INDIEana Handicraft Exchange Wrap Up June 18, 2010

Last Saturday was the most awesome ever INDIEana Handicraft Exchange.  If you didn’t get to make it to the event, you’re probably regretting it already. With over 100 booths and vendors from all across the continent, the biggest problem I had all day was trying not to spend every last cent of my own hard earned money!

I was happy to be set up again in Gallery #2. I played a little with my booth space this time around, trying something a bit different, and I really like the way it worked for me. In case you didn’t get to see my booth, it looked a little something like this:

My Booth at the IHE

Sunday Afternoon Housewife Booth!

This was the first time I did any type of “L” shape table display, and it really did work out for me! I’d love to hear what you thought of the new display- was it easier for you on the other side of the table?

Of course, all the time I show you what my stuff looks like, so I won’t share anymore about my stuf today. Let’s talk about all the awesome that I bought and loved at the IHE instead! With so many new vendors this summer, I wanted to make checking them out a major priority, and I’m way glad I did!

One booth that had me at first glance was 16 Sparrows. I went back to the booth twice after the initial visit trying to decide because I have always, as long as I can remember, been a sucker for cool stationary, and the ladies at 16 Sparrows have everything one needs to write beautiful letters, keep addresses, label goodies, and all while showing a bit of tounge-in-cheek humor. I couldn’t decide exactly what I wanted most, but I ended up with this (P.S. dear husband don’t look if you are reading, I’m trying to hide this from you until September):

One Bad Ass Card from 16 Sparrows

Down in the Underground, which on second thought really seemed kind of appropriate for this vendor, was Spellbound Soapworks. Much like stationary, I love a good soap. Sometimes I like my soap for the smell or ingredients, but this may be the first time I have ever bought a soap based solely on the fact that it made me laugh out loud with joy and giggle all the way back to my booth, and then made me decide I had to go back for another. While most of the Spellbound Soapworks soap was more sci-fi than anything, this was my two bar purchase (yes, I got the one pictured and one purple with sparkles for my neighbors ):

Gay Bar

While I still have a lovely bar of moustache soap from GEEKSOAP in my guest bathroom, as soon as it is gone, I’ll be putting out the Gay Bar!

No explanation required

I think you would be hard pressed to call RAR RAR Press, anything but pretty fucking awesome. A table full of fun prints and postcards, all made using hand set type left me standing there for eternity trying to decide what I couldn’t live without. I settled on the above post card. I’ll be saving it for a very special occasion.

Uncommon: Things for the Home was yet another booth that really caught my eye. Lots of lovely things all handmade of wood and awesomeness. I had a hard time deciding (and I’m sure the guy thought I was nuts asking so many questions about coasters) but I ended up with a set of gorgeous wooden coasters. I’m glad I finally took this picture so I can put them to use:

Wooden doily coasters from Uncommon

Really cute buttons will get me every time, and at the booth of The Sweetie Pie Press grabbed and wouldn’t let go. When I saw these buttons with 1″ stories, I knew I had to dig through the bowl until I found every single story there was to have.

1" stories by Sweetie Pie Press

One of my last purchases was from a vendor I have written about before: Get Lathered. This solid shampoo and conditioner (yes, solid- like bar soap) I first encountered at the Bloomington Handmade Market. I was a bit leery back then, but since then I have expressed pretty strongly to everyone who will listen about how much I LOVE this product.

shampoo and conditioner that Rocks n Rolls

If you haven’t tried this yet, then your hair isn’t as happy as it could be. Trust me, you need to get some shampoo and conditioner from Get Lathered.

There were several other vendors whose stuff I totally adored. If these awesome goods aren’t blowing your mind enough, you also should really check out So Silly for great silk-screened shirts for kids, Foxglove Accessories for very unique jewelry all made from postage stamps, and Crimson Tate for handmade quilts and other awesome hand sewn accessories.

So tell me, if you made it to the INDIEana Handicraft Exchange, who was your favorite (or favorites!). Don’t just sit there and be a blog lurker, post and tell me what you love! I’ve got a special something for you if you do:

Comment on today's blog and win this sample of Shampoo that Rocks from Get Lathered!

I’ll wait a week for you to realize how bad you want this, and then I will choose a comment at random and give that lucky person this fantastic sample of Shampoo That Rocks from Get Lathered. And you know  I want this really bad for myself, so maybe you can just keep your comments to yourself. (j/k!!!)

Whose Your Mama? May 27, 2010

Well, It’s not too very often at all that I take time to write about food on my blog, though it is one thing that I enjoy probably as much as, if not more, than crafting. Good local food is a total weakness for me. From fresh grown vegetables and fruits, to locally owned restaurants, if it’s local, I’m game to try it. Raw food in general is great, but throw in the time it takes to hand-craft a delicious artisan creation, and I’m head over heels in love.

Just recently I took a trip to fabulous Nashville, TN, and I was at the local coffee shop, Bongo Java, in East Nashville (for breakfast mind you) and there on the counter sat the most gorgeously wrapped chocolate bars I may have ever seen. Further inspection proved what I suspected to be true: it was LOCAL chocolate! This chocolate is small batch, stone ground, slow-roasted, and hand-crafted right in Nashville, Tennessee! Olive and Sinclair Chocolate Company boasts chocolate bars in 67% and 75% dark chocolate, as well as NIBS in 67%, coffee in 75%, salt and pepper in 67%, and sea salt in 75% dark chocolate. They also have a seasonal Mexican style Cinn-chili bar. I had to settle for only one sea salt dark chocolate bar (it was breakfast after all) and leave the others behind because I knew they wouldn’t be able to beat the Nashville heat while I sat outside for my craft fair.  I was sad to leave the rest of this chocolate on the counter, but the one bar I had was oh so delicious.

After I got home (still have the wrapper, of course) I looked up the website hoping to learn how to order some more, and found the Facebook page with an awesome photo shoot showing how the chocolate is made. While I may have to wait for the direct mail services to start, right now I can just look at these pictures every once in a while and dream about the day I get to have another one of these Southern Artisan chocolate bars.

Back much closer to home, the awesomest Erin Edds has been whipping up gallons of something super delish: Hoosier Momma’s Brand Bloody Mary Maker. Just yesterday I was lucky enough to finally get my hands on a jar of this locally sourced, secret recipe awesomeness. Now, I must admit that even a year ago, I wouldn’t have touched a Bloody Mary with a ten foot pole, but my silly grown up taste buds keep changing all the time, and I’m finally able to enjoy this tomato based, wholesome goodness. Hoosier Momma’s mix is made from Indiana tomatoes, and as anyone who has ever lived or eaten a tomato in Indiana will tell you, there’s no other taste like that of an Indiana tomato. This mix is good enough to drink on it’s own. If you like V8, this is a much better, MUCH yummier, slightly spicy substitute.

A match made in heaven

Last night I whipped up a Bloody Mary with my new jar of Hoosier Momma and my favorite vodka, Indiana Vodka, which is also made right here in good old Indianapolis, Indiana by Heartland Distillers. I mixed up 6 ounces of Hoosier Momma’s to 2 ounces of Indiana vodka, poured it over some ice, and added the juice of half a lime (that’s just how I like mine!). Two drinks later, I also decided it would be a great idea to cook with this deliciousness, so I took the chicken I was making for my husband and marinated it in the Hoosier Momma, and then made a foil pouch with more Hoosier Momma in the pouch with the chicken, and cooked it on the grill. Now, I don’t eat the land animal meat, but my husband, and 2 neighbors who had joined us for dinner loved the flavor. So, not only is Hoosier Momma’s good for drinking with or without the vodka, you can also use it to make show-stopping awesomeness in the kitchen.

So, here’s enough local awesomeness to make me hungry for drinks and dessert (who needs dinner anyway?). I  hope you’ll check out these great local companies and tell me what you think. And oh yes, Happy Memorial Day!

Handpicked from the Bloomington Handmade Market April 8, 2010

Last Saturday I was at the Bloomington Handmade Market spring event, and what a wonderful time I had! I was so busy most of the day selling my jewelry I never got a break, but thankfully my dear friend Liz took time out of her day to come sit at my booth for the last 30 minutes of the show so I could take a walk around and see all there was to see. I saw several of consistent favorites including Sadly Harmless, Cordial Kitten, and 50 Little Birds, but I also discovered some great new favorites!

Bird Garland by Paper Acorn

I was very lucky to be set up next to the fantastic Paper Acorn. While I didn’t get much chance to talk to Jessica, the papersmith behind the awesome Paper Acorn, because of both of us being so darn busy, I really enjoyed taking a minute to look at all the gorgeous paper creations.

Paper Acorn boxes by Paper Acorn

I really loved her garlands and her amazing little paper bird and acorn boxes. Even her adorable wax envelope and paper acorn cut-out business cards were enough to make me swoon! I am telling all my friends planning weddings this year that they must check out Paper Acorn for awesome favor boxes, seating cards, and more!

Book Safe by Conduit Press

Another awesome booth I stopped and ogled at was Conduit Press. The book safes caught my eye, and take a look at this awesome Poe book safe! Aside from the book safes, Conduit Press also makes delightful journals- some leather bound, and some from upcycled materials like Capri Sun pouches. I highly suggest taking a look at the good coming from Conduit Press!

Shampoo That Rocks by Get Lathered!

I’ll admit I was slighly skeptical when Rhonda of Get Lathered! tried to sell me on some of her bar-style shampoos and conditioners, but that was awfully silly of me! I honestly had never heard of bar shampoo, but she gave me a little instruction sheet and I purchased sample sizes of both a shampoo (Grenadine scented) and a conditioner (rosemary mint scented).

Conditioner That Rolls by Get Lathered!

I don’t know if I will ever wash my hair with the “regular” stuff again. I have to say, I am not one who usually pays much attention to my hair, but after the first use of the shampoo and conditioner, I am hooked for life. In the shower, the shampoo lathers like crazy, and the conditioner feels so silky. After my first use my hair smelled wonderful all day, it felt cleaner, lighter (seriously!), and the conditioner made my hair so easy to brush out both before and after blow-drying (I usually face a slightly tangled mess after blow drying!). I hope you’ll take the time to check out Get Lathered! and pick up some of her super awesome shampoo and conditioner.

If you missed Bloomington Handmade Market, don’t be sad. With over 1,300 attendees at Saturday’s show, you know there will be another. In the meantime you can catch a few of the BHM vendors (My Wire Empire, GeekSoap, and myself) plus more at the Handmade Promenade on April 17th at Luna Music on 52nd and College. If you can hold out even longer, there will be 80+ vendors at the INDIEana Handicraft Exchange on June 12th! See you then!

Handmade in Texas: Austin Edition March 25, 2010

So, after a whirlwind weekend in Fort Worth, I headed down to Austin for SXSW. I was in Austin for 5 nights, 4 days, and between day parties and late nights, I did my best to find as much awesome handmade goodness as I could.

One of the best places I went to scope out handmade good was on South Congress Street. I didn’t get to go to as many shops as I had hoped to, but happily, I did make it to Parts & Labour.

Parts & Labour on South Congress in Austin

Of course I could’ve spent my entire budget in Parts & Labour, but instead I did a lot of looking and just a little buying (had to save some $$ for that Tex Mex food!). Parts & Labour featured some awesome Austin crafters like Naughty Secretary Club and Sublime Stitching, and I also spotted some tea towels from quirky silk- screeners (and co-Funky Finds participants) Squid Ink Kollective. All of there items were naturally fantastic, but there was lots of other great stuff, too. One jewelry designer who really held my attention was Sarah Eastep of maneki designs.

I heart Texas earring by maneki

maneki’s designs were all very gorgeous, flirty, and fun. Her website is really lovely, too. I am a big fan of the fox vs. rabbit necklace and, of course, of the owl bangle.

Another great jewelry designer I spotted at Parts & Labour was MetalsGirl. I couldn’t resist buying one of her small herb and resin pendants for a mere $10.

Adorable, tiny resin and herb charms by MetalsGirl

These adorable resin and herb charms came with a card that lists what each color and herb represents. I picked up a robin’s egg blue charm (one of my favorite colors!) with ginger, which the card says represents passion, power, and success. The lady working the register told me to be sure to check out the MetalsGirl website, and I suggest you do the same. She has lots of other charming necklaces and some really, really fun bottle cap key ring designs on sale for only $5 each.

The same night I went to Parts & Labour, I stumbled into a party called South by San Jose. There were lots of clothing vendors set up, but the one that made me part with my hard earned dough was South Side Sanctuary.

A South Austin, Texas tee by South Side Sanctuary

I got a really awesome treehouse/ beard/ hoot owl shirt (see below). South Side Sanctuary has a lot of awesome tee shirts as well as scoop neck tees and over sized tees. These shirts are something you should definitely check out!

While I was at the Slim Cessna show at Habana Calle 6 on 6th street, I noticed there was an artist set up across the crowd of people, so I made my way over to check it out and I was super glad I did. I found mukee design selling his very clever jewelry made from reclaimed skateboards. Talk about ultimate upcycling!

Earrings made from reclaimed skateboards by mukee designs

I had a nice talk with the crafter (He’ll be at Renegade Austin in May) and was an excellent sales man! I was very happy to pick up one of Mukee’s necklaces.

As you can see below, I got some really good buys while in Austin.

All my handmade goodies from Austin, Texas

I also had the enjoyable experience to be next to Jenny Hart at the Standard Recording SXSW day party and I whispered her secret code word and got a embroidered journal as a prize. She and I also swapped wares, and I got a set of the Sublime Stitching Cowboy Cool patterns. I am super happy with all the great goods I scored while down in Austin, TX.

Next year I’m going to do my best to make it to the 78404 Artisans Market on SoCo. I wish I could have made it this year, but the weather was really bad that day and we had a day party. I’m looking forward to the chance to attend next year and discover tons more awesome handmade goodness in Austin.

Handmade in Texas: DFW Edition March 24, 2010

Earlier this month I spent 10 days in Texas, first in Forth Worth, then Dallas, and then Austin. First I was in Fort Worth for the Funky Finds Spring Fling. I had a great time as a vendor at the fair (you can read about my adventure by clicking here), but I also met some really great people at the fair and saw lots of awesome crafty goodness. After I finished my visits in North Texas, I headed down to Austin where I was blown away by the sheer amount of awesome handmade goodness. Today’s blog is dedicated to all that awesome handmade goodness I found while in the DFW area, and tomorrow I’ll write about all the awesomeness I found in Austin!

First, as I mentioned, I was at Funky Finds in Fort Worth. One of the first vendors to catch my eye was The Curious Cake Shoppe. I talked with Tania of the The Curious Cake Shoppe for quite a while. She was such a super sweet gal, and I wished I had the need to buy up a cake right then! I told her I can’t wait for someone I know to get preggers so I can order up one of her awesome diaper cakes.

Diaper Cake by The Curious Cake Shoppe

Tania whips up these diaper cakes with ingredients like Luvs baby diapers, bibs, stuffed toys, onsies, washcloths, pacifiers, and receiving blankets. These would make a great shower gifts for any one who is expecting a wee one. You can check out all sorts of her adorable creations on her Flickr page and you can order a pre-made or custom order diaper cake right from her site at http://www.curiouscakeshoppe.com/

Another vendor I saw at Funky Finds who really grabbed my attention was aplcreations.  Her handmade reclaimed paper journals are both super cool and environmentally friendly.

Upcycyled Paper Journals by APL Designs

These journals are just the right size to keep in your purse or on your kitchen counter for jotting down needed grocery items. You can order these upcycled journals from aplcreations Etsy shop.

2enju was another eye-catching vendor. She had tons of adorable, well made handbags for sale. I loved all of her patterns and especially was fond of the bags that had the longer over-the-shoulder straps.

Hobo Handbag by 2enju

She doesn’t have many of those longer strap bags on her Etsy, but you can see a lot of the awesome hobo style bags as well as gorgeous dresses and headbands.

At Funky Finds I was very lucky to be situated right across the aisle from Le Pippin. All of their cute totes were staring me in the face all day long. Lucky, at the end of the day the ladies of Le Pippin came over to shop my booth and I suggested we make a trade.

The awesome and functional tote I got from Le Pippin.

I got this super functional, well made purse. It was perfectly sized for carrying around only the essentials while I was on the rest of my trip. I really love my new purse and if you check out the Le Pippin Portfolio you’ll see that they make all kinds of other awesome stuff from key fobs to darling wrap-style dresses.

While not a specific vendor, Etsy Fort Worth was a sponsor of the Spring Fling and they did have a booth where they were selling goods from their members to support a local food pantry. I was really impressed with the Etsy Fort Worth team’s organization. They had an awesome scavenger-hunt type promo going on during the event and all their members had team member buttons on. They have a very impressive list of members which you should take time to check out!

While I did spend most of my time in Fort Worth at the Funky Finds, I had time to walk around downtown the evening before in Sundance Square. I checked out a couple of really cute shops there. One was called Earth Bones and the other, Vessels. Both had fun general merchandise, and they both also had some really nice handmade jewelry. At Vessels, I saw some nice jewelry by Karen Nellen of KKDesignz, and actually found that Karen was working behind the counter, so we chatted for a while. Right now her website is under construction, but hopefully soon you’ll be able to see some of the great jewelry I saw at Vessels.

So, that is my DFW area handmade goods round up! I hope you’ll take the time to check out these awesome handmade artists and also that you’ll check back tomorrow for the Austin edition of Handmade in Texas.

Friday Favorites: Travel Goodies March 5, 2010

Of course my upcoming trip is about all that is on my mind, so I decided it would be lots of fun to look at travel goodies in this week’s Friday Favorites!

OuchPouch!

I did a simple search on Etsy and typed in “travel” and one of the first things to catch my eye (of course because of the owls!) was this super adorable and practical OuchPouch by PillowSewCute. It holds band aids, ointment, and anything you might want close at hand for minor boo-boos. It’s a good idea to be prepared when traveling, so this is a good way to keep your first aid supplies near by!

Sturdy Metal Luggage Tags!

Of course you want your bags to be easily identifiable, and with these personalized, hand stamped metal luggage tags by sierrametaldesign you can ensure that your luggage is! As indicated in the listing, another cool thing about these tags is that they are sturdy, and therefore it would be unlikely for them to come off your luggage, further ensuring if the bags were misplaced, they could find their way back to you.

Travel Candles in Metal Tins

Now, traveling with candles is something I hadn’t really though to do before, but these soy wax travel candles by homemadesoy make me want to start! I can imagine how nice it would be to drag myself into a cold, stale hotel room and light up a wonderfully scented candle to make it feel a little more welcoming and warm. What a good idea!

Hoot Owl Eye Mask!

Now I don’t know about you, but one of the best ways for me to get a good night’s sleep when I am away from home is to have an eye mask. It kind of makes me want to relax more and think less, and this eye mask by doodlebugsfunfabrics even comes with a matching protective travel pouch!

I like keeping travel notes in a journal!

Even in this blog eat blog world, I still like to take time while on trips to write down with a pen on paper places I’ve visited, dined at, or stumbled upon in a nice travel journal. This cute leather bound mini travel journal by BD leather designs has an adorable little camper on it and is small enough to keep in your purse or back pack so you can jot down important notes whenever the mood strikes!

Well, I hope you enjoyed today’s Friday Favorites and next time you are getting ready for a trip you will plan ahead and get yourself one of these cool travel items featured today. Happy weekend (finally!) and Happy Travels!

Friday Favorites: Eye Candy February 19, 2010

I’m taking a little break this week from my “regular” Friday Favorites of only handmade items and instead sharing some of my favorite websites to go and  look at things. It’s weird sometimes how I can spend so long just looking at things that interest me. So, if you are a looker, like me, here are some places you might want to start:

Owl and Pussycat Cake by Coco Cakes

I am totally in love with Coco Cakes.  I love just looking at all of her beautiful cake and cupcake creations. The Coco Cakes photos on Flickr are so amazing, I can look for ever and be thrilled over and over again. I LOVE this owl and pussycat cake, and I also loved the owl cake she made for her nephew. Another favorite is the fish cake, but of course they are all insanely adorable and well made. Is it allowable to have something like 15 favorites? Because I think I do!

From the blog "A Collection a Day, 2010"

I can’t say what it is about this blog by Lisa Congdon that makes me check back day after day, but I guess just love to look at her collections. A Collection a Day, 2010 is an amazing blog to visit.  I love her fascination with collecting. Some things seem so random, but everything looks so beautiful grouped together day after day. I can’t imagine having 365 days worth of collected things, but then when I think about it a little longer, I bet most of us do and we don’t even realize it.

Killer Zombie Sheep by Nerdygrrl

Sometimes when I don’t know what I am looking for, or if I am just looking for some inspiration, I like to visit the Etsy Showcases. If you go to Etsy and you click on the “showcases” banner, many wonderful things will reveal themselves to you. Today’s Storque showcase had this fantastic Killer Zombie Sheep Print by nerdygrrl that caught my attention. The Etsy Showcases are just a fun way to see new things and find something new to admire!

What are some site you visit just to look at? I would love to know. I hope you will enjoy looking at these three sites today. Of course there are many others, but I am having a hard time focusing today and spending too much time looking! I need to move on with my day! I will surely have another post like this in the future because I love so much to look at so many things! Please share your comments on what you think about these site or about other sites you like to look at!

Friday Favorites: Purses, Bags, and Pouches February 12, 2010

Hello! I hope you have been enjoying this week’s blogs about crafty business advice, but today I am back to my Friday favorites! I think I already mentioned I am in desperate need of a new purse and new wallet. Right now the two I have were handmade just for me and I got them from swaps on Craftster, but I’ve been using them both for about 2 years and the wear and tear is really coming through, so I have started looking for new ones. I have so much fun looking on Etsy for things and that is part of what sparked my Friday Favorites. I also really enjoy featuring other people’s work on my blog. So, today we have, as you may have already guessed, purses, wallets, bags and pouches!

The first bag I came across in my search was this lovely bird-themed bag from Ikabags. I love how sweet and cute it is. I would wear this purse to death for sure! It looks roomy enough for all my normal purse things, which is great, and I might be able to shove extras in there as needed.

Another bag I love, one for the super adorable narwhal, but two for its size is this Narwhal Field Bag by rainbow swirlz. I love that it has a shoulder strap (a necessity for me!) and I love that besides my normal things, I probably could jam my netbook inside if I needed to. Fantastic purse!

I’ve been ga-ga over the totes and bags at Haut Totes ever since I started following her on Twitter. It must’ve been fate when I clicked to follow her! While all of her bags are totally amazing, I really love this pink and black skull tote. The skulls are surely there, but it’s pink enough to be a touch professional as well. I would love to carry this tote on a daily basis, and I love that it has a key leash because I waste about ten minutes a day searching through my purse for my keys.

I have to admit that I am not really in the market for a pair of make-up bags since I don’t really wear make-up, but these two faux bois bags by ModDiva really caught my eye. I’m a super big fan of faux bois and I really could use these things for about 1,000 things besides cosmetics. I would be thrilled with these if I got them, and I really have to say the print on this fabric is totally fantastic!

This future-rriffic robot wallet from alliebeans is just what I need to keep me from carrying 2 months worth of receipts around in my over-crammed wallet. I also really like that it is pretty self-contained and that for those days that I don’t need to carry my purse, I can grab-and-go with this little self-proclaimed PORTA-pouch. Plus, the icing on the proverbial cake is that alliebeans is offering a 14% off sale through the 15th. This little beauty is actually already headed to my shopping cart! I’ve just got to get to the bank to deposit a pay check and I am gonna make this little guy all mine!

I really hope you like today’s features. Do you make a purse or bag you think I might like? Share you links in my comments and I will be sure to check them out and possibly even include them in a future Friday Favorites. Here’s to a fantastic weekend! Ciao!

Handmade Monday: Flower and Friend Inspired Rings February 8, 2010

This week on Handmade Monday I want to share with you a new set of rings I have made. These rings were made to remind me that spring is right around the corner and that bright colors are very welcome on snowy winter days! It’s also meant to remind me of all the strong women in my life who have way more on their plates to handle than I do, but somehow still manage to always be there with help, encouragement, or a kind word when I need it most. The names for this set of rings are inspired by the names of some of my best friends who are housewives as well mothers, crafters, kid taxi drivers, cooks, maids, and so much more! Right now there are 8 new rings to share.

All rings are on lead and nickle free adjustable ring backs. You can see how the “back” of a few of the rings look at the bottom of the post.

The first 4 are a bit unique because they have a small flower charm in either pink or purple which closely dangles from the ring.

The LYDIA, named after my wonderful Aunt Lydia, is a small fleur-de-lis and spade shape inspired ring with a small pink rose which dangles closely by to remind us of being strong and a little sweet at the same time:

Super special and a life-long lover of flowers, the CLAUDIA is named after my mother. This ring is an abstract flower also with a small pink rose inspired charm hanging close by as a reminder that someone special is always closer by than you might think:

Next is the REBECCA, named for my sister-in-law who is very strong and very beautiful. This ring has a daisy inspired center and a small purple flower charm attached. Always a helping hand, this ring shows the strength and beauty of a very special person:

The RACHEL is inspired by my other sister-in-law (there are only 2, in case you are wondering).  This ring is a little complicated and a little sweet. A small circular pattern with a star represents my sister-in-law Rachel, my nieces Natalie and Lydia, her husband, and the soon-to-arrive any day now nephew! Rachel is about to have the largest family in my extended family and I hope she knows this ring is inspired by her and her strength to support an ever growing family!

Next up is a ring I would like to call the HEATHER as a tribute to one of the most professional and sweetest girlfriends I have. Heather is a writer, a mother of one, a crafter, and a super sweet friend, just like this super sweet ring made of  out of an adorable charm and a sweet flower charm:

Next up is the BRANDY, named for my darling younger sister, who happens to be a fantastic mother, hard worker, and the best sister a gal like me could ask for. The BRANDY is kind of simple- a beautiful orange metal flower with a smaller purple rose charm set in the middle. It shows her love of flowers but also her simple and easy going outlook on life:

Up next is the JEN. My friend Jen is not only a mother, hard worker, crafter, and super business lady, but also my constant booth mate at all craft fairs both odd and cool. Without Jen by my side at times I might go crazy and I certainly would be able to take far fewer breaks at craft fairs! The JEN is a little funky, but mainly sweet- very colorful, but also work- friendly, just what a mom-on-the-go like Jen needs!

Last up in the new line of rings is the JESS. Jess is a great graphic designer, mother of two, wife, hard worker, and fabulous friend. I strongly hope Jess will agree that this ring is a good representation of her- both strong and funky as well as sweet and unique:

As I mentioned, all of these rings are lead free and nickle free and on adjustable ring backs and they will fit sizes 8- about an 11. As they look right now, the ring itself is about 1/4″ wide and closed at the back, you can adjust to your desired size. This is how the ring back looks on all 8 rings:

I really hope you like my new rings! Your purchase is your vote on these. If you visit my Etsy shop and purchase a ring, that means I will make more! So, leave a comment here and tell me what you think, or head on over to my Etsy and pick one up before it is gone! Each ring is unique, and right now you can only get the one that is pictured, so don’t wait! If you do, it might be gone!

Friday Favorites: Birthday Edition! February 5, 2010

Tomorrow just happens to be my birthday and since that is the case, I thought today’s Friday Favorites could have less of a specific theme and be more of a “I want it for my birthday!”  list. So, while these items might seem a bit random, consider them a nice list of items you could refer to when wanting to buy a gift for that hard-to-please crafty friend of yours!

So, first I present a great present idea to you: a good enough to eat, beautifully crafted, 110% vegan soap from Haus of Gloi. This cold processed vegan soap even has a deliciously addictive name: Vice Turkish Coffee Graham Cracker Soap

In my search for soaps, I found another fantastic soap, and it is available in lots  of  scents, like green tea and bay rum, but what makes it even better is simply what it is! I must admit I’ve always had an little inner Tyler Durden-ish desire to punch a lot of people in the face and basically this soap just rocks and reminds me that I probably should start punching more people in the face. If you haven’t figured it out yet, Luxury Lane Soaps brings us an amazing Fight Club soap!

Ok, I know some people aren’t into scented soaps (though I don’t understand those people!) But that being the case, I have found lots of other goodies, too. Personally, I’ve been carrying around an adorable owl purse for a couple of years now, and I love it to death (or you could say I have loved it to death) ! My owl purse is starting to rip in places and it makes me very sad. Since the one I have is one of a kind and was made for me in a craft swap, I know there no hope of ever having it again! I love the little owls, so I did  Etsy search of purses with owls and I think I found a very suitable replacement. In fact, this is it. This is the owl purse that can replace my current purse and make me happy just by looking at it every day. From Little Odd Forest comes the Hoot Owl Sling Purse!

All this searching got me thinking about other things I love besides owls, and of course chocolate came right to my mind! While my all time favorite local truffle comes from The Best Chocolate in Town , which also happens to be right down the street from my house, I wanted to do a little searching to see what else was out there. I didn’t get very far before I came across these “Just a Little Taste of Cloud Nine Caramels” made by Have It Sweet Confections. And it’s true that I really was looking for truffles first, but then I found these and read this:

“I’m pretty sure after you try one of these you’ll agree that you’re on Cloud Nine. The first layer is Have It Sweet’s Fleur de Sel Caramel. The second layer is our unrefined, hand harvested Fleur de Sel. The third layer is our Mayan Dark Chocolate Caramels. It is an amazing combination.

Our top secret recipe is just the beginning. You will never find another caramel like Have It Sweet’s. We use only the finest all natural (usually organic) ingredients to guarantee that you are eating the very best. We are, as our slogan says, “Purveyors Of Confectionary Excellence”.”

And now my mouth is watering!

Another thing that would be pretty darn cool, even if it comes well into the summer and after my birthday would be if my friend Amanda could get her handmade retail store Homespun open.  Amanda describes Homespun as:

“a retail shop, classroom and gallery space located in the heart of the Irvington neighborhood on the east side of Indianapolis. The focus of homespun will be on modern handmade goods. We anticipate opening in July 2010.”

Right now she is in the running for a grant from Pepsi Refresh Project for $5,000. If you like handmade, and you have a minute, it would be fantastic if you could go over and vote for Homespun at the Pepsi Refresh webpage.

There’s just one more thing that would make my birthday totally awesome.  I was thinking what is the thing, the one thing, that if I got it for my birthday I would be so happy, and I decided it would be no less than a heifer!

I honestly would personally love a cow, or a llama, or even a chicken, but since I live in the big city, all these options are quite impossible. They best thing though, is that Heifer International can give said cows and llamas and goats and chickens, and even honey bees to those who need them most. So, in light of it all, a heifer may be my best choice. Only a mere $50 will buy a heifer share, and with 10% of Etsy sales going to charity this month, I’m about $30 away from buying a heifer share on behalf of myself and my Etsy Customers. If you want to score a little goodie for yourself and help me reach a goal of cow sponsorship, you can head over to my Etsy and help. Right now we have worked together and made enough to buy a flock of chicks, but I’d really like to see it become a cow, or at least a share of a cow!

I hope you’ll consider the latter, that you’ll have a good weekend, and be careful out there in all that snow that is coming our way! I also hope you’ll help support handmade by voting for Homespun and purchasing one or all of the goodies on the blog today either as a gift or just for yourself!