Even if you’d prefer to shop from the comfort of your couch, you can still buy local via the handmade/vintage online mecca Etsy. Many regional artisans have opened up shop on the site, where you can browse by location, including Great Barrington-based graphic designer Jennifer Clark. Her artwork, including 18 of her richly printed holiday cards and everyday note cards, are available now on Etsy at Jennifer Clark Studio. The cards come in sets of 15 with matching envelopes, delivered worldwide, in the hopes they will “show the world the art of the handwritten note is not lost.”
Jewelry lovers will find an embarrassment of riches at Etsy sites such as Lapis and Lime Studio, Beth Carlisle’s Williamstown-based shop featuring “fun and smart jewelry for every day;” Thomas Parker’s eclectic mix of “old-world craftsmanship” and “modern Danish design” at Berkshire Silversmith; and Wendy Krag O’Neil’s boutique showcasing silver bracelets, belt buckles, cuff links, key chains, and more.
On the softer side, Treacle & Wolf’s collection of bright, fun aprons and quilts has expanded to include facemasks in retro fabrics featuring cats, dogs, unicorns, Frida Kahlo, and more. No Aesthetic Vintage, Francesca Olsen’s North Adams-based virtual storefront, offers more than the name implies. Along with curated vintage finds, the shop boasts minimalist makeup cases, pouches, and key fobs, as well as beautiful handmade quilts.
Bennington, Vermont’s Mtn Winds Woodworks offers a large selection of finely turned pens and letter openers (and bottle stoppers!) for the writers in your life. Each item is made from locally sourced woods, as well as exotic species from around the world. Further south, in Stockbridge, Serenity Bamboo Flutes hand-crafts flutes in a range of keys, walking canes with your choice of handle, and flute-cane hybrids, all in dark bamboo with optional designs or inscriptions available.
For homegoods with heart, it doesn’t get better than the Camphill Village Store. This Copake, New York-based nonprofit organization is a real village where adults with special needs and long- and short-term service volunteers live and work together. Products, made on-site in therapeutic craft studios, include beeswax candles, wooden toys and trivets, handmade greeting cards, and more.
