Try Handmade

Shopping blog featuring products made by people not factories.

asherjasper

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My kids would have loved the felt squishiness of these wonderful tiny people when they were little.

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Imagined with such creativity, these hilarious little folks and creatures by asherjasper — incidentally not made of plastic like most toys — can be played with in so many ways.

At my house, Henry would build them a Lego fortress where they would defend against attacks mounted by Charlie and his wooden robots while Ed would be busy doing the play-by-play commentary of the battle.

Henry getting ready to build while Charlie watches

Of course, the level of ‘crazy’ at your house may be different.

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October Eves

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Fall is my favorite season of the year! Largely in part because it includes Halloween. I’ve often wondered why I look so forward to Halloween each year, and I’ve decided it’s because Halloween allows for everyone to be as creative and playful as they want. Understand that I don’t enjoy the scary and gory costumes or even the 10lbs of sugar that my children gather and try to consume over the course of one weekend, I enjoy the lighthearted, imaginative merry-making of the evening.

In light of one of my favorite holidays, I’ve rounded up some art that is both alluring and mysterious. These pieces were not created specifically for Halloween, making them a perfect addition to your walls year round.

artwork from Little Red Fox

There is a beautiful haunting quality to all of the pieces at Little Red Fox. The sketches are well balanced between intentional simplicity and complex emotions. I’ve been a fan of this art for years because of the consistency in the quality of work. You will find originals and prints as well as stickers, dolls, and cards.

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Gift Guide For Sharp People

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While trying to pull together this week’s gift guide I found myself stumbling upon this fantastic peanut knife by Contrary. I wanted to build a theme around it because it amused me so much. It’s a peanut. It’s a knife. It makes no sense and that makes it instantly covetable.

I also found this secret leaf knife necklace in Contrary’s shop and knew I had to include it as well. But what would my theme be? Cuts Like a Knife? Secret Sharp Spyware? Really Clever Cutlery?

I tried to look around at other shops too, I honestly did. But Contrary also has a knife, that’s a pistol, that’s a necklace, that has a vintage patina, that really couldn’t be more perfect.

When I finally tore myself away to look at other jewelry artists I was rewarded with this pretty mermaid knife necklace by Lanyapi.

And these pocketknife earrings by YOU gNeek, for those that like their shiv a little shinier.

Still..the theme? I guess I’ll take a cue from my Dad who would always say, “Now that looks sharp!” when he liked the outfit you had on. So this is the gift guide for sharp people. And people who like bacon.

Don’t let anyone ever tell you that you aren’t the sharpest knife in the drawer,
Lotta

Discover: Katchkie Farm

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Seedling Forest

There are over two-hundred tomato seedlings living out their days in seed trays on my kitchen counter. The fruit of every single one of them is intended for consumption by myself, my family; no one else. I may have gone a little overboard. But we love — and I do mean love — tomatoes.

It’s no surprise then, if a producer wants to catch my eye all they have to do is market something inventive, something tomato-ey. Katchkie Farm of Kinderhook, New York did just that. And from there I fell further and further in love.

Katchkie Farm doesn’t just sell Tomato Jam — a product that they report has a little kick, but goes down smooth thanks to the included ginger and cayenne pepper — from their Foodzie Shop. Owned by Great Performances, a New York City company famous for its local catering and cafe menus, Katchkie Farm also brings their local, organic products to consumers in the NYC area via Farmer’s Markets in the city throughout the year. Plus, they offer weekly and bi-weekly CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares to families in the Tribeca and surrounding communities; shares that not only include their own vegetables but also fruit sourced from other local growers for a round, family diet.

And you know, if we stopped there Katchkie Farm may be in a class with so many others — small farms and producers who are all striving for the same goals and functioning on the same mission; good honest and important goals — but they’ve taken it a step further, thoroughly earning their place in the Try Handmade hall of fame. Katchkie Farm is home to The Sylvia Center; a garden-to-table program that connects kids with the source of their food and empowers them to make healthful decisions in fueling their bodies. In my opinion, there is no work more important.

In The Garden

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Planting season will be upon us very soon. More time spent in the garden, kneeling down and bending over in order to fill our little patches with colour come the summer. Cassia Beck has captured a scene from summer; the season that doesn’t seem to hang around Scotland for too long for a couple of weeks between the months of June to August.

And being able to be green-fingered, even when you don’t own a garden is possible by Creating a kitchen herb garden in a planter on the window sill. Most herbs are minimal effort plants and don’t require a lot of TLC.

“Annual” herbs (aka herbs that only last a season) are cilantro, basil and chervil and are probably some of the more high maintenance herbs – they will need to be re-planted every spring.

“Evergreen” herbs (aka herbs that won’t die back in the winter months) are the herbs that will remain green all year round; lavender, rosemary, sage and thyme are examples of evergreens – and they will make your home smell wonderful!

“Herbaceous” herbs (aka plants that will die back in the winter months but grow back strong and healthier than ever before) are the herbs like tarragon and chives and require the least effort – plus they are brilliant for seasoning and flavouring food!

These gorgeous and sturdy planters from Andrew’s Reclaimed Shop are crafted with care; made from mill end waste cut cedar and waterproof food grade glue.

If you’re planning on creating a herb garden make sure you put it into an area with good air circulation and light – most herbs require little effort but they still love the sunshine, good soil and pruning – depending on which variety of herbs you decide to add to your planters.

If you do have a garden spare a thought for your left-overs.

Vegetable peelings work as a great alternative to shop bought fertilizer; simply wash out a left-over ice cream tub and store veggie peelings in there, place the lid back and over time the peelings will break down into compost for your garden.

Milk cartons also work as multi-purpose/make-shift garden tools. Watering cans are created by piercing the milk tops several times, filling the milk carton with water and screwing the pierced lid back on. Or why not create a scoop for your fertilizer from a milk carton? Cut from below the handle, cutting diagonally until you achieve the scoop shape – and viola you have your very own little scoop instead of the carton going out to be trashed.

The daffodils usually spring up in April here; peeking their little yellow heads through the bulbs just in time for the UK Mothering Sunday. Currently we’re waiting for the Big Freeze to end and would be very welcoming to some sunshine, spring flowers and all the lovely things a garden in bloom brings.

Until then, I am tempted to fill my walls with home decor stickers like this:

It would save us hundreds in re-decoration costs – and we’d be able to un-stick these vinyl stickers and take them wherever we were instead of having an eternal mural we’d have to leave behind. Plus it would make my garden-less and bare walled household a cheerier place to be while everyone else enjoys their gardens in the upcoming months.