Tomorrow is my day to blog, but I wanted to let everyone in on the giveaway Leanne is having down at Folk Craft! Entering is easy, and the prize is super neat. :)
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Happy 1st Anniversary, FOLK!
{ Or, as I often call it, Shameless Self-Promotion... }
I am so sorry that I have missed TWO weeks, now, of blogging for Wichita Handmade. I'm terrible, I know. Forgive me! And forgive me also for not having much more substance than an ad...but hey, any port in a storm, right? You need an entry, and this is what I got. (I've been on "vacation," you know!) ;)
Next Wednesday, July 22, 2009 is Folk's 1st Anniversary! Yay! And in honor of that anniversary, I am having a big sale! Some "Anniversary Sale" items are priced ridiculously low. There are also other items in the shop that have been on sale for a while, and still a bargain. Help me reach 200 sales by next Wednesday, and own some adorable, lovingly handmade folk gear as well! :)
Here are a few of the lovely, low-priced items:
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Down the Rabbit Hole...and Out Again!
For my post today, I am offering up some sweet Etsy finds. (I am too lazy to write, and plus I will use any excuse to virtually window shop!) ;) However, I thought I'd try to make things a little interesting; there will be no theme, per se, but each find will be in some way connected to the previous....let's see how things go!
My inspiration for this all begins with Alice in Wonderland...
...a red and black Mad Hatter painting by RW2Gallery
...leads to this red and black bracelet by lupin
...and a search for more bracelets lead me to this fabulous, reclaimed/recycled/repurposed crochet bracelet by fantasticplastics!
...so I searched for more "reclaimed" items, and found a mini zen garden by aimeesarmoire; (what a cool concept!)
...which leads up to lovely and unique yard art! by steelknightdesigns
...so in connection with the Asian theme, I found this gorgeous "Opium" bracelet by lilikoicottage.
searching for more "drug-related" items, I stumbled upon this adorable little necklace by starsprinklez!
...and this brings us full circle. :) a sweet print by thepoppytree.
Hope you enjoyed!!!
CRAFT ON!
Leanne
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Giveaway @ FolkCraft!
I haven't checked in with my cohorts to see if there's a Wichita Handmade giveaway this week, buuuut...... there IS a giveaway at Folk Craft!
Check it out, y'all!
Thanks and take care!
Leanne
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Say NO to Sweatshops
Reasons #173 to buy handmade*:
Imports suck!
Yes, I may have mentioned this once...or twice....or 50 times. But it's so true. Imports from China (and other assorted countries) may be cheap, but they are going to cost in the long run; and they are costing some people right now.
It's no secret that most manufactures use child labor. And it's no secret that the working conditions are atrocious. People working in the factories, whether they are children or adults, are underpaid and overworked. My neighbor, who is from Cambodia, says that her cousin in Cambodia is paid $0.75 per hour at the factory where he works. And that's not the worst!
Of course, I have seen the phrase "Responsibly made in China" stamped onto products. This may or may not be true. But, even when working conditions are good, the money you spend on a Chinese import is money that is being drained from our economy.
I know that it is sometimes impossible to find and item manufactured in the USA. I myself have searched for particular items and have not found a one that wasn't made in China. It's a sad reality.
HOWEVER--if you can buy an item that is made here, and preferably handmade, do it! You won't be sorry. You can feel good about supporting people within your community. And you can feel good about having something unique, well-made, beautiful, or all of the above.
I hate to have this sound like a commercial for Wichita Handmade. It isn't. This is a call to take positive action. Please, be a responsible consumer! Buy handmade, whether it's from me, my friends, crafters in your community, or any of the other millions of good folks on Etsy.
Lovely pillow found on Etsy, handmade for you by FennelStudio!
Craft on!
Leanne
*There may need to be some clarification about the term handmade; when I say handmade, I am referring to items created by artisans, who create items because they want to.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Island of Misfit Crafts
As a crafter, I spend a lot of time making stuff, and, obviously, that stuff doesn't always turn out just the way I planned. Sometimes, that's because I'm working on something new and have to figure out all the quirks and work out the bugs. Other times, it's because I'm not paying attention and I muck it all up! Case in point, the potholder I made on Friday evening as a gift for a friend.
That's "Exhibit A" there on the left. Pretty quilted potholder with a big blank field of blue! For some reason, it didn't register with me that I needed to add the embroidery before I sewed the whole thing together. Never mind that this is the fourth time I have made this particular potholder. Yep! I got to start over and make another potholder! That's it on the right, just so you know what it should really 
look like!
That's "Exhibit A" there on the left. Pretty quilted potholder with a big blank field of blue! For some reason, it didn't register with me that I needed to add the embroidery before I sewed the whole thing together. Never mind that this is the fourth time I have made this particular potholder. Yep! I got to start over and make another potholder! That's it on the right, just so you know what it should really 
look like!Anyway, the question is always what to do with these poor misfit crafts! The misfit potholder went to my kitchen to serve as a constant reminder that the embroidery is the middle step and not the last one! I also have a patchwork puppy on my couch. He taught me the not-so-good way to stitch up a puppy after stuffing him. I've also got a host of bags that I ran out of fabric on or forgot to put in the pockets or fastener.
Some of these pieces are given away; some are bad enough to be pitched in the trash. Most of them stay in my house - The Island of Misfit Crafts.
Emily's Tool Box #2
This week's tool is... is... well I don't know that it has a name. My figure painting teacher used one and told us how to make our own. I call it a "pouncer" and don't ask me why, except maybe it's because he said his daughter like to POP him on the head with it. Simply it is a long dowel with some pantyhose on one end, held on with rubber bands. The dowel acts as a resting place for your wrist to avoid laying your hand in wet paint. It helps steady my shaking hands as I paint fine details. The pad (pantyhose) on the end keeps the dowel from scratching the surface of the painting. Another simple, but handy tool I created myself and use all the time.
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