Photo credit: Timeless Touch
Fatmeh Hamdan (left) at her first market in March of 2024 with her friend and author, Lina Abdulkarim (right).
Whether it is the charm of a keffiyeh–engraved drinking vessel or the wholesomeness of an Arabic name puzzle for kids, Fatmeh Hamdan embraces faith, family and heritage with her Timeless Touch Designs business. Since 2021 Hamdan has crafted handmade decor, apparel and gifts from her home in Hales Corners, available for purchase on Etsy. She also vends Timeless Touch Designs at various markets and bazaars across the Midwest.
Timeless Touch Designs encompasses a wide range of both decorative and functional products. Hamdan’s eclectic mix includes wood Ramadan countdown arches, engraved wood coasters and lazy susans, tatreez and olive branch-patterned cutting boards, leather journals, tumblers, tote bags, shirts and lots more.
To create her durable keepsake designs, Hamdan uses a myriad of woodworking power tools.
She shares, “I’ve always been a very proud Palestinian, but I feel what’s been going on in Gaza and the genocide that’s taking place has really made me hold onto my heritage and identity a lot more. Art was a way for me to connect with who I am and with other people. It’s my own way to resist and say that I’m not going anywhere and will stand strong.”
Hamdan feels the beauty of her art shines brightest when it serves a purpose other than her own joy. “For me, that’s super rewarding.”
Becoming a maker gave Hamdan an opportunity to express her identity, knowing a lot of the things she creates aren’t found in the marketplace.
A Milwaukee native, Hamdan developed a creative spirit from a young age, watching her father and brothers work on DIY projects around the house. She remembers, “My dad would always sand down and refinish furniture, and I was very fascinated by the process. I’d linger in the garage whenever he’d work.”
Hamdan humorously recalls when she even imitated her father once when she took a butter knife to a dresser. “That didn’t go very well.”
After college, Hamdan had been a speech language pathologist for many years and eventually got married. Once she and her husband decided they wanted kids, however, Hamdan chose to become a stay-at-home mom.
“I didn’t realize how hard it was to be at home and be present,” she reflects. “I almost felt like I was starting to lose my sense of identity, doing the same thing over and over again.”
From portable dry erase mats, food grade embossing kits for Play Doh or cookie dough, educational puzzles, Timeless Touch Designs are sold on Etsy, markets or custom created by Hamdan.
As an escape from the monotony, Hamdan began making art in her basement. She started with a Cricut machine for making vinyl labels. Then she utilized power tools for woodworking, particularly enjoying making frames from oak.
“It was a lot of work,” Hamdan continues. “Early on, I realized just how limiting the power tools can be with the amount of product that I wanted to make. The demand went up, and I couldn’t keep up.”
To solve her issue, Hamdan invested in a laser machine and a CNC router. These devices helped her add more personalized details and craftsmanship to her products, including toys for her children.
“A lot of what I make isn’t really out there,” Hamdan notes. “I wanted to create something where my kids could learn the Arabic language and identify with who they are.”
Building her creative momentum, Hamdan next made door signs to hang around the family home during Ramadan. “I wanted to have my kids take pride in their holidays, especially because they go to public schools that don’t really celebrate Ramadan and Eid,” she explains. “When I started out with my Ramadan door sign, it was an absolute hit.”
Hamdan opened an Etsy shop in 2021 to start selling her goods, naming her business Timeless Touch Designs because she wants her products to last and be kept for a long time. “It’s given me a sense of peace that I can’t describe,” she affirms about her work.
She has also since created Montessori-style children’s activities like Arabic name stencils, masjid jigsaw puzzles, Play-Doh kits, and Palestine wood maps. “The jigsaw puzzle can bring about the interest of adults as well, like it’s something that I enjoy sitting and doing with my kids,” Hamdan contends.
It typically takes Hamdan a few days to a week to make each wood piece. Her tumblers, puzzles and Ramadan countdown arches have become best sellers. She loves bringing others’ visions to life and is available for custom work as well, with an example being her puzzle titled “Love Your Story: Piece It Together,” inspired by the children’s book “It Could Have Been Me” by Lina Abdulkarim.
Hamdan has vended Timeless Touch Designs at community events like Third Culture in Milwaukee’s Bay View, “Palestine: An Appreciation of Culture” at Shorewood’s Cloud Red, Art of War by Amal Music Group in Chicago, and the Ramadan Moon Market by Jannah Circle in Naperville, Illinois.
“I definitely want to do more local pop-ups,” Hamdan says. “I want to be able to share my passion for art by hosting more craft workshops for both kids and adults.”
Timeless Touch Designs also recently partnered with Al Shams Bazaar, a BDS-compliant online marketplace for Arab makers that donates a portion of proceeds from every purchase to Palestinian causes.
