Appreciating Handmade (Or Haand-made) Goods

If Fortuna Enterprises were a living, breathing, human person, I wouldn't be surprised if it were to receive regular visits from a practiced behavioral psychologist for exhibiting budding hoarding tendencies.

Fortuna isn't a human person, though, and the things that we hoard are completely necessary and undeniably cool. It's nothing like those shows on television that show the sad reality of people hoarding rubber ducks, or newspapers, or even animals. No, it's not like that at all. We just have... a collection. That's a good word for it.

We hoard collect hand-made, custom goods from local artisans and businesses. Our shelves are overflowing healthily stocked with beautiful pottery, woodwork, art, textiles, and more. Everything is cataloged, cleaned regularly, and well-loved by those tasked with caring for the items. See, when looked at in that way, our collection seems more like a museum exhibit than a uncontrollable growing mass of pots and paintings.

We collect these things simply so that we can share them with others. Our friends and clients are always just as excited as we are when they find a beautiful custom mug or the perfect plate to display their dishes on. Mass-produced items simply can't match the look and feel of a piece made with human hands.

When we first came across the items created by the local artisans at Haand, we were absolutely blown away. Each piece shown to us was of the highest, most consistently beautiful quality. For some of us, all that went through our minds was "these will fit perfectly on our overflowing healthily stocked shelves"

Long story short, our collection now prominently features gorgeous bowls, plates, cups, and other items made by Haand. When we're not sharing them with interested clients, we're just... looking at them. Admiring every detail, every curve, every unique color applied to each piece.

After inviting a local restaurant into our office last week to look at the various plating and serving options made by Haand, we thought it would be interesting and worthwhile to see where these pieces are actually made. We invited members of the restaurant staff, and set off for a tour.


Walking into Haand for the first time is an experience that seems almost magical to those of us so enthusiastic about hand-made items. Shelves (shelves! yay!) featuring full, uniform lines of beautifully detailed mugs, bowls, and plates speak of a sense of efficiency that's almost unexpected. Artists are carving, shaping, and molding amorphous lumps of material into more recognizable shapes, quickly and effectively preparing each item for the kiln. Seeing this process in action is mesmerizing, and the skilled creators almost make it look easy. That's not to say that I'm confident that I could do what they do; no, if I were to try my hand at making a mug from scratch, the end result would probably look more like an unbaked lump of cookie dough. Best to leave this stuff to the pros.

The amount of pure creativity and artistry in the air at Haand is astounding. Each member of this team has seemingly superhuman abilities to bring pieces to life quickly and with visible quality. Knowing more about the birthplace of our favorite items, we now have more of a backstory to relay to our clients when sharing Haand products. That's what's special about custom goods like these; every piece has a story, a history that makes it unique. Nothing beats a human touch when it comes to art.

We at Fortuna will look forward to sharing Haand goods with our clients. We know that they will be appreciated as much by others as they are by us.

If you're a local artist or craftsman, we'd love to hear from you! We want to know your story, so that we can share it with others along with the pieces you create. Give us a call, send us an email, or stop by with a box of your favorite creations. There just might be a place for them on our shelves. :)

- Griffin Thomas
Social Media & Publications Specialist
Fortuna Enterprises, LLC