The Petite Press

Paper goods are one of my favorite things. Everything about it is fun, original illustrations, beautiful paper and the traditional letterpress process. This time I bring you just a few examples from The Petite Press.  They have a wide range of journals, booklets, gifts and personalized stationery. The one on the bottom left are customized recipe cards, a beautiful way to share your famous dish recipes with you friends. The one on the bottom right is a personalized self-adhesive book plates, a charming way to label your books. Visit The Petite Press online and enjoy the beautiful work.

Milk and Paper

Happy Friday, this was a great week for me and while at it I found Milk And Paper. A French website where you can find great handmade and also simple home accessories. I think the linen grocery bag is genius and the twine and paper bag are a good inspiration to do more at home with our hands, we all need to get more crafty. More handmade products are coming soon, stay tuned. See more of Milk and Parper here.

Kathryn Bentley

Let’s talk jewelry today! I am a fan of accessories that have personality and a sense of value. I think Kathryn Bentley nailed it on the head with her collection. As you can tell from her work already, her inspiration comes from talisman, tribal cultures and architecture. She works with gold, silver and gem stones and every piece is handmade using the lost  wax technique. These are not meant to be a bargain, they are precious jewels made to last a lifetime and more. Visit her website here to view the rest of her line.

Barbara Shaum. New York, NY

Anyone that knows me personally knows my love for leather goods. This studio in the heart of the Lower East Side is the biggest gemstone of my trip to New York. The place is small and unmarked, I just happened to be walking by it and noticed some leather sandals on the display window. I walked in and found the most wonderful leather shop I have ever been in. Barbara Shaum has owned her business for decades and she still runs it successfully.

They handcraft every order of shoes, boots, sandals and bags right in the studio. I felt very lucky to be able to go inside this treasure. The studio is only open from Wednesdays to Saturdays from 1pm to 6pm. I was overwhelmed with Barbara’s passion and commitment to keeping it handcrafted and traditional.

If you are interested in shoe making, crafts or leather goods you should stop by to visit Barbara. The shop is located on 60 East Fourth Street in New York.

Artesana Interiors. New York, NY

Artesana Interiors is a store that offers tiles, furnishings and antiques in New York City. Every tile and furniture displayed is exotic and sophisticated, most of the items are made and brought from Morocco. You can feel that every piece in the store was carefully chosen and handcrafted. I am in love with their giant tile collection. Tiles can be a great source of inspiration and here are my four favorite designs. These tiles show a great combination of colors and beautiful patterns.

Artesana Interiors is located 36 West 21st St. They have an incredibly inspiring showroom, you’ll feel you are walking into an artisans market.

Victor Osbourne. Brooklyn, NY

While I was in New York a few weeks ago I was in a mission to find a new hat, a friend of mine told me about Victor Osbourne hats. Unfortunately I ran out of time and I wasn’t able to visit his shop in Brooklyn but I visited his website and fell in love with their work.

Victor Osbourne and Zachary Barnett started up this fashion and luxury headwear company with the idea to keep the process locally handmade. Their work have been featured in magazines such as, Marie Claire, Glamour and Lucky just to name a few. Victor Osbourne provided millinery for runway collections, collaborating with designers Tim Hamilton, Eventide and Trovata.

The Brooklyn location is not only their retail store but also their workshop space. The place is highly creative, showcasing about 200 different hat blocks, materials, tools and the machinery used to make each one of their hats.

They offer a wide array of hats, fedoras, sunhats, fabric caps and even specialty cocktail headpieces. If you never seem to find the hat that fits you right, Victor Osbourne will be the place to go, they will be able to find the best fit for you.

Visit their website and watch their intro video clip, they have great footage of the store, it’s beautiful.

Lazy Spoon and Ladle

I found these spoon and ladle this weekend at spoon sisters and I thought they were pretty genius. They are made out of wood and they both have a groove on the handle so that they can rest on the pot. I thought this was a great way to keep the utensils for each pot separate when you are busy cooking in more than one pot. These are also a good serving utensil.

Alyssa Ettinger Design

This is the type of pottery that goes beyond the norm. Designer, Alysssa Ettinger created a collection inspired by the wonderful textures of cable knit sweaters.  She is focused on using new techniques to create unique looks. Alyssa also has a collection inspired on vintage milk bottles which makes wonderful vases and decorative pieces.

Allysa Ettinger also offers lessons in her Brooklyn studio, if you live in New York and want to learn how to work the clay. Visit Alyssa Ettinger for more details of her designs and her lessons.

New Colorful Journals by Kerry Cassil

Journals are one of those sentimental buys that you always want to buy even if you don’t keep a journal; they make great sketch books or notebooks. These two have a printed topstitch cotton covers and are made by Kerry Cassil. I found both of them at Anthropolgie.

Dutzi Bags

I have to write about Dutzi bags because the cause behind it is inspirational and empowering. Companies that make products for a good cause need to be showcased and applauded more often.

All the bags are designed by Ariane Dutzi and made by local craft-women. Dutzi helps women in Yucatan, Mexico because all of the profits from the sale of the bags go back to the workshop and the women who work there. Dutzi also brings confidence and stability to every woman who is part of it.

Dutzi bags are available in burlap or recycled white raffia with leather details. They are handmade and coated to prevent the burlap from breaking down.

Check out the Dutzi website or at Auto for other styles made by Dutzi.