Try Handmade

Shopping blog featuring products made by people not factories.

Delaware, USA

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[hTara]

I’m in the first state, for the first time, for vacation. So I thought it fitting that I should bring you the best of Delaware for this week’s shop local post!

On our first night here, we stopped in a tiny little building set just off the main boulevard of Rehoboth Beach. Heidi Lowe Gallery is an “Innovative Jewelry Studio” that houses small exhibitions of jewelry art throughout the year. I got to see a display made up exclusively of earrings!

The inside of the gallery is quite simple and the displays change with each exhibition. For the jewelry exhibition, Heidi had affixed black silhouettes to the cream colored walls. Each silhouette displayed a single earring.

Heidi Lowe Jewelry Gallery

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Inspired by Nature Spirits

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There is something about a bluebell wood with dappled sunlight streaming through the leaves that makes me believe in nature spirits. They’re there, I know they are. I just wish I could see them. I imagine them often though, wearing clothes made from their surroundings; woven grasses, leaf skirts, flower petal dresses and crowns made from dew drops. They are in fact, just the sort of clothes I’d like to wear myself. Fortunately, talented people are out there making them in actual human adult sizes!

The above outfit by Spiralina from her shop Fractal Wings is made from raw silk with beautiful embellishments and I just love the way the shapes emulate summer leaves. I’m a big fan of her work and actively encourage you all to take a look at her shop. In fact I will show another one of her items because I love them so much. Her philosophy is to offer unique and beautiful clothing that brings out the goddess in us and it is clear that nature inspires her.

Another great item of human-sized clothing is this fantastically cool skirt with a sort-of leaf tail. Yes, I did indeed say a leaf tail. Unusual yes, but I love it! By Nature Reworked.

Nuno felting is like a mysterious magical technique that I will never understand no matter how many you tube tutorials I may watch. This butterfly top by FeuerundWasser utilises this wonder brilliantly. The colours are beautiful too, especially the way the greens and yellows blend into each other.

Eleanor Salazar

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Fantastic jewelry extracted from beautiful pool balls.

whether it is a used pool ball, broken pieces of bakelite, or bits of trashed counter top I am basically just all about repurposing plastics right now.

it is the idea of using this material that has this very evident past life. I can see and feel where the pool balls have been hit by each other and I leave those marks visible in my finished pieces whenever I can.

by Eleanor Salazar.

And the award goes to…

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A few months back Pantone unveiled their color of the year for 2010. To be honest even as a designer I don’t pay too much attention to these forecasts. Still, I was excited that this year’s color – turquoise, is a beautiful one. It makes me think of tropical climates, vacations and beautiful water. If you’re decorating a room in your home or are working on a creative project and need color ideas the Pantone site is a good one to visit for inspiration.

I thought of the “color of the year” when I saw a treasury on Etsy made by 3dots – filled with turquoise finds. I’ve included a few of these in my collage above.

The chair in the top image is from the Etsy shop of Michele Maule. Michele is Portland artist whose work I’m very partial to. She has been making art for over 10 years now and is a graduate of Portland State University. Having grown up in Portland – I always love learning about Portland artists and bloggers.

The halfmoon hoops on the far right are from Etsy seller and metalsmith, Meetalls. I am always impressed when reading the work, care and effort that goes into jewelry made by metalsmiths like Meetalls.

The turquoise ring on the left was also made by another talented metalsmith who sells on Etsy, Erin Jane. She strives to use recycled silver whenever possible – and almost 100% of the silver she uses now in her designs is recycled.

The gorgeous spot bowl in the middle is from Amy Perch, whose full collection is avaliable online at Perch Ceramics. I see a lot of handmade ceramics on her site that I’d like to make my own!

Hope you enjoyed taking a peek at these turquoise finds. Would love to hear what your favorite colors are for around your home, or while you’re working on craft projects or items for your Etsy shop.

Tammy's Treasures

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mixed_metal_ring_004_1

Tammy’s Treasures: I’m a self-taught and totally addicted metalsmith. I adore trying new things with different metals and wire. All of the items you see here are lovingly and carefully handcrafted by me. I strive to create beautiful jewelry that will last the wearer a lifetime.