocean City, and she started her business in 2023. She was inspired by her son Carter and her strong Christian faith to create children’s clothing that are not only trendy but that will also lift up our next generation. Lexie loves that she can share her creativity and faith with everyone who purchases her brand.