 1920s print from Minneapolis Tribune featuring Earl Christy's work Hello lovelies!
About a month ago I went on a lovely weekend birthday vacation to a cabin way up north on Lake Superior. Many friends came along (not even minding the still five feet of snow on the ground due to the ignorant and rude winter of Minnesota). On our drive back from this great occasion, my sister and I stopped at this old barn antique store. As so often happens, I find several things I'd love to own, but find reasons to forgo such purchases such as lack of room, lack of space, lack of a place to put it, etc. However, on this day, I found something that truly spoke to me. I found a lovely 1920s print from the Minneapolis Tribune featuring work by Earl Christy. It had a 50% sticker attached to it with a sale price of $12. I fell in love, bought it as a birthday gift for myself, had it matted, and framed.
I have recently moved into a world war II era house and have been in desparate want for something to do besides unpacking. Seriously...my house is currently a small cityscape of piled boxes and black trash bags that sends my mind reeling. My cats like it though.
Anyways, I decided I'd look for some 1920s/1930s inspiration for decorating my new home on Etsy...and boy did I find it! Check out some of these lovely decor pieces from Etsy sellers all over.
Welcome to this week's seller showcase and it's ALL about Halloween. As many of you regular readers know, Halloween is my favorite holiday. There is something about splurging on a one-of-a-kind costume and eating endless amounts of candy. And watching horror movies is another thing I enjoy-- not the slasher, orange blood type movies but the genuinely "jump-out-of-your-seat" sort of flicks. As is typical of me, I am having a Halloween party this year. But this year I got smart...my party is being held Nov. 3rd. Why? To grab all the Halloween clearance. Yeah, told you I got smart. Who cares if it's November when I can get Halloween napkins for 75% off! BUT in the meantime, I'm shopping for Halloween party must-haves before they are all gone and you will find a large selection of all things Halloween below. 13 Terrifying Halloween Decorations . . .  Trick or Treat banner $14  Set of 4 Halloween pillows $9  Two orange owls $14 |  Witches Spell Book $6  Zombie shower curtain $49 |  Vintage medicine bottle collection $39  Gothic bug man prop $49.99  Handstamped "Poison" Spoon $10  Set of 3 Black Wooden candlesticks $18 |  Yellow ceramic skull with red light $20  Coffin coffee table $400  Faux black wolf head $120 |  Zombie Gnome $50
| Lately, I have been a big fan of chevron prints. What is chevron? It is basically a zig zag pattern in a variety of colors (usually white and another solid color).
As someone who loves baroque, renaissance-inspired design, chevron is a tad beyond my comfort level. It's modern & simple, but truly bold. While I like ornate & floral designs, I think I'm falling in love with the V. Take a look at some lovely chevron-inspired items straight from Etsy sellers like me. | |
| Product Review for Angelorian Tradition: A Bit of Whimsy
Okay, this entire package is adorable. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when my “whimsy bag” arrived. But it exceeded my expectations. Even the outer packaging (you know, the stuff that is normally just plain brown cardboard) was teal blue with a personalized to and from address. It even included a quote by Victor Hugo!
Everything inside the package was neatly wrapped in tissue with a personalized sticker. The first thing I pulled out was an awesome handwritten thank-you note with a lucky penny (stamped by the way) attached to the outside. Included inside the thank-you note was also a lovely save 10% coupon for a next purchase. Crystal’s business cards are quite unique and immediately drew my eye. Very professional and inspiring.
Little findings
Business cards & Coupon
The unopened set-- and extra candy!
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The Complete Package
 And then I found candy—that’s right! An old-fashioned blueberry stick candy that I instantly began munching on while writing this review. Got to love that. A very nice natural wood pencil was attached to the outside of the blue whimsy bag. This pencil now has pride of place in my pencil box. When I finally got to the actual product I didn’t even want to open it! It was so beautifully tied and so neatly packaged…like a little Christmas present. Plus, don’t let the size of the bag fool you. There were so many cool things, do-dads & watchamacallits inside: • Ribbons
• Crochet hair scrunchie
• Floral craft accessories
• Buttons
• Black velvet butterflies
• Molded clay piece with a stamped bumblebee
• Vintage stamp from France
• French coin magnet (tres chic!)
• And MOREBy the time I opened the sweet little bag, I was like a little girl in a jewelry store rummaging through each piece like it was a treasure hunt. Separately, these pieces are great, but together, they make a beautiful and cohesive collection. These are ideal for crafters and a great way to engage younger children in the act of imagination & creation. I loved that this kit included premade items as well such as the French coin magnet that I am seriously in love with. You can tell Crystal puts a lot of time, thought & personality into her packaging and product. I love the fact that you can put all the pieces back in the bag when you are done playing (no junk drawers here!) and keep everything organized. This is just the set of whimsy I’ve needed and just the sort of thing to cheer me up on a rainy day. As a courteous gesture, Crystal has offered 15% off your entire order from her store! Coupon code: BON15 Please check out Crystal’s products at the Angelorian Tradition on Etsy.com.
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Me geeking out over the French coin magnet
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Look at all these fun things!
| *All products were provided gratuitously for the review. All product reviews are provided free of charge to the store. If you are interested in your own product review, please go to our advertising page.
 Lot of paintbrushes by TheRustyHingeNH I was recently going through some of my old sketchbooks-- admiring and wincing at some of my earlier stuff. Then it hit me...I have barely done any drawings (and no paintings) this entire summer! What's wrong with me!? I am a soon-to-graduate art ed teacher who hasn't been artsy fartsy for the last two months?
I have decided I had become burnt out. You see, taking college art courses is fun, but challenging. You have to meet major deadlines (on occasion 6-8 hours a day) and really work your creativity muscles. By the time I finished last semester's senior show, I really needed a break. Really really. But I think it's time to jump back into the swing of things. And what better motivation than to spruce up the studio/workspace? I give you vintage and handmade sellers who can help do just that. This seller showcase is all about sparking inspiration, getting organized and reinvigorating creativity!
Inspiration  Think outside the box with this illusionary bookshelf painting by ContemporaryEarthArt.  Andy Warhol 11x14 print-- perfect to keep your motivated! By Tara Nearents. |  Keep the spirit of the renaissance alive in your studio with this small statue of David. By LeBoutiqueCake. |  Stash your ideas or bursts of inspiration in this handmade "idea book" by sugarbsupplies. Organization  Vintage wooden artist box-- find a place to store all of your paint tubes, paintbrushes, pencils & other materials! By CarnivaloftheManiac  "Idea" wooden clips are perfect for hanging up your ideas or finished projects! Just hang up some string and clip your projects along the string. By papercatz. |  Free standing magnetic board for posting inspirational ideas. By Southernflairstore |  Painted mason jars to hold all your pencils, brushes, scissors and more. By BeachBlues Creativity  Set of black frame wall decals to creatively show off your masterpieces! By Bengalworks.  A box of whimsy-- full of little do-dads to inspire creativity! By AngelorianTradition. |  Upcycled handpainted rainbow artists stool. By BellBeCreations. |  A4 Creativity knows no bound quote print by Nikolas Tjhin
Perusing the Etsy pages recently, I found a drop-dead gorgeous dress from Israel. When I think of Israel, I don't think of fashion, but that got me thinking: How much are we missing when we only pay attention to American & European designer labels? Let's take a look at some beautiful and original fashion designs from lovely Etsy sellers around the world. I've chosen eight beautiful items from fantastic sellers from California, Brazil, Israel, Norway, Toronto, South Africa, New Zealand and Ukraine. California
Cotton Orange Maxi Skirt by AlyssaBird $19
Israel
Deep blue jersey dress by Lirola $137
Toronto
French silk multicolored jacket by Bruno Ierullo $195
South Africa
African fusion pin tuck coat by Sulet Burger Prinsloo $115
| Brazil
Olive Green tunic with side buttons by bohemianbones $33
Norway
Nuno felt coat with silk in bright fuschia by IngerMaaike $319
Ukraine
Blue & black felted scarf with polka dots by Baymut $79
New Zealand
Pink mushroom shift dress by Anoushka Szybowski $95
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 Upcycled burlap coffee tote by BackAlleyChic $60 | It's the seller showcase of the week & this week's theme is the industrial and recycled. Industrial design elements are in as far as I'm concerned. What once was thought of ass mediocre junk is now a priceless treasure (which I love). I'm also a huge fan of upcycling (better than recycling in my opinion) because there are so many unique designs out there using such awesome materials! This ain't your average notepad and drawing pencils people....check out some of the lovely Etsy sellers & their products below!
ALSO-- please leave a comment if you like what you see! I get so excited to hear from my readers...even though sometimes I feel like I'm writing for no one but myself! |  Gold pen nib necklaces by PhulEffect $19.50  Upcycled Industrial Blue Vacuume Table by RustySpoke $165 |  Cowhide upcycled industrial stools by Chezboheme $145  Mainspring industrial hat fascinator by Canocopia $25 |  Reclaimed Barnwood Edison Bulb Chandelier by UrbanChandy $600  Hand forged rose sculpture by CheringtonMetalCraft $35  Industrial door key rack with metal deer by baconsquarefarm $55 |  Metal steampunk waist corset by Brooksbot75 $120  Steel sphere sculpture home decor by NayaStudio $25 |  Letterpress printer type tray used for display by fishbones1 $36
 Kiwi slice pillow by BfiberandCraft $40 My new job as a web editor for the university is awesome. However, going from standing on my feet for 8-10 hours a day in a retail job to sitting in a desk chair, I've noticed some changes. I'm tired more often, eat more and the stairs to my apartment have got me winded. I used to work out regularly and think about what I ate. But now I've fallen into bad habits and I need to break out of them.
So in honor of my plight this seller showcase will focus on some awesome Etsy sellers who are dedicated to the idea of handmade love with a healthy twist. From fruit shaped pillows to custom fitness journals, it's never too late to get bikini-ready.
 "Keep Calm" fitness shirt in pink by redbrickwall $22.50  Custom fitness journal by ArtfulRising $12  5 Document Health/Fitness Log by TidyMighty $12  Gourmet granola gift set by TheHealthyNut $35  Peppermint Vaporizer weight loss & stop smoking aid by FemLogic $38.95 |  Custom hula hoop by HoopMama $24  Black organic cotton yoga shorts by eleven44 $38  "A Body in Motion stays in Motion" stamped bracelet by riskybeads $15.95  "Eat Your Veggies" Print by TheLemonPeel $22  Handpainted Weight Loss Motivator Kit by SunnyBelleDesigns $16 |
 Acorn sorting game by IndieBambinos $32 What is Waldorf? Waldorf education (also known as Steiner education) focuses on imagination and collaboration in learning. There is a large emphasis on "free play" where children are allowed to learn in their own time and ways. The classroom is often like a home. Within the Waldorf education program, students generally fall under four temperaments: choleric, melancholic, phlegmatic, and sanguine. The temperament classifications help teachers relate to and understand their students and the way they interact with others. Concepts are generally introduced through stories and images. Many concepts are taught through hands-on learning as well. Students will also usually learn 1-2 secondary languages while attending Waldorf schools. "The goal of Waldorf education is to enable students as fully as possibly to choose and, in freedom, to realize their individual path through life as adults." - waldorfanswers.com In essence, Waldorf education lets kids be kids while giving them a love for learning. Waldorf toys are iconic in their simple design: usually of natural materials such as wood or natural dyes. IndieBambinos is one such Etsy seller who specializes in the creation of unique Waldorf toys that encourage hands-on and imaginative learning.
 Extra Wide Wooden swing by SkySaddleDesigns $98 SkySaddleSwings creates handmade wood and rope swings that can be hung from a backyard tree for years of use. They use natural Manila fiber within their rope and are able to be custom built to a variety of sizes and specifications.  Same sex family custom dolls by TheEnchantedCupboard TheEnchantedCupboard is another Etsy seller specializing in Waldorf toys. She is specifically unique in that she sells a variety of handmade and handpainted wooden dolls. Customs are available as well. Another awesome thing about The Enchanted Cupboard is that she offers same sex family dolls and dolls of all different ethnicities. I find this to be an excellent way for teaching children respect, tolerance and love in a happy and hands-on way.
 Vintage phone ipod dock by Woodguy32 Woodguy32 is a truly original craftsmen. I actually stumbled across his art on the front page of Etsy one day and couldn't resist clicking! Not only does he make handmade unique iphone and ipod docks, he also creates really cool computer accessories like steampunk monitors and keyboards. The iphone dock to the right was made with a vintage phone and crafted base--did I mention the phone can also be hooked up as a landline and works?? His unique craftsmanship and design is something I was really drawn to. Why would I go out and buy a regular piece of junk ipod dock when I could get a beautiful work of practical art from someone local? He also creates wood body hot rod cars. You can check them out at http://www.woodieworks.net/.
 Resin Wall Elephant by mahzerandvee. Another etsy seller I recently stumbled upon was mahzerandvee. They make absolutely gorgeous and detailed realistic resin sculptures-- often of animals such as elephants and deer. They are another husband-wife team with four kids who truly have followed their passions. Their colorful home accessories and decor remind me of an episode of Color Splash on HGTV. You can tell they put a lot of time in the craftsmanship and painting of these very unique pieces. Did I mention they are also quite affordable? At around $130, the elephant head to the right could yours. It's the sort of wall hanging that everyone will be talking about....the perfect conversation piece.
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