Try Handmade

Shopping blog featuring products made by people not factories.

Artists are Putting Rhode Island on the Map

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Everyone please welcome Kim O’Brien to Try Handmade! Kim is a metalsmith from Pawtucket, Rhode Island, US, and she’s here to share with all of us the handmade goodness to be found in her home state. Please leave a comment for her if you know of a fantastic maker in Rhode Island, or just to say hi!

:: Erika

Hello, Readers! Welcome to my new column In My State. In case you hadn’t guessed we are talking about the tiniest of states. Here in RI we are big on handmade. How can’t we be? We are home to Rhode Island School of Design so we are invaded by thousands or artists each year who are looking to further their artistic explorations. The city is flooded with RISD umbrellas and students carrying portfolios to and fro. Even before RISD came to be we were known as the jewelry capital. Needless to say, art runs in our blood. We need to create.

To get you situated, I will start with a little map project which artist, Kristin Crane takes on passionately.

Kristin doesn’t let the map control her books, instead it is a compromise. Balancing color and composition, she works with the map and makes it her own design.

Her coptic bindings are a lovely detail, it shows her skill as a fiber artist. However, it serves a practical purpose, allowing the journals to lie flat.

Kristin’s own words best describe her passions. “I’m a textile designer living in Providence, Rhode Island and am a self proclaimed book addict. I love to shop for them, read them, make them, write in them. (I tell myself there are worse addictions to have.) I also love to travel and get as excited about what journal to bring on a trip as I do planning every other part. I love when books I’ve made get to travel around the world, even if I can’t go with them.” It is these passions which make her work so successful.

Kristin doesn’t stop at journals. Here are some of her quirky book marks.

And some cards to send notes home to loved ones while you are off traveling.

Fitting isn’t it?

Now that you are hooked and ready to start making your next travel plans, head on over to Kristin’s shop. If you don’t see your destination there check out her flickr site to see other custom orders she has done.

Happy travels!

Aggravated strapping

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Gorgeous belts and cuffs.

bio: Jacob Vaughn is an accomplished interdisciplinary artist originally from Boston who runs an independent and eco-friendly screen printing, leatherworking and design company called Project TransAction.

Since graduating from Massachusetts College of Art in 2003, Jake has participated as an emerging filmmaker in the the Pawtucket Film Festival in Rhode Island as well as the Flaming Film Festival in Minneapolis, MN. In addition to this, he has also has work in an internationally traveling anti-occupation exhibition of prints called ”Yo! What Happened to Peace?” that was shown in the US, Tokyo, Iceland, and Italy (as well as several other international cities) and participated in the show “Paper Politics” in Chicago, IL with the Street Art Workers.

Jake recently relocated himself, the business, and his dog to San Francisco, CA where he is making plans to responsibly take over the world.

Providence hearts heatherjeany

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Here in Providence we just adore heatherjeany. Her quirky screenprinted goodies have found their way deep into our hearts. It isn’t just a Rhode Island thing, I think you will have the hearts for heatherjeany too.

Her images range from sweet…….

(romantic bike rides for two)

…… to a bizarre with a surreal mix of vintage images.
No matter what her subject is, the result is always fun. Heather creates to make us smile.

Don’t we all love carnivals? Even if we don’t like the rides we love to see the lights and reminisce of fun times shared with family and friends. Who is up for a game or some cotton candy?

Speaking of memories, don’t we all have fond memories of mixed tapes? Making and receiving collections of music made for someone special. The thoughts of summer brews made by darling friends puts a smile on my face.

This may be one of my favorite stationery sets of Heather’s. Maybe it’s the gold print of the goldfish or how lovely it looks on any color. It could also be that it reminds me of all the goldfish I won as a kid.

And this is one of my favorite t-shirts because it’s truly bizarre and dream-like. This shirt is best described by the artist herself, “A Curious Rodeo. A rodeo cowboy rides a giraffe who is skillfully lassoing a school of what else? Flying fish. Golden Flying fish. YES.” I just love that this shirt comes in sizes for women and children. (We just need to get Heather working on men’s sizes too.) Fun for the whole family. This means no one gets to stop dreaming, no matter what your age.

Something tells me this is the shirt she will be known for. It has already been in etsy emails, tweets and facebook posts. And rightfully so. It is darn cute and that little model makes it all the cuter. Can you see why my little state loves this quirky artist?