Maybe it’s the chill in the air, the splashes of crimson in the trees, or the sound of a familiar melody you haven’t heard since, oh, about a year ago.
Do hints of the impending holidays send you straight to the nearest mall, where you fight fellow frenzied shoppers for mass-produced presents?
This year, forgo the status quo. Instead, take a deep breath, peruse the following pages, and then do some shopping you can really feel good about.
Like an army of Santa’s helpers, many of your creatively gifted neighbors are busy in their workshops crafting one-of-a-kind items that are sure to garner many oohs, ahhs and heartfelt thanks from your loved ones this year.
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Haute Hardware Jewelry
“Skulls can be feminine, and cute.” Just look at one of her necklaces, Erin Cruz says. “I like things that are a little off the wall; I like there to be a surprise in the detail — so you might see a pretty charm necklace with a silver heart, a pearl and a tiny skull, something little that’s unexpectedly thrown in there but not obvious.”
She uses semi-precious stones, Swarovski crystal, Czech glass and vintage beads to create necklaces, rings and earrings — both custom orders and her own designs.
When Cruz eyed a necklace she liked seven years ago, she says she thought to herself, “Hey, I can do that — how hard could it be?”
“So I totally winged it, and ended up using the wrong beading and threading. Apparently, it was harder than it looked.”
But she worked out the kinks through trial and error, and today her business, Haute Hardwarde Jewelry, is booming, and most of that growing customer base is right here in our neighborhood, something Cruz takes a lot of pride in.
“I’m a big advocate for shopping local, and I do it as much as I can,” she says. “Independent businesses are so important because they give a neighborhood its character, its charm. And local art is also vital because that’s what gives a community its creative spirit.”
WEB SITE: hautehardwarejewelry.com
PRICE RANGE: $15-$50
CONTACT: erin@hautehardwarejewelry.com or 214.240.9626
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Karma Crochet
If you need to load up on stocking-stuffers or gifts for the office bunch, Patricia Ivanisevic likely has a craft to fit the bill. Her craft company, Karma Crochet, offers a variety of items like handmade jewelry, scarves, brooches, and headbands — all for about $5 to $10 a pop.
“I offer a variety of crafts because I’m the creative sort, always making something different — whatever draws me in at that moment.” Ivanisevic says. “I don’t have a specific style; I’m just attracted to color, especially with fabrics.”
That love for fabric all began with a Barbie doll.
“Some family friends gave me my first Barbie when I was a child in Argentina. The toy stores there didn’t have doll clothes, so I started sewing outfits for Barbie. My mom was a seamstress, so there were plenty of cloth scraps for me to work with,” she says.
Today, that’s evolved into an all-out craft business, which she runs out of her Preston Hollow home when she’s not working her nine-to-five.
“I continue to craft because I enjoy the creative process — if it felt like work, I wouldn’t do it,” Ivanisevic says. “And I also enjoy the connection I make with my customers. When you buy a locally-made craft, you’re supporting a neighbor’s form of art — and you’re doing something environmentally-friendly because this product wasn’t shipped in to some store from halfway across the world.”
WEBSITE: karmacrochet.com
PRICE RANGE: $5-$120
CONTACT: kativa@karmacrochet.com
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One Up Designs
You know that person who has everything? There’s a good chance he doesn’t have this: a ’60s-inspired mushroom decal for his laptop. Or, if he’s playful, how about a little Sasquatch wall graphic for his office?
Those are just a couple of the creations James Parch has created for his line of graphic decals, One Up Designs. His collection includes everything from organic images, like wildflowers, to whimsical images, like a cartoony owl.
“I’ve created everything from a tree branch to luchador masks; it just depends on how I feel at that moment,” Parch says.
Or if you dream up your own design, he can typically make it into a custom decal in about two weeks. All of his decals are vinyl, and can be removed from any surface to which they’re affixed. Installation directions come with each decal, or if it’s a larger order, Parch will do the installation himself.
Parch, who has worked in graphic arts for several years, says the idea for One Up Designs came to him while he was working in a sign shop. The concept is catching on with more and more customers, something he attributes to its uniqueness.
“I think people like it because it’s not mass-produced, so it’s not something you see every day,” Parch says. “It’s like a tattoo for your wall, so it’s a different form of wall art.”
WEBSITE: one-updesigns.com
PRICE RANGE: $5-$50
CONTACT: info@one-updesigns.com
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Toodle-Lu
Sure, you could buy a holiday gift at a department store, but it wouldn’t have the same sentimental value as a personalized craft, says LuAnn Luekemeyer. That’s the whole idea behind Toodle-Lu, her line of custom handmade Christmas stockings.
“The whole way Toodle-Lu started is actually a sentimental story,” she explains. “When I got married about 11 years ago, I made a Christmas stocking for my stepson. It was our first Christmas together, and that was my gift to him, so it had a lot of meaning.”
Luekemeyer’s friends and family members admired that stocking so much that they began requesting them.
“I kept on making them for friends and family throughout the years and eventually I just thought, ‘Well, why not make a little business out of this so that anyone else who wants one can buy one?’”
And thus, the birth of Toodle-Lu. Her customized Christmas stockings are ornate, with details like mini-dollhouses and hand-cut felt décor. Most of those stockings take her about a week to complete — but during the holidays, she’s expecting a flood of orders, so there may be a longer turnaround time.
“As we near Christmas, I may be up working on these stockings all night like one of Santa’s little helpers, but that suits me just fine,” Luekemeyer says. “I love making these stockings for other people to enjoy.”
WEBSITE: toodle-lu.com
PRICE RANGE: $180-$250
CONTACT: info@toodlelu.com or 469.744.4342
