Shopping blog featuring products made by people not factories.
Little Houses was created in my East Vancouver apartment in 2006. I have a love for anything and everything created by hand. I make everything from full garments, to hats, wallets and accessories. Everything you see is constructed by me from sketch, to pattern, to garment.
What a great way to stay warm!
There are very few things that I dislike more than shopping for swimwear. It seems like all the cards are stacked against us as we walk into badly lit dressing rooms with funhouse mirrors that seem designed to accentuate only the negative. Wouldn’t it be great if there were a better way? A way that didn’t involve dressing rooms in department stores? You’ll be glad to know that there is a better way! Welcome to the wonderful world of handmade swimwear. Not only are there wonderful handmade options, but many designers use your measurements in order to create a swimsuit for you, so that the swimwear is made to fit your body rather than your body being forced to conform to the swimsuit. [Read more…]
Please welcome Emily Anderson to Try Handmade! She is the author of three books {Eco Chic Home, Eco Chic Weddings, and What to Do When Changing a Light Bulb Just Isn’t Enough} and she also blogs at www.goodwithstyle.com. A lover of the handmade, she’ll be taking over the Shop Local column starting today. Please welcome her and let her know about any areas of the country you think have particularly great makers!
::
Erika
This being my very first post for Try Handmade, since I’ll be writing the Shop Local column, I’ve spent some time rethinking what it means to me to Shop Local. It’s a very complicated issue. I mean, even if you buy from a “big box” store, aren’t you technically “shopping locally?” Don’t the people who work in that big box store live in your town, go to school with your kids (or you), shop for groceries, pump gas, get parking tickets, water their lawn, pay their mortgage, walk their dogs, and feed their families in the same general geographic area as you do? More than likely, the employees at these big box stores are your neighbors, friends, maybe even family. But what happens when those people lose their jobs (as 11,000+ Wal Mart/Sam’s Club employees just did). And worse, what happens when one of those big box stores shuts down? Julia Christensen’s book, Big Box Reuse, has more information about what happens when the big box stores shut down.
However, nurturing the local economy is dependent upon more than just the “consumers” or the employees of big business. The local economy also needs the individual producer, craftspeople who can make things like furniture, because this is how the local economy empowers itself, creates a strong foundation, and ensures self-reliance. Of course always shopping locally may not be realistic for everyone, for one thing there’s the affordability factor. If you’ve ever purchased furniture for your home, then you probably know why so many people go to Pottery Barn (or Pier One, or Ethan Allen, or any of the well-known brands out there). It’s just so convenient, right? And a lot more affordable than buying something handmade, right? Wrong! I found the most wonderful resource (online of course) for handcrafted furniture pieces, even custom if you so desire.
Meadowbrook Creations is the enterprise of Sonny and Lynne Bride. They started their business designing and making furniture in 2002. This business, based in Weare, New Hampshire, was a complete departure from what they’d been doing. Like many local businesses, it came from a combination of talent, drive, and necessity. They established Meadowbrook Creations, which is the parent company of NH Woodworking, a “Make to Order” business, specializing in Early American and Shaker style pieces. Since the business began, the Brides have doubled their sales every year. Now they work with a network of local furniture makers who produce the designs created by the Brides. The best thing is–the pieces are affordable (relatively speaking).
It’s Spring Fashion time here at the Seasonal Handmade column and I am here to help you buy a piece or two that will inject a little freshness into your wardrobe.
Let’s start with the basics. How about a tee? Just because we often run around town in tees and jeans doesn’t mean we have to look sloppy. This tee from Limey T’s features a great mum print in lovely shades of blue. Just right for spring and just right for looking sassy while you run your errands.
Another great tee is this lovely circle print shirt from Eliza + Axel. The hand appliqued circles elevate this tee into something that would look great with a skirt and some ballet flats for a casual dinner out or lunch with your girlfriends.
If you want to “spring” for something even dressier try this lovely and romantic tank from Armour sans Anguish. Not only will this top look sophisticated this spring, but the rich blackberry color will take you into fall with the addition of a jacket or cardigan.
Speaking of cardigans, is there any item of clothing more versatile than a lightweight cardigan? This darling specimen, from Good Egg would look great over anything from tees to tanks to summer dresses. Not just that, but it would make a gorgeous layering piece for the fall and winter.
What if you’re a skirt and dress kind of girl? This lovely purple skirt from Zoe Chen would make a great, fun addition to your spring wardrobe and would be easy and breezy in the summer too!
What could be easier and breezier than this perfect dress from Treehouse 28? Universally flattering, this style will look great at the beach and walking down the street in a big city.
And if your closet is full, but you’d still like to add some springtime to your wardrobe, why not accessorize? These fabulous earrings from WillOaks Studio add both color and whimsy to your jewelry drawer.
A new handbag is always a fun way to celebrate a new season. This one from Deyitta is adorable and has some darling spring birds chirping their way across your accessories.
Finally, put some skip in your step with these lovely vegan shoes from Hydra Heart. Cute and planet-friendly, what more could a girl ask for?
Now that you have some ideas for decking yourself out this spring, go forth and buy handmade! Next week we will be looking forward to memorial day and finding some fun handmade goodies to make your long weekend even better.
I design and create hand-carved rubber stamps. I also dabble in painting, printmaking and other paper crafts, but stamps are my obsession.
How did you get started? Have you worked in other creative areas before the kind of work you’re doing now?
I had a friend with a serious rubber stamp addiction. I loved all the cool things she made with her stamps, but, being an artsy-type person, experienced a weird feeling of guilt using art made by others. One day I was flipping through one of her stamping magazines and found an article on “eraser carving”. Make your OWN stamps?? From ERASERS?? I have erasers!! I can do this! An addiction was born.
Is there a story behind the name of your shop?
I really love Mexican folk art, especially Day of the Dead images like sugar skulls. I also have a strange love of the number 7 (OCD, anyone?), hence the name Sugarskull7.
Do you work alone? With a team? Do you engage your family or friends in the work? What is your process? How do you ensure you get your work done yet still have a life?
I work alone for the most part. Wait, that’s not true – there are almost always four dogs in various positions of slumber in close proximity.
My process is sort of haphazard. I usually spend most of the morning and early afternoon filling orders (my stamps are all made-to-order), but sometimes an idea for a new stamp will hit and I’ll drop everything and draw it up. If I’m happy with the drawing, I’m likely to carve it right then and there. Then I’ll go back to carving and filling orders. Right now this pretty much IS my life, but I do try to force myself to walk away from the drafting table and participate in the world now and then.
Where do you sell your work? Which venues are your favorites? Do you prefer selling online or in person? Do you attend shows or fairs? Is your work in a gallery or brick-and-mortar store?
I sell on Etsy, I absolutely LOVE Etsy. My shop address is www.sugarskull7.com . So far I haven’t attempted to sell my work at fairs or in brick and mortar stores because it’s difficult to create enough inventory at one time. I might try my hand at a local indoor craft fair soon, though.
Do you have any favorite handmade shops or sellers you’d like to recommend?
I have too many favorites to list, but a few are BeanUpTheNoseArt, TerraMaya and PinBackAttack.
What inspires and motivates you?
I’m inspired by things I see around me, things people say, song lyrics, random thoughts – stamp ideas are everywhere. I’m motivated by the memory of working in a cubicle for a large corporation for 17 years and the desire to never, ever do that again. I’m making far less money and far more hours doing what I do now, yet I never really feel like I’m doing a “job”. It’s what I love.
What do you wish I had asked you?
“Do you have any strange hobbies?”
Why yes, I’m teaching myself to hoop dance. Great fun, great exercise, no gym required!
Thanks Kim. And if you would like to be interviewed next, check out DIY Interview.