Heartful Handmade Blog

clear your clutter with cedar wood storage trunks by lori sanders

Storage containers that let you keep things out of sight, but close at hand when you need them, are much needed in our modern world of gadgets and contraptions and whatnot.  We used to be able to blame all the clutter on the kids, but nowadays pretty much everyone has a gazillion gadgets and projects to keep up with.  We're knitting and quilting and photographing and painting and DVD watching and gaming and doing all kinds of things that give us pleasure as they add to our clutter.  So containers that keep this stuff out of sight when we're not using it, but make easy to get to when we are, is the order of the day.  And if the container can do its job and be nice to look at too, you've pretty much hit pay dirt.

Cedar Wood Storage Trunk

This pretty cedar wood storage trunk by Lori Sanders is a perfect example.  It has thoroughly modern rustic charm, and at three feet long and 17 inches in height and in depth, it's a perfect size for storing linens or the wool throws you don't use during the warmer months.  And you can easily stash away your handwork projects to clear space on the couch for guests.   Lori also does this same storage trunk in a natural wood finish, so she's covered a wide range of decor options. You need to plan ahead if you can see this trunk in your space.  Lori's trucks are made-to-order and it'll take a couple of weeks or so before yours arrives.   So click the image or link for more views and the details.  Or go to Lori Sanders' TrunkSpot storefront and navigate around from there.

natural burl wood picture frames by neil austin

These beautiful handmade picture frames are made of natural unstained wood.  The wood was fashioned by Mother Nature, and the frames by Neil Austin.  Neil believes in letting the natural beauty of the wood become a part of the finished product.  And his work lets you enjoy the beauty and majesty of nature wherever you happen to be.  Needless to say, but I'll say it anyway:  No two are alike.  Like the trees they came from, these frames are one-of-a-kind.
4x6" Natural Wood Frame, $109
3x5" Natural Wood Frame, $55
These are both maple burl wood frames that hold standard size photos.  And they work nicely for family photographs as shown above.  But please don't limit your view of them to that one purpose, because they're great for so much more.  For example, they're a wonderful way to display nature scenes:  A pine tree, or an oak branch, or woodland grasses, or wildflowers.  Maybe you took a photo that just didn't work out.  But it has one little stunning element that can stand on its own.  Just cut it out and frame it.  Or you might want to frame a greeting card you love.  Or a beautiful picture ou cut out of a magazine.  And these fraomes are perfect for displaing pressed flowers and leaves.  Follow my drift?  These are cool frames.  And whatever you want to put in them will work. Neil Austin has more natural woold frames to choose from.  So click on over to Neil Austin and check them out from yourself.

handmade bacote wood jewelry box

It took me forever to settle on this pretty little six inch square jewelry box.  That's because every box in the J. Amberg Furniture Maker shop begs to be shown.  The slogan there is "What can I make for you?"  Which I take to mean you can request custom jewelry boxes and furniture.  The ready-made boxes available in the shop are all beautifully constructed from reclaimed or recycled woods.  And there's a good selection to choose from if wood is your thing:  Rosewood, Red Milkwood, Poplar, Yellowheart, Zebrawood, Ziracote, Padauk, to name just a few.

Like many J. Amberg boxes, this one combines several different woods.  It has a Bocote wood top with its beautifully patterned grain, silky Achihua wood body and legs, and details (drawer pulls and accents) of Ziracote, Cocabolo, and Paduak.  This interesting mix of woods adds to the appeal of this very simple, Asian feeling style.  The surface has been finished with coats of hand rubbed polyurethane and beeswax to polish and protect the wood.  This is a true heirloom quality piece of fine craftsmanship.  So click on over now and check out this beautifully crafted J. Amberg wood box.  It's on sale for $110.

new home and garden shopping page

I just realized I never did a post here about the new Lookup^quick shopping page at Heartful Village.  It makes it very easy to find handmade home products because you shop from an array of cool shops and artisans all together.  Art, decorative boxes, garden decor, Buddha statues, vases and lots more handmade products for around the home are easily shopped by price, by store, or by artisan.  So click on over and check the new Home & Garden shopping page now.

these wood tiles make any space an art wall

These beautiful wooden tiles are a great way to add an artful touch to any area of your home or office.  They will display beautifully singly, or in groupings of whatever number rocks your boat.  You can create something totally unique through your choice of tiles and arrangement:  Three tiles arranged in a single vertical row, or four tiles in two rows of two or one row of four, or something totally abstract.  Whatever works for you and the space you have available is the right way to display these tiles.  They're made by Amber and Darleen, a very creative mother/daughter team, working in their Red Tile Studio in Dallas.  The images are all of original artworks by this artistic duo.  To create the tiles, an image print is affixed to a wood block and then sealed with glossy varnish and the wood is either stained or painted.  The tiles shown here are stained in walnut.  Red Tile Studio has an impressive collection for you to choose from, in a variety of colors and sizes.  You can purchase them individually or in specially priced sets.  And, besides these lovely tiles, you'll find gorgeous magnets (turn your refrigerator into a gallery), iPhone covers, wall pockets, and lots of other cool products.  Click on over to Red Tile Studio and check them out for yourself.  This set of four 5x5" tiles is $108.

you can float your books in this boat

Isn't this boat styled bookcase fun?  It was handmade by Dennis, at Poppa's Boats, who makes boat shelving, wine racks, toy and storage boxes, and garden planters and decor.  And, since his creations are custom made, I expect you can add a slant of your own to the creative mix.  Dennis says his favorite woods are red oak, knotty pine, and cedar.  He builds his pieces with screws and glue, no nails, before painting them your choice of color.   The shelves and front edges are hand stained.  When he's done, paste wax is hand applied for a deep natural looking finish.  You have a choice of sizes and prices.  This four foot red oak row boat bookcase is $169.95, and that includes shipping to the 48 contiguous states.  You can't beat that with a stick.  So click on over to Poppa's Boats and check out this wonderful shop.

heirlooms, jewelry box kits, and memories

Alice Suszynski is an award-winning cabinetmaker who sells exquisite heirloom quality jewelry boxes and silverware chests.  These elegant handcrafted works of functional art are available through her Dream Mountain Studio website.  And now Alice has combined her fine craftsmanship with her experience as a teacher to develop a line of jewelry box kits that can be assembled with ordinary tools.  These kits are in a class by themselves and offer a unique opportunity for people with limited wordworking skills to create top-notch, high-quality jewelry boxes.  I'll let Alice tell you all about it in this video:

These kits make it possible for you to create a very special keepsake for a loved one.  Or to give a very unusual gift to a craftsperson in your life.  Maybe even one who will give you the finished product.  How cool is that?

And I love Alice's suggestion that a jewelry box building project be shared with a child. Not only will it help to build the child's confidence and sense of accomplishment. It will also add to his or her store of warm and treasured memories when grown.   So click on over to Alice's new website, Ready to Build, to check out her new jewelry box woodworking kits.

heirloom quality handmade memory book

In our modern world of electronic communication, this gorgeous handmade wooden book feels especially special.  A single blue and black feather shows through the window carved on the front cover.  And the binding is designed to allow the book to lay flat when open.  This polished cherry wood book is 10" x 7^1/4", big enough to use as a journal or to store photos and cherished memories.  And, of course, it's a beautiful display piece on its own.  This is just one of a wide selection of one-of-a-kind handmade books made by Michelle Skiba at Three Trees Bindery, in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Journal sizes and prices vary from small to medium to large.  And there are some beautiful wedding guest books.  Custom orders are welcomed.  So click on over now to check out the heirloom quality handmade books at Three Trees Bindery.  This large shadows journal is $170.

gallery 5 artist and artisan collective

Wearable art and fine crafts by about 100 American artists spread around the U.S.  Their focus is ceramics, glass, fiber, metal and wood.  There are a lot of interesting products at this site, lots of sale items, and free shipping in the U.S.

Click here for more info.

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.