Freshly Made Archives - Try Handmade

Dave’s Turnings

April 15, 2018 by Chelsey Mona Leave a Comment

Since it’s getting to be close to Fathers Day, I’ve been thinking about my Dad. Growing up, I spent a lot of time in my dad’s wood shop (with my shoes on – the cardinal rule of observing in the shop, you can’t come in barefoot). So appreciating the natural beauty of wood was ingrained (pun intended) in my head at an early age. Even now I have a difficult time painting anything wood. So when I came across the new shop Dave’s Turnings I was drawn to the beautiful wood. Seems Dave agrees with me that the natural essence of the wood contains its beauty.

I’m influenced mostly by nature. I’m always awed by the beauty in natural wood; its grain, color, the natural defects. It’s always different from one piece to the next and I try to bring out that beauty and preserve it.

Based in New Mexico, Dave uses mostly local New Mexico Aspen in his lovely bowls. He started turning on a wood lathe at about the same time his wife opened a small and successful home decor store in St. Charles, MO 7 years ago. The shop has since closed, but you can still find a few of his pieces in a couple of shops in northern Wisconsin.

My pieces are all one of a kind and I take special care in making each one. If someone is looking for something unique and special that will last a lifetime I hope that they buy something from me. Also I think it’s important to promote American small business.

Dave is currently an air-ambulance pilot living with his wife in Gallup, NM. He spends much of his time while on-call and during his time off working at the lathe.

Kristin Parsons Illustrations

March 21, 2018 by Chelsey Mona Leave a Comment

Creatures and beasties from another world is how you might describe Kristin Parsons‘ whimsical creations. Whether the creatures are fish-like, frog-like or totally unlike anything you’ve seen, kids seem to love these illustrations. Kristin worked as an inker at an animated cartoon studio in Barcelona in the mid 60’s and has continued to create work inspired by the little ones in her life over the last 60 years.

Over the years she’s had gallery shows, both group and solo, in the United States and Europe and has illustrated a couple of books. You could certainly imagine a picture book full of these critters. Each creature starts as hand drawings and then are scanned in and digitally manipulated to achieve the colorful finished product.

My favorite item from my Etsy shop is “Flower Inspection,” because it reminds me of my grandson, who’s four and always busy figuring out how things are put together.

An artist at heart, Kristin has been creating since she was 2 years old. While she has been selling her work offline for some time now, she’s just recently started selling online after discovering it as a way to share her work with potentially thousands of people every day.

A recent Florida transplant, she is currently only selling online. Kristin comes from a long line of artists – both her grandfathers and an aunt were artists, and, like them, she started drawing from a very early age. Growing up, she lived in three countries in Europe and stayed for art school.

She has one daughter with her husband, and a grandson who is a constant source of inspiration (and I gather from her conversation with me, pride). Her shop is truly Freshly Made, she’s only been listing for a few days and is working on adding more creative creatures. If you know of a kiddo who would love these funny fellows, make sure to check out her shop.

Sweet Dixie Designs

March 11, 2018 by Chelsey Mona Leave a Comment

Jane of Sweet Dixie Designs began painting furniture as a creative outlet after graduating college 25 years ago. With a degree in Textile Design, painting furniture began as a fun outlet. She painted rocking chairs and stools to give friends as baby gifts and then it just grew into a business. Her experience ranges from painting large items such as armoires to smaller home accessories and she has sold them through craft shows and stores. After taking some time off from painting while her children were little, she wanted to get back to being creative. She found Etsy and opened her store selling photo frames in November. These frames are a great way to add color and pattern into your home decor and to showcase your special photos. Isn’t the little scalloped detail along the edges sweet?

Jane is inspired by what she sees happening in home decor magazines and even fashion magazines. You can definitely see her textile background in her fabric-influenced patterns.

I have always loved color and pattern and like the idea that at first glance it may look like the frame is covered in paper or fabric and then you realize that it is paint. My style isn’t really modern or traditional, I just like what I like.

Jane is a mom of three and her fourth child is her “Sweet Dixie” a rescued greyhound, her shop’s namesake. She enjoys finding new patterns and colors and hopes to add a variety of items to her shop as time goes on.

I think buying handmade is so important. After being out of the craft market for a while coming back into it I now see how many people make a living from their art. The time and care that goes into each item cannot be duplicated.

Sweet Dixie Designs frames would make great gifts for that upcoming baby shower or wedding. Go visit her shop, there are tons of great designs and color schemes to choose from!

Hoboe Jane

February 24, 2018 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

January 9, 2018 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.