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Handmade Nation

February 17, 2018 by Erika Jurney 2 Comments

Handmade Nation: The Rise of DIY, Art, Craft, and Design
“Today’s crafters are no longer interested in simply cross-stitching samplers or painting floral scrolls on china. Instead, the contemporary craft movement embraces emerging artists, crafters, and designers working in traditional and nontraditional media. Jenny Hart’s Sublime Stitching has revolutionized the embroidery industry. Each year Nikki McClure sells thousands of her cut-paper wall calendars. Emily Kircher recycles vintage materials into purses. Stephanie Syjuco manufactures clothing under the tag line “Because Sweatshops Suck.” These are just some of the fascinating makers united in the new wave of craft capturing the attention of the nation, the Handmade Nation.

Faythe Levine traveled 19,000 miles to document what has emerged as a marriage between historical technique, punk culture, and the D.I.Y. ethos. For Handmade Nation (along with the documentary film of the same name, coming in 2009) she and Cortney Heimerl have selected 24 makers and 5 essayists who work within different media and have different methodologies to provide a microcosm of the crafting community. Participants in this community share ideas and encouragement through websites, blogs, boutiques, galleries, and craft fairs. Together they have forged a new economy and lifestyle based on creativity, determination, and networking. Twenty-four artists from Olympia, Washington, to Providence, Rhode Island, and everywhere in between show their work and discuss their lives. Texts by Andrew Wagner of American Craft Magazine, Garth Johnson of Extremecraft.com, Callie Janoff of the Church of Craft, Betsy Greer of Craftivism.com, and Susan Beal, author of Super Crafty, supply a critical view of the tight-knit community where ethics can overlap with creativity and art with community. Handmade Nation features photographs of the makers, their work environment, their process, their work, and discussions of how they got their start and what motivates them. Handmade Nation is a fascinating book for those who are a part of the emerging movement or just interested in sampling its wares.” → more info

Janice Hagey-Schmidt

March 16, 2017 by Erika Jurney Leave a Comment

Janice Hagey-Schmidt: From a young age I was going to the library checking out craft techniques. I used to paint metal shapes and glass bottles as a kid. Later I progressed to throwing pots and bowls on a wheel. I was thrilled with the use of underglazes on porcelain. And then… one day I took a metalsmithing class at a community college. I have been working mainly with metal ever since. But… I make my living as a graphic designer. Metalsmithing is my art.

Good Fortune

March 28, 2016 by Rebecca Hadfield 12 Comments

Have I ever told you the story about the crazy lady who read my palms in the spring of 2008? If so, skip ahead…if not, here goes….

Carnival – Vintage Paper and Recycled Cardboard Uber Cuff (above) by butternutsquash

My son had somehow convinced me to take him to a mini-carnival/fundraiser thing that he had heard about through a friend at school. Admission, food and games were all by donation, so when we got there I just gave them twenty bucks and told them to give me as many tickets as they saw fit. Apparently, $20 gets you quite a bit at one of these things because we were given tickets for hot dogs, drinks, popcorn, cotton candy, games, face painting and a coupon for a 15 minute session with the palm reader.

Palm Reading Chart on Upcycled Dictionary Page by Collage-o-Rama

After we ate, played a few games of skill and wandered around for a while, my son decided to watch some sort of martial arts demo and I figured it was time to go see “Madam X”. I should go on the record as saying that although I am not against psychics in general, I don’t place that much stock in them and I doubt that I would actually pay to see one. I am sure that there are plenty of nice people out there with “enhanced intuition”, but what are the chances of finding one in a parking lot in New Westminster, BC?

Cotton Candy Upcycled Patchwork Armwarmers by Smarmy Clothes

Anyway, I sat down and it took me about 13 seconds to realize that this woman was either legit or completely nuts (or both), but I gave her my hands and the benefit of the doubt. She was all over the place, and at first I wondered if she was ever going to get going with my reading before my time ran out (she was even more random than me; which is saying something), but she eventually did and it was actually rather interesting.

Letterpress 100% Recycled Cardstock Fortune Teller by Sycamore Street Press

At the time, I was struggling with whether or not I should leave Vancouver and move back to my hometown, Winnipeg. I was at the tail-end of a relationship that really wasn’t worth putting any more effort into, but at the same time I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being a quitter. Of course, it was the first thing that she brought up and her advice, for what it was worth, was to leave. She said that I had done what I needed to do on the West Coast and I was ready to return to go home.

Dream – Recycled Magnetic Locket Set by This Years Girl

What really struck me most about my conversation with her was her insistence that if I made the move, I would become very active in my community and would work for a cause that I was very passionate about. Ever the literal one, I assumed at the time that she was referring to a physical “community”, like a neighbourhood. I’ll be the first to admit that I can be a little on the apathetic side when it comes to civic politics, so I was curious (and a little doubtful) as to how that prediction would play out.

Recycled Billboard Banner Journal by NottyPooch

I realize now that the cause I am passionate in is handmade goods (and eco-friendly ones in particular) and the community that I have become active in is the wonderful crafts community, both locally and globally, thanks to this site. Not only am I happy making and selling my own goods, I am thrilled to be part of the fantastic Winnipeg crafts scene and get excited each and every week that I get to come here and feature a handful of makers from around the world.

I am still on the fence about whether or not the parking lot palmist could really see into my future, but I’m glad she planted the seed in my head and made me *want* to take an active role in something that I believe in. Well worth my $20, I’d say!

Eco-friendly Thank You Cards with Recycled Brown-Bag Envelopes by Tucci Paper Company

Giving Thanks

November 25, 2010 by Beverly Rustica 1 Comment

As participants in the artisan movement, those of us keeping up with the ebb and flow of the commerce of handmade have many things to be thankful for this year.

We are grateful to all the artists who use their amazing talents and unending creatively to share with us their body of work. Without them there would be no handmade goods and our lives would certainly be less without them.

Despite all the grousing, we are thankful for the handmade venues that allow artists worldwide to bring their work to market online. While there is always room for improvement, without these outlets many artisans would be without a viable way to present their work, find a market for it, and supplement their incomes. Buyers would have a more difficult time finding handmade work as well. So many thanks to etsy, artfire, zibbet, craftisart, and all the other venues for their vision that helped get handmade to where it is today, and for providing the gateways that make it easier to buy and sell handmade goods.

Thanks to all the writers, bloggers, and supporters across the internet who tirelessly promote artisan goods and help the world of handmade gain a wider audience. Their mostly volunteer efforts are indispensable to both buyers and artisans as they continuously scan the internet in search of the work we all love to admire and own. My personal thanks to all the columnists here, and especially to Erika who works hard all year to present the best and brightest of artisan work to us here on tryhandmade.

Most of all, we’re thankful for those who make it a practice to find and purchase artisan goods, even if they are a bit more expensive or harder to find. Your support provides income and encouragement to the artisan community, and without it there would be no handmade movement. So thank you, and have a wonderful holiday.

Hanging with the Cool Kids

August 18, 2010 by Beverly Rustica Leave a Comment

Part of the fun of buying handmade goods is discovering the interesting artists behind them. A purchase often allows us to briefly step into the creative world of the artisan, which is usually a very interesting place. So where can you hang out with the artists that interest you, and discover new ones that may become new favorites?

Artists often can be found hanging around the handmade venue forums such as etsy, zibbet, or artfire. Discussions focus mostly on issues specific to selling artisan goods or site usage. Some have promotional sections where you can find artists announcing new lines or sales. As with any new group, it’s usually a good idea to lurk for awhile before posting to get a feel for things before diving into a discussion.

Zibbet’s forum is based on a “ning” group, which gives it more features (groups, artists pages, etc.) and makes it somewhat more interesting than a standard venue forum once you get the hang of it. To use it you must join it separately from the Zibbet site.

A promising new community called The Hive has sprung up recently that allows artists, hobbyists, and patrons to find favorites, form groups, read each other’s blogs, and keep up with specific areas of interest. Shows and art events are posted and can be pulled up by place and time, and the member directory is organized by category so those who like a specific type of work can easily find artists and others with similar interests. It’s a good place to look for new creative blogs since artists can automatically feed their blog posts to the site (which also helps to keep it fresh).

So find and join an online artists’ community to discover others who share your enthusiasm for handmade goods! If you have a favorite, please comment below!