Freshly Made Archives - Try Handmade

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.

Pretty Stinkin' Green

July 21, 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.

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.

Skudfisher

April 17, 2019 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.

A Stylish Design

April 7, 2019 by Chelsey Mona 1 Comment

Do you know a bride who is in need of accessories for her wedding this summer? A Stylish Design is a new shop that has a variety of floral accents to make her day perfect. Every bride wants her wedding to be a perfect extension of herself and her groom. Amy, the maker behind the shop, has always loved designing, but it wasn’t until her own wedding that she really discovered her creative passion, so she really understands the attention to detail that brides want. Each of her pieces can be custom made to match your style & vision- no two pieces are alike.

After struggling to find a job specific to her field, Amy took the leap into selling her handmade goods. With a degree in design and her love of weddings, she’s discovered the perfect mix in starting her own business.

I love my pillows. I’m a self-taught at sewing, but have taken classes to learn how to do things a little more advanced. So, I’m looking forward to making more custom made ring-bearer pillows.

When designing her own wedding, Amy found it difficult to find unique, customized, affordable options and was inspired to help other brides with these important details. Since each wedding is unique, A Stylish Design can customize the details to match your specifications. Amy will also be offering other wedding design services through her website.

I’m inspired to help you make your wedding a memorable one and will approach each design with uniqueness & creativity.

So if you’re a bride to be, know a bride to be, or just like floral accents, go check out A Stylish Design.