Heartful Handmade Blog

gorgeous new collection of chinese zodiac tiles

Chinese New Year, the Year of the Dragon, is January 23rd.  Our last Dragon year was 2000, when the talk leading up to it was about the new millenium and Y2K and glitches that were going to wipe out computers and wreak havoc all over the world.  Wasn't that a whole lot of nothing? 

Now this Dragon year is all about 2012 and Mayan prophesies and all kinds of other interesting stuff.  Ummmmmm.   Maybe dragon years always come in blowing fire and smoke to draw attention to themselves.  Or whatever. 

Anyway, I've put up a collection of gorgeous ceramic Chinese Zodiac tiles that were handmade in Canada and are just too pretty for words.  So click on over and check my new collection of Handmade Chinese Zodiac Decorator Tiles. They're $39.99 each.

international day of compassion

In honor of Dr. Patch Adams, today is an International Day of Compassion.  Most people probably know of Dr. Adams because of the movie that bears his name.  I didn't see the movie and knew little about him.  So I went to the website to check him out, and I discovered a man who faces and accepts life as it is without conceding an inch of who he is.  

That strikes me as the very foundation of compassion:  Living in alignment with what you know to be true, and what you believe is right. Because that's how you get ok with you.  And once you're ok with you, compassion becomes natural.  But that's easier said than done, because you don't always know what you know to be true, or what you believe to be right. Sure, you know what you think you should think.  You know what you've been told to believe.  But those things are sometimes difficult to reconcile with the realities playing out all around you. 

So I'm adding my two cents to these suggesions at the website for the International Day of Compassion:   

• Be a Twinkle in the eyes, smile on the face and an excitement to meet.
• Engaging eye contact
• Be fun and tender everywhere
• Turn off TV
• Develop all your interests
• Have A tender love for people
• Engage with the arts and nature
• Do volunteer work
• Practice organizing and following through
• Offer Massage

I think these are all excellent suggestions.  And here's my addition to the list:

• Refuse to judge

 

how to make your space more party friendly

If you want to make your home a bit more entertainment-friendly, you'll enjoy Revamping the Living Room with AB Chao. Interior stylist AB Chao walks you through the process in this fun Etsy Storque article that makes use of interesting furniture and accessories available in Etsy shops. Don't worry that the items she links to may be sold or not quite right for you. With a little imagination, you can adapt her advice to cool things you might find at a flea market, in a second hand store, or maybe in in your own garage or house. read more . . .

handmade mugs for coffee, tea, or gifts

I'm a serious coffee drinker.  And I like to drink my coffee out of mugs.  Big mugs.  Really big mugs.  That way, I can tell myself I only drink one (sometimes two) cups of coffee a day.  Never mind that I have to brew two of what my coffee maker calls cups to get one mug filled.  Which is all explanation for why I named my handpicked mug collection Handmade Coffee Mugs for Gifts and for Yourself.  So, if you're a tea drinker (or shopping for one), just substitute "Tea" for "Coffee" and this collection is perfect for you, too.  And, if you only drink your coffee (or tea) out of proper cups (with matched saucers), shorten the title to end with "Gifts" and you're also good to go.  So click on over and check out my handpicked collection of beautiful handmade mugs.

a collection of handmade gifts for men

This cool hero bracelet is one of 18 handmade products I've included in my collection of handmade gifts for men.  This is a wide-ranging and fun assortment of products, including iPhone chargers, sculpture, shot glasses, and even a spider.  Prices range from $16-$225, so hop on over and check out my collection of Handpicked Handmade Gifts for Men.

fair trade jewelry picks

Two of the most popular categories of handmade products are (1) jewelry and (2) items created by artisans working in fair trade cooperatives.  Both are understandable top-of-the-list choices.  Jewelry probably came right after tools in the history of homosapien creations.  We've worn adornment for about as long as we've been on the planet.  It's as natural to us as dressing our hair.  And fair trade artisans often create traditional forms that resonate with modern buyers, possibly because they provide a tangible connection to our past.  So I put these two popular categories together and curated a collection of fair trade jewelry items.  Check out my eclectic collection of fair trade jewelry.

beautiful handmade clocks

I have always loved clocks and watches in spite of their fundamental purpose.  I grew up with a backdrop of chimes from a mantel clock that imprinted my consciousness with quarter hour intervals that are with me to this day.  Although it comes in handy when I'm boiling an egg, I'm not that crazy about clock time and the power it has over our lives.  But our reliance on each day's division into 86,400 seconds is here to stay, so I figure we should make the most of it by using beautiful timekeeping instruments.  And I've pulled together a nice collection of wall and table clocks that double as artwork and decor.  So I invite you to read my article and follow the links to my handpicked handmade clocks.

spruce up your yard with handmade garden decor

As a transplanted Californian, the heat and humidity in Memphis this summer was like an exotic subtropical vacation that came to visit. It's cooling off now, but it was intense for several weeks.  My tomato plant was traumatized and the watermelon plants I tried for the first time couldn't muster enough energy to grow.  They didn't die, they just didn't do much of anything. That may say more, though, about my gardening than it does about the weather.  

But, I'm now hoping to enjoy evenings outside for a few weeks before the winter chill sets in. I like to sit out when there's a nice breeze and listen to the sounds of the locusts and crickets that fill the air here.  

And I've pulled together a nice collection of handmade garden decor that I think will make relaxing outdoors even better.  So come along and read the article and follow the links to my handpicked handmade garden decor.

mother's day gift ideas

Mother's Day is just around the corner, so I've pulled together a nice assortment of handmade goodies. Prices range from under $10 to $255. And the links lead to lots more where these came from.

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Go to article and gift links.

check out these undiscovered etsy shops

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View article and product links.