Practical and Pretty Products from Janey Lynn’s Designs

By Lorrie Baumann

Janey Lynn’s Designs started as a gift from Jane Shekleton’s grandmother – a pair of potholders that she’d cut from a disused chenille bathrobe. “I happened to use one for a dishcloth, and the absorbency and the texture were fabulous,” Shekleton says while we are together in her permanent booth at the Las Vegas Market, where she is displaying a whole range of practical products for the home, and especially the kitchen, that have all flowed from her grandmother’s thrifty ways.

The Shaggie, the first of the products, is a dishcloth modeled on that very first inspiration, first offered in five colors in 2008 and now offered in 24, was followed by The Shrubbie, a utility cloth with a Shaggie on one side and a nylon scrubber on the other side that finds uses for everything from scrubbing potatoes for baking to taking the cooked-on crusts off non-stick pots and pans. They’re both machine washable with similar colors and dryable on a cool setting. “Based on the performance, our customers asked for the kitchen towel,” Shekleton says. “Almost 200 skus later, we can make your store Shaggie-delicious with a practical purpose that has a purpose. Once customers get their first one, they come back to the store for more. The reorders are phenomenal.”

At this year’s International Home + Housewares Show, Janey Lynn’s Designs will be offering even more Shaggie colors, including King Salmon, Choco Latte, Spicy Spearmint, Cracked Pepper and Lavender Dream, as well as new striped sets of one Shaggie and one Shrubbie in fun colors: Tropical Splash, Miss Sunshine, Melon Mania, Sandcastle, Anchors Away, and Bermuda Blast. “They’re fun,” Shekleton says.

The Berry Best Veggie Sack is a cloth sack that’s dampened to store fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator. Made of 70 percent bamboo, the Berry Best Veggie Sack slows the ripening and spoilage of any fresh produce, even delicate strawberries and mushrooms, and reduces waste. “All you do is dampen the bag, throw the produce in and put it in the crisper and you’re done,” Shekleton says.

She’ll also have Mop-EZ in her booth, a dust mop cover that fits the Swiffer handles as well as others. “You don’t have to know the name of your duster because one size fits most,” Shekleton says. Mop-EZ is made of a 50 percent acrylic/50 percent polyester blend and can be used either wet or dry. “I’ll chase any vacuum cleaner around. It’s amazing what that picks up that the vacuum cleaner has missed,” Shekleton says.

Shaggie Baggies are lined pouches that go inside the purse or the travel bag to carry all those little items – jewelry, make-up, pens, etc. – that would otherwise just be scrambled in the depths of the bag. “A little purse for your big purse,” Shekleton says. The Shaggie Baggie comes in three colors: Limealicious, Orange Marmalade and Yum Yum Bubble Gum, and it’s hand-washable 100 percent cotton.

Brand new for the International Home + Housewares Show, Janey Lynn’s Designs will also be exhibiting Himalayan Salt Stones that are part of the brand’s spa line. Packaged in a gift box, they’re all natural and go into the bath water to enhance the experience. “Let the relaxation begin,” Shekleton says.

Find Janey Lynn’s Designs in booth # S3758 during the International Home + Housewares Show.