North Carolina Archives

Happy Birthday, you spoiled rotten brat.

May 2, 2019 by April Meeker Leave a Comment

I was recently visiting a friend of mine who is the mother-in-law to a very famous person. I’m not going to say who because they might write me out of the will, (not that I was in the will to begin with). photo by sofawned

Suffice it to say that this person is very very famous and his children are very very privileged. I was talking to my friend in her living room and I noticed the most darling little paper diorama of an undersea scape, complete with mermaid, housed in a glass dome. I was complimenting my friend on what a charming keepsake it was and she told me that it was her granddaughters birthday party invitation.

Now I’ve heard plenty of fantastical stories about the life this family leads. Personal jets for vacations. Dinner with the President. Shopping in Paris for the weekend. It never ends and I never tire of hearing about it. But this really took the cake. I stood there, first wondering just how much each “invitation” must have cost, and then wondering what in the world do you give a child that literally has everything?

What could you possibly show up with at a birthday party where the invitation was a small work of art, that wouldn’t look cheap and cliche’?

The answer is decidedly to go handmade.

The first thing that came to my mind was a tutu. I mean really. The kid is already essentially royalty, why not look the part?

Leslie is a mother to two little girls who creates the most fanciful tutus from her studio in Dover Ohio. You can buy her creations from her shop.

The truth of the matter is I have no idea just how spoiled these children really are. My friend is their grandmother so of course she thinks they are the most amazing kids ever. They stay at her house when their parents are jet setting around the globe and I have a sneaking suspicion that they get a healthy dose of real life when they are there. Then again you know how indulgent grandmothers tend to be.

Here’s another idea for that kid you know that has everything, but manners.

John Golden is a digital artist out of Wilmington, North Carolina. He has been making and selling his art since he was eleven years old. He has a large selection of prints on in his shop. He has a retro aesthetic that comes through in all his pieces.

The last thing that I thought might be fun for the privileged child to receive is some play food similar to the food they eat on daily basis. No hot dogs and french fries here my friends. These kids are growing up on salmon sashimi and spicy tuna rolls.

I found these little knitted sushi pieces at CurlyQOnline. I think they are so cute and any rich kid would be happy to have them in their play kitchen, which is probably nicer than my actual kitchen and which most assuredly has fancier food.

We didn’t receive our own invite to my friend’s granddaughter’s party. I wasn’t disappointed at all about not having to stress over the gift, I was, however, a little miffed not to get the invite itself.

I really just wanted my own diorama with a mermaid.

Sweetgum Dogwood Ruffle Handbags

February 24, 2019 by Erika Jurney 4 Comments

Sweetgum Handbags is Kim, a twenty-something grad student who works on her PhD in ecology by day, and runs her sewing machine at all hours of the night. She learned to sew from her talented mother Chris, and from the tried and true method of trial and error.

Favorite materials include denim, corduroy, canvas, woven suede, and repurposed upholstery samples. Custom orders are more than welcome. The business is based in the lovely town of Durham in the fabulous state of North Carolina, USA. All Sweetgum bags are designed to be functional, pleasant to look at, and to last you a very long time.

Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

February 12, 2018 by Tara Gentile 3 Comments

[hTara]

This week my tip came from Jean, from 3squares. Through twitter, Jean suggested her home town of Raleigh – and after one look at some of the shops, I was all too happy to oblige!

The necklace above is some of Jean’s handiwork. Her designs are inspired by another love in her life: food. This pendant is ceramic with kiwi-colored glaze. Her shop is very eclectic and, while that can sometimes be a bit distracting, her aesthetic is very consistent. She works in many media to create her jewelry, including metal, fabric, glass, and ceramics.

So then Jean suggested that I check out Allover Art.

And it was by sheer force of will that I did not buy these earrings right on the spot. Ruth Jones is the talent behind this fabulous shop! Each piece is a hand-painted little work of art. Ruth is also a more traditional fine artist but loves the idea of creating tiny pieces that people carry with them throughout the day instead of being hung on a wall to be admired at a distance.

Jogi Originals is a brand-new shop with loads of potential. I love how the details on this bag are delightly off-center! There are tucks in the body of the bag and, just above them, a bit of the lining fabric peeks out in its only little set of tucks.

Finally, I couldn’t resist the Xtreme poses that accompanied these hand printed yoga pants. Who doesn’t want to be comfy & pretty? Whether you wear these for their intended purpose or simple around the house, you’ll look great doing it. Find more limited-edition, screen-printed goodies at ahpeele.

Charlotte, NC: “The Hornet's Nest”

May 6, 2010 by Emily Anderson 1 Comment

The Queen City, The QC, Crown Town, and The Hornet’s Nest are all nicknames for Charlotte, North Carolina, US. We went there for our niece’s Bat Mitzvah recently and had some time to look around. Charlotte has several world-class museums, including the Mint Museum of Craft + Design, which celebrates the region’s rich history of displays craft with glass, metal, fiber, wood, and clay art pieces. I was particularly interested in the emphasis on how “craft” evolved from purely utilitarian objects up to the 19th century into decorative and artistic pieces. As you may know, my new book is all about the evolution of craft and how it has shaped our relationship with materials, and how we can use design and craft to create a more sustainable world.

Katie is the beauty behind Vaka Design. She’s been making jewelry for thirty years, taught by her grandmother, Maryclair O’Day, and then trained as an artist at UNC Charlotte. Katie has three sons, works in her home studio, and gets to be a mom and a successful goldsmith. She makes exquisite pieces out of ruby, turquoise, tourmaline, diamonds, opal and more. She works with gold and silver, and the beauty of her pieces are heightened because of the handiwork involved. So much nicer than machine-made. And more affordable, too.

Glass blowing is a craft I am a little intimidated by. It just looks like it is such a delicate process, and maybe I just don’t have the patience. The time that goes into making just one of these beads might be too frustrating for me. So I’m glad I found Susan Lambert who clearly has the discipline and the technique it takes to create these little wonders.

Fiber arts are intriguing to me, and this crochet cuff is a perfect example of why. I never would have thought to create something so pretty and simple, but here it was on Etsy just waiting for me to discover. Natalie is the owner of Stitches and Pearls, and she is a native of North Carolina. She’s a self-taught knitter. It’s her escape from the cubicle to her happy place. You can get into her head and share her creative process, knit by knit, on her blog.

Win a vase for Mom

April 29, 2009 by Erika Jurney

[hWin]

Tanner Glass makes lovely glass objects, and just in time for Mother’s Day in the US, you can enter to win one of your own. But first, a little about the artist who makes these treasures.

Suzanne Tanner: Connecticut, Colorado and Maine were home before I settled in Rhode Island in 1998. I worked in jobs as diverse as bartending and Adventure Program Facilitating, and had hobbies that included extreme skiing and rock climbing. I was introduced to Glassblowing in 1993, while earning my BA in Art History from Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY. I knew I wanted to pursue glass, but allowed myself to get temporarily sidetracked by the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.

Four years later, I returned to the East Coast, and completed a 2 month long intensive Glassblowing class at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. It was just what I needed….and it challenged my skills as an artist and designer. I was in love. It has been over 9 years since I started Tanner Glass, and I still love the challenge of creating and designing work that is fun to make and practical to own. I call them FUNctional Objects. And as expected, I rarely miss an opportunity to ski.

To enter to win the fabulous green pinch vase above (value $38), just leave a comment on this post. {rules} Contest ends Friday, May 1 at midnight Pacific time. Good luck!

Update: the contest is closed and the winner is #39 Debbie! Congratulations!