handmadebyartists.com

ready for prime-time

The new Heartful Village website is now up and running.  Its central feature is Handmade Lookup, a directory of handmade products and the people who make them.  Handmade Lookup makes it much easier for me to create and promote links to handmade products, and artisans can add links to their sites themselves.   

Each page on the new site displays a slideshow of Heartful Village greeting card images.  Clicking an image on most pages will take you to the profile page of the artist who created it.  The slideshows on artist profile pages show only that artist's images.  Clicking one of them takes you to that card's page in Heartful Village Store. 

The slideshows are a subtle (and we hope pleasant) form of advertising because sales of Heartful Village greeting cards subsidize the expense of maintaining the Heartful Village site and store.

Please check out the new site by clicking here.  And tell your friends too, ok?

reclaimed whimsy

Will W has etched a path from retail merchandizing to interior design to mural painting to creating art from found objects.  Covering nearly forty years and a good deal of U.S. geography he found his way to what feels like home:  His Etsy shop reclaim2fame on the Gulf Coast of Florida.  His wonderfully whimsical artworks in the form of robotic characters with globe heads and binocular eyes and what-have-you elevate discarded items to a new level of dig for far future anthropologists.

Click here for the reclaim2fame link at Handmade Lookup.

tie on a new pair every day

Please explain to me how a shoe can be "environmentally friendly, comfortable, . . . allow nearly infinite design options with just one pair of wooden soles", and still be so cool you can wear them to walk on fire.  They're called Mohops and Annie Mohaupt makes them by hand in her Chicago studio.  She is currently swamped and orders are backed up for several weeks.  But you can get the jump on next summer (or New Year's Eve in New Zealand).

Click here for the Mohops link at Handmade Lookup.

help serrv worldwide artisans

SERRV is a nonprofit organization with a mission to eradicate poverty wherever it resides by providing opportunity and support to artisans and farmers worldwide.  For 60 years, Serrv has worked on behalf of the world's artisans and farmers as one of the first alternative trade organizations in the world.  Serrv is a founding member of the World Fair Trade Organization (formerly IFAT) and a founding member of the Fair Trade Federation (FTF).

Click here for the Serrv entry at Handmade Lookup.

new old stuff

Elisabeth Delehaunty, creator of Elisabethan Clothes with a History, calls herself a designer/recycler.  It's a fitting term for a this highly creative artist who makes one-of-a-kind fashion statements from used fabric, buttons, and other assorted trim.  Her search for what she calls "experienced textiles" stems from her desire to not add new stuff to the world.  Even her t-shirts are fashioned from donated shirts that are new but damaged and would otherwise go to waste.

Click here to view the Elisabethan entry on Handmade Lookup.

te. made leather goods

te. means hand in japanese, and this Melbourne based leather goods label really takes 'handmade" to heart. te. wallets, belts, pouches, and purses are distinctively styled, some hand stitched with strong waxed linen thread. Te.'s elegantly understated designs go beyond fad and current fashion into that place reserved for truly classic styling.

Click here for the te. entry in Handmade Lookup.

ties with personality+

Murphy Artisan ties are truly wearable art. Michael Murphy is an artist and each of his ties begins as plain white silk cloth on which a design is hand dyed, using brushes and other artist tools, as if on canvas. These unique neckties are a diverse collection of artistry, style, and attitude. The collection also includes a line of hand painted scarves. Why not give dad a Father's Day gift he'll cherish.

Click here for Michael Murphy's entry in Heartful Village Handmade Lookup.

you're never too old for barbie

My childhood spent with Barbie cultivated my interest in adornment. Extensive play with the doll and her miniature world strengthened my dexterity: a skill imperative to the art of jewelry making. Hence it feels natural for me to make art on a small scale. ~Margaux Lange

Maybe Margaux Lange works small, but her jewelry speaks large. I mean, who can ignore a couple of faces staring out from below your ears? Click here for the Margaux Lange Handcrafted Jewelry entry in Heartful Village Handmade Lookup.

soul warming fire bowls rule!

Last year sometime, I did a blog feature on John T. Unger's recycled steel fire bowls. (You can follow this link if you missed it.) Well, The Storque, Etsy's blog, recently declared him "ruler of the earth (-friendly items)" and posted a video showing some of his fire bowls in action.  There's a link at John T. Unger's Handmade Lookup listing that will get you over there to see it.

Click here for John T. Unger's entry in Handmade Lookup.

the handmade economic stimulus plan

The talk now is all about stimulating the economy and there are plenty of arguments about what will, or will not, work in a recovery plan.  If you think I'm going to join in that fray, think again.  But I am putting in another plug for buying handmade or small volume products directly from the people who make them.  Here's why:  When you buy directly from people who personally create products, you immediately energize their economic base and you get something uncommon in return, something that has higher value by virtue of being rare. That translates into higher resale value.  It will cost about the same as a mass-produced product, but you don't have to feed a greedy globe spanning supply chain.

way cool warmth

Rosetung's freestanding cowls/turtlenecks are multi-taskers: (1) They warm your neck, (2) they can be pulled up to warm your head or face, and (3) they make you look way cool.

warm your helping hands

The Manuela Ramos Movement is a Peruvian feminist organization.  It was founded in 1978 "to create favorable changes for women so they could fully enjoy their citizenship, including gender equality."  In 1993, the group built "The House of the Woman Artisan" to provide training, consultancy, and credit to women artisans from around the country to help them market their handcrafted goods.  The Manuela Ramos Movement has joined with Novica to broaden the reach of the wonderful work of these women.

a warm and arty noggin

Rosetung is a self-described "artist-crafter-designer" who took the names of the two grandmothers this Etsy shop owner never knew.  A browse through the shop proves the truth, and the understatement, of that description.  Rosetung's kritted and crocheted creations exude style and artistic expression.  And the preference for natural fibers--wool, silk, cotton--makes them almost precious. 

off the grid wool socks

Victoria Collins went off the grid in 1984.  She packed up and headed for a moutain top in New Hampshire.  Then she invested in sheep and set about living at one with nature, respecting the land and, in her own unique way, "contributing to feed and clothe America."  Victoria's Maple Winds Farm, in Groton, New Hampshire, has run on wind and solar power for over 25 years, but modern satellite internet service brings her handiwork down off the mountain top and directly into our homes.  I was searching for good handmade wool socks.  What I found at Maple Winds Farm is good handmade wool socks woven from hand spun yarn made with wool from sheep in Victoria's small herd on the mountain. 

flip-flops for you hands

I was so happy to come across the DebzCreations Etsy shop because I love this style of hand warmer, and it's not easy to find.  I don't know why they're called fingerless gloves, though.  They seem more like convertible mittens to me.  Anyway, whatever you want to call them, they're great.  I bought a pair (not Debz) a few years ago, and love the convenience of taking them off while leaving them on.  Fishing for keys, unlocking the door, or whatever you usually have to remove your gloves or mittens for, is just a matter of flipping the hood over your fingers.  They're practical and they're practically loss-proof. 

affordable luxury

Alfredo Falcon was born into a family in Peru that has produced woven textiles for several generations.  He lives in the Huaycan district and has collaborated with Novica for several years.  This collaboration has helped him grow his business and he now employs others to help him.  Alfredo loves knitting and crocheting and he combines handwork with work done on classic machinery that allows him to stay true to Inca and Colonial motifs. 

sock-comfy slippers

Pawfelts wool felt slipper socks are perfect winter house shoes.  Snuggly warm as soft wool socks, but more substantial because they're felted (a process that tangles the wool fibers so they lock into a strong matted material).  Pawfelts are available in men's and women's sizes and come in a wide variety of colors and color combinations.  Some are ankle high, some are sock high.  All are washable and will conform to the shape of your foot.

unmatched solemates

Marianne Wakerlin is the Socklady.  She makes colorful, whimsical, artistically inspired pairs and sets of happily unmatched socks.  She should sew soles onto them because they beg to be worn without shoes.  Using recycled cotton yarns that are dyed and spun in small family-owned U.S. businesses, the Socklady's uncommon socks are created at her home in central Vermont.  

goodbye 2008 (and hello brand new year)

2008 was not a boring year.  It's been a real-life miniseries with a cast of hundreds and millions of unwitting extras.  Comedy, tragedy, irony, pathos, hope, fear, victory and defeat played out daily on our home screens, in magazines and newspapers.  We saw avarice and greed, love and compassion, scandals and fairy tales, scoundrels and heroes.  2008 woke the slumbering, energized the complacent, and bewildered the certain—a pretty good set up for 2009, The Sequel.

recession-proof gift ideas

The following is an excerpt from the article "10 Whimsical, Recession-Proof Holiday Gift Ideas" by Leslie M. M. Bloome that appeared in today's Huffington Post.  Click the image if you want to visit the site for the complete article.

1.  Favorite childhood books.  Find out what your husband's/wife's/sister's/etc favorite bedtime tales were ... then go on Bibliofind.com and scout out the edition that he or she might have read as a kid. I have found wonderful old copies of everything from Ferdinand to Harriet the Spy for as little as 1 cent - no joke.

reflecting on a grateful life

Thanksgiving is especially relevant this year, what with the worldwide rollercoaster ride we've been on recently.  Originally a harvest festival, this 400 year old tradition of gathering together to express gratitude for all we have is in perfect alignment with current thinking that draws a correlation between one's level of gratitude and the level of satisfaction with one's life: 

da funk is in da bag

Defunct Baggage is the go-to place for retro, funky, feminine, and fun bags and wallets by indie designer Amber Waddle.  She's got purses, checkbook covers, wallets, and pouches in bold and confident color combinations and designs.  And the style doesn't end where the zipper begins because these bags are hip and happy inside and out.  Amber's bags are practical wearable art that will dress up jeans and add punch to suits and dresses. 

a new handmade community

 Artfire is a small (relative to Etsy) community of crafters and artisans, with an easy site to navigate.  The bulk of the Artfire crafters seem to be into making jewelry.  Most of the other categories, and there are many, have from 0 to about 100 items offered.  But that makes the site much less daunting a proposition. 

stylish sensible shoes

Sara MacIntosh is a modern day cobbler who gives new meaning to the term "sensible shoes".  Her shoes are classically stylish and most are suitable for either men or women.  Sara constructs her shoes to be precise fits for both of your feet.  I've never had shoes that fit both of my feet perfectly, but I do remember being able to get a better fit. 

handmade journal software

DavidRM is an indie software developer.  He originally created The Journal twelve years ago as a quick project to learn the Delphi programming environment.  A freeware offering, it was primarily downloaded by people in the Delphi community, but user feedback led to its extension and the rest, as they say, is history.  By the time The Journal 4 hit my radar screen a few months ago, it had evolved into a mature and robust feature rich package with a selection of optional extensions. 

crystal jewelry magic

Elleabelle makes sumptuously yummy jewelry. Variations in color, shape, type, and size of crystals, gemstones, pearls, and more are combined with wire, chains, and magic into timeless pieces of wearable art. I like crystals for their supposed metaphysical properties and have been known to drop several stones into a pouch strung around my neck. But Elleabelle's designs weave citrine, and chalcedony, and rose quartz, and carnelian, and what have you into beautiful and artistic fashion statements, putting brown suede pouches totally out of the competition. There are several close up photos of each item in the shop, so you can get a really good feel for how a piece looks in its entirety.

tape-estry wallets

Tapebubba is an engineer by profession, and he has put that engineering mindset to work on his hobby turned Etsy business:  Making stylish and sensibly designed wallets out of tape.  That's right, tape.  Tapebubba uses both shiny duct tape and matte canvas gaffers tape and his designs are tastefully, artistically, fun. Tapebubba makes two styles of men's wallet, the 7-pocket Stuffer and the 9-pocket Stuffer Plus. He also offers a collection of other items: An 8-pocket covered money clip, coin purses, checkbook covers, and cosmetic bags. His range of styles is such that you can find something for most everyone, and none of his styles is anywhere close to boring.

take the pledge

Nine handmade and do-it-yourself groups have banded together to encourage people to buy handmade this holiday season.  Calling themselves The Handmade Consortium, they are comprised of Etsy, Design Sponge, indiepublic, Austin Craft Mafia, BurdaStyle, Craftster, Craft Magazine, Interweave, and the American Craft Council.  Click About the consortium below for information on these groups.

the story of stuff

Annie Leonard is an expert in international sustainability and environmental health issues.  For over 20 years, she has traveled the world investigating factories and dump sites.  In this fast paced, entertaining, and highly informative interactive video, she exposes connections between our excessive production/consumption patterns and many of our social and environmental problems.  And in her witty way with this serious subject, Annie Leonard also explains how consumerism became our national agenda.  There is a lot of food for thought (and suggestions for involvement) packed into this 20 minute animated video. 

san francisco open studios

The San Francisco Open Studios is a four weekend citywide event with hundreds of artists opening their studios to the public.  When I was down the coast from San Francisco, I made it up for the tour several times, but only went to those at Hunter's Point.  That's because I'm a first-class wimp when it comes to navigating the City by the Bay.  It's a one-way town and I get dizzy when I go around in circles.  

santa cruz open studios art tour

The Santa Cruz Open Studios Art Tour is a diverse and always top quality tour featuring artist's open studios throughout Santa Cruz County, a wide geographic area in one of the most beautful regions of California.  There are 300 participating artists opening their studios across three consecutive weekends in October:

the artful glow of sea shells

Desiree Gillingham-Produit creates fine art lighted wall sculpture and Tiffany style lamp shades using natural sea shells.  I read an article about her shades a few years ago and curiosity lead me to call her to set up an appointment.  I wanted to see for myself what this reviewer was raving about and Desiree's studio was not far from me in Carmel Valley. 

I had purchased a hand wrought floor lamp a couple of years earlier from a local iron artist, but had never come across the right shade for it.  That lamp was not on my mind when I called Desiree, but as I stood in her studio that day surrounded by the glowing beauty of her shades I knew my search was over. 

another handmade blog

Marichelle's blog Heart Handmade is a thoroughly enjoyable place to hang out, follow links, meet people, find cool handmade products, learn some crafts, and traipse around New York with someone who knows the town.

the window is the view

Alan Masaoka is a glass artist.  He does commissioned architectural stained glass, and glass artwork.  We had neighboring studios when I was in Carmel Valley.  Well, actually, my studio was in the alley behind his.  I would direct people to my studio by first asking if they knew their way to his.  As often as not they did, so I'd tell them to just walk through his studio, out his back door, then up the stairs to mine.  Why not give 'em the scenic route? 

sniffle in style

Brezomayo's heartwarming Linen Bird Pillow is what initially drew me into her Brezomayo Designs Etsy shop.  This pillow is as authentically what handmades are about as it gets.  100% natural linen + vintage tea linens + vintage buttons + basket weave trim + embroidery, all craftfully combined in a fetchingly sweet pillow you just want to hug. 

a raincoat for all seasons

If your idea of a raincoat is a basic waterproof trench coat, let me introduce you to Iris Mansard.  Calling herself the Raincoat Lady, Iris Mansand designs raincoats that don't have to wait for rain.  Made from a fabric that she calls futuristic, Iris Mansard designs are really wear-anytime-you-want-to coats.  Which makes them perfect for practical types like me who always figured the only people who need to invest in a raincoat are those who live in the Pacific Northwest. (That's before I moved from California to Memphis.)

stylin' to a tee

Confession time:  I have always had a pretty un-American attitude about tee shirts:  That they're ugly, unflattering, and not to be taken seriously.  I wear them, though, to lounge around the house, to walk the dog, to hike.  My sons manage to find tees that have interesting graphics and statements on our life and times, but mine are mostly giveaways from high-tech companies I worked for, making me a walking billboard for (sometimes defunct) Silicon Valley ventures. 

monterey county artists studio tour

This is a fun studio tour.  You get to visit the studios of Monterey Peninsula (and Salinas) artists while taking in the beauty of this magical area.  I lived in Carmel Valley for over 14 years (minus two spent in the Carmel Highlands) and was a participant in this tour myself several times.  I had only one regret as a tour participant — that I could not both open my studio and be a studio tourist. 

mill valley arts festival

This festival began in 1957 with a group of artists showing their work in downtown store windows. As it matured over the years, the festival changed names and locations several times before finally settling in the historic Old Mill Park. 

smithsonian trunk show

This show features jewelry and wearable art made by 30 artists previously juried into Smithsonian Craft Shows.  It's produced by the Smithsonian Women's Committee "to benefit education, outreach and research programs within The Smithsonian Institution", and there is no question it's a top quality show. 

art & craft shows

art & craft shows are now listed on the sidebar under Miscellany.  Click here to go there. 

make a show plan

Art and crafts shows come in every size and flavor imaginable, so you need to get a handle on what does/does not interest you and choose your shows accordingly.  I personally work from two sets of criteria depending on whether the show is art or craft oriented. 

email archives

My archived email messages are now on the sidebar under Miscellany.  Click here to go there.

a virtual trip to ojai

OjaiStyle brings the creations of several highly talented Ojai, California, artists to online shoppers.  Each artist is featured with a short biographical piece and a 60-90 second video, creating a strong sense of connection to them and their work.  Seeing the written words, watching the artists work, and hearing their voices brings you right into their studios, as though sitting across from them in conversation. This is an effective and very well done website. 

home decor and more

Novica uses the internet to provide a global showcase for artists and artisans working in cities and villages in the Andes, Bali & Java, Brazil, India, Mexico, Thailand, and West Africa.  The artists set the prices for their offerings and Novica takes a percentage when they sell.  This model gives the artists a good deal of control and also keeps prices very reasonable.  Shipping charges are also low if you're patient and don't mind waiting a couple of weeks or more for your delivery. 

crafty penmanship

David and Leah Gessner give new life to distressed and discarded Vermont lumber remnants by transforming them into useful everyday items—high quality pens and pencils. I visited their website, Handmade Maple Pens, and instantly fell in love with their colorful thick barreled Artist's Sketch Pencils. With their 5.6 mm 4B leads and $75 price tag, these objects of beauty are also practical and reasonably priced drawing tools. They come in natural or black Vermont Tiger Maple, but I find the brightly stained (red, blue, green, orange, purple) finishes artistically inspiring. These are happy pencils.

carry it all big and small

Heather makes bags:  Dice bags, tote bags, and messenger style shoulder bags. I had never seen a dice bag before I visited Heather's Etsy store, Marsbarn Designs.  But the game mastering blog Gnome Stew says Heather makes the Ultimate Dice Bag because she thinks of little features that add up to high quality—things like sealing the closure ties

so they don't fray, making the bags a durable (and reversable) two layers, and giving them a square bottom so they can't flop over.  That attention to detail is evident in all her products.  And all of them are lovely. 

lamps your way

G. Scratchard has been making pottery for over 50 years, and he set up shop in Vermont in 1960.  Somewhere along the way, he settled on the specialty of lamps. And now, with two helpers. makes about 2000 a year, most of them made to order.  It's nice to be able to order things the way you want them.  

Scratchard offers several contemporary styles, sizes, and glazes that you can mix and match to your preferencess.  You can also add on an optional dimmer, and a white or clear silver cord (brown is standard).  His lamps come with one of two basic lamp shade styles.  There's no shipping charge within in the United States, and he offers multiple lamp discounts.   Prices range from $99.00 - $500.00.

stir it up by hand

Jonathan Simons makes handcrafted cherry wood spoons.  His spoons are not made to hang on the wall as purely decorative objects, although they would look great there.  These are real roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-cookin' spoons that were designed with the hand of the cook and the spoon's specific purpose in mind.  Jonathan says if you treat his spoons right, they'll last a lifetime, and he prefers that you wash them by hand and rub them occasionally with coconut oil. 

soul warming fire bowls

John T. Unger is an artist who has worked as a print and web designer, illustrator, industrial designer, musician, teacher, actor, and set designer. And he's also a poet. 

John T. works primarily in recycled materials and his creative mandate is "sustainable design with an edge."  I came upon his artwork by way of Typepad Hacks, his how-to blog for Typepad users. 

a handmade global market

Etsy calls itself an online marketplace for buying and selling all things handmade, but that does not even begin to tell the story.  This is a worldwide community of people building businesses based on creating handmade products and selling them in online shops.  It's a movement, a living vision of people gaining more control over their lives and doing what they love.