The Crown Jewels

My obsession with Handmade Julz reached a fever pitch this weekend when Julie Briggs and I had tables at the same craft fair and we traded for the most amazing ring EVER! I couldn't find a picture of it on her site but I found more pictures that capture the amazing colors in her graphics. Her table is so colorful you can't help but stop and survey every item.She uses a set of self created images under glass to create a unique jeweled effect that she embeds in colorful metallic wire to create an assortment of jewelry, magnets, and now even coasters she melds with her own heat press! And it doesn't hurt that she is the sweetest person with a subtle Texas accent.

Baubles and What Have You

Yesterday, thanks to the Etsy front page, I came across two of the most unusual random crafts I have ever seen! I'm partially enamored because plastic molding is beyond me and I am also infatuated with useless sorts of plastic this-and-thats. So, without further ado, Somethings Hiding in Here has many hidden treasures indeed. Check out the wishbone gift bag ($12). Now you can play enchanted genie and give your friends three wishes to get what they really wanted! And from SOOP, not what it's name implies, comes a collection of one-of-a-kind plastic rings. They aren't as exciting on their own, but at $12 a piece, the price is right and you can collect them all. Or you can buy a ready made set like "Enchanted Forest" or "City Farm"!

Close the Loop

With rapidly melting polar ice caps and little to no ozone layer left, it's no surprise that even handmade goods are "going green". There are tons of great recycled and reclaimed crafts out there but here are a couple of my recent faves.

First, from Geek Gear, on Etsy, we have recycled office supplies made into new office supplies! Geek Gear's specialties are the disk pen holder and notebook set and the zip drive desk clock.

Next, check out Retired Records, where they recycle tired vinyl into anything and everything, including belts, bracelets, clocks, magazine racks, purses, coasters, earrings, and soap dishes? What?! I'll take one of each please!

Props for My Homies

I know I know I've been away for far too long but I'm back and want to feature a couple of new Etsy shops from some Portland ladies I know and love. First. I met Erica Essink at the handmade bazaar almost a year ago. I loved her table display and jewelry and now I am happy to announce that she has set up shop on Etsy as Happy Cake jewelry. The name basically describes just how awesome and delicious her jewelry looks!

As perhaps the antithesis of Happy Cake, now there is Trashy Deluxe, a new incarnation from Small Things Designs, inspired by your trashy yet flashy side. Trashy Deluxe is happy to do custom orders and scripts too!

I Like to Ride My Bicycle

The weather is getting colder and so are my little hands! Well, HandbyHand has an adorable solution. She remakes woolen clothing into fingerless bicycling gloves with a hand embroidered bicycle tire on top. Because she uses used clothing, the sizes and colors may vary so you'll have to check out her shop and see what she's got!



Decorate your walls with bike art...or cloud art, or laundry art, or tree art...by Brenda Rose! Using reclaimed wood and plexiglass, Brenda Rose creates simple 3D deisngs in Portland, OR.

Are your Apples cold?

1. Then they might need an apple jacket! When I first saw these I was biting my knuckles trying to hold back cries of cuteness. I was also thinking, this is the most ridiculous useless thing I've ever seen, until I saw the description and saw that it was to prevent bruised apples....GENIUS! Made by Jacqueline Knits, they come in sizes for pears as well like the one above.
2. I'm not a huge fan of pachouli, nor nag champa, but I do love a good prayer flag. Especially psychadelic prayer flags for knitters. God knows we need those prayers when we run out of yarn on the last row. These prayer flags, by Flederhaus can be custom made in American Sign Language as well!

The Uterus as Art & Craft

Just for fun...here's a slideshow compiled of images I found of uterus arts and crafts from Flickr and Etsy. If I really had it together today I would be able to link them all to their respective craft sites...but I'm not quite there yet. So for now, just sit back and enjoy!