Drawbridge Raffle

There are many amazing things about the Handmade Ho Down show (photo booth, DJ's, live art, booze, amazing vendors) but one of my favorites is the charity Raffle benefiting Drawbridge (read more here). Thanks to the generous donations of vendors and some of our sponsors (Brainwash and Magnolia Photo Booth to be exact) we have some pretty kick ass items ranging from jewelry to gift certificates to undies (yep underwear). Raffle tickets will be 1 for $2, 3 for $5, 6 for $10 for all items except, the photo booth, which will be 1 ticket for $5 and 5 tickets for $20.

So make sure to check out a few of the items below so you can scope out what you really want and don't forget to check out the list of vendors who have donated items. Thank you!

Shaya Durbin Jewelry Eristotle

Red Stem

Meghan Patrice Riley

Petula Poppy

JennyKim

fieldday

aManoPress

Vivi Dot

Alloneword

Gemini Designs

CC Star

Newsprout

Mangosteen Jewelry

Invisible Hero Clothing

Earth Cultured

Vintage Oddities

Squishy Sushi

Gooseberry Press

transient*treasures

Taryn Lin Design

tickytacky

bubbles and boo

mama's magic studio

Satin Corset

Kendra Renee Jewelry Design

Gabriella Designs

The Enchanted Square

bathing in luxury

Pomegranate Ink

Pushcart Design

Monkey + Seal

Local Colorist

Crow's Nest Shop, handcrafted jewelry

There are many highly creative jewelry makers on Etsy. Probably the only one who offers jewelry and also a "Catch a Criminal Kit" is the Crows Nest Shop. This Mental Map Maker includes graph paper, colorful thread, and instructions to help those who always get lost or budding crime fighters. Brandi Chalker found out about Etsy during a "Stitch and Bitch" night with friends while living in West Virginia.

She is inspired by beaches and oceans around the world, and uses shells she finds in her necklaces and earrings. Her crafting career began while working in a craft store as a teen, and she was an established jewelry maker by age 18.

The famous fictional character she'd like to be is Elizabeth Swann of Pirates of the Caribbean, saying "I'd give anything to be around Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom for the rest of my life." Brandi would love to be her dog for a week, enjoying treats, walks, attention and just being cute. Her favorite cities are San Francisco, San Cristobal de las Casas (Chiapas, Mexico) and Edinburgh. Her favorite drink is the hibiscus mojito she makes with mint from her garden.

Brandi tries to promote and educate people about the Fair Trade movement through her business. She feels consumer responsibility and knowledge about supporting positive economic relationships with artisans in developing countries is important and valuable. Buying locally helps our communities economically.

satin corset

Inspired by old-world items, dreams, nature, and the bright colors floating across her eyelids are some of the sources that inspire Tyler Pimental of SatinCorset. The delicate and colorful jewelry found in her shop certainly show the fruits of her inspirations.

"Loose Control" (by backtednted) is the song of her life - because "We all need to lose control sometimes". She would love to be a fish going "whoop" while driving a car - mabye in a panic ... and out of control. Vodka Rockstar Juiced - orange, carbonated, sweet and tart - is her favorite drink. Working out a Japanese quiz challenges her, and she says Tokyo is her favorite city.

The Handmade Ho Down is her first craft show, though she's all about the indie, local, handmade creatife force. Unlocking the creative force of one's own two hands helps her appreciate what other local artisans create. "The kinds of things you can buy from handmade artisans are just too cool, so much better than what's available at the mall!"

Meghan Patrice Riley, handmade fine jewelry

"Making jewelry is the best job in the world" says Meghan Patrice Riley. She learned her craft by taking classes everywhere and apprenticing with a fine jewelry maker. Her "other job" is working with nonprofits and government agencies to provide housing to low-income families - exactly in line with making handmade things and supporting locally made goods.

The Mission is her favorite neighborhood for tossing one back. And the drink of choice is a Kombucha - tasty and fizzy! Singing Radiohead's "Creep" is her Karaoke song. She dreamed of fighting ghosts with Slimer.

What is the craziest gift you have ever received?

I was surprised with a wax pen by my amazing fiance. It's great! I can sculpt in wax more easily with this tool.

Which one song describes your life the best? Why?

Mad World by Tears for Fears. It's has a depressing sentiment which I would say is not an echo of my life, but I absolutely love this song. I work a lot, am involved with a lot of projects and I run around a bit "mad."

We are beyond excited to have Meghan vend at our show, can't wait to see you in her booth!

Jenny Kim, custom jewelry.

Jenny Kim, of San Mateo California, has been making jewelry since 2004. Her pieces are original, delicate, feminine and hold a the eye with their organic shapes and beautiful finish.

How did you get started on Etsy/Making things?

I've been making art in various forms since before nursery school. My first "mural" was a crayon portrait of my family in my childhood bedroom. In the third grade, I began selling mini-picture and puzzle books to classmates for the going-rate at the time of 50 cents apiece. I was a student in the Advanced Placement Studio Art Program at a Los Angeles-city high school, taking nine semester-courses of art before graduating.



Years after finishing an undergraduate degree unrelated to the arts, my instinctive urge to make pretty things with my hands cried out again, and I began taking metalsmithing courses at the City College of San Francisco, in the evenings after my long workdays. Metal immediately became my favorite medium. I have a hard, edgy side to my personality, juxtaposed against an equally-present soft, sensitive, and sensual side. Working in metal, and particularly creating organically-inspired forms with the lost-wax casting method, spoke to me like no other medium had in the past. I have now been creating jewelry and metalwork on a full-time basis since 2007.

What does buying and selling local handmade mean to you, and how has it affected your life?

Buying and selling locally handmade products means that I am supporting my neighbors, my community, and my local economy. I have also purchased items that were locally made in places where friends and family live to give as gifts. For example, I've made an effort to buy handmade products from artisans in, say, Seattle, to give as a gift to my sister who lives in that city, with a note: "This was handmade in Seattle. Just supporting your local artisans."

Shaya Durbin Jewelry -- As Unique as the People Who Wear It

Shaya Durbin has jewelry making and crafting in her blood.  We caught up with her and she had this to say: 
     "Hi! I am a jeweler from a family of artists and crafters. You could call me 3rd generation DIY.
I was taught to solder by my father when I was six years old. Since then I have been designing and creating with metals, my vision advancing as my skills increased.

Even though jewelry has always been in my life it has not always been my primary medium. In college I worked in other arts and only returned to my roots after I graduated. This shift had a profound influence on my sensibility as a jeweler. I do not approach my art from aesthetic of a traditional jeweler. Because of my work as a printmaker I think about jewelry in terms of layers and composition. I use textures, patinas, and contrasting metals to create complexity and compositional integrity. This is not formulaic but a sensitivity to what creates visual balance, and since it is different for each piece, and generally not repeatable, each piece is unique.

For me jewelry has been the great exploration of form, presenting the perpetual challenge of translating sculptural ideas into designs that accentuate the human body. This creates a captivating dialog between the sculpture and the wearer, making my relationship with the metal very personal. Because each finished piece will be more than purely visual art, the future intimate nature of the work is directly present in my own creative process. It is about a translation from artistic sensibility to practical form. I look not only at the aesthetic but at the comfort and the way the design will interact with the wearer. In this way my art is about creating intimate experiences. My philosophy is that people want jewelry as unique as they are."

We at the Handmade Ho Down are pretty unique ourselves, Shaya, so we wondered:

If you had to live out the rest of your life as a famous fictional character, who would you be and why?
Batman. He kicks butt.

If money were no object for just one day, what would you do?
Today I would fly to  Turkey.

If you were invisible for one day and could go anywhere without being detected, where would you go and what would you do?
Fort Knox. That's where they keep the good stuff.

Did you have a crush on a TV character when you were little?  Spill it!
The Goblin King.

What does buying and selling local handmade mean to you, and how has it affected your life?
If I have money to spend, I want it to go to an actual person, not a vast money-sucking machine.



Well, we couldn't agree more, Shaya.  Thanks for the interview, we all look forward to seeing your beautiful jewelry in person!

Shayafinejewelry.com
finejewelrybyshaya.etsy.com

Vintage Oddities

Longtime Oakland resident Janyce Engan, of Vintage Oddities has created needlework and various forms of fiber art since childhood. She learned to sew and knit from her grandmother, who shared many tricks and secrets from her own learning during the Great Depression about how to do amazing things like making making a bit of cloth stretch and look lovely at the same time.

A year ago, Janyce branched out into exploring different styles, focusing mainly on vintage and historic fashion. Her Etsy shop opened in April 2008. A delightful selection of colorful vintage beads, buttons and findings are offered in her shop - check out the YUMMY green grape headpins. Janyce's creations are inspired by beautiful fashion plates, Art Deco items, and even World War II images.

She would really love to be a pampered house cat for a week... or really lifetime (wouldn't we all?). She would just eat, play, and be petted all week long. Adores Cosmopolitans. A big part of her "give back to the community" time is donating time and materials that are helping Berkeley High music fundraiser.

Kendra Renee Jewelry Design

How did you get started on Etsy/Making things?
I learned how to work with silver from a jewelry artist in Boston. I became an addict, and knew I wanted to own my own jewelry design business. I began amassing quite a collection of tools, and started producing my own line.

What inspires your creations?
I think about jewelry all the time. I am inspired by many things- the simplest of which are the tools I work with every day. I find architecture and mechanical objects to be incredibly beautiful (I kind of drool over the Bay Bridge) but I am also inspired by regularity in natural objects, like the spirals formed at the center of a sunflower.

What does buying and selling local handmade mean to you, and how has it affected your life?
I try to do it as much as I can because I truly appreciate all who have done it for me. They have made it possible for me to do what I love, all day, every day.

As this is a charity event for DrawBridge, give us some insight on how you personally, or your shop, gives back to your community.
I am pumped that the Ho Down is working with Drawbridge, they sound like an amazing organization, and I am proud to donate some of my work to their benefit. I am really new to this community and I am looking for other ways to give back too.

If you were invisible for one day and could go anywhere without being detected, where would you go and what would you do?
I would visit to Louvre at night when there was nobody there to get in my way of the Mona Lisa. (I have night vision too, right?)

Mangosteen Jewelry

"The East Bay Express described me as "public interest lawyer and mega-traveler."
I like that. In my day job I work for a non-profit that helps people and communities become & remain economically secure." -- Gabrielle Lessard, of Mangosteen Jewelry.

How did you learn your craft?

I'm learning all the time. I started beading and have gradually moved to more work with metal & wire. I am just getting into metal clay & enamels. I have taken several classes at the Crucible in Oakland & recommend it highly: www.thecrucible.org

As this is a charity event for DrawBridge, give us some insight on how you personally, or your shop, gives back to your community.

My 'day job' is as a public interest lawyer for a non-profit, the Insight Center for Community Economic Development. I get to work with lots of other non-profits that are doing amazing work in thier communities.

Also, I have another business where I purchase hand-crafted items from organizations that help artisans in the developing world develop thier businesses and market their products. Most are fair-trade certified; one works with survivors of human trafficking. www.mangosteenoakland.com

Taryn Lin Design: Urban Chokers and Metal Arts

Welcome Taryn Bilstein of Taryn Lin Designs! Taryn uses her skills in the metal arts, making unique and urban chokers, earrings and rings.

Which one song describes your life the best? Why?

"Put the Blame on Mame. It may not describe my life but its a great song. I'm not sure I would

want to be Mame and be blamed for the worlds disasters but, she has a lot of power that way."

How did you learn your craft?

"Made it up along the way and took classes in metal arts."

What inspires your creations?

"Everything really but looking at all the latest runnway creations

on line is very inspiring."

If you were Barack Obama for one full day, what would you do with your presidential power?

"I would tell the GM factory they had to start making high speed trains and public transit. Put people back to work."

What does buying and selling local handmade mean to you, and how has it affected your life?

"Well selling local handmade means a lot of fun. I have a great time selling the things I make and its makes me happy."

Linda Yu, of YUL Designs: Gemstones anyone?

Two decades of collecting fine gemstones and jewelry evolved into a passion for jewelry making, and voila, YUL Designs was born! Meet Linda Yu: she loves to work with beautiful gemstones and see them transformed into wearable pieces.

If money were no object for just one day, what would you do?

"Go ga ga over at Harry Winstons, Tiffany's, Cartier, and Mikimoto and come home with enough bling to fill up a bathtub and BATHE in them.. do they really need to go back after that??"

As this is a charity event for DrawBridge, give us some insight on how you personally, or your shop, gives back to your community.

"I donate a toooon of my pieces annually to local events that auction off in raffles or silent auctions... Cancer Schmancer (most recently), local crab feeds, professional organizations (California Dental Association), church events to sponsor missions, events, etc..., local hospice groups. One can never give too much... you sure can't take it with you..."

If your life was a book, what would be the title and how would your story end?

"One Dolce Vida (One Sweet Life).. not that there hasn't been some craptastic moments in it... but we can always hold a positive outlook for the present and the future... story ends with world domination... one BLING piece or gemstone at a time.. that is my motto in my supply shops and on Facebook!! somehow I must contribute to making this world a beautiful place.."

Red Stem Studio

Drawing upon her art history training and informal background in applied arts, Anna creates a handmade jewelry line that is playful, stylish, and versatile. Her designs are inspired by Chinese ink painting-turned-technicolor and are created on recycled plastic. The hardware found on the jewelry is hand-crafted from recycled sterling silver.


How did you get started on Etsy/Making things?

I have always been a tinkerer.

I came across Etsy and knew that I had found a good thing. I knew that I wanted to sell on Etsy, but I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to sell. Before I knew what I was going to make I read all of the Etsy tutorials on setting up shop, creating a brand for yourself, how to market and that sort of thing.

I created Red Stem before I knew what Red Stem was going to sell.
I fell into jewelry naturally. My mother is a jeweler and entrepreneur herself, only she deals with precious stones and metals. She helps me create a business strategy, shows me where to get supplies, and counsels me daily.

What inspires your creations?

Supply-wise, I try to be as eco-conscious as I can. My works are created on recycled lucite and recycled sterling silver. All of my packing and display materials are recycled, reused, or both. It was very important to me that sustainability be part of the underpinnings of Red Stem.

Design-wise, I have a graduate degree in Chinese art history and draw my (current) inspiration from seventeenth century Chinese ink paintings of bamboo and flowers. I have always loved bright colors in unexpected combinations.

Earth Cultured healing crystals

While on a year-long global backpacking adventure, Nilu and her husband spent four months living just outside of Nepal, in the Himalayas. By chance (well, what’s “chance” anyway?), they entered a shop run by a fellow known locally as Mala Walla (Hindu for "Necklace Master"). Amazing macramé necklaces were everywhere!


While sharing some chai in the shop, surrounded by the beautiful macramé necklaces, Nilu learned the history behind Mala Walla's jewelry. He told her that ancient monks bound their powerful healing stones with macramé to facilitate everyday wear, thus keeping the strong healing properties of the stones with them at all times.

During the four months that Nilu and her husband spent in the Himalayas they became fast, close friends with Mala Walla. The couple spent their days and nights listening to Hindi house music, eating fantastic foods, and mastering the skill of macramé under Mala Walla’s tutelage.

Many months later, Nilu returned to San Francisco and began creating her own beautiful, wearable, healing pieces of netted jewelry. Her Etsy shop, Earth Cultured, is an excellent resource for anyone interested in the beauty and healing properties of natural stones that incorporate ancient macramé techniques.

Squishy Sushi

Squishy Sushi makes Asian influenced eco-friendly jewelry. These imaginative pieces are made from vintage game pieces, old magazine clippings, and other recycled/upcycled materials. Squishy Sushi's jewelry is handmade by Nichole in her San Francisco Studio.

What to look for:


ECO BANGLE BRACELETS:

These bangles are thoughtfully crafted out of upcycled Japanese paper. Each tells a story about where they've been and who they're from, bringing energy from other places. A perfect accessory for anyone looking to show a roadmap to their heart, these bangles make wonderful gifts for special friends and significant others.

We're excited to host Nichole, and we hope you enjoy her fantastic shop!

OctopusME



Take earrings, necklaces, body jewelry. Add tentacles, suction cups, cephalopods. Put those together and you get organic, slightly creepy, totally unique and fascinating jewelry. Great as a gift for a loved one, better as a gift for yourself.



Deana, inspired by people and nature, uses her jewelry as a journal without words. She's embraced passion about creating art. No two necklaces are alike making every purchase unique, every gift heartfelt. Each piece in her shop is crafted by her hands, and her hands alone. 



What to look for:


TENTACLE JEWELRY:



PENDANTS: