'Etsy'
I first wrote about Jacqui Van Ham on June 22 but here’s an update on this talented artist who creates lighting fixtures from Mason jars and bourbon bottles:
Louisville artist Jacqui Van Ham has been re-purposing materials for about a year, taking items such as vintage Mason jars to create cool pendant light fixtures, sconces, soap dispensers and more with an industrial/farmhouse look.
“I grew up in a canning household and immediately was drawn to the Mason jars as an everyday utility object,” she wrote in an email. Her first customer was The Silver Dollar restaurant in Louisville.“My first ‘customer’ was the restaurant here in Louisville, The Silver Dollar. … “One of the owners was looking for a unique soap-dispensersolution, … and the business took off from there.”
After a trip to the Maker’s Mark distillery in Loretto, Van Ham was inspired to work with its distinctively shaped bottles to fashion a fabulous chandelier (above). Her design features tiers of unadorned bourbon bottles minus the paper labels hanging from an impressive base of metal and wood, a unique fixture that would dress up any room. The chandelier, listed for $800 at her Etsy store, is already in negotiation to be sold.
Van Ham says she’s currently building lighting for Louisville’s Forecastle Festival, July 13 to 15, and putting together a Four Roses chandelier for the Bourbon Sponsor Tent there; it will be available for purchase. Also in the works: motor/automotive/industrial-based fixtures. She also offers custom work.
You’ll find a selection of Van Ham’s work including single-drop Mason jar chandeliers, $40, and wall sconces, $50, at Etsy.com.shop/vanvintagedesign and Facebook.com/VanVintageDesign.
July 2nd, 2012
Louisville-based Jacqui Van Ham takes vintage Mason jars and creates cool pendant light fixtures and soap dispensers with an industrial/farmhouse look. And inspired by a trip to the Maker’s Mark distillery in Loretto, Ky., the artist put together this fabulous bourbon-bottle chandelier that would dress up any room. “The rusted steel barrel rings, charred oak staves, bottles and signature wax all were sourced from the distillery,” says Van Ham at her VanVintageDesign store at Etsy.
June 22nd, 2012
Halloween has been much more than a kids’ holiday for years. But despite all the adults who love to party this time of year, the choice of good grown-up costumes has been pretty limited.
Welcome additions to the costume scene are the intricately carved masks of Tom Banwell Designs.
Starting with vegetable-tanned leather, the artist paints and molds his creations to fit a face. Delicate lacy designs make the masks lightweight, and the selections include styles for men and women.
A simple design can cost less than $20, and some of the heavier steampunk-style masks (one titled “Plague Doctor” includes built-in goggles and a hand-stitched beak) can be as much as $2,000. The lacelike mask pictured above is $42.
You can visit the shop at Etsy.com.
October 21st, 2010
I love this British-based jewelry site I just discovered called Hoolala (you’ll find a store on Etsy too). Romantic with an attitude, these adorable pieces include lockets with images from “Alice in Wonderland” and “The Wizard of Oz” coupled with all kinds of charms (little clocks, a message in a capsule, teacups — anything you can imagine).
Pair a long necklace loaded with charms and one of spring’s ruffled dresses for a look that’s vintage and playful at the same time. Other items include earrings, rings and bracelets.
March 10th, 2009
If the upcoming Jan. 20 presidential inauguration has you thinking about how to mark that historical day, there are plenty of fashionable as well as undeniably odd Obama collectibles out there.
At Etsy, the online showcase for crafters, listings for Obama-related creations have ballooned in recent weeks to include everything from election-button earrings to a $39.99 carved Rhea egg portrait of the president elect. “The Rhea is the South American cousin to the Ostrich,” the online description explains, “and the egg is about 6 inches tall.”
The official Presidential Inauguration Committee offers stylish dinnerware, posters, clothing and more. Political accessories include trendy totes by designers Tory Burch ($70, above) and Diane Von Furstenberg and tees by fashion stars Narciso Rodriguez and Derek Lam, among others.
January 5th, 2009
Your server: Harriett Hendren
While I grew up in small-town Kentucky I’ve always been fascinated with the cosmopolitan world of high fashion. On the other hand, I love a bargain and the thrill of shopping for just the right piece.
I have a degree in English from the University of Kentucky, and since 2002 I’ve written a column for the Lexington Herald-Leader about shopping, beauty and fashion. During that time I’ve interviewed everyone from designers to boutique owners about trends and style. And I’m still forever searching for the next big sale.
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