by MissMalaprop on January 13, 2010
The lovely Deirdre of BossyBoots Design has offered up another one of her beautiful handmade knit scarves for a giveaway. Long time readers might remember a giveaway we did last year of one of her handknit scarves, and she has generously offered to give away this cozy orange scarf from her chunky Dick & Jane scarf collection.
This chunky scarf is perfect for both guys and girls and it’s knit by hand from thick and soft 100% Merino wool. An $80 retail value, this scarf could be yours!
This particular giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. To enter, all you need to do to enter is leave a comment on this post by midnight on Friday, January 29, 2010 (Central Standard Time – go here to figure out what time that is where you are).
Find more of Deirdre’s handmade scarves, or order one just like this in any color you’d like at her Etsy shop. She’s also currently running a 15% discount on all scarves and offering free shipping for US domestic orders.
Plus, don’t forget about the other giveaway I’ve still got going on… there’s still time to enter to win the Memoirs Of A Geisha Bracelet – Corsage Cuff!
by MissMalaprop on January 12, 2010
Christy of The Generation Shoes got in touch with me today to let me know about her awesome handmade vegan shoes. Christy and friends make these shoes from natural, sustainable materials like organic cotton, hemp and linen, and they come in styles for men, women and kids.
The Generation Shoes makes cute eco-chic ballet flats, Mary Janes, and slip-on shoes, and they welcome custom orders. I love that I’m starting to see more and more people making handmade shoes… is there anything that you can’t find a handmade version of these days?
by MissMalaprop on January 11, 2010
When these stunning curve fold origami knot sculptures and jewelry by Jenna Fizel came through my inbox, I instantly fell in love.
Jenna is a designer and programmer by day, but in her spare time she likes to transform those skills into these amazing works of art. Her sculptures, lighting and jewelry pieces begin as vector drawings which she then cuts out of thick translucent mylar using a computer controlled cutting machine. Then she shapes each piece by hand into its three dimensional form using origami techniques that are traditionally used with paper.
She makes these pieces to order, and you can get them in red, yellow, green, blue, or orange. Check out her Etsy shop to find out more or order your own.
by MissMalaprop on January 8, 2010
I’ve had so many great Picked By You! submissions come in recently, I thought I’d feature a few today. There seems to be a bit of a theme here… grey, earthy, crystals and stones. I’ve been grey obsessed lately, and especially with the wintry weather, this color scheme seems fitting.
Silver Lining crystal cluster necklace – $79 – Laurel’s Bench
This crystal cluster necklace by Laurel’s Bench was picked out by Beatrice Bachleda of BirdcageBohemia. Beatrice says, “I met this jewelry artist at a show we both were doing. Her display was simply gorgeous and she was so nice and funny. Because of how nice she was, it caused her jewelry stick in my head ever since. That, I believe, creates a great piece of work.”
stoneware sushi set – $50 – Gina DeSantis
The following two picks are both Cleveland based artists, picked out by Valerie Tyler. She notes, “The first is Gina DeSantis, she is a ceramic artist, and art teacher. I’m beginning to try and collect her pieces since they have this wonderful, minimal almost “zen-like” style. One of her items that is my favorite is this stoneware sushi set. The purple color is so unique!”
Sterling Bangle Bracelet Out With A Bangle – $55 – STōNZ™
Valerie is also a fan of STōNZ™, who incorporates beach glass and beach stones into beautiful jewelry pieces like this bangle bracelet. Valerie says, “Her work I think reminds people to see the beauty in even the smallest elements of nature. In this bracelet she shows how elegant remnants of the beach can be.”
A big thanks to Beatrice & Valerie! I love your picks!
Got your own amazing handmade or eco-friendly shopping find? Send it my way! You can email me a link to the item, one or two sentences about why you think it is so special, plus your name and a website/blog link so I can credit you to mallory[AT]missmalaprop.com and let me know it’s for Picked By You!, or you can post your picks in this thread in the Etsy forums or at my Facebook fan page. Designers, while I definitely encourage you to let me know about your own work as well, please note that Picked By You! is to showcase the work of other artists, so show some love for your favorite fellow artisans!
by MissMalaprop on January 7, 2010
Tomorrow night I’ll be helping out my friend Kerry from Bayou Salvage by modeling for her in the Righteous Fur Fashion Show.
Righteous Fur is a project started by my friend Cree McCree to promote nutria fur as a “guilt-free” alternative to other fur products. You see, the nutria are a big problem here in south Louisiana… they were imported from Argentina and introduced to the area in the 1930s. As often happens with non-native animal species, they made it into the wild and have been wreaking havoc on our (quickly vanishing) wetlands ever since. They rip up and eat the marsh grasses and displace native animals, and so the Wildlife and Fisheries department offers hunters a bounty to keep the problem under control.
It’s a tricky issue… in the past local chefs have tried to introduce nutria meat to diners, and now with Righteous Fur, local artists and fashion designers are trying to offer their own solutions. I honestly haven’t decided quite how I feel about this whole thing… I’m of course happy to help Kerry out by modeling for her and I want to support all of my friends who are working with this project. And obviously I am up for anything that will help restore and protect our vanishing wetlands. But the nutria are nasty little buggers. See more about them on Wikipedia. And while I generally am not a big fan of fur (vintage is alright I suppose, new fur is a no-no), I can see that this project could at the very least be a great way to raise awareness of the nutria problem.
You can find out more about the Righteous Fur project at their website, in this article on NOLA.com, or shop for nutria fashions in the Righteous Fur Etsy shop.
In New Orleans and want to come see the show? Check it out tomorrow night, Friday, January 8th at the Marigny Theatre and AllWays Lounge (2240 St. Claude Ave., New Orleans). Doors are at 8 pm, and the show is at 8:30 pm. Tickets are $10 at the door or $15 for reserved tables and VIP seating. For more info call 504-269-3982.
by MissMalaprop on January 6, 2010
Designer Lee Dorsey is a busy lady: she’s a public school French teacher in New Jersey by day and a self-taught jewelry designer by night. She crafts earrings, necklaces, brooches and “corsage cuffs” and donates a portion of each item sold in her shop, Color Me Conscious, to charity.
For January and February, she’s designed what she calls her “RED” collection, and she will be donating to The American Heart Association for the sales of these items, since red is the official color of heart disease awareness and prevention. Lee has generously offered to do a giveaway of one of my favorite pieces from her RED collection, this Memoirs Of A Geisha Bracelet:
This gorgeous corsage cuff features a hand sewn fabric flower, an ivory Swarovski pearl at center, and a fully adjustable cuff. This bracelet could be yours! All you need to do is visit the Color Me Conscious Etsy shop and comment on this post with a link to your favorite piece in the shop.
The deadline for all entries is midnight on Friday, January 22, 2010 (Central Standard Time – go here to figure out what time that is where you are). This particular giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Be sure to use a valid e-mail address when you post your comment, because I’ll be e-mailing the randomly chosen winner to let you know you’ve won!
