These are a few of my fave handmade things // jewellery and purse edition

I’m kinda tired of mass-produced clothes and accessories. Not only do you end up looking like a clone created by the fashion industry, but often such pieces are made in awful sweat shops by underpaid and overworked staff using materials that are far from sustainably produced.

At the same time, there’s a bunch of incredibly talented and creative artists out there struggling to live off their craft alone. Which seems wrong to me, especially when sites like Etsy and it’s Australian-only counterpart Made It make it so easy to connect with designers and purchase their wares direct.

So, as a slightly different take on my fave vintage things series, here are some of my most treasured handmade finds. Perhaps you might consider supporting a local artist and choosing something handcrafted next time you need to buy a present for a friend or want to spoil yourself.

I’m pretty much smitten with everything Kirsten Devitt of Each to Own creates. Her pieces are just so bright, fun and colourful. She’s also a super nice lady, as I discovered when we met a few months back at the BrisStyle indie twilight markets, which are well worth a visit if you’re in Brisbane and enjoy locally-made, crafty goodness. While I’d like to own Kirsten’s whole collection, I’ve satisfied myself with just one special geometric necklace, bought for $30. The best part? It’s a shrinky! I remember having great fun making those as a kid and just love that this new and modern necklace brings back fond childhood memories.

Japanese artist Yumi Ando hand built this adorable ceramic bunny brooch, which is among the many understated and elegant pieces sold via her and O design label. Yumi’s based in Melbourne but popped up to Brisbane this year for the Finders Keepers markets, where I happily handed over $38 to add her brooch to my slowly-growing collection. Nice!

These super sweet polkadot earrings, handmade by Hannah of Ruby&Lo, were a total steal at $14 including postage. Hannah is a Brisbane-based artist with a lovely whimsical style. She named her saucer earrings “time for tea”, which I think is just the bee’s knees. She has an Etsy store over here and it’s also worth keeping an eye on her Twitter feed because you might just bag a bargain when she announces discount coupons.

This beautiful purse was designed and handmade by UK textile artist Rowena of Red Ruby Rose. I found it for $75 USD via her Etsy store and just love the hand-designed peacock patterned fabric. It’s truly original and three years on, I still adore adding a burst of colour to my outfit when taking this little purse out.

So, now you’ve met some of my favourite handmade things. Got any of your own?

– Koren