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Erika Jurney is the founder of Try Handmade. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook or learn more about her love of the handmade.
The new fall trends have been announced, and animal print is in this season with leopard print leading the pack. Living in Hawaii, I typically miss out on the fall and winter fashion trends, but this one may be a little easier to incorporate into my wardrobe. Adding a small touch of animal print with the right accessories will instantly make a simple outfit chic and exotic.
A leopard print purse is a quick way to add a little sass to your little black dress, or any dress for that matter. This envelope style option from Hmmm…by Melanie includes a black chain strap, magnetic closure and is lined in black sequined fabric.
A leopard print hat may be a bit fashion forward for most, but this vintage-style cloche hat by The Millinery Shop is just too good to pass up. It is hand blocked, made from long haired felt leopard print fabric, and completed with a Bakelite buckle and hat pin. This would look amazing with a fall cape or winter coat.
Using black, brown, tan, creme and white yarn, this scarf is hand-knit by Crickets Creations to create the look of leopard print. Paired with a fall blazer or winter coat, it is sure to keep you warm and make a statement well beyond this fall’s animal print trend.
This turban-style headband from ChiChi is the perfect get-your-attention accessory for girls who love to be glamorous. Perfect for a night on the town or just pulling your hair back while running errands.
As the weather becomes cooler, embrace this year’s fall trend and incorporate a little bit of leopard print into your wardrobe! I’ll have my eye out for a leopard print bikini!
**The Leopard Shoes fine art print featured at the top of this post was created by Karcharz Photography.
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Sarah is a metalsmith, jewelry designer, and owner of the Etsy shop Lilacs&Ginger, sweet and spicy handmade treasures. She works primarily with sterling silver and vintage finds. Connect with Sarah on Twitter: @LilacsAndGinger.
As a lover of handmade things, and a supporter of artists sharing their talents with the world, I wish there was a Fenton Street Market in every neighborhood.
The brainchild of Silver Spring, Maryland resident Hannah McCann, the Fenton Street Market is a weekly exhibition of local talent and entrepreneurship that began as a two-weekend experiment at the end of 2009.
Hannah knew there was creativity and innovation in her neighborhood that was just waiting for a place to show itself. She found that place in a vacant lot at the corner of Fenton Street and Silver Spring Avenue, in downtown Silver Spring, MD.
The first two weekends were so successful, Hannah was able to get support from local non-profits and business development organizations like Downtown Silver Spring, to make the Market a more permanent event.
The market began its 2010 season on April 17, and has been running every Saturday since. Vendors at the Market are different nearly every week, and include artists, designers, crafters, and collectors from all over DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
The day I visited, I found beautiful silk purses, handmade jewelry of all kinds, stuffed toys, hand-carved wooden walking sticks, screen-printed posters, and much more. There was even a woodcarver who specialized in handmade pens. I chose from more than a dozen types of wood he had in his booth, and he carved a pen just for me while I waited!
The other driving forces behind the Fenton Street Market are two women who know a bit about putting together successful arts and crafts markets. The Market’s manager is Debbie Lee, the architect of Silver Spring’s Handmade Mart, a craft show which gets nationwide attention that happens twice a year. Her intrepid assistant manager is Jessica Blaszczak, the mastermind behind the Ballston Arts and Crafts Market in Arlington, Virginia, a monthly market from May through October.
If only these women (or at least their efforts) could be cloned, there could be cool places to shop in every neighborhood on every weekend of the year! The Fenton Street Market is open every Saturday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm from April through October. Visit the web site for a list of participating vendors.
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Valerie Williams is a designer and sewer who loves fabric, fashion, and shopping for handmade things. You can find her on Twitter or Facebook or read her musings on the things she likes at her blog, insatiable need.
Flowers are a vital part of any celebration, adding colour and texture or perhaps even as a dramatic flourish. The emerald city inspired bouquet above from Idotakeu would certainly add drama to your outfit. Many brides choose neutral colours to compliment their dress, such as cream roses which were popularised by the Victorians as a wedding flower, as they became fascinated with the meaning of different blooms. The wedding rose is said to represent true love.
However some brides choose a brighter bouquet and use this colour throughout their designs for their wedding festivities. A fabulous example can be seen above in the brooch bouquet created by Lionsgate Designs Beautiful flower garlands are draped around the shoulders of the bride and groom by their mothers in Thailand whilst they are at the altar, adding plenty of colour from the start of the wedding celebrations.
Perhaps you will choose a dramatic orange colour to accent your theme, picking marigolds to feature in your bouquet or even choosing these fabulous orange flower shoe clips from Chloe & Maddie, as seen above. Marigolds were dipped in rosewater and carried by brides in Tudor England. The brides would then eat the marigolds as they were considered as an aphrodisiac. I would not suggest that modern brides follow this tradition!
A Christmas wedding would perhaps take advantage of the abundance of ivy available, especially as the Ancient Greeks considered ivy to be a symbol of their never ending love for their spouses. Mixing ivy with cranberry coloured flowers would be a great combination for a winter wedding, like the garland worn in the flower girls hair above from The Red Magnolia .
Herbs can also be used in your wedding flowers as they were by the Ancient Roman brides as a symbol of fertility and to scare off evil spirits. The headdress above from Stitches and Scribbles is reminiscent of the olive headbands worn by Roman emperors. Artemisia is a bitter herb and is used in bouquets by brides in the Middle East as it’s bitterness is considered to help the couple through bitter times as well as sweeter times.
The best known tradition of wedding bouquets is of course the bride tossing her bouquet as she departs from the festivities. This originated from the Victorian Age when the bride would throw her bouquet to a friend to ward off evil spirits, keeping her safe and bringing her luck. In more modern times this tradition has come to mean that whoever catches the bouquet will be the next to marry! Yet I would be loathe to toss away the beautiful bouquet created by Hair Bows Wonderworld, featured above.
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I learnt to sew, knit & embroider as a child and still love to try new crafts. When not crafting I write a blog about creative small businesses and have shops on both Folksy and Etsy. Join me on Twitter.
Top from: Little Houses
I wonder if I’m the only one who’s hopelessly fickle? One moment I’m wishing it was fall, then the next moment when it gets a bit windy and there’s a nip in the air I’m wanting summer back. I suppose I’ve got a big case of the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.
Having felt a chill in the air recently and none of the extremely hot temperatures we had in July it’s probably best that I resolve to just look forward to fall and all it’s various delights as it’s really just around the corner.
Coat from: Little Houses
With fall means taking stock of the wardrobe and seeing what’s needed for the season ahead, be it new shoes, a coat, long sleeve tops or a hat and gloves.
Coat from: Little Houses
I’ve had Vancouver local Shanah Flodstrom’s etsy shop, Little Houses, on my radar for quite some time. Launched in 2007, I spotted it on the front page of etsy at some point and couldn’t help but be drawn in by her unique style and great product photography. And now fall is right around the corner so no better time to share her shop with you. Little House’s gorgeous coats have become well known for their large collars, asymmetrical fronts, attention to fit and detail. Everything in Shanah’s shop is constructed by her, from sketch to pattern to garment.
Coat from: Little Houses
Whatever fall shopping you have planned you’ll want to do some searching on the Best of Handmade to see what fun finds are available. As I surfed around tonight I was pleasantly surprised with all the options that are available from designers in the handmade community.
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Amy has an Etsy shop featuring love posters, origami art, and typography posters: Field Trip. She also writes a daily design blog, with a focus on handmade finds: Handmade Evolution
Erika Jurney
Palo Alto, CA, US
Erika is the founder of Try Handmade. »more...
Kim O'Brien
Pawtucket, RI, USA
Kim is a metalsmith who isn't afraid to push the limits of function and color. When she doesn't have a torch or hammer in her hand she can be found buying handmade goods at craft fairs and local businesses, playing with her beloved dog or blogging. »more...
Zoe Grant
Suffolk, UK
Zoe is a self confessed fabric addict having learnt to sew, embroider and knit when she was little. She also adores printed papers and loves discovering new stationery designers. In between being a mother and wife she writes about small creative businesses on her blog and sells ribbons and buttons on Etsy and Folksy. »more...
Rebecca Hadfield
Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Rebecca constantly finds beauty in that which is often overlooked. She combines found objects with decorative papers, ephemera, vintage images and text to form the basis for her collage pieces, magnets, and pins, which she sells online and at local craft shows in her home town of Winnipeg, Canada. »more...
Beverly Rustica
St. Simons Island, GA, US
Beverly Rustica, aka BeachyRustica, is a supporter of the handmade movement and an advocate for artisans of handmade goods. Her Practical Art for Beach & Cabin can be found at www.beachyrustica.com. »more...
Diana Prichard
Mid-Michigan, US
Diana is a freelance writer and wanna-be homesteader living in rural Michigan with her husband, two daughters, two dogs, three horses, a small flock of chickens and an ever-changing menagerie of other farm animals large and small. She writes about life and work at dianaprichard.com. »more...
Amy L.
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Amy is a freelance web designer, blogger and Etsy shop owner. When not scouring the web for the latest in handmade or building websites she can be found either hiking in the woods, visiting art galleries, or sampling treats at local candy and cupcake shops. Amy is passionate about the burgeoning handmade movement. »more...
Sarah Safranski
Honolulu, HI, US
Sarah is a metalsmith, jewelry designer, and owner of the Etsy shop Lilacs&Ginger, sweet and spicy handmade treasures. She works primarily with sterling silver and vintage finds. »more...
Valerie Williams
Washington DC Metro Area, US
Valerie is a sewer, designer, and crafter. She loves fabric and making things to wear, but will try any craft at least once. After being a lobbyist for ten years, Valerie has had enough of politics but still loves DC, and is anxious to share the goodness that the area has to offer. You can see the handbags and accessories she makes in her shop Holland Cox. »more...
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