Where Is Art Happening?

Dear Reader,

I truly love to learn about creative endeavors and the people who are in charge of them. I would love to see more creative profiles here!!
I also see that there is a need in my own life for more art, more literature, more "in real life" creativity. I see so much of it online, which gives me a sense that I am seeing everything...but there is so much more to learn about, right here in San Antonio. I am starting this endeavor by listing creative activities for kids (besides the ones in my own home!) that you might find interesting too.

Below I have listed 

For Kids to Experience and Create:

The McNay Museum ongoing, family days and more SEE, LEARN

The Witte has ongoing events and wonderful exhibits! Celebrating South Texas history, culture, and natural science. Has a wonderful South Texas Heritage center with tons of interactive exhibits for the kids. SEE, LEARN

Playdates at the San Antonio Museum of Art (Thanks Maker Mama) This event is every Wednesday and is free with admission. SEE, LEARN, CREATE

ARTWORKS Art Studio Classes, Open Art Time, Kids Parties, Adults too!, Camps and More! Prices/times vary. We go here and love it! SEE, LEARN, CREATE

The Painted Canvas: on their schedule, it seems like it is ages 4 and up, Adults too! CREATE

Clay Casa: Paint you own pottery CREATE


Coming in April:
Family Friendly Art Fair, FIESTA ARTS FAIR

 

Lone Star Arts Fibers

Today I am very excited to share Lone Star Arts with you!! I crochet and I desperately would love to learn to knit, so I have a special appreciation for FIBERS!

Here's the interview with Amanda from Lone Star Arts! Go visit her and say "Hi!"

HSA: Can you tell us a little about yourself and your business?

Hi, my name in Amanda and I'm a complete yarn junkie.  I actually graduated from Texas A&M University (WHOOP!) with a degree in Nuclear Engineering and a minor in math.  My full-time employment is in the Health Physics field.  I'm originally from Huntsville, TX and grew up surrounded by wonderfully crafty people.  My mom and grandma gave me my first introduction to crochet and sewing.   I picked up knitting about 10 years ago and I think I've tried every other fiber related craft out there since then.

You can find my yarns and bags on Etsy, lonestararts.etsy.com.  I'm also on Facebook: facebook.com/lonestararts and on Twitter: @lonestararts, I'm also on Pinterest (Amanda Sullivan).

HSA: How did you learn to spin yarn? 

The first fiber show I ever attended was Kid n Ewe in Boerne, TX in 2006.  I was completely overwhelmed.  I had been wanting to try spinning but didn't have the money to buy a wheel, at that time I thought that was the only way to spin yarn.  My friend Susan showed me how to drop spindle and I took my newly purchased spindle and fiber home and proceeded to attempt to spin my own yarn.  It was a disaster.  After about a month I finally got the hang of it.  Two weeks after that, my husband gave me a used Schacht Matchless spinning wheel for Christmas.  I promptly put my drop spindle back in it's plastic bag and it's lived there ever since.  I learned how to use my wheel through books and videos on youtube, much like how I learned to knit.

HSA: Why did you decide to sell your items?

I decided to start selling my yarns based on the response of my knitting circle.  I've been so blessed to have a great group of supportive friends who have given me advice, helped me at shows and given me opportunities I never would have had otherwise.

BFL Roving in Majesty

Boxy Lady Project Bag

Fusion Fingering Weight yarn in Egypt

HSA: What has been your favorite skein/colorway/fiber to make or work with?

 My favorite colorway has to be Majesty.  I listed it in my shop thinking it was just a disaster and there was no way anyone would want to use it.  It has turned out to be one of my most popular colorways.  I still get giddy everytime I see something someone has knit with my yarns or carrying one my bags.  

HSA: Just for fun, what is your favorite food? Favorite local item/restaurant/store?

Favorite food - I could eat pizza three meals a day.  Love it.  Favorite local restaurant - Aldo's and any of our wonderful mom and pop taquerias.  Favorite store - The Yarn Barn, which is now under new ownership by my wonderful friend Enid.

I love the historical aspect of San Antonio and the people.  I've met so many wonderful people in the time that we've lived here.  It truly is a beautiful city.

~Amanda

 

Thanks so much for your time Amanda!

Creative Workspace Spotlight on Blond Duck!

Its debut time! No, not that southern belle debut dance kinda event...its time for our first installment in the "Creative Workspace" series! We will, from time to time, feature a local artist/creator and their space.

Welcome Miranda, or as I know her online, Blond Duck! See her space?

Here is what she said about her space, "I work in a room of bright pink, with tons of stuffed animals. I've got tons of art work on my wall from my idol, Mrs. McGill, as well as my own and others I admire. There's a wall of books peppered with stuffed animals and tons of stuff on the floor I'm always tripping over. It's chaotic spazzness!"
I love the energy!

Check her out at A Duck in Her Pond

Rhi2YouCreations Jewelry

Hello everyone! I hope ya'll are having a wonderful holiday season, and want to thank ya'll for stopping by!
Today we are featuring Rhiannon from Rhi2YouCreations on Etsy. I was intrigued by in her intricate designs and philanthropy.

Welcome to handmade in SA, Rhiannon!

Blue Pearl Necklace

HSA: Can you tell us a little about yourself and your business? Where are you from? Where can your items be purchased?

    My name is Rhiannon Elise, I'm 21 years old and I'm from San Antonio.  As of right now, the only place my items can be viewed and purchased is at http://www.etsy.com/people/Rhi2YouCreations.  

Shades of Pink

I am in the middle of making a new bracelet line, so check back often for new items! 

HSA: How long have you been making jewelry? Who taught you/how did you learn?

  I have been dabbling in jewelry for a little over two years now.  It started as a way to spend time with my Nana (my grandmother), but my obsession for shiny things took over and soon my spare room was full of everything needed to start a small jewelry factory.  As frustrating as it sometimes may be, I don't regret any of the tedious hours spent at Mica's, Cartwheel's, and Bead Boys learning new things.  It has really brought my Nana and I closer, and made handmade gifts a new found treasure in my eyes.

Detail on the Woven orange necklace

Shades of Green

HSA: Why did you decide to sell your items? 

  Ironically, I rarely wear jewelry so I started selling items on etsy to help me pay for college. It's also a great way to show people that handmade gifts are much more thought filled and unique than big name chain stores items.

HSA: What has been your favorite piece to make?

 My favorite piece I've made is my pink pearl & mask charm necklace.  It wasn't made for anyone in particular, but all my jewelry is inspired by people in my life or places I've been, and in this case my trips to New Orleans.  New Orleans is always buzzing with color and interesting things, so I made something unique and vibrant to remind me of the city. 

 HSA: Tell us a little about how you give back to charity and why.  

 Whenever someone makes a purchase from me I will donate 10% to either Operation Smile, The Cancer Research Foundation, or various autism charities. These are all areas that hit close to home for me and with more support and purchases I hope to increase the percent I can donate.  

HSA: Just for fun, what is your favorite food? Favorite local item/restaurant/store?  San Antonio is so full of great stores and restaurants  it's hard to answer that!  I love all things food, especially Asian cuisine, but hands down Bombay Hall near the medical center has NEVER disappointed.  It is an Indian buffet that you just have to try!   My favorite store would have to be Cartwheel's in Boerne or Mica's on the city's north side.  Swarovski crystals are my favorite to work with and they have an endless array of colors and sizes!   

Please remember to shop local, support handmade, and enjoy the beauty around you!  A million thank you's!  Xoxo Rhiannon 

 

Thank you for stopping by! 

Hidden Room Etsy Shop

Hello everyone! I have been on a complete blog hiatus this past month or so, but I am back and more energized than ever! Handmade in SA's newest feature is Ganna, a self taught seamstress/designer from her Hidden Room shop on Etsy. This beautiful shop is full of lacy, pretty dresses, skirts and tops. Check it out HERE.

HSA: How long have you been sewing? Who taught you how to sew?

Ganna: My grandmother taught me (among lots of other crafty things) to use a
sewing machine when I was seven. She may have had second thoughts
about it later when sewing supplies started disappearing from her
closet.:) Ive been altering and personalizing clothes for as long as I can
remember, I always had some issues with ready to wear clothing available
in stores. I decided to learn to make clothing from scratch, but with no extra time or money to attend school the internet became my fashion design institute. After some time and countless yards ofwasted fabric I was making clothes for myself and my friends. About
two years ago I set up an online store, mostly to showcase my projects.


HSA: What has been your favorite piece to make?/Most memorable piece and who was it for?

Ganna: The first dress sold in this store was also one of the most memorable
pieces. Realization that people like something I made with my own hands and are willing to pay for it was, honestly, a shock to me. It also planted a deep responsibility [in me] to deliver the best possible quality to my customers for their money. My most unusual project so far was ministers robe I made for a friend.

HSA: Why dresses? Why not say...pants or blazers? =)

Ganna: Marilyn Monroe said " I don't mind living in a mans world as long as I can be a woman in it" A dress is a physical embodiment of these words for me. I'll take on whatever this mad world brings at me, but I want my right to dress up and be vulnerable and fragile "( I'm sure Z Freud
would've had something to say about it, he he)

HSA: Just for fun, what is your favorite food?

Ganna:  I am a fan of healthy and wholesome eating. Luckily I have a sister who is also a big food enthusiast. Together we are on a quest for new gastronomic experiences: from recreating our favourite kinds of sushi to making kombucha to backing artisan bread and brewing beer. We often
visit local farmers market to stock up on supplies for our next projects and and just to be in the atmosphere of homegrown, handmade and awesome.

Ganna, I think your shop is awesome and thanks so much for sharing your story with us!

Veritas Designs

Hello fellow San Antonians! Welcome to the official first post of handmade in SA! I am happy you are here and excited to show you the goods available in our area.

Our first post highlights Veritas Designs, a classy place to buy handmade hair accessories. Veritas Designs just unveiled is new fall line, and the pieces are unique and beautiful. Below is my interview with Geneva, the owner of Veritas Designs. Go and LIKE them on Facebook!


HSA: Can you tell us a little about yourself and your business?
    I am blessed to be a stay-at-home mama to two, sweet girls (with a third on the way!), and I have always been disappointed with the quality of hair accessories available for my budget, so I started making classy hair accessories for my girls and their friends and received so many compliments and inquiries about them that I decided to start a little, home business. It's been a wonderful creative outlet for that quiet time after the kids go to sleep.
 

HSA: How did you come up with the name "Veritas Designs"?

    Well, for starters, the word Veritas is Latin for Truth.  There's a beautiful poem by John Keats called "Ode Upon a Grecian Urn," and the last two lines are "Beauty is truth, truth beauty," - that is all / Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know." As someone who believes that the Good, the True, and the Beautiful are all the same, I thought Veritas would be a fun and clever reminder to come up with designs that are not merely cute or part of a fad, but are truly beautiful, as well as pointing to a higher Beauty, in the Platonic sense.  Haha, forgive me for waxing eloquent...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HSA: What has been your favorite piece to make?

   Is it silly to say that each time I come up with a new design, it becomes my new, favorite thing? :) I really do like working with wispy materials like chiffon or silk.  They make such delicate, realistic looking flowers. My favorite pieces are always the custom designs, usually for weddings; they allow me to turn someone else's dream into a reality and really challenge me!

 

 

 

HSA: What do you hope to see for Veritas Designs in the future?

   Lol, my friends and family get onto me all the time for not being more streamlined or ambitious! I have a terrible head for business, but I really am passionate about the quality and uniqueness of each item I make, so the process of making new or customized pieces never becomes stale for me. 

I can't see myself hiring on anyone else, or expanding into a storefront with multiple copies of the same item because the individuality of each item is precious to me, and I'd rather keep things personal and at a manageable size for me to continue to put out quality pieces. Still, having a greater fan base with more ideas for custom pieces is definitely a hope of mine. That's why I just started having one sale night per week where I sell ready-to-ship pieces at awesome prices to the fastest shoppers. :)

 

HSA: Just for fun, what is your favorite food?

My food tastes vary just as much as my creative tastes, but one item I've loved my whole life, when prepared with fresh ingredients and good spices, is spaghetti (or most pasta dishes in general...)! As long as there is plenty of Parmesan cheese and fresh vegetables, I'm in!

 

Thanks so much to Geneva of Veritas Designs for this interview!  ~ Veronica

Welcome!

Hello, how are you today? Please stay and take a look around. The wheels have just started rolling here at handmade in SA, and I have exciting things planned for you. Please click around, read the mission statement and stay tuned! Who doesn't love local, handmade items (just in time for the holidays too!)?

Happy Clicking,

your handmade in SA curator, Veronica