Sew Funky Marketplace

On Saturday I had the pleasure of attending a local craft fair...yep, that's right, a local fair!  I am such a big fan of Renegade LA (which is coming up next weekend!) and all the artists that I see there but I am all about local too.  The Sew Funky Marketplace was held at the Marriott in downtown Riverside and I am so glad I got to attend before I had to slip off to work.  It was so nice to meet people in my area who love Etsy, handmade, and vintage as much as I do.  I met some fabulous new friends and purchased some cute handmade and vintage goodies.  For all you local (SoCal, Inland Empire) readers out there, I'm sorry I didn't post about this fair sooner, as in before it actually happened.  Please forgive me, I don't know what I was thinking.  Sew Funky should be back in the fall so I promise to let everyone know before that event and maybe some of my readers could join me for a day of craft fairing.

I snapped a few pictures at the event but I'm afraid they didn't turn out too well.  Because the event was held inside, the lighting in the pictures is very bad, super yellow.  And these few pictures represent just some of the cute displays and booths that were there.  Check out the Sew Funky blog for updated pictures from the fair. 

It wouldn't be a craft fair without some cute bunting!

The sweet sign for Rachel's Vintage Moments.  I enjoyed meeting and chatting with Rachel who has some awesome finds.  One of her specialties is vintage purses and she had so many great ones on display.  A couple definitely caught my eye.  

More of Rachel's booth on the left, you can see a few of her clutches in the drawer there.  She shared her space with Jenn of Love, Jennevy who crafts cute, whimsical jewelry.  Their display was a favorite of mine.  The jewelry and vintage items paired perfectly together.  It was such a pleasure meeting both of these lovely ladies.  

On the right is the leatherwork of Justin Deines (or here on Etsy), a super talented leather craftsman.  He had set up shop and was doing personalized orders right there on the spot.  More of his work in a minute...    

So are you interested in what I got?  I could not leave without purchasing a few goodies from the talented Janee of Yellow Bird, Yellow Beard.  Her stuff was so adorable and I loved talking with her (her super sweet husband was their too, helping to spread the word about his talented wife!).  

Yep, I got a stuffed whale!  As I told Janee, a stuffed whale isn't necessarily something I need but those polka dots were too cute to pass up.  And the cards were made from rubber stamps she carved herself.  Very ocean-themed now that I look at it.  Be sure to check out Janee's shop because she has a lot of great stuff in there...I wanted to buy more but I was on a budget so I had to refrain.  She has a blog too which I will be perusing more in depth later today.  

Janee also had some vintage prints so I snagged this one, a transit guide of New York City.  I think I'll just hang it as a print in my room.  I'm getting in the New York spirit in preparation for my trip there in a few weeks...oh wait, have I mentioned that yet?  Yep, I'll be visiting NYC soon but more on that another day.  

I bought an old book notebook from the Hello Bird and Ultra Lounge booth.  I was excited to meet both of these ladies.  They each have a space at a local antique mall (the Redlands Galleria) and I have bought items from them before.  They always find great retro stuff.  These notebooks were something new and I couldn't walk away from this one.  I love the colors on the cover.  I have a thing for little notebooks, basically I can never get enough.  

The striped flower pin was from Agape Live Love (I can never turn down stripes!) and the heart earrings were a creation from Jennevy.

And finally, what I got from Justin Deines.  He was selling these key necklaces and you could choose which old key you wanted.  But I customized mine even more and got this leather feather too.  He was so nice to accommodate and he made the necklace up for me right there.  I also loved his simple packaging and he included a feather key chain as an extra bonus!  

So I think I did pretty well at the fair.  Definitely check out some of these artist's sites.  Everyone was so nice and talented and I was so glad to meet some local creatives.  I look forward to the fair in the fall and just maybe I will be a part of it too.  Happy Monday!  

Etsy Finds 05.03.11

Hi friends and happy Tuesday!  Today I want to share some recent Etsy finds that have caught my eye and been added to my favorites folder.  Sharing the items that I find inspiring is so much more fun than hoarding them away in a folder and hopefully I can introduce you to new artists and artwork and increase your love for handmade goodies in the process.  There is so much talent on Etsy and like my other love Pinterest, I use Etsy as a tool for not only buying gifts but for finding pretty images that spark my own creativity.  So without further ado, here are a few items that I am loving right now.

Lots and lots of pretty things, no?  And the colors are definitely a spring palette that I am drawn towards right now.  

The first shop is vesselsandwares by artist Jeanette Zeis.  If you love little cupcake stands, well look no further.  This shop is full of beautiful ceramics that have amazingly intricate details and even more awesome colors.  Lots of pastels...perfect for spring!  If you are planning a wedding, I highly recommend a few of these stands for your dessert table.  Or use them as a decor element to display some of your favorite knickknacks.  I could not resist Jeanette's work (she is a great Etsy seller to deal with too) and purchased my own mini stand a few weeks ago.  I will be unveiling its beauty soon in a photoshoot but until then I love having it on display.

handmade item pictured: 10" ruffle cake stand

Hideminy is another fabulous ceramics shop with intricate, lovely details.  Her work looks so light and delicate with the lace patterns on them.  We usually associate lace with the past, a vintage detail that was loved by our grandmas.  I love lace but usually it lacks that modern feel.  These porcelain dishes feel very modern but still have that old-time detailing which handmade lovers can really appreciate.  

handmade item pictured: porcelain lace cup  

And now for some dreamy photography, something that is easily found in a place for twiggs's shop.  This talented photographer hails from Lisbon, Portugal and she has a great blog where she shares more about her adventures and pretty pictures.  Her work includes up-close detail shots like the one pictured here as well as romantic European scenes.  All of her photographs makes me want to pack up my bags and head off to Europe on an adventure.  Beauty really lies in the details and her flower shots remind me of that.

handmade item pictured: Softness 5x5 photograph

Next I want to share the inspirational work of a talented children's book illustrator Sarah Jane.  Her shop Sarah Jane Studios is filled with little prints that are really precious and that capture the beauty of childhood.  She did a series of "Children Around the World" where she highlighted 12 major cities, including Amsterdam, Paris, London, and Tokyo.  I absolutely love the Amsterdam print with the bike, the cheerful colors and simple design.  Although Sarah sticks to children's books, her work would make wonderful wedding invitations and paper goods, similar in style to Anna Bond's work.

handmade item pictured: Amsterdam fine art print  

Treasured Editions makes some of the prettiest paper flowers I have ever seen.  Wait, they might actually be THE prettiest.  The artist Wanda, puts so much detail into these crepe paper creations.  They are hand painted even!  I really am in awe of their beauty and think this is a perfect option for the bride wanting faux flowers.  And after the wedding these flowers can adorn your home for an extended period of time.  

handmade item pictured: vintage-inspired crepe paper flowers

Last, but certainly not least, are Katie Daisy's illustrations in her shop The Wheat Field.  These prints are perfect for spring with bright colors and floral motifs.  And a lot of her work has fun, inspirational sayings on them like the print pictured.  These illustrations make for perfect birthday or house warming gifts because everything is so cheerful!

handmade item pictured: Wander poster

What did you think of my roundup today?  Are you feeling inspired and eager to create?  I know I am...I'm off to go make up some handmade goodies now.  Bye friends!               

Etsy Order: Vintage Hankie Sets for Family

Hi friends and happy Wednesday!

Today I'm sharing my most recent Etsy order, another set of vintage hankies.  Not too long ago, I shared this set that I made up for a customer's bridesmaids.  I am such a fan of these personalized gifts so I was super excited when another customer contacted me asking for her own set.  This customer was looking for something special for her family members, her mother, aunt, grandmother, and dad.  Yep, dad!  Even though I tend to consider these hankies as gifts for women, I can put a more masculine twist on them and make them man-appropriate.  Because guys cry and need hankies too...especially dads at weddings.

The color scheme was kelly green, black, and white.  I found some awesome white hankies with lovely, vintage green details.  The one purple hankie was for the bride's aunt.  The color had a special significance to the two of them so we made an exception with the color and had that set break the rules a bit.  

The perfume bottle was for the bride's grandmother who always wore a distinct scent.  The bride could remember arranging all of her grandmother's bottles when she was a little girl.  I can totally relate.  I was in awe of my aunt and grandma's perfume bottle as a kid too.  What is so intriguing about them?  They are reminiscent of a different time and I think that is why I appreciate them now.  

The Russian nesting dolls were for the bride's mother.  The bride mentioned to me that her mother always said that her daughter was a special piece of her.  I thought that was such a sweet sentiment and right away it made me think of nesting dolls and how they fit into each other.  Also, the larger dolls look like mothers and the smaller ones look like children usually, so I thought that was an appropriate comparison.   

The compass was for the bride's father.  It represented the two of them rediscovering their relationship, finding their way back to each other, and bonding when the bride went through a more difficult time in her life.  It was so neat to hear the bride's story and it made me think that a lot of times, when we're young we don't appreciate our older family members and can take them for granted.  The important thing is that we can reconnect with loved ones as adults and see people in entirely new lights.  The little megaphones were for the bride's aunt.  She said her aunt had always been her biggest cheerleader and was always there to shout encouragement.  I thought the megaphones captured that spirit perfectly.  

The bride's three bridesmaids also received hankies but without the trinkets.  She already had special gifts for her girls so this was just a little something extra.  I love the flower embroidery on these hankies.

As always, I love all the great details in these!  I received a message from the bride before her wedding and she was super happy and couldn't wait to gift these to her family.  Messages like that make my day...I love knowing that something I made brought joy to someone else.  Ya for handmade! 

Cowboy-Themed S'mores Kits

I have super fun pictures to share with you guys today!  And not only are they fun but they involve s'mores!

As some of you may remember, last year I came up with my own version of the s'mores kit and shared the DIY on Valley & Co.'s beautiful blog.  I designed that kit specifically with weddings in mind since s'mores are such a big trend in weddings right now.  I also listed the kits in my shop and got a lot of great feedback from readers who loved the all-in-one idea.  Lucky for me, my first big order came a couple of months ago but my customer wasn't getting married...she was throwing a cowboy-themed birthday party for her one-year old son.  So I came up with a custom design for her, complete with western motif papers and red bandanas.  Basically it was the epitome of adorable!  

I was dying to have some pictures from the actual event, with the kits totally put together, so I politely asked my customer if she would be willing to share.  Thankful for us, she graciously allowed me to post these great shots which highlight the fabulous decor.  My customer did such an amazing job putting this party together because it is seriously rockin'!  Even though I'm 25 and a girl, I think this party would have been so much fun to attend.  

Enjoy the pictures!  They were taken by the talented Nicole Leone Photography.  And be sure to take note of my s'mores kits at the end!

A cow-spot cake...awesome!

Now I'm craving desserts.

Super sweet bunting.  I love the mix of patterns.

This party just got 1,000 times cooler...real horses were there!  The party was held on a ranch so the little kids got to enjoy pony rides.  I would have loved that when I was little.  My 5 year old self is a bit jealous.

Guest favors were jam jars and my s'mores kits.

Here are my kits!

The tags on my s'mores kits and a lot of the other paper goods were designed by Anders Ruff on Etsy.  They have great kits and custom printables for kids parties so if you have little ones, definitely check out their shop.  

So what do you think of this party?  This little boy is one lucky kid, right?  I would love to see the other parties that his talented mama puts together!  I had so much fun creating these and am so lucky to have great clients who not only encourage my own creativity but who also allow me to share in their party/wedding-planning fun.  

Happy Wednesday! 

Etsy Order: Vintage Bridesmaid Hankies

Is this time change thing throwing anyone else out of whack?  It definitely has affected me.  When I go to bed I'm not tired and then I'm waking up too late.  Adjust body, please!  I feel like I'm not being productive or something.  I'm hoping for just a few more days until I'm back to normal. 

Today I want to share pictures of an Etsy order I completed and shipped out last week.  Awhile ago, I gave you all a sneak peek of the vintage hankies I was collecting for an order of bridesmaid gifts.  So I found some great hankies and cute little vintage trinkets to go with each one and put them all together for my bride.  I absolutely adore these gifts and find them incredibly sentimental and personal.  I think this Etsy bride and her bridesmaids will be very happy with these sweet, vintage goodies.  What do you think?

Along with the hankie and trinket, each bridesmaid gift included a card for the bride to sign for each of her girls.  I used my sewing machine to stitch the cardstock together for a great little detail.

The Chanel perfume bottle was a representation of a glamorous friend, someone who was a great support and foundation to the bride.  Just like Chanel may be a classy staple in someone's life, this friend was a staple to the bride.  The postcard and stamps represented a friend who was a pen pal and who the bride shared so much with through handwritten letters.  

The chess pieces were representational of a friend who was headstrong and disciplined.  I thought chess was a great analogy for someone who is determined.  The compass was for a friend who had traveled a lot but who was well-grounded and strong.  A compass can always point you in the right direction and the bride described this friend as having similar qualities.  

The skeleton key symbolized home and was for a family member who the bride could always feel at home and comfortable with.  And finally, the needle and thread was for a bridesmaid who was a nurse and represented her ability to mend and care for others.

I absolutely adore the uniqueness in each gift and hope they will show each of these bridesmaids how special they are to the bride.  For those readers that are married, what special gifts did you give your girls to make them feel special on your big day?