:: Erika

Every year over the Fourth of July holiday we pack our camper to the brim, load up the dogs, the horses, the children and every yard game known to man and venture just forty-five miles south to the private lake and cabin that has been in my family for years. There we converge on an almost week long family reunion. The small, rustic, three-room cabin built by my grandfather shortly after World War II acts as a community center as each family pulls in and sets up camp on the surrounding lawn.

As much as it is a tradition to gather there, spending the week fishing, swimming, and playing games, more so is it a tradition to take advantage of the season at hand. No, not the season of independence; the season of berries. Neighboring the property on which our haven resides is a u-pick farm. Though we’ve added a couple blueberry bushes to our own landscape over the years the u-pick, owned and operated by old family friends, remains our favorite place to buy berries of all kinds. I grew up on the strawberries grown from their fields, and have every intention of my children doing the same.

Picking the berries, a job I remember as long, hot, and tedious from the days of my youth, is often the easy part now. Preparing them to everyone’s liking is an entirely different matter. Our youngest, a purist at heart, likes them straight from the bush. It’s all we can do to make sure she doesn’t eat them before we pay. Our oldest likes them whipped into a breakfast smoothie. The husband likes them in pies, cobblers and shortcakes. And me? I can’t resist a good jam. Jam on scones, muffins, between the layers of a moist pound cake, over the top of a scoop of vanilla ice cream; I live for sinfully delicious jams made of homegrown berries.

We’re fortunate to have a u-pick both conveniently located and intimately interwoven with our family’s history, but you don’t have to know someone in the home-growing business to take advantage of the berry season. No matter how you like your berries prepared, you can find a u-pick like the one I’ve been frequenting since before I could walk at pickyourown.org. Or if you’re feeling a little less do-it-yourself, visit localharvest.org to find your nearest farmer’s market where you’ll likely run across artisans selling their already prepared berry goods; pies, cobblers, jams, shortcakes, and more. Either way you’ll be supporting local farm families and artisans. Just know, we can’t be held responsible for the pure, unbridled addiction that will follow.

Oh, and while I’m at it, why not pick up a berry bowl for washing, storing and snacking from year after year? If you buy it, I won’t have to. And both my wallet and husband will thank you.

Diana Prichard is a homegrown and artisan food junkie, freelance writer and wanna-be homesteader living in rural Michigan. You can find more on her work and life at dianaprichard.com, follow her on Twitter or friend her on Facebook.

Connie Norsworthy of Circlelinestudio lives in Las Vegas with her husband, Lee, and their kids, Sam, Tommy and Mack as well as two miniature Schnauzers, Lexi and Cava. Connie describes herself as easygoing, spontaneous, hardworking and loyal. When she’s not working, she loves hanging out with her family. They all love to travel and explore. She also loves simple things, ‘like a good cup of coffee or the fragrance of a great candle. I also have a bit of a paper addiction, calendars, planners, pretty papers.‘ Be sure to check out her shop, Circlelinestudio.

How long have you been making wall decals and why did you start?

I started my business in Sept 2008. Mackenzie my daughter and youngest of our kids started first grade leaving me with a full day at home alone. I decided it was a good time to get back into a working environment but didn’t want to work on anyone else’s schedule. I’ve been fortunate to be a stay at home mom and wanted to maintain that freedom. I checked in to a lot of different things and when I came upon this idea, I knew it was a great fit.

What are the supplies needed to make them?

I cut all my decals from removable sheet vinyl.

Where do you get your materials?

I have a distributor in Washington that I order my vinyl from.

Can you tell us a little of your process?

I have a graphic library set up of the decals for sale. Once an order comes in it’s a fairly easy process of loading the vinyl into the vinyl cutter. With a few clicks of the mouse the machine starts to cut the decal. When that’s finished, the decal is ready to be weeded (the process where I remove the extra pieces of vinyl from the design by hand). Once the extra vinyl has been removed, I apply a transfer tape to the design and it’s ready to go.

How long does it take?

The amount of time depends on the design. Simple designs like my elegant chandelier can be done start to finish in 20 minutes. More intricate designs like the funky floral peace sign can take up to an hour.

Do you have a dedicated work area/room?

I do have a dedicated work area. The vinyl cutter is a large piece of equipment with limited mobility. I have that set up with a large table to do the weeding, taping and packaging. My laptop makes it easy to work anywhere for the design and online parts of my business.

Is this your full-time job? Hobby? Fun?

It’s a full-time job. There’s a lot that goes into running your own business. There’s also a lot of competition out there so it’s a constant process to keep adding new designs.

Where do you get your ideas for new images?

Most of my new designs come from customer requests. I customer will send me a photo of fabric or a picture they want to design around and I’ll pull together an image for a decal. A lot of times custom work becomes a decal or set in my store.

Do you have a best seller?

I think my best seller right now is the bare tree with 3 birds. People seem drawn the nature designs and birds are a huge trend in home decor right now.

What is your favorite?

I think my favorite is the funky floral peace sign. It has some really fun floral elements, it’s just a fun piece.

Do you do other kinds of crafts?

I do some quilting. My two sister in laws have a quilt shop in Phoenix, so it’s easy to get inspired for a new quilt project.

What do you see yourself doing in 5 years?

I hope to be continuing along the path I’m on. I have a lot of fun designing new decals and getting them out to people. I love to get photo’s back from customers. It makes it more personal and rewarding.

Have any advice for people trying to start their own handcrafted business?

Find something you love and build your business around that. “If you enjoy what you do, you will never work another day in your life” - Confucius. Think positive, believe in yourself, work hard.

Leah Peterson writes at www.leahpeah.com/blog.

Candied Beauty: 100% Vegetarian, 100% Cruelty-Free, 90-100% Natural! (Vegan products include everything, but those with whipped topping- they contain a small amount of meringue powder/powdered egg whites.) Made with ONLY the finest, top-quality ingredients!

Erika Jurney is the founder of Try Handmade. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook, or learn more about her love of the handmade.

When you think Idaho, you probably don’t think about the indie craft scene. But I found some pretty cool crafters in this little corner of the US of A. If you like what you see below and what to find some more Idaho crafters, check out the Southeast Idaho Etsy Team and Idaho Indie Works.

Undone Clothing features remade vintage clothing, accessories, and odds & ends. These earrings caught my eye because they’d make a perfect gift for my mother who always has her scissor “necklace” on and a tape measure around her shoulders. There are also wallets, purses, bracelets, and a watch constructed from tape measures in the shop.

Flora Bond is full of fabulous textile jewelry. Her necklaces are bold, statement pieces that would complement both a dress and a tank top & jeans. Most of her pieces are designed with vintage materials and beads. With a distinctly bohemian aesthetic, this jewelry is right on trend!

Ivy and Mae is the brainchild of a stay-at-home mom with two little boys. Which just goes to show how much more fun it is to dress a little girl! Her shop is full of clever little bubble skirts and dresses for little girls in exceptional fabrics. I chose the tie (above) because little boys need to have fun dressing up, too!

Katie, from Katie Blair Designs, has a yummy shop full of simple - mostly single color - stationery designs. Her prints are slightly weathered giving a vintage quality to her modern designs.

Tara Gentile is the creator & editor of Handmade in PA.net, a blog and online community that supports arts & crafts in Pennsylvania. She's always looking for new talent, events to feature, and projects to share with her readers - to get involved, email tara@handmadeinpa.net.

Audrey Cantwell: I cut and I sew and I save the more fortunate results.

Erika Jurney is the founder of Try Handmade. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook, or learn more about her love of the handmade.

It’s summer, time for lots of parties that will put your kitchen into overdrive! It’s easy to keep your kitchen pretty and well-stocked with a supply of handmade goodies.

First up are these yellow damask tea towels from Fancy Boutique. The yellow color screams summer while the damask pattern adds a hint of sophistication. Also, check out the Fancy Boutique etsy shop for aprons to pretty yourself up while you’re working in the kitchen.

Another fun way to incorporate fabric into your kitchen is through your potholders. These colorful and whimsical potholders are from LMK Quilts. The vibrant colors are sure to have you smiling as you pull out trays of cookies, cupcakes, and muffins.

Speaking of cupcakes, how about storing your decorating supplies in one of these adorable spice racks from Knotty Knotty? This is one spice rack that is definitely worth showcasing on your countertop.

Maybe I’m biased because I’m a redhead, but I adore this mug made by Fire Sign Designs. Not only can I easily imagine enjoying a cup of tea in this mug, but I’m also guessing that houseguests will know immediately that this mug belongs to me.

We’ve talked in previous posts about my unnatural affection for prep bowls. Well, that love also extends to the prep bowls cousin, the nesting bowl. These nesting bowls by Sierra Clay Art are perfect in every way, including the ease of pour-ability.

Last, but not least, let’s deck the halls of your kitchen. I love the idea of including food photography, but it’s even better when it’s unexpected, like this photo of red kale from Photos by Kymm. I love that this edible item will look like a flower adorning your kitchen walls.

With these handmade items your kitchen will quickly go from drab to fab! Join me next week when we get ready for Pioneer Day!

Kristin Huston blogs about jewelry and makes Raspberry Tiramisu in her spare time.

Hitomi Kimura is the designer and screen printer of kalla Design, textile and surface design studio based in Ibaraki, Japan.

In 2007, after studying graphic design and working for a publisher in London, England, Hitomi started her own small business in Japan, selling her screen printed matters.

All the printed products are hand screen printed with water-based eco-friendly inks and then some of them are carefully machine sewed by the designer herself.

Erika Jurney is the founder of Try Handmade. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook, or learn more about her love of the handmade.

Dear Reader,

I have a huge fondness for ice. The naughty ice cube trick my college roommate taught me. The ice the nurse wrapped up in a diaper for post-birth relief. The Ice I rubbed on my teething baby’s gums. The half melted glass of ice I crunched loudly during my first big fight with my husband. The ice in the water that helped me make a decent pie crust for the first time. The ice that clinks in my glass at the end of the day when the house is quiet and sleepy.

Vintage Mobile Glasses At five6seven8

When we (and by “we” I mean IKEA and my husband) renovated our kitchen we put in a new refrigerator with an ice maker. Oh joy! Ice on tap! I could scoop an entire cooler full of ice and still have enough left over for my diet pop. Ice! But I’m finding that I actually miss my old ice cube trays. We had a few of those great vintage metal ones that would make a giant “crack!” when you lifted the lever and released the ice. Even whacking the blue Tupperware ice tray against the counter was satisfying.

Aluminum Frigidaire Quikube Trays from Entwife

So in tribute to ice I’m going to share some delicious ice cube recipes. Don’t laugh, just read on!

Perfect Ice

Step 1: Use filtered water; there are less minerals and hard water deposits to cloud your ice.

Step 2: Boil your water. Cool. Boil again. Why all the boiling? Other than Lotta’s OCD, it’s because it helps to boil away all those mystical things in your water that make it cloudy. Don’t think about it too hard dear.

Step 3: Once cooled, pour into your trays and freeze. And ta-da, perfect crystal clear ice cubes, perfect for clinking about in your vodka tonic.

Ice N Slice Ice Cube Trays

Yummy Ice

Step 1: Gather whatever delicious things you would like to freeze in your ice. Some yummy things include; slices of lemon, lime or oranges, maraschino cherries and mint.

Step 2: Make some “perfect ice” or hell, just use regular water. Fill your trays about half full, depending on the size of what you’re dropping in. Displacement and all that.

Step 3: Plop in your garnish and freeze on a level surface. Then enjoy your diet coke with frozen lemon slice ice, ice tea with minty ice cubes or kitty cocktail with frozen cherries.

Fun Ice

Step 1: This ice is going into a bucket and not into anyone’s glass. So what you can gather to put inside is limitless. (Though this is yet another thing to keep away from small children.) Some fun combinations include; cranberries and sprigs of evergreen rose heads, tiny garden gnomes, beer charms, and kazoos - no restrictions since nobody will be eating this.

Step 2: I think you get the idea by now, plunk your stuff into the trays.

Step 3: Dump all that ice into an ice bucket or your beer coral. Clear ones are great since they show off your hard work. But anything can be an ice bucket from a rusty tin pail to one of the kid’s plastic toy bins. Put in your booze and enjoy!

Love, Lotta

Lotta Svoboda firmly believes that crafting keeps her happy and sane, despite occasionally gluing her fingers together. You can also visit her at Mom-O-Matic or Etsy.

This week’s Shop Local features the beautiful countryside of Suffolk, England. While a geographical search on Etsy didn’t reveal a lot of crafters, it did reveal some real eye candy! I loved the three shops below and think you will too. And if you can’t get enough of Suffolk, check out the Suffolk Craft Society for more fine crafters creating modern art with traditional techniques.

Lu Summers, of Summersville, creates hand printed fabric and prints in fun colors and a variety of hand drawn doodles. I especially love the surprising color combination on this fabric bound journal. Her designs are all one color, lending a certain retro appeal to the modern colors. While Lu uses her fabrics in tiny art quilts, I could also see these used in little zippered pouches, accents on pillows, or a border on a set of curtains.

Zoe Woods, on Etsy and Coriandr, comes from a family of crafters and design professionals. The family business specialized in retail display & promotion and worked for names such as, “Laura Ashley, Clarks and K Shoes, Jaeger, Debenhams, Harrods, House of Fraser and many more in the UK and abroad.” Her jewelry is created using paper college, wood, and resin. On Etsy, she features a line of cutesy pieces perfect for little girls or the little girl within us all. On Coriandr, you can find a more grown-up aesthetic featuring creatively layered pieces that are at once strikingly two dimensional and deeply three dimensional.

Birgitte, of Sew Danish, is a true textile & fiber artist. Her art is both the manipulation of raw materials and the composition of those materials & found pieces. The container above is crafted from her own handmade cream colored fabric, then lined in lime green Thai silk, and finished with free form machine embroidery. An elegant addition to any shelf!

Tara Gentile is the creator & editor of Handmade in PA.net, a blog and online community that supports arts & crafts in Pennsylvania. She's always looking for new talent, events to feature, and projects to share with her readers - to get involved, email tara@handmadeinpa.net.