The Village at 1000Markets

"From the Village (1KM)"

These pieces show just a sampling of what one can find at the Village on 1000Markets. One can walk along the stoney paths, that are remniscent of a quaint English village in the Lake District, and pop in and out of specialized boutiques. Along the Village Promenade are sweet stores devoted to "Kids, Kids, Kids". Here you can find a plethora of lovely handmade items for decorating childrens' rooms, wooden toys, knitwear, sock monkeys, crayon rolls, and smocks, just to name a few. As you stroll down the Promenade you will find that there are many stores devoted to Clothing (children and adults) and Needlecrafts (pin cushions, pillows, ornaments, cozies, etc). If you soon tire of the bustling village center, perhaps a resting on a bench next to Lake Walden will do. Sit, relax, watch your children chase the birds, skip stones, or just be. Afterwards, you can browse around in the Music Shell , where jewelry artisans are selling their handcrafted baubles. The Village is such a family friendly place where you will want to visit again and again. Plan ahead, there is so much more to see. So you can learn more about The Village, the map at the top of the page is provided so you can plan your visits accordingly.

Article in 'The Economist'

My husband subscribes to 'The Economist', which according to the inside cover was "First published in September 1843 to take part in a severe contest between intelligence, which presses forward, and an unworthy, timid ignorance obstructing our progress". I have from time to time perused issues to see if there is anything of interest to me.

This week's issue, 21 February 2009 (Volume 390 Number 8619), had an interesting article regarding the ceramics industry in Mexico and the use of lead-free glaze. To read the full article please click here.

It appears that many of those who have switched to boron-based glazes (approximately half of potters) have seen an increase in their earnings, due to exporting their goods. The added health benefit must be a decrease in lead poisoning within the potters' families and those who purchase their goods.

Rosie O'Donnell on Etsy?

Yup she is. And it is really her. You can see partial face shots (I like her red glasses the best) of her holding up her items. I have a lot of respect for what she is doing. According to her shop announcement 100% of her proceeds goes directly to "Rosie's Broadway Kids".

"'Rosie's Broadway Kids 'is an arts education organization dedicated to enriching the lives of children through the arts. Using professional teaching artists, Rosie's Broadway Kids provides instruction in dance and music and a professional theater experience for children who might otherwise not have the opportunity. You can read all about the school here http://www.rosiesbroadwaykids.org/."

Its 10:35 CST, I'm tired, I'm going to bed, I'm editing this and making it sound prettier tomorrow.

Lemon out.

Limited Vocabulary

Honestly, I'm a nice person, but I can't help being snarky once in awhile. I am one of those who enjoys perusing handmade sites to see what is out there to be discovered. Tons of talent are on Etsy, 1000Markets, and Artfire. However, when it comes to Etsy, only a limited amount of sellers, or type of art is shown.

My biggest beef are the Etsy search terms that are used. Since they have been selecting and curating more of the front pages, I have seen more items labelled: Faux Bois, woodland, bicycles, flora, and fauna. Guess the hipsters should move out of Brooklyn if they miss the country so much.

What is so ironic is that they asked the community at large, via Twitter to come up with search terms. The suggestions I made were: Cancer Awareness, charity, donation. There are sellers donating funds to worthy causes, myself included (yeah, I'll plug myself, its called promotion). I'm sure there are tons of creative Etsians who volunteered a variety of different terms. However, due to the limited vocabulary of the Etsy staff we are stuck with repeating front pages.

No offense to the talented artisans who make these gorgeous items. I've just reached saturation and it has started to rain. I think I need an "umbrella"...maybe I'll send that search term to Etsy and tell them to shove it somewhere. Ooh. My claws are out.

"Variety in the Village" This is a spotlight I made on www.byhandmade.me. These spotlights can take items from Etsy, Dawanda, Artfire, and 1000Markets and feature them, similar to treasuries on Etsy. Go have some fun!

Thank You to SmokeyMountainScents

She featured me in her blog and NYMemo won a pair of earrings. Congrats!

Brick and Mortar Store

Are you in or nearby San Antonio, Texas? Recycled Jeans, Co (Amy) and I have opened a stall at Homestead Handcrafts off of 35.