arts and crafts

the arts of decorative design and handicraft

"they sponsored arts and crafts in order to encourage craftsmanship in an age of mass production"

Arts and crafts comprise a whole host of activities and hobbies that are related to making things with one's own hands and skill. These can be sub-divided into handicrafts or "traditional crafts" (doing things the old way) and the rest. Some crafts have been practised for centuries, while others are modern inventions, or popularisations of crafts which were originally practiced in a very small geographic area. Additionally, this term refers to the Arts and Crafts movement which was a design movement of the late 19th and early 20th century, whose proponents included William Morris and Edwin Lutyens. They believed that medieval craftsmen achieved a joy in the excellence of their work, which they strove to emulate.These activities are called ''crafts'' because originally many of them were professions under the guild system. Adolescents were apprenticed to a master-craftsman, and they refined their skills over a period of years. By the time their training was complete, they were well-equipped to set up in trade for themselves, earning their living with the skill of their hands. The Industrial Revolution and the increasing mechanisation of production processes gradually reduced or eliminated many of the roles professional craftspeople played, and today 'crafts' are most commonly seen as a form of hobby.Most crafts require a combination of skill and talent, but they can also be learnt on a more basic level by virtually anyone. Many community centres and schools run evening or day classes and workshops offering to teach basic craft skills in a short period of time. Many of these crafts become extremely popular for brief periods of time (a few months, or a few years), spreading rapidly among the crafting population as everyone emulates the first examples.The term craft also refers to the products of artistic production or creation that require a high degree of tacit knowledge, are highly technical, require specialized equipment and/or facilities to produce, involve manual labour or a blue-collar work ethic, are accessible to the general public and are constructed from materials with histories that exceed the boundaries of western art history, such as ceramics, glass, textiles, metal and wood. These products are produced within a specific community of practice and while they differ from the products produced within the communities of art and design, the boundaries of such often overlap resulting in hybrid objects. Additionally, as the interpretation and validation of art is frequently a matter of context, an audience may perceive crafted objects as art objects when these objects are viewed within an art context, such as in a museum or in a position of prominence in one’s home.The term can also refer to the useful rural crafts of the agricultural countryside.

Types of arts/crafts -

There are almost as many variations on the theme of "arts and crafts" as there are crafters with time on their hands, but they can be broken down into a number of categories:

Crafts involving textiles -

Banner-making

Canvas work

Cross-stitch

crochetCrocheting

Dress-making

Embroidery

Knitting

Lace-making

Lucet

Macrame

Millinery

Needlepoint

Patchwork

Quilting

Ribbon embroidery

Rug makingRug-making

Sewing

Spinning (textiles)

Tapestry

Tatting

Weaving

Crafts involving wood, metal or clay -

Metalworking

*Jewelery

Pottery

Sculpture

Woodworking

*Cabinet making

*Chip carving

*Marquetry

*Wood burning

*Wood turning

Crafts involving paper or canvas -

Book bindingBookbinding

Calligraphy

Cardmaking

Collage

Decoupage

paper marblingMarbling

Origami

Papier-mâché

Pergamano - parchment craft

Quilling

Scrapbooking

Stamping

Crafts involving plants -

Basket weaving

Corn dollyCorn dolly making

Pressed flower craft

Straw Marquetry

Other crafts -

Balloon animal

Beadwork

Doll making

*Dollhouse construction and furnishing

Egg decorating

Etching

Lapidary

Mosaics

Pioneering

Stained glass

Toy making

External links -

people.msoe.edu - Tenability of the Distinction Between Arts and !CraftsCategory:ArtsCategory:Sk illsCategory:CraftsCategory:Ar ts? and !craftsan:Artesaníaast:Artesan íabg:Занаятde:Handwerke s:Artesaníaeo:Metiartojfr:Art isanatgl:Artesaníahi:हस� �तकलाlt:Amataihu:Kézm űvességja:手芸pl:Rzemiosł opt:Artesanatofi:Käsityösv:K onsthantverkth:หัตถก รรมzh:手工艺

Craft Supplies - Arts & Crafts Supplies
Craft supplies for most hobbies and crafts including childrens craft supplies, scrapbook supplies, and wood craft supplies.
http://www.a-plus-craft-supplies.com/

La Maison Afrique
La Maison Afrique AB is aa accredited Fair Trade Organization with focus on ecology, people and culture in Africa. It is based in Sweden where products are kept in stock for wholesale and exhibition. La Maison Afrique is promoting the respect for the African producers, their environment and culture.
http://www.la-maison-afrique.se/

Glass Fashion Jewelry
We are producers of glass fashion jewelry, completely handmade in Germany. A big part of the production is flamework, i.e. we work in front of a glassblower's lamp and we use colored glass rods and strings, dichroic glass or glass splinters and create our items one by one, forming the hot glass individually. It is impossible to manufacture one item exactly the same as the next, so each piece is a little one-off. Another part of the production is made in fusing technique, i.e. flat glass elements are molten together in a furnace. We manufacture necklaces, fingerrings, ear posts, ear clips, bracelets, brooches and many other items. We are able to do ranges as well as one- offs. You can see all our works at our website, www.galerie-glaswerk.de There is an online-shop at the site, but we do sell only to retailers, wholesalers and importers. We do not sell to the public. Our price range is from ca. 6,00 to 35,00 Galerie Glaswerk was founded 1983 and we are exhibiting at the Frankfurt Ambiente and Tendence since 1993. Also we have participated or are participating at the New York Gift Fair, the Paris Bijorca and many other international trade shows. Thus, we have a lot of content customers in all parts of the world. Though we might look like a rather small company, we are absolutely not afraid but well experienced in producing bigger quantities.
http://www.galerie-glaswerk.de/

Arts and Crafts Society
This US-based society provides an events list, photographs, bibliography, lists of early Arts and Crafts exhibitions and societies, classifieds, links and a discussion forum.
http://www.arts-crafts.com/

Electronic Cottage Gallery
Listing of websites for independent artists and craftspeople working in all mediums.
http://www.electroniccottage.com/

Michaels Stores, Inc.
Operates specialty retail stores which provide a large assortment of general crafts, home decor items, picture framing materials and services, art and hobby supplies, party supplies, silk and dried flowers, wearable art, and seasonal and holiday merchandise. (Nasdaq: MIKE).
http://www.michaels.com/

J.R. Burrows & Company
Handprinted historic wallcoverings featuring William Morris Wallcoverings. Samples, printing techniques and company information available.
http://www.burrows.com/

Indian Arts and Crafts Association
A not-for-profit organization established to support the ethical promotion and protection of authentic Native American art and culture.
http://www.iaca.com/