WHITE PLAINS, NY, November 30, 2009... Nearly 40 new craftspeople – from seven countries and 16 states – have been accepted to exhibit in the highly-selective juried Handmade® at the New York International Gift Fair® (NYIGF®). The winter 2010 edition of Handmade, which features 575 designer-makers and production craft representatives, runs Saturday, January 30 through Wednesday, February 3, 2010, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. 

Some 60% of the winter 2010 newcomers are accessory-driven, with both designers and artists producing high-quality jewelry, hand bags, scarves and other wearable textiles. According to Dorothy Belshaw, NYIGF director and GLM senior vice president, “This increase mirrors the economy-driven demand for affordably- indulgent products, with noticeable trends including a return to larger, more colorful statement pieces.” She points to Sustainable Pendant Necklaces by Dinah Coops; the “New Discoveries” line by Gypsy; the wrist wrap collection from Klinefelter Studios; and the four signature lines from any new york, as prime examples of this current trend direction. 

Applicants to Handmade are reviewed for uniqueness, originality, authenticity, and marketability by a jury comprised of artisans, craft retailers and other experts within the crafts industry. Winter 2010 newcomers to the division are: 

AJS Design Studio, New York, NY (Jewelry)

alexandra ferguson, New Rochelle, NY (Textiles: Pillows)

any new york, New York, NY (Jewelry)

Applied Arts Studio - Jewelry by Jaana Mattson, Minneapolis, MN (Jewelry)

Barbara Cieslicki, Plainfield, NH (Jewelry)

Biggs Art Studio, Brooklyn, NY (Furniture)

Blue Bus Studio, Durham, NC (Jewelry)

Caron Miller, Santa Barbara, CA (Textiles: Scarves)

Christian Lee Designs, Lake Wales, FL (Textiles: Pillows)

Dinah Coops, Seattle, WA (Sustainable Tableware, Jewelry, Linens, Wall Art)

Donegan Designs Ltd., Cowbridge, Wales (Contemporary Tableware)

Eleanor Pritchard, London, England (Textiles: Woven Blankets)

Glass Forge Gallery & Studio, Grants Pass, OR (Glass: Vases, Stemware,   Ornaments, Bowls)

Gypsy, Chandler, AZ (Textiles & Jewelry)

Harmony By Design, LLC, Clark, CO (Furniture)

Home Bazaar, Bethpage, NY (Wood: Birdhouses & Feeders, Garden Accessories)

Hotchkiss Mobiles, West Stockbridge, MA (Mobiles)

InBloom Jewelry, Frederick, MD (Jewelry)

JAK Designs, Warren, OH (Textiles: Scarves)

Kilim Arts, Istanbul, Turkey (Textiles: Bags and Accessories)

Kirstin Ash Pty Ltd., Sydney, Australia (Jewelry)

Klinefelter Studio, Burlington, VT (Jewelry)

Koochi Ku, Brookline, MA (Textiles: Children’s Clothing, Handbags, Accessories)

Lea's Alphabets, New York, NY (Wall Art)

Liz Saintsing, Charlotte, NC (Handbags: Vintage)

Lois Aronow Porcelain, Brooklyn, NY (Tableware: Porcelain)

Lulugroove, Greensboro, NC (Textiles: Children’s Toys)

Lyn Evans Designs, East Orange, NJ (Tableware: Ceramics)

Maggy Ames Handmade, New York, NY (Tableware: Porcelain & Stoneware)

Maka, Mexico City, Mexico (Jewelry)

Malia Designs, Chicago, IL (Textiles/Global: Rice bags & knitted accessories)

Marketplace India, Evanston, IL (Textiles: Clothing, Home Interiors, Accessories)

Matsu Jewellery Studio, Toronto, Canada (Jewelry)

Peaceable Hill Paperie, Ridgefield, CT (Stationery)

Sally Spicer, LP, San Francisco, CA (Handbags)

Sarah Oliver Handbags, Mill Valley, CA (Handbags)

Shardz Inc., Woodland Hills, CA (Glass)

ZPOTS Studio Pottery, Brookline, VT (Pottery)

Handmade jury members for winter 2010 are: Carol Ross, GLM®, LLC; Alden Smith, Aid to Artisans; John Gilvey, Hudson Beach Glass; Michael Michaud, Table Art/Silver Seasons; Ellen Corsell, Heron American Craft Gallery; and Judy Jackson, Judy Jackson Stoneware. 

For more than 20 years, Handmade has offered buyers an extensive selection of handcrafted items across such categories as tabletop, ceramics, textiles, home décor, jewelry and apparel. Handmade, one of eight NYIGF divisions, features 575 artisans from 36 American states and 14 countries worldwide, and offers special identification of some 200 “designer-makers,” as well as a special “Handmade in the USA®” showcase area. 

On Saturday, January 30, opening day of the winter 2010 market, The Crafts Report will host a special, free Handmade Networking Breakfast for all retailers and exhibitors. Complimentary coffee and bagels will be offered from 8:30 to 9:30 am, in the Javits Center’s, Special Events Lobby, outside of Handmade’s Hall 1D entrance. 

NYIGF is the nation’s premier gift, home and lifestyle marketplace, with 2,700 exhibiting companies featuring an extraordinary breadth and depth of design-driven home fashion products and complementary giftware. Some 31,000 attendees from all 50 states and more than 85 countries worldwide are expected. Information and registration is available online at www.nyigf.com.  

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