JM Craftworks - Fine Handcrafts of Wood & Fabric

Jim & Marilyn of JM Craftworks have a wonderful shop at 1000 Markets and are merchants in the Reclaimed to Fame Market, which I'm the proud manager of. Here's their story:


» We’re a husband/wife team with a small crafts shop specializing in high-quality handmade items, primarily of wood and fabric. All of our work is designed and constructed from start to finish entirely by us. Everything we make is slightly different in size and shape and no two are the same. Each is an original.

» We both have a Bachelors of Fine Arts and a Masters of Fine Arts in visual arts. We have worked full-time for museums and galleries for over 15 years as well as previously running our own art services business for six years. Our training has given us a thorough grounding in essential technical skills and enables us to approach our crafts work with the perspective of artists. We are fans of American styles such as Shaker, Arts & Crafts, Mission, and Prairie, and one of our main goals is to bring the values of these past styles into contemporary settings.





» We do not use any endangered or exotic woods in our work. We are a green shop and use recycled and reclaimed materials wherever possible; making second use of materials that would otherwise go to waste. Our primary sources of woods are cutoffs from a local large commercial wood shop. The woods they don't want, which are usually sections with unusual color or interesting patterns in the grain, are exactly what we want for our small handmade items. We’ve also been able to save wood from trees scheduled to be taken out by the city.




» Watch a Flickr slide show of our shop in action, producing two handmade wooden jewelry boxes using wood saved from a walnut tree removed by the city. We contacted the city forester and were allowed to gather enough wood for many future projects. See the progression from a section of rough tree limb to finished products: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmcraftworks/

» Whether you’re searching for a keepsake box, a fabric collage or a special handcrafted item that will turn your house or apartment into a home, we can help. We always have work in progress so please check for new items and special sales and promotions. We have work that is in stock and can be shipped immediately, or you can request a custom order for a one-of-a-kind piece that is exclusively yours.

» See our portfolio of past & present work on Trunkt: www.trunkt.org/jmcraftworks

New Reclaimed to Fame Market!

I'm very pleased and proud to announce the newly formed Reclaimed to Fame Market on 1000 Markets. I joined 1000 Markets a couple of months ago and set up a shop there. I loved the look and concept of this new online marketplace. The idea behind 1000 Markets is to create a marketplace that is more than just a collection of products. They want to connect the artisan merchants with the people who love their products.



To visit 1000 Markets is like strolling through your favorite marketplace, only you don't need to leave your home to do it. In each shop, there is a place where you can post comments to the merchants. Some of the merchants also have blogs in their shops where you can read about them and their work and get to know them better. The shops are organized into different markets specializing in unique products.

I approached the owner of 1000 Markets, Matt Trifiro, with the idea of creating a market exclusively for recycled products. He told me what he needed to put it all together and I've been working with him on setting up the criteria for admission, finding appropriate merchants and working up a slogan and market policies. Christine Epstein of Oceano Sea Glass designed our beautiful banner. And yesterday it all went live!

At this time, we have 16 merchants in the market. We have outside art such as fire pits and birdhouses, clothing, jewelry, greeting cards and some fabulously inventive artwork. Each of the merchants was hand picked by me to ensure that shoppers in our market will find only unique, handcrafted recycled arts and crafts. If you're a shopper looking for something special that you won't find at your local mall, I know you'll be pleased with the assortment of products our market offers. Not only will you be buying something unique, but you'll be helping to contribute to the health of our world by buying recycled. If you're a merchant at 1000 Markets and sell only recycled products and would liked to be included in our market, please contact me.



Happy shopping, everyone!

Reclaimed to Fame Market