IAMTHELAB | Your Handmade Laboratory

Art & Artist: The Handmade World of Kristina Dam

OK, confession time: I’ve been meaning to launch a new project for the LAB that focuses on the life and spaces of artists that I admire. Yeah, it’s taken me way too long to get this one rolling. Fortunately, I can’t think of another handmade artist that I’d rather start Art & Artist with than Kristina Dam. Her art is amazing and her homebase is just wow.

Isn’t it interesting to see how artists use their own art in their spaces? Take a few minutes to explore Kristina’s shop. Her striking pieces have a level of boldness that I really love. I think my favorites are the house prints. You can get them with white backgrounds or these in soft complementary colors.

You can also purchase postcards and lithographs of her work. You know these would look so great on your wall. It’s almost impossible, at least from my perspective, to separate the artist from their art. That’s one of the reasons why many of us are so curious about the way an artist inhabits and adorns their personal spaces. Kristina doesn’t disappoint in that department either. Her space is bright, bold and full of character.

⬆ I think this is my favorite shot. This is a perfect space.

Be sure to check out Kristina’s website, shop, on Pinterest and Facebook.

Dream a little with Handmade Prints from I’d Like To Be…

Inspired by a desire to dream the way we used to as kids, London based designer and illustrator Jamie Nash offers the I’d Like To Be prints. You know I’m all about dreaming big around the LAB, so I just had to share.

What secret dream did you have as a kid? Was there something you really wanted to do that you never did? Become an astronaut? A lion tamer? The first woman on Mars? Let us know in the comments below. In the meantime, be sure to grab one of these fun handmade posters and find someone young (or young at heart) and encourage them to dream big.

I’d Like To Be: SHOP | TWITTER | BLOG

YNYNT – Eco Chic Handmade Necklace from La Alicia

Alicia Colina-Ashby is a master of creative recycling. Her collection of handmade wonders is pretty amazing. Here’s a one-of-a-kind piece that you know you need. Paying homage to ancient Greek architecture, this Eco Chic necklace from her La Alicia shop would be a perfect addition to your handmade collection. Add this piece and you will never look at junk mail the same way again. Be sure to tweet Alicia to let her know how much you love her necklace!

Set Up A Handmade Office with Tinkering Monkey

I’ve had guests for the past few days and my friend, who I lovingly call The Professor, scolded me for my workstation. Not the aesthetics (because it’s amazeballs), but the ergonomics. He’s right and I definitely need to do something about it soon. If I could, I would just let Tinkering Monkey come in and set up the whole thing.

I would start off with this handmade custom standing desk:

This would be a perfect solution for me. Tinkering Monkey is based in Oakland, CA and only delivers to the Bay Area. Thankfully I have tons of friends there and they can deliver the desk unassembled and I could ship it to Hawaii. Which would take 2 years, but that’s another story. Anyway, this ergonomically-designed desk can be either used sitting down…

…or standing up. I’d actually want to try to use it standing up. I’ve been told by a few friends that they love working this way.

Mike Cheung and Paula Chang, the brawn and brains behind Tinkering Monkey, build their items in kickin’ Cotton Mill Studios in Oakland. Yeah, I’m so jealous.

Since I’m building a dream office, I might as well have them bring the rest of the goods. Like this sweet lamp, notebook (monkeys!) and personalized coasters for my green smoothies.

Connect with Tinkering Monkey:
SHOP | TUMBLR | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

Grab your own ‘We Are Artist’ Print

I got a little note today from the über-talented Kal Barteski telling me she just received a copy of my We Are Artist print. She absolutely loves the thing, which means a ton coming from an artist that I truly admire. Make sure to get your copy today. If you do, send me a picture and I’ll show it off like a proud papa.

Also, be sure to check out Link With Love, Kal’s very well-respected reminder to all of us to give credit where it is due when we share images on our blogs. Grab a badge for yourself and add it to your blog like thousands of other great bloggers.

Bold Handmade & Recycled Finds from Magpie Fields

What’s better than handmade? How about recycled and refreshed? Magpie Fields is so stocked full of refreshed finds, you’ll want to grab them all. How in the world did Emily Wittenburg find so many great items in such vivid colors? Whatever her sources are (some are listed here), I’m glad she’s decided to share. I mean come on now, these keys and hooks? You know you want them all.

There is an art to curating a shop. If there was ever a masterclass on it, Emily would be a great teacher. Just look at those pillows. Such wonderful color and texture!

Connect with Magpie Fields:

LAB ASSIGNMENT 002 – BRAND: YOU. PART 3: What’s your Style DNA?

So far, we’ve discussed 2 of 7 essential elements to building a brand: Knowing who you are as a person and knowing where you want your brand to be in 6 months. This assignment focuses even more specifically on your brands’ specific style DNA.

If someone were to ask you to state, in just a few words, what your brand’s style is, could you do it? Now, you might think this is an abstract concept, and to some extent you’re right. But in the creative universe, style is a huge factor to consider. Let me explain why.

As a blogger, I’m definitely looking for a specific style to feature on the LAB. I’m attracted to a very modern aesthetic, with touches of bohemian and organic influences. It’s not that I don’t appreciate other styles and genres of handmade goods. It’s just who I am and what resonates with me. Hence, there are artisans who’ve asked to be featured on the LAB and I’ve had to politely decline. But that shouldn’t be the end of the road for them. There are other bloggers who have a taste for a different style aesthetic and who would be glad to promote artists that I would not. Frankly, they would do a much better job than I would.

The thing I always ask when this happens is: how did the artist not know that I probably wouldn’t feature them? If they had looked at my site, they should have been able to see that I feature a very specific vein of handmade goods. What this tells me is that identifying their own style DNA is either not a priority or they just don’t know what it is. And that, my friends, is sad.

If you love to make, you should know who you are and what you are. If you are folksy, be proud of being folksy! Edgy? Stand in your edginess! When you claim your own style DNA, it helps you to collaborate with those best suited to support and promote you. It helps you to style the right branding for what you do. That sense of style ownership will solidify your brand and strengthen your resolve to create.

So, here’s the assignment: In just a few words, describe your style. Is there an item in your shop that really exemplifies what your style DNA is? If so, share a link to it. If you are having trouble identifying your style, perhaps the rest of the community can help you find it, polish it up and make it shine.

Project #icandoit 365: 5 Inspiring Tumblr Design Blogs to Follow

When I started Project #icandoit365, I had a simple goal in mind: encourage the handmaker community to try blogging regularly for a year. There was some initial interest, but like all things that take effort, the interested petered out. However, a few artisans took up the challenge and have stuck to their goal. One such artist is Rori. Today she posted that, due to her efforts, her traffic has exploded. Just head over to her latest report and look at those numbers. You can’t tell me that an artist with an online shop isn’t going to see a boost in visits with traffic like this.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: it doesn’t have to be hard. A picture that inspires you is all you need. Add a little caption, and you’ve got a post. One way to find great and inspiring images is via Tumblr. There are a ton of great Tumblr blogs out there, full of fantastic images. All you have to do is right click, save and link back to the blog when you post the image. That’s all. In order to use Tumblr well, it’s good to open an account. Besides the advantage of owning your name on Tumblr, you’ll be able to follow blogs that you like and repost when you are ready.

With that in mind, here are 5 blogs that I follow, full of amazing images ready for you to share. Don’t forget to Link With Love. Oh, and while you’re at it, why not grab our special little notebook and join us for Project #icandoit365?

Hom-e is the inspiration blog of Anne Marie Baker and Amanda Adamson. The images they collect are dreamscapes for their future California abode. It’s a great and inspiring mix of modern spaces.

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The one disadvantage to Tumblr is that many users don’t provide much in the way of contact information. The good news is that you don’t need it to enjoy this blog full of Bohemian Homes and their global-inspired spaces.

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Ignite Light reminds me of images you would see in Kinfolk magazine: clean, open and peaceful. What a perfect place to explore and relax.

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Lili, the blogger behind Designed For Life, is an aspiring interior designer. With her eye for exquisite interior spaces, it won’t be long until she moves from aspiring to inspiring.

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James Bennett has an eye for design and it shows. Take Over Time is an amazing collection of modern design. There’s enough inspiration for everyone here. A must read.

Bold & Handmade from Nylon Sky

Here’s another new artist making their debut on the LAB: Nylon Sky. It’s a good thing that the collection is so tantalizing. They don’t have much bio info on their site. All I can tell you is that they are based in Barcelona and they’ve produced a super-cool collection of modern handmade baubles.

Nylon Sky: SHOP | FACEBOOK

Handsome Handmade Jewelry from Rah and Rah

Sometimes, I come across a collection that, although small, is so completely well-conceived, that I feel compelled to feature the entire line-up. Such is the case with Rah and Rah, the collection designed by Sarah, Deborah and Ron Powell.

RAH and RAH Jewellery from Tim Cowie on Vimeo.

Using locally-sourced materials, including shale, marble, silver and limestone, this talented trio have produced a truly handsome collection. It appears to me to be a perfect blend of modernism with a kind of Eames-ish flair to it.

Be sure to check out more images over at the Rah and Rah shop.

Rah and Rah: SHOP | SITE | BLOG | TWITTER

See / Wear featuring Nicole Ap & A Alicia Handmade

It is so much fun to create these crazy-cool combos of handmade goodness. Today’s See/Wear features Nicole Ap and A Alicia Hand Made.

Nicole Ap: Nicole’s graphic designs are bold and fab. Based out of Brisbane, Nicole really does it all. Trading her corporate job for a life as a handmaker, her collection includes everything from t-shirts to stationary. Oh, and these amazing pieces of typographical art.

A Alicia Hand Made: Environmentally friendly and sophisticated, Anna Alicia has created a truly fantastic collection of handmade goodies. I’ve always admired Anna’s hand-crafted pieces. Her knitting is just mind-blowing.

See: 3Dm by Nicole AP
Wear: Forest necklace by A Alicia Hand Made

See: Ooooooo by Nicole AP
Wear: Mountain necklace by A Alicia Hand Made

See: GeoL by Nicole AP
Wear: Mountain necklace by A Alicia Hand Made

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