Designed by Jim Hodges, this lush tan and aqua throw ‘reflects’ his poem from one side to the other: “If there had been a pool it would have reflected us.” Aw! What a great excuse to snuggle.
$200 at MOMA Store | Buy
For a serious tailgater, serious gear is required. Insulated and waterproof, the cheerful, easy-to-spot orange trolley will smoothly tote tons of goodies to the next big game and fold up neatly when you’re all out of beer.
$80 at Crate and Barrel | Buy
^
Be the star of your own show. Pair this long racer-back tank with a cropped cardigan and a skinny jean for a stellar out-and-about look.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
Hi, my name is Richard Smith. I live in Toronto, where I find or create everything I sell at Finders&Keepers. I love vintage everything and really go out of my way to seek out unique things to suit my everyday needs.
Apart from creating things, what do you do?
I drink a LOT of coffee, so much of my social calendar is filled with coffee dates with friends, or even solo. I live right near a gorgeous park downtown which is my favourite place to hang out (and drink coffee). I like to see new and interesting things that other people are doing, and I enjoy meeting creative people, so I spend a lot of time visiting stores. I usually have a book or two on the go. I like to write, though never to any productive purpose, and sometimes I pluck at my guitar. Also, I help run an antique store.
What would be the title of your memoir? Why?
Anyone who knows me knows that I would never write a memoir. I’m awful at telling stories, I have a terrible memory, and I get kind of flummoxed when I have to talk about myself too much.
Where does your inspiration come from?
I’m inspired by details and materials in vintage objects that might otherwise go unused and unappreciated if they weren’t being repurposed. I feel bad sometimes tearing out the guts of a book, but for the most part, the things I use would probably never be used in their original form anyway. I try to incorporate as much original detail into my designs as possible.
What does handmade mean to you?
Handmade is the way things are meant to be: imperfect and unique. Any handmade item speaks to the resourcefulness of its creator – something that is very much undervalued today.
Who has been most influential in your craft?
I’m influenced by anyone who makes something with their own wits and their own hands. I’m always impressed when I discover that products I love are made by one person, one at a time.
When did you know you were an artist/maker?
I always had artistic inclinations, which I kind of lost touch with for a number of years, though I always kept writing or sketching. Only in the last year and a half or so, when I taught myself to sew, did I start to get excited and serious about it again.
How would you describe your creative process?
My creative process is mostly fuelled by the things around me, and by my own needs, so basically I just make things that I want to use. Once I’ve decided on something I want to make, I spend a lot of time sitting on the floor with my materials spread out around me. Easily 80% of my “creative/design” time is spent staring vacantly at the wall while I try to figure out all the little elements that have to be considered before I actually start sewing or putting something together.
If you could peek inside the studio of any artist, designer or craftsman (dead or alive), who would it be?
No one in particular comes to mind, though I am VERY much interested in peeking inside artists’ studios, which I guess is why I like things like The Selby or Closet Visit so much. I love seeing the things that people use every day, and while I am interested in their art and their processes, I’m even more curious to know what kind of coffee mug they use, or what their notebook looks like. I love to see pictures of artists’ spaces without the consciousness of having prepared for a photoshoot.
What handmade possession do you most cherish?
Two of the things I proudly use literally every day are my recycled military duffle tote and my notebook, both of which I made myself and which are very dear to me.
How do you get out of your creative ruts?
Coffee. And cigarettes. And thrift shopping.
Where would you like to be in ten years?
Designing and making things full time. In an abandoned warehouse.
This weekend’s Get the Look Decor is inspired by Jeska’s Victorian flat conversion in Hastings, East Sussex, England, where she lives with her husband and two naughty cats. Their home’s neutral background makes it easy to swap out a look or rearrange artwork to make room for Jeska’s growing collection of vintage treasures. Visit Jeska on Flickr for more photos of her inspiring home.
How would you describe your home decorating style?
A mixture of collected heirlooms, bright florals, a dash of vintage pretty, and old or found furniture that’s a bit battered and scratched. I am trying to man up for the husband’s sake, but it hasn’t happened yet. Maybe in the next house?
Did you decide to decorate in this style or was there an evolution to your decorating process?
I guess this is just the look of an ever-evolving collection of the things I find beautiful or interesting. All the white came about so I could take pictures more easily with the great natural light we have. When we have more rooms, I would like to experiment with coloured walls again.
What inspires you when it comes to decorating?
A feeling, a memory, old movies, or usually something from my travels or from my younger years. I spent a lot of time visiting relatives for the holidays; both of my aunties have very unique tastes. One has a very functional style with a nod to the ’60s, and the other is super cool with awesome jewellery and beautiful pieces of art hanging everywhere in her house.
Most weekends and summers were spent with my grandparents. My sisters and I had a play house in their garden full of vintage plates, furniture from the ’40s and an old army canvas camp bed. I also can’t deny my addictions to Elle Decoration, The World of Interiors and Vogue Living Australia.
What is your favorite thing about your home?
The bright corner of my kitchen where the table is; I am always changing what hangs above the table (at the moment it is my collection of vintage tea plates). I love to sit here to drink my coffee and finish up my blog posts.
Does your home hold any strong memories?
This is the first house we’ve actually owned. When we moved in, it was a total wreck and in way worse shape than we remembered. Now the stressful bit is long forgotten, I have fond memories of the challenge we faced getting it from bare brick to the calm, white oasis it is today.
Aside from being interiors-obsessed, Jeska runs an Etsy shop, lobsterandswan, where she sells gorgeous photographic prints, postcards and handcrafted paper garlands. Find out more about Jeska on her blog, Lobster & Swan, where she shares all the things that warm her heart, from favorite recipes and decorating ideas to daily discoveries and inspirations.
Looking for more styles and interiors? Check out our video series, There’s No Place Like Here, where creative types show us their unique spaces – infused with their aesthetic and filled with the treasures they collect. Get involved and show us your amazing space in this Flickr pool.
Every day, our community grows in unexpected and delightful ways. For our Fresh Shops series, sellers who have been on Etsy for a mere handful of months or are awaiting their first sale introduce themselves. Here’s a warm welcome to all our newbies!
For this post, Anne Clemmer wrote about artist Daniel Schwartz, who recently began selling some of his pieces in his Etsy Shop, dogknot. Anne lives and works in Bloomington, IN, where she completed studies in philosophy and French and worked in publishing before retiring to a more tranquil rhythm.
Looking at one of Daniel Schwartz‘s fiber pieces, it may occur to you that you have never quite seen anything like it. And yet, it reminds you of things you have seen before: things in anatomy books, diagrams of arteries, ventricles, adipose-laden tissues, blood-colored muscle-like fibers bound by a web of creamy yarn fascia. What are you seeing when you look at one of Daniel’s pieces? They seem to give you more than ample opportunity to see what you want to see, and yet, what are they? What is the information or experience that Daniel is downloading in his creative process and forming into these winding, sometimes comforting, sometimes repulsive works?
Working with fiber allows Daniel an interactive creative process like nothing he had experienced in his years painting and working in other media. Daniel tried for years to learn to crochet and never quite reached a level of creative satisfaction where his process could flow freely, uninhibited by the technique. Consequently, he developed what he jokingly refers to as “no-chet,” a style of working the yarn with the tools of crochet, but with a very organic and free-flowing technique. Pieces of crocheted innards stuffed away in a closet would be discovered years later and suddenly make sense and be developed and fleshed out. “I always feel like I’m sketching instead of crocheting,” Daniel says.
There is a meditative aspect to the work Daniel does, a subconscious flow that surfaces and permeates the work with each stitch. There is a process of understanding as Daniel watches his hands move – almost as a spectator. They flow with an energy separate from himself, an understanding of the underlying structures of life that emerge in the form.
The work is evolving as the artist does. “For 20 years it has been about mining deeper,” Daniel says. Now his work is beginning to have a freer and more playful tone. It has become less about processing darkness and more about feeling the present moment.
Her arms were so long she could tie them in knots, in double-eights and barrel loops and a two-arm, overhand hitch. Sometimes, if she turned too quickly, her arms would whip around her like planetary orbits, her tiny fists spinning through space. She slapped people by accident and knocked things off shelves. But her father thought unbreakable plates were morbid, an attempt at immortality and an affront to fragile hearts. Also, he was an optimist. For the girl was not only the gangliest, but also the smartest person in the county – you could tell by her smile – and perhaps she’d one day learn to be graceful.
[Clockwise, from top left: Handmade head hanging planter from tracybrannstrom; Vintage 1950s plaid pullover from littleveggievintage; New Zealand wool blanket from Fox and Thomas; Porcelain bowls from Kate Braland Ceramics; Vintage red huarache sandals from Skinny and Bernie; Galvanized punched out hanging lantern from Ocean Swept; Sterline silver branch with three pine cones from Gur Kimel; Pine stump stool no. 5 from Heavy Grain]
She picked apples while lying in the shade, the juicy sun-kissed ones in the highest upper boughs, beyond bird nests and power lines. She gave hugs that went on for days. But being so long-limbed brought on a fair bit of teasing, and the girl soon developed a thirsty wit, a demeanor so dry that rivers became streams and stores sold out of hand lotion and lip salve.
[Clockwise, from top left: Four Fables in Slang by George Ade from beepalix; Vintage 1980s Morris the Cat t-shirt from Lapine Ours; Allsorts high-lather soap from Ethically Engineered; Carved oak tree and stump from treewiz; 1970s work boots from vintageurbanrenewal; Vintage flocked jackalope bank from recycledcharm; Weathered primitive desk caddy from goodmerchants]
One day, on the outskirts of town, a tornado appeared: not too big, but social: the kind that seems to favor habitation instead of solitude on the open plains. The twister felled the old oak tree, knocked over a barn, and carried away a chicken or two in its enthusiasm. People went inside. And the girl called for her cat, Babe, a cat so round and fluffy orange that it looked like a cartoon drawing of the sun. Babe was outside in a tree, of course, licking his paw.
[Clockwise, from top left: Vintage scallop collar blouse from Moonthong; Canvas vintage folding camping stool from Indianvsindian; Wooden moon phases handmade puzzle from justhatched; Secret order of the beaver badge from touchthedutch; Vintage LL Bean duffel bag from The Old Chap; Vintage laboratory tins from lacklusterco; Paul Bunyan souvenir powder compact from lindapaloma; Jagged wing glasses from Vintage50seyewear]
Now, it’s an easy task for a long-armed girl to pluck a cat from a tree, a specialty and a ready favor. This time, though, she was in the path of the tornado, and it barreled into her like a long lost friend. Don’t get me wrong, folks ’round here have seen a lot, like really big zucchinis and their fair share of game day miracles. But when the girl wrapped her ropey arms around the tornado and started to soft shoe: well, that was something else.
All night under the bright gray sky, the girl and the tornado dipped and twirled and danced, until the tornado got tired. They were waltzing, some said later. The flamenco, others insisted. Fact is, the girl with really long arms was just holding on. That’s the toughest sort of grace.
Su Wu of I’m Revolting continues to compile a list of the things, places and misinterpreted philosophies that somehow manage to coalesce into a well-lived life. These narrative-driven collections will find you stealing out of your alternate personas’ closets.
Two days ago we published this post, which has upset and offended some members of our community. We offer our apologies. It’s very important that Etsy be a place where everyone feels safe and respected, and that all dialogue remains civil. We realize now what we could have done differently as editors and we thank you for sharing your honest reactions. Some people have expressed concern over related material published on other sites. We can’t control what happens on those sites, but we’re listening to you.
Thanks for listening too,
Juliet
Etsy’s editorial director
On Memorial Day weekend 2011, my groom and I joined hands, entwined bootlaces and shared a single bean in matrimony at what very well may be the first hobo-themed wedding. We invited our friends and family to share in our happiest of days, wear their shabbiest, drink moonshine, eat their fill of BBQ and pie, dance to a live jug band and howl at the moon.
As we began planning our wedding 15 months earlier, Brian and I knew we didn’t want to follow tradition. Neither of us is religious and our families are very fun, easygoing folks, so we immediately took the rule book and threw it out the window. Though some of the details fell into place quickly, the “Depression-era hobo” theme of our wedding didn’t come to us right away. In fact, it was my obsession with the 1930s, the “great recession,” our own limited budget and, finally, a suggestion from Brian’s grandma, Rose, that planted the tiny seed of the idea into our heads.
Rose told us about her own wedding reception in the 1940s. They called it a “football party” because, instead of a fancy catered dinner, the guests were served piles of wrapped sandwiches in the center of each table and they tossed them from table to table like footballs. Something about the spirit of that back-to-basics kind of reception got to us (and made our bellies rumble for sandwiches). We wanted to create an event that was unfussy, honest, beautiful, fun and, most importantly, from the heart. Just like Rose’s sandwiches!
Once the theme was decided, we got to work researching the Depression era and hobo culture. As we prepared to make everything for our wedding, we collected feed sack dresses and old work boots, antique hand-stitched quilts and jug band instruments. After reading that the word “hobo” may be a syllabic abbreviation of “homeward bound,” we fell in love with the notion. Brian was in charge of illustrating and designing our save-the-date postcards, creating custom labels for our party favors (mini-flasks of “moonshine”) and our wedding invitations, and writing the ceremony from scratch. I was in charge of creating the atmosphere of the event: putting together our hobo-chic outfits, the outfits for our wedding party, the wedding décor, flower arrangements, bindle bouquets and boutonnieres.
I purchased most of the authentic Depression-era garments on Etsy. For starters, I wore a ruffled cotton voile dress from My Favorite Vintage, a vintage millinery crown by Little Deer Handmade and delicate cutout oxfords from The Exhausted Etiquette Vintage. My maid of honor and twin sister, Maggie (a.k.a. “The Bad Twin”), wore one-of-a-kind feed sack overalls by Closet Case Vintage and a sheer pink pintucked blouse from Greatest Friend.
My mom, Cindy (a.k.a. “Record Lady”), wore a hand-embroidered orange checkered dress with a raggedy hemline by Maria of Adelaide’s Homesewn as she walked me down the aisle. Both of my bridesmaids’ dresses were from Etsy, too! Brian’s sister, Jenny, wore a dress by 1385 and my sister, Lindsey, wore a dress by Jennie’s Junque. I also found perfectly worn quilts that I cut for table runners and buntings, tiered tin can caddies for dried flower arrangements, custom bandana bowties for the groom and groomsmen and my little knotted string wedding band.
As most couples do, we busted our butts for months before the wedding. However, we couldn’t have pulled it off on our own. We had the help of our amazing friends and family all along the way: my mom spent months redecorating and readying her home to host the big event; Brian’s mom’s partner, Diane, handcrafted clever wind chimes out of thrift store cutlery to decorate the yard; and Maggie helped my mom, sister Lindsey and cousin Justine cut and assemble vintage quilt buntings to decorate our tent.
My mom’s best friends made our cocktail hour snacks – brown bags of popcorn and burlap sacks of peanuts, complete with hobo signs. Brian’s sister and bridesmaid, Jenny, recruited her boyfriend Jim and his musician friends to play some old-timey tunes. Maria connected me with our amazing photographer, Chelsea Donoho, who came all the way from Kansas City. She captured the wedding so beautifully in exchange for a meager round-trip plane ticket and a place to stay. And finally, the wedding wouldn’t have been the success it was without the incredible participation of every single one of our guests who played along and donned their hobo best!
About the authors: Sarah is an admissions counselor at Moore College of Art & Design, an artist, and textile designer. She also sells vintage and handmade items in her two Etsy shops, Mouse Trap Vintage and SquidWhale Designs. She is inspired by old, time-worn objects and American folk art. She spends much of her time hunting for unique curios. Brian (affectionately known as “Box”) is a full-time cartoonist/part-time alt-comics publisher with a stinging wit and a certain tolerance for Sarah’s junk-collecting. What the couple has in common is their sense of humor, their love for their two cats, Buster and Louis, and their shallow pockets.
Whether you’re a bride to be, or just love seeing what’s new in unique handmade and vintage finds for weddings, RSVP for Etsy’s Weddings email.
Are you planning a handmade wedding anytime soon? Share in the comments below!
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I run Knot & Bow out of my Brooklyn apartment, where I live with my husband and 2-year-old son. We are originally from North Carolina, and landed in New York when I took an internship here as part of my graduate program in arts administration. I loved my career, but when I went on maternity leave, Knot & Bow was born out of the desire for me to be at home more with my son. Now, I have my dream job.
Apart from creating things, what do you do?
I love exploring New York City with my family. There is so much to do here, and we try not to take it for granted. It’s pretty amazing to be able to take our son to some of the best museums, parks, and zoos in the world – and it’s extra special to experience it through the eyes of a child. Aside from that, dreamy afternoons for me include baking, curling up with a good book, and drinking a cup of coffee.
What would be the title of your memoir?
Start Somewhere. It’s my new mantra. I am an incredibly indecisive person and can get bogged down and overwhelmed by details (I spent a full year planning before I launched Knot & Bow). I fully believe in the power of mulling over ideas, but I have realized that my biggest successes in life – both personal and professional – have come at times when I took the plunge and just got started on something I was interested in exploring.
Where does your inspiration come from?
It’s everywhere, and in places I’m sure I don’t even realize. My local sandwich shop wraps its sandwiches in brown butcher paper, and the Italian bakeries down the street tie up their boxes with layers of cherry red twine. The mix of people and places makes life in New York inspiring every day, and when I get out of the city, I’m generally taken aback by the nature around me.
What does handmade mean to you?
The thought, care, attention, and touch that has been imparted into an object by an individual, regardless of the role that they might play in its creation. It’s inspiring to think about how everything around us (outside of nature) was dreamed up and made by someone.
Who has been most influential in your craft?
I’m lucky to have amazing family and friends who have been so instrumental and influential to me throughout my life’s artistic ventures. I have several family members who have made their living as artisans, which has always been a huge inspiration to me. My husband has been a key part of Knot & Bow, acting as my teammate every step of the way, lending his expertise in photography and web development, and generally being my support system in what would otherwise be a solo venture.
When did you know you were an artist/maker?
I’ve been artistically inclined for as long as I can remember, spending school years in arts classrooms and summers at arts camps.
How would you describe your creative process?
I’ve always had a little trouble harnessing my creative energy, as I am a dabbler and my strong suit has never been in drawing or painting. Still, I find sketching to be such an important process for me, even if I am just writing down ideas and doodling.
If you could peek inside the studio of any artist, designer or craftsman (dead or alive), who would it be?
One of my favorite memories was visiting Penland School of Crafts one summer and watching all varieties of craftspeople at work – glassblowers, ceramicists, jewelry makers, etc. On a totally different end of the spectrum, I’ve always been intrigued by Cindy Sherman, and her ever-morphing sense of self.
What handmade possession do you most cherish?
My wedding ring, which was made for me by my aunt, jepaterakjewelry. It’s a wide, 18 karat gold band textured with tiny raised spheres, and two tiny diamonds to symbolize my husband and me.
How do you get out of your creative ruts?
Sometimes I try to spend a morning alone just drawing or thinking to organize my thoughts. But, I’m always in a better place when I’ve been able to spend some time playing outside with my kiddo and getting some head space. Working at home can be an around-the-clock job, so things seem to click better for me when I’m giving myself plenty of time off.
Where would you like to be in ten years?
I’m excited to see how Knot & Bow will grow and evolve over the years. I’d be thrilled to have my own little shop someday. My dream scenario for my personal life would be to have a blissful small house in the country with chickens and a garden, and a teeny landing pad in the city for living out our big city adventures.
Chelsea Fairless and Megan Hart are friends and co-founders of the feline-centric fashion blog Cat Party. Megan lives in Portland and runs the online boutique Summerland. Chelsea lives in New York and is currently developing a new website in collaboration with V magazine. When they are not working or watching cat videos on YouTube, Chelsea and Megan enjoy going to brunch, vintage shopping, getting tarot card readings, and watching an alarming amount of Law & Order: SVU reruns.
We’ve always had a thing for hearts and cats. As children we loved Lisa Frank and Garfield. As teenagers, we idolized Catwoman and rarely left a Salvation Army without something with a heart on it. We’re still trying to unload all of the junk that we accumulated during that period. And as adults, our obsession with hearts and cats shows no sign of wavering. They adorn our dresses, pillows, keychains, and refrigerator doors. We have lamps, jewelry, paintings, shoes, chairs…the list is never-ending. So when we were asked to curate a selection of items from Etsy, we naturally gravitated towards a heart and cat theme. We hope you like our selections; please buy the vintage items immediately so we won’t be able to. If we continue to buy heart and cat stuff at this rate we will be able to open a museum come winter.
[1. Cat clock print from CaitlinShearer; 2. Gold plated heart ring from melt'm design studio; 3. Heart's Dreamboat Annie vinyl album from retromodstore; 4. Siamese cat lamp from Honey Brown Vintage; 5. Pink heart stickers from Knot & Bow]
1. If only we could buy the suit as well!
2. This looks so perfect in rose gold. Is it just us, or is rose gold having a “moment”?
3. The cover is the best and “Magic Man” is one of our all-time favorite karaoke songs.
4. This is the sort of 3 a.m. impulse buy that you will cherish for a lifetime.
5. They have gold ones, too.
[6. Heart leather bag from LaLisette; 7. Custom pet portrait from Sarah McNeil; 8. Lisa Frank pin from Ditbge; 9. Heart poster from Banquet; 10. Pink doily heart gift wrap from Banquet]
6. Finally! A handbag that you and your 5-year-old self can agree on.
7. She offers single and double portraits so your dog won’t feel left out.
8. Lisa Frank is timeless, like Chanel. And fortunately, cheaper.
9. We are also coveting their rabbit print.
10. Also used as the background of our collages.
[11. Wild heart banner from nice; 12. Hand embroidered kitten from The Furnace Room; 13. Constellation cat print from clever nettle; 14. Cat ring from TheGoldCatCom; 15. The mini meow tote bag from fieldguided; 16. Catwoman party invitations from schmoo1515]
11. This reminds us of one of our favorite Stevie Nicks songs and it sparkles.
12. This one is a bargain, people!
13. Anja from Clever Nettle is also a photographer, check out her recent collaboration with Summerland on Cat Party.
14. The pug ring is also ridiculously adorable.
15. This was a collaboration between Fieldguided and Sonja Ahlers, one of our favorite artists. Be sure to check out her shop as well.
16. We searched for “cat party” on Etsy and these popped up. Too perfect!
Thanks Chelsea and Megan for sharing their finds! Visit them at Cat Party.
