I was happy to see that the tiny frame building on 54th Street at the Monon (1049 E. 54th St.) had been brightly painted recently - it looked like someone else was as fond of it as I am. Jackie Nicholas now occupies the structure that years ago had been her father's and grandfather's real estate development office.

Jackie is a graphic artist who loves the color blue and, since the phrase "Jackie Blue" is a familiar one thanks to the song by the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, it seemed an obvious choice for the name of her business. JackieBlue is billed as "a little art fair under one roof", but there is more to this business than selling gifts made by local artists.

With 25 years' experience in graphic design and advertising in various places around the country, Jackie was ready to free-lance and wanted to establish a presence on the Monon trail. Her father, Jack Nicholas, had leased the little building for years and Jackie convinced him that it was "her turn". She designs web pages, business cards, brochures, letterheads. "Anything that's printed, I can do", says Jackie. She plans to offer fax services and to be an e-bay drop-off site as well.

Most of the shop space is occupied by items made by nearly 30 local artists that sell on consignment. There are ceramics, porcelain, jewelry, scarves, greeting cards, paintings, pastels, yard art, and purses.

A few of the artists are Maria Harper, who delicately paints porcelain dishes; Debbie Stack, who paints glassware in whimsical designs; and Shannon Collins, who makes personalized ceramics. JackieBlue also carries jewelry by Susan Bordenkecher, who makes beaded items and personalized Mother's bracelets; Crave Designs featuring fused dichroic glass pieces as well as crystal-and-filament necklaces and items using semi-precious stones. Judith Workman makes the glass beads she uses in her colorful jewelry designs.

Soiree Saks by Heather Shepard are available at JackieBlue, as are colorful scarves knit by Lisa Moos. Karen Winternheimer makes wonderful dimensional greeting cards, and paints signs and tiny, decorative birdhouses. Jackie has textured, abstract oil paintings by Steven Keller, and soft, floral pastels by Andrea Eberbach.

I discovered that Jackie's roots in the area run deeper than the 75-year-old oak tree her father planted out front. In the 1950s, Jack developed Killarney Heights, between Carvel and Haverford, and named a couple of streets after his family (Nicholas Road).

Jackie's little building has not always been on 54th Street. Around 1923 it was located at Haverford and Kessler, and served as the sales office for the Maple Lawn Addition, which was developed by her great grandparents, Abraham and Emma Nicholas. Her father, Jack, says it was moved to Kessler from a previous location.

With the Christmas holiday season approaching, JackieBlue is a great place to buy unique, hand-crafted gifts.