DIY: Magical Craftspring Baby's Mobile
It's baby season at Craftspring. Our founder Anne, just welcomed her second magical little girl into the world! So we're going a little bit baby-crazy over here. Our friends at Sette Creative (also baby-crazy right now) helped us make a DIY mobile - because what better way to add to the joyful and nurturing atmosphere of a baby's nursery than a handmade mobile? Read on!
Interview: Artist Michael Höpfner
To roam and wander the vast and daunting terrain of mountain-scape or to experience piercing silence, howling winds or the flood rains that shape the land. All the while bearing witness to the experiential notion of international borders and the mercurial idea of "otherness." These experiences—the confrontation with Mother Nature's wild and unbridled ways coupled with deserted land as part of pilgrimage, as part of communion, art, identity and being—are intrinsic, and an unspoken commentary found within photographer and installation artist Michael Höpfner's work.
Photoshoot Sneak Peak!
Photoshoot magic! This is literally what we conjure up at Craftspring when we set up our photoshoots each year! As we recently finished our 2017 collection (173 new ornaments to be exact!) our next step is to bring them to life in our hand-painted sets and the imaginary worlds in which we photograph them.
Designing 2017's New Collection + Mermaid Love
One of the best parts of working at Craftspring is designing the new ornament collections each year! Between January and March, we work daily on the new designs sending drafts back and forth with the artisans, fine tuning each and every detail.
Interview: Sarah Baldwin of Bella Luna Toys
We reached out to Sarah and asked her about her experience as a Waldorf teacher, the power of storytelling and ritual for children and how her experience has shaped her way of doing business. We greatly admire her commitment to cultivating generations of inspired and authentic children. Letting kids have their childhoods and grow with care and support as they develop.
For the Love of Bread!
Autumn is here, and with it our desire for warm, cozy kitchens and delicious home-cooked meals. Nothing like fresh bread coming out of the oven ready to share with family and friends...Non bread is a flat, round traditional bread found all over Central Asia, Pakistan, India and China...Read on as we follow the Samarkand nan bread recipe!
A Shipment Lands in Brooklyn
Ever wonder how all of our ridiculously cute and totally magical felted friends get from Kyrgyzstan to Brooklyn? We received a shipment this month of approximately 14,000 felted friends packed in three, tyvek and metal wire-wrapped bundles.
DIY: Road Board Playtime!
Beep beep! We love our new car, truck and train collection!! They fit perfectly in little hands for hours of make-believe playtime fun! So we decided to create a little road for them to drive on and share it with you! Easy to make and easier to store, this simple yet effective handmade playtime accessory will only add to your child's fun!
Interview: Local Roots with Wen-Jay Ying
We sat down with Wen-Jay Ying, founder of New York City's Local Roots CSA (community-supported agriculture), to talk local farming, community and the current state of food.
DIY: Craftspring Camelot Castle!
And so goes the wonderful power of make-believe in our homemade Camelot castle! As our ornaments transcend the holiday season for year-round playtime, we wanted to share this DIY plan to make your own castle. We absolutely love this project because it’s fun, easy and collaborative in nature.
The In's & Out's of NY NOW
We get so many emails from friends and other companies asking us how to prepare for the NY NOW gift show so we thought we would write a blog about it. With complete transparency, NY NOW can and usually is a stressful event. The best way to decrease stress is to be as prepared as possible. Figure out as many details beforehand and leave nothing to chance.
Interview: Artist Lukas Birk
It's been said that through the eyes of an artist the world is seen—not for its polarizing and conflict-ridden ideologies, but for the spirit of the time as experienced on a human level. Artist Lukas Birk works with both historical photographs and objects as well as creating new artworks rooted in his on-going world travels and personal history.
Make Believe
The whimsical act of make believe inspires us to strive for a life full of joy and adventure. It’s the kind of play that allows us to dream big and live lives rooted in creativity. Whether it's writing a fantastical story or playing dress-up, these acts of play not only spark joy, but transformation and cultivate ingenuity.
How's it made: Allakiz Tree Skirt
Take a look at how our Allakiz tree skirt is made with the magic of felt! Handmade from the fluffiest wool, our artisan partners work their magic with soap and water to create a truly special object.
What does handmade REALLY mean?
In its most literal sense handmade means that every single step and detail of the production of our products is made by hands belonging to an artisan. From the making of the wool felt to the final embroidered stitches, it is talent, patience and dedication that bring to life something truly magical.
The need-to-knows of fair trade
It is only by the hands of our amazing women artisans that the magic of Craftspring and our products is born. Our commitment to them and their craft goes beyond the artistic collaborative relationship and preservation of an ancient tradition to one that ensures a livelihood of independence, sustainability and growth. It is anchored in Fair Trade.
The Magical World of Felt!
What is felt made of? Natural felt, one of the oldest textiles in the world (!), is made from sheep’s wool or camel hair. Interestingly, it is not woven or braided but made of pressed fibers that are in turn kneaded together to create a myriad of shapes.
Waldorf Inspired
As many of our existing collections are anchored in core values—more and more Waldorf schools, stores and families have come to feature our delightfully engaging handmade products. It’s been an honor to discover the Waldorf community and their joy of teaching the “heart, head and hands” of their students.
© 2017 Craftspring.