vibrant color and flowers inducing a state of spring fever.

barefoot hippie print by stephanie corfee

paper collage print by 111 collage design

art quilt by andrus gardens quilt

all handmade in pennsylvania and found through the HiP flickr pool.

To end the week on a light note. Many of Poor Dog Farm’s paintings and ACEO prints start off as a simple concept: take an animal (generally a bird) and put them in a hat. Sometimes matching hats with birds or mammals or even amphibians can end up being to cutesy.  Not these paintings. These are the right blend of serious and comical. Enjoy.

Passionately detailed ceramics by Mariko Swisher, Lancaster.

Okay, okay. Enough is enough. Here’s a collection of handmade goodness that represents all things that are not snow, white or cold.  So draw your blinds and block out the memories of shoveling endless mounds of white and enjoy a taste of spring.

distinctive valentine’s day gifts for the animal, insect and bird lover

animal lover scarf by xenotees

ruby beetle mechanique by 19 moons

cedar waxwing watercolor by sixsisters

all handmade in Pennsylvania and found in the HiP flickr pool.

These illustrations are outstanding from Leah Felicity, of State College.  They’re so expressive and rich with personality.  Take a moment and think about what you would look like as a Leah Felicity illustration, I bet it’ll make you smile.  Enjoy.

Here’s a little about Leah from her profile:

In my spare time, I enjoy bright colors, animals, cooking badly, reality television, gobbling books whole, and contributing nothing to trivia. My favorite color is purple and I only drive Dodge Neons. I live in State College, PA with my fiance, dog, and stuffed animals that stare at me while I sleep.

February is a great party month. We’re tired of hibernating.  Super bowl. Valentines Day. President’s Day. Hey- whatever occasion works for you. Have a blast!

In my vision of a super relaxed but stylin’ super bowl party- I saw these incredibly handsome Pitchfork Side Chairs by Bradford Woodworking. Can’t you see these by your bar table? Bradford Woodworking has a fabulous new retail site. Shop away- feel good about these beautifully handcrafted pieces you will enjoy forever.

Speaking of feeling good and party decor… have a look at these lovely recycled glass plates by Riverside Design Group. These are part of their initiative called  Plates With Purpose™, a series of custom glass plates designed to raise awareness of the missions of our non-profit partners…. Riverside donates 15% of our Plates With Purpose™ sales to these vital organizations…

Now, to complete your lovely handmade in Pennsylvania par-tee… don’t forget your Pennsylvania made Farmstead and Artisan cheeses paired with a nice selection of Pennyslvania wines.

Kate, along with her husband, bring together farm, food and design at The Steel Fork. They also design and create sculptural metalworks using recycled farm machinery – Gatski Metal. Kate is also the mother of two busy little children.

A recent post about the culture of cheap on the new Crafting an MBA blog got me thinking – A LOT – about the importance of talking about handmade and its essential role in our lives.

As craft-makers and lovers, we sometimes think the act of making a craft is the most important part of then selling it.  But, it’s essential that you talk about the story behind the piece: inspiration, materials chosen, process, setbacks, resolution, etc.  Tara Gentile has great insight on the PA Crafts blog today about sharing your space in pictures.

The story of the work’s creation is why someone wants to buy the piece. Sure they may want to buy it simply because its red and matches their shoes.  But that story is why I, for example, bought a $30 woodturned dish for my son’s first food bowl instead of a $1 piece of plastic.  I want it to last, I want it to matter and I want to care about what it is.  I didn’t want it to just fill my immediate need of having a bowl.

I want us all to commit to talking about craft more often, more openly, being open about pricing and explaining the real cost of handmade goods.

If you’re a craft-maker and have neighbors or friends or family members that don’t know what you do, tell them what you do. Show them how you do it! And state why your work costs what it does. It’ll go a long way. If you love craft, share it. Make the norm to give handmade and include a business card of the maker. It connects the person behind the work with its new home.

Yes, handmade craft costs more than plastic junk (or craft imports), but its actually a real cost. It pays a living wage. Not just a ‘fair trade’ wage but a living wage. And one worth paying.

Thanks for listening to my little rant.  I hope you share in the comments below about your thoughts on the subject.  I’m leaving you with this video from Craft Scotland called ‘The C Word.’ I hope it’ll inspire you to share your craft.

Wanna submit your own 5 handmade stops in a county or town or region of PA?  Just send five links to nick@pacrafts.org.

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I lived in Tyler State Park in Bucks county for 3 years.  I don’t miss the traffic, but there’s a couple places I miss…

1 - Nakashima Woodworking Studio – George Nakashima was a true furniture innovator and one of the father of the American craft movement.  This working studio will inspire anyone regardless of your craft.  They have open studio hours on the weekend.  Make a point to stop.

2 - Fonthill Castle & Moravian Tileworks – Fonthill is the concrete mansion of Henry Mercer and it is wildly eccentric.  Every inch is covered in ornamentation and Mercer’s distinct tiles (his tiles adorn the State Capitol).  I loved discovering his dog’s paw prints in the concrete floor.

3 - Pineville Tavern – they make a mean ravioli in-house by hand… yummy.  Built in 1742, this place has charm, a great beer selection and fantastic food.

4 – New Hope – this river town has a lively night life, a bunch of galleries in all sizes and is home to the band Ween.  This destination can be a day trip in itself with its indie record shop, boutiques and bars.

5 - Ringing Rocks – ok this has nothing to do with handmade… bring a hammer and knock out some hands-on tones at this 128-acre park.  A fun place to hike and discover some great natural oddities.

Where would you go from here? Share your favorite handmade stops in Bucks county in the comment section below.

fine crafts with bits of red.

silver focal center piece by holly gage

gyotaku by micheal reimer

handbound book by elizabeth gates

all exhibiting at the Pennsylvania Guild Fine Craft Fair in Lancaster this weekend.

Elizabeth Sterling and her husband John market their one-of a kind furniture and jewelry boxes at shows in the Northeast and Midwest, through their web site, and their etsy shop, so wabi sabi. Elizabeth shares her life and love of all things handmade, homemade, and homegrown in her blog so wabi sabi.