Freshly Made Archives - Try Handmade

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.

EllesBeads

August 29, 2019 by Chelsey Mona 5 Comments

When I was a kid, we got in the car and drove my dad out to a nearby town to take a hot air balloon ride. I remember watching the balloons gliding through the sky. These earrings remind me of that day.

Elle got started in handmade when she was struggling with depression and loneliness. Jewelry-making was her way to be totally immersed in something that was not only positive, but kept her mind off of what she was going through. She fell in love with jewelry making and never looked back. Her style incorporates vintage pieces with modern beads.

Encouraged by friends and family she jumped into selling through her shop Elle’s Beads. After taking a blind leap, she learned as she went setting up up a business strategy, goals, and a budget.

I’ve met such great artisans, both in real life and through venues like Etsy, and I feel like I have a sense of community and belonging now.

Elle’s grandmother is a huge influence. She uses her antique sewing machine and vintage buttons to make a lot of her creations. She’s also inspired by items that people cast away as trash. She has a way of viewing things not as what they are, but what they could become with a little bit of fabric, paint, or beads. She’s also started sewing now due to her grandmother’s influence (she was a seamstress) and makes a point to only use eco-friendly materials in the accessories she makes.

My favorite item is my Vintage Sapphire and Silver Glass Pearl Necklace. It’s the first eco-friendly piece I ever made and it’s from an old vintage earring I repurposed as a brooch. I’m really passionate now about reusing old materials and making them into something beautiful and new. This necklace is a constant reminder to me of the beginning of that journey.

Elle supports the views that many of us handmade artisans have, even though handmade goods can cost more than mass-produced goods, especially those imported from overseas, they’re so much more valuable! When you buy something handmade, you’re supporting an artisan – a small business and an entrepreneur. You’re supporting a craft and a subculture that values the importance of keeping craftsmanship alive. Each handmade item is a little bit different and Elle, like all handmade artists puts her love and a part of herself in every piece.

These adorable vintage birdies are my personal favorite!

Elle is a full-time paralegal working for a non-profit in North Carolina. When not working at her day job or on her business, you can find her relaxing in front of the television, catching up on the latest book club book, or talking on the phone with her family. Online you can find her on Facebook, Twitter and her blog.

Lilacs and Lace

June 10, 2019 by Chelsey Mona 1 Comment

Brides whose taste runs a bit rustic should check out the relatively new shop Lilacs and Lace. You’ll find jewelry (not just for brides, mind you), boutonnieres and bouquets and had screen printed cards. The shop is run by a university student studying Graphic Communications who is currently trying to fund her own wedding. Lilacs and Lace was started when she realized that she just wanted to constantly make things and loved working with her hands.

I love love love the champagne swarovski and moonstone earrings because they are just so gorgeous! They catch the light beautifully.

At lilacs and lace you’ll find lovely nature inspired wedding flowers made from long-lasting silk flowers, feathers and other elements. If you want your wedding flowers to last forever, this is the way to do it. Her rose bouquet is ensconced in cholla wood for a unique look. I also love how she works metal leaf elements into her boutonnieres. It really gives what can be pretty standard a modern edge and extra interest.

I take my inspiration from nature. 100%. I love things that look like you could have plucked them right from outside.

The shop gets it’s name from two of the owner’s favorite things. Lilacs, her mother’s favorite flowers, are close to her heart. On an annual trip to Denver, she cuts multiple stems from her mother’s lilac bush, and bringing the beautiful blooms and lingering scent home. Lace, on the other hand, has such texture and history to it. The artist often find herself in antique shops looking at the old lace tablecloths wondering what sort of occasions they must have seen. One day Lilacs and Lace‘s artist hopes to be able to focus on her craft full time. She’s off to a good start, so let’s give her some encouragement and a few more sales.