valentine’s day — handmade in PA

i spy…

by elizabeth

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.

February 5, 2010 4 Comments

Featured Artisan: Kitchen Witch (Malvern)

by tara

Is there anything better than receiving a box of delicious, fresh, handmade treats in the mail? I think not.

Casey from Kitchen Witch sent me a few samples of her Valentine’s Day specialties. Trust me, you won’t go wrong when you treat your sweetie to some Kitchen Witch goodies! Keep reading for a special offer from Kitchen Witch!

Casey created Kitchen Witch after her having her first baby. After checking out the food available for her family, she was shocked by the quality (or lack thereof) on grocery store shelves. She says, “The ingredient lists were…troubling to say the least. I created Kitchen Witch, knowing that many moms would rejoice at discovering wholesome, easy, and delicious treats to share with their families, with no mess to clean up!” All of Casey’s treats are all-natural, containing no preservatives, nothing artificial, and no hydrogenated oil. Casey creates all of her handmade treats in her home kitchen, which is licensed by the PA Dept. of Agriculture.

As a new mom myself, I really appreciate Kitchen Witch’s approach to treating yourself. When you can splurge a bit and still feel good about what you’re putting into your body, it goes a long way towards real satisfaction.

A no-brainer for Valentine’s Day is the Kitchen Witch’s Heart-Shaped Fudge Brownie. Wow. Intense dark chocolate flavor. This truly is my ideal brownie. The top is flaky, the inside is moist and rich.

Treat your special someone to a steaming cup of hot cocoa topped with handmade Vanilla Marshmallows. Nothing from a bag could ever come close to these pillow-y puffs! Delicate flavor – and not too sweet.

If you’re looking to send a hint on Valentine’s Day, I suggest the Whoopie Pies. The center is creamy and delicious. The cake is dense and rich. They’re sure to let your sweetie know what you’re thinking ;)

Handmade in PA.net readers will receive 10% off a Kitchen Witch Etsy purchase! Simply “convo” Casey through Etsy with what you’d like to order and she’ll create custom listing for you. All orders are carefully packaged in sealed bags & include Priority Shipping.

The only place to find the Kitchen Witch’s freshly baked goodies is on Etsy. However, if you’re looking for a source for gourmet, all-natural, ready-to-bake products, visit Casey’s other home on the ‘net, KitchenWitchCookie.com!

January 28, 2009 4 Comments

Tutorial: Greeting Card Garland

by tara

Congratulations to the winners of Monday’s giveaway – Margaret from Nutmeg Designs & Erin from Ruju! Shoot me an email (tara AT handmadeinpa DOT net) and I’ll let you know how to claim your prize!

Are you looking for a way to recycle greeting cards, create a Valentine’s Day decoration with some meaning, or use up some supplies you have lying around the house?

Try this quick & easy afternoon craft: Greeting Card Garland!

I’ve had my wedding cards sitting around since September 2007 but only looked through them when I packed them up to move this summer. I decided that their whimsical designs and heavy paper would make an excellent garland to make the house a bit more romantic for Valentine’s Day.

For supplies, all I used was 10 of my wedding cards with similar color schemes, some scrapbooking paper I had around (scrap fabric would work well also!), and some scrap yarn or string.

First, I cut the cards down the fold.

Next, I cut hearts from the front of each card. In order to achieve a random look (and avoid the inevitable imperfection), I cut each heart free-form. You could certainly use stencils, cookie cutters, or other patterns to create the shapes.

Using an acid-free glue stick, I affixed the hearts to the BACK of the scrapbook paper. After giving it some time to dry, I carefully cut along the outside of the heart leaving the right side of the paper on the back side of the card.

When all the hearts were cut, I used a small hole punch to make a hole in the bumps of each heart. I used a piece of yarn about 4 feet long to string the hearts together and create the garland. I alternated which side of the card faced up…but you could have them all face the same way. My version creates a similar look from both sides, the other way creates two completely different looks.

If you create a project like this, please send me a picture (tara AT handmadeinpa DOT net)!

If you’re interested in sharing a project you’ve created in a tutorial, please contact me! I’d love to post it here and link back to your shop/blog/site.

…Still looking for your favorite brick & mortar places to buy handmade goods in the Keystone State.

January 24, 2009 3 Comments

Valentine’s Day Gift Guide

by tara

I’m happy to bring you the first of many gift guides! I hope you choose to shop from our Pennsylvania artisans’ selections for your special someone (or someones!) on Valentine’s Day. Simply click on the photo to see a larger image. Links are listed by shop name below the pictures.

Of course, you can always think outside of the [chocolate] box! Check out other great Pennsylvania artisans to find more great gift ideas. Shop handmade! Shop local!