One of the final books I worked on late last year in my previous job as a publisher was a stunning book called Handmade in Melbourne (by Jan Phyland and Janet de Silva with photographs by Dean Cambray, Geoff Slattery Publishing, 2006) that left me seething with envy at the rich, time-honed talents of the book’s 80 subjects. Textile artist Masako Shibata, for example, who uses rare vintage kiminos to stitch delicate bags, obi sashes and brooches. Cobbler Johanna Preston, who crafts avant-garde shoes from the finest leathers. (A pair of her Moroccan-ish slip-ons now resides in my wardrobe.) Homeware designers Kyle de Kuijer and Stephanie Flemming, whose funky Holly Daze fabric designs are deployed in cushions, lightshades and doorstops. Ceramicist Kris Coad, who creates exquisitely delicate and transclucent porcelain pieces. And here’s me, to my craft-loving mother’s great distress, not even able to sew a button on. Working on the book has left me with a lengthy shopping list: I want some hand-rolled Est soap, a fabric-covered hammer & daisy journal, a Barbara Richards lamp, a Jack Pompei timber dinghy, a Greg Hatton willow chair, a Lynley Traeger chain-mail cake cover. (Pictured above, clockwise from top left, the Handmade in Melbourne cover, the Lynley Traeger cake cover, a section of a Barbara Richards' lamp, a fabulous pink Preston Zly shoe.)
The New-Craft Phenomenon
My former colleagues tell me that the response to Handmade has been tremendous. As anyone who has surfed the limitless world of craft blogs knows, individual creativity, making things by hand with love and care, and exploring old artisanal skills, have come together to develop into a powerful and pervasive early-21st-century trend. It all taps into some deeply held need we have for creation, individuality and self-expression, and a desire to nurture ourselves and others. And, in what strikes me as a curious post-modern twist, the internet has fed this new-craft phenomenon, allowing professional artisans and the countless home crafters with blogs to establish intense communities, and spawning an explosion in new paths of commerce.
I’m about to start work on an article about blogging, so I’d be really interested to hear your perspectives on the subject. In the meantime, in no particular order, thought I’d share some of the interesting sites I’ve come across that, to one degree or another, feed or nourish this whole new-craft thing.
Buying and Selling and Looking at Beautiful Things
Etsy.com: Four American blokes started this ebay of the handmade world, which allows you to buy handmade things – according to conventional categories, through searches, by colour, or via lists of items hand-picked by Etsy members – or sell your own handmade goods by setting up your own Etsy shop.
Modish: This site calls itself a “stylish blog for indie shoppers” that “ignores the stale, the overdone” and is “not interested in the mass-produced or mass-marketed”. Current posts feature jewellery by the Iowan company Circle Designs, art and T-shirts by Monster Town, and vases by Blue Bell Bazaar. Through its posts and an “indie shopping directory”, Modish directs visitors to the creators’ own websites, where you can buy online mostly using Paypal. Some have their own Etsy shops. By quoting a “Modish code”, some products attract a discount. (Not all sites ship internationally.)
i shop indie: This is a “collective of online independent artists, shop owners and crafters who want to increase awareness of online indie shopping”. Only 12 craftspeople are featured at any one time. Again, it’s a portal-style set-up that will direct you off to the makers’ own sites if you want to make a purchase.
Georgielove.com: a Melbourne-based online store “which promotes and sells handmade delights from independent and emerging artists from Australia”. The site takes online payments, organises shipping and will act as an intermediary between artists and buyers who want something custom-made or a little different from what is seen on the site. Some of the featured craftspeople include Leila & Pacquita, who make how-did-I-ever-manage-without-one “jewellery hangers” and Wendy June, who creates kooky toys.
Creature Comforts: What started as a blog about beautiful products and designs has spawned an online shop called Wren Eleven, which organises gift-wrapping, shipping and payment of a range of handmade items. I’m rather liking the featured cupcake necklace from Danielle Maveal Jewelry.
Modamuse: This blog showcases modern Australian and New Zealander designers and artisans, linking visitors to the sites of designers such as ceramicist Liz Low, jeweller Mark Vaarwerk, and jeweller Bridget Kennedy.
ShopMoose: This Australian-based online shop sells jewellery, ceramics, fibre and art and claims to be “all about creative people”, aiming to “foster the creative spirit in everyone”. Artists include Jess Dabro, who makes soft, eccentric toys and Melbourne ceramic artist Sophie Milne.
Decor 8: “Fresh finds for hip spaces” and design consultancy, coming to you from New Hampshire, Boston.
Design*Sponge: Website and online shop featuring from Brooklyn-based writer Grace Bonney dedicated to home and product design.
All Handmade Gallery: Sydney-based online shop featuring an especially good range of ceramics.
Trust Your Style: A site by Los Angeles-based Mary Jo Matsumoto celebrating all “the fashions, designs and people who trust their own style”.
Hope I got all this information right. Please let me know if I’ve slipped up anywhere. And have I missed anyone?
