Tuesday, January 18, 2011

* let's meet our judges! *

 letterpress name tags handmade by jaykay109 
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goodness-sakes-alive!

i'm so super excited about all of the wonderful nominations that are coming in for the *handmade olympics!* - i just love reading folks' adorations + reasons. what an amazing community the handmaking world is!

so i thought we'd take a visit thru the various fun events and get to know our wonderful ensemble of judges (cheerleaders might be a better term!) a wee bit better! they're a veritable *who's who* of handmaking & designerly superstars, whose enthusiasm for making has really crafted the way for all of us! so thanks, nicies!

and i have to say: each was so fantastically encouraging + excited about participating in the handmade olympics! i'm so thankful for that, lovelies!

we're thrilled to get to know you all a bit better!

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a little bit more about this nicey: Jaime Derringer is founder and editor of modern design blog Design Milk, which has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, Time Out New York, San Francisco Chronicle, Singapore Home & Decor magazine, and Real Simple magazine. Design Milk is one of the Google Engineers' Staff Picks and a Twitter influencer in Art & Design. Inspired by her two dogs, in 2010 Jaime launched modern design blog Dog Milk to expose dog lovers to pet design that fits their uniquely modern sense of style.


passionate about avant-garde architecture or fabulously modern light fixtures?   thirsting for what's fresh & new in the world of modern design, art & more? then your new best friend might just be jaime derringer, the fabulous founder & editor of design milk.  style trend-setter extraordinaire, i love jaime's keen sense of... well, let's just be honest ...  everything designerly. we're delighted to have her as our event 1 host - helping us find our favourite handmade goodies with an innovative design.


jaime derringer
design milk | dog milk | twitter

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wanna hang with the cool kids? head on over to all things teenangster (aka alison feldmann) . a brilliant & engaging writer with a great eye for the evocative & eclectic, alison delights the senses with her fascinatingly emotive & curious  handmade & vintage finds.   and her legions of fans as an etsy.com & writer & editor will join me in saying we're delighted to have alison as the perfect event 6 judge:  helping us find our favourite thrifty or vintage blog, shop or site.

a little bit more about this nicey: Alison Feldmann is a blogger living and working in Brooklyn. She couldn’t live without industrial decay, folk art, kitties and succulents (even if they wither under her care). By day she blogs about the wonders of makers and collectors for Etsy's Blog. By night she takes to her personal blogTeenAngster, to obsess about all things curious, obsolete and made with care. Find her on Etsy and Twitter as @TeenAngster.

alison feldmann

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"... the online arbiter of cool for the swingset crowd" was how parents magazine described cool mom picks, and i couldn't agree more. the perfect mix of wit, wisdom and wonderful, editors liz & kristen have created an amazing online parents resource that recommends indie-forward, creative finds  with something perfect for every kind of family.  we're thrilled to have  liz & kristen as our judges for the 2011 handmade olympics: event 2: our favourite handmade goodie for kids!
 
a little bit more about these nicies: Kristen Chase and Liz Gumbinner are the two moms behind Cool Mom Picks, one of the most influential shopping blogs for parents on the web. They've always had a heart for handmade - Liz's mom used to run her own children's clothing lable out of their attic and Kristen's mother made everything from their clothes, to their bread, yes even their yogurt - and they started Cool Mom Picks to help introduce parents to all the cool handmade and indie goodies they'd been falling in love with around the web.  


cool mom picks

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at the top of my *wonderful-things-in-life-to be* list would be *kindness spreader.* thank goodness there are great folks who take on this job wholeheartedly. amanda oaks is one of those lovelies. cyber-kindness-inspiration-to-all, amanda's Kind Over Matter blog celebrates *feel-good nouns*  every day. welcome welcome to our event 5 judge: helping us cheer on craftivists with our favourite nicies forwarding kindness thru handmaking.
a little bit more about this nicey: "For as long as I can remember there has always been handmade goodness surrounding me, be it by my mom or grandmothers. All of them have been involved in crocheting, cake decorating, ceramics, jewelry-making, sewing, knitting, gardening, so I guess Etsy was the next natural step for me. When I joined in 2006 I never looked back. I love everything about the handmade scene, the community, the quality of goods, all of it. So, take that & mix it with my compassion for the human race & my love for making one smile & what you get is: Kind Over Matter."
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if you're smitten with etsy.com, i'm guessing you're a fan of the wonderful danielle maveal - who wouldn't be,  for heaven's sakes! creative superstar, modern jewelry designer, ever-enthusiastic supporter of all things handmade, and *seller education director* for etsy, she adds a dash of humour & fun to all she does.  i just love danielle's inspiring warmth, great resourcefulness  and her friendly & helpful indie insights. so i'm delighted to have her as the event 7 judge for the 2011 handmade olympics: our favourite FUN handmade or vintage goodie! 

a little bit about this nicey: "Bonjour! I'm Danielle, Seller Education Coordinator at Etsy and I organize the programming for Etsy's Virtual Labs  and write the Etsy Success newsletter.

Before working for Etsy, I was a jeweler and ran an Etsy shop full time (I almost hit 1,000 sales before Etsy hired me!). I sold work in 30 galleries and boutiques worldwide and taught classes in goldsmithing, acrylic plastic and metal etching.
UPDATE: I started selling again on Etsy  - here's my new shop.

Before diving into the Etsy world, I managed two jewelry studios/shops in Toronto and Detroit, and even had my own gallery in Brooklyn." 
 
danielle maveal

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love eco friendly?  love thoughtful creations? love great ideas on how to repurpose; restyle; redesign? then you're going to LOVE author, designer & green crafter betz white. a medallist in the 2010 edition of the handmade olympics, i'm thrilled to have this eco sensation as our judge for event 3 this year: favourite handmade  eco friendly goodie.

a little bit more about this nicey: Betz White has the uncanny ability of envisioning beauty in the mundane, something new from something old, cupcakes from sweater cuffs. It’s this skill that has propelled her to the forefront of the crafting field.

She is the bestselling author of two books that encourage readers to “stitch beautifully, tread lightly”, Warm Fuzzies (North Light, 2007) and Sewing Green (STC Craft, 2009).

Her line of Betz White Organic Textiles offers organic fabrics manufactured in environmentally sensitive ways, all showcasing her mastery of pattern and color – and the perfect accompaniment to her Make New or Make Do™ series of original sewing patterns. You’ll find her teaching online and event workshops and blogging at     blog.BetzWhite.com.

Betz has built a career on thoughtful design, skilled craftsmanship and a focus on materials that are kind to people and planet alike.

betz white

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 good golly miss molly, i just love the creature comforts blog! a modern-day explorer & discoverer,  writer Ez delights and inspires with every beautiful find, fashionable treat and tantalizing tidbit for the senses.  { you can even *browse posts by colour* on her site ... *swoon!* } ... it's a pleasure to have the much lauded  Ez as our event 4 judge: helping us discover our favourite handmade goodies that inspire loveliness & wellness.

a little bit more about this nicey: Hello lovelies! I'm Ez (pronounced Ee-zee) and Creature Comforts is my little inspirational haven. I'm so glad you're here to share it with me! My  blog is all about celebrating the tiny details that make life so amazing and looking to find beauty in the unexpected.  I love sharing this creative space with you and am constantly inspired by all of my readers and this amazing community of ours.

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daydream about vivid colour?
obsessed with beautiful textiles? 
adore handmaking, the joy of family & how they wonderfully intersect? 

well friends, if you answered yes to any of the above (gosh - you know i did!) then you'll love wonderwoman anna maria horner.  mom to 6, celebrated author, designer & artist, anna maria also crafts a charming, insightful and  beautifully beloved blog. we're delighted to have here as the event 8 judge for the 2011 handmade olympics: helping us choose our favourite handmaking blogs. 

anna maria horner

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so there's a little look at these superstars! hope you'll send some love their way, and be sure to visit their amazing projects + cheer them on! 
(cheerleaders need cheering too, right!? :)

and be sure to nominate your own and other's works in their various fun
have a happy, cheerleaderly day, nicies!
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5 comments:

  1. Bookmarking this to read once the kids are in bed! Great panel!!

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  2. Such an amazing group of people you have put together! lovely event all around, k!

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  3. wow what a line up! no pressure people! hehe

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  4. aren't they great?!
    so happy to have them all.
    thanks for your cheers, lovelies.

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  5. Yes K. they are great !

    Thanks for every things girls !

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thanks so much for your comments, nicies!
it's a joy to read what everyone writes here.
thank you!