Have you planned anything special for the 4th?  As usual with me and holidays, I just got the 411.  In a way, though, I did the holiday early because I had family visiting over the past couple of weeks.  We spent time doing a lot of nothing together and had an all round good time. 

I won't keep you, but I want to give you an update on Heartful Village.  A News & How-tos page has been added, and here are some new listings you'll find in Handmade Lookup:

Wearable art and fine crafts by about 100 American artists spread around the U.S.  Their focus is ceramics, glass, fiber, metal and wood.  There are a lot of interesting products at this site, lots of sale items, and free shipping in the U.S.

Click here for Gallery 5 in Handmade Lookup.

Whodathunkit?  Buy a pair of shoe soles with a bunch of ribbons and have new shoes every day.  Mohops, handmade in Chicago by Annie Mohaupt, are billed as "environmentally friendly, comfortable, and best of all, allow nearly infinite design options with just one pair of wooden soles."  I know someone who has a pair and attests to the comfortable claim.

Click here to check out Mohops in Handmade Lookup.

Anita Lin and Sara Schwittekry are Shy Siren and they have loads of beautiful jewelry and accessories in their shop.  But what got my attention was this purse hanger.  It's designed to be used in restaurants.  You hang your purse from the table so you don't have to put it on the floor, or on the back of the chair so everything falls over when you get up.  (Or does that just happen to me?)

Follow this link to check them out at Handmade Lookup.

 

These guys are not exactly handmade, but I like what they're doing so I looked the other way.  And what they're doing is making ruggedly beautiful purses, wallets, card holders, and belts out of recycled bicycle inner tubes and car seat belts. 

Click here to check them out at Handmade Lookup.

While we're on the subject of recycling, let's not leave out Will W who manages to turn old watches and spoons and buttons and camera lenses and salt shakers and all sorts of other what-have-you into wonderfully whimsical sculpture and jewelry boxes. 

Click here to check him out at Handmade Lookup.