• buy handmade this holiday season

    There are plenty of reasons to buy only handmade gifts this holiday season, chief among them that handmade objects have more soul & personality than even the finest machine-made mass-produced goods. Of course, there are also environmental and social reasons: money stays in the craftperson’s community, and doesn’t (as often) go into the coffers of WalTargetMartEtc. or another international conglomerate that cares not at all about its customers or the quality of the products it sells. From buyhandmade.com:

    Buying Handmade makes for better gift-giving.

    The
    giver of a handmade gift has avoided the parking lots and long lines of
    the big chain stores in favor of something more meaningful. If the
    giver has purchased the gift, s/he feels the satisfaction of supporting
    an artist or crafter directly. The recipient of the handmade gift
    receives something that is one-of-a-kind, and made with care and
    attention that can be seen and touched. It is the result of skill
    and craftsmanship that is absent in the world of large-scale
    manufacturing.

    Buying handmade is better for people.

    The
    ascendancy of chain store culture and global manufacturing has left us
    dressing, furnishing, and decorating alike. We are encouraged to be
    consumers, not producers, of our own culture. Our ties to the local and
    human sources of our goods have been lost. Buying handmade helps us
    reconnect.

    Buying handmade is better for the environment.

    The
    accumulating environmental effects of mass production are a major cause
    of global warming and the poisoning of our air, water and soil. Every
    item you make or purchase from a small-scale independent artist or
    crafter strikes a small blow to the forces of mass production.

    There are plenty of ways to do this. Visit one of the many hundreds of folks selling their wares on etsy.com, for instance, or your local artists’ guild, or contact a local community or technical college and find out who your neighborhood’s cabinetmakers and furniture carpenters are. Either way, down with plastic and up with real gifts!

  • Stickley says “relax”

    In the venn diagram of life, there is a small intersection between Frankie Goes to Hollywood Fans and aficionados of Craftsman design. This shirt is for those people – or, really, anyone who likes to sit in a comfy chair. Also, please let me know if you’d like to see it in other colors (the artwork, the text or the shirt) – I can indeed accommodate you. The shirts are quite affordable and are now available from my new Bountee store, and other designs are coming (and I’m always looking for suggestions, too).

  • Ebay roundup, October 2007, part 1

    This month, there are more knicknacks than you can shake even the fanciest stick at over on the mother of all online auction sites. The following aren’t necessarily excellent deals, but everything here is at least interesting.

    As usual, I’m avoiding everything labeled misleadingly (i.e., "Roycroft era," "Stickley style," "maybe Stickley?," etc. … I’ll have plenty more up next week and the week after.

  • bits & pieces on ebay, September 25 2007

    I’m trying to keep to my policy of only including items here that are listed honestly – i.e., not labeled "Stickley-era," "possibly Roycroft," etc.

    These are mostly unsigned items, either underpriced or honestly priced in my opinion (although I did include a few interesting signed items, too). While there were plenty of other good deals this week, many were expiring today or tomorrow, so I didn’t include those.

    furniture

    • high-backed Stickley rocker
    • slat-back/arm bench with leather seat
    • small bookcase / magazine rack
    • sofa table with interesting tenon detail
    • Limbert daybed with spade / leaf cutout
    • Limbert child’s rocker with original seat
    • light wood wall shelves

    ceramics

    • matte green hanging flowerpot
    • Seiz Pottery doorbell
    • matte blue Zanesville bowl
    • pink & green Fulper vase
    • nautilus shell motif tile in oak frame
    • unsigned green glossy low bowl
    • lot of 40 Mexican talavera tiles, 4×4, floral design

    metal

  • DIY Networks’ Wood Works: a mission-style ottoman

    Picture_1
    From the episode abstract:

    Based on the design motifs of the Arts and Crafts style of the 1920s, the Mission-style ottoman in this Wood Works
    project features strong lines, mortise-and-tenon joinery and a natural
    wood finish. Precisely milled wood and subtle details such as the
    beveled through-tenons suggest strength and fine craftsmanship.

  • auction news, September 2007: Stickley desk for $214,500

    20070911__084129image1
    Andrea Valluzzo, over at Antiques & The Arts Online, has the full story:

    Holbrook, MA: It’s not every day a Stickley desk like this comes along.

    On a recent house call to look at some collectibles, a
    cannonball, a gun and similar merchandise, Kelley Auctions’ appraiser
    Michael Lynch spotted the circa 1904 desk with original ebonized black
    finish and rare Grecian urn inlay and asked the owner about consigning
    it.

    The woman, who was selling some of her recently deceased
    parents’ items to finance some needed car repairs, suggested he buy it
    outright for a few hundred dollars.

    Instead, the specially made Stickley desk was consigned
    to auction and after weeks of presale advertising and building
    interest, it crossed the block on September 5, attaining $214,500,
    including premium. The desk, now one of six known examples to exist,
    was unknown prior to the auction. Each desk is numbered; this one is
    marked #3.

  • September Craigslist finds, west coast-centric

    It’s interesting how some communities really embrace Craigslist and use it regularly, and some areas hardly touch it. I’ve noticed that many of the midwest and southern states use it rarely – mostly only for employment and rental advertising, while even small cities on both coasts have extremely active Craigslist communities. So, just in case you were wondering why I give short schrift to certain parts of the country in these monthly reports, that’s your answer. Meanwhile, today’s crop:

    • library desk with shelves, interesting detail, excellent condition: $950, San Ramon CA
    • sideboard with good grain and unique round mirror: $365, Hollywood CA
    • Limbert dresser, good condition & nice hardware: $900, San Jose CA
    • armchair with high spindle back & leather seat, signed Stickley: $450, Santa Ana CA
    • partner desk with shelves and "tug-of-war" drawers: $650, Santa Cruz CA
    • pedestal / plant stand, attractive grain: $275, Portland OR
    • rocker, leather seat & nice wide slat back: $250, Salinas CA
    • rocker, slat back, with velvet seat and back: $40, Tacoma WA
    • library table & side chair with some interesting details: $150 for both, Templeton CA
    • armoire with interesting detail, mirror on door: $1850, Spokane WA
    • settle & armchair, Stickley, matching upholstery: $2500, Northridge CA
    • dining table and four spindle-backed sidechairs: $500, Molalla OR
    • piano bench designed after a 1910 Stickley design, very attractive: $450, Estacada OR
    • cabinet doors or entry door sidelights with pretty stained glass: $275, Seattle WA

  • Arts & Crafts on Ebay: August 2007

    There are plenty of interesting pieces of A&C furniture and ceramics on Ebay right now – almost 50% more than I usually see up there, with some neat Roycroft pieces and pretty tiles too. Maybe people are cleaning out their own collections this summer, or trying to cover the costs of their rising mortgages by selling off family treasures (I hope not!). Here are some items closing soon that caught my eye:

  • book review: Craftsman Furniture Projects

    51sleca2v0l_ss500_

    Craftsman Furniture Projects: Timeless Designs & Trusted Techniques From Woodworking’s Top Experts

    My colleague Derek Martin, an experienced and very talented woodworker, recently offered to review a book I received from the kind folks at Woodworkers’ Journal:

    Thank you for the opportunity to read and give my brief review of Craftsman Furniture Projects.

    I will start out by saying that I not only enjoyed the easy reading, but I also found myself distracted by the illustrations as I thumbed my way through the book. The book is loaded with diagrams, templates and pictures. Many more visual displays are also included to show exactly what is being done which can be especially useful if it’s your first time trying a particular procedure. Finished products are also displayed to show you what you are working towards at all times. So the use of illustration in this book along with descriptive detail made it an A+ for me.

    One of my favorite items was the use of old woodworking tools and the brief explanation of what their purpose was on the project. Some were tools that can still be very useful today such as the wood marking gauge used to drawl more precise lines while performing the layout of a rabbet joint on a piece of stock. Simple tools like this can be found, usually when you’re not looking for them, at garage sales and flea markets and I have developed a habit of collecting and using such items rather than their newer and cheaper counterparts.

    Throughout the book you will find sections called Quick-Tips and Technical Drawings. These brief paragraphs are hints and tips that outline safety, accuracy and workarounds for each project.

    This issue includes nearly twenty beautiful furniture pieces that can be constructed in any decently outfitted woodshop. I would recommend this book to any beginner who wants to try their hand at building sturdy and eye-catching furniture or any master craftsman who thinks he’s seen it all.

  • Stickley on Craigslist, August 2007

    You know what I hate? People using terms like "Stickley-esque," "Stickley quality" or "Stickley-era" to describe furniture items on Craigslist, to try to get people searching specifically for Stickley items to see their listings. Of course, they also use "Limbert (maybe?)" and "Roycroft-ish" and other misleading terms. Why not simply call it what it is? If the piece is unsigned, just say "unsigned Arts & Crafts era antique rocker, Mission oak finish" – you still get all the search terms in there, lots of people will see it, and you’ll sell your piece just as well without lying.

    That said, after wading through two hundred misleading, incorrect or flat-out lying listings on Craigslist, here are some good deals on Stickley items, both antique and contemporary, all over the country:

    • contemporary Stickley entertainment center – $4000, Lakeport CA
    • similar item to above – $1200, Philadelphia PA
    • contemporary Stickley lamp & coffee tables – $500 / $600, Orange County CA
    • antique Stickley drop-front desk #729 – $2999, Santa Barbara CA
    • antique Stickley Bros. drop-front desk – $990, Pittsburgh PA
    • antique Stickley spindle-side/back loveseat or settle – $700, Brooklyn NY
    • two contemporary Stickley octagonal stained-glass lampshades – $125, Portland OR
    • contemporary Stickley "butterfly top" dining table – $1200, Portland OR
    • antique L & JG Stickley 4-drawer dresser – $800, Portland OR
    • contemporary Stickley bookcase etagere – $1000, Tucson AZ
    • contemporary Stickley buffet / glass-front china cabinet – $3500, Minneapolis MN
    • contemporary Stickley tile-topped endtable – $750, Minneapolis MN
    • contemporary Stickley coffee / cocktail table – $700, Minneapolis MN
    • contemporary Stickley Harvey Ellis-design rocker with inlay – $350, Asheville NC
    • antique red-label Stickley rocker – $450, Walden NY