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thepaperwoman

The convertible infinity bridesmaid wrap dress…an essential piece to your wedding, n’est ce pas?

I just love the expression on these girls’ faces…and I’m not quite sure if it’s an intentional parody or not?

The Convertible Infinity Bridesmaid...Dress

Recently I discovered regretsy, where obvious non-handmade items discovered on etsy are showcased.  (This is a definite no-no according to etsy rules).  It made me wonder, what do consumers consider handmade?
A humble woman on hands and knees, with thread in her mouth, sewing away over a well worn piece of fabric, turning it into a warm quilt? Or can you get away with selling something that merely looks handmade, and dare I add, looks ethnic enough to be handmade? Of course, that could open an entirely heated debate.

As a provider of handmade paper, this is a concern to me.  One of my staff saw a “DIY” letterpress invitation kit at her local department store.  Having visited the local letterpress class at RISD, she was curious what kind of future these students/future artists will have in finding work that doesn’t comprise of concocting a printmaking cocktail to placate that “handmade-looking” fix.

I wholeheartedly support bringing handmade items to mainstream commerce, however, I worry about greed infiltrating the process.