There really isn’t a reason for interior designers to not use handmade items in their projects. Not when there are gorgeous handmade finds like Jillian Rene’s pillows. With an eclectic mix of patterns and colors, there’s sure to be a perfect pillow for your next design project.
I just fell in love with Room for Emptiness, Lena Hanzel’s beautiful collection of tea towels and hand-drawn pottery. L.O.V.E. The simplicity of her designs just speaks to me. Don’t you just love that a handmaker can produce something so serene for use in our everyday lives? Feast your eyes on these wondrous creations. When you’re done, I have another treat for you.
Aren’t these amazing? So, if you’ve read the LAB for a while, you know that once I find a new handmaker to feature, I start snooping around to see what else they are up to. You’ll be happy to know that Lena also has a scrumptious Tumblr blog. You know how I love me some Tumblr. Lena’s feature huge and bright images, worthy of a second (or third) look. Be sure to follow her.
Here’s some über-positive handmade posters from The Love Shop. Seriously, how could you not love a shop called The Love Shop. Check out these fab posters and tell me what your favorite one is.
Is there anything more inspiring and soul-calming than watching a master potter at work? Take a look at Sara Peterson at work:
Petersen Pottery Co. Spinning Nantuckets from Petersen Pottery on Vimeo.
Sara has two studio sites, one in Eagle Rock (a a neighborhood in northeastern Los Angeles, California) and her glaze and high fire kiln studio in Pasadena. Sara uses high fire stoneware clay and glazes that are highly durable, dishwasher, oven, microwave and food safe. Oh, and they are stunning.
I’ve been trying to feature more photography on the LAB and so when I first discovered Haya Culture, I just knew I had to feature them.
We are Haya from Evan Wathington on Vimeo.
Evan Wathington and Sana Keefer (of Pip & Estella fame) have create a stunning portfolio of images that would look great in any space.
You have to check out their current collection. So many amazing images! Isn’t it better to buy real art from real artists vs. mass-produced stock art from big box behemoths? Yes, it is.
Evan recently let me in on a little secret: Haya Culture will have these two stunning prints over at Modcloth very soon. You won’t be able to find these anywhere else. Be sure to check Modcloth for the arrival of these two masterpieces. In the meantime, take a gander at their Fall 2012 catalog. It’s delicious!
Anne Frank once said, “Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.” It’s the gift of the artistic mind to see beauty in places where the untrained eye cannot. But, what trains the eye? Isn’t it the ability to see more than the surface of things? It’s the ability to look at spaces and places that seem dead and cold and to feel the history, the subtle shifts in time and space, the flow of life and the present. In these places there are always colors and lights, all one has to do is stop and take it in.
A perfect example: New England Ruins. I dare you to look at these pictures and not feel more than subtle shades and tints. There was life in these ruins, stories told and memories lost. Train your eye on these pictures and then work on the assignment that follows.
“Magazine”
“Shapes”
“Norwich State Hospital”
“Asbestos”
“Hudson River Toothbrush”
“Norwich State Hospital Bowling Alley”
“Iron Lungs”
Here’s your LAB Assignment for the day: Pick one of these pictures and, in 100 words or less, tell us how they it makes you feel. Remember the words of Anne Frank as you write: “I don’t think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains.”
Grab my fresh poster with free shipping over at Society6 until the 14th of October. I would really love you if you picked up my art.
Here’s another reason to have breakfast in bed. You know you need this fab & funky-fun handmade birch Confetti tray by Oelwein. The thing screams for bacon, that perfect mocha and 2 sunny side up eggs. Or, if you’re nuts like me, a bowl of berries and a green smoothie.
London-based Anna Wiscombe has created a lovely collection of handmade wooden baubles. Do I have to tell you that each piece is handmade and no two pieces are alike? I didn’t think so.
I love the colors and I’m a big fan of the proportions. Not too big, not too small.
What do you think of Anna’s collection? They would be a great addition to your fall wardrobe, don’t you think?
Connect with Anna: ETSY | BIGCARTEL | SITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER
I’m feeling warm and fuzzy just looking at these. Sonya Yong James is an artist extraordinaire and her Etsy shop showcases some of her incredible handmade work. I just love these wool felt knit pod vessels. The colors are so wow.
Connect with Sonya & Modern Fiber Lab: SHOP | SITE | FACEBOOK
For the past few days, I’ve been trying to come up with the right word to describe who we are. It’s way more of a challenge than I imagined it would be. After all, the handmade community is made up of so many different types of artists and crafters, it’s hard to come up with just one word that covers everyone.
However, somewhere between green smoothie numbers 1 & 2, it hit me: handmaker. The word bounced around my head most of the day, making the gerbils who run my inboard computer pretty anxious. Then it stuck: we are handmakers. Spell-check doesn’t like the word, but I sure do and I hope you do to, because I need you help to make this official. Nothing makes a word more official than a manifesto. So, let’s write one just for us, the handmade community. I’m looking for 7 basic principles that make us who we are. I’ll start it off:
OK, can we come up with 6 more. Be creative and let me know in the comments: what makes you a handmaker? I’ll take your ideas and complete the manifesto. Then, I’ll talk to you about spreading it around. Thanks gang!
