Kitty Egg Crayons by by Kitty Baby Love
Both these sets of chunky crayons are adorable! Grab a set and hide them away for the next afternoon the kids are restless and bored.
Heart crayons by MonsterBug Blankets
North Shore Girls Rock Ring
For reals now, one of the reasons I started this site was so that lovely folks such as yourselves would buy these fabulous Etsy finds before I do. Trust me, that’s not a line, that the honest truth — just ask my husband who sighs every time he hears a package being delivered on our porch.
I need your help today a great deal. This ring is calling calling to me and I adore it so. Please purchase it so that I can stop sitting on my hands. I love the wild and unstructured nature of it, and the colors and materials are exquisite. It makes my heart beat a little faster. By negellatj.
Feel the Love
Ok, I’ll admit it – I am a romantic. Not your stereotypical “roses and sonnets” romantic, but an optimistic, lover-of-love just the same. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy getting flowers as much as the next girl, but it tends to be the off-beat that makes my heart skip-a-beat. One of the most romantic gifts that I ever received wasn’t a piece of sparkly jewelry or a candlelit dinner in a fancy restaurant, but a group of googly-eyed rocks placed around my garden by a certain handsome fella. Given the fact that my idea of a romantic hero is less Romeo Montague and more Lloyd Dobbler, it should come as no surprise that he (and the rocks) won my heart. I suppose that little story serves to explain why I adore all of this week’s handmade finds so much.
“I gave her my heart and she gave me a pen” – Say Anything
Created without a pattern and made from a combination of upcycled and new materials, Love Bunny (above) from Design Lab 443, is quirky-cool (and adorably eco-friendly!) Tracy, a busy mom and talented graphic designer, creates fresh and original items like these out of a love for making “something out of nothing”. Be sure to check out her blog for a sneak-peek of what’s she’s currently working on, as well as a glimpse of all the things she holds dear.
“That day, she was amazed to discover that when he was saying “As you wish”, what he meant was, “I love you.” And even more amazing was the day she realized she truly loved him back.” – The Princess Bride
At first glance, this pillow (above) reads “As you wish”, but anyone who is familiar with the timeless love story of Buttercup and Westley will know that what it really says is “I love you”. With a pocket in the back to hold a token of your affection or perhaps a love note, this upcycled heart has been lovingly fashioned from a wool suit coat and can even be scented with your choice of essential oil. Kendra of By Hand at Home can even create a custom heart for your sweetheart; just contact her through her shop for details.
“It doesn’t matter if the guy is perfect or the girl is perfect, as long as they are perfect for each other.”- Good Will Hunting
One thing that I love about handmade items is that no two are ever exactly alike. To me, the beauty lies in the differences that exist between one item to the next. These little works of art, like the one above, by Recycled Art Company embrace that concept to the fullest. Handmade with reclaimed wood and salvaged license plates, each one is perfectly, or rather, imperfectly unique. Not surprisingly, the story behind Recycled Art Company is a love story in itself. Working their way through grad school with two young children in tow, the creative “tree-huggers” behind the art are celebrating 12 years of marriage and partnership. The passion and enthusiasm that they share is truly evident in the fun, whimsical pieces that they create.
“Hearts will never be practical until they are made unbreakable.“ – Wizard of Oz
According to that logic, I suppose this pillow by Raging Wool is as practical as can be. Made from hundreds of strips of pure cashmere, recycled from thrifted sweaters and inserted by hand into a base of 100% wool (also upcycled), it is as soft and touchable as it is lovely to look at. The clever person responsible for the creation of this one-of-a-kind piece is Peg, a mother of three and self-described “fiber junkie”. A quick browse around her shop is all you need to see the care and patience that goes into each item. And, just like all of this week’s featured shops – you can feel the love. <3
Interview with Lorie Beshara of Rock and Roll Coasters
You’ve seen their work in Rebecca’s column, and now you get to hear about the couple behind Rock and Roll Coasters.
What is your craft / art / creative endeavor?
My husband and I make drink coasters using 45 rpm records. We use records that aren’t playable because of scratches and skipping.
How did you get started? Have you worked in other creative areas before the kind of work you’re doing now?
I sold records on line for 8 years. 45’s were my specialty. I was throwing away about 60% of them because they were scratched and sounded bad. I was getting ready to throw away more and it was breaking my heart. I was looking at them and it suddenly occured to me how cute they would look as coasters. Tom (my husband) is very creative and figured out how to make them. It took about a year to make them look really good.
Do you work alone? With a team? Do you engage your family or friends in the work? What is your process? How do you ensure you get your work done yet still have a life?
My husband and I work together.
We first cut the record down square from 7 inch to 4×4 inches. Then we go through 3 sealing processes. We also include the little yellow thingy (45 adapter) Tom pours them in Epoxy resin (like used on bartops). He free pours them, we don’t use a mold. They cure for about 3 days. We work about 9 hours a day and do about 27 shows a year starting in March.
That’s become our life and we have a great time doing it.
Where do you sell your work? Which venues are your favorites? Do you prefer selling online or in person? Do you attend shows or fairs? Is your work in a gallery or brick-and-mortar store?
We sell on Etsy. Hopefully we’ll have a website of our own soon. We love selling in person. The coasters are much more striking in person and it’s fun to talk about the music and what people love. We do Fine Arts and Craft fairs just around Colorado.
We’ve tried selling in stores but in shows we display about 600 coasters so that people can build their own sets. That makes it really hard for a retail store.
The black that you see around the label is the vinyl. These are not just the labels or pictures of the labels. You can’t see the grooves too well because the resin is poured about 1/4 inch thick.
Quite a few original artists own our coasters such as: Denise & the Delicates, Bertie Higgins, Pat Boone, Jay Ferguson, Lou Christie etc….
Thanks Lorie!
And if you would like to be interviewed, just head over to DIY Interviews.
Product Showcase: Baby’s Here!
Lately it seems like all my friends are announcing that they’re expecting! I suppose it’s inevitable at my age but since I still feel about 16 I’m surprised every time. I love to knit and crochet baby items as they’re super fast and easy to whip up. When I don’t have time to make something, I look for a unique gift that someone else has made instead.
This product showcase is a roundup of my latest favorite handmade baby items.
The gorgeous card above is from Storeyshop and was created when the designer’s friends started having babies. Helen wanted to design some cards with nontraditional messages as an alternative to the usual ‘New Baby Girl’ messages. I think it turned out wonderfully!
nellsmith’s adorable baby T-shirt would make a great gift for new parents. Nell’s work is inspired by retro design and toys, Japanese cartoons, and all things cute. She loves using bright, bold colors in her work to try to keep it as fresh and modern as possible.
This baby vest from FruteJuce is a must-have for any trendy baby. Alison designs nontraditional baby clothes inspired by the adult world. The inspiration for the cassette, record deck and headphones vests comes from her family’s strong relationship with music and will start any future musician off the right way.
Any modern baby needs a cool hat and this skull-and-crossbones beanie from MaisieLiddel fits the bill. Handknitted in a punk-inspired pink and white, this little gem is made from a luxurious blend of merino, silk and cashmere.
Keep baby warm with bettyandtodd2’s pretty stroller blanket. Debbie’s mum has always loved hedgehogs and when she and her brothers were growing up, her mum received many different types of hedgehogs as presents. Hedgehogs are a real part of English wildlife so Debbie created this colorful blanket in a small size to easily fit a stroller or car seat.
The inspiration for Quite Contrary Crafts’ card came while Mary was on her stall at Greenwich Market in London, when a customer asked whether there was a New Baby card available. She hadn’t – but she brainstormed new card ideas while her toes were getting rather chilly at the quiet market. Mary had always thought that Silver Cross Prams were very elegant and loves the curl in the handle of the pram in this design. Simple yet effective and elegant.
This gorgeous baby sweater from IrishWoolen was inspired by traditional Irish Aran knitting techniques. The sweater vest was custom-designed for a friend of the designers. The stitch in the center of the jumper is symbolic of the hard working bee and is a traditional stitch of the Aran style of knitting the Aran style. The light flecked wool used is a modern alternative to traditional Aran wool. It’s a great take on the original fisherman’s jumper which was a traditional and staple uniform for so many working men in the past.
I’m thrilled to see how much adorable and unique handmade clothing is available for babies. Despite not having children of her own (yet!), Jane of thedoghouse printed this onesie with an image of her greyhound, Max and the caption ‘doggy’ because she thought that is she did have a baby, this would look so adorable on them!
Brighten up any nursery with this hand-embroidered hanging heart from elissahill. Baby will adore the pretty colours, and even better the heart can be embroidered with any message and picture you desire.
I’d love to discover more handmade baby items, post yours below!
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 7
- Next Page »