Split Personality

by Kathy of Weller Wishes

Well the time has come again -- I have apparently out of business cards. I loathe business cards.... well, not the cards themselves, but the process of figuring out how I want to commit to presenting myself on them. It shouldn't be so hard, yet every time I run out and it's time for a redesign, it sets me into first-panic-then-procrastination mode.

Truth is, I've needed new business cards for months now. But the eternal dilemma I run into is always the same -- how to create an all-inclusive business card without having it scream "kitchen sink"? I often resort to having separate cards for different creative interests. I know a lot of creative professionals also have their hands in many different things, so I know that my dilemma is not an isolated one. Instead of having separate business cards for each of the creative' hats' I wear, I'd really rather simplify my life and just have ONE card that works on ALL levels.

This sounds so easy, yet it's not so easy to pull off successfully. For one thing, you run the risk of being viewed as a "jack of all trades, king of none". The other thing is what I'll call the possibility of 'aesthetic clash'. Your different outlets may allow you to flex creative muscles that complement your process of each individual outlet. But visually, they just might not marry well together. This would not be a situation conducive to an all-inclusive b-card.

I'm a designer for crying out loud. I should be able to figure this out. Yet here I am again, faced with this dilemma again, unsure of the solution... again....

...Got any ideas?

Fresh from the Farmers Market

by Kirsten of Kirsten Bassion Ceramics

'Tis the season to participate in your local farmer's market or patronize it.

Kirsten Bassion recently spent her Saturday at the Marblehead Farmer's Market with the artists from her studio the North Shore Clay Studio.
We brought a wheel to do throwing demonstrations and about 10 artist from the studio all selling their own work. It created quite a crowd and there is nothing better than a crowd to encourage people to buy. Supporting your local FM is a great way to build your local business and community contacts!

Mosaic Monday- Water

by Mimi Kirchner

It has been a wet and watery summer so far, so we will celebrate since we can't change! A tribute to Water and summer at Boston Handmade.
Lush Beads
Kerry Hawkins Photography
Majenta Designs
Bumble Belly Designs
Tactile Baby
Christine Marie Art
Nancy Rosetta
Lucie Wicker Photography
Lush Beads
Elizabeth Brennick Designs
Chroma Lab
Blue Alvarez Designs

The Die-Hard Sports Fans Guide to Boston

by Allison of Fraske Designs

The next time you are in a book store, be sure to check out The Die-Hard Sports Fans Guide to Boston written by Christopher Klein and published by Union Park Press. I am excited to have been chosen as a contributing photographer to the book. Check out my Souvenirs Sign picture in the color section!


A bit about the book from the Union Park Press website:

"Forget the Freedom Trail and the Swan Boats—the real heart and soul of Boston lives among the fans at Fenway Park, the mobs lining the route of the Boston Marathon, the tailgaters at Boston College, and the crowds celebrating yet another the championship for the Pats, Sox, and Celtics. With Boston home to some of the greatest legends in sports history and such venerable traditions as the Head of the Charles and memorable settings as the Green Monster, it’s no wonder that the city isn’t just passionate about sports—it’s absolutely obsessed.

Paying tribute to Boston’s rich and storied sports history, The Die-Hard Sports Fan’s Guide to Boston is the first and only comprehensive guide to the incredible range of spectator sporting events in and around the Hub. From minor- and major-league baseball, football, basketball, and hockey to soccer and college teams, here’s the practical information that devoted fans need:

• How to get tickets (even at the last minute)
• How to save cash
• Where to eat
• The best spots for autographs
• Sports landmarks around the city
• Itineraries for out-of-town pilgrimages
• Worldwide listings of Boston sports bars
• The “Top Ten Things All Boston Fans Must Do Before the Fat Lady Sings”

It really is an amazing book jam-packed with great info about Boston and the sports in and around us. Any sports fan will not be able to put it down. It makes a great gift, too! (I don't get royalties, it is just that good!)

Somerville Marketplace TODAY!

The 2nd Annual Boston Handmade Marketplace

in Union Square, Somerville, MA will be held today from 3-7pm

Hooray for sunshine! We kept the rain at bay so you could join us at this joyful local event!Enjoy more than 25 independent exhibitors, two live Boston bands, craft demonstrations from the Common Cod Fiber Guild and The Eliot School of Jamaica Plain, and a whole afternoon of supporting YOUR local arts economy!

See you there!

Click HERE for directions
Click HERE for more show info

Senior Art Fest

by Chris O'Brien of Christine Marie Art


Last week I was invited to be a guest artist at Ledgewood Rehab and Nursing Care as part of their Summer Arts Fest. The residents (and lucky guests!) were treated to a fabulous music performance by We Are America. Those girls can sing! Afterwards I shared some of my art, and had a chance to enjoy the artwork created by Ledgewood residents (see the sampling above). Their work was amazing considering the various physical challenges faced by each artist.

Ledgewood is part of Kindred Healthcare which has facilities all across the country, and where art is a part of their daily activities. They have an annual arts contest where winning poetry and art are compiled in a publication called "Kaleidoscope." Some of the entries are from younger patients, but many are from talented seniors like the ones I recently met. Although the online version is from a few years back, it's worth a look!

Nice to see that art does not have a retirement age!

An Early Influence

by Lynne of cozycottagecreations

One of my most favorite art forms is animation. I love animated short films, especially those that are hand drawn. I’m always in awe of how an artist, in just a few frames, can capture the essence of a gesture or movement.

My love of animation started while I was a student at Simmons College. I began there as a biology major with a major aversion to waking up for 8am lab classes. My roommate was taking a class I had never heard of before – Mass Communications 101. Her homework was like nothing I had ever seen; it was all about being creative, and it made me so envious I signed up to take the class the next semester. It was a life-changing choice. During that semester the professor showed us several animated shorts, all Academy Award winners, projected from film from the back of the room. I was entranced. Later I switched my major, and eventually transferred to Emerson College.

I started out at Emerson wanting to become an animator of children’s books, and eventually I became a film/video/documentary editor instead (someday I’ll write a blog article about that).

Up in my attic I have a box labeled "Lynne's Old Film Stuff". I looked through it and found a few flipbooks I had made in my animation class at Emerson. I remember shooting these frame by frame and watching them in class projected from Super 8 film.

As nostalgic as this all makes me, today I say “Hooray for the Internet!”. I was able to find my favorite and most influential of the animated films I saw that day back at Simmons College. It’s a film called “Crac”, by Frederick Back, and it won the Academy Award for Animated Short back in 1981. It still speaks to me on so many levels. It’s sweet, simple, incredibly drawn and deeply moving. I was so happy to show it to my girls!


You can find it here on google video:

Frederick Back also has a fabulous website with workshop-like activities for classrooms or families in conjunction with the themes from his films.

It’s warms my heart to know this stuff is still out there for our next generations! I can’t wait to do these activities with my kids.

A little weekend sewing...

by Nicole of 83 west

After hearing fantastic things about Heather Ross' new sewing book, Weekend Sewing, I just could not resist. I've always stayed away from garment sewing and thought this may give me an opportunity to change that. I've stocked up on elastic thread, which is used quite a bit in the book, and am ready to tackle some projects for summer (if it ever gets here). First up is the smocked sundress for little girls -- I've got the fabric picked and the pieces cut.

The projects in the book range from accessories to apparel and also use various weights of fabric. One of the other great things is that all of the patterns are included at full size (they do need to be traced) and are very versatile. Heather Ross has a set of pattern modifications on her blog that are definitely worth viewing. After the smocked sundress, next up is the summer blouse with a few minor changes.

I often fall "victim" to purchasing the new craft books when they hit the shelves, but this one was certainly worth the investment. Not only are the projects versatile but the photographs are also beautiful to look at.

This is definitely at the top of my summer reading list.

My Artistic Home: Verdigris Artisans

By Katy of muchacha K handmade

Back in March I moved into my studio, Verdigris Artisans. I share Verdigris with three other creative gals, Nila Venne who is a metalsmith, Jacqui Lawton who is a lampworker, and Vicki Green aka Art By Verde, a painter.

We each have our own workspace within the studio, but I love having them there when I'm working. Having people with such different talents in one studio is very inspiring. We are all amazed at, and appreciative of each others skills. Getting to watch Jacqui or Nila fire up a torch, or enjoy Vicki's paintings while I'm taking a break from my work energizes me.

We have Open Studio nights every third Thursday of the month from 6-9...at 88 N. Main St. Ste. 205 in Concord, NH. This pics are from our first one. It was a beautiful night, and it was great to have even MORE people to share our work with!

We also took care to create a space that is beautiful to work in. I feel so lucky to have such a peaceful creative space to share with such talented people.

One More Reason to Fear Losing Your iPhone

By Alicia of Chroma Lab

Many of us in Boston Handmade use traditional techniques like sewing, knitting, painting, metalsmithing, and woodworking to make modern pieces of art and craft. But as a group, we're certainly not averse to new technologies--we blog, tweet, and sell on Etsy, after all.

Tony and I are increasingly dependent on our (...okay, okay, HIS) iPhone to both run our business and help us with our creative process. We use it to talk and write to our customers, find out what's going on in the design world, and to process credit cards at markets (so cool!). Importantly, we also entertain our dog and cats with bird noises with the iBird app. It's good for employee morale.

The newest tool we've been playing with is the Ben Color Capture application, which can be downloaded free from the iTunes app store:

The app allows us to match colors from photos we take with our phone to Benjamin Moore colors, so we can make a note of which paints we want to pick up for our next project. We're constantly inspired by colors we see around us, and this app is so much easier to use than my old method--carrying around a massive color fan deck and post-it noting the matching colors!

When you get a color match, shaking the phone presents you with four coordinating colors, and you can also use the color wheel to find more colors you're looking for:

This app is great for anyone who works creatively with color, whether you're painting or using one of the many art and craft techniques represented in this group. Apple and Benjamin Moore, in the words of Tina Fey as Liz Lemon on 30Rock, "Can we have our money, now?" :D

How do you use technology to assist in your creative work?