handmade love

one of the funnest parts of doing craft shows is trading with other exhibitors.  at the last couple shows i've done i traded with people whose work was so in demand that they had to ship their portion of the trade to me later, which i don't mind at all because i tend to forget that it's coming and then have such a fun surprise when it shows up.

the handmade stars seemed to be aligned today cause when i got home from the dentist (yuck) there was three packages waiting for me!  one was a set of two handmade bowls from peterman bowls, that are absolutely gorgeous and are already serving as fruit bowls on the counter.  the second was this darling but of course very fierce bunny from sonja ahlers:

and the third was a small pouch i just bought online from bookhou:

it's actually made from the drop cloths arounna uses for her silkscreening. i love bookhou's clean and geometric prints (i use their lines and rain pouch so much, sometimes as a clutch purse, sometimes to hold my ipad and sometimes as a travel embroidery pouch), and i really liked the idea of these pouches made from a by-product of their production, and how un-geometric they are.


i'm always intrigued to see how other makers package their wares when shipping them, and both sonja and arounna did such a good job of packing in a way that reflects the aesthetic of their work, something that i'm definitely still working on for my hats.

the bunny came wrapped in recycled clothing patterns, with a doily and pink ribbon to bundle it up.

the pouch came simply and carefully wrapped in kraft tissue, with a stamped sticker and handwritten thanks - so reflective of the clean and careful aesthetic that makes bookhou so popular.

i have lots to learn from these lovely ladies!