Becoming a Handmade Family Part 2: Strange Folk

I think I mentioned in my last post, that one of the changes that we've made in the last year, by forming Handmade Family and joining the local independent craft community, we've made a lot of new friends (and continue to make new friends all the time). We're edging up to the precipice of starting to do shows now, and that kind of makes us nervous. Part of preparing for it for us is that we go to different shows to meet people, and also to get a feel for what different ones are like. We've been to some okay ones, and some good ones...


This weekend, we went to the Strange Folk Festival in O'fallon Illinois. It was AWESOME. Everything about it, from the general atmosphere to the variety of artists made it feel like it would be a very good fit for us next year.

We got to see several of our friends there, and the girls got some fresh air, probably the BEST cupcake I've ever had, and before we left they got to play on the playground.

Unfortunately, I forgot my camera :( so I didn't actually get any photos myself, and I would love to give a shout-out to all our friends, but there's just not room. I would like to mention our friend Andrea of Zenbot Baby though, because her husband (who I'm friends with on google+, and who I narrowly missed meeting in person today) DID take a picture of this super cool upright bass made out of an upcycled bicycle. When I saw this thing I was just floored by how cool it is.

There was some part of us that wasn't really sure about the whole show aspect of this business/life, but I think we both came away from this event inspired.
Until next time, take care and be good!
Your friend,
Mr. Handmade

Becoming a Handmade Family

It's been a little over a year now since I left my full-time job to become a creative freelancer and stay-at-home dad. Some of the time the change has been frustrating, or worrying...there's a lot of waiting involved in this lifestyle. Mostly though, the changes have been infinitely rewarding as I've developed very deep connections with my daughters, I've had the time to make lifestyle choices that focus more on slowing down and enjoying the days, and Mrs. Handmade and I have come a long way toward growing together as a handmade family.

 One of the things that I've been watching change and develop over the year is our back yard. Last spring I dug up two garden beds, and planted vegetables in one of them.  I had some limited success, but I learned a lot from the experience, and next year should be better. One thing that I learned is how much better everything tasted! 

Another thing that I learned is it's a constant battle. Ha-ha-ha! A little bit of work on a small plot goes a long way, though!

One last change for this day, is the wonderful friends we've made since joining this community of crafters and handmade artisans. One of our new friends Dana, of Dana's Creations painted Abby's face for her last weekend.  She was so excited! When we got home, she wanted to get some pictures taken, so we went down to the little thicket in our backyard.  It's amazing how much she's grown in the past year, from a 2-year-old toddler, to a 3-year-old little girl!  She was even doing poses for me, of what she thought a flower faerie would do.  Ha-ha-ha!

Thanks for looking and until next time, take care and be good!

Your friend,

Mr Handmade

New Wine Cozy & Coasters

Introducing a cute new gift set!  

This design was inspired by a friend's recent marriage, as no one in the Handmade Family drinks wine.  Now if I made a beer coozie, that would get used.  Although these days with kids and work and work and work, it probably wouldn't be that often. 

Large enough to hold a wine or champagne bottle.

Comes with 4 padded coasters.  Sorry folks, glasses & wine not included.

The coasters fit nicely in the bottom of the bag for easy storage & carrying.

If you're interested, you can hop on over to our Etsy shop to pick one up (blank or personalized), or just contact us.  Embroidery is available and I have lots of other fabric if this one doesn't float your boat.

Thanks for reading!
Mrs. Handmade

Goin' off the Grid

Jeffrey got a clothesline for his birthday from his parents. He recently dug and cemented holes and is now hanging our laundry out for all to see.  He's quite excited about this, and wanted a cool bag to carry clothespins in.  So after some discussion and a couple of nights of planning and working, I bring you...

All of the material was from a large bag of fabric scraps (5 large bags to be precise) that was given to my by a friend.  Some was kept, some was trashed, and the rest was given to The Upcycle Exchange (which if you haven't yet checked out, it's definitely worth a look).  

It's got a large opening with not top closure for the clothespins.

The top flap has no opening underneath, but has snaps so he can hang it from the clothesline.

The straps button on, so if he wants to he can remove them while it's hanging.

Doesn't he look so cute getting ready to skip out on some of our electricity bills?

What The Rest Of The Family Is Up To

This is what happens when you go downstairs to change laundry while stamping is going on. Ha-ha-ha!

In related news, I've decided to start posting the kid's art on a new blog, Take Care and Be Good. We really do a lot of things together, but they don't always relate to what's going on here so...there you go. Thanks for checking in and until next time, take care and be good!

Faeries, Sprites and the Handmade Life

Oh, our poor, neglected blog...It's not that Mrs. Handmade and I don't have anything to say, summer has just been BUSY. I don't think that either of us were ready for how full our schedule would be with two wild active little girls, my freelance work, working at Fusion keeping inventory up and getting extra inventory ready to put in I Am What I Am On Mainstreet, a shop down on Mainstreet, Saint Charles that features handmade art, jewelry, clothes and decor.

Handmade family is the featured local artist(s) for the month of August, and we're so happy to be there! We did a little interview with them over on their blog, you can check it out here!

In addition to all the wonderful items Mrs. Handmade makes, like children's capes and masks, and key chains. We also feature illustration by me to fill in those gaps in your perfect children's bed or playroom. I did 6 new illustrations to be featured downtown this month, and thought I'd share a little bit about them with you.

Here they are after being inked and taped down to boards for coloring. Each illustration is 6 X 6 inches. This gave me enough room to really make a scene, but was still small enough that I didn't get over my head. I've been interested in faeries and sprites since I was a kid, and well...I felt like drawing some. Ha-ha-ha!
So after inking, I put in a light sepia wash to give the paper some tone, and then using transparent washes start laying in colors and textures.
Here it's almost finished. I was originally planning on those being big teeth on his front, but as I thought more about it when coloring, I decided that it made more sense for them to be like flower petals. Add a little splash of color.
Here's the finished piece still on the board, next to one of it's mates. You can see that I use a pretty big scrap area to test my colors before putting them on the picture. Maybe one of these days I won't be quite so timid in my painting.
The finished piece under glass. Usually I scan things before framing them so that I have a good head on picture, but...It was late, and I forgot. Anyway, that's why it's kind of tilted at an angle. The flash just wrecked it otherwise.

Got this pic of the girls playing house the other day. Unfortunately it took too long to find the camera, so I missed the part where Olive was laying on the floor looking through the front door. Those kids inspire me every day.

Until next time, take care and be good.
Your friend,
Mr. Handmade

New Line of Men's Keychains/Luggage Tags

With Father's Day just around the corner, I've got all new ribbons just perfect for dads!

Is he a superhero?  A sports nut?  How about just a little punky?  There's one for every man in the bunch.

 

These can be put on any color backing and a name or sports number can be added as well.

They are large enough to fit over a man's wrist.  I asked Jeffrey to model one and, of course, Abigail couldn't be left out of the fun.

Licensed keychains are $7.50 and unlicensed ones are $6.  Embroidery is an additional $2.

You can pick yours up at Fusion in Chesterfield mall (Wed.&Thurs.-12-7, Fri.&Sat.-12-9, Sun. 12-4) or email us at handmadefamily@redherringillustration.com. Or you can just leave a comment below with your contact info.