Search results (title) for: "handmade portraits"

Etsy Video 2009: Year in Review

2009-12-31T15:12:00-05:00

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As 2009 comes to a close, we here at the blog are taking time to reflect on an exciting year in video for Etsy. We met and collaborated with many incredibly talented Etsy artists and had a chance to delve deeper into who they are and what they make. We launched a new video series about home decor and collections called There's No Place Like Here. We look forward to 2010 as a year to explore more amazing spaces, discover new narratives and show how makers do what they do.

We compiled a playlist from our Handmade Portraits, Process and There's No Place Like Here video series to highlight some of the Etsy sellers who have worked with us over the past year. See our free iTunes podcast for all of our videos.

There's No Place Like Here
Artists and designers invite Etsy into their homes to reveal their collections, creations, and uniquely customized living spaces. Find out what captures these tastemakers' imaginations, where they unearth their treasures, and how they have fine-tuned their aesthetics. There's No Place Like Here! Take a peek at Made With Love By Hannah's German chalet, overflowing with vintage kitsch, in downtown Los Angeles. Design duo Something's Hiding In Here give us a tour of their renovated Philadelphia loft full of woodland vintage and an indoor porch swing. Tour the Santa Cruz grounds of Niki Silva's communal living paradise La Selva.

Handmade Portraits
What makes the creative mind tick? Discover the story behind the maker in this mini-documentary series. Handmade Portraits introduces viewers to the creative universe that is Etsy's community. Canadian artist Sarah Faber of Black-Eyed Suzie creates delicate, Gothic art dolls that evoke Victorian times. It took woodworker Fred Jakubiec from Birdhouseaccents 25 years before he made building birdhouses his full-time job. It was well worth the wait.

Process
Get into the creative flow with Etsy's Process series. These illuminating videos provide an intimate glimpse into the relationship between artist and material. Witness the techniques behind the design lifecycle. It's a truly transfixing experience to observe Kim Westad throw one of her signature Sweet Pea bowls on the wheel in her tranquil studio. BeyondthePicketFence is not just a soap maker; she's her own research and development lab — one might go as far as to call her a bathmatician.

[Clockwise from top: Recycled Cotton Tote Bag by forestbound, Maximum Fringe Necklace by iheartnorwegianwood, Vintage Paint-by-Number USA by somethingshidinghere, Ivory Tulle and Pearl Bridal Shrug by Holly Stalder, Girl with Band-Aids by mimikirchner, White Sea Glass Pendant by wildpen, Naked Twirly Vase by Kim Wested, Primitive Birdhouse by birdhouseaccents, Little Bunny Felted Mary Janes by prettylittle]

Thanks for a great year! Post your favorite Etsy video in the comments.

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Handmade Portraits: Enhabiten

2009-12-09T13:07:00-05:00

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Like all our videos, feel free to re-post and embed the video on your blog!

(Music by Eric Beug, animation by JuliaPott)

Liane Tyrell, a.k.a. enhabiten, is interested in handmade marks. Whether they're in paintings, drawings or the stitches she makes on her unique housewares, the patterns and textures of a surface entice her. Liane specializes in pillows using vintage fabrics but has been known to make other domestic wares such as table runners, soft sculptures and embroidered wall hangings. Her rustic pillows are functional, but they also serve as tactile works of art.

Liane makes a point to surround herself with objects beautiful in their age and simplicity, from the furnishings in her fixer-up farmhouse to the fabric she uses for her creations. She believes that old things are imbued with a history and a presence that you cannot discount. Although she started enhabiten using new fabric for her goods, she quickly made the switch to vintage. When not using repurposed vintage fabrics, Liane picks environmentally-friendly materials such as organic cotton, buckwheat hulls and kapok.

Her love of simple things and vintage handmade elements makes each of her one-of-a-kind pieces personal and meaningful. From worn-with-love quilt scraps to delicate embroidery, each enhabiten piece is saturated with a history and thoughtful attention to detail that recall an austere time in the not-so-distant past.

Watch More Handmade Video Portraits

Take a look at Design*Sponge's Sneak Peek of Liane's rustic New Hampshire farmhouse!

Handmade Portraits: Mimi Kirchner

2009-09-08T10:20:00-05:00

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(Music by Jonathan Cazenave, Lineland, animation by JuliaPott)

All Etsy videos are Creative Commons, so please embed them on your blog! Help spread the word!

UPDATE: Mimi announced the winner of her free pincushion giveaway today. Congratulations to Angela Recada who embedded the video on her blog. Mimi wrote, "Thanks so much to everyone that posted and entered. There were 82 entries all together. The random number generator picked #49 and that was Angela! [The following was originally posted on August 26, 2009.]

Mimi Kirchner, a.k.a. mck254, spent twenty years "being distracted" by ceramics before she discovered her true calling, making dolls. Mimi's childhood was spent surrounded by crafting materials. Her mother was an avid seamstress interested in high fashion, and she collected an endless array of gorgeous fabrics over the course of her life. After her mother stopped sewing, Mimi decided she wanted to make something out of her mother's legacy. Thus was the beginning of Mimi's doll making career.

Mimi and her sister with their fashionable mother.

Mimi's cozy attic studio is jam-packed with a lifetime's worth of inherited fabric, buttons and secondhand clothing awaiting reinvention. From bolts of her mother's tactile cashmere and tweeds to piles of vintage buttons and other thrift store odds-and-ends, Mimi has a veritable stockroom of supplies at the ready to produce her line of unique, handcrafted cloth dolls.

Little guy 6 by mck254, $140.

This injured fellow was inspired by Mimi's experience being hit in the face by a baseball as a kid. This little boy reminds me of my sweet nerdy brother getting into tussles at the playground.

Boy with black eye by mck254, $125.

Mimi's mother left her a huge supply of vintage girdle pieces, snaps, bra and garter hooks, zippers and other sewing hardware. The tiny mechanical parts inspired Mimi to create a line of robot dolls. This nerdy dude is adorable in his plaid pants.

Robot man in plaid by mck254 $250.

Mimi sticks to simple patterns for each of her dolls; by reducing the variables, it becomes all about the extras. Her female dolls are characterized by elaborate clothing and accessories, while her baby dolls are decorated with beautiful applique.

Sleeping swaddled baby by mck254, $125.

For more information about Mimi's work, check out her terrific blog, Doll: The Art and Work of Mimi Kircher.

"Tiny World" Pincushion Giveaway | $60 value

Mimi is doing a free giveaway of one of her adorable "Tiny World" pincushions! Embed the Handmade Portrait video on your blog and email the link to your post to mimi.kirchner.giveaway@gmail.com by 5 p.m. ET, Friday, September 4, 2009. Mimi will pick one lucky person using a random number generator. We'll announce the winner on Tuesday, September 8. This is the most ornate and fabulous pincushion we've ever seen! Don't you covet it?

If you don't know how to embed a video on your blog, no worries, it's simple. Here's how:

Click the symbol that looks like this on the video player at the top of this post.
Copy the embed code from the "embed" tab.
Paste the embed code into the html of your own blog post.
Send the link to your blog post to Mimi!

Browse Items by the Boston Handmade Team | Watch More Handmade Video Portraits

Handmade Weddings: Wedding Photography Unveiled with Jacqueline Tobin

2009-07-16T13:35:00-05:00

We invited Jacqueline Tobin, author of Wedding Photography Unveiled, to share her knowledge with our readers. Jacqueline is a great resource for insider info for both newly engaged brides-and grooms-to-be, as well as photographers interested in breaking into the wedding business. She'll be live in the Virtual Labs for a follow up discussion. UPDATE: We must postpone this discussion. The new time is July 16 at 4 p.m. ET.

Over the past 23 years, I have watched as wedding photography has evolved into one of the most well-respected and lucrative fields in the industry today. I’ve worked at Photo District News (PDN), a trade magazine for professional photographers, since 1986 and currently work there as deputy editor. While not a wedding photographer myself, I do assign and write many, many articles about wedding photography; I help judge PDN’s Top Knots New School of Wedding Photography Contest every year, and I recently collaborated with the top 20 photographers around the country to write my first book Wedding Photography Unveiled (Amphoto Books/March 2009). It was important for me to write this book because the industry has changed so much over the years, going from staid and stoic poses to purely candid photojournalist shots to a current, and much sought after, mix of photographic styles and approaches, including fashion-forward looks, lifestyle and editorial feels, and fine-art touches. Wedding photography has never looked better!

Portrait photo by © Daryl Lang.

We bounced some frequently asked questions off of Jacqueline. Here are some of the tips she has for couples searching for a great wedding photographer:

I'm engaged! When is a good time to start looking for a photographer?
The sooner you start, the better, since the wedding photography is such an important element of your special day; it’s something you will look back on and cherish forever. Even if you don’t book someone for another year (once a date is set), it still can be helpful to start looking as early as possible to decide the style you want, the price range you can afford, and so on.

© Jose Villa

Where does one look?
These days brides get inspiration for their wedding photography from a variety of sources:

Bridal and fashion magazines (high-fashion looks are a big trend in wedding photography right now)
Photographers’ websites (You can find national, as well as and international, listings for wedding photographers at the Wedding Photojournalist Association, the Perfect Wedding Guide and The Knot.)
Your family’s and friends’ wedding albums

How is it possible to tell the caliber of a photographer? What should I ask to see?
You definitely have to shop around, see what’s out there, check reputable sites (like those above) and just look through lots and lots of images. When you meet with a photographer, ask to see finished albums so you can see what they’ve done for previous clients. Online, you can also put his or her name into a search engine and look for comments (good or bad) from past clients.

Also, ask the photographer to show you more than one wedding album and more than one style. These days photographers are shooting a mix of traditional and candid images, and they need to excel in several different genres: still life (for important details), fashion, lifestyle, and photo journalistic looks (for candid moments).

© Elizabeth Messina

Is it my responsibility to do anything for the photographer while the wedding/reception is taking place?
You should have a conversation with your photographer well ahead of time so you don’t have to be giving directions while the wedding and reception are taking place! This is your day and you don’t want to spend it working out the kinks: that’s what wedding planners and maid of honors are for! Many brides like to supply a shot list to a photographer ahead of time that maps out exactly the photos they want the photographer to get; others hire photographers who shoot purely documentary and candid images and are very “fly on the wall” — you don’t realize they are present, but they are and they are getting every single moment that unfolds.

How long after the wedding does it typically take before I get my photos?
It depends. First you’ll see proofs, which many photographers post online days or weeks after the wedding. Next, you’ll choose the images you want (I recommend going to the photographer’s studio to discuss your choices in person), and then an album can take anywhere from 3 to 6 months to sometimes even a year. Ask up front how long it will take before you can expect your albums.

Since Etsy has a lot of great photographers, we figured some of you may be thinking about shooting weddings. We asked Jacqueline for some tips about getting started in the business:

How do I go about breaking into the business?
I recommend taking workshops from professional photographers (pros like Dennis Reggie, Joe Buissink, Bambi Cantrell, Mike Colon, Elizabeth Messina and Jose Villa are the more popular choices), going to trade shows and attending seminars, ordering DVDs on the basics and searching web sites like DigitalWeddingForum.com, WPJA.com and WPPIonline.com to get a sense of what the latest trends and technology in the industry are the moment. Also ask friends who are getting married if you can be a “second shooter” (but stay out of the way of the hired photographer!) and just take as many images as you can to see what the pace is like and what it really takes to be a great wedding photographer. You’re working 8 to 10 to 12 hour days, and after wedding day you are still working on a job for weeks and months — proofing images, doing post-production on the computer, designing the albums, etc.

© Christian Oth

How does wedding photography differ from other kinds of photography?
Today’s wedding photography is not different, just expansive — it includes many different genres (fashion, lifestyle, editorial, fine art), and these days you need to have a basic knowledge of all of them to shoot the day as it unfolds, from capturing the getting ready shots to the ceremony photos to formal and semi formal portraits after the ceremony to the wedding reception.

What are some of the tricks of the trade? Are there any special tools?

During the reception, lots of photographers like to use fast lenses, fast film and high ISOs, because most times these parties take place at night in low light conditions.
Befriending the videographer always helps because you can use their light in a shot. (Try to stay at a 45-degree angle from the videographer’s direct light or try to keep him or her directly behind the wedding couple to use as a backlight during their first dance.)
Never use direct flash. Bounce off the ceiling or tent, or slave a second strobe remotely for depth.
Instead of using a tripod, try to steady yourself by shooting a few images in a burst. With a camera like the Canon 5D, you can shoot with higher ISOs without too much noise and can steady yourself to half-second handheld for images at dusk.
When shooting formal portraits, mix it up a bit and take the couple outside and find interesting locations or settings and to make the shot more memorable.
As for special tools, you can probably start out shooting a wedding with just one camera, like a basic or mid-range SLR, but as you become more and more advanced, you’ll personalize your equipment list. (And it always helps to have a handheld light meter, lots of memory cards and extra batteries on hand.) Later on, you may want to get into post-production on your computer to further enhance your images (many photographers like to use a photo-editing program like Photoshop to adjust skin tones, brighten the sky, or just make an image more dramatic or vivid.)

How can I prepare for the unexpected?
I don’t think you can. That’s the beauty of a wedding. There will be lots of unexpected moments that arise, but fortunately for the photographer, most couples want those images too. You are there to document the day as it unfolds. You can always edit out the bad images later on!

Please mark your calendars and meet Jacqueline in the Virtual Labs for a follow up chat. UPDATE: We must postpone this discussion. The new time is July 16 4 p.m. ET... If you think of questions for her, please post them in the comments below!

Getting ready to say "I do"? Check out the items below; some of the artists featured offer wedding photography services and may be local to your area or willing to travel. You'll find more Etsy wedding photographers in this forum thread.

Handmade Portraits: Birdhouseaccents

2009-06-17T16:11:00-05:00

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(music by Two Dark Birds, animation by JuliaPott)

It took Fred Jakubiec from Birdhouseaccents 25 years before he made building birdhouses his full-time job. It was well worth the wait. After 13 years as Area Supervisor at various fast food establishments, a stint at a steel mill and years of driving for Fed Ex, Fred decided working for other people just wasn't fun anymore.

He and his partner Lynn Patrick regularly took trips to Amish country to go thrifting and flea market shopping. During one visit, Fred discovered primitive style woodworking, and it was then that knew he found his calling. Building birdhouses and decorating them with special recycled accents was the perfect niche for this one time woodworking tinkerer turned birdhouse entrepreneur.

Watch more of our Handmade Video Portraits. Know a seller with a great story? Tell us about them in the comments!

Visit the Woodworking Category | Find "Primitives" on Etsy | More Birdhouses on Etsy

Handmade Portraits: Stacey Rebecca

2009-04-03T14:26:00-05:00

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(music by Two Dark Birds, animation by JuliaPott)

Puppeteer Stacey Gordon, aka Staceyrebecca, started making puppets with her church youth group as a kid. It wasn't until after college that Stacey saw an adult puppet slam performed by Preston Foerder at the Great Arizona Puppet Theater and she decided to pursue puppetry.

Adult puppet shows are meant to bring humor to topics that most would consider taboo. Stacey's quick wit and edgy sense of humor were a perfect match for this unusual performance medium. She makes her own moving mouth puppets, which can take anywhere from twenty to forty hours each. However, Stacey makes finger puppets for instant gratification, mostly anthropomorphizing food that she like to eat. Stacey says shes going to keep making handmade puppets until her hands won't allow her to anymore. Whether she's performing adult slams or doing improvisational pieces at local schools, she will continue to perform with her creations.

Watch our other Handmade Video Portraits and subscribe to our Youtube Channel!

Learn how-to make a shadow puppet!

Search for More Puppets | Children's Category | Toys Category

Watch the hella old school Etsy Newscast wherein Staceyrebecca's "puppet correspondent" grills Etsy founder RevolvingDork.

Handmade Portraits: Artstew

2009-03-06T18:28:00-05:00

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(music by Michael Chapman, Steve Gunn, The And Group, animation by JuliaPott)

Back in the 1970s, Holly Stewart, aka Artstew, was a single mom trying to raise two daughters. Holly decided to forgo art school to support her family, ultimately paying the bills and gaining respect within her Oklahoma City community by becoming a police officer. Even as she put in her time with the force (15 years!), she was always drawing.

It wasn't until Holly quit the force and moved to Kansas City, Missouri to attend — and subsequently work at — the Kansas City Art Institute that she discovered the world of art beyond drawing. When she found silk screening and dispersion dying on polyester, everything else fell by the wayside. Holly came to a place where her high powered job, with all its perks and money, kept her from expressing herself as an artist. That's when she gave up everything to make her art.

Holly spends her days in her funky, cozy apartment in the Midtown - Westport area of Kansas City, her cat Chicken by her side, as she experiments with dying polyester. She couldn't be happier.

Watch our other Handmade Video Portraits and subscribe to our Youtube Channel!

Artistic Endeavors series | Mixed Media Art Category | Fiber Art Category | FAST Team

Mickey Rourke Treasures His Handmade, Custom Pet Portrait Necklace

2009-02-26T12:20:00-05:00

Congrats to wickedworld whose pendant was worn (ahem, flaunted) at the Oscars by pet-lover Mickey Rourke. The cute face of Loki, Mickey's beloved Chihuahua, stood out from Mickey's flashy white suit and be-sunglassed look. The actor was nominated for this year's Best Actor for his role in The Wrestler. Sadly, Loki passed away only days prior, and Mickey tearfully dedicated the Independent Spirit award to the pooch at a separate ceremony.

I think most pet-lovers would agree that the necklace is an endearing tribute. It's so touching coming from someone who seems like such a tough guy. Guess he's a softy after all!

Thanks to crochetbouquet who pointed this out in the forums. She heard about it from Anderson Cooper who mentioned it on the Regis and Kelly TV show today.

I'm so proud of wickedworld and all of Etsy sellers who work with their clients to create such meaningful pieces. If you're interested in custom pet portraits or jewelry, check out the links below!

Pets Category on Etsy | Etsy Pets series | Pet Portraits | Custom Pet Jewelry on Etsy

Handmade Portraits: Black-eyed Suzie

2009-02-19T17:00:00-05:00

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(music by Espers, animation by JuliaPott)

Canadian artist and writer Sarah Faber aka Blackeyedsuzie started making art dolls while she was living in the woods of Maine, unable to legally work in the States. Sarah tired of constantly being in her own head as she worked endlessly on her first novel, so she decided she needed to do something with her hands. She chose doll-making because she could build on her experiences as a young girl, helping her crafty mother make beautiful dolls. After buying some books Sarah started experimenting with polymer clay, and eventually paper clay.

Blackeyedsuzie's style was influenced by her love for Gothic novels, Victorian and Elizabethan costumes and Dame Darcy's comic Meat Cake. Her dolls are infused with the same elongated, wide-eyed traits as the characters of Edward Gorey and Tim Burton. However, Sarah's dolls have their own style: Victorian beauties with a dark side — card sharks, bourbon drinkers, albinos and vampires...

Sarah doesn't necessarily consider her dolls to be Gothic, although some are dark and contain elements of the supernatural or uncanny. She considers them to be "Victorian, with a certain edge." The dolls' descriptions tell tales of dire lives of Victorian England, but not without a certain playful wink.

Watch our other Handmade Video Portraits and subscribe to our Youtube Channel!

Steampunk and Noir Gift Guide | Art Doll Posts | Art Doll Category | Gothic Posts

Etsy Love Stories: HannahMade and Mcaplan

2009-02-12T13:46:00-05:00

We don't want the Season of Love to ever end, and we're searching the community for Etsy love stories. The fourth story we're sharing with you this year (and it's so sweet!) chronicles the friendship of HannahMade and mcaplan.

Mcaplan: I am really excited to get the opportunity to gush about my collaborations with the great Hannahmade! Hannah is one of my dearest friends and we frequently team up to do shows together. We also spend a lot of time working in the same space (we currently share a studio in my house!). Even though our genres are totally different (I am art, she is jewelry) we seem to be able to find inspiration from watching each other work. This can be a very solitary occupation, and having another creative person around to bounce ideas off of has really been invaluable.

Last year Hannah made me a very special birthday pendant that showcased one of my favorite collages of Eucalyptus leaves. The moment I got over how incredibly thoughtful and gorgeous it was, and the fact that she had sculpted it with her own hands, I knew that she was onto something.

It didn't take Hannah long to start planning which pieces she wanted to frame next, and I loved seeing which stones she would incorporate into the tassel in the adjustable chain in the back. Whenever I wear any of the pieces I get tons of questions and requests. Several of my clients who have had personal portraits commissioned have ordered pendants with their pieces in the frame. It is really cool to see that others are enjoying the fruits of our collaborations.

It isn't often that one finds their "soul sister," but I have been lucky enough to have been teamed up with one of the most creative and talented women out there! She is SO gifted and her work is absolutely impeccable. Hannah thrives on working with others and finding a muse for her pieces. I am honored that she wanted to team up and make each piece her muse. She really has outdone herself with each one!

HannahMade: It all started with a birthday, Michelle's 31st, to be exact. I had been sculpting frames out of PMC for a few months at this point, and knew Michelle's artwork would be the perfect fit. It was her piece "Eucalyptus" from Collage Lab that inspired the first collaboration AND birthday present! Once she saw it, we both knew there was an undeniable partnership that needed to happen. I basically harassed her to choose piece after piece for me to set in my frames that we would ultimately sell on Etsy and at various shows we did together. It was a serendipitous way for people to wear Michelle's art! Each frame is sculpted in the proportions of the art work and sealed with a UV resin gel. I also accent each necklace with semiprecious stones that compliment the colors featured in the correlating piece.

We've graduated to custom orders — people who commission Michelle with their own photographs are now requesting framed versions of these pieces with their orders. It's a real honor to make Michelle's work into another tangible form — one that can be seen when walking down the street, ultimately creating other ways people's memories can be captured and shared.

Check out more Etsy Love Stories here!

Season of Love Posts | Season of Love Gift Guides

Etsy Video: Year in Review 2008

2008-12-31T17:00:00-05:00

As we're taking stock of 2008, we'd like to thank our members for being a part of the Etsy marketplace and community. We picked a few videos from our Handmade Video Portraits, Process Videos and How-Tuesday Videos to highlight some of the sellers who have collaborated with us over the past year. See our free iTunes podcast for all our videos.

The Handmade Portraits series is a behind the scenes look at artisans and crafters working in any medium in any kind of place. We hear about what led them down a creative path and what keeps them inspired. We watch the artisans as they work and look at their studio spaces, from kitchens to garages to artists' co-ops. Take for instance Robin Tucker aka WoodMosaics. He's been woodworking in Missouri since 1986. Robin uses a pedal powered foot saw to cut his painstakingly crafted wood mosaic furniture and came to Etsy after a decade of selling his wares at craft fairs. After his video, continue watching the playlist (or hit the |> forward button) for TopsyTurvyDesign, ArmorGuitars, MVKnits, and SunnyRisingLeather. Find the whole archive of portraits here.

The Process series takes a close up look at the materials and techniques behind traditional and contemporary crafts. From zulasurfing's glass dychromite rings to prasseindesignstudio's rare wood bangles, we get to see the detailed precision of the makers. Watch each post in the series here.

How-Tuesday videos show you step-by-step tutorials for making crafts to give as gifts, sell or keep. Learn how to make a needle-felted garland with littleloveblue, vampire-bitten cupcakes with Sweet Tooth of the Tiger, and spooky shadow puppets with crankbunny in this playlist. You can see even more of our how-to videos here.

Want to be part of the show? We have an open call for video subjects. While we can't make any promises, it would help our casting process if you made a video of yourself — a studio tour or how-to or Handmade Confessional. Let us know what you're up to!

If you're camera shy, you can get involved in other ways. A huge thank you goes out to all the Etsians and guests who have authored posts on the blog over the past year, especially contributors to the Seller Handbook, which has gotten almost 70,000 pageviews since we launched it in September 2008.

This blog is a group effort, so we want to hear from you in 2009. Send your pitches in here!

Handmade Portraits: Sunny Rising Leather

2008-12-12T22:00:00-05:00

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(music by Allison Sattinger)

Allison Sattinger, aka Sunny Rising Leather, has had the nickname "Sunny" ever since she was a kid. When you watch this video, you'll quickly know why: Allison just glows with warmth and goodness. She learned to tool leather in 2004, and her first pair of cuffs read "Let me be (L) that light (R)"..."Let me be that light".

Allison still strives to be that light with everything she does, from crafting her beautiful leather goods, to singing with her angelic voice, to silversmithing jewelry, to being an inspiration for artisans wishing to quit their day jobs. Allison takes the old tradition of leather tooling and makes it her own with her signature koi fish necklaces and her custom made leather bags.

Watch our other Handmade Video Portraits and subscribe to our Youtube Channel!

Handmade Portraits: Woodmouse

2008-12-05T13:18:00-05:00

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(music by Lineland, Jukeboxer)

Toymaker Amber Dusick aka woodmouse has her wood shop in her garage in downtown Los Angeles. After the birth of her son, this one time farm girl from Wisconsin became nostalgic for the toys from her past: simple, natural toys that would inspire creativity and imaginative play, made from materials that wouldn't stick around in a landfill for thousands of years.

After years of silversmithing, throwing pottery and drawing with pen and ink, Amber finally found her medium in wood. Using sustainably harvested woods, non toxic paints and beeswax along with her wood burning tool, Amber was able to transfer the look and feel of her previous pen and ink drawings to wooden toys.

See more posts about the CPSIA issue!

Woodmouse, founder of the Natural Kids Team, is an ardent advocate of sustainable toys. The materials used are all natural and her toys are 100% compostable. Her imagery is reminiscent of of a child's crayon drawing come to life in wood.

Amber, like other Etsy toy makers and sellers of children's items, is fearful that as a sole proprietor she will not be able to afford the stricter regulations of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA); the cost of testing and certification is likely beyond her means. She told Etsy, “I'd be more than happy to have each of my toys tested, if it wasn't so cost prohibitive. It is the COST involved in testing that will shut us down, it isn't that anyone refuses to have their work tested." The CPSC recently proposed a 1 year delay of required testing and certification, in part because of artisans were able to get their voices heard. But this means we need to use the coming year to write to our Congresspeople. Click here to see the latest on the CPSIA & find out what you can do to prevent artisans from being put out of business.

Handmade Video Portraits | More on the Natural Kids Team

Handmade Kids Series | Baby Gift Guide | Children's Gift Guide

Handmade Portraits: Leslie Stein

2008-11-14T11:30:00-05:00

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(music by Prince Ruperts Drops)

Leslie Stein, aka larrybear, spends most of her time drawing comics, listening to old time radio shows and playing records. Leslie started her first comic series, called simply Leslie, back in high school. It revolved around her wacky adventures with her magical bunny and bird that helped her out in gym class and other misadventures.

After discovering underground comic book artists like Dan Clowes and P eter Bagge when she was an angsty teenager, Leslie decided comic books would be the perfect medium for her to tell her stories. Both of her comics — Eye of the Majestic Creature and her more experimental construction paper comics — are hand drawn and printed at a small printing press. Unlike mainstream super hero comics, her stories are autobiographical and don't have a typical plot. As Leslie says, "If you're looking for thrills and drama, this might not be for you, but if you're interested in seeing the world the way I see it, pick one up."

Leslie decided long ago that rather than work professionally as an illustrator, that she would hold a regular job and save her creative energy for her own work. She dedicates all of her free time to her creative pursuits and she finds inspiration everywhere. From walking down the street in Brooklyn to looking at an empty field, humanity and curiosity light the way to new adventures and new tales to tell.

Leslie won a Xeric Grant to print her work "Yeah, It Is!" and was nominated for Best New Talent in 2004 by the Harvey Awards. Keep you eye on this one!

Watch more Handmade Video Portraits on Etsy's blog!

Books and Zines Category | Book Worms and Writers Gift Guide

Zines Posts | Comics Posts | larrybear's Shop

Handmade Portraits: Bruce Metcalf with Bonus Audio Podcast

2008-10-10T12:43:00-05:00

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(music by Lineland, photos by John White Wilson)

Bruce Metcalf has dedicated almost forty years of his life to the creation and historiography of American Studio Craft. He makes his exquisite jewelry with the utmost care and precision. On average most of the pieces take two months to create, whereas some take years before he perfects the final nuances.

After stints as sociology and architecture majors, Metcalf found himself transferring to the jewelry department during college in 1970. It was a bold move because the crafts weren't highly regarded within the fine art establishment at that time. However, the move felt right, and studio craft is where Metcalf has stayed ever since.

Because “fine artists” wrote about craft only as functional and not for display, Metcalf decided to set the story straight and represent himself. He began writing about craft history and theory. Currently, Metcalf is in the process of finishing up a text book on the history of American Studio Craft, the first of its kind.

Over the course of the last decade, the number of craft departments across the country has continued to dwindle. Although newer generations of artists embrace studio craft, academia still does not embrace its importance within the fine art establishment. Metcalf spends much of his time — when not producing work — talking to heads of art schools, academics and art critics about the importance of studio craft as part of formal fine art training. Although Metcalf acknowledges that many talented and successful artists are self taught (he himself is self trained in woodworking), he maintains that the best training still lies within a formal setting with a teacher as a mentor.

Metcalf has become an outspoken figure at the intersection of craft and fine art worlds, but recently at the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) conference, his comments led to another controversial role in the eyes of a new crowd. He sparked a dialogue between generations of crafters — his peers in the older, more established Studio Crafts/Craft as Fine Art generation, and the younger, technology-infused, DIYers of "Alt craft."

After the conference, crafter imogeneANDannie posted "Confessions" on her blog that, in a very personal way, focused in on Metcalf's remarks, and in doing so, unveiled the perceptions of the two disparate sides. Folks chimed in with their opinions, and in some cases the conversations were heated: the generations clashed over technology and the role of formal education, as well as the differences between spontaneous, punk rock craft for the masses vs. the carefully crafted, luxury pieces sold through dealers or galleries.

At the Connect/(Dis)connect talk at the American Craft Council, Metcalf discussed these matters with Chanel Kennebrew (you can get to the podcast through our Storque post). During the talk, Metcalf was in part amused, recalling his rebellious student days — and another part of him was willfully steadfast in his views on the social and economic differences in practices. History seemed to be repeating itself, as a younger generation with new tools and a shifted horizon line bucked "the way things are done."

In addition to this Handmade Video Portrait, we've produced an audio podcast with out-takes from the interview with Bruce Metcalf. His theories on the relevance and importance of craft have helped bring clarity to the discussion of studio craft's place within the art world. And because we just couldn't get enough of discussing the Alt vs. Studio craft debate, we invite you to listen in.

Watch our other Handmade Video Portraits and subscribe to our Youtube Channel!

See Bruce's website for more of his work: www.brucemetcalf.com

Please share your thoughts in the comments!

Handmade Portraits: Wood Mosaics

2008-09-19T15:54:00-05:00

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(music by Michael Chapman, Nathan Salsburg, J. Seger)

Robin and Kathy Tucker of woodmosaics stopped working in town back in 1986. After Robin's intricate wood-inlayed work was featured in The Best of Missouri Hands catalog and commissioned by Ralston Purina, they were on their way to full time crafting. Influenced by Amish quilt patterns, Robin's excellent woodworking uses exotic natural woods that range from Satinwood from Sri Lanka to Purpleheart from Central and South America. All of the wood is completely natural, with only a clear finish added to punctuate the beauty of the wood's innate color.

Choosing to live as off the grid as much as possible, Robin built a windmill so the family could hand pump their own water. Kathy made their clothes for years and they slaughter their own meat from the goats and chickens they raise. However, the one amenity they can't live without is the internet. After a dozen years of craft shows across the country, Robin and Kathy prefer to stay at home, tend to the farm and sell their goods via laptop rather than mall shows. While the juxtaposition of an outhouse and high speed internet would seem strange to most folks, the Tuckers have chosen to make certain sacrifices to keep costs down while in pursuit of a self sustained lifestyle. Living in the middle the country in Spickard, Missouri, the Tuckers keep connected through the latest in social networking via their Myspace and flickr sites, with a solar powered back-up generator in case the electricity goes out.

Watch our other Handmade Video Portraits and subscribe to our Youtube Channel!

Check out Robin's homemade videos from the farm on Youtube.

Handmade Weddings: LoucheLab's Love Story

2008-09-05T14:00:00-05:00

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[music by Barry London]

This article was originally published on March 28, 2008. We are reviving it as part of the Best of the Storque series. Enjoy!

If you're following the Handmade Wedding Series, then you probably appreciate a good love story. LoucheLab and her husband Ned have a particularly handmade story of falling in love (well, it's high tech, too). Blogging, artwork, photography, web cams, artist books and international romance all converged to get these two souls together. Below, you'll find LoucheLab's account and photographs, as well as a special video portrait we produced with them (which does have some spicy mature artwork by the artists, so be forewarned if you are watching this with your child — this is an adult love story, after all!).

Ned and I met by accident. (Which is a pretty big accident, considering that we lived about 7,000 miles from one another.) I was living in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Ned was living in the Meat Packing District in New York while packing up his studio to move to Brooklyn. We had both started blogging 9 months before — after painful break-ups. So Ned was surfing random blogs and got into mine, went to my Flickr page and looked at my art and then wrote me an email.

It was basically my art and his words that brought us together.

We spent almost a year apart; then I flew to New York at Christmas to meet him for the first time. Before I came he said, "I want us to make art together while you are here." My art was always very solitary, so I asked, "What do you mean?" and, he said, "I don't know, but we'll figure it out."

And we have: we made graffiti and paintings, and we took a lot of pictures of one another. After I went back to Israel, we kept on talking on webcam all the time; it was on 24 hours a day. He would wait 'til his midnight, which was my 7:00 AM, and we would talk before I would go to work, and I would rush home from the office to see him. It was like living in one apartment with a window into the other room where he was, without being able to touch one another — besides with words and art.

In the course of the months apart, we both created a lot, we expressed our love, the sexual frustration and the emotional roller coaster state with photography and paintings and street art and t-shirt making and computer art and so on. The whole relationship, between his blog and my blog and our Flickr accounts, was very public, and we had people all over the world encouraging us through the difficult times and happy for us, when finally, we made the choice of me moving to New York so we could start a life together offline.

[Me signing our Ktuba (illustrated wedding contract in the Jewish tradition). We wrote the text together and I illustrated it.]

We first decided to get married so I could stay in the United States, but as the preparation started, it became a very small part of it all. Because art was such a big part of our relationship, and because as a part of our relationship we beat all odds and made the rules as we went along, it was really obvious to us that our wedding would also be like that — intimate and important and very art inspired.

[This is me working on the Hupa. It's a big blanket like thing that in Jewish tradition serves as a roof the couple need to get married under. I spray painted about a 100 ravens on it, and my hand was sore for about a week after. The stars in the middle are tattoos we got together when I came to visit New York and met Ned for the first time.]

The theme of the wedding was ravens, because of — well, a lot of things, but also because they mate for life after having a relatively long period of just playing the field. (Below, you'll see me getting my wedding tattoo. I illustrated it.)

It was basically a Rabbi who is a friend and about 20 friends and family members in our studio in Williamsburg. A lot of what we made was a spur of a moment idea that took shape. Ned edited a cool music mix and we thought "this would be a nice give-away," which lead to me spray painting 40 CDs with a cool pattern, and us burning copies 'til 5:00 in the morning.

Our Rabbi told us that although we didn't want rings, we needed to exchange something of value. So we decided to get rings after all, and on the train on the way to the store, we tried to figure out what they would symbolize for us — and what being married means to us. We talked about learning and making mistakes and this being a beginning rather then a happy ending: we got both rings engraved with "Human" on the inside.

The idea of writing and illustrating our own Ktuba actually came from Josh the Rabbi, which I was really grateful about. I wouldn't have thought about it myself. Also, he suggested making some art or writing something to express how we feel about weddings and marriage, which is how the wedding book I made came to be.

We didn't have a DJ or a band or 300 people in fancy dresses or flowers or a white dresses: we had only people that we wanted there (including my sister on webcam from Israel). We had to deal with a lot of feelings and fears beforehand, rather than having too many arrangements to take care of. While the wedding was going I realized I forgot one of the decoration projects I wanted to do, but it didn't matter. After the ceremony, Ned's parents took everyone out to Union Picnic for dinner, which was at the time our favorite restaurant. Even still, we hear from people who were there about how significant and intense the whole event was, and how it's one of the most memorable events they can think of.

[Ned getting his wedding tattoo. He designed it.]

The handmade wedding theme caught on, and we got artwork from three or four artist friends as gifts, and Ned's dad designed and printed a book of the wedding pictures for us which we show off to anyone who wants to know what the wedding was like.

I always hated weddings before. I used to work for a catering service and the way so many wedding are about food or about showing off was really repulsive to me. With the way things went with our wedding, I can say that this was the best wedding ever, which is cool because it was mine!

[Married!]

What an inspiring love story. Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Watch our other Handmade Video Portraits and subscribe to our Youtube Channel!

Wedding Gift Guide | Wedding Category | Wedding Showcase | Handmade Wedding Series

Handmade Portraits: 1AEON

2008-09-04T14:49:00-05:00

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[music by The Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound, Jukeboxer, The Fucking Champs, The Mystick Krewe of Clearlight]

This article was originally published on May 13, 2008. We are reviving it as part of the Best of the Storque series. Enjoy!

Gabe Molnar of 1AEON says his designs often come from his dreams. The fantastical imagery includes lions, dragons, skulls and owls ("since before all the owl hype," as Gabe says). Working non-stop in his small kitchen in Brooklyn, this Hungarian-born artist is driven to be the best at whatever he does and to push the boundaries (maybe this comes in part from growing up under Communism?). But his passion and ambition hasn't made Gabe lose sight of his humble beginnings. We were very inspired to meet the maker behind 1AEON and hear his story.

Watch our other Handmade Video Portraits and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel and Subscribe in iTunes.

If you're interested in all things Hungarian, check out this post on traditional and contemporary Hungarian crafts.

Handmade Portraits: Maya Hayuk

2008-08-15T11:50:00-05:00

(MATURE content in the video: if you're watching this with your child, be prepared to answer some questions about female body parts.)

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(music by Barry London, The And Group, Hold Me)

Muralist, photographer, painter, music video creator... Maya Hayuk prefers to simply call herself an artist, because under that moniker she has the freedom to work in whatever medium she wants at any given time.

Growing up in Baltimore, Maya learned the art of traditional Ukrainian handicrafts from her family. Her parents, both professors—one geography, one psychology—traveled extensively with the family during her childhood and bought Maya a camera at an early age to document their adventures. In high school she started shooting bands and getting attention for her work. After attending Massachusetts College of Art's SIM (Studio for Interrelated Media) program, Maya became interested in environmental art, wherein murals work in collaboration with the surrounding architecture, as well as the community who lives with the art long afterward. Maya also studied comparative religion, which has infused all of her work with a spiritual aspect ever since.

Maya has painted murals around the world, and her work has been featured in magazines, album covers and ads campaigns. Her improvised style and bright colors seem to be part of a new resurgence in psych-folk art that is pinned to a higher consciousness: one that inspires good vibes. Maya says that with her murals, "the narrative can be as simple as 'I like those colors'" and it doesn't have to go deeper than that with her audience. Maya's work has become something more than a precise painting on a wall. It's a part of people's lives, and a living thing that people interact with and tell stories about.

Last spring Maya headed to Braddock, PA to work with Braddock Active Arts organization to help revitalize a once thriving steel mill town, now part of the forgotten post-industrial landscape of America. Sixteen different artists from all over the world gathered to contribute environmental art that ranged from the functional to the inspirational. With the help of the teens from the Braddock Youth Project, these artists added a little life and hope to this depressed town.

Although Maya makes part of her income from licensing her imagery and painting murals, her bread and butter comes from selling rock posters, t-shirts and books of her designs. Maya's work will be featured at the upcoming Democratic National Convention (Bright Future, pictured below) and at the Mahan Gallery in Columbus, Ohio this fall.

Watch our other Handmade Video Portraits and subscribe to our Youtube Channel!

See Maya's website for more of her work: www.mayahayuk.com

Handmade Portraits: lepinkchocolat

2008-08-08T14:22:00-05:00

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(music by Eric Beug)

Karolina Kubik, aka lepinkchocolat, adores French luxury. Her gorgeous, handcrafted jewelry is an homage to the ultimate cultural pleasure, the French Patisserie. During her studies at the art and fashion school, Duperré, Karolina decided to apply her drawing skills to polymer clay molding. Her miniatures of pastries, cookies and cakes are a wonder to behold. Karolina's technique is so well honed that the mini-cakes and macaroons make the mouth water!

Etsy sent independent filmmaker Gabriella Kessler, aka gkessler, to visit Karolina at her home and studio in Paris. (See Gabriella's film production company's site for more information on her work.)

Watch our other Handmade Video Portraits and subscribe to our Youtube Channel!

Handmade Portraits: MV Knits featured on YouTube!

2008-08-03T20:25:00-05:00

Today, August 3rd, 2008 YouTube has featured one of our Handmade Video Portraits on their front page! Please watch our portrait of shepherd Susan Gibbs and then subscribe to the Etsy channel on YouTube and Itunes to keep up-to-date on the latest Etsy videos.

Check out the Martha's Vineyard Fiber Farm's blog and flickr site. You can also check out the Etsy Labs flickr site for Calder Martin's photos from the shoot.

Watch the rest of the Handmade Video Portraits series and leave a comment! Let us know if you find the stories inspiring and enlightening.

Handmade Portraits: Julia Pott

2008-08-01T12:00:00-05:00

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(music by Elijah B. Torn)

Artist Julia Pott began drawing at an early age. After watching her first Disney film, she knew she wanted to be a cartoonist, which later meant becoming an animator. Her thesis animation from Kingston University, My First Crush, is a sweetly nostalgic vignette of anthropomorphized animals talking about their first crushes. Beautifully rendered and lovingly assembled, the little film touches the hearts of anyone who has ever longed for love.

Julia's illustrations and animations are usually about love and revenge. However, Julia's frilly aesthetic and her handmade illustration style give her drawings, cards and films a touch of pure sweetness.

Etsy sent independent filmmaker Gabriella Kessler, aka gkessler, to visit Julia at her home and studio in London, England. (See Gabriella's film production company's site for more information on her work.)

Watch our other Handmade Video Portraits and subscribe to our Youtube Channel!

Handmade Portraits: maryink

2008-07-25T13:12:00-05:00

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(music by Michael Chapman, Jukeboxer, Fred Wallace)

Mary Helt and Chris Sittel of maryink met at a party while visiting their families in Nashville. At the time, Mary was living in New York City working as a photographer's stylist and Chris was working in Florida at a silk-screen studio. They started visiting one another, having t-shirt parties and coming up with new project ideas.

After a few years of living apart, they finally moved to the Virgin Islands to start their original silk-screen design company, maryink. While Mary is the designer behind maryink, Chris functions as the steady hand behind the printing process. Mary's designs have a 1970s Scandinavian and folk art influence, and she also incorporates elements of embroidery, weaving and bitossi pottery. The shop is known for its interesting designs, silk screened votive candles, jewelry, tote bags and t-shirts.

Even though living in the Virgin Islands was paradise, running a business proved difficult. Chris and Mary soon packed up and headed back to Nashville, where the low cost of living allowed them to dedicate themselves full-time to maryink.

You can watch more of our Handmade Video Portraits, and we'd be so thrilled if you'd subscribe to our free Etsy iTunes podcas

Handmade Portraits: Built by Wendy

2008-07-18T14:00:00-05:00

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(music by Jukeboxer, Lineland)

Without role models to guide her, self-taught fashion designer Wendy Mullin of Built By Wendy went from selling her handmade dresses in her front yard to owning four stores across the U.S., running a successful clothing label, collaborating on pattern designs for Simplicity and authoring the Sew U book series. As part of Etsy's Handmade Portrait series, Wendy took time out of her busy schedule to talk with us about how she's built her business from scratch. Her sense of style and process are rooted in making garments by hand, and though she's not an Etsy seller, Wendy's beginnings are similar to many handmade clothing makers getting their feet wet in businesses on Etsy. Her passion, hard work and drive got her where she is today.

Wendy did a lot of drawing, arts and crafts as a kid living in the Chicago suburbs. Her mom, a seamstress, saw that she had an artistic tendency and encouraged her to explore. In high school she focused her creative energy toward photography and video, but with a sewing room back at home, she always found herself making things. During college in Kansas in 1989, Wendy started selling her handmade clothing in record shops where she worked.

After moving to Manhattan and showing her work at Steven Alan's showroom, Wendy got quite a bit of press for her clothing and guitar straps. She now has shops in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Los Angeles and San Francisco. If you like clean lines with a bit of fun nostalgia, you should have a look at her collection at Built By Wendy.

You can watch more of our Handmade Video Portraits, and we'd be so thrilled if you'd subscribe to our free Etsy iTunes podcast.

If you're into how-to books, join us on Monday, July 21, 2008 in the Virtual Labs to meet Crafty Mama author Abby Pecoriello. More details here.

Handmade Portraits: MV Knits

2008-07-11T11:00:00-05:00

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(music by Barry London, Charlie Parr)

After quitting her day job in Los Angeles and moving to Martha's Vineyard, a quiet island off the Massachusetts coast, Susan Gibbs aka MVKnits had a great idea. She started Martha's Vineyard Fiber Farm and figured out how to make a living making yarn. Why not use the local food movement's model of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and apply it to a yarn harvest? Shareholders pay for a share in the yarn harvest as a way to support a local farm (or in this case, a local farm supported through the internet) and in return they get weekly updates, photos from the farm, an invitation to the shearing and ultimately a share of the yarn.

Check out the Martha's Vineyard Fiber Farm's blog and flickr site. And check out the Etsy Labs flickr site for Calder Martin's photos from the shoot.You can watch more of our Handmade Video Portraits and we'd be so thrilled if you'd subscribe to our free Etsy iTunes podcast.

Handmade Portraits: Topsy Turvy Design

2008-06-27T15:27:00-05:00

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(music by Jon Brooder)

Milliner Kim Dye of Topsy Turvy Design has always had a passion for history. From a young age she built elaborate sets and costumes, in an attempt to recreate the bygone eras she'd read about in books. Nowadays, her handmade hats channel this passion and combine her interest in theater, costume, puppetry and architecture. She dreams of the day when everyone will return to dressing up for every occasion with hat and gloves. However, for now she makes do constructing beautifully anachronistic hats for burlesque and circus performers, and the occasional fashion daredevil.

Etsy sent independent filmmakers Anne Alvergue and her husband Michael Isabell, aka milorocks, to visit Kim at her home and studio in Oakland, California. (See Anne and Michael's film production company's site, EyeSpyFilms, for more information on their work.)

Want to learn more about burlesque and circus couture? Check out our coverage of this burgeoning fashion phenomenon!

Watch our other Handmade Video Portraits and subscribe to our Youtube Channe

Handmade Portraits: Betty Turbo

2008-06-20T12:49:00-05:00

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(music by Matt Hopper)

East Nashville artist Agnes Barton-Sabo aka Betty Turbo is all about cupcakes and moustaches! Agnes grew up in Alaska with an artistic family. Mom was an incredible seamstress who made matching outfits for Agnes and her dolls. Dad was an art history professor fascinated with animal spirits and great grandma was an interior designer in the 30's. Agnes took inspiration from her family and went on to college for photography.

After school she moved to East Nashville for a letterpress job at Hatch Show Print shop. Letterpress became a way for Agnes to combine her interests in photography, vintage advertising, beards and cupcakes!

Check out our other Handmade Portraits and Vanessa's post on Hatch Show Print Shop. Here's a link to other letterpress items on Etsy and sellers in Nashville.

My Visit to a Luthier in Tennessee

2008-06-13T15:24:00-05:00

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In early May I went to Barren Plains, Tennessee to visit James Peters, a luthier and Etsy seller Armor Guitars. He plys a trade after my own heart, as a fellow woodworker, though I’ve yet to muster the patience required to build a fine instrument.

I remember when James first joined Etsy and listed a guitar. It was something I’d been waiting for with patient curiosity – when would the woodworkers appear? (There are now dozens of them, I’m happy to report.)

To coincide with the re-launch of Alchemy, I requested a custom guitar from James. The supreme benefit of a handmade guitar is working with the maker to spec out the instrument. James asked a lot of questions and I answered as many as I could. I knew I wanted something smaller than a dreadnought, and with a well-defined “waist” (in geetar terms).

He told me what he had, including wood from an old piano that would be used for the soundboard (the top). He mentioned things I had never heard of, like a side port so the player can better monitor his or her own sound.

At the heart of Etsy is the connection between the maker and the buyer. So when James began building my guitar, I asked if I could drop in for a visit. We’d recently begun making our Handmade Video Portraits, and I thought he would make a rich subject for such a portrait.

Tara and I headed to LaGuardia airport here in NYC, and a couple hours later were “deplaning” (when did this become a word? they used it over the intercom) in Nashville. James lives about an hour north of the city, so we rented a car and drove through the flat countryside up to Springfield.

We drove past James’s house a couple times before catching the entrance to his gravel driveway, where a large ruddy dog named Jazz announced us. After meeting James and his family (who are also Etsy sellers), he led us over to a small structure beside his house. Inside, a cornucopia of tools and the smell of sawdust greeted us.

James gave us an eight foot by eight foot tour, up and down the woodshop. Everything inside had a story behind it, including his handmade jigs.

Day turned to night, and we ate a home-cooked dinner around the fire pit on his back porch. A musical family, James, Laura, Cody, and Carson, played songs until a light rain began. It felt like a Tennessee night as we drank Tennessee moonshine; it felt worlds away from my Brooklyn home.

That night Tara and I drove back to Nashville through the winding country roads, missing most major turns at least once. We were staying at a B&B that looked like something from a children’s doll closet, and smelled like old books.

The next day as we pulled into James’s driveway, he greeted us with his morning coffee in one hand, a cigarette in the other, and this prediction: “Looks like a tornado later today.”

Tara set up the lights and camera in his woodshop while James and I paced around the several-acre property. Towards the back was a half-standing wood-framed hut, looking tired in the tall grass. Jazz scouted the perimeter for intruders and small game as James talked about the future. The hut could be a guest house, I could help fix it up.

When the filming began, James sat in the bright studio light, facing me and trying not to look at the camera. This took a bit of getting used to, but he soon settled into his easy wisdom and the portrait proceeded. At the end he played a couple songs for us which is all I’ll say about that. Nothing I type can color them in. (Watch the videos for South and Let Her Go.)

The day ran on like days are wont to do. The sky that foretold a tornado gathered but did not fall, and after a thunderstorm it was a big blue expanse again. James and his family went about their daily work: he carved, she painted, others read and like a subway platform, every now and then I heard live music from somewhere in the house.

I was looking forward to another night around the fire, but there were things to do back in Nashville. Tara and I met up with several other Etsy sellers, Mary Ink and Betty Turbo, and then went down to Broadway for a night on the town. All I can say is, where have all the acoustic guitars gone in Nashville? It was all flash electric whizzin’.

I miss James, his family, his house, his woodshop and Jazz. I left Tennessee with the hope that my guitar, as I’d left it, would be completed over the next month. James even hinted that he might deliver it in person to Brooklyn.

Packing up that hope, I flew back home just in time for a board meeting and the noisy hustle of New York City.

Postscript:

Alas James had to mail the guitar because he had some gigging to do. Here it is, in its new Brooklyn home. James keeps checking in, making sure I'm feeding it well and giving it plenty of exercise.

[photo by Vanessa]

See our other post with ArmorGuitars and other Handmade Video Portraits.

Handmade Portraits: Armor Guitars

2008-06-09T18:24:00-05:00

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James Peters enjoys what he does. Waking up every morning and working in his woodshop in the back of his house is the "bees knees" as James says. Once there, he makes custom acoustic guitars. He is, as it's called, a luthier based in Springfield, TN.

After moving to Nashville in 1989 and having some success in the country music songwriting industry, a friend asked James to repair his guitar. It was after that experience that he realized it would be easier — and more enjoyable — to build acoustic guitars from scratch rather than repair old ones. That's when James started Armor Guitars. He's never looked back.

It turns out that James and Laura Peters (and their sons Cody and Carson) are one of the first families making a living selling their handmade wares on Etsy. Laura's Etsy shop is EarthArt (recently profiled as an Etsy Success Story) and Cody, one of their sons, is BarbedWire. They reside in the country, make music and art together, and live in what Laura calls "a little Shangri Las." Laura's advice to everyone is to turn off your television and she cites this as one of the many reasons that the Peters family is so close and creative.

James Peters doesn't just make guitars: he has been a musician most of his life. Below are two songs performed by James.

This song is called "South" and was written by James Peters, Gerald Guinn and Yvonne Guinn

The song is called "Let Her Go" and was written by James Peters and Susan Gilbert.

Watch our other Handmade Video Portraits and subscribe to our Youtube Channel!

Handmade Portraits: Elizaveta

2008-05-19T17:17:00-05:00

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[music by Barry London]

Canadian artist Elizaveta makes giant, playful, handmade necklaces using an odd assortment of items. From My Little Pony to hair rollers to Bubblicious bubble gum, her outrageous designs take people by surprise. Combining influences of haute couture designers like Alexander McQueen, Comme Des Garcons and rapper Flava Flav, Elizaveta makes one of a kind jewelry like no other.

Watch our other Handmade Video Portraits and subscribe to our Youtube Channel! Also, you can check out other international stories in our Etsy World Tour series.