Walk through the graypants studio in Capitol Hill and you’ll traverse space filled with the realized potential of scrap materials. After acquiring the loft in May of 2008, the threesome of Seth Grizzle, Jon Junker and Jon Gentry - all with architecture backgrounds - completely redesigned the layout as a functional live/work space for their fledging company. Clustered everywhere in the loft are graypants’ trademark scrap lights. more ›

We first contacted Ballard Bee Company intending to feature a source of locally made honey. But honey, as it turns out, is merely a byproduct of Ballard Bee Company's actual function. Last year, beekeeper Corky Luster decided to start an urban pollination company, and began setting up hives around Seattle in the hopes of helping people take an interest in bees, increase the pollination of the city’s flowers, trees and vegetable gardens, and to give a boost to the dropping honey bee population. more ›

Do you keep hens? Are you thinking of keeping hens? House your hens in style with a Saltbox Chicken Coop, built here in Seattle by Berg Danielson, a finish carpenter. Originally a project for his own chickens, Danielson's design has evolved into a functional throwback to the Saltbox aesthetic - a mix of country quaint and modern convenience. Assembled from planks of cedar and a box of nails, Danielson's chicken coops are sturdy, rot-resistant, and will keep your hens (and eggs) safe and snug. more ›

Lots of people make jewelry. Krissy Maier makes jewelry - necklaces, rings, earrings, hairpins - by rescuing discarded and/or broken vintage pieces, folding in fair-trade jewelry hardware and fusing everything together into a ready-to-wear creation. Her, original, one-of-a-kind pieces are the kind of thing that inspire people to march up and demand, “where did you get that?!” Maier’s Orange Box Jewelry business has grown from a part-time venture to a full time job; so much vintage jewelry to be rescued, fed and bathed, and given a proper home! Read on to learn about the process of salvaging once-loved jewelry bits and fashioning them into a modern nod to vintage glamour. more ›

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Those who follow ZooBorns were scooped back in June when Woodland Park Zoo welcomed a pair of snow leopard cubs on Memorial Day to first-time parents Helen and Tom. The 4-year-old mother and 3-year-old father were introduced in 2008 with the hopes that they would successfully breed, and last year the zoo celebrated the births as a conservation milestone and a means to help spread the word about the plight of snow leopards. more ›

UmberDove’s Etsy store is awash with color: hand-sewn pillowcases, pouches, clutches, and table runners each patch-worked together in a blend of fabric and shape. The artist, Seattleite Kelly Clark, sews and posts new items on a regular basis…and they sell just as quickly. Her whimsical thematic pieces are a mish-mash of fabric scraps, often punctuated with floaty wool feathers or free-hand machine embroidered springs of plant life. These elements of the natural world also strongly influence Kelly’s more focused work: paintings, poetry, and sculpture. But let’s learn a little bit more about her sewing, shall we? more ›

Seattle’s vintage clothing and boutique stores are some of the best places to find pieces done by local artists. We stumbled upon these slips while browsing the racks of the fifties-femme shop Pretty Parlor on Capitol Hill, and brought one up to the counter along with a simple question: "Who made this?" more ›

Neighborhood shout-outs are fun! Because then everyone knows you live there, in that neighborhood! Seattleite couple hoofinitdesigns takes their original ‘hood designs and hand-screens them onto cotton t-shirts. Simple as that. For the time being, only Queen Anne, Pioneer Square, Ballard and Fremont tees are available, but we're rooting for some new neighborhood designs to be posted in the future. more ›

Local artist Soule has been peddling her dishware on Etsy for several years now - each one-of-a-kind design is hand painted, heat-sealed and dishwasher safe. For her line, Soule paints on plates, mugs, tumblers, tea and cream-and-sugar sets, and so forth; entirely with original and/or custom-ordered artwork. The seasonal Zombieware is new, and fun, and unique, and 20% off if you sign up for the monthly newsletter. more ›