Try Handmade

Shopping blog featuring products made by people not factories.

Interview with Cheri Tracy of Orglamix

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Update 2011: There’s been some controversy about whether or not Orglamix is really handmade or not. Please see the comments below for details and add any information you might have on the subject.

Orglamix is artisan crafted 100% pure organic mineral makeup. All Orglamix products are proudly formulated without: Nano Particles, Bismuth Oxychloride, Synthetic Dyes, Parabens, Synthetic Fragrances, Petrochemicals, Parabens. Orglamix is a proud member of PETA. I guarantee you will love Orglamix, or your money back. It’s that simple!

How did you get started? Have you worked in other creative areas before the kind of work you’re doing now?

I’ve always been involved in the beauty industry in some form or fashion, so Orglamix was a natural transition for me.

It started after the birth of my first daughter in 2004 when my skin, seemingly overnight became sensitive, blotchy and unbearably acne-ridden. Whatever I bought to try and conceal my imperfections seemed to make my face look worse.

Late night, when I was up feeding my daughter, I began researching ingredients in makeup and stumbled upon mineral makeup. I was instantly captivated by the good-for-you sparkly potions in a rainbow of hues, but once I gave them a try, I was obsessed!

Is there a story behind the name of your shop?

I wanted something that said fresh and fun; most organic brands are kind of bleh, sans color. My line is pure and organic, yet fun & creative. Orglamix is a merger of organic and glam –with a bit of a twist.

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?

Until recently I worked alone, but going to bed after midnight and waking at 5 am to get everything done can only last so long. I love what I do, but I’m a mom first and foremost. I realized I needed help.

I design and create all of my products; and I now have help with customer service and pulling and packing my orders. I’m also starting to outsource things like photography, website / blog and my listing so I can focus on the ‘big picture’.

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 and ArtFire. I’m also working on my own website to launch this summer. It’s a challenge to maintain multiple shops and listings, plus you give up a certain amount of control. Like recently when Etsy upgraded and I could not access Etsy hacks for almost a week. It was a nightmare. It took me a half an hour to locate invoices / customers — it usually takes five minutes. That said, I love Etsy and the community. I feel it’s a great place to launch and grow your handmade business.

I have yet to attend a show or fair, but I am looking forward to my first trade show this Fall. I’m nervous and excited at the same time.

Do you have any favorite handmade shops or sellers you’d like to recommend?

I have many, but here are the shops I covet right now: SewCuteShop, sunbasilgarden, and blisscandles.

What inspires and motivates you?

I find inspiration everywhere– magazines, blogs, daily life and especially my customers. They are always an amazing source of inspiration.

What do you wish I had asked you?

“Is there anything special your customers can look forward to this season?”

I am working on so many amazing things! I just launched the new Chakra colors. They are a virtual bold & beautiful rainbow.

I’m also working on Flair, the first hybrid eye shadow. One Flair layer changes your look a little or a lot–it’s up to you. From the fine opalescence of Aura to the super-bling audacity of the Sparkles–you’ll find the perfect Flair for every mood.

Thanks Cheri. And if you would like to be interviewed next, please head over to DIY Interview.

The Case for Meat Part 1: The People

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Skinny Bitch

Lately, there have been more than a handful of high-profile books touting a vegan existence. Freedman and Barnouin’s Skinny Bitch (pictured above) and Alicia Silverstone’s The Kind Diet among them; I read one, skimmed several others and I have, to risk the use of a terribly cheesy pun, beef.

While I can, mostly off the top of my head, recite for you the nutritional needs of every animal in my care human nutrition is, admittedly, not my strong suit. For that reason — and because I find it largely irrelevant, another story for another day — I will not argue against the premise that meat is nutritionally detrimental to humans.

What I will point out — over the course of the next few weeks — is that books like those listed have completely overlooked an important and rapidly growing demographic of food producers in North America and that the consequences of doing so, on a mass scale, will negatively affect not just the people, but the animals therein. Yes, even those intended for slaughter. And that it is, as long as we’re speaking in cheesy puns and cliches, possible to have your happy, healthy pig (or cow or chicken or quail or duck or goose) and eat it too!

So what about the people? For the first time in decades the U.S. is seeing a significant increase in the number of small farms in operation. Perhaps since WWII herself, when the industrialization and centralization of our food system hit full stride, David is wiggling from under the thumb of Goliath. And, most significant, he’s being backed by consumer dollars. The very thing that makes the world, or at the very least business, go ’round.

But it’s not just David either. “Donna” has also entered the brawl. Between 2002 and 2007 the number of female farm operators increased by nearly twenty percent. Like medicine, engineering, mathematics and countless other industries agriculture has always been a boys’ club, but today women are playing a major role in the restructuring and revival of it from within. They’re supporting their families, strengthening their communities and paving the way for a healthier, more equal society tomorrow while implementing systems that can sustain both the earth and its people.

In fact, organic produce was harvested from more than 200,000 acres in 2007. That’s just from the farms that are not so small they’re flying under the census radar; and where there is organic produce, there are small meat producers not far behind. In many instances they are one and the same.

Small, diversified farms may, as a matter of fact, be the single most sustainable model on the agricultural landscape today. Able to produce natural fertilizer off their land, by way of animals they feed from it, they can create a cyclical balance that cannot be reproduced. And the people behind those farms are the ethically astute people we need behind the scenes of our Agricultural Evolution. Stop supporting them and we stop supporting the sustainable restructuring of our food system.

So how do we cut through the jargon and find the right meat, milk and egg producers? Join me next week when we’ll look at just that.

Stonehouse Studio

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I remember collecting pieces of broken pottery when I was a little girl. Although I can’t remember whose partner in crime I was (was it you Nora?), I do recall that we had big plans for the colorful shards.

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That’s the first thing I thought of when I saw the work of Stonehouse Studio.

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Of course, looking closer it is obvious that these pieces are far more complex and layered, but the effect is reminiscent of something both found and wonderful.

Stonehouse Studio: I love the contrast between metal and polymer clay. Metal is bullied and cajoled into doing what you want by hammering, sawing and torching. Polymer, on the other hand, is the most cooperative, versatile and forgiving of mediums. As is so often true of opposites, the two work beautifully together.

My work is inspired by nature, which may seem strange since my primary medium is a synthetic clay. But the chameleon-like qualities of polymer clay allow for innumerable ways of bringing an artistic vision to life. My polymer work encompasses a variety of surface techniques, including alcohol inks, acrylic paints and image transfers altered with colored pencils. The end result is jewelry that is organic, simple and very wearable.

I hand fabricate all work in my Boston studio. If you’re in the area, see me almost every Sunday from May to October at the SOWA Open Market.

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White Carnation

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Keep an eye on this one. Her shop is small right now, but I have a feeling she could turn it into something really good…

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White Carnation: I know making clothes out of old clothes and recycled fabric might not save the world- But having a resourceful attitude is one step in the right direction, right?

I love using reclaimed or recycled fabric, and natural/organic blends. Functionality, efficiency, and beauty are awesome.

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Sweets for the Sweet

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When you think of Valentines Day, what comes to mind? Giant heart-shaped boxes of candy filled with high-fructose corn syrup, artificial-colours and synthetic flavours? Surely there is a better way to say “I love you” without sacrificing our commitment to better eating! Thankfully, living the life organic doesn’t have to mean giving up sweet treats.

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Meeting the demands of consumers looking for high-quality, scrumptious and “better for you” confectionery products, Beth and Vincent of Have it Sweet offer an incredible range of mouth-watering products made by hand with natural, organic ingredients. “We use local farm fresh cream and organic butter, all natural, non-GMO corn syrup, organic cane sugar, organic fair trade vanilla, Callebaut Belgian Chocolate, perfectly toasted organic nuts, organic spices and extracts and unrefined salt. We are completely and utterly preservative free and 90% of our products are gluten free.”

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Vincent, the brilliant pastry chef and confectioner behind Have it Sweet’s original recipes, has worked tirelessly to create a veritable rainbow of flavours that will tempt your eyes and your taste buds, such as his unique Cinnamon Almond Nougat (above). Described by Beth as “a confection created by angels”, this soft, pink-tinted nougat is made in the French style and is filled with crunchy roasted cinnamon-sugar coated almonds. Made with all-natural ingredients (including the food colouring used to give it its rosy hue), this nougat will make your sweetheart say “Ooh la la!”

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What would Valentine’s Day be without a little chocolate? The adorably-named “Love is in the Airamels” (pictured above) are blushing-pink Tahitian vanilla caramels layered with Callebaut Belgian dark chocolate. Made with Have it Sweet’s secret recipe and the finest ingredients, these are caramels like no other. Plus, they’re good for you! Loaded with anti-oxidant flavonoids, dark chocolate has been shown to lower blood-pressure and increase anti-depressant serotonin levels in the brain.

pinkmallows

As light as air and swirled with natural pink peppermint, Have it Sweet’s Pink Peppermint Marshmallows are as pretty to look at as they are fun to eat. Free of dairy, gluten, soy and nuts, these all-natural fluffy delights are perfect for snacking, floating in a mug of cocoa, or as the star of the show in a chocolate-peppermint s’more. You can also indulge your darling’s sweet tooth all year round with a gift of the “Marshmallow of the Month” club. Every month for an entire year, your Valentine will receive an eco-friendly package containing the marshmallow flavour-of-the-month. February’s flavour is, of course, Pink Peppermint. Please see Have it Sweet’s shop for more details.

Not only are all of these confections a delight to behold, they will all arrive at your door in 100% environmentally-friendly packaging. From the parchment that wraps the treats, to the tape that seals the boxes, all of the packaging materials used by Have it Sweet are recycled/recyclable and eco-friendly. As Beth sweetly puts it, “Our packaging, ingredients and core values are a symbol of who we are a company and how we feel about the earth.”