Handmade Dayton

Cyclops Fest

2011-09-17T13:17:00.000-07:00

The festival you did not want to miss! Click the pics to go to each vendor website.

Channeling Emma Pillsbury - Handmade Dayton Style

2011-02-17T15:09:00.000-08:00

Do Emma Pillsburys outfits make you swoon?

Get the look!

Tracy Sews is a busy, busy full time child care provider who makes amazing body skimming dresses in the "spare time"

I think both of these dresses are Emma worthy!

So how about Emma worthy jewelry?

FIRST TO BLOOM by Dayton Artist Julie Crusenberry who also just happens to love custom orders!

Also you wouldn't want to leave out the sweater clips. Dayton area crafter Gina XOXO makes them out of recycled and vintage finds

And for the stuff you can't see...The silky bits. Check out this vintage lace slip from My dear little shop.

It's one of those slips you can let show because it is lined on the bodice. Super dreamy and the perfect ultra light peachy pinky beige.

Focus Pocus

2010-10-19T19:30:00.000-07:00

Sherri Mash also known as "Smash" is one of Dayton crafting gems. Sherri can turn just about anything into a beautiful object. She transforms books into fabulous garlands, quilts into pillows, and buttons into jewelry.

Sherri will be the first to tell you she has the classic artist brain. A million ideas running around inside just waiting for the right moment, the right time, the right object to work with. I identify with that feeling. I think a lot of crafters do.

For Sherri; focus, when forced brings a wealth of items pouring out of her workroom. From a pile of linens to a stack of books she just needs to tell herself to buckle down and once she does it starts coming together.

So it's not a bad thing to hold yourself to a standard and "work like a grown up" as some folks say. If you need to have the perfect cup of coffee or the right lighting, make it happen then get to work! You may leave a huge mess behind you but after the dust settles you'll have a pile of wonderful things in front of you.

Here is one of Sherris latest creations. Her Etsy shop is TheEccentricLady

Fresh Dayton Shops

2010-10-07T10:15:00.000-07:00

When we had our first meeting in June of 2009 I never though Handmade Dayon would get this big. There's a picture waaaaaay back on probably the oldest post of six members sitting on the front porch of a coffee shop.
Jana (handyjan)
Angie (angelabradley)
Sherri (theeccentriclady)
Ana (recycledjewelry)
Me (jaimenicole)
Wendy (catharticslant)

The past two months we've had record numbers of new member requests. Here are just a few of the talented new members.
Yetunde of the shop JesPlayin is an Omni crafter who uses everything from fabric, leather, and recycled steel cans to lye and soap moulds. She is curently inspired by screen printing and using her techniques on scarves and pillows. Her hand crocheted earrings are a favorite in a local boutique but you can't just get them anywhere. Yetunde is so overwhelmed sometimes with her various crafts that she keeps production to very small batches of two or three at a time. Her shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/JesPlayin has 12 items right now but each one is carefully selected since the most important thing to her is quality and making a lasting impression on each customer with an item they can't find somewhere else. The result is stunning.

Candie of the shop Bodacious Brag Books is new to Etsy and also a new mom. Her shop just opened up in July. Candie and her husband are fans of The Rennaisance Festivals and both extremely creative people. Her brags books are designed to be easy for the non-scrapbookers because some of them come prematted so all you need to do is slip the photos in!

They stand out because each page is indivdually lettered to spell out a word. Here is one of my favorites and sure to be a good seller when the next "Twicrack" movie comes out. I love the weight and sturdiness of her books. They have a surprising amount of space inside for pictures, movie tickets, or whatever you want to brag about.

Local Shopping

2010-09-09T07:12:00.000-07:00

Look what I found under the Etsy tool "Shop Local"
Today from SewSweetStitches

You can really tell how much time and thought went into creating this piece. AMAZING!

And this cheeky pinback button from PaperRockit

Adorable & Affordable

Check out the Shop local feature for your area. It's always fun and new people pop up all the time!

Meet our Member and Guest blogger Julie!

2010-06-13T19:37:00.000-07:00

From StephsJewels4

The biggest benefit to me for being in the Handmade Dayton Etsy Group (besides the wonderful friendships!) is "My Creative Collective".

This is a term used by Kari Chapin, author of The Handmade Marketplace. I found her by networking on Etsy.com in their Virtual Labs speaker series. The values that I gain from My Creative Collective are too many to list, but some of them are:

* Getting Unstuck - have you ever had a glimmer of a great idea, discuss it with another creative person and it becomes a rock solid idea?

* Networking - When you are in business for yourself, you simply cannot have too many connections, right?

* Swapping materials - need I say more?

* Your Creative Collective gets ideas from you... AND you get ideas from Your Creative Collective... But I bet that if you give two artists or crafters the exact same materials, they will not come up with exactly the same outcome.

Guess my point is... that there are so many more reasons for having a Creative Collective than there are for not having one!

I know.. long post but if you've gotten this far you should know that one example of the Creative Collective is the pictures in this blog post. I contacted Julie on facebook and told her I wanted to help her with her photos. Not just take them but show her how to do it herself. We spent an entire evening together at her home. Staging and photographing her beautiful jewelry.We worked together till we ran out of light and then spent some time editing a listing. The result is I had fun (I love photographing jewelry) and Julie got some inspiration.

♥☻♥☻♥☻♥☻

Heidi

Question #2

2010-06-02T22:49:00.000-07:00

What are your meetings about anyway?

This photo is from our very first meeting. Held on the steps of a now closed coffee shop. (the guy would close up shop randomly.. which is why he's out of business I would think.)

That's a good one. I've been to all of them and I still don't know! Here are some random topics I remember from past meetings:
~How to do a "Twilight" item without looking 14
~Boob earrings
~Packing supplies
~The dog ate my brass chain
~The merits of daily costume wearing
~Etsy is causing divorces.. (kidding, but seriously.I wonder if it has?..)
~Pictures of poo.. will they sell or not?

So basically we're just gabbing and talking and also sharing and giving advice. We've moved from doing sit-down coffee meetings at Panera to hosting craft nights in members homes. I think this was a natural evolution. Speaking of.. something very exciting is being planned for this month! June 18th Etsy is launching the ETSY CRAFT PARTY in honor of their birthday Please follow this link and RSVP to show your interest in attending.
http://www.meetup.com/Etsy-Craft-Party/3110/

Anchors Away!

2010-05-27T07:26:00.000-07:00

Fromt he front page of Etsy a few days ago.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
I love this!!

Etsy Team

2010-05-26T10:55:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when I mention Dayton local Etsy group I get a blank look and know that particular shop owner is thinking.. "what could I possibly benefit from being in the group?" Here are some question I've gotten:

Why share my secrets with local competition?
What are your meetings about anyway?
Do you actually do anything oryour justa list of names?

I'll start with #1
There are no secrets. Seriously. If your competition wants to make a bubble wrap dress JUST LIKE yours he or she will find a way.Trends start in many ways and he or she may have seen that bubble wrap dress on Lady Gaga just like you did. They may have seen it in Forever 21 or on a Paris runway or a magazine from 1940. In fact, I've seen things I made in almost exact replica in magazines or on line after I made them.. but hadn't posted them yet so either someone is reading my brain waves or the simple fact is when you all buy supplies at JoAnnes you're going to come up with VERY similar items.

to be continued...

CigarEtsy, The new wave of suggestive advertising?

2010-04-30T21:49:00.000-07:00

Etsy is a website many are familiar with and use on a daily basis. Some call it the Ebay of handmade (that's a misnomer since there is no "bay" everything is a set price and there's no bidding.) It's more of an online worldwide craft fair.

Recent changes to Etsy's homepage have some people seeing smoke. Check out a screen cap of the new homepage. (front page)

Note the "ember like" orange logo and the long gray stripe. The white part is where the filter would be.. . So is Etsy now promoting smoking? Do they want us all to stop being so stressed out and just light one up?

I think it's highly unlikely but more devious things have been done by Tobacco companies and what better group to market to than a bunch of stressed out self employed artists?

Where's my lighter?

Something Scrumptious Sunday

2010-03-07T06:48:00.000-08:00

Lets start with something pink! This brooch is a rare find in it's condition and style. From recycledjewelry for $43.00

Hand stamped jewelry is popular but all the better when it's paired with a few baubles. This one from ShabbyChicDesigns is $38.00

I found this elegant piece in NaturalHarmonyJD's shop. The trendy silver butterfly is perfectly set off by the double layers of pearl chain. It's $45.00 and you can have it re-sized to fit perfectly.

Check out these shops and more in the linked text or the sidebar over there >>>>>

Manic Monday

2010-03-01T10:42:00.000-08:00

For those days when you need easy access here's a purse you don't have to dig around in. Like a wallet on a strap. You won't be able to fit your Hardback large print copy of "New Moon" in here, but I believe bags should be interchangeable. Like men.So grab this one when you want a quickie. It's adorable and one of a kind. $19.50 from Mei Gui Designs

Looking for long term relationship? When you need to stash and dash. Nappies, make-up, the kitchen sink. That book we were talking about. Here's a slightly larger tote from Willowgrove for $40.00

If you crave some organization for your big bag try a mini clutch. It's like a purse within a purse. $6.00 from JaimeNicole

Something Scrumptious Sunday

2010-02-28T09:00:00.000-08:00

Something Scrummy-Yummy

Sparkly

Who can resist a Queen?

Bumble Bee Enterprises

2010-02-15T19:43:00.000-08:00

I'm always amazed at the variety of talent we have here in Dayton. IN addition to an eclectic mix of boutiques and consignment shops we do a respectable amount of craft fairs and bazaars. I'm a craft fair novice, sad to say I'm not blessed with beginners lucks in that department. However one booth I saw at Handmade Holidays this past December 5th (downtown Dayton) Really struck me as memorable. Here is one of their Etsy items, an Adorable black heart garland. I can see this draped over a stair railing or wound around a bed post.

If you're not in the black-hearted mood due to a Valentines sugar rush perhaps this would be more your style:

Either way I recommend checking out the online shop: Here

Featured!

2010-02-09T18:32:00.000-08:00

Sorry it's been so long... blog writing is down on the list of things to do lately. Handmade Dayton and it's facebook page (Create Dayton) are taking new directions. I'll still be posting blogs (and with more frequency) but the old google group is becoming obsolete.

Now then, on an exciting note on of our members had a piece of her jewelry featured in Bead Style Magazine! Looking around Anna Lemons Etsy shop is a small comparison to seeing her work in person, the fire and brilliance of jewelry is hard to photograph. Locals can see her items at the 2nd street market. I recommend seeking her out if you get a chance to visit (Open on weekends)

Here is an exerpt from her shop explaining more about her inspiration:
"I am often inspired by the music I am listening to at the time I am working, so you will see a lot of pieces created based on a song title or lyrics. Other pieces seem to come together based on a color or a particular stone. No matter what the inspiration, each piece is unique and completely handcrafted.

My jewelry has been featured several times in Art Jewelry Magazine, Bead and Button Magazine as well as several other national publications. Which just goes to show, that when life hands you lemons....make jewelry!"

In addition to Etsy, I have a website at

www.AnnaLemonsJewelry.com

Snow is falling

2009-12-21T07:39:00.000-08:00

I can look out of my office window and see rooftops and trees covered in snow. The time for hibernation is upon us. Tuning out the outside world and focusing on your closest friends and family. At Christmastime the world becomes a smaller place. businesses close, people stay home and for one day it seems like the way things used to be before interwebs made us all close neighbors and the fast food joint made us all forget how nice it is to enjoy a home cooked meal.

I hope you're done with your shopping and the next few days are not a hectic rush for you. I hope you get the chance to slow down and enjoy the beauty of a midnight snowfall and the warmth of a fireplace or simply wrapping your hands around a cup of coco.

In the meantime enjoy the supreme cuteness that is my cat sleeping in my Christmas tree.(notice the lack of ornaments near her)

Merry Christmas!

Keeping warm

2009-12-02T08:18:00.000-08:00

an be so simple.

So cute

This is going to be GOOD!

2009-11-23T08:13:00.000-08:00

Heads up Daytonians! The best craft fair EVER is coming soon to a downtown location near you. This isn't your average granny's attic craft fair. It's more of an all arts event with music, vendors, and more. It's also a stop on the Urban Nights trolley tour. I can't wait!

Suport your city

2009-11-17T18:42:00.000-08:00

Surprise! It's easy to shop local, even online.
1.Any Local coffee shop. (my favorite here in D-Town is Coffee Beans and Collectible Things) A great way to meet people in your neighborhood and they are usually run by a sole proprietor so you get someone who knows your order!.
2. 2nd Street Market. This downtown farmers market is located indoors and runs all year long. Food vendors are the most poplar but you can find great deals on alpaca wool and jewelry and even wine (Wine Gallery sells there for cheaper then the actual store)
3. Use the "SHOP LOCAL" feature on ETSY.com and search your zip code. The 100 most recently updated shops will appear and you can even request to pick it up saving you shipping costs.
4. Craigslist.org. The familiar and now infamous website is best used with caution but you get the added bonus of no shipping costs and sometimes people are moving and let things go for a steal.
5. Bazaars/CraftFairs/Granny's attic sales. The local paper has lists of upcoming sales which frequently feature lunch and or door prizes.

Make

2009-11-09T21:43:00.001-08:00

Brooch
Originally uploaded by HeidiGo Lightly

When you craft, you hold a little bit of the world in your hands. You are a creator of things. The world holds options and limitless possibility. A pair of pretty feathers can become earrings, an old key can be a necklace. Grandmas lace apron can be re-born as a purse. As a maker you learn to appreciate the work of others and life becomes a little more interesting.

Dayton Etsy Street Team event!

2009-10-11T18:44:00.000-07:00

To all group members: those who didn't get one last time or new members will get a free coffee cozy at the Wednesday night meeting . This is a social meeting for anyone who has an Etsy and lives in Dayton. RSVP in the google group or send me a message if you're coming!

Coffee Cozy!! Keep your coffee cute!

Crafting for a Cause

2009-10-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

IN these tough economic times it's hard to prioritize charities. For me anyway... I find myself avoiding the calls I know will be fund raisers for anything from breast cancer awareness to leukemia research. I usually pick one or two but at the end of the month when it comes to bill paying time it's got to be the bills first and charity later. Well there's a neat little charity event here in Dayton that happens once a month and all you need is the ability to either sew a straight line or knit or crochet. Oh and $3.00 or $4.00 will get you lunch.
All levels of skill are welcome at Crafting for a Cause. Held in the basement of Corinth Church every first Saturday at 10:00am. My skill level is "seamstress unable to follow written directions" so I had to be shown how to make the bag project i picked up.

As you can see.. I graced it with inside out handles..I picked up five more pre-cut bags to put together which I'm working on all month long so I WILL get it right!

Slightly more impressive were the efforts of Mary Arnett, a long time crafter. She's known in the group for her creative use a scrap fabrics. This quilt was made from a book kit. Instead of making the fabric book she put it together as a blanket with a matching bib. Tres Cute!

Sorry for the serious lack of detail. My camera was on the wrong setting that day.

Before I left I spied Ellizabeth Elliot in the corner sewing on the coolest little machine. teenytiny.

She was finishing a project her and a lady named Cindy Phelps put together.

Here is Elizabeth holding the quilt.

What impresses me the most about these projects is that they are not just some same old thrown together thing. These ladies put such time and effort and love into what they are doing. And they have no idea who may be receiving their blankets, hats, diaper bags and mittens but they know it's for a good cause so they are truly happy to make these things for strangers.

During the lunch break the entire church was filled with the yummy smell of French onion soup.The duo dubbed "Tom and Tom" make lunch for the group and it's always something different and delicious. Lunch is served in the auditorium and after that it's finishing time till 3:00 and you're welcome to take home your project or bring one from home for the next month. I hope to see some new faces next time I go!
http://www.CraftForACause.com

Crafting for a cause

2009-09-24T21:46:00.000-07:00

This listing for a cute baby booties pattern reminded me of a project I always wanted to get involved in. Knitting! Like I need another hobby... but I digress. A local church hosts a crafting event once a month on the first Saturday. Anyone who crafts with yarn (crochet, knit) or seamstresses can join in. The items will be donated to preemie babies in the NICU. I'm going to check it out next month Any local crafters are welcome to join me. It's at Corinth Church in the Belmont/Hearthstone neighborhood of Dayton.

www.angelabradley.etsy.com

2009-09-10T08:35:00.001-07:00

www.angelabradley.etsy.com
Originally uploaded by SoundsLikeMom

Ready for fall?
I'm already seeing the leaves gather on the lawn. My tomato plants are starting to wilt and we've had a few backyard fires. I think one of the best parts of fall is thinking about kids costumes for Halloween. I love thinking of unique things to make or buy. Last year I made some ears that go on a headband. I transformed my dad into an elf.. and I made a digger the dermatophyte costume for my youngest son. I should post a picture of that soon.

Jewelry party!!

2009-09-09T19:15:00.000-07:00

Jewelry.
You've been through the shops, you've been to the parties. Silpada.. Lia Sophia, Aura Stella, Jimer, AVON and the list goes on. Don't get me wrong I love a good Jewelry party. friends, a little wine, some snacks and a night away from the kids is always nice.
Well consider yourself at a Jewelry party
Grab a glass of wine..
Ready?
How about a custom made hand stamped pendant necklace?

If you're in the mood for a bargain this pair of earrings is only 12.00 and so, so pretty.

This pretty Angel Wing Necklace is only 16.00 and goes with just about anything. I can see it with a pair of jeans and black shirt. Perfect.

So how about something girly, young, and fun?

>
and something completely unique and recycled?

These Vintage earrings are so luxe looking.

and speaking of Luxe we come to two of my favorite themes.. Dragonflies and freshwater pearls.

Here's another fantasy theme I like.. and this one's from me.. my first necklace EVER . I almost don't want to sell it.

And these peacock feather earrings I find match it perfectly but they are not going to be listed on etsy.To purchase them please contact me..

OK
As you've guessed these pieces can't be purchased in any jewelry party or any store because they're handmade and mostly one of a kind!! Click on the descriptions to find the items mentioned. Or contact me through the comments if you find a broken link :)

Fully Anchored

2009-09-01T08:17:00.000-07:00

I'd like to say THANK YOU to all who participated in or shopped in our Bazaar last week. Fun in the sun, a few sales, and getting to know the local talent a little better. Thanks!

Classic theme

This tag set was created by Wendy of catharticslant which I always think of as "articslant" because I can't read good.. lol
Wendy was in our Bazaar this past weekend and despite the wind trying to rid her of all her pretty paper and toss in into the street she had a smile and a laugh the whole time. I scored some pretty blue and brown themed gift tags which I used as price tags on some of my purses.

How cute is this?

These tea towels from handyjan make great little quirky gifts. Office parties, gift baskets, coworker gifts. They are fun enough to take it from "oh a tea towel, you shouldn't have" to "I'm hanging this in my guest bathroom right away!" And since the uses real pictures and vintage images they may even bring back a few memories. Jan was also part of the bazaar and I am now the proud owner of one of her necklaces with what else? an anchor button on it. ~love~

Again from the sea...

From another bazaar lady!
WhenLifeHandsYouLemons Her shop is a must see with a cool mixture of fine metals and semi precious stones along with some everyday pieces.

Can't have the Ocean theme without a bird...

And this bird was photographed by our very own TheEccentricLady which is a delight to see in person. Her booth was like a little store full of beautiful things.I needed more time tolook at everything!

From the heart of the Ocean come pearls.
Check out these great real pearl selections.. I can't decide which I like best
Pink and freshwater pearls by NaturalHarmonyJD

And AngelaBradley made this stunning necklace from clear quartz and freshwater pearls.

It's COMING .........

2009-08-22T10:18:00.001-07:00

View from the top

2009-08-17T19:05:00.001-07:00

Angie from Angela Bradley (www.AngelaBradley.etsy.com) definitely has a view from the top. I've known Angie for more than a year but I recently had the privilege of seeing her workroom (who knows what skeletons she had to sweep out before i could come up there)

Angie and her son were driving through Marbleheads' shopping district one day and he pointed out a sign for a shop named Angela Bradley. She figured "why not?" It's her name combined with her sons name and it sounds great. She recently opened up an etsy site for that name.

H: What got you started crafting?
A: I got bit by the crafting bug in High School. I took every opportunity to squeeze in crating type classes. From jewelry to pottery, you name it, I took it.

H: What's a typical day for you?
A: Ha! Typical. There are no typical days for moms. It really depends on how much time I have for crafting. Three young boys in the house leave me little time to sit around so if I am blessed that day with a large chunk of time and inspiration I take on a quilting project. Quilting is my passion but it's driven by love and inspiration. I feel drawn to quilt for kids in need and for my own family. I think about foster kids and kids in the hospital and think "how great would it be to offer them some comfort and beauty" so I create something they would probably never be able to have otherwise. But I"m getting off the subject of my day... let's see. If I have a short amount of time I'll work on some jewelry and maybe ship out orders. I also hand make lip balms, foot cream, body oils, and body butters for a doctor who sells them in his practice. It's all very natural and wonderful but I leave the selling up to him since I'm such a busy woman! After work I try to have some "me time" and I love the Wine Gallery here in downtown Dayton. LOVE IT!! It's my "place"

H: What's been your inspiration lately?
A; Nature. For sure. I'm leaning towards using more stone and minerals in my jewelry. The thing with natural beads is you have to feel them to appreciate them. The weight and smoothness of agate, peridot, jasper, rose quartz. They make you feel connected to the earth. I'm working on bridal jewelry from quartz. It's hard not to keep it but I"m not getting married again any time soon!!

H: Where do you shop for supplies?
A: There's my number one secret! Don't give away your sources. I will say I shop on etsy.. but I'm not giving it all away.

summer fruit

2009-07-25T11:21:00.000-07:00

It's hard to imagine the end of summer and the whole going back-to-school routine.. so lets not.
$53.00 from JaimeNicole.etsy.com

I saw Strawberries on sale for .99 a pound the other day... now that's the meaning of summer I tell ya'
$25.00 from www.trendybindi.etsy.com

Nothing but fruit, cream, and laziness punctuated with spurts of activity and water sports and perhaps trip or two.
$10..from www.handyjan.etsy.com

Summer is about cheap fun. You don't bring your grandmothers ring to the lake house.. you bring plastic and rhinestone jewelry. grab the cheap watch out of the top drawer and a bathing suit and GO.
$10.00 from meiguidesigns

Enjoy it while it lasts.
$8.00 from morninglite

AngelaBradley, what a lovely name

2009-07-23T19:31:00.000-07:00

I recently got the chance to sit down with Angie right in her cozy little work room for a chat and some jewelry making lessons. The tiny space she dedicated to her craft (crafts shall we say) is a perfect haven on the top of her house. It's wide window faces the morning sunlight which you can see rising above the treetops. It feels like you're on top of everyone and everything. Angela's perfect haven contains a sewing machine, one of the best I've ever used. Her jewelry making supplies are so well organized and plentiful. She has every color of seed bead and Swarovski crystal you can imagine.

the lesson may not have been the most successful but I place the blame on myself. I"m not a very motivated learner in the jewelry department. She attempted to teach me wire wrapping but thank God I have her to do that because I don't know that I will ever be good at that skill.

Next time I will bring you pics of the workroom space and an interview with Angela. IN the meantime here is some of her inspired work.

Checkout more here at www.AngelaBradley.etsy.com

Across the way

2009-07-04T12:46:00.000-07:00

When I was 10 years old my family moved from a suburb of Indianapolis to a small farm town in Evansville IN. The house we lived in was definitely occupied by more than just the six of us. I always thought that ghosts, or one ghost haunted that 100 year old farm house. It might not have been a spirit but a presence was always felt. The attic room my sisters and I slept in was flanked by crawlspaces containing a lifetime of memories. Touching the old clothing I could picture in my head the life they had had before they were tucked away. I remember finding an old journal and reading it from cover to cover. It was full of poems someof which I still remember. Besides being interesting the attic was mysterious. There was a very odd odor we tried to hunt down for the longest time which ended up being a bottle of B vitamins. This eccentric collection was the start of my passion for Vintage. From the jewelry to the snake skins (did you know snakes shed leaving behind entire intact skins? eww) I was fascinated by everything in that attic.

AcrossTheWayVintage has a shop that reminds me of that attic a little bit. There is a unique treasure around every corner. (and I'm quite sure her etsy shop does not smell like B vitamins or have snake skins laying around!)I love the use of off center emblems and combining elements from different items to make something entirely unique.

She has a sister shop called SmittenVintage. One of my favorite things to work with is skeleton keys and the one there in the pretty pearl necklace is so cute.

Pretty Close to a Million

2009-06-26T20:36:00.000-07:00

When you check out the Top Tags used on etsy, Jewelry is probably number one with over 900,000 listings as of today. Sounds like a saturated market but I believe everyone has different taste and there's something out there for every buyer. Whether you like My little Pony necklaces or real gemstones.

Speaking of My little pony check out this cool shop PunkKitty712 Sarah, the shop owner is a super cool and creative chick. I keep thinking of the old my little pony cartoon show I used to get to watch it because the Kindergarten bus left later than older grades so my sisters had to leave the house while I got to sit on the couch with my backpack by my side watching one of my favorite shows.

♫

I love the way you sparkle and shine..

♫

Meet Sue

2009-06-24T07:11:00.001-07:00

I was shopping the other day, just minding my own business when something reached out and grabbed me and wouldn't let go... that something was little girls clothing. Specifically a tiny onesie with ladybugs on it. I simply can't walk past a ladybug onesie without stopping to say "awwwwww" Since I was in my early teens I've always had an irresistible urge to shop for baby girl clothes. I think many women feel the same. Especially those of us who don't even HAVE girls to shop for, am I right? My boys aren't' completely neglected in the clothing department but you can only buy so many olive green cargo shorts.

So for your browsing, shopping pleasure i bring you livvysue Click on the link to see prices on these adorable outfits and more. She has 63 items listed so there are plenty of sizes available. There's a nice surprise on page 3 of her shop, washcloths in some yummy colors.
I didn't even post my favorite picture here.. you have to go find it in her shop!! I'll give you a hint.. lemons.
This PJ set is on sale for 15.00
this skirt is on sale for 10.00

My most favoritist blog.

2009-06-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

Come and get me grammar police!! :)

In the past I found blogspot blogs to be the most difficult to navigate. Now that I know about google reader and other bookmarking tools they are much more user friendly. I used to lose my bookmarks when I de-virused my computer but no more! Google reader keeps track of my most favorite blogs and websites for me.

So until tomorrow I will leave you with my favorite blog. ever. http://katinkapinka.blogspot.com/
I like this blog because the writer is so real. She isn't just a one dimensional artist. Her work is so different and yet everything she does fits her own unique style. Not only does she make clothing,. jewelry and hairpieces but she WEARS her own stuff and posts cute pics of herself in them. What's not to love?

So for those of us obsessed with etsy but afraid to try something new.. ask yourself what's holding you back? Why not dig out the drill and work with some wood? Why not try your hand at knitting? You might not end up selling it but it may give you an appreciation for those who do. I know for myself once I tried hand embroidery I never questioned the prices on those items again!

The above image is from littlesparrownest.etsy.com

The truth about Dayton

2009-06-16T10:59:00.000-07:00

When I first found out my family may be moving to Dayton a friend warned me "there's nothing there but a smokestack and a sidewalk" I was seriously concerned. Our apartment hunt was mostly me looking out the window to be sure there were actually people here and not just a ghost town occupied by old factories and crumbled sidewalks. I've been very surprised and delighted by the vibrant and lively city. We have some of the best parks here. 5 Rivers Metro parks are well kept up. If you like the nightlife Oregon district downtown is a fun place to hang out, full of small friendly shops during the day and busy little clubs when the sun goes down.

But more than just parks and recreation Dayton has very affordable housing. If you know where to look. A friend and I recently toured the southpark district during Sunday open house. the level of restoration there is very impressive and the people who are working on bringing that neighborhood to life are really cool. We met with real estate developers, restaurant owners, private owners and regular agents and everyone had such great and positive things to say about the area.

Now that I'm such a fan of etsy I really wanted to find people out there who share my passion here in the local area. Our group list is growing daily and I'm very excited to show you some of my favorite finds.

Now for the featured sellers of the week:
See that adorable bike shaped coaster? Only $7.00 from Pawsintheair.etsy.com
(better get it before I do..)

Feather fascinators and headpeices are all the rage and this one is perfect for a summer wedding. $45.00 from handmadelovlies.etsy.com

I love patchwork bags and this one is only $12.00 from meiguidesigns AND she's offering free shipping on it!

Lastly the bracelet from CameronGlennMemorial is $25.00 (make sure you read the story behind this shop)

Drumroll Please?

2009-06-09T17:03:00.000-07:00

For this first ever picture post in the Handmade Dayton Blog I decided to post some large photos of my Favs from Etsy.

Below you see the Flower Girl Hand mirror from lilflower.etsy.com for $5.00

The lavender earrings are from TrueVineDesign.etsy.com

The Adorable "Will you be my bridesmaid" cards (cutest idea ever!) are $22.00 from BlondeAmiebition.etsy.com

And last but not least we have those mesmerizing Dragonfly Sun catcher earrings. $35.00 from

WhenLifeHandsULemons.etsy.com