Handbags by Material Things

This beautiful piece is from the collection of Material Things Handbags. Handmade in the U.S.A. these pieces start with beautiful fabrics coupled with contemporary styling and finished with the finest detail. Several pieces from the collection in different styles and fabric patterns are now available at Jordanwood.

Autum Brown Pumpkin Set from The Glass Eye Studio

The Glass Eye Studio was founded on the belief that talented glass artist should have a place to work where their skills and creativity are fully appreciated.
Today the work of the Glass Eye Studio artists is sought around the world. The artists use a variety of materials when blowing glass, from recycled bottles, to fine gold, to their signature ingredient, ash from the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.
Individually crafted by artists, every piece has its own unique characteristics.
Whether you have been collecting art glass for a number of years or if this will be your first piece of art glass, we are confident that you will enjoy your selection from The Glass Eye Studio.
Handmade in the U.S.A. and now available at Jordanwood.

Hand-Turned Seed Pots by Karen Fielding from Taos Dragonfly Art

Karen's creativity is inspired not only by the enchanting landscapes of Taos, NM that surround her, but also by the spirit of the place she calls home. This sacred ground was named Rito de la Olla (Pot Creek) in the 1600's by the Spaniards who found the river bed full of pots left by an earlier civilization. These ancients were among the first to create pots for function, beauty, and trading.
Each pot is individually crafted and serves as a reminder to use our renewable resources in the propagation of food and the creation of art. The pots are wheel thrown, burnished, and bisque fired. For the final finish, she has developed a modern non-traditional approach to pit firing.
Although these pots are for the traditional use of seed storage from harvest till sowing, they are mostly desired for their decorative display. This decorative quality is achieved utilizing small diameter wood harvested during forest restoration and other green products obtained locally. From the fire and ash, arise pots kissed with a blush of color, subtle charcoal touches, and smoke tinged designs from horsehair, feathers, and sometimes ... even with sugar on top.
The function of these pots are to dry and store seeds. They can also display dried flower arrangements. The exterior surface may be gently cleaned and polished using a soft cloth and a paste wax such as Butchers wax. These pots are NOT FOOD SAFE and DO NOT immerse or fill the pot with water, doing such will cause leakage and damage.
Handmade in the U.S.A. and now availble at Jordanwood.

Thursday Night Farmer’s Market

Don’t forget that every Thursday evening from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm you can get some great “homegrown” vegetables and fruit. The first week we got some beautiful bing cherries and apricots. Last week we picked up some swiss chard, green beans, cucumbers and beets. Besides the fruit and vegetables there is always some great "street" food and treats.
When you’re downtown for the market stop in, say hi and check out what’s new in the store.

Leather Handbags from the C.L. Whiting Collection

No leaf has ever touched this leather. The leaf designs you see in these beautiful handbags have been hand-tooled using individual stamps. The leather is fantastic, the handwork is amazing and the stitching on the bags is superb. You’ll find each bag not only visually exciting but practical as well. Owning a piece of the C.L. Whiting handbag collection means that no one else in the world will have one exactly like yours.
And to top it off these bags like many of our other products in the store are hand made in the U.S.A.

Orient & Flume now at Jordanwood

Deanna and I are pleased to announce that we have begun carrying Orient & Flume in our gallery. As many of you already know Orient & Flume produces fine art glass for the collector – from beautifully intricate paperweights to the simple elegance of fruit and animal forms. These signed pieces capture nature’s inspiration in both iridescent and crystal clear glass.
Nationally acclaimed for its excellence in design, the glass of Orient & Flume utilizes both traditional and contemporary motifs and can be found in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum, the Chrysler Museum, the Chicago Art Institute, the Corning Glass Museum and private collections through out the world.

The American Crafts Retailer Expo (ACRE) show in Las Vegas

Well it has been almost a week since we returned from the ACRE show in Vegas, and I have been neglectful in not getting the blog updated. The flight from Sac to Vegas was fine as was the return flight. Unfortunately the room at the Hilton was not so good. We had requested non-smoking and of course we got a smoking room – purportedly they were out of non-smoking rooms. Deanna and I were absolutely certain that our hair and clothing immediately took on that stale cigarette smell – yuk. Of course the other thing I will never understand are those folks who sit for hours in front of a slot machine. One wonders if they never found a good book to read, movie to watch, or ever had a great discussion with another human being. Oh well. I will have to say we had a couple of great meals while we were in Las Vegas.
The ACRE show itself exceeded our expectations. We had never attended so we were pleasantly surprised. Though the show was small there was an abundance of beautiful items. A number of those items will soon be making their way into our store. A partial list includes handbags, raku, metal wall art, glazed pottery, art glass and more.
Keep checking the blog to see and learn more about these items as they roll into the store.