handpicked, by doble M design

Rescate button necklaces: UK collection

2011-04-05T04:54:00.000-07:00

Rescate button necklaces are now available in the UK. Each necklace is handmade, using buttons recycled from a factory in Buenos Aires. Designer Maria McCormick handsorts thousands of buttons into colours, cleans them, and threads them onto steel wire and finishes them with a silver button clasp imprinted with 'Rescate'. The short style has 300 buttons and the long style 600. Each necklace is presented in a soft leather pouch. Email dobleMdesign@gmail.com for more details on available colours.

Prices: short £30, long £35 + P&P.

Button lamps by Rescate

2011-02-12T12:09:00.001-08:00

Button lamps by Rescate

2011-02-12T12:08:00.001-08:00

Button lamps by Rescate

2011-02-12T12:07:00.000-08:00

Button lamps by Rescate

2011-02-11T12:09:00.000-08:00

Triangular leather change purses, by Rescate

2010-12-05T11:11:00.000-08:00

Source: handmade by Maria McCormick, in Retiro
Materials: leather and bronze
Price: 30 pesos

Leather bits & pieces keyrings, by Rescate

2010-12-05T10:43:00.000-08:00

Source: handmade by Maria McCormick, in Retiro
Materials: leftover scraps of leather with bronze details
Price: 20 pesos each

Long recyled button necklace, by Rescate

2010-11-30T08:58:00.000-08:00

Source: handmade by Maria McCormick in Retiro
Materials: buttons collected from her father's factory floor, washed, threaded onto steel wire, finished with a Rescate stamped silver button and presented in a soft leather pouch
Price: 180 pesos

Can be won slung once, twice, or three times around the neck. Made with over 600 buttons.

Pom-pom cushions, by Elementos Argentinos

2010-11-30T08:26:00.000-08:00

Source: traditional weavers in Santiago de Estero
Materials: handloomed wool
Price: small 110 pesos, large 185 pesos

Note: both sizes eligible for free delivery on Thursdays

handpicked - ceramics sale

2010-11-29T19:01:00.000-08:00

I'm having a ceramics sale at Natural Deli this coming Sunday 5th December upstairs in Natural Deli in Las Canitas. As well as having an opportunity to touch, feel, and buy the ceramics, downstairs you can enjoy the natural food and drinks served (I personally like the smoothies, and their organic tea collection), and stock up on supplies, or even make up a Christmas hamper combining ceramics and bits a selection from the natural food store.

Ceramic boats for serving olives, table containers for oils and vinegars, cheese platters with a place for tea lights to below (say for brie served with mixed berries and honey), oven to table mini proveleta dishes, salad bowls, ceramic bowls to fit tubs of ice cream....and much much more.

See you on Sunday, upstairs at Natural Deli, Gorostiaga 1776, Las Canitas, from 11am.

Paintings, by Nadia Michelin

2010-11-29T08:05:00.000-08:00

Artist: Nadia Michelin from La Cumbre, Cordoba
Painting 1: 60cm x 60cm, 1200 pesos
Painting 2: 105cm x 105cm, 2600 pesos

Keyrings, by Tienda la Playa

2010-11-28T19:04:00.000-08:00

Source: original textile prints and designs by Victoria Czentner at her home/workshop in Vicente Lopez
Materials: printed canvas
Price: 22 pesos

Bits and bobs necklace, by Artelia

2010-11-28T17:31:00.000-08:00

Source: handmade in Chacarita by Fernanda Morana and Clara Passalacqua
Materials: remnants of fabrics, cotton thread
Prices: 120 pesos

Ceramics, by Angeles Castro Corbat

2010-11-24T07:02:00.000-08:00

Source: handmade in Tortuguitas by Angeles Castro Corbat
Materials: handpainted, handmade ceramics
Price: various (pictured is the the opening handpicked selection, consult on what is still available)

Note: I will be featuring individual pieces by Angeles over the coming days and weeks.

Short multicolour button necklace, by Rescate

2010-11-22T17:14:00.000-08:00

Source: handmade in Retiro by Maria McCormick
Materials: recycled buttons (collected from her father's factory floor), threaded on steel wire with a silver button clasp.
Price: 140 pesos

Free delivery within Capital Federal on Thursdays (order by midday the day before). Other days and locations by arrangement.

handpicked - day one at the feria

2010-11-20T17:50:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who visited the stall today! From Monday the launch collection will be on this blog in case you missed anything or would like to order more. Remember I offer FREE delivery within Capital Federal every Thursday, and other areas and days by arrangement. After next week I will adding new products every week so please keep checking in. To find out more about what handpicked is, see the post below.

What is handpicked?

2010-11-12T13:53:00.000-08:00

In case you don't know me, my name's Emma Balch, I'm English, but I now live in Argentina. I wanted to kick off with a bit of background to handpicked, before I get going with the blog. If you're just after a quick summary of what handpicked is, and the details of the launch, please skip to the next post. This is the long-winded version.

So, next month it's six years since we moved to Buenos Aires. It's hard to believe it's been that long, especially if you hear my Spanish, but I can use as evidence my bulging contact book of artists, designers and artisans who produce interesting products on a small scale. Six years of pounding the streets of Buenos Aires, following leads, going to addresses in faraway parts of town, or knocking on doors in hidden passageways, I've found some wonderful people who are hugely resourceful and creative. I've found in Argentina that much of the great design comes out a real enjoyment of being creative or finding use for discarded things. Of course there are are career designers, some superb ones, but they're not the ones who've grabbed my attention. I'm interested in the ones that few people know about, those who are making really great stuff but don't have a good sales outlet. My passion is to get the word out, to blab about them all over Buenos Aires, to give people an opportunity to buy and enjoy their work. A piece has so much more value if you know about the person who crafted it, their story and their inspiration. I want to tell the stories of some of these talented Argentines.

I've thought many times about opening a shop, but for now I've decided go down another route. I don't want to be tied down by heavy overheads, which push up the prices of the products, and neither do I want to be weighed down by a big stock. My idea is to have an evolving collection that is always changing and growing. So, I will launch with some of my favourites, who have become sort of my signature style, people like the ceramacist Angeles Castro Corbat and Maria McCormick who works with discarded objects. There will be things for the home home, jewelry and accessories, and I will always have two artists whose paintings I will be selling.

The idea is that each week I will post new additions to the collection on this blog. This will include photos, details about the new products, some background on who made them, and prices. Photos of the entire collection can be viewed on the handpicked flickr album, and this will be updated each week. I will also be creating 'sets' featuring different products in themes (materials, colours, seasons etc.) which will appear on the blog and in the flickr album.

I will showcase the collection at fairs and at private viewings (contact me if you're interested in having one at your home or workplace). Orders can be placed at any time and I'm offering free delivery in Capital Federal on Thursdays (orders should be placed by 8pm the day before). I can deliver on other days and in Gran Buenos Aires by arrangement.

I hope it works! I'll start posting products from next week, so check back in next week to see the launch collection. And I'd love to see you at the Christmas Fair next Saturday (20th) in the garden of the British Ambassador's Residence where I'll have a big display of things for sale. Perfect place to buy Christmas gifts!

www.dobleMdesign.com

Handpicked by doble M design - launching next week!

2010-11-12T12:05:00.000-08:00

Next week at the Christmas Fair in the garden of the British Ambassador's Residence in Buenos Aires I will be launching my handpicked collection.

Address: Gelly y Obes 2333, La Isla, Recoleta (entrance for the fair on Newton 2575). Take DNI or passport for security check. 

Time: 11am - 8pm

handpicked is an evolving collection of hand made and typically Argentine products

handpicked is a limited and one-of-a-kind selection, so buy while you can!

new products and themed collections will be posted each week on this blog

the entire collection can be viewed on the handpicked flickr site

On Thursdays I will be offering free delivery on orders of 100 pesos or more within Capital Federal (email me to ask for prices for delivery on other days of the week or to Gran Buenos Aires)
 

I will also be doing private viewings in locations around Buenos Aires. See this blog for info on dates, or contact us if you would like to organise an event. 