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10 Totally Unique Custom Finds

Posted by Marcie in For Customers, Our Favorite Custom Finds on December 20, 2011

The Merriman-Webster dictionary defines custom as: “an item made to an individual’s specification.” It really is that simple, although I’d like to add to that definition by saying, “an item made BY HAND to an individual’s specifications.”  Be it wood, metal, glass or stone,  custom made goods fitting this definition can be as simple as [...]

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A Marketing & Business Model Checkup, Part 1: Your Marketing Clean-Up Checklist

Posted by Marcie in For Makers, The Pro Shop on December 19, 2011

The following article is written by CustomMade guest blogger Doug Turner of Turner Custom Furniture. Doug shares insightful and useful marketing tools for woodworkers looking to showcase themselves and their work in order to educate consumers about custom and increase productivity.

This article will be presented in two parts.

Part 1: Your Marketing Clean-up Checklist

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The Dolls of Japan Are Not Just Child’s Play

Posted by Pedro in For Customers, For Makers, The Wide World of Custom Making on December 18, 2011

What do you get for the man who has everything?

How about a doll?  An inanimate doll.  Ok, let’s try again.

You have a wide range of choices for the grown-up boy such as action figures, models, toy soldiers, and miniatures.  But there is a stigma attached to men playing with dolls … or collecting, [...]

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Drivable Art by Rau Automotive Woodwork

Posted by Pedro in For Customers, Maker Spotlight on December 17, 2011

This 3D computer model of a Bentley luxury concept car by graphic artist Andreas Fougner created a buzz last month among automobile enthusiasts for its merging of modern design with custom woodworking.

Andreas writes:

The inspiration for this concept comes from wooden boats, old classic cars with wood panels, and the luxurious look [...]

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Let’s Talk Treen

Posted by Pedro in Concepts & Buyer Guides, For Customers on December 16, 2011

No, it’s not a child developmental stage that comes before tween, but its boundaries, too, can be a little nebulous.

Treen is an archaic word used mostly, appropriately enough, in the world of antiques to describe objects made from a single piece of wood.  The term was resuscitated largely due to the collecting and writing [...]

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“Gorgeous, Haunting, and Irresistible:” Custom Jewelry Design by Lauren Blais

Posted by Pedro in For Customers, Maker Spotlight on December 15, 2011

Congratulations to CustomMade artisan Lauren Blais of Lauren Blais Jewelry, recently named one of “Boston’s Best in Fashion” for 2011 by The Improper Bostonian culture and entertainment guide.  Her custom made jewelry, inspired by Victorian era mourning rituals and cabinets of curiosities, as well as her own exploration of ornamentation, was described as “textured with [...]

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Leftovers Fit For Company

Posted by Marcie in For Customers, Our Favorite Custom Finds on December 14, 2011

What comes to mind when you think of leftovers? Something you pull out of the fridge and throw together when you don’t feel like preparing anything else. This can work when feeding your children, but certainly not what you’d serve when you have company or a special party.

CustomMade woodworker Brian Mcalpine of Eternal Furniture [...]

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Meditation and Business

Posted by Pedro in For Makers, The Pro Shop on December 12, 2011

Meditation is frequently considered an inwardly turned spiritual discipline.  How can it apply to a very people-centered business like design/build remodeling? John Happel, owner and operator of H&H Builders LLC, addresses this question in his article, “How to Use Meditation to Grow Your Business,” for the University of the Heart, Institute for Applied Meditation website.

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Art to Lunch: Japanese Character Bento

Posted by Pedro in For Customers, For Makers, The Wide World of Custom Making on December 11, 2011

What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever found in your lunch box? Pudding? Fruit cup? Candy?

How about Indiana Jones?

Beyond the artistry of food preparation itself, we’ve all seen art made from the medium of food, from cookies and cakes created in special shapes or decorated for particular themes to sculptures and mixed media creations [...]

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Faraway Places in Your Custom Cabinets

Posted by Pedro in Custom Inspiration, For Customers on December 10, 2011

Have an exotic inspiration for custom cabinets?  How about a custom china cabinet or sideboard influenced by designs from Tibet, Japan, or farther afield? Whether the spark comes from your travels, a book, or a film, you can find a CustomMade artisan to bring your custom made cabinetry to life.  Here are a just a [...]

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