on gifting

This is the time of year when we are not sure if we're heroes or villains.

Everything around us says "buy! buy! buy!" and if we are honest, we are saying it, too. It's the time of year when we are best able to get these beautiful things off the shelves and into homes. And pay the mortgage. We are idealistic and pragmatic. So in some ways, we are part of the Holiday Consumer Machine. The "show your love with stuff" machine.

We like to think of ourselves as more than just a cog, though. Or rather, we are a cog in a different kind of machine.

Last year we proudly supported the Handmade Pledge. It echoed much of our own reasoning - and gave good incentive for shopping at places like Left Bank. What's not to like?

To some extent, we also supported the No Buy campaign. Which might be considered self-defeating.

We say "no" to commercial gifts that an advertising mechanism says we need to buy. We say "no" to the "more is more" mentality and the culture of waste. We say "no" to being sold a bill of goods that benefits no one in the long term.

That said, we have no desire to shut down the whole gift-giving culture. Not only would we be shooting ourselves in the foot, but we like getting and giving presents just as much as the next guy. Giving makes us feel good. Helping other people give makes us feel good, too. We love finding the perfect gift instead of the panic gift.

Intentionally or unintentionally, we are all voting with our dollars this season. When you buy from a store that supports American craft, you are giving your money to people all over the country who spend their lives making things just a little more human. The medium AND the message are completely different from what we're being sold commercially.

It's probably obvious where our votes are being cast. And judging from the fact that you've read this far, we're probably preaching to the choir. (You sing beautifully, btw.)

Let's work together this year to bring joy, generosity and good will back into the spotlight. It's been overshadowed by profit for too long.

Let's be heroes.

Sally Craig

You could show up at your holiday office party wearing your bathrobe if you were wearing these Sally Craig earrings with it. We're not suggesting that you should, mind you, but they are that gorgeous.

Beppa jackets

We have several gorgeous, new wool jackets by Beppa in Wellfleet. Come try one on!

Aaron Sober ceramics

Thou shalt not covet, thou shalt not covet, thou shalt not....

Too late.

I want them.

Dale Mark & everyday-use pottery

This just in! Pottery by Dale Mark:

"My start with pottery occurred when I volunteered on an archaeological excavation of a 19th century red earthenware pottery. What a thrill! Soon, I realized I wanted to make pots. After travelling through various pottery classes and a stint in a college ceramic program, in 1995 I opened a studio and began learning.

I work alone, accompanied by a radio, throwing pots on a wheel. My vessels are made with porcelain, decorated with colour slips underneath a variety of coloured glazes, then fired in a reduction kiln to 2380C. Two traditions influence my pots. The initial exposure to everyday-use pottery made by those long-ago local country potters with straightforward forms, simple glazes and minimal decoration, and Chinese porcelains with their balanced copper and celadon glazed vessels." - Dale Mark

McKenzie River Pottery

These? Crack me up.

Swallow

What has everyone been looking at lately in Wellfleet? These rings by Swallow.

Kaleidoscope Pottery

"Each piece of Leafware is created by hand in our small, New England studio. The leaves used for the designs are picked from our garden and the surrounding area; we use over thirty varieties of leaves. The process involves using the actual leaf impressions, making each piece unique."

We've added new shapes to our page of Kaleidoscope Pottery. Check them out!

Holly Hauser explores the process

We were in the mood for something bright today.

"Texture and layers of bright and muted hues create the composition. The viewer is welcomed into the art making process as some areas of drawing are left as is, evoking a conversation between evolving parts. The theme of relationship is also explored in the ways that the flowers and fruit lean on and support each other." - Holly Hauser

Read Holly's bio on our website (and see the rest of this series).

Fred Perreault goes local and stays there

Just arrived in Orleans!



Fred Perreault (an 8th generation Cape Codder, for anyone who's counting) recovers wood from area job sites and makes bowls, platters and serving boards. He uses locust, red oak, various maples, white oak, red cedar, black walnut, cherry, poplar, hickory and ash.

We have a few photos posted on the website. Call or drop by to see what's currently available. All pieces are one of a kind.

Todd Reed

"It started as a way to question society about the idea of perceived value. In particular how value and perceived value relate to ideas of beauty or perfection that have become norms of society.

There are certain ad campaigns, such as, "She'll like you at a half carat, but she'll love you at a carat.", that prompted me to make this line of jewelry. This would be a line of jewelry that really did use the most perfect diamond in the world, the actual raw diamond. Uncut. Unpolished. Natural, perfect geometry. That was around 1994 when this idea really started to take off.

I am a self-taught goldsmith and metalsmith, and very much enjoy the hard work that goes into each piece. I have been extremely fortunate in that my work has won many international awards, and is frequently included in books, trade publications, and consumer magazines. My work can be seen at the finest shows and exhibitions in galleries and museums around the world. My work continues to grow as I grow, and I am still inspired by most everything. Beauty and nature are endless inspiration." - Todd Reed

Flameware - everyday handmade

In preparation for a woodfire show, we asked some of our potter friends to comment on handmade vs. commercial pottery (which is like asking the choir to comment on elevator music). This is what Sequoia Miller had to say:

I find using industrial ceramics to be like having a conversation with a mute person. Handmade objects have a particular point of view that is a combination of the maker, the material, and the user. Using handmade anything simply gives you more to respond to. It’s like riding a horse versus driving a car, only much less inconvenient.

Bearing that in mind, meet Flameware, by Terry Silverman

I, for one, have some great serving pieces but am not a fan of making extra dirty dishes for everyday meals. Flameware is safe to put on the stove top and in the oven, so you can cook in it AND serve out of it.

There really is something about interacting with handmade items that makes life just a little more nourishing.

Flameware makes a coffee pot, baking pans, skillets, sauce pans, butter warmers and more. Check them out on our website and find them in the gallery on Commercial Street in Wellfleet.

It's like riding a horse, only less inconvenient.