Adding a little humor mixed with gift ideas to eliminate some of the anxiety when shopping for
that "hard to please" person in your life,
such as:
THE FOODIE
THE COOK
The Manly Man
The Little Man
Happy Holidays !!!
Showing posts with label handmade. Show all posts
Showing posts with label handmade. Show all posts
Friday, December 16, 2016
Monday, February 8, 2016
Meet your neighbors; up north in Hudson, Catskill and Windham
Members of the Makers-on-Hudson team are from all over New York's Hudson Valley! Get to know who's creating in your town and around you with this new series of posts. Maybe you've even seen them around town but never knew what they made. Let's start from the top and our northern most members!
Our first stop is in Hudson! A great city with some yummy ice teas and lovely people. Two of those people are our members Drusilla Kehl of Drusilla and Mary Rembach of OmiSilver. Drusilla's shop is full of artwork mostly featuring rats, perfect for the rat owner in your life or just anyone who appreciates these intelligent creatures. Mary's work includes several pieces of lovely silver and gemstone jewelry and some items made with chainmail rings. Check them out!
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| Thinking of You PEWS by Drusilla |
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| South Sea Shell Pearls (10mm) on Sterling Silver Studs with Grayed Jade Satellite Crystals by OmiSilver |
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| Handmade Dog Leash - Short Traffic Lead - Calavera Sugar Skull by KirasPetShop |
Just across the river from Hudson is Catskill, NY. It's a lovely town, especially if you love cats and cute shops (I did a blog post years ago about one of our old member's L&M Studio, who have a shop there). Catskill is the home of Kira G. maker of KirasPetShop, She's a darling seamstress who makes pet goods! Check her out, especially if you're looking for bandannas with built in I.D. tag slots, or really any collars or leashes for your furry friends.
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| Felt Bow Coffee Cup Sleeve Cozy / Red and Gray Valentine's Day Gifts for Her by QuarterLifeLuck |
As we continue east we come to Windham, home of some great skiing! Or so I've heard, I've never skied, I prefer being cozy - which the creations of one Windham local will help you with! Kim L. runs QuarterLifeLuck and not only does she make soft felt coffee sleeves, but also some cute felt pillows and kids decor. Soft and sweet name banner anyone?
Those are the most north northerners we've got on the team! I can't wait to share with you more creations as we head further south on our tour of New York crafters. Remember to support your neighbors and local economy by shopping local and shopping small!
See you!
Monday, January 18, 2016
Out of my Studio: Celebrating Karmabee
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| Karen Berelowitz in her Karmabee Store in Kingston NY |
I wanted to write this blog post to celebrate Karen Berelowitz of Karmabee and to congratulate her on her amazing 4 years of business in her bricks and mortar store on the Strand in Kingston.
Karen has decided to close her well loved store for the time being but is set to continue being a fixture at local farmers markets, craft fairs and of course online.
The store opened its doors in 2011 and was one of the first to capitalize on the renewal of the area which today sees many visitors to the historic waterfront site and to the new stores, cafes and restaurants that have since opened.
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| Karmabee Store |
In her time on the Strand Karen has been instrumental in local community events including the monthly night markets, events such as Sinterklaas, Hooley on the Hudson, the Shamrock Run and many more. She also joined Re>Think Local and regularly contributed to small business shopping events.
The store not only sold Karmabees distinctive range of hand screen printed t-shirts, onesies and cards but Karen also championed local craft makers including many from the Hudson Valley Etsy Team. Thanks to Karen many of us have been able to count on regular sales from Karmabee and we have also benefitted from having a local store that we can send our customers to.
Personally I have really enjoyed popping into Karmabee every couple of months to bring in new stock and to chat with Karen about what we have both been making and craft fairs we are doing. Working on a small craft business from home can be quite a lonely pursuit and having people like Karen to touch base with once in a while was such a blessing.
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| Gorgeous Karmabee themed cake at the store closing party |
I hope everyone is together with me in wishing Karen every success in her future endeavors. We are excited to see what plans she has in store for Karmabee.
In the mean time Karmabee can still be found on Etsy and Amazon and in the warmer months she will be returning to the uptown Kingston Farmers Markets.
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| Look out for Karmabee at local farmers markets and craft fairs |
Good Luck Karen and Good Making!
Sarah
Friday, January 8, 2016
In My Studio: Pantone Color of the Year 2016
Every year Pantone launches a color of the year which is set to inspire and influence everything from fashion to home wares for that coming year. In a change from tradition this year Pantone has named a blend of two colors Rose Quartz and Serenity as their colors of the year. Pantone says that their selection is
A symbolic color selection; a color snapshot of what we see taking place in our culture that serves as an expression of a mood and an attitude.
By using Pantones suggested colors of the year designers and makers can tap into new trends in the marketplace. Etsy itself is likely to pick up on these trends and could potentially use these products in features and Etsy Finds.
Here are some amazing products by our own Makers on Hudson team members that are already showcasing these trends:
Here are some amazing products by our own Makers on Hudson team members that are already showcasing these trends:
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| Rose Quartz Earrings by Omi Silver |
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| Pink and Silver Brocade Mask by Dara Gallery |
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| Toddler Dress by LaidieCloth |
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| Felt Name Banner by QuarterLifeLuck |
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| Glass Pendant Necklace by Get Glassy |
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| Art Print by Digilio Designs |
I have put together a treasury with some wonderful handmade items from the Makers on Hudson team in this years 'hot' color Rose Quartz
https://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTI4MjQxNjN8MjcyNTU3ODE1OQ/rose-quartz
Good Luck and Good Making!
Sarah
SO Handmade
Good Luck and Good Making!
Sarah
SO Handmade
Thursday, December 17, 2015
FREE Holiday Printable: Christmas Gift Tags
I would like to share with you all a jpg of my Christmas Gift Tags.
I find these quick and easy to print up and I like to add a little bit of
glitter to mine. The cards fold over and you can add a little bit more
personal notes than you can to the pre-made sticker type ones.
Punch a hole in the corner and add a bit of string or ribbon.
Enjoy and have a Merry Christmas!
Sue DiGilio
Thursday, October 22, 2015
A Visit To Hudson, NY
Wandering on (and off) Warren Street is a great place to start your visit to Hudson, NY. The shops on Warren Street are amazing and very high end. Many of the antique stores (over 300) sell museum quality pieces with price tags to match. Creativity and style is everywhere.
Hudson combines the best of both worlds: nature and the kind urban ease that you would expect to find in the city.
As an artist and maker, a visit to Hudson is inspirational. The window displays are imaginative and styles are tightly curated. Katherine Moore, founder of the Hudson River Exchange says the Hudson Valley is "...an ideal place for creating. Setting up a sustainable living here poses several questions. Part of what we do (at Hudson Exchange) is seek people from the greater maker community to stimulate that dialogue." They have a lovely pop-up shop on Warren Street (just closed on October 18) with locally crafted items and studio spaces. They organize local events offering visual and community inspiration as well as platforms for commerce and exchange for local makers.
There is also a lot that you can do on the cheap in Hudson says founder of The HudsonRiver Exchange, Katherine Moore: "There are two art stores - Sketch up by the park and Spotty Dog - along with a lot of parks including the river front. Grabbing some art supplies and heading to the river is amazing. Another nice thing to do in Hudson is just wander Warren. Go into antique stores and just look at the oddities and eras of design. There is one antique store Hudson Mercantile in the 300 block of Warren. You can buy little industrial trinkets from a dollar or two. There is also the Red Chair in the 600 block. Also sells small little items from France."
Our favorite spot was the Spotty Dog Books and Ale: a bookstore, watering hole, art supply shop rolled into one. Beer on tap is mostly local and always delicious. Growler friendly. Also loved the funky vintage clothing shops on and off Warren.
Hudson River Exchange upcoming events include: a workshop on Visual Merchandising with Nick Blaine of Hawkins New York (a design shop and brand on Warren Street in Hudson) on October 27th.
The workshop will be directed towards market booths as we approach the holiday season, but will include foundations of visual story telling relevant for people selling on Etsy as well. Importantly it will also be attended by other creatives and is a great way to connect with peers.
The workshop will be directed towards market booths as we approach the holiday season, but will include foundations of visual story telling relevant for people selling on Etsy as well. Importantly it will also be attended by other creatives and is a great way to connect with peers.
We ventured out of Hudson on two day trips. One to Frederic Church's Olana and the other to the home of Church's mentor, The Thomas Cole House. Both locations offered insight into each artist's work and passions and hosted a contemporary art exhibit called, River Crossings. The surrounding landscape was also quite beautiful. The Hudson River School artists painted the American landscape and our relationship to nature through themes of wilderness, discovery, exploration, and settlement. The artists often traveled to remote locations and painted from memory or from an amalgamation of sketches.
Looking forward to exploring more of the Hudson Valley.
Design Sponge Hudson Valley Guide
What are your favorite places in Hudson or the Hudson Valley?
Susan - Lunule
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Join the Hudson Valley Etsy Team!
Are you an Etsy seller in the Hudson Valley looking to connect with other handmade businesses in the area? The deadline to apply for the Fall is TOMORROW! You can read more our team criteria and how to apply on our website and while you're there, don't forget to check out our gift guides!
Friday, September 11, 2015
Where To Find Hudson Valley Etsy This Weekend
Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. ~Albert Camus
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| Harvest Moon Lunar Cycle Necklace by Incarnate Anew |
As we head into the last full week of Summer, Hudson Valley Etsy members have both sides of the Hudson River "covered."
On Saturday, meet Erica, from Incarnate Anew at The Town of Wappinger Community Day with her unique copper, brass, silver and gemstone jewelry. Erica incorporates hand beading, and hand stamping in her unusual work.
On Sunday, a trip to the Village of Warwick would make for a great day. At The Makers' Market you can say hello to Cindy, from Cynla designs as you stroll the village green. Cindy's notecards and paper goods are all based on her lovely original artwork. You will find beautiful cards and invitations for every occasion in her collection.
Summer is winding down, but Hudson Valley Etsy is going strong, with some great events yet to come, so stay tuned for much more in the weeks to come.
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