Like whoa.

Thank you to my friend Joseph who turned me on to the art of Irene Suchocki who sells her prints on Etsy. I'm no art critic, but there's something about her images that suck you in. From Montreal, Suchocki's images have been featured in various publications, won numerous awards, and was recently on an episode of Extreme Home Makeover (guilty addiction). Her prints are priced from $17 to $175 and most of her listings are 8x10 but she will print on almost any size at your request. Now I'll just let her art speak for itself...

Clean me up Scotty!

It's the second (also known as "most depressing") half of winter which means we're taking solace in longer baths and showers, anything to escape the bitter cold. Here are a few items to jazz up the decor in your bathroom! First, from Scrumptious Suds we had soaps that smell so delicious you could drink them! That's soak in a cocktail and soap up with Mojito, Cosmopolitan, or my personal fave, Memphis Sweet Tea (pictured).
Need a little something to stare at while defrosting your extremeties? Purchase some shower art from Ugly Baby. Each one is unique and includes a list of ingredients including resin and coolesterol. They are hangable on any smooth surface with a heavy duty suction cup, ideally inside your shower, but a window or sink will do just as well!Finally, from Head to Toe, we have not-your-grandma's tissue box cozy's. Made out of retro and vintage printed fabrics and reversible, they scream "I may have a tissue box cozy but I'm hip! I'm funky, I swear!"

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.