Smosch

I saw Smosch's buttcrack characters mentioned on Decor8 a while back & thought they were a riot! The crochet mini burglar is too cute, as are the maid & the Frenchman. Big Miss Golddigger is pretty cute in her little hat, too.

Bees Knees Industries

I not only love the name of Bees Knees Industries, but also the artwork & photography. This photo of multiple spools is sure to delight all the crafters out there. This photo of Tower Grove Park is one of my favorites. And of course I love the Patchwork Giraffe! Bees Knees also has some adorable softies such as little hearts. Have a look at the variety of goods in this shop.

Adore by Nat

Adore by Nat has lots of beautifully handmade cards & tags. I love the detail on the Let's Toast to Celebrate card, as well as Thinking of You. There's also lovely cards for occassions such as St. Patrick's Day and Valentine's Day. The thank you card assortment would be nice to have on hand, too.

Lilley's Handcrafted Loveliness

Lilley's Handcrafted Loveliness is another sweet shoppe I discovered through Flickr. The hand painted heart pendants are adorable, as is the yummy ice cream broach. You can also find lovely hand crafted buttons, such as these cute cupcakes. Check out all the sweet treats at Lilley's.

Yankee Girl Designs

Yankee Girl Designs has lots of unique jewelry to choose from, most notably the Bird's Nest necklace. The limeade necklace is also an attention-getting piece. The Forever Eden earrings are perfect for spring, and there's also nest earrings to go with your new necklace. Have a look at all the beautiful pieces Yankee Girl Designs has to offer.

La Belle Avenue

La Belle Avenue is definitely a beautiful avenue of handmade goodies. Crafting Thelma, a cute little wooden bird in her nest, is adorable. The little yellow bird pin cushions are lovely, too. You'll also find several wonderful pouches that are embroidered. I especially love the cherries. Of course, most girls will agree that the shoe pouch is a winner as well. And if you can't get enough of the adorable little yellow birdie, check out this great painting.

Paper Candy

Paper Candy is a wonderful source for scrapbooking & stamping products. The Martha Pill stamp is a riot, and on certain days I could certainly relate to the People Pill. I have recently fallen in love with clear stamps & the organic sets are beautiful. The Sweet Cakes & Birthday sets are perfect for card making. Of course I am dying to own Socky and the Satin Party Dress stamp is calling my name. Sadly, you must be a wholesale customer to shop this site, but there's a handy store locator to find retailers online or near you.

Haru Designs

I found Haru Designs through Flickr & wanted to share these cool treasure boxes with you. I love beautiful papers & storage boxes and Haru Designs has combined both in a beautiful way. I like the color combo & floral designs used on the Tropical Tides box, as well as the bold colors of the Lesson 18 Page 74 box. Check out all the lovely boxes Haru has to offer.

Citizen Jane

I am always on the lookout for stylish yet comfortable tops to wear. Citizen Jane's adorable tees are perfect for spring. The bright polka dots are too much fun! And I love tickle me pink. The puff sleeve shirts are also winners. Check back regularly for additional styles.

Small Studio Productions

Small Studio Productions is a relatively new online shop that Ginny Carter Smallenburg. Ginny is no novice at being an entrepreneur, as she previously owned a brick/mortar store specializing in alternative art supplies, owned the stamp line Stampers Anonymous, & organized the Art Continuum art retreat in Cleveland, OH, for eight years. Pretty impressive, isn't it? The Emporium is full of wonderful craft & art supplies. You'll find an assortment of clock supplies, cool gaffers tape & rubons, and lots of cool pendant supplies. I also really want a couple of the Masonite desktop holders that can be painted & collaged any way you'd like. Don't miss the cool book boxes & supplies either. I could go on & on listing every cool item this shop has to offer. But why don't you just peruse the site on your own? But I'm warning you...you'll most likely want one of everything!

HannahMade

Michelle Caplan recently introduced me to her friend's shop HannahMade. This shop is full of beautiful jewelry & fun softies. I love the heart light earrings, as well as these waterfall earrings. You will also find several gorgeous necklaces amongst the beautiful jewelry. And don't miss the cute little finger puppets and robots.

Three Green Apples

The minute I saw the stylish & functional pursonal by Three Green Apples, I knew I had to post about it! Other wonderful products include the SafeSpex case, the open pocket bibs, and sweet elephant Nina. Of course I love the porcupine (hedgie?) print on this pouch and the cute whales. Mom's don't miss the binky pocket blanket for your wee one either.

The Lonely Octopus

Besides having a wonderful name, The Lonely Octopus also has lots of wonderful wristlets, cardholders & wallets. These items are so unique because they are fashioned out of vinyl-covered paper! Isn't that original? I love every one of the wristlets. Measurements would be perfect for any crafty gal. You will also find cool clutches that are just what you need for a night out on the town. Check out the cool wallets, too. I'm a bit late in posting this, but if you order a wristlet today you will receive a free cardholder.

2 for 1 Post

Janice of Paper Valise wrote in about the lovely work of Little Quilts. These small works of art are gorgeous. Car Trouble and Little Red Dog are two of my favorites. There's also these terrific little boxes that are perfect for gift giving and displaying.

Paper Valise is full of wonderful provisions perfect for all crafters. I love all the labels (under the paper section) ranging from cigar bands to mailing labels. There's also cool colored library tags, various styles of rhinestones & sequins, ribbons & much more. Check out all the wonderful goods both of these shops have to offer.

Goodwill

This is not at all in keeping with things I typically post about, but I saw on Daily Candy today that Goodwill has an auction site set up. I know that a lot of you enjoy thrifting as much as I do, so I thought this was something worthwhile to post about. shopgoodwill.com is the first Internet auction site operated by a nonprofit organization, where you'll find everything from unique one-of-a-kind items to estate pieces.

Trendmill

Trendmill is a profile-based website that allows members to show off their style, sell their clothes and accessories, tip people as to where they buy the threads that make them so stylish, and help determine the next trends in fashion by rating what others upload.

This social network is designed for people to interact with each other through fashion and art. The philosophy is “Find, Show, Influence.” Here's how that breaks down:

Find by searching through the gallery where you can see what other members are uploading, creating a virtual marketplace that introduces people to brands and products they may otherwise never come across.

Show off what you think are hits and misses in fashion & art by uploading pictures and videos, while adding item descriptions and information on where to buy the items.

Influence by rating anything you see, giving every member the chance to help determine what the next big thing in fashion and art will be. An integrated comment system allows members to leave their opinion on any uploaded item, because everyone's opinion matters.

Trendmill is an exciting innovation. It takes some time to explore all the possibilities, but it is worth it. When you have a chance, take some time to register & become a part of this exciting site.

My Charmed Life

Charms and more charms! Can you ever have too many charms? That's what My Charmed Life's site asks. And I'd say one cannot ever have too many charms! The charm collection on this site is quite extensive with charms ranging from animals to transportation. A few of my favorites are the llama, I love to scrap, and the lips. Here you'll find a charm for just about anything & everything you can think of. You can also purchase bracelets & spacer charms, as well as a starter assembly kit. There's also this adorable littlecharm diary that you can include when giving someone a charm bracelet so that they can remember why it is so special in the coming years. You'll get a free charm diary with every order that's $50 or more. And don't miss the cake pulls which are such a neat idea for your special occassion. My Charmed Life is a very fun & innovative company that is sure to please!

Anapaulaoli

I have yet to take the time to learn how to crochet & do amigurumi, but I so adore the fabulous little creations I see all over the internet. Ana Paula Rimoli has created lots of great patterns & toys that she sells in her Etsy shop Anapaulaoli. The crochet mushroom purse is sure to be a hit, as is the owl purse. You can purchase the patterns for these lovelies, too. And how great are the happy eggs? Other great patterns include the baby & mommy hedgehogs (love!) and the cupcake pattern which is FREE!

Luxe Deluxe

The moment I saw this wonderful hedgehog necklace, I knew I had to write about Luxe Deluxe. This shop has a nice mix of modern & vintage pieces. The amorous rose locket necklace is lovely, as is the juciy strawberry necklace. And how unique are the bloody murder earrings? Other unique pieces include the my favorite octopus necklace, the adorable acorns necklace, and the crafty brass scissor earrings. There's many more fabulous items at Luxe Deluxe...have a look!

Maggierama

Maggierama has some of the cutest plush animals I've seen. Wouldn't you love for your Valentine to surprise you with these adorable mice made of vintage fabric? The plaid pups and dolphin are also fabulous. This children's book illustrator also has some lovely cards available for purchase, too.

RubyFaz

RubyFaz has an assortment of adorable goods ranging from magnets to gift tags. The image of an ice cream couple on a pocket mirror is too cute for words. The cute apples and bird magnets are also delightful. Don't miss all the fabulous mini cards such as the bon-bons either.

R. Nichols Stationery

R. Nichols Stationery is a company that has a very large collection of unique cards for all occassions. The modern graphics are what really caught my eye when I came across this site. I love the dog salon card within the new greeted singles collection. The new party cards are also fun & you can now personalize them to make your party planning a lot easier. Other cards you will find at R. Nichols include those with images of New York City, fitness, pets (my favorite), and much more. Be sure to have a look at the original artwork as well.

Cupid's Finds #4

Valentine's Day will be here before you know it, so you had best get to shopping! Check out these fabulous Amor cards by Blue Snail Papers and the Valentines olives and votives by Pink Bathtub Designs. Wicked Cool Girls has items perfect for the Anti-Valentine, as well as VooDoo keyrings for the lover that has done you wrong. If you're looking to give your loved one a homemade item to express your love, look to CraftBits for lots of ideas. One gift I'd love to receive myself if the Valentine's goodie suitcase I saw featured on Indie Fixx. Simply Lovely Gifts has a beautiful heart frame that is lined in dark & light pink crystals and silver beads. If you are into embroidery, look to Pattern Bee for wonderful FREE Valentine transfers (offer expires February 14). Other great finds includeGeek + Nerd's adorable Valentine ornaments and the hand felted soaps by Amelia Makes Art. Happy shopping, Cupids!

ETA: Check out the Valentine's Day For All blog for lots of helpful info, too!

Announcements!

I wanted to draw your attention to a couple of happenings this weekend. Tomorrow, February 9th, Green Bean Baby will be having a sale on items in her Etsy shop. Ellia creates fabulously intricate paper piecings that are perfect for many occassions. Be sure to check out the Valentines she recently posted.

Karen of KStyle, another favorite blogger of mine, will be showcasing a slide show of Artstream's Lovely Hearts exhibition I posted about earlier in the week on Saturday, February 10th.

Also, there's only a few weeks left for the SpoonFed Art 10 percent discount as offered in the latest issue of Health magazine. Simply mention Health magazine to receive the discount. For more information on the interesting story behind SpoonFed Art, have a look at this recent Los Angeles Weekly article.

Have a look at Blissen's new Kissy Kissy collection perfect for your Valentine's Day sweetheart!

Home Grown Market

Christa of HomeGrownMarket.com recently emailed me the site’s new look. They have lots of new features and awesome cards and other items perfect for Valentine's Day. (Side note: It’s funny that I’ve mentioned Valentine’s Day so much lately, because I really am not a fan. But there’s lots of great items out there to promote!) I really like the Here’s to Love and SWAK cards by Card Goddess. Max & Otis’ Valentine’s Day Baby onsie is precious. Of course, I have to mention the sock monkey napkins! Other great items include the candle melties, Anastasia the baby bunny, and the gnome fishing tee. Check out the many wonderful handmade products Home Grown Market has to offer.

Plastic Hearts

Melissa, a young entrepreneur, has created lots of adorable things that she sells through her Etsy shop Plastic Hearts. Her patchwork tote bags are very funky and cool. You'll also find cute softies that she has designed like Paige the puppy and Delilah the baby deer. Don't miss the beautiful knitting needle cases and quilted wallets either.

Paper Monkey Press

If you're in the market for great cards, have a look at Paper Monkey Press. The XOXO cards are a perfect choice for Valentine's Day. The limited edition hello & thank you cards are some of my favorites. And of course my absolute favorite are the monkey cards that were designed collaboratively with one of my favorites, Lisa Solomon. You can also order personalized wood block note cards. These would be a perfect gift for anyone! Have a look at the custom work Paper Monkey Press does as well. You can have special invitations designed for your wedding, your baby's arrival, and your business.

Sage & the Swallow Art Studio

Jenifer Eadington of Sage and the Swallow Art Studio has created lots of wonderful glass pieces, including some that would make a wonderful Valentine's gift. The stained glass hearts would make any Cupid happy. This fancy green suncatcher is amongst my favorites, as is the jewel in the lotus piece. And aren't the starbursts stunning? Have a look at all of Jenifer's fabulous designs.

Artstream : Lovely Hearts Exhibition

I’ve written about Artstream and Susan several times before. I continue to feature the goings on of this fabulous gallery because they are continually doing extraordinary things. The latest happening I want to bring to your attention is the Lovely Hearts exhibition. A diverse group of artists submitted artwork to this exhibit. The most exciting part is that 50% of the retail price of each artwork sold will support the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The other half goes directly back to the talented artists. Isn’t that lovely? All of the pieces submitted are exceptional. And what a wonderful cause in this month of celebrating love!

Cupid's Finds #3

I don't keep a journal, but if I did I'd definitely want to write in this beautiful red leather journal from Kate's Paperie. Kate's also has lots of terrific Valentine's cards featuring the likes of Curious George (love him!) and sock monkeys. Rock Scissor Paper also has lots of terrific cards for your loved one, as does Greer Chicago. For unique gifts, look to Etsy seller Ars Elementi who created the beautiful boxed heart pendant and the pet heart charm. The Humane Society also has lots of terrific gifts for the special animal and/or animal lover in your life. For lots of great handmade gift ideas, take a look at the New Orleans Craft Mafia's site and Indie Fixx's comprehensive Valentine's Day gift guide.

Little Bird Designs

I adore hedgehogs, so I was thrilled to see this lovely hedgie tote posted on the Mi blog. You'll find lots of other adorable things at Little Bird Designs, such as the frog & mushroom twill tape. And how about this precious Bob the elephant children's top? Too cute! Don't miss the sweet smiling apple mini-tote either.

Scribble Scrabble

Mandi of Scribble Scrabble creates the coolest hand-beaded pens. She has designs that are perfect for Valentine's Day or for a special crafty person in your life. For all the knitsters Mandi has created a pen declaring I heart Yarn. Have a look at all the wonderful designs.

Jek in the Box

Another shop I discovered through Flickr is Jek in the Box. One exciting word...MONKEYS! As in lurve monkeys that are perfect for Valentine's Day, as well as every other day of the year. These wee pillow dolls are machine stitched and the sock monkey image is gocco'd on the front. You can choose from a selection of printed backs, from red & white polka dots to flying sock monkeys in an aqua sky! Fabulous. Other wonderful goodies include these fruity dashboard pillows, precious onsies, and cool sunglass cozies. And look at these delightful fakey cakes! See more on the Scrum Dilly Dilly blog.

Waste Not Paper

Kristina Contes, one of my favorite scrapbookers, mentioned Waste Not Paper on her blog recently. It was love at first sight when I went to this website. I am a wee bit paper obsessed, so this is right up my alley. I love the beautiful magazine files and the large spiral albums in the same prints are also terrific. The cd boxes would be a great way to store many things. And look at the beautiful stationery! The hearts of course are perfect for the upcoming Valentine's Day, as well as year round. There's also lots of gorgeous letterpress notecards to choose from. Don't miss all the great accessories, such as seals and gift tags. And if you are a business owner, or just completely obsessed to the point of hoarding, you can purchase these goods in bulk.