Try Handmade

Shopping blog featuring products made by people not factories.

Interview with Suzanne Elizondo of Smileforsuzy

by 1 Comment

I make unusual, odd, and silly earrings out of old school shrinkydink plastic. I handdraw and color them and then bake them with love. I like to make silly characters that interact and try to make each of them unique and fun. I was born and raised in Austin and I think a lot of that Keep Austin Weird mentality has rubbed off on me.

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

I discovered shrinkydinks as an adult while I was in college and was amazed I’d never tried it as a kid. I love to doodle and draw and I’ve found that handdrawing and designing earrings is the perfect medium for the kind of creatures and oddities I create. I got a BS in Creative Advertising so that’s the ideal day job, but I love creating these earrings for my own personal joy.

Is there a story behind the name of your shop?

Its an old user name I came up with just to send good vibes my way. I find it ironic because I usually try to create things that I think will make other people smile as they wear them.

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 mostly by myself. Occassionally I’ll ask my friends and family for ideas or what they’d like to see as an earring set. I try to think about upcoming holidays or seasons that would make the earrings more relevant. This is my favorite thing to work on when I have free time.

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 them mostly online at http://smileforsuzy.etsy.com but also have them for sale at Storyville on the drag in Austin. I love to hear about the people that buy them and what they personally mean to them.

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

I’m in love with the clutches they make over at Tsuru Bride.

What inspires and motivates you?

It’s a release for me to create things. Sometimes if it’s been too long since I made something I get antsy about it, and it feels great just to know I made something out of nothing. I love to fill blank canvases with ideas from upstairs.

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

Interview with Troy Mattison Hicks & Stephano Diaz, Necklush

by 2 Comments

neck_8

Troy Mattison Hicks and Stephano Diaz are the founders of Necklush. They have lived in NYC for about 15 years and love it in spite of the long winters. They are surrogate parents to George Michael, a kitty that picked them up on the street. Stephano is the Amazing Creative Powerhouse of the business and Troy is the Genius Computer Megabrain. They make a great team.

Stephano and Troy love coffee and interacting with their customers while working 15 hour days. Their favorite quote? If it’s going to be, it’s up to me. The Etsy Necklush site is here. They describe the Necklush as many multiple, seamless loops combined to create a scarf, cowl or necklace.

[Read more…]

Body Yogurt

by 2 Comments

Body yogurt sounds a lot like body butter to me. It is a food name, used to describe a spa product. Both come in jars, and are applied to skin. And shea butter is one of the ingredients.

body yogurt

The body yogurt from Mea Culpa Body And Bath has a surprisingly different texture than body butter, or moisturizer. It feels soft and looks fluffy, but has a slightly gritty texture. Then it absorbs right into the skin. I wasn’t entirely sure what to make of it at first. But it moisturizes without irritating. So what’s not to like?

I ordered the set of three body yogurts, my favorite way to order from a seller whose products I have not previously tried. I chose the scents Neroli, Eucalyptus, and Coconut. For whatever reason the Neroli is yellow in color. But the Eucalyptus and Coconut are both white.

body yogurt neroli

I found the Neroli smell to be overpowering. And my husband asked about the stink (definitely not a compliment). In its defense, it does smell like Neroli – just a bit too much Neroli for my family. My five year old put it all over herself. And nobody wanted to sit by her.

The Coconut and Eucalyptus body yogurts smell fresh and inviting. But to be fair, all three have the same texture. And a very large number of scents are available. I just happened to think those three sounded best at the time I ordered.

I purchased the Neroli thinking that it would blend subtly and well with perfume. However, it is more of its own perfume. Which is not bad if you are looking for a strong scent, or like to layer scents.

I like the two ounce size jars a lot. They fit perfectly in my purse. And I have the opportunity to try three scents without making a big commitment.

It's here! It's here!

by 6 Comments

The best season of them all: Spring.

Camera Shy Photography: My name is Hillary Burkett and I live in Richmond VA with the company of 2 cats and a wonderful husband, who is incredibly supportive of my recent art pursuits.

I have a longstanding passion for photography and it has become my outlet. I am always aware and in awe of my surroundings. Nature and wildlife are my primary inspirations.

Beauty is all around us, and through photography, I desperately try to catch the uncatchable, tame the untamable, and box it all up neatly in a viewfinder for others to see and enjoy.

I am an explorer at heart and an artist by consequence.

Skudfisher

by Leave a Comment

Cartoons! I watch tons of cartoons.

That was Mike from Skudfisher‘s response when I asked him what inspired his fun plushies. How can you argue with such enthusiasm?

Everything from Invader Zim to Rocky and Bullwinkle (both of which are responsible for huge chunks of my sense of humour). I also pretty obsessively try to absorb as much cool art as possible from the internet. Flickr has so many amazing independent artists that it kind of blows my mind sometimes. I can spend hours just going from artist or artist on flickr. I have some pretty amazing people on my contact list on there that I really admire.

Mike has been obsessed with drawing silly characters and monsters since he was little. Then 2 years ago he decided to try and make one of his monsters into a toy for his nephew as a birthday gift, lucky kid. It only took that one toy to turn sewing into an obsession and he’s been making plushies ever since. Each monster has it’s own story along with it’s likes and dislikes to ensure monster/child compatibility.

There is something very satisfying about coming up with an idea, cutting out the fabric and sewing everything together, into something you can hold in your hands, that I just don’t get from drawing. I still love drawing though!

Mike’s current favorite is Acorn! He thinks she is just so adorable and huggable and really loves working with faux fur material. And as I was working on this, my 2 1/2 year old son told me he wanted THAT monster – so I guess she’s not just Mike’s favorite!

Currently Skudfisher’s plushies are only sold through Mike’s shop, but after many years of attending craft fairs and enjoying Montreal’s great craft scene he hopes to get involved as a vendor there soon. So if you’re in the Montreal area, keep your eyes peeled.

If you’d like to keep up with Mike’s creations he keeps a blog of all his work at and updates his Flickr very regularly.