Many people comment on my collection of things. It’s a mixed bag, carefully curated from dumpster dives, the dollar store, hi-siddidy shops and my travels. There are many crown jewels in my collection. But many of my favorite bits are the handcrafted ones. My artisan treasures. Supporting artisans supports the arts. We need more of that. Supporting artisans supports passionate people following their passions. We need more of that. Supporting artisans keeps old traditions, skills and culture alive. We need more of that. So the next three favorite things are three women who do beautiful work. In the tradition of women’s wares (There is an actual term for this type of handiwork/handicraft...it’s kinda like folk art but…anybody out there know what it’s called?) all three use needles - sewing or knitting - to create their art. And thread. And pretty baubles. They are also exceptional business owners. They provide quality product, in a timely manner, and for a fair price. And, as we are coming up on Small Business Saturday, I think it is fitting to highlight some exceptional business owners. Christmas is coming! Give cool gifts! Support these awesome artisans!
CHECK BACK THIS WEEK FOR OUR FAVORITE ARTISANS!
Kai Kreates Kai specializes in papercraft and jewelry making. She wants her art to inspire, empower and bring a little life, love and happiness to the world. Her journals are phenomenal. The covers are created using paint and paper, and some technique that turns these custom art works into something very sturdy, almost leather like. She then hand binds these covers to a stack of lovely paper that is a pleasure to write and draw on. (I know I am not the only paper and pen geek out there.) You can get lined or unlined and choose from different paper weights - all the way up to some very heavy art paper that could even be painted on. Each journal has a very beautiful closure mechanism that is the perfect finishing touch. They are a pleasure to hold - solid with lots of detail. What an amazing gift for an aspiring or accomplished journaler or visual artist. I think it would make a special gift for someone starting out on something big - be it a travel adventure, a journey of the heart, or an important endeavor. I also love her diffuser necklaces. Diffuser necklaces are a great way to use essential oils - just add a drop or so to the pendant charm. It’s a subtle way to access oils all day long. And great for kids who use the oils to assist them emotionally – to calm, to focus, to energize, to make courageous, etc. Her pendant charms are finely crafted. I don’t know how she paints such tiny things so perfectly. And I love the dangly little extra touches she adds to them. Follow her on Facebook or visit her etsy shop.
Little Bean Embroidery I can’t say enough nice things about Jennifer of Little Bean Embroidery. She is a force of positivity in the world (Check out two of her other endeavors: Faces of Hilliard and Words I Hear) She also is really working her business. Which is no small feat. If you are not a small business owner, living in our cyber world, you might not know what I’m talking about. Heck, I only know what I’m talking about because I have a Rita (Everybody Needs A Rita, but more on that next week…) But suffice to say...she’s dedicated and has hutzpah and hustle. And her products are lovely. Need a T-shirt quilt? You can give her material to work with, but she will also comb the thrift stores for what you need. Looking for oh-so-soft things for baby? She’s got you covered. Need custom embroidery on towels or onesies, burp clothes or tees? She can do that. Her product line is extensive.
To view samples of her sewing and embroidery items visit her Facebook page. To see a full line of just her embroidery offerings visit her website. For ordering you can contact her through her website or Facebook page. She has generously donated a rice bag for our artisan drawing! These can be heated (microwaved) or cooled (freezer) and applied to sore muscles. They are super cool because they provide a Peace and Good Things-approved type of heat instead of a dry heat*, which is dehydrating to the skin and muscle and so is not good! *there is really no good word to describe this kind of heat...the best word is an m word that people hate! Other choices might be damp or steam heat. Just don’t use a heating pad unless you have a damp cloth between it and your skin. :)
Calico Bloom
My brother did a good, good thing bringing this lady into our family. Love her to pieces. And I admire her talent something fierce. She just has a way about her. And an impeccable eye for cool and quality things. And the attention to detail - from the actual product to the packaging it arrives in...exquisite. Yet never over the top. Which makes it feel effortless. And that...THAT is a quality to aspire to. The casual observer should never sense the rapid movement of feet propelling the duck serenely across the pond... Katie has two different Etsy sites to shop from. CalicoBloom - whimsical knits and other fancies This shop features her children’s knitwear and vintage finds. Don’t see exactly what you want? She also does custom designs! CalicoBloomVintage This shop has some amazing finds...but for grownups! I want all.the.things. Bucket list item is to go thrifting with this lady! And that wraps up our artisan portion of my “Favorite Things.” Don’t forget to support small businesses this holiday season!