Try Handmade

Shopping blog featuring products made by people not factories.

Interview with Diane, Random Quirks

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Diane of Random Quirks has lived in Manchester in the UK since she became a student in 2006. She loves it so much that she doesn’t want to ever leave. Having moved around a lot as a child, she hasn’t ever felt so at home anywhere else. The house where Diane lives includes three friends who have two kittens; Axle and Rose. They are little terrors who make up for it by being so cute.

Diane describes herself as a quirky, random masters student who likes bright colours. She always has her phone and laptop nearby. Something most people don’t know about her is she’s lived in 18 different homes in 21 years and five of them were in last year alone. She says, “Five in a year is my personal record. When people ask where I’m from, I actually don’t know what to say.” Make sure and look at all her pieces at Random Quirks.

How long have you been making Barbie earrings?

For well over two years now as well as the other quirky jewelery I make.

Why did you start?

I sort of fell into making jewelery after realizing I didn’t have the patience for sewing. Plus there was a lot less chance of hurting myself (I’m a bit accident-prone).

Where do you get your materials?

I get my materials from a variety of places, including my old toy collection, donations from friends and eBay. This way, the majority of the pieces I make are completely unique and cannot be made again.

Do you have a dedicated work area/room?

Does my bed count? Not much room in the house so I just work anywhere. I’d love to have a proper studio one day.

Is this your full-time job? Hobby? Fun?

I’m a masters student so this is like a part time job, though I’d love it to be a full time one.

Do you do other kinds of crafts?

I also paint t-shirts and from time to time sew a bag or two.

Do you have a best seller?

I guess it would be the Barbie shoe earrings, though my necklaces sell pretty well too.

What is your favorite?

All my pieces are my babies so I couldn’t pick one favourite. My favourite things to make are the necklaces as there is a deeper creative process.

What do you see yourself doing in 5 years?

This hopefully? Please let it be this. If not, I guess some kind of job in fashion since that is what my degree and masters is in.

Have any advice for people trying to start their own handcrafted business?

Research, research, research. Then jump in with both feet and go for it.

Sarah Mann

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Raw sterling silver cries out to me, begs me to convert it into bold jewelry with subtle finishes. Of course, I must obey.

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Sarah Mann: Sarah Mann is fascinated by the creative and technical challenges of transforming her medium into objects of provocative adornment. Geometric shapes flow into organic elements, producing clean, straightforward designs that often incorporate kinetics. She is proud to carry on a family tradition in the crafts and pleased that this enables her to exercise her talent wherever her peripatetic nature may have her living.

Mann realizes fully the broad potential of sterling silver. She crafts her jewelry with torch and tools–saws, files, pliers, nippers, drills, hammers, and the more arcane rolling mill, dapping blocks, and mizzy wheels–then endows it with a range of hues through delicately controlled oxidation. The combined effect of patina on texture is a signature characteristic of all Sarah Mann jewelry.

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Mixing Business with Leather

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RADCOW: I got Interested in Leather craft about a decade ago, when I was a teenager hitch hiking across Canada. On my travels I met a wonderful old hippy man named Longevity John. He was nearly 7 foot tall, with hair down his back, and eyes all full of kindness. He lived in a shotgun shack with no running water, or electricity, but made incredible and inspiring leather crafts and sold them on saturdays at the farmers market in town. John showed me a few things, and got the seeds of inspiration planted in me. The thought of someone making their living with their own 2 hands from thier crafts made my heart swell. Later, I got a job at a leather craft store, and began spending most of my pay cheques on tools, and most of my time playing with leather. Since then, the seed has grown, and I too make my living this way, selling here, and at festivals and craft fairs. I feel like I am on my true path, and I am eternally grateful to etsy, and to all of you who support hand crafters. You allow the creative instinct to grow and flourish. Thank you!

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Renegade Handmade

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Remember when going to a craft fair meant wandering through a dusty church basement with your grandmother? Recall the mountains of Easter egg-hued pom-pom’ed hats, the macrame plant holders, the toilet paper and Kleenex box cozies? Yeah, you remember. So do I, but times have changed, and mercifully, so have craft fairs.

One of the best known and loved is the Renegade Craft Fair, launched in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois in 2003. It’s now going strong in four additional cities across the U.S.: Austin, Texas; Brooklyn, New York; San Francisco, California; and Los Angeles, California. Its massive success eventually led to the opening of Renegade Handmade, a permanent, brick and mortar extension of the Fair, affording a location for artisans to sell their goods year-round. The shop is sunny and vibrant, with something interesting to look at everywhere you turn.

I caught up with Sue Daly, the owner and one of the founders to ask if she was at all surprised at how these two enterprises have taken off. “I was definitely surprised when we started Renegade, just because there hadn’t been a way to measure the interest in the real world at that point. I knew the DIY craft community had momentum online, but was really happy to see people react so enthusiastically to the Fair and the artists and their work.

“It makes sense in retrospect — everything is so unique compared to what was available at other arts and crafts fairs, and especially what’s available in mainstream stores, and the like. I think bringing the DIY craft scene out, in more of a public marketplace kind of way, introduced people to well-designed items you can use and wear.”

But Sue is more than just an astute business woman with an eye on future trends, she comes from a family where crafting was always going on, and is a talented jewelry maker as well. “My mom was crafty. She was always working on some hobby project. Needlepoint, crochet and knitting mostly. She always wore folksy clothing and jewelry too, and I think I just grew up around interesting little accessories and everything. I’d tag along to the little boutiques and craft stores with her, and I think that inspired me most. When I was about 10 or so, I starting dabbling in jewelry-making and beading.

“So that’s how it all started. But then I grew up and starting making jewelry again in about 2001. I had some success selling pieces to co-workers and online, so I started doing arts and crafts fairs just for fun a couple years later. I couldn’t find an event where I really felt like my work fit in and wished there was a DIY craft fair to participate in. Then it occurred to me that it would be fun to start one. So, along with a friend, we started the ‘Renegade’ Craft Fair that year.”

As the old saying goes, location is everything and Sue possibly couldn’t have picked a better part of town to open her doors. On the day I visited, the shop was bustling with customers and curious passers-by, apparently oblivious to the recession that is plaguing so many retailers. Renegade seems to be fitting right in with the long-standing art and design vibe of the Wicker Park neighborhood. “The neighborhood loves our shop. We’re helping keep the arts alive in Wicker Park, and offer a completely unique shop in Chicago-at-large, too. Since we have a national presence with the fairs, we also get a lot of tourists and destination shoppers too.”

And, as if providing the community with a sunny storefront and shelves, racks, boxes and bowls filled with well-designed, unique handmade crafts isn’t enough, Renegade Handmade also plays host to several events and workshops. The roster of in-store events is as unique and varied as the merchandise. There’s something new to experience every time. “We began having in-store events and teeny gallery shows last September. It’s different all the time, so we don’t have regular workshops we offer or anything like that. We had two artists make things in our front display window one week, and they sold the items that were made at the fair at the end of the week.

“We had Jill Bliss paint us a custom mural in-store, and she had a show of her original drawings and accessories. We had a needle-work showcase featuring over a dozen artists for our last show. Jenny Hart came and gave an embroidery workshop, which was great. It’s been a lot of fun being able to showcase the artists and the work in this kind of way. The art shows fall under our Spotlight Series gallery shows that last about six weeks each time, while the in-stores and workshops are kind of pop-up events.”

And for those who are not local to Chicago, fret not. Since December 2009, Renegade Handmade has been selling online. “It just seemed like the next logical step in growing the store’s presence and success. With our national notoriety, we want give people who aren’t in Chicago the opportunity to buy the handmade goods we have available here.” So, Chicago has its hot dogs, its stuffed pizza, and now there’s Renegade Handmade bringing some of the city’s best handmade crafts to the world. The website is the place to go to learn about upcoming events in the store and at the Fairs, and to shop online. “On February 19th, we’re kicking off a new Spotlight Series event with Mummysam. She makes incredible soft sculptures with all natural materials. I’m a big fan of her work.”

You know what, Renegade Handmade? We’re big fans of you, too.

Renegade Handmade, 1924 W. Division St., Chicago, IL, 60622, USA.
Phone: +1-773-227-2707

On the web: http://www.renegadehandmade.com

Getting Our Cosy On.

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Please join me in welcoming our newest columnist to Try Handmade, Cara Quinn! She’s going to be writing about frugal living and minimalism as it relates to buying handmade and making it yourself. Check out her first post, and let her know if you have suggestions or requests for future posts. Welcome Cara!

I’m not a fan of cranking up the thermostat in our home (well, truth be told we don’t even have a thermostat) and all throughout winter I was determined to whip up a draught excluder that would plug the huge gap under our front door – where a majority of the heat escapes from.

I’ve been determined to do this for two winters running. When I saw these sausage dog draught excluder’s on Ellie’s Crafts they looked like the perfect addition to our otherwise dog-free home.

On top of draught excluder’s, there are other ways to keep the heating bills down (and Planet Earth happy) and keep warm – after all, before we know it, we’ll be springing into spring. Until then, I plan on cuddling up close to my baby son (that boy has a freakish, almost superhuman, ability to keep me warm.)

This adorable onesie from Ink & Ivy is made from water-based ink and organic cotton so appeals to my eco-friendly nature. It’s also available in a light red – which I find is gender neutral and could work for two (or more) babies. I’m a huge fan of hand-me-down clothes for little people!

Other tips for staying warm:

Wrap up in a blanket. I have a little fleece blanket on my sofa that I love to be wrapped in. I have two thin blankets and one really thick one. The two thin blankets I can circulate when the weather is sorting itself out for a spring season and the thick blanket is for the hell that was last winter. Or as we called it in these parts: Snowmageddon. By the time summer rolls around, I don’t need blankets or my central heating to keep me warm.

Put on some socks. It’s true about losing body heat through your extremities and covering those tootsies up will keep you cosied up.

Put on a sweater. I know I sound like someone’s Granma when I say that, but the fact is that it remains true. More layers means more body heat is given out – don’t over do the layering when you go out, though, or you’ll be sweating like a turkey the night before Thanksgiving.

Got some sweaters that don’t quite fit any more or have reached their life span? That’s okay, up-cycle them into a nifty (and thrifty!) purse/handbag. Make and Love It tells you how.

If you love this idea, check out some of the other up-cycled ideas on that same blog; pillows and dresses made from sweaters and a cute little beanie hat and skirt, who were in a former life, scarves.

No need to donate (or throw away – but I seriously hope no one is throwing away clothes in this day and age!) winter clothes that have outrun their lifespan; they can come right into spring with you!