Heartful Handmade Blog

a comfy portable chair for dad

This is a really nice compact portable chair.  It folds flat and is also very pleasing to the eye.  I like the stretched canvas backrest.  Not only does it add to the visual appeal, it's also a comfort feature.  And, at $65.00, the price is reasonable for a high-quality handmade chair that will last a lifetime.  It's at WillardWoodwrights, along with a nice collection of other wooden furnishings and toys.

I think this chair is a nice pick for Father's Day.

a meadowlark for your gatepost

This metal bird is so nice, and so nicely priced, that I'm thinking of getting it for myself.  It mounts onto a fence or gate post with a couple of included screws.  I love rustic rusted metal garden whimsy, and this bird has such a nice feel.  You can almost hear his call.  And at $9.95 it's a steal.  

There's a wood pecker, a squirrel, and some other nice metal pieces.  And there's a whole gallery of paintings, mostly of animals, at WriteDesign.  Check it out.

pig and fish hooks made from old farm machinery

These fun and useful hooks are crafted from metal reclaimed from old farm machinery by Gatski Metal, in rural Pennsylvania.  They're handmade to order, from the cutting of the metal to fashioning into shape, so you need to allow a few days for shipment.  And because each is unique, there are subtle variations in color and details. 

They can be used indoors or out, and I think they're great Father's Day picks:  For hanging keys, tools, clothing, whatever.  

The three hook pig is $65.00, the seven hook fish is $125.00.

new stuff at defunct baggage

I've been popping in on shops I reviewed in the past to see what they're up to now.  And I'm enjoying the project, even though I read somewhere the other day that "bloggers are loath" to revisit past review sites.  Ummmmm.  

Anyway, I'm so glad I dropped back in on Defunct Baggage.  They've got some cool new patterns on their line of funky retro bags.  And they've added a new line -- Defunct Couture -- strictly one-of-a-kind bags made of interesting materials and in various sizes and shapes. And they're just as pretty inside as they are out.

Check out the new stuff Defunct Baggage has in its bag of tricks. And you might want to also read (or reread) my 2008 Defunct Baggage review.

pretty paper blooms a bloomin'

You know, there was a time when I absolutely hated artificial flowers (and don't get me going on artificial plants).  But something's been shifting lately.  I don't know if I'm changing, or if artificial flowers are changing.  What I do know is that I've been seeing some very pretty fake blooms.  Case in point:  Paper Platypus.  This Orlando, Florida, based Etsy shop sells kits so you can put together your own gorgeous paper mums or peonies in pretty much any color or color combinations you can think of.  You can also get them already assembled.  The kit shown here has 12 bright Leslie Mums for $24.00.

Check out the paper flowers at Paper Platypus.

10% off all art glass at artful home

Through 5/18, Artful home is offering 10% off their entire collection of art glass.  From functional beauties, such as paper weights, bowls and vases, to fine art sculpture and wall art, it's all marked down. To get the savings, use coupon code GLASSX at checkout.

And there are some great deals to be had.  For example, Cosmo Snail, this whimsically elegant paperweight by Corvallis, Oregon, glass artist Eric Bailey is just $75.60 with the discount ($84 regular price).

And Sqarbles, this set of three playful paperweights by third generation glassmaker Nicholas Kekic is just $59.40 ($66 regular price).  These are amazing deals for top quality art glass like this.

Many of the offered items are one-of-a-kind, and when they're gone, they're gone, so why not check out the Artful Home sale on art glass now?

This sale has ended.  Check out the current sales and specials.

nunu chocolates: artisan success story

I grabbed this great video from FoodCurated.  It gives the back story on Brooklyn-based artisan chocolate company Nunu Chocolates.  The company was founded and nurtured to success by a self-taught chocolatier and her husband, providing yet another example of how people doing what they love (and doing it well) are fueling the growing handmade revolution.

NuNu Chocolates is also in Handmade Lookup.

sterling silver sutured heart necklace

This sweet heart pendant says so much.  Is it a broken heart?  One now mended?  A bursting heart?  A fragile heart? An open heart?  A playful heart?  A football lover's heart? Whatever, whoever, why ever . . . it's lovely.  And it's a nice size, at 1-1/4 inches long and 1 inch wide.  

The back is special too, with faux rubies forming the eyes of a creature called Mortimer.  Front, back and the 16 inch rollo chain were all created by Lyndsay, the jewelry artist at Idle Hands Designs in Seattle.  $86.00 in either bright or oxidized brushed sterling.

magical crystal jewelry at 10-20% off

Elleabelle's name for this amethyst, garnet, sapphire, and vesuvianite necklace is Forest View. I call it more of her crystal magic. The understated strength of the pale lavender, green and pink stones is in perfect balance with the dramatic sprinklings of deep garnet red.  The sterling silver wire weaves it all together into 17 inches of shimmering simmering power. $158.00.

Elleabelle's Etsy shop is full of goodies right now. And she's feeling generous and offering 10% off any single piece (that's $16 off this beauty), 15% off any two, and 20% off any three.  I think you ought to hop over there and check it out.

This sale has ended.  Check out the current sales and specials.

Elleabelle is also in Handmade Lookup.