Beads of Charm

Another source for great little Christmas gifts is Beads of Charm. Their selection of charms is extensive, ranging from scrapbooking to wine to martinis. There's also the most adorable mini charms, too. These charms can be added to cell phones, clipped onto your camera bag or purse, as well as jacket zippers. A perfect stocking stuffer!

Cat Bishop

Cat Bishop recently won the Etsy & CRAFT magazine contest with her assemblage art piece titled Betty. You can see similar pieces in her Etsy shop. Cat also makes beautiful jewelry such as these red light green light earrings. I really like these vintage German glass & silver earrings, too. And the vintage heirloom charm necklace is fabulous! Check out all of Cat's unique & fabulous work.

Oh My Cavelier

Julianna Swaney is the talented printmaker behing Oh My Cavelier, a great shop filled with various products showcasing her prints. How lovely are the undergarment cards? You will find delicate little books with unique images on them, as well as charming sleepy time books. You can see more of Julianna's original drawings on her website, too.

The Humane Society of the United States

I received an email update from The Humane Society telling me about their great Christmas items that are now available. This year when sending tidings of good cheer why not contribute to a wonderful cause as well? The Humane Society's Christmas cards are fabulous. I especially love the humorous card set! And don't forget to send each card with HSUS-designed real U.S. postage through Zazzle. There's even a dog lover's wine club that would make a fabulous gift. Another great item is the fur free compassion pin. Take a moment to check out all the wonderful items The Humane Society has available this holiday season. This is an organization that is very important & very dear to my heart.

Show Your Support

Some of you may have heard that there is an indie craft documentary currently being filmed. An Etsy shop has been opened that consists of handmade products donated by various artists. All proceeds benefit the making of the documentary. Here you can purchase a cool indie craft documentary tee, cool pillow covers, and much more. There's also a blog where you can keep up with the latest in the making of the documentary. Show your support!

Starchild Crafts

I have featured lots of handbags & tote bags in the past; however, I don't think that I've ever featured any handmade briefcases or laptop cases. And that's what initially caught my eye at Starchild Crafts. These bags are stylish & functional for those who travel with their laptop & other necessities. There's also these great little button-on bags which are touted as "wristlets that can go hands free." Another unique accessory are the lip-service cases which house your favorite lip gloss or lipstick. Check out all the fun products Starchild has to offer.

Letter Pressed

I saw Letter Pressed mentioned on the Modish website a while back & just had to share this fabulous company with you. I absolutely love a card you can send just for the heck of it. Or how about expressing your many thanks in many languages? The bold geometric calling cards are also very handy when exchanging contact info. Don't miss the first in a limited edition artist series, a enchanting design by Ron Regé Jr.

Christmas For All

Sean Carter posted a comment telling me about this fabulous blog Christmas For All. This site is full of great info pertaining to, you guessed it, Christmas. There's recipes, shopping links, and lots of other great stuff. Sean has done the same thing with Thanksgiving and Halloween. Fabulous!

Bubbles & Belles

Amanda Churchill is a woman of many talents. She is the owner, designer, crafter, and consultant behind Bubbles & Belles which sells creative gift baskets made up of unique & handmade items. The gift baskets are a perfect solution when wanting to give a special gift. I first found out about Bubbles & Belles from our beloved MaryMo whose Paige pockets are featured in the birthday girl basket. You can also purchase individual items such as beautiful jewelry, MaryMo's handmade goodies, and adorable frames. There's even a selection of fabulous handcrafted wood items to choose from. This is a perfect site to do some of your upcoming Christmas shopping on!

Lucky Dog Designs

Sandy Grau is the fabulous designer & seamstress who is Lucky Dog Designs. Who knew that bibs & burp cloths could be so fashionable? Sandy has put together the most eye-catching sets of bibs, burp cloths & blankets that are perfect for any baby shower. There are also plenty of blankets and stylish diaper bags to choose from. And don't miss the adorable toddler aprons!

Bond Girl Clothing

Bond Girl Clothing is an Etsy shop full of edgy, unique clothing & accessories. Following the current pirate trend, we have the pirate ship tee. Or perhaps you're more interested in a striped pirate pillow. A few more items that I'm very fond of include this silhouette tote, the two tone chandelier tee, and the skeleton key tee. There are tons of tees & accessories featuring cool graphics at Bond Girl Clothing.

The Starving Artist Bazaar

Jen is the talented glass blower & artist behind the fabulous shop The Starving Artist Bazaar. Jen creates the most beautiful jewelry. The stone & silver collection is fabulous, as are the other collections. The Protozoa collection may be my favorite. I just love the circular pendants. The Amoeba pieces are also very unique & beautiful. Have a look at all of Jen's creations - you won't be disappointed!

Miyo Design

Funky Finds reader Shelly kindly pointed me toward her friend's site Miyo Design. Malia Okamura is the creative force behind Miyo Design. I love the floral bags and ruffle bags Malia has designed. The clutches are all very unique, too. And the funky jewelry fondly reminds me a bit of the 80s. Fun! Check out all the fabulous goods Miyo Design has to offer.

WebGift

WebGift is a wonderful company that was developed by husband & wife team Shane & Amy who where married a few years ago. They used a traditional registry from a large store chain and realized that the range of items did not fully suit their needs. They decided to develop WebGift, a pure gift registry service. This service allows your to register any products from any retailer that you want. How brilliant is that? I’m thinking this would be helpful for more than wedding resistries…how about for my birthday & Christmas wish lists?

LALA dex Press

I read about LALA dex Press on Curious Bird's blog recently. I knew I had to post about this Etsy shop the minute I saw the fabulous Gnomes Make Me Happy postcards! Isn't that gnome adorable? I also love the You're Fabulous note cards, as well as the Chinese lanterns cards. I'm always a sucker for cherry blossom products, too. And best of all, there's a sparkle monkey card. Excellent!

Blacklilypie

I thought Blacklilypie would be a perfect artist to feature considering Halloween is right around the corner. Blacklilypie is part of the Etsy Dark Artists (EDA), a group of artists and crafters selling items in gothic, romantic, medieval and alternative styles. I love the skeleton printed tote bag and the cupcake skull tote. There's also this adorable black & pink pin collection bag. And perfect for sending Halloween wishes to someone is the Batcat stationery set. I love the stuffy skeleton, too! You will find tons of unique items at Blacklilypie.

Feanne

Feanne is a fabulous young artist in Metro Manila. You can purchase her small original drawings that are done on board paper on her website. Feanne also has an apparel shop, Tamis, which means sweetness in Filipino. Here you can purchase various pieces of clothing featuring her lovely artwork. Take a look at all of the works by this talented artist.

Jess Hutch

Jess Hutch makes the most fantastic little toys. I see her little creations & I can't help but smile. In her interview with Craft, Jess talks about using various methods when creating. "I like to make all sorts of toys - I try to use various methods (sculpey, knitting, sewing, painting, embroidery) to get the effect I'm after." You can learn more about Jess' work on her blog and see more pictures in her Flickr sets.

iHook

iHook is full of cool designs on various items, including handbags and iPod cozies. I adore the Vespa scooter girl bag! If you have a thing for chemistry or potions, this chemistry 101 pouch is perfect for you. For something a little bolder, take a look at the psychedelic girl tote bag. Other great items I think are fabulous are the ladybug wristlet, the barrel of monkeys tie, and the ice cream cone pin cushion.

T-Lists

Do you love tshirts? Do you love top 5 lists? Well, put the two together & you have a cool tee from T-Lists. You can show off the top 5 underrated bands in your opinion or your top 5 interests. Or how about letting everyone know your top 5 favorite films? I think these tees would make an excellent personalized gift, as well as just a fun shirt for yourself.

Bird in a Skirt

Vickey Jang started Bird in a Skirt as a way to sell her handmade bags & clothing. However, stationery eventually took over her business & she re-emerged as a stationery company in 2006. I absolutely love the flat cards with animal silhouettes. The howdy cards are quite fitting for a Texan like myself. You will also find several adorable sets of thank you notes, as well as custom stationery. Have a look at all of Vickey's wonderful creations!

Random Nicole

Nicole Stevenson is the creative force behind Random Nicole which features eccentric yet classic fashion designs. If you are looking for cool unique clothing pieces, then look no further. All of the women's shirts are fabulous. A few of my favorites are the goodbye hummingbird and little snail tops. And who doesn't want cool accessories to go with their cool clothes? I love the album cover bags and the handbags. There's also great clothing pieces for men & children.

Pins and Tomatoes

Pins and Tomatoes is an online consignment shop for indie artists & crafters. Here you can purchase fabulous goods by Paper Relics, Ktt, In Craft We Trust, and 144 Collection. I have featured Paper Relics before & their postcards are divine. I have a set proudly framed in my home. This is the first time I've seen Ktt's products & I have to say that I am loving their tees, especially the octopus design! In Craft We Trust makes a pin set for just about every taste, including those who love robots. 144 Collection has a variety of lovely handbags to choose from. I believe my favorite is the denim wristlet. If you are interested in putting some of your handmade products on consignment, contact Pins and Tomatoes today.

J Schatz

J Schatz began in 2002 when Jim Schatz made the first prototype Egg Lamp in his East Village apartment in Manhattan. The kiln was the size of a hat box and the apartment was cramped. His company has since blossomed & his products are unique & beautiful. The Buff Humpty is by far my favorite piece. Touted as a piece "created for the young at heart," the sculpture sits atop a frosted plexiglass stand that can be illuminated. The cilandro pendant lamps are also fabulous, as are the egg lamps. I love all of the available bright colors. Check out all the fabulous ceramic pieces J Schatz has to offer.

DeMarco Designs

Mariah DeMarco recently reopened her shop, DeMarco Designs, and the redesigned site looks fabulous! The bat-girl favor boxes are perfect for your Halloween party. You will also find these adorable monkey cards, as well as these cute index cards. Don't miss the stationery section which features the most wonderful illustrations of various characters. There's also a new feature, the stationery subscription. You can sign up for either 3 months, 6 months, or 12 months for you or as a gift for someone else. There are tons of fabulous items at DeMarco Designs that you do not want to miss!

Ferdinand

My animal infatuation tends to sway between various animals quite often. Apparently I am currently loving anything cool that incorporates squirrels, such as the great squirrel tees at Ferdinand. There's also a great patch featuring a squirrel playing a drum that is priceless! Ok, it's actually $5 so not exactly priceless. And don't miss the squirrel tote bag at the bottom of the page. You will also find lots of unique images in the stationery section. This is definitely a great source for unique goods!

Baby Wit

Baby Wit creates radical infant & toddler t-shirts that show the world your baby has serious style. I love the animal prints by Meomi. If you prefer something edgier, there's a wide array of designs to choose from. There are cool designs for the rockin' baby, the pop baby, and the nice baby. You will also find the cutest toddler dresses in various prints. Check out all the unique and witty items Baby Wit has to offer.

John Clark

I came across John Clark's interesting Etsy shop a while back & thought all of you would like his work. I love the mysterious feel the portraits have, as well as the way the unobscured text is used to convey a message. A couple of my favorites include Welcome the Unexpected and the Sense of Freedom Had Departed. John also does custom work if you have something else in mind.

Trixie + Peanut

Trixie + Peanut founder Susan Bing understands that pet owners desired the very best for their four-legged friends. What began as a small mail-order business has blossomed into a New York City boutique & website that now has a worldwide following. The products that initially caught my eye here were the Halloween costumes for pets. Can you get any cuter than this pirate or piggy costume? And I cannot quit giggling when I see this adorable caterpillar costume! You will also find tons of great products for your pet, including toys, gourmet treats, beautiful collars & leashes, and much more. There's also a nice selection of gifts for pet lovers you know, as well as sympathy gifts. If you have a pampered pet, this shop is sure to please!

Clive & Sunshine

Jennifer Muskopf, an artist in Brooklyn, New York, makes the lovely animals at Clive & Sunshine. She carefully chooses from new and vintage fabrics to design each one, and hand embroiders each of their faces. On a not so great day like today, I wish I had these creatures to hug & smile at! The octopus is divine, as is the pink sea lion with adorable whiskers. I would also like to snuggle with the hippo and elephant too. And of course, the fabulous pooch!

Cul de Sac

Cul de Sac products are all handmade in Vancouver, BC, solely by Laura McKibbon who designs & produces each piece. All of Laura's ceramic pieces are available in six colors. I love the little dip piece, as well as the uniquely shaped triangle dish. The kidney shaped deer dish is also fabulous! There's also this wonderful bunny and goldfish that are sure to please. Check out all the beautiful wares Laura has to offer, as well as custom work she has done for various occassions.

Nora Fleming

I received the coolest product today from Nora Fleming, a beautifully made serving platter. Now you may ask, What's so special about a serving platter? This platter is perfect for all occassions, holidays & seasons because it comes with interchangeable decorative pieces. You can choose from different types of serving pieces, such as bowls and cake stands, which you can customize with these pieces. And I can tell you that they are very sturdy & well-made. I think these would make fabulous housewarming, wedding and Christmas gifts, as well as for your own entertaining needs! Also available are various raised paper die cuts you can add to your serving wares. Take a look at all the wonderful pieces offered at Nora Fleming today.

HomeGrownMarket.com

HomeGrownMarket.com is a place where you can buy a variety of handmade items from American based crafters. You will find everything from sweaters to jewelry to home decor and much more. There are so many items on this site to choose from, but I will highlight a few of my favorites. I love these shoe diva notecards, this beautiful fabric & ribbon belt, and these great Christmas ornaments. The cucumber eye cream sounds fabulous, too. I find it very handy that you can search by occassion or by price range, as well as purchase e-gift certificates and set up a registry for any occassion. (Pictured are the black & mango dinner napkins)

Urban Heirlooms

I'd like to introduce you to Urban Heirlooms, a place where Dana refashions vintage items into newly designed pieces. I absolutely love the leather wallets complete with a vintage skeleton key. There's also this really cool vintage gold mesh wrist cuff, as well as this gold daisy pin that are beautiful. And for something a little kitchy & lots of fun there's this tote bag refashioned out of a denim & linen vintage towel. Happy shopping!

Modern Mischief Clothing Co.

Modern Mischief Clothing Co. is full of cool tees with bold graphics. I love the hot pink diamond & crossbones tee, as well as revolvers of love. I also like the elephant graphic. Or perhaps I like how they photographed the model as a zebra more!? According to their MySpace page, this company was started in Russia by Bori Mischief and Audrey Modrey because they missed the boldness and brightness of clothing they had as kids. I believe they have successfully recreated that boldness here!

Curious Bird

The sweet Leya Williams has reopened her fabulous Curious Bird shop with new handmade items. You will find fun things to wear, such as this beautiful patchwork belt that was inspired by the traditional Japanese Obi. And look at this fabulous apple apron made from vintage fabric! There's also lots of wonderful things to carry. Quite possibly my favorite item on the site is the silhouette tote bag. There's also this lovely pouch that is perfect for fall. Check out all the exquisite things Leya has crafted, as well as her blog.

Abnormal Urban Clothing

Abnormal Urban Clothing was created by Tim in Dallas, one of my neighboring cities, who teaches high school art classes. Tim has lots of very cool screen printed tees and other items. Check out the man tee, as well as the cool butterfly paradise tote bag. I am also loving the hummingbird tree design. And how about this cool knit or die bag for all the knitters out there? You can also purchase tees in a variety of colors with the same design. Check out all the great items Tim has to offer.

Another Bright Idea

I discovered Another Bright Idea one day when I stumbled upon their fabulous Flickr page. I knew this one was a true funky find the minute I saw this photo of a pooch modeling a handmade canine hoodie sweater! I so want Abby to wear one of these, but she hates clothing. Maybe this stylish number could change her mind about dressing up. There's also this beautiful pink hoodie for your pooch. You'll also find these adorable crochet bookworms that can hang out in your books. Fun! You can also place custom orders. And don't you just adore the logo?

Cherylasmith

Cherylasmith is an Etsy shop full of sweet things stitched by hand. There are several cool items that are perfect for Halloween, including the plush Halloween cupcake, the skeleton finger puppets, and this great Halloween brooch. It's been a while since I've spotted any fabulous monkey goods, so I was very happy to find these cute monkey finger puppets. They are adorable, as is the blue octopus! Also, don't miss the handstitched boo pillow.

And the winners are...

- Marybeth wins goodies by Michelle Caplan
- Angie Urbon wins goodies by MaryMo
- Kathleen wins goodies by The Black Apple
- Wannabe wins goodies by M. Patrizio
- Heatherly wins goodies by Insurgent Muse
- Tearsa wins goodies by The Paper Princess

Winners, please email your address to jessica_hood [at] hotmail [dot] com

I want to thank everyone for participating in my contest. I received tons of wonderful links to funky finds! Thank you all for reading Funky Finds...it means so much! And a huge thank you to all the indie artists who donated their lovely items for this contest, as well. You all rock!

Happily Handmade Giveaway

Entries are now being accepted for the Fall 2006 Happily Handmade Giveaway! You cannot enter the giveaway through the Happily Handmade website itself, you must visit the sponsor pages to enter. You may only enter once through each sponsor; however, you may enter on each of the 69 sponsor's sites. Sound simple enough? I thought so! Entries will be accepted through October 29th & the winners will be announced in early November. This is a great way to learn about more indie artists & crafters, as well as a shot at winning tons of fabulous goodies. You can see photos of some of the prizes on the Happily Handmade Giveaway home site, too.

Note: This is POST 499! The winners in my contest will be announced this afternoon.

Harrilu

If you are looking for unique modern apparel for your child, look no further. Harrilu's original designs are sure to please. The little peanut onsie is fabulous, as is the dog ate it! For the adults there's this great big dog pink & brown tee. Other fun pieces that are must haves include the baby cakes tee, the sweet pea onsie, and the who let my dog out tee. Check out all of Harrilu's fun designs today!