simply Archives - Try Handmade

Amber Alexander

July 18, 2018 by Susannah Rodgers 1 Comment

Amber Alexander, whose work reminds me of a modern day Beatrix Potter, is an artist to watch. This Vermont based artist creates interesting characters with her paints and brushes. Her watercolor and acrylic work is stunning!

It’s rare to find art that can find a home on any wall. That is another great aspect of Amber’s work. You could hang any of her paintings in any room of your home and it would simply ‘fit it’.

You will find affordable prints, originals and even some cards featuring Amber’s artwork in her shop. There is a lot to choose from that will make your collection all the more special. Enjoy!

RAGGEDedge

June 18, 2018 by Erika Jurney 1 Comment

I’m in love. I was searching Best of Handmade for ‘zipper totes‘ to find something to schlep all my junk to work, and I discovered RAGGEDedgeGear.

We use cutting edge fiber technology originally developed for aerospace and military applications to build you the ultimate civilian gear. Bags and wallets made out of carbon fiber, Kevlar, aramid and other high tech materials. You haven’t seen anything like it. Every item is handmade by us.

Like all things awesome, RAGGEDedge started as an idea in the mind of a smart and motivated individual. That was 12 years ago, sometime in the middle of 1997. Originally, the idea was simply to make ourselves useful stuff out of the pile of old sails we seemed to be collecting. We’ve evolved immensely since then, but at our core, our focus is still function and usefulness. Every product that makes it to our lineup gets there because it serves a unique purpose for us or for someone we know.

Truly amazing!

Heart of Glass

June 1, 2018 by Rebecca Hadfield 3 Comments

Last year, Americans sent 11 million tons of glass to landfills. Sadly, every single pound of that could have been recycled. Because it is made from all-natural raw materials, glass is the only packaging material that is infinitely recyclable and with no loss of strength or purity.

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On Starting Small

October 25, 2017 by Diana Prichard Leave a Comment

I am incredibly goal-oriented and deadline-driven. Give me a deadline and while I may be a procrastinator, I will also be wholly motivated to meet it — even if at the last minute. Give me a challenge that needs conquering and I will become obsessed with accomplishing it.

It’s probably these inward tendencies that make me particularly fond of the Eat Local Challenge, a movement that as of October 1st entered its fifth year.

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Art Nest

August 26, 2017 by Erika Jurney 3 Comments

Art Nest is a place to celebrate everyday beauty, hard work, living creatively, artistic achievements and remembering to live simply.

I make these pincushion rings using my favorite fabrics, lush colored wool felt and nickel free, silver plated adjustable rings. I’ve been using mine for nearly four months now. I don’t think I can ever go back to storing my pins in a red tomato.Wearing my pincushion ring allows for more freedom while I sew at my machine. When not in use, I hang the pincushion on the bobbin winder.