paper frames

for an el cheapo like me, these are awesome!

For the Birds: Luke Bartels & Jeff Canham

"Adorable" doesn't even come close to an accurate description of these handmade wooden birdhouses by San Francisco duo Luke Bartels & Jeff Canham. Admittedly, a bit pricey at $675 each at the Curiosity Shoppe, but if you don't mind shelling out the bucks, these little spaces have got to be the cutest avian nooks of the century. Unique design oozes from every clever quip painstakingly painted upon the collection; clean lines meet with tchotchke humor, and I can't imagine a more wonderful place to fly into and shake the dust of my wings every night!







How can I pick a favorite?! Whatever you do, please don't make me choose!!

Munny PLUSH!

As I delve deeper and deeper into the wild and awesome world of vinyl toys, I am constantly reminded that the artist not only has complete liberty over aesthetic on a given template, but material as well. Dunnies exist as a blank platform for which an artist or designer can approach the problem of a bare pallete with a signature style, genre, or idea, and re-create the mold into a completely unique icon available to the world. Taking the idea one step further is Holly Stanway, a UK artist based in London whose plush & model work is magnifique! Check out her site here: A Little Stranger
Pictures from KRonikle:

give her your heart and hers is sure to melt.

Valentine's Day is coming up, so men, don't be slacking on getting a token of your love for that special lady in your life! Etsy is obviously a great place to turn for something cute, whimsical, one of a kind, and sure to melt your ladies' heart. Speaking of heart, why not get her her very own soft and cuddly heart to remind her of you?

Check out Shannon Gerard's shop for more!

In Stitches- Teresa Cole

Crafting is at an all-time peak interest, with fantastic organizations like local Craft Mafias and independent crafters worldwide offering handmade goods on private sites and Etsy. Teresa Cole of In Stitches (and Richmonder!) offers hand-dyed yarns for the DIY knitters at reasonable prices, along with hand-knitted baby items and made-to-order knitted goods. Check out her iCrave store to pick up some fantastic custom dyed yarns for your next project!

Photo: Western Sky Knits Collab.

Sienna Gallery

Art jewelry is a booming underground niche in contemporary art circles. More and more galleries dedicated to the 3-dimensional handmade are popping up, my former alma mater Quirk included. Sienna Gallery is another space dedicated to the innovative, the craftsman, the wearable art that is taking hold in big and small towns alike. Nestled in Lenox, Massachusetts, this idyllic town has served as the perfect muse for generations of artisans; they specialize in the display of traditional and non-traditional jewelry presentations as works of art.

Sienna boasts a large, varied, and proud group of represented artists, such as Susie Ganch (Head of Metals at Virginia Commonwealth University), Sayumi Yokouchi (featured in Quirk's Sparkle Plenty 2), Barbara Seidenath (participant in Sparkle Plenty 3), Giampaolo Babetto, Lauren Kalman (an especially interesting artist whose unconventional unique work speaks volumes about body adornment and alternative social values), and a variety of assorted jewelers each making exciting statements about the way we present ourselves through ornamentation.


Lauren Kalman


Anya Kivarkis


Esther Knobel


Myra Mimlitsch-Gray

Visit Sienna Gallery to see more work by these fabulous artists, upcoming shows, previous exhibitions, and more!

Thomas Doyle

I feel like I might have seen and/or posted about Thomas Doyle's miniature worlds, but who cares. It's amazing enough for even TWO mentions. His site is home to his Distillation Series, Bearings Series, and Reclamation Series, all focusing on presenting a minute view with universal ideas. I've included only one picture from each of the series, because I want to tantalize you enough to go directly to the site without going batsh** insane and posting his entire portfolio.

Bearings:


Reclamation:


Distillation:

sewing!

I've never sewed. I got shown how to use a sewing machine probably once when I was 8 years old. You might say mine was not a "crafty" family. Regardless, over the past few months I've taken an especial interest in all things craft, and have racked my brain for ways to infuse my ideas about 2D work into 3D. I feel like it's more immediately satisfying to finish a piece and have a tangible object instead of an object simply for art's sake. This is in no way a jab at painting or printmaking or any other flat work, but it's simply another path in the road of creativity, one that I have previously not explored. As of yesterday, this puppy is now mine:



A 1958 Singer sewing machine in perfect condition. The one pictured is a pretty exact replica of the one I got on Craigslist, except mine comes mounted on a table, which looks pretty classy. It's in great condition for being so old, and I got all the original manuals and equipment as well. I'm excited to start playing with it, and hopefully make an apron for our ever-exciting cooking adventures. Yay crafts!

Holiday Hit List

Today was the 2nd annual Holiday Hit List in Point Loma by the North Park Craft Mafia.
To anyone unfamiliar with the Craft Mafia mentality, get with it. The North Park chapter seems to really have their stuff together. The first and only other Craft Mafia that I've been exposed to was the Seven Cities Craft Mafia in Hampton Roads, VA (which I now believe is simply 7 Cities Crafters). They seem to be really involved in the community as well, but it seems like every week I see some sort of event that's either hosted by or helped organize by the NPCM out here. Today was a HUGE event with over 65 vendors from all over, with TONS of REALLY well-priced handmade goods of all kind, plus raffles and demonstrations. If you were unlucky enough to miss it, check out their CafePress store here and the Myspace page as well. Some of the vendors that really caught my eye were Planet Tokki(I LOVED her poo ornaments and Mr. Tofu stuffed creatures!), Made with Luv (a founding member of NPCM), Little Grey Cat Designs (LOVED her choices of knitted scarves and fingerless gloves), Velvet Klaw (another founding NPCM member and another bunny enthusiast), and In-Vita (great paper goods, great holiday cards). There were plenty more that hooked me, but a few stood out for a mention. Keep up the great work Crafters! I hope to see you for many more Christmases to come.

The Handmade Holiday

What: A New Juried Indie Craft Show in Richmond, Virginia that will exclusively feature the work of local crafters & designers.

Why: Buy Handmade & Buy Local this Holiday Season!

Who: The Richmond Craft Mafia, The Visual Arts Center of Richmond and some of Richmond's most talented indie crafters and designers.

Where: The Visual Arts Center of Richmond (formerly the Hand Workshop) at 1812 Main Street

When:
Preview Party - Friday
December 12th from 7 - 10 pm
Ticket Info

Open to the Public - Saturday
December 13th from 10 - 5
Free & Open to the Public

How: Come on out and support local carfters and designers this Holiday Season!
Vendors:
Amy Weiks Jewelry
April Scott Kids
Avant-gourde
Avenue Handmade
Bee's Knees Studio
Claire McDermott Designs
Crystal J Silks
Erin Taylor Designs
Ernst & Thistle
Essential E Paper
Face Metal Design
Gabriel Craig Metalsmith
Gwen's Garden
Hearts & Needles
Hershey Is My Baby
Jackson Sage
Jude Glass
Keen Designs
Lark Studio
Lorcom Lane
Maslodesigns
Miss Pickles Press
Modern Atelier
Modern June
Moneky & Me
My Precious Studio
Nicole Lee Designs
oelle m.
Phil Barbato
Popidiot
Pretty Silly Things
Serious Whimsy
Sew * Ono Apparel
Shannon by Hand
Silver Tree Art
Solos Glass
Tasha McKelvey
Team 8 Press
The Cupcakery
Twist Style

LINK TO HANDMADE HOLIDAY WEBSITE LINK LINK LINK LINK!!!!!