Try Handmade :: Indie Shopping Blog Featuring Jewelry, Crafts, Photography, Clothing, Gifts and More Beauty Made by Hand

featured: Lulu Bug Jewelry

Breaking up, earrings

July 3, 2009 by Erika Jurney

By New Fashioned Whispers.

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.

Posted in Jewelry. Leave a comment

Interview with Connie Norsworthy, CircleLineStudio

July 2, 2009 by Leah Peterson

Connie Norsworthy of Circlelinestudio lives in Las Vegas with her husband, Lee, and their kids, Sam, Tommy and Mack as well as two miniature Schnauzers, Lexi and Cava. Connie describes herself as easygoing, spontaneous, hardworking and loyal. When she’s not working, she loves hanging out with her family. They all love to travel and explore. She also loves simple things, ‘like a good cup of coffee or the fragrance of a great candle. I also have a bit of a paper addiction, calendars, planners, pretty papers.‘ Be sure to check out her shop, Circlelinestudio.

Leah Peterson writes at www.leahpeah.com/blog.

Posted in Focus on Makers. Leave a comment

Candied Beauty

July 1, 2009 by Erika Jurney

Mmmm, Grape Crush soda… A tub and this cupcake bath bomb would take me back to when I was about 10 years old.

Candied Beauty: 100% Vegetarian, 100% Cruelty-Free, 90-100% Natural! (Vegan products include everything, but those with whipped topping- they contain a small amount of meringue powder/powdered egg whites.) Made with ONLY the finest, top-quality ingredients!

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.

Posted in Cosmetics, Spa and Bath. Leave a comment

Shop Local: Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA

July 1, 2009 by Tara Gentile

When you think Idaho, you probably don’t think about the indie craft scene. But I found some pretty cool crafters in this little corner of the US of A. If you like what you see below and what to find some more Idaho crafters, check out the Southeast Idaho Etsy Team and Idaho Indie Works.

Tara Gentile is the creator & editor of Handmade in PA.net, a blog and online community that supports arts & crafts in Pennsylvania. She's always looking for new talent, events to feature, and projects to share with her readers - to get involved, email tara@handmadeinpa.net.

Posted in Shop Local. Leave a comment

Audrey Cantwell

June 30, 2009 by Erika Jurney

Audrey Cantwell: I cut and I sew and I save the more fortunate results.

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.

Posted in Clothing and Fashion. 1 Comment

Handmade Kitchen

June 30, 2009 by Kristin Huston

It’s summer, time for lots of parties that will put your kitchen into overdrive! It’s easy to keep your kitchen pretty and well-stocked with a supply of handmade goodies.

First up are these yellow damask tea towels from Fancy Boutique. The yellow color screams summer while the damask pattern adds a hint of sophistication. Also, check out the Fancy Boutique etsy shop for aprons to pretty yourself up while you’re working in the kitchen.

Kristin Huston blogs about jewelry and makes Raspberry Tiramisu in her spare time.

Posted in Seasonal Handmade. Leave a comment

Graphically bold pillow covers

June 29, 2009 by Erika Jurney

Hitomi Kimura is the designer and screen printer of kalla Design, textile and surface design studio based in Ibaraki, Japan.

In 2007, after studying graphic design and working for a publisher in London, England, Hitomi started her own small business in Japan, selling her screen printed matters.

All the printed products are hand screen printed with water-based eco-friendly inks and then some of them are carefully machine sewed by the designer herself.

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.

Posted in For the Home. 1 Comment

Ice Cube Recipes

June 29, 2009 by Lotta Svoboda

Dear Reader,

I have a huge fondness for ice. The naughty ice cube trick my college roommate taught me. The ice the nurse wrapped up in a diaper for post-birth relief. The Ice I rubbed on my teething baby’s gums. The half melted glass of ice I crunched loudly during my first big fight with my husband. The ice in the water that helped me make a decent pie crust for the first time. The ice that clinks in my glass at the end of the day when the house is quiet and sleepy.

Vintage Mobile Glasses At five6seven8

Lotta Svoboda firmly believes that crafting keeps her happy and sane, despite occasionally gluing her fingers together. You can also visit her at Mom-O-Matic or Etsy.

Posted in Crafting with Lotta. 1 Comment

Shop Local: Suffolk, England

June 26, 2009 by Tara Gentile

This week’s Shop Local features the beautiful countryside of Suffolk, England. While a geographical search on Etsy didn’t reveal a lot of crafters, it did reveal some real eye candy! I loved the three shops below and think you will too. And if you can’t get enough of Suffolk, check out the Suffolk Craft Society for more fine crafters creating modern art with traditional techniques.

Posted in Shop Local. Leave a comment

Interview with Batcakes Couture

June 25, 2009 by Leah Peterson

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Satanica Batcakes has lived in the Echo Park district of Los Angeles since 1995 and loves it. She says, ‘I wouldn’t live anywhere else in this city. We have trees and parks!’ She has a 17 year old son, Jordan, and two cats named Pixie and Battle Cat. Satanica describes herself as ridiculous, hilarious, imaginative, nurturing, fearless, polarizing and flexible. Some of her favorite things are the circus, vintage costumery, hanging out with clowns and making puppets. Without a doubt, Satanica is among the most unique crafters out there. You can find her shop here. You can also find Batcakes products at MediaNoche in Los Angeles and Fedora Primo in Santa Monica. Read More »

Leah Peterson writes at www.leahpeah.com/blog.

Posted in Focus on Makers. 2 Comments

Handmade Swimwear

June 24, 2009 by Kristin Huston

There are very few things that I dislike more than shopping for swimwear. It seems like all the cards are stacked against us as we walk into badly lit dressing rooms with funhouse mirrors that seem designed to accentuate only the negative. Wouldn’t it be great if there were a better way? A way that didn’t involve dressing rooms in department stores? You’ll be glad to know that there is a better way! Welcome to the wonderful world of handmade swimwear. Not only are there wonderful handmade options, but many designers use your measurements in order to create a swimsuit for you, so that the swimwear is made to fit your body rather than your body being forced to conform to the swimsuit. Read More »

Kristin Huston blogs about jewelry and makes Raspberry Tiramisu in her spare time.

Posted in Seasonal Handmade. 2 Comments

Darling Dioramas

June 23, 2009 by Lotta Svoboda

Dear Reader,

When I was in the third grade we were asked to create a diorama that represented a climate, or geographical setting of some kind. The tropics, perhaps a frozen tundra or a mountainous region. Honestly, I wasn’t paying all that much attention. I had just started reading A Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder and there wasn’t anything more riveting to me than reading about Laura and her Pa having to grind up wheat in the coffee mill. Or Ma Ingalls making ice cream out of some snow and maple syrup. Really, these people were geniuses.

The day before the project was due I decided that I would make a Desert scene. Tents, sheiks and the whole shebang. I would use whatever I had on hand - just like the Ingalls. I took out a rusty cookie sheet and filled it with scoops of sand from our sandbox. Read More »

Lotta Svoboda firmly believes that crafting keeps her happy and sane, despite occasionally gluing her fingers together. You can also visit her at Mom-O-Matic or Etsy.

Posted in Crafting with Lotta. 2 Comments

Handmade collars for your pet

June 22, 2009 by Laurie White

Like it or not, most pets (of the feline and canine varieties, anyway) need neckwear, to keep them safely identified or likewise on a leash. Collars might not be a pet’s favorite thing, but they don’t have to be unfashionable - or uncomfortable, for that matter.

Whiskerkisses offers white button-down collars to combine with regular and bowties for a most fashionable statement (and just in time for Independence Day.)

kittybowtie Read More »

Laurie White is a Maryland writer and photographer who believes that a world without pets (especially Boston Terriers) would be a very sad place. She writes at LaurieWrites and is a contributing editor at BlogHer.

Posted in Handmade for Pets. Leave a comment

Handmade Blogs

June 21, 2009 by Erika Jurney

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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.

Posted in Handmade Blogs. 5 Comments

Mary Jane’s Attic

June 20, 2009 by Erika Jurney

All the items in today’s ‘Make It Yourself’ come from the wonderful Mary Jane’s Attic. If you have an interest in fiber arts and want to give it a shot yourself, she’s got lots of tools to help you get started.

Make Your Own Yarn Drop Spindle kit:
Read More »

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.

Posted in Make it Yourself. 1 Comment

Lulu Bug Jewelry

June 19, 2009 by Erika Jurney

Sue quit her day job a few weeks ago to focus on her craft — check it out and I’m sure you’ll agree that she made the right decision!

Lulu Bug Jewelry: My name is Sue Urquhart and I named my business Lulu Bug (who is one of my sweet Shar-peis) because my last name is hard to pronounce and even harder to spell!

I’ve always found inspiration in nature. I especially love birds - they are found on every continent, and no matter where you are, if you stop and look you can find bird life. I enjoy just watching them go about their business, and they never fail to bring a smile to my face.

I’ve been riding my bicycle lately, and find it’s the best time to dream up new things to make. What looks like a bunch of dry weeds when zooming by in a car actually turns out to be beautiful shapes and forms when you’re going by at bicycle speeds. Just slowing down and taking a look around outside every day keeps the ideas flowing.

I’m fortunate to live in an area (Sonoma County, California) that still has an abundance of natural beauty. But there is beauty to be found everywhere, if you just look at things a bit differently. I try to express that in my jewelry.

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.

Posted in Headline, Jewelry. 8 Comments

Shop Local: Cleveland, Ohio, USA

June 18, 2009 by Tara Gentile

Check out some really fabulous shops I found scouting out Cleveland, Ohio. This midwest city has a vibrant craft community and you can find out more about activities in and around Cleveland as well as the artists that call it home at the Cleveland Handmade group website.

Posted in Shop Local. 1 Comment

BigTree

June 18, 2009 by Erika Jurney

By BigTree.

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.

Posted in Bags, Purses, Wallets. 1 Comment

Quick, look over there

June 17, 2009 by Erika Jurney

Brilliant!

I entered the Moleskin 2.0 Exhibition contest. My idea is to use the fore-edge of the notebook. When you fold the notebook length-wise (when the spine practically touches the long edge of the back cover), the fore-edge of the pages fan out. Only when the notebook is folded this way, does a subway map clearly appear. This is due to the fact that the map is printed on the edge while the notebook is positioned like this. You can hide the fact that you are consulting a subway map and be spared the embarrassment and scorn from locals. It’s easier to show you than to explain it.

By B.Light Design via Make.

And his other handmade work is pretty interesting too, so it’s worth a trip over to his site.

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.

Posted in News. 1 Comment

Handmade Faves: The Artisan Goods I Love & How I Found Them

June 17, 2009 by Beverly Rustica

One of the advantages of being involved with the handmade community is the opportunity to find and try a variety of handmade goods. I’m often asked about my personal choices and how I discovered them. So for this first of a series, I thought I’d share some of my go-to artists and how I happened upon them. These are people from whom I have made multiple purchases, as well as my “house” artists who supply the things I purchase over and over again and whose handmade work is counted among my favorites.

To people who know me this won’t exactly be news, but all of my soap is made by Ann of Ann’s Lotions & Potions. Read More »

Beverly Rustica is General Publisher of ByHand Gallery, an everchanging gallery of handmade work available online.

Posted in Why Handmade. 7 Comments

Erika Jurney: I'm on a mission to get people to move away from shopping at big box stores and back to the more intimate and personal world of Handmade. »more...

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Columnists

Leah Peterson writes 'Focus on Makers.' She is a consultant for the Showtime series United States of Tara. She writes, blogs, takes photos and makes all kinds of art including crocheted hats, jewelry and large mixed media paintings. Leah has been doing interviews for print, online and video since 2004. Leah's website is www.leahpeah.com. »more...

Lotta Svoboda writes 'Crafting with Lotta.' She married her high school crush and they proceeded to make two incredible kids together. She's nutty for vintage buttons and baubles, and uses them to create the jewelry she sells online. Lotta also writes about her many misadventures at Mom-O-Matic. »more...

Kristin Huston writes the 'Seasonal Handmade' column. She is mom to a busy toddler, wife to a nerdy husband, daughter of a Breast Cancer survivor, and has a real world gig as a doctoral student working on a dissertation about the Brontë sisters. She moonlights as the brains, brawn, and beauty behind Waking Beauty Designs, the home of her mixed media jewelry creations. »more...

Beverly Rustica writes 'Why Handmade'. She is a serious advocate for handmade artists and a staunch supporter of the handmade movement. You can find her at BeachyRustica's Cool Hardware or ByHand.me. »more...

Tara Gentile writes the 'Shop Local' column, and is the creator & editor of Handmade in PA.net, a blog and online community supporting arts & crafts in Pennsylvania. Most of the time, though, she's mom to little miss Lola Rose and husband to Michael. She brings you the best of your communities each week on Try Handmade. »more...

Laurie White writes the Handmade for Pets column and is a Maryland writer and photographer who believes that a world without pets (especially Boston Terriers) would be a very sad place. »more...

Interested in joining us?