Archives
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Home & Garden
Golden Holiday Baubles from Miranda Thomas
Written by Jason Drebitko with 1 comment » on Dec 13, 2011
Each holiday season, renowned Vermont master potter Miranda Thomas sets to work creating a limited run of hand painted holiday ornaments. Working in her hilltop studio and in her pottery workshops tucked along the Ottaquechee River near Woodstock, Vermont, Thomas hand paints with 24k gold, mini porcelain masterpieces destined to become family heirlooms. She also…
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Children
Czech Marionette Artists: Modern Day Masters
Written by Jason Drebitko with no comments on Oct 16, 2011
Puppetry as a form of entertainment has been around for thousands of years, and in the Czech Republic, marionette puppet theater has been an important form of story telling art since the early Middle Ages. Two modern day masters, Miroslav Trejtnar and Richard “Rici” Kuklík are keeping the tradition alive. In addition to being a…
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Food
Microbatch Chocolatiers: From Bean to Bar
Written by Jason Drebitko with no comments on Oct 16, 2011
In the kingdom of chocolate, there are great old-world confectioners such as Teuscher (producing since 1932), and Paris’s Debauve & Gallais (producing for more than 200 years). There are celebrity artisanal chocolatiers – confectionary artists at the highest level of their craft, who use the freshest ingredients paired with traditional methods and contemporary flare –…
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Culture & Entertainment
The Ol’ Jalopy Trucks Along
Written by Ryan Nally with no comments on Oct 16, 2011
Shining like a bright beacon on a non-descript side street in Red Hook, Brooklyn, the Jalopy Theater and School of Music (www.jalopy.biz) beckoned me in on a recent evening. Built in 1860, the venue has been used variously as a grain storage facility, tap dance studio, radio repair shop, garage, and flop house. Its most…
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Home & Garden
Seagrove, North Carolina’s 200 year old pottery tradition
Written by Jason Drebitko with no comments on Oct 15, 2011
Located 40 miles from Greensboro, NC on a stretch of highway known as the “Potter’s Highway”, Seagrove is home to one of the highest concentrations of potters in the country. Sometime during the 1700’s, before the American Revolution, the first families of the area used the abundant clay resource to make functional wares for use…
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Fashion & Beauty
Tallulah Jane – Natural Perfumes
Written by Jason Drebitko with no comments on Oct 10, 2011
Born in England with a career path that has included: modeling, photography, and the health and wellness industry, Eleanor Jane launched “Tallulah Jane” natural perfumers in 2009. Jane’s small batch fragrances use 100% all natural ingredients (ethically chosen organic and wild crafted oils) and often incorporate seasonally ingredients, giving each batch a unique personality. https://tallulahjanenyc.com/
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Travel
Babylonstoren – A Farm to Table to Bed Eden in South Africa
Written by Jason Drebitko with no comments on Sep 27, 2011
Within the last three years, South African media executive Koos Bekker and his wife, Karen Roos (former editor of Elle Décor in South Africa) have transformed their 500 acre historic Cape Dutch farm into a farm to table eden. Only a 45-minute drive from Cape Town International airport, nestled in the Drakenstein Valley with views…
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Fashion & Beauty
An Heirloom Mentality – BILLYKIRK Leathermakers
Written by Jason Drebitko with no comments on Sep 19, 2011
Inspired by an old leather watch strap they picked up at a California pawn shop, Chris and Kirk Bray launched their hand made leather wear brand in 1999 to great applause within the design community. Today, although the brothers Bray are assisted by a team of Amish craftspeople, they continue to hand finish their products…
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Fashion & Beauty
Alicia Adams Alpaca – A Family Endeavor in New York’s Hudson Valley Yields Coast to Coast Luxury.
Written by Jason Drebitko with no comments on Sep 1, 2011
Alicia Adams’ luxurious Alpaca throws, pillows, mittens, sweaters and scarves can be found in boutiques from coast to coast. However, it is on the 80-acre farm in New York’s Hudson Valley, that she and her family raise a herd of 200+ Suri Alpacas, one of the rarest breeds in the world. The Adams family moved…
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Un des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (translated – One of the Best Craftsmen of France) is a competition (held every four years), that is organized by the French Ministry of Labor. Originally created in 1924 as a test of craftsmanship of the era, today, the contest includes a wide range of trades from stonemasons to…