ETSY Finds ~ Soapalaya Soaps

I purchased quite a few ETSY items as gifts this holiday.  One of my favorite purchases was from Soapalya Soap.  I purchased a couple gifts for my husband and I.  You can visit Alex's shop here -- Soapalya Soap.

I purchased the basmati rice soap for myself, and it has a creamy and luscious lather ~ and the scent is so pretty.  I also got the matching talc and love to put a bit on before I go to bed :)  I'm looking forward to trying the other products with this scent.

My husband likes a good scrubby soap, so I bought him a bar of "Out to Sea" soap.  He loves the texture and fresh, clean scent.

I've already made a little wish list for my next purchase!  I'd love to try the coffee lover's gift set. 

And  Alex has the prettiest marabou feather powder dusters.  How pampering do this look?

And just in time for Mardi Gras ~ A King Cake soap!  How festive!

Beautiful shop, Alex!

ETSY Finds ~ Tomato Red

I've been seeing tomatoes everywhere - my garden, the markets and at roadside produce stands.  I searched ETSY and found some great items in shades of tomato red.  

  

1. Apron from Poppy's Garden Gate
2. Bowl from Clay Lick Creek Pottery
3. Earrings from Lush Boutique
4. Glycerin Soap from Paintbox Soapworks
5. Neckwarmer Scarf from Albertine's Creations
6. Picture Frame from Art City Frames 

 I hope you enjoy browsing these shops as much as I did!

Etsy Finds ~ Early Bird Cafe

I recently came across Early Bird Cafe, an Etsy shop owned by Mary Hanks. One of my fellow Cleveland Handmade team members recommended her items (thanks zJayne!). I like to start my morning out with either oatmeal or granola topped yogurt. Mary's granola is fantastic - filled with lots of goodies and so good on top of yogurt. I caught my husband eating some right out of the bag - and he rarely eats granola. This is some of the best granola I've had!

I also ordered a sampling of her energy bars - chewy and sweet with dried fruits and nuts.  Yum!  A great snack for work or to take along for our morning hikes. Mary included a sample of her whole wheat lemon biscott.  Again, another winner.  She has a variety of flavors in her shop and I have my eye on her chocolate biscotti.  Wouldn't that be perfect with a cup of tea or coffee?

So be sure to check out Mary's shop on Etsy for homecooked goodies.  And while you're at it, also check out zJayne's shop, featuring recyled products.

ETSY Feature ~ J Lynn Creations

My mom loves houseplants and has a large sunny back window filled with african violets, jade plants and many more.  She's always used popsicle sticks to prop up her little plants, so I was thrilled when I saw these stamped spoons from  J Lynn Creations.  Aren't they cute!?  I gave a couple to my mom for Mother's Day and she was thrilled!

Jacquie is a fellow member of the Cleveland Handmade Team and hand-stamps the most precious jewelry.  Her personalized treasures are perfect gifts for special occasions such as Mother's Day, Birthdays and Graduations.  I love the different metals and textures that Jacquie uses.  Below are a few of my favorite items from her shop. 

I encourage you to take some time to browse through Jacquie's shop!

Monkey Business!

There's something about sock monkeys that just make me smile!  Who can resist those big ears and arms just waiting for a big hug!  Here's a picture of a few of my sock monkeys - I even have a sock turtle!

I did a search on ETSY and found the cutest little guys that I just had to share.  Please take some time to visit the shops of these artists ~ you'll find lots of great items.

First up is the classic red-heeled sock monkey by Chadley of Terrace Hill.  Everyone needs one of these classic monkeys!  In addition to sock monkeys, Chadley makes fabulous vintage inspried aprons.

Need a bit of sunshine?  Check out this Citrus Stripe monkey created by Dawn of Sunset Girl.  If this guy doesn't put a smile on you face, then nothing will!   Dawn's shop is filled with colorful sock monkeys and birds!  Love them!

The final monkey to share is this soft and cuddly Peaches and Cream monkey from The Monkey Shop.  Dulce creates the cutest monkeys in all sizes and colors.  It was hard to choose just one to show you, but this guy stole my heart!

Thank you to Chadley, Dawn and Dulce for allowing me to share their creations! 
Kathy ♥

Wedding Ideas ~ Touches of Black

A while ago I posted the latest wedding trends, one of which was to add touches of black to your wedding. I love how my new little black crystal earrings turned out. It's a simple design, but lots of sparkle.

I browsed around Etsy and found some more pretty ways to add a touch of black to your wedding. I love how black can be formal, fun or funky. I had a hard time only picking a couple pictures to share with you -- all of these artists are so creative and can work with your colors and theme to create special items just for you!

I found these beautiful handcrafted invitation and table number from Invites by Jen. You'll find such pretty coordinating wedding stationary, including invites, programs, menus and more!

These placecards are from Charlie and Cleo, a couture event design shop on Etsy. This shop has items that will personalize and your wedding and reception. I love the various patterns in black and white!
This penguin cake topper makes me smile! You'll find this and other cake toppers at Red Light Studio. For a more traditional look, bride and groom figurines are also available, and all of these toppers can be customized.

These save-the-date announcements from Orchard and Brown will certainly get your guests attention! Check out this shop for other designs and coordinating wedding stationary.

And let's not forget about the guys! I found these great ties at Tux and Tulle. I love these black and white ties -- I think these are fresh and clean looking -- perfect for spring and summer! Check the shop out for other colors and patterns!

Embellished by Tiffany is an Etsy shop with the prettiest wedding stationary. The soft blue and black invitation is one of my favorites, and I love the idea of using these cards when asking girls to be in a bridal party.

Many thanks to these artists for allowing me to feature their items ♥ Kathy

Wedding Designs ~ Pearls

Pearls and weddings go together! I enjoy creating jewelry with pearls and use both freshwater pearls and Swarovski pearls in my designs. Below is sample of pearl jewelry I have in my Etsy shop. Discounts are available when ordering multiples for bridal parties. Pearls are perfect to wear every day as well, and I like creating jewelry that a bride and bridesmaids can enjoy wearing long after the wedding.

By now you know that I love Etsy. I wish that I knew about Etsy when I was getting married! Pearls aren't just for jewelry. I found several artists using pearls in their designs. Take a look at these items featuring pearls, especially if a wedding is in your furture! I only have space to show a sampling, so I encourage you to visit their shops. Just click on the shop links or any of the photos to be directed to their Etsy shops!

Weddings and Such Boutique: First up is Jessica from Weddings and Such Boutique. I fell in love with the pillow below - how romantic! The pearls and crystals just glow against the ribbon, almost with a vintage touch. Jessica features wedding accessories in her shop, including various styles of brooches and clips, which can be attached to a dress, in your hair, anywhere! I love the soft, glamorous and romantic designs below! Take some time to browse through Weddings and Such Boutique to see all of Jessica's accessories.

Northwest Bridal: Jennifer is the designer behind Northwest Bridal. She makes the prettiest jewelry stems using pearls and crystals, which can dress up a bouquet. In addition to bouquets, think of adding a touch of sparkle to boutonnieres, centerpieces, altar flowers, pew bows, favors, wedding cake... the possibilities are endless! Below are a couple of bouquets with her pearl accents. Visit Northwest Bridal for all designs! Jennifer's photos are beautiful and will give you many ideas of how to use her jewelry stems.

The Treasured Petal Boutique: The first pearl item I came across from The Treasured Petal Boutique were the mason jars below. I can picture these at an outdoor wedding lining the aisle or placed around the venue to add a glow as dusk falls on an outdoor reception. So pretty! I love looking through this shop - Kristin makes such pretty accessories, including the sweet ring bearer's pillow and hair clip below. Perfect touches for an outdoor or garden-themed wedding! Visit Kristin's shop, The Treasured Petal Boutique, to see all of her designs!

Prim and Posies: Prim and Posies is an Etsy shop featuring hair accessories by Anna. These accessories are simply gorgeous and include hair fascinators, headbands and birdcage veils. These designs have a romantic, soft and glamorous feel. I love Anna's photos too. She does a great job showing various ways of wearing her hair accessories. The designs below are accented with pearls, but she offers other variations accented with feathers, crystals and rhinestones. Look at the birdcage veil below - stunning! I think you'll enjoy looking through Prim and Posies as much I have!

Vintage Champagne: If you need an extra something to add the finishing touches to your special day, these pearl studded kissing balls may be just what you're looking for! How pretty are these! These are created by Bobbie, the designer behind Vintage Champagne. These are ideal for a little flower girl to carry or to use as decoration at the ceremony or reception. I love the different colors that Bobbie uses. Her other wedding accessories include ring bearer pillows and flower girl baskets, and all of her items can be color coordinated for a beautiful look! Check out Vintage Champagne today!

Midnight Bloom: Karly is the talented artist behind the Etsy shop Karly's Creations, featuring floral designs of Midnight Bloom for special occasions. Karly designs hair accessories, boutonnieres, corsages and bouquets, all in a variety of classic and chic styles. I love how she adds in various design elements to make her accessories unique. I found these designs using pearls and thought they were so pretty! Be sure to visit Karly's Creations to browse all of Karly's creations!


Many thanks to these wonderful artists for allowing me to feature their designs. It was a pleasure browsing their shops! ♥Kathy

Etsy Favorites ~ Lime Green Rhinestones

Last weekend it was 50 degrees here... a slight glimpse of Spring! Of course, Cleveland weather changes by the hour, and now it's now 10 degrees as I write this post! The Cleveland Home and Garden show is going on this week, so I've had visions of gardens, flowers and green grass! April isn't too far away (that's what we keep telling ourselves!) and pretty soon we'll be putting away our snow shovels and getting out our umbrellas.

I want to introduce you to an Etsy shop owned by fellow Cleveland Handmade member, Lea. Take a peek at Lime Green Rhinestones. Lea hand paints and embellishes umbrellas so you don't have to carry around a plain, boring, basic black umbrella again!


All of these are hand painted, embellished, whimsical and fully functional rain umbrellas! Aren't they cute! You'll definitely be the center of attention when you carry one of these! Click on any of the photos or this link { linky } to check out Lea's shop today!

Beautiful items, Lea ♥

Etsy Favorites ~ Julia Sherry Designs

Tada! I'm starting a new series of "Etsy Favorites". When I'm on Etsy I always come across items and artists that catch my eye. So I started marking these as favorites and want to share with you!

My first feature is Sherry of Julia Sherry Designs, whose hand-crafted clutches caught my eye. My mom has always carried a separate coin purse in her purse for her loose change. She likes the purses with metal frames that keep the coins secure but are easy to open and close. I have my eye on Sherry's mini coin purses - I'm thinking this would be a perfect little treat for my mom on Mother's Day. Right now my 2 favorites are her Mini Zoo and Mini Kitty designs (but they're all so cute I keep changing my mind!).


Sherry also features larger clutches and below are some of my favorites. I think the black and white damask would be fabulous with a black party dress. As a bride I carried a basic white purse. I would have loved a bright pretty clutch for a pop of color! And wouldn't any of these be perfect bridesmaids gifts! Your girls will enjoy using these long after the wedding. These are just the right size for carrying extra money, cosmetics, keys and other essentials!

Mother's Day is right around the corner.... any mom would love a pretty clutch! Sherry's shop has many different sizes and fabrics -- check them out today!

Beautiful work, Sherry!