Heartful Handmade Blog

a gorgeous and sturdy waxed canvas messenger bag

Occasionally, I do a follow-up when I find a previously featured artist or shop is offering something new and interesting.  As Moop is with their line of waxed canvas bags.  These cloth bags are natually water-repellant and, like leather, they develop character with age.  And, like everything at Moop, they're already gorgeous to start with.  Click on over and check out the organic market bags, messengers large and small, letter bags, and more.  And don't forget the rest of the waxed canvas bags.  This one is $187.

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Moop is also in Handmade Lookup.

dramatic silver hoop earrings

Hoop earrings are dependable jewelry workhorses that really never go out of fashion.  They just move into and out of the spotlight.  They're sometimes large, sometimes small, and sometimes in between.  They're wide, they're narrow, they're silver, they're gold, they're circles, they're oblong, whatever.  But they're rarely dramatic attention grabbers.  So, when I stumbled across these beauties by Reagan Hayhurst I had to do a double take.  Nice, huh?  I had trouble deciding whether to feature the ones pictured or these larger, thinner, oxidized ones.  Both are very nice.  And different.  As is the case with everything in Reagan Hayhurst's shop.  These are $40.

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Reagan Hayhurst is also in Handmade Lookup.

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.

now there's even more to like at xenotees

Since I last dropped in on the shop, Noelle at Xenotees has expanded her offerings beyond the core line of very smart looking hand-screened tee-shirts.  She now has large (really large) cotton jersey (tee-shirt fabric) scarves and heavy canvas tote bags. These additions live up to the Xenotees signature look with original graphics and dramatic style.  This is the only tee-shirt outfitter I know of that can   dress you for a night at the opera.  Xenotees is also in Handmade Lookup.

May 3, 2010 update:  Here's a great article on Noelle and Xenotees from today's Etsy Storque.

colorful canvas bags by moop

Moop, in Pittsburgh, makes practical, colorful canvas market bags, porter bags, book bags, letter bags, clutches, totes, and duffels for men, women and children.  

Click here for more info. 

babooshka fashion is totally today cool

Babooshka is a fashion designer in Pittsburg who creates totally modern, thoroughly wearable, slightly off-beat dresses, skirts, shirts, and scarves that can motivate jeans into formal wear.

Click here for more info.

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.