Copper Ink (aka: Renee)

When I asked Renee why she decided to participate in Handmade Holiday, she said, "I design things to be printed on paper everyday. So, when my good friends at Zing offered me the chance to make and sell hand-made gifts, I was excited!"

Renee made most of the artwork in her colorful home, she likes giving away hand-made Christmas gifts, and she collects posters, concert ticket stubs, and any kind of paper, beads, feathers, and ribbon that's beautiful.

If you decided to stop by "Handmand Holiday at Zing" (and we hope you do!)
Renee has magnets, photo clips, baker's gift bags, and holiday treats. (But when we say magnets, we really mean a collection of felt flowers, beads and glass stones, meant to add beauty to your fridge and work station. And when we say photo clips, you can expect much more than your average photo clip. They're over-sized clothes pins that are decorated with vintage flowers and ribbon and can stand on a desk and hold
your holiday cards, or they have magnets, so you can attach it to your fridge to hold photos, calendars, and kids' artwork. The baker's gift bag has funky napkins, cupcake liners, sprinkles and more. It's the perfect
gift for the gal who loves to bake with zebra-print and polka dots. There will also be holiday goodies at her table, including candy sticks and apple-pie jars.)

Renee Halgerson lives in Sioux Falls, SD, and works full-time at SDN Communications. Her part-time passion is helping engaged couples design their wedding invitations (Copper Ink Wedding Designs) and making art with her hands! She volunteers with Junior Achievement, United Way, The Banquet and Business & Professional Women (BPW). She loves to give her time, her talent and her heart to those in need. And who doesn't need more art in their lives?

Melanie and her Bead Co.

Cool cuffs right?
Then you find out they are from melted shower curtains and bubble wrap and you can’t wait to snap them on. Melanie Erickson has been channeling the jewelry gods for nearly 20 years as she bends metal to her will and then makes it sing with some kick ass beads, baubles and quirky-cool-whatnots.

I’ve been wearing her creations for years and when I say “Thank you, my friend Mel made it” when I get the common “Oh I love that” compliment…well, this is THAT talented lady.

“Creating makes me feel calm, whole, takes me to my happy spot, is my calling” says Mel. And like many of us, who try to balance motherhood with creative ambitions, Melanie talks about how being a mother is an incredible blessing. A blessing which without a single regret tossed this creative woman into the closet for awhile. “Well, that creative woman is loudly knocking and she wants back out! “ So watch out world! I know I’m thrilled as I need a new go-to necklace...

We’re happy Melanie is sharing her wearable-joy with us for Handmade Holiday, but you can adore yourself in these lovely creations anytime. As Mel is the owner of The Bead Co.—A downtown shop featuring: Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something YOU! Avant-garde, customized, adornable jewelry accents & Fingerprint Jewelry...  a history, a memory, a story. Check her out at www.bead-co.com 

Say hello to Josie

Josie Benz doesn’t have a particular method or style to group her creations in. She’s crazy about painting, altering and repurposing anything that stays still long enough in her presence

Countless hours go into searching, collecting, rummaging, thrifting and junking for materials she can renovate, redo, reimagine, repurpose, revamp, remake, redesign, re-anything!

Josie grew up in Wyoming and Colorado. She has two degrees from the Art Institute of Colorado. Josie’s also a “Yorkie-Diva” creating Yorkshire Terrier art and accessories. She has sold numerous Yorkie-Diva pieces throughout the United States, with a lot of thanks to eBay. She’s always singing at the top of her lungs, drinks a lot of very-black Ice Tea, is Team Edward and loves to laugh.

Josie’s husband Richard (aka Junk Hunk) who lovingly endures all of her projects, assists when power tools are involved. Even though he thinks their house couldn’t hold anything else, brings home a lot of stray furniture. They have one hunting dog, two Yorkies (being lucky enough to raise four litters of Yorkie puppies) and a very tolerant tailless cat.

Here's a sampling of her work.

pin up girl coffee table close up

Meet Sonja

One might think when you become a mom, you lose a bit of your "funk". I agree with that most days...and then my path crossed with Miss Sonja Pinos dropping kiddos off at daycare. If "funk" isn't her middle name, it should be! When you meet her, you will see for yourself...this girl has style. And...she is sharing it with us.

Here are a few thoughts Sonja has on handmade. "I certainly like the idea of handmade things more than buying mass-produced items from a large retail store. I started sewing when I was 15 (my Christmas present that year was a sewing machine), I was using the same machine up until this year, when it finally gave out (that's 14 years! with just the very basic model you can find). In high school I would make some of my own clothes, bags, and different things. I just Loved sewing! There's nothing like the satisfatction of making it yourself."

Take a look at just a few of the items she's been sewing up for us...

hat created from a hoodie sweatshirt

Spark Letterpress

It's only fitting that our first featured "hand" is Spark Letterpress. They graciously donated their time and talent designing the event materials and, of course, the gorgeous letterpress printed invitations (aka. mittens).

I knew the moment I met Miss Valerie, she was a gal just in love with good design as I. What was to be an hour long lunch turned to three and we haven't stopped dreaming since. Dreaming of a world full of amazing design and with that comes great paper and craft. Who knew there were two equally passionate paper gals in the world who wouldn't mind discussing the finer things in life—like how deep an impression in cotton could be and oh how great that would feel.

"First comes love, and then comes letterpress". Meet Jim and Valerie of Spark...

"We are passionate designers who create designs that communicate every emotion – from social stationery and greeting cards to Mitzvahs and birth announcements. We live vicariously through each giddy couple that comes our way. We search relentlessly for beautiful paper to enhance our work. We’re dreamers with pricing rooted in reality.

We are masters of our craft. We know letterpress like the back of our ink-stained hands. A handcrafted touch gives any project a unique character, no matter how simple the idea. We work with designers from here, there and everywhere to create custom printed pieces of the highest quality. We know paper. We know die cuts. We know letterpress."

Luck should have it, that you'll be able to see first-hand Spark Letterpress in action at Handmade Holiday. The smell of ink is in the air and all that is needed is your hand to pull a letterpress beauty of your very own.

Thank you Jim and Valerie for sharing your talent and love of handmade with all of us.