Hand Crafted Archives - An Eye For Detail

WRITING A THANK YOU NOTE

By Libby|2012-01-11T02:00:00-05:00January 11, 2012|Hand Crafted, Home Design|

I happened to see a sample of President Obama’s thank you note “etiquette” on a Twitter post today, and began thinking about this almost obsolete nicety.

Do you write thank you notes? I mean, do you actually take out pen and paper and write a real note? When? After you have received a gift? What about after a dinner party? Or an interview?

Or…. gasp…. to say hello and thank someone for a small gesture?

Here’s something to think about:

From JobSearch site: “Account Temps Survey reported that 88% of executives said they consider a thank you note influential when evaluating candidates.” More prefer hand written to email and many recommended doing both.

I was brought up in the age of pen and paper and thank you notes were ‘de rigeur’. Always. No exceptions.

It doesn’t matter what your handwriting is like; no, it’s the act of writing… of taking the time to
t h i n k … that is important here.

And there are SO MANY great designs in cards to choose from.

Some on-line stores that I like:
TinyPrints
InvitationBox
FineStationary
PaperFancy

These are some of my personal favorites from PaperSource

To get you started […]

THE DERIN COLLECTION

By Libby|2011-06-01T22:08:00-04:00June 1, 2011|fashion, Hand Crafted|

Once upon a time,

actually four years ago, I bought a wonderful pair of flip flops with embroidered ribbon straps. They took me through two trips to Paris, not to mention hundreds of days at home and out and about. But, of course, they were looking not so great by this spring. So I contacted the manufacturer, Derin International.

My old, ratty shoe is on the right. To the left is the brand new, gorgeous pair that arrived just the other day.

And, here is a pink pair that also arrived:

(sorry, it’s a little blurry!)

So…while I was talking to Sarah, one of the owners of Derin, it occurred to me that I might do a “story” on the company. I sent her some questions and she very kindly answered in full…

1. Can you tell us something about the company, how it started and a bit of the history?

Derin International dates back to a decade ago when, shortly after they were married, Sara and Ersan moved from New York City to Ersan’s Native Istanbul. Surrounded by the natural beauty and ancient culture of Turkey, Ersan led Sara along the streets of his youth, introducing her to the city’s language and customs. They dreamed about a way to bring some part of it back with them to the states. […]

GOING TO NANTUCKET?

By Libby|2010-07-12T17:22:00-04:00July 12, 2010|Hand Crafted|

Who wouldn’t want to go to Nantucket, right?

But here is one VERY GOOD REASON to get over there this week:

The Nantucket Folk Art & Artisans Show

and here, from artist Shaari Horowitz, is a small sampling of the gorgeous, intricate, high end artisinal “craft” that you will see:

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Shaari is one of the artists I represent for licensing opportunities through my business, LW Associates.

Here are a few other, non-Nantucket themed, designs from Shaari. She hand paints each piece… If you look at her page on the LW Associates link, you can see a slide show of her work.

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If you’re interested in these bowls, just go to the link with her name and you will see how to contact her.

Sure wish I could go out to Nantucket!

OH! HOW FUN

By Libby|2010-06-08T20:53:00-04:00June 8, 2010|fashion, Flowers, Hand Crafted|

Do you know Emersonmade?

Every once in a while I take a look here, and each time am amazed: at the product, the colors, the newness of it all, the freshness, and the attention to detail.

Each and every product is hand made in New Hampshire.

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Fun fun fun!

Each bloom is hand dyed and hand stitched and each “is one of a kind, varied, and has its own unique character and soul – your flower soulmate! just for you.”

Perfect for summer wear…

HANDMADE IN BOLIVIA: UNIQUE GIVEAWAY

By Libby|2010-05-26T21:24:00-04:00May 26, 2010|Hand Crafted|

Let me introduce Anabel Fournier…

…and so I whisper is Anabel’s blog. Not only are her products out of this world; her pictures are just as wonderful. Add to that her unusual and unique life story and the result is a blend of sophistication, curiosity, love of color and materials and an attention to details that won me over!

I’ve wanted to do a giveaway with some of her products for some time now. But I also wanted to interview her for a feature post… so here I am … combining the two. I asked her some questions, just last week, to which she responded.

Q: Would you tell us something about you and your unusual history?

A.: I am a native Costa Rican of French descent and mother of two wonderful kids, living in Bolivia. I am a person of the arts who cannot keep still, and my mind and my hands are always busy creating new things and playing with every material that gets into my hands. I have traveled extensively since I was very young and enjoy the challenge of moving to new places and discovering new cultures.

Q: Can you tell us how that has influenced not only your present style, but how you think that has made your style unique? I mean, how is your world view different from, say, someone who has always […]