Freshly Made Archives - Try Handmade

Time and Tide Photo

February 12, 2020 by Chelsey Mona Leave a Comment

Good photography is about timing and patience waiting for the perfect lighting or the clouds to be just so, something that Time and Tide Photo does well. Time and Tide Photo was created by a husband and wife team of Emily and Jayson. Emily has always had a love of doing crafts and has dabbled in painting, and ceramics, besides photography. She has been doing photography on and off for about 12 years and first got introduced to film photography in high school. She started doing digital photography after taking a class in college. Jayson has just recently, in the last year gotten into doing photography. Friends, family and coworkers have asked to buy photos and suggested that they sell them. So they decided to give it a try.

Influenced by Ansel Adams’ photography, their subjects are often landscapes. They also like to keep up with current photographers on Digital Photography School.

Our photos are created because we love to take photos. In every photo we take, we enjoy the subject or place, the composition and the lighting. We do not take photos because we think that they will sell or make money, we do it out of passion and instinct. We think that the positive energy, creativeness and passion shows through in the final products. People should buy from us because they are supporting local artists, and because they are getting a unique piece of art. Larger retailers create mass produced products purely for profit.

When not working on their photos, Jayson works full time in banking and Emily is a full time Mommy and also works part time in retail. You can get more information from their blog and you can view Emily’s Flickr stream and Jayson’s Flickr stream for more great photos.

Skudfisher

February 11, 2020 by Chelsey Mona Leave a Comment

Cartoons! I watch tons of cartoons.

That was Mike from Skudfisher‘s response when I asked him what inspired his fun plushies. How can you argue with such enthusiasm?

Everything from Invader Zim to Rocky and Bullwinkle (both of which are responsible for huge chunks of my sense of humour). I also pretty obsessively try to absorb as much cool art as possible from the internet. Flickr has so many amazing independent artists that it kind of blows my mind sometimes. I can spend hours just going from artist or artist on flickr. I have some pretty amazing people on my contact list on there that I really admire.

Mike has been obsessed with drawing silly characters and monsters since he was little. Then 2 years ago he decided to try and make one of his monsters into a toy for his nephew as a birthday gift, lucky kid. It only took that one toy to turn sewing into an obsession and he’s been making plushies ever since. Each monster has it’s own story along with it’s likes and dislikes to ensure monster/child compatibility.

There is something very satisfying about coming up with an idea, cutting out the fabric and sewing everything together, into something you can hold in your hands, that I just don’t get from drawing. I still love drawing though!

Mike’s current favorite is Acorn! He thinks she is just so adorable and huggable and really loves working with faux fur material. And as I was working on this, my 2 1/2 year old son told me he wanted THAT monster – so I guess she’s not just Mike’s favorite!

Currently Skudfisher’s plushies are only sold through Mike’s shop, but after many years of attending craft fairs and enjoying Montreal’s great craft scene he hopes to get involved as a vendor there soon. So if you’re in the Montreal area, keep your eyes peeled.

If you’d like to keep up with Mike’s creations he keeps a blog of all his work at and updates his Flickr very regularly.

Usagi Rabbit

January 24, 2020 by Chelsey Mona 1 Comment

When I first came across this shop, I immediately was reminded of the Japanese animated film My Neighbor Totoro. So it should come as no surprise that Jacqueline, the artist behind UsagiRabbit is infatuated with Japanese culture. A student slowly working her way toward a college degree in linguistics, one of her goals is to learn to read Japanese. These whimsical bunny creatures are part Totoro and part Care Bear and so cute! Some are just for loving and cuddling, while others are put to work protecting your small electronic devices.

Jacqueline got her start in handmade when she couldn’t find the things she wanted in the stores. Though her shop has only been open since May she’s been creating art since she was old enough to pick up a coloring book – from making clothes for her dolls to patching up her jeans.

I used to knit scarves and a friend suggested I try selling some of them at a small local craft fair. I took the plunge and it was a blast! I loved meeting all those other crafters and artisans. Artists are some of the nicest people you can be around. Finding Etsy really got me thinking that I could make a go of this. It’s full of so many inspiring stories and helpful fellow sellers. I really want to try my best!

Her skills have been honed over the years with help from her mother (a lifelong seamstress) and various friends and teachers along the way. Isn’t it wonderful how the creative community came together to help this artist learn the skills to realize her vision?

There’s something about the feeling of the wool in my hands and the slight hum the thread makes that fills me with satisfaction.

Jacqueline first starts planning her creatures with a drawing and some key concepts.When she’s inspired a piece can come together very quickly; sometimes the process can take days or weeks. Once a design is decided on, she chooses colors and felts and cut out the pieces. The most time consuming part of the process is sewing the pieces because it takes a long time and the stitches have to be just right! Lastly, her creation is stuffed with pure cotton and sewn shut. Thus is born the latest addition to the UsagiRabbit family!

Well, I love all my finished creations (even though some of them can be quite beastly during the making) but if I had to choose just one I guess my favorite would be the orange rabbit with a yellow flower on its belly. It makes me smile when I see it.

Born and raised in New Jersey this Texas transplant is inspired by her travel and experiences of other cultures. She has no sales so far, so let’s get her started – shall we?

Pretty Stinkin' Green

December 1, 2019 by Chelsey Mona 1 Comment

I first came to Pretty Stinkin’ Green when I stumbled across their fun tee-shirt skirts. Then I saw these graphic coffee sack totes and I loved the combination of vintage fabrics with the burlap. When I found out that the business is the result of a flourishing friendship, I loved it even more!

Deb and Hannah met about three years ago at their local scrapbook store in Traverse City, Michigan. They quickly became friends when they realized their shared hobbies ran deeper than paper crafts. Every time they got together their minds would go crazy with ideas.

we came up with new projects that we wanted to try, things we wanted to make, ideas we wanted to put into action, and we just couldn’t help ourselves, we wanted to do it all!

I can identify with that! But when a move forced them apart, they kept in touch by trading scrapbook kits and blogging together. That has been just less than a year ago, and they are closer now than ever! And while they continue to enjoy paper crafting with each other, Deb and Hannah have also continued to share their other passions, like green crafting, and inspire each other along the way. The focus of their business is to use upcycled & recycled materials. Nearly every part of ever item has had a prior life! Reuse, recycle & create!

Both Hannah and Deb gather inspiration of inspiration from blogs and websites, but their biggest inspiration comes from each other. Nearly everyday they’re exchanging ideas and inspiration.

Deb:: My favorite item changes constantly. I always get excited to make something new, or to put a twist on something that we have just made. That is what makes Pretty Stinkin’ Green so fun, we work with new materials all the time and we are challenging ourselves to come up with new ideas.

They are super friendly and love making connections with their clients! They’re open to special orders and love to work through the process of bringing an idea from inspiration to creation. And they’re not just limited to the types of items in their shop; they’re working on a custom bridal garter right now!

They also love to package their items creatively, they are paper crafters after all. You won’t find your item shoved in a priority mail box if they can help it! Their green mission is evident in their use of recycled products in their packaging. Each item is carefully wrapped up and sewn shut in recycled paper and mailed in old flour bags or reused boxes, carefully padded to ensure your items arrive safely!

Hannah ::I love the Stinkin’ Market Totes! I use a different one everyday! They have so much room inside, and can hold everything you want to take along with you. I also enjoy taking a couple along with me when I do my shopping, and then I don’t have to use paper or plastic bags!

Pretty Stinkin’ Green currently has items listed on both Artfire and Etsy, each with its own stock of unique upcycled products. Though, in the near future, their online listings will be with Etsy exclusively. Their items can also be found in a few unique shops in Traverse City, Michigan and a handful of craft shows this summer (Northern Michigan and West Central Ohio). Keep up with the latest by following them on their blog, Facebook and Twitter.

Hoboe Jane

November 14, 2019 by Chelsey Mona 1 Comment

Are you a hat person? Me, I LOVE hats. I wish people wore them more often. And you wont find more interestingly designed berets then Hoboe Jane‘s! These quirky hats are a simple way to add a sens of fun to your look. Hoboe Jane’s creator Kristy has a background in sculpture and art and some of the hats have hand painted elements. Kristy picked up her love of arts, crafts, sewing and design from her mother, a Kindergarten teacher and has been exploring creative venues from a young age.

Kristy is influenced by lines and patterns in nature and also draws heavily from the fantasy movies she watched growing up like “Labyrinth” and “The Princess Bride”.

Kristy’s favorite item in her shop is the Spider Swirl Beret Hat. It’s a good representation of her style as it includes both hand painted elements and design with felt.

When I make my items, I think of a story that goes along with each piece. Like with the Spider Swirl Beret Hat I’ve made, she is a wandering tarantula from the northern regions of Chile and has made her new home on this very hat and wants to live with you now.

Kristy started making her own clothing and accessories in high school and to help with the family budge she started redesigning her old things and turning them into brand new objects! While she’s always loved making skirts and bags within the last year, she found a new love for making hats.

I love the work I create and I hope my love for it shows through, in my products. I try to give my work a sense of fun and joy, so whoever purchases an item will have their very own one of a kind piece.

Larger retail organizations may sometimes have better prices, but you are getting what you paid for. Retail stores sell numerous multiples of items, making them not as unique, quirky, and creative. I try to make my items as affordable as possible, for the everyday customer.

Hand made goods are much more personal and unique. Much more passion and care goes into everything we create ourselves than if it is made by a machine in some obscure factory.

You can find out more about Kristy Albury at her art website or at her experimental music site Retro Juju.