Bliss Living

Bliss Living has a line of jewelry created by artists around the United States. Each piece can be personalized with the name or phrase of your choosing. These custom handmade pieces make an especially wonderful gift for new Mothers. The Mother's Love heart charm necklace is my favorite. There's also a nice selection of customizable bracelets, such as The Birth Bracelet for Mom. And don't leave Dad out! Men are sure to love the Daddy Dog Tag keychains and necklaces.

Loaded Blanks

Loaded Blanks is a fantastic company featuring comic art greeting cards by Ezra Claytan Daniels. The line consists of cards that are similar to that of a comic book with fill-in-the-blanks. Each card features original artwork by some of indie comics' most exciting rising stars, like Lilli Carre and Dash Shaw, as well as established artists like Dame Darcy and Eleanor Grosch. What's especially cool about these cards is that the sender brings the narrative to life in their own words by filling in the empty text bubbles. Their holiday sale has begun with card sets discounted up to 55% off retail price. Shipping is always free in the United States. With the Holiday Season just around the corner, stock up on these unique greeting cards.

Congratulations to Heather, the winner of the InkaFinland giveaway! For those who didn't win, you can now purchase items from the InkaFinland Shop at 20% off!!!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

To help celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Cahoots Handbags is giving a percentage of all this month's sales to both the Susan G. Komen 3 Day Walk and Stand Up to Cancer. I love the beautiful Plankton bag!

During the month of October Fierce Hugs is offering their pink apple chef onesie and baby tees for just $15. For every tee sold, they will donate $3 to the Breast Cancer Foundation. The tees are 100% organic cotton and designed by an independent artist. Save $5 on any order of any amount with coupon code FUNKY5.

Hambly Screen Prints is offering a special kit this month with mostly pink overlays & papers. All proceeds benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation! Each pack contains five assorted overlays (pinks, white, silver &/or black) and three papers with the color pink. Each pack has a variety of designs and colors. This kit is a $20 value for $10 and it all goes toward important research! ETA: I received this kit today & it is fantastic!

The American Sewing Guild (found via Crafty Stylish) is a non-profit organization that has been supporting the art of sewing since 1978. They are offering a Pink tape measure ribbon pin to raise awareness about Breast Cancer.

The Breast Cancer Site has a great online store & all orders fund mammograms for women in need. This is a great place to do some early holiday shopping.

UberArt

UberArt features beautiful hand-bound journals and unique polymer clay pendants. Beth, the artist behind UberArt, has a knack for creating items that will appeal to an audience with a wide variety of tastes. The Starry Night mosaic pendant features three pieces of deep sapphire blue recycled glass set into a polymer clay base with an antique silver finish. Note that 20% of the proceeds from Journal for the Cure sales will be donated to the Susan G. Komen foundation. You can also receive 10% off your total regular priced purchase (excluding sale items) by entering FF10 in the "notes to seller" section at checkout. Expires 11/15/2008.

Election Year Finds

1. Jonah Day's Baby Bib; 2. Anchor Apparel's Tee; 3. Eleni's New York political cookies; 4. Local Celebrity's Political Tees

Since we are in the midst of a United States Presidential Election, crafters have been making all sorts of crazy political-themed items. Jonah Day has a selection of hand-embroidered political baby bibs. She also created a political wristlet and box style bag giving you a stylish way to show your support.

Anchor Apparel has a cool tee declaring "To the polls, ye Sons of Freedom."

I have to say that political cookies are a new find for me. Eleni's New York has an extensive selection of uniquely decorated cookies.

Local Celebrity has fresh political shirts that they are ready to move. All of the humorous political tees are only $10! You can get an additional 20% off your entire order when you use the code CRACKKILLS. Don't wait, get these collectors items before they're all gone.

No matter which party you agree with, don't forget to rock the vote November 4!

Smock

I was thrilled last week when I received beautiful, high-quality samples from Smock. Their invitations and stationery designs are fabulous. Smock features a new stationery and invitation line designed by Amy Graham Stigler (founder of Snow & Graham) that is sustainably letterpressed on bamboo paper. They are the first print shop in the United States to offer printing on a luxury bamboo paper, made especially for them at a historic European paper mill. Their line includes letterpress greeting cards, gift tags, party invites, social notes, holiday cards, wedding invitations, gift wrap (made from 100% post consumer recycled paper), and more. Also, their new blog features designer Amy Graham Stigler's inspiration & photography weekly. The newest invitation design, Haddington, uses an exclusive font that Smock created with P22's Richard Kegler. Smock is currently offering custom letterpress clients free letterpress printing on outer envelopes through December 31. Funky Finds readers will also receive a 10% discount with coupon code funkyfinds.

Mushroom Delight

Who loves adorable mushrooms? I do, I do! And Babz creates wooden mushrooms available in a variety of colors. Her Shop, Mushroom Delight, is THE place to find these fun decorative pieces. The New Tubby Autumn Mushrooms are perfect for the fall season, as are the Warm Autumn Mushrooms. If you don't see the colors you want, Babz also does custom orders. The custom set of four includes two large & two miniature mushrooms in the colors you choose. The color choices range from Pumpkin Orange to Fushia. Check out the Craftsty blog and Flickr to see more of Babz's work.

InkaFinland

InkaFinland is a terrific shop run by, you guessed it, Inka from Finland! I 'met' Inka online a year or so ago & can tell you that she is one of the sweetest crafters out there. She creates lovely button earrings, as well as beautiful wedding garters. Her Shop is also stocked with lovely tote bags & fabric pouches. Inka's blog is a great place to keep up to date on her latest creations.

*GIVEAWAY - CLOSED: Win a customized Shopping List Bag (pictured here) from InkaFinland! Visit her Shop then leave a comment on this post telling us what your favorite product is. Giveaway ends at Midnight CST, Thursday, October 30.

Look Who's Funky Found

Joe & I created a new page this weekend called Look Who's Funky Found! If you have been a featured find, we would love for you to add the "I'm a Funky Find" graphic on your site or blog. Send us the link to the page you host it on & we will link your name to that site. This is one more way to give everyone that much more exposure!

Halloween & Fall Goodies - Part 4

1. Earth Expressions has a great selection of pendants, including several that are perfect for Halloween. I especially like the creepy owl pendant, as well as the Happy Skull.

2. This year I have enjoyed collecting Halloween themed art. The Decorated House has a wonderful collection of artwork & illustrations. The masked Beau Bunny is fantastic! They also have several great Halloween cards.

3. I love all the handmade pouches created by The Dainty Squid. The Kitties & Pumpkins pouch is a great accessory for Halloween. And how wonderful is the Day of the Dead print seen on this coin purse?

4. If you prefer to create your own Halloween decorations, check out Scraps of Time for lots of great supplies. The Toil and Trouble add-on kit has wonderful images.

5. Horror Decor definitely has a unique offering of home dècor items. The Massacre throw pillow will definitely spook your guests, as will the blood splattered lamp shade.

6. Get your little ones in the Autumn spirit with an adorable pumpkin onesie from Annie Jack Designs. The customizable baby bibs are also very cute.

7. Elsie's Flat has lots of great aprons that will keep hostesses in a festive mood. I love the Halloween Candy Corn apron that looks more like a cute dress than an apron.

8. Have you read Twilight? I just finished the book this weekend & cannot wait to get started on the second book. If you love it, too, you might want one of the Twilight-themed pendants from Designs by Appletree. I don't know about you, but vampires make ME think of Halloween!

9. Caseybots has fun plushies that are great for Halloween. Frankencritter & Draculum are fun for small children without being too scary.

10. The Small Object has a fun project showing how to decorate pumpkins with felt leaves & wooden acorns. Perfect for Autumn!

11. Matthew Mead is a wonderful source for unique templates you can download for free. I love the vintage images!

12. Bats tend to be thought of as creepy animals, but the plush bats by The Small Cat Club are too cute. Sola is my favorite! And don't miss the fantastic artwork.

13. Moon's Creations lists a new Halloween Amigurumi each day in October. Who can resist the little pumpkin & gold forest bun?

October Giveaway - CLOSED

Today kicks off the October Ceramics & Pottery giveaway! This month we don’t have as many prizes to giveaway, but the items we have are exceptional.

Giveaway Guidelines: Visit each of the businesses listed on the October giveaway page.

To enter, leave a comment ON THIS POST including a link to one of your favorite items from each shop (one link per comment, please). You may enter multiple times by linking to a product by a different artist or photographer in each comment.

Extra Chance To Win: Post about this giveaway on your blog, then leave a comment with the link to your post.

Be sure to leave your name AND email address or website link so I can contact the winners. If you are chosen as a winner & there’s no way to contact you, a new winner will be chosen.

Winners will be chosen on November 2 using a random number generator & will then be notified by email & announced on Funky Finds & Funky Town.

The October giveaway begins today, October 25, and ends at midnight CST Friday, October 31.

Kitschy Digitals

Danielle Thompson creates a fantastic line of digital art supplies that are inspired by vintage Japanese Kitsch and modern-day Kawaii. The digital kits are great for crafters of all kinds. The high-resolution downloads can be used in a wide varity of crafts, such as scrapbooking. Danielle recently released Halloween Treat-Topper and candy wrapper downloads that are perfect for your upcoming party. There's several digital kits that include patterned papers, embellishments & adorable girls named Olivia, Skyler & Matilda. She also sells some tangible products, such as gift tags and wrapping paper. I made the comment to this talented artist that her designs would make lovely embroidery projects (a hobby I'm currently obsessed with) and she said that is coming in the future. I can't wait!

Not Just Any Old Day

We all have special dates that we hold close to our hearts. Perhaps it's an anniversary or your child's birthday. Whatever it is, Not Just Any Old Day has created calendar charm keepsakes that are a lovely new way of remembering, cherishing and celebrating a special occasion in your life. Designed to identify a significant month and day in the life of the person who wears it, the solid sterling silver calendar charms are marked with a genuine Swarovski crystal stone on the date that holds a special meaning. Not Just Any Old Day was designed to appeal to everyone, and with an extensive collection of necklaces, bracelets, key rings, money clips and letter openers, these charming trinkets make the perfect gift for men and women of all ages. Funky Finds readers can order from this special page that reflects a 10% discount on all products.

*Congratulations to Blissfully Enamored, the winner of the Every Little Counts giveaway! Next giveaway begins Saturday.

Bazaar Bizarre - Part 4

(Clockwise: ClothMoth tee, Bonnie Rue, Ilee Custom Invitations, Freeforged Earrings, Attic Journals)

It was just last week that I was introduced to the cool clothing made by ClothMoth, so I was especially happy to meet Josh & Scott in person at Bazaar Bizarre. They recently released a design called Goodbye, Mother's Cookies in honor of the company who created those yummy cookies we all loved when we were children. Sadly, the company was recently shut down due to bankruptcy. Josh said he cannot keep this design in stock, so nab yours while you can. Craft Girls Get Me Hot is another great design that is fun & humorous. Receive 15% off your entire order of $20 or more with coupon code funkyfinds (expires November 15).

Joe & I met Bonnie Rue of Model Citizen Clothing last year at Stitch. It was great to see her again & meet her sweet Mom. My favorite product is the cool canvas tote bag featuring Bonnie's tigers & cupcakes artwork. She also has a great selection of tees & outerwear, such as Sew Excited.

Ilee Custom Invitations offers beautiful stationery & invitations that are letter pressed. Their website showcases many of their custom designs, as well as various styles of calligraphy.

FreeForged showcases the unmatched jewelry & metal designs created by Kristin Freeman. I love the nuclear earrings, as well as the moonstone earrings. And the Texas Twister necklace, which pays homage to our state's crazy weather patterns, is so unique.

These days more & more people are interested in upcycled goods - old items that have been repurposed into something new & useful. Michelle Sanders of Attic Journals uses hardbound vintage books, children's books, and cookbooks to create journals & pocket mirrors.

Bazaar Bizarre - Part 3

I love cards & stationery and those created by Amie Needham of A Punkin Card Company are no exception. Amie is an enthusiastic designer that was a pleasure to visit with. She opened a Shop @ Funky Finds Monday after the show! Her modern designs have a retro twist to them and are full of beautiful colors. She also has a great Halloween card named Boo Birdies.

Another Amy we enjoyed visiting with was Amy Barber of Sweettooth Bags. Many of Amy's beautiful handbags that were on display were adorned with unique vintage brooches she found in New York during the summer. She creates a wide variety of styles ranging from clutches to bangle totes, as well as hair accessories.

Lisa Knaggs of Bark for Peace is another business owner that was very enthusiastic about her work. Being a dog lover myself I was happy to discover her organic vegan dog treats & handmade toys. It was also great to learn that all of Lisa uses biodegradable/compostable packaging. The natural soaps & cleansers also look to be terrific.

Mary Jane's Attic has a wonderful selection of gorgeous yarns. The handpainted yarns are especially intriguing. If you enjoy wool felting or would like to learn, check out the supplies & kits available in their shop.

Lillie's 5 & Dime stocks lots of fun retro handmade products. I love the vintage imagery used on the coin purses, as well as the ric rac & felt designs. You'll also find many cards featuring unique & unexpected photos & illustrations.

Bazaar Bizarre - Part 2

BluGrn Design has a fantastic selection of jewelry & stationery products. I love the silver necklaces, especially the Braille collection. The various silhouettes are also terrific. And of course, I love an artist that incorporates dogs into their work. She even had her adorable Boston Terrier with her!

BabyBolt is a great shop specializing in unique apparel for kids. I love the tees featuring handmade patches with vintage inspired imagery. BabyBolt also has a nice selection of aprons to choose from as well.

Brad Rollans creates unique furniture & home decor using bicycle parts. His shop, Bicycle Graveyard, showcases his unique way of recycling unwanted pieces. We saw a wonderful coffee table and wall lamp at Bazaar Bizarre.

Karin Yusba of Blossom Shop was a delight to visit with. It was very apparent that she is passionate about creating beautiful jewelry. We loved pieces like Cry Me A River that had a wire-wrapped blue Zircon quartz briolette. Karin also designs beautiful bracelets, my favorite being the Peridot Chips - my birth stone. Check out her blog for a nice recap of the show in Austin.

Maker Faire + Bazaar Bizarre - Part 1

Saturday Joe & I traveled South to Austin, Texas, our state capital, for the 2nd annual Maker Faire and Bazaar Bizarre. It was an event with a vaudevillian feel that consisted of everything from a life size game of Mousetrap to embroidery. We were so glad that we decided to attend this awesome event & look forward to next year's which is sure to be even bigger & better. We met so many wonderful artists, crafters & designers at Bazaar Bizarre. Several of the vendors also have storefronts at The Shops @ Funky Finds, such as Tara to the T, Harrilu, and Nerdbomber. I will be featuring various vendors from the event in the days to come.

Amanda of Loop + Lil creates one-of-a-kind baby and toddler clothes. She also handcrafts accessories for children and adults using vintage and vintage-inspired fabrics. The onesie & bib gift sets are adorable!

If I've said it once I've said it a million times...I love hedgehogs! Katy Kristin's booth was full of gnomes & hedgehogs, two of my favorite things. She also creates lovely accessories & apparel.

Collin Welsch is a lawyer turned artist based in Austin. Her Day of the Dead inspired artwork portrays skeletons in everyday settings, such as salons and on the beach. Her Tree of Life collection is also wonderful.

Coquito Designs

This month we have especially focused on supporting women because it is breast cancer awareness month. Coquito Designs was created by Kristen Berge & her mother in 2001. Two years later Kristen's lost her mother suddenly and was faced with the decision to either close up shop or continue doing what she loved and shared with her mom. Lucky for us she decided to continue with the business in honor of her mother - her biggest supporter. Most of Kristen's designs are named after women in her life that have impacted her life, as well as strong historical females. Alice is a beautiful bold necklace made using granulated Bali beads. I love the necklace named Gilda, as well. Kristen also has a nice collection of bracelets & earrings to choose from. Receive a 15% discount with coupon code INDIE15.

Tip Junkie's Mom-prenuer Holiday Shop-a-thon

Tip Junkie is a very cool site where you will find all sorts of tips, including craft projects, decorating ideas, online giveaways & much more. One exciting feature this holiday shopping season is Tip Junkie's Mom-prenuer Holiday Shop-a-thon. This is a directory featuring women-owned businesses that fit into various categories ranging from accessories to vintage. The purpose of the Mom-prenuer Shop-a-thon is to feature unique, fun, and creative gifts you can purchase for your friends, family and yourself this holiday season while supporting these amazing women. And be sure to browse Tip Junkie for lots of other exciting & useful information & tips.

Halloween & Fall Goodies - Part 3

1. 19 Moons creates fantastic jewelry & accessories. The beetle earrings are just creepy enough to be Halloween appropriate. Beetle rings are also available.

2. Whimsy by Jess Nicole is a lovely shop featuring hand-carved rubber stamps. The pumpkin, oak leaf & acorn, and maple leaf are all perfect for Autumn. The wool pumpkin baskets are also noteworthy.

3. I've always been fascinated by blown glass. Providence Art Glass creates beautiful hand-blown glass pieces, including Halloween pumpkins. The multi-colored pumpkin is another fantastic piece.

4. I love funky hair accessories like the ones made by Ms. Christa. The skeleton hand hair bow adds some sinister to a typically sweet accessory. And the horn hair clips are rockin'! I really like the purple & black combo.

5. The Tiny Little Girl has a great selection of Day of the Dead type skeletons. I especially like the mustachioed skully door hanger, as well as the brightly colored brooches.

6. I've always been partial to scary costumes & decor for Halloween & the Angry Jack earrings by Kitsch Kween fit the bill. The sugar skull guitar pick ring is also a very cool accessory.

7. Vintage by Crystal has a terrific selection of holiday decor. The Halloween section is packed with vintage inspired cats, devils, spiders, pumpkins and more.

8. Three Yellow Starfish is the place to find special clothing for your wee one. The Punkin' onesie and Boo Halloween bloomers are so cute. And the trick or treater pinafore is absolutely adorable!

9. J.T. Nee creates interesting statues that you can hold in the palm of your hand. The skeleton Disco Inferno piece is hilarious. I also like the statues titles Django Reinhardt and The Wait.

10. We all know that with Halloween comes lots of sugary sweets. Yum! If you're in the market for specialty goodies this Halloween, check out Double Dipped Sweets. This confectioner uses top quality Guittard chocolates and caramels & most items are gluten free. I would love to try the pumpkin pie spice caramel corn & the caramel apples available in a number of flavors.

11. The Porkchop Show shop stocks unique uncommon art supplies and crafty trinkets. I always like vintage Halloween imagery & the Gargoyles are frighteningly fun.

12. Attitudes offers ephemera images perfect for creating altered art, decoupaging, card making, and much more. And the Halloween Spook-tacular offer is buy 3 digital sheets & receive one free!

13. Tymely Designs creates adorable hand-painted wooden plaques perfect for the holidays. I find it especially impressive that this shop has partnered with a national tree reforestation organization and has made a formal pledge to plant one tree for every plaque that is sold.

Every Little Counts

Every Little Counts was born last year just in time for Valentine's Day, as a collaboration between Amy Snider & her husband, Adam. The mission of the line is to provide affordable and feminine garments for women that express feelings of romance, independence, and nostalgia. Women who are complex and independent, while also being flirtatious and romantic, will appreciate their designs. The recently launched fall line, LOVE STORY, continues on with the established themes of love and romance. The new collection is inspired by French New Wave, Brigitte Bardot, love sonnets, and autumn in the country. The silhouette is soft and effortlessly romantic.

*GIVEAWAY - Now Closed: Win a Romance Romance Romance tee from Every Little Counts' summer collection. To enter, visit the Every Little Counts website. Leave a comment on this post listing your favorite design. Giveaway ends at Midnight CST October 23.

Sarah & Abraham

Sarah & Abraham features a full line of personalized artwork, stationery products and custom announcements and invitations. Sara Tams is the talented artist behind this operation that creates lovely imagery, such as the kids sledding. I love that there's personalized stationery available for kids, as well as grown ups. The customizable 8x10 prints make wonderful unique gifts. Sarah & Abraham also has a great selection of personalized shipping labels and stamps. Have a look at all the fabulous products you can purchase from this terrific company. And receive FREE SHIPPING during the month of October with coupon code FUNKY.

Mechelle Designs

Those who know me well can attest to the fact that I have many quirks, one being that I am afraid of real birds. Yes, I'm strange. Despite this fear, I have to say that Mechelle Harrison creates whimsical, colorful and often mischievous birds that are anything but frightening. Her shop carries prints, pillows, pendants, magnets and note cards featuring her artwork. I love purple & that includes the purple bird seen in the Why Fly print. The little Bird with an Attitude is also a great piece. Not all of Mechelle's artwork is of birds. She also has a great collection of abstract work, including the Abstraction print and pendant. The Perfect Pair pillow is another great design that can be found in her shop.

*Congratulations to The Camp for winning the Sublime Stitching pattern giveaway!

Selkie Moonlight Design

Selkie Moonlight Design is a terrific shop featuring mosaic art created by Riley Jordan. The red & green Day of the Dead stepping stone is a colorful decorative piece. The Pregnant Rainbow Goddess stone is a very unique piece with an unexpected ceramic pregnant goddess embedded in it. One of my favorite designs is the Butterfly Fairy Woman stone. And how cool is the Alice in Wonderland piece!? These stepping stones make a wonderful addition to any yard or garden. Enter FUNKYGIFT in the "message to seller" space at checkout to receive a FREE original collage gift with any purchase.

Paper Me Dolls

Angela Fehr designs and creates Paper Me Dolls, personalized paper dolls that are hand-painted for the recipient. The custom paper dolls are created based on your child's coloring and features from a photo you’ve supplied. The dolls' costumes range from a ballerina to a sailor uniform. But these aren't just for girls. You can also request a boy set with costumes like a cowboy or astronaut. You can even purchase an expansion set that includes six costume coloring pages. This is a fun way to unleash a child's imagination!

Chic Cookies

Chic Cookies demystifies the edible art of cookie decorating by confining all of the hard-to-find supplies in one box. Cookie rookies need not fear! The kits include step-by-step instructions with unique designs, such as a sassy dress, a swanky martini and tools. There's currently over 30 themes are available, including fun seasonal & holiday kits. The affordable kits contain cookie cutters, frosting bags, decorating tips, couplers, bands, a scraper, highest-quality colors, and detailed instructions (a guidebook, photograph cards, an at-a-glance guide and a frosting color chart). Receive 10% off of your purchase by entering FUNKYFINDS when asked for a code at checkout. And shipping is always FREE with the purchase of two or more kits! (Poker Night Kit shown here)

Funky News

If you have not already subscribed to our monthly newsletter, the Funky News, do so now! This month's issue is jam-packed with discounts & special offers from lots of funky vendors, plus lots of other great information. Also, if you have a newsworthy tidbit you'd like to submit, feel free to contact us at any time.

Emmie Kate

I am always drawn to special personalized gifts. Emmie Kate has a wonderful selection of personalized sterling silver jewelry perfect for infants, children, teens & women. Work at home mother, Maquel Christopher, was inspired to begin designing jewelry while searching for quality, safe, and fashionable jewelry for her daughter Kate and finding little to choose from. I love the Cutaway Heart necklace that can be personalized with up to three lines of text. This would make a lovely gift for a special Mother. These pieces can also be customized with a special symbol or word, such as Joy. Other favorites of mine include the Little Dome Name necklace & the personalized key chains. The baby bracelets are priceless to look back on years later; a sweet reminder of how tiny your children once were. The bracelets also make memorable mother/daughter sets and gifts for friends and family. If you're looking for quality, fashionable, hand-made sterling silver jewelry, check out Emmie Kate today!

Breast Cancer Awareness Specials & Offerings

As I've mentioned before, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and lots of indie designers, crafters & designers are doing their part to raise money & awareness about this disease.

1. Fish Lips Paper Designs is donating $2 to breast cancer research for each piece of wrapping paper purchased with pink in it. Their signature design, Fish Lips, is so cute & unique! And Circle Game is a very cool geometric wonder.

2. A Planet For Creation has a nice selection of Breast Cancer Awareness jewelry & charms. The Breast Cancer Awareness necklace is my favorite.

3. Heather Gill of Cherry Creek Designs creates fine jewelry using Sterling Silver, Copper & Gold. The Awareness stud earrings allow you to show your support in a stylish & chic way. Check out all the beautiful designs this shop offers.

4. Gabrie's Shop is offering 10% off all pink goods. The seller also donates an additional 10% to her local Breast Cancer Charity Organization from all her ‘Go Pink’ profits. I love the Pretty Lady earrings, as well as the Spring earrings.

Urban Street Bazaar Recap

Saturday we attended the Urban Street Bazaar in Dallas, Texas. We saw a lot of our favorite designers & met a lot of new artists & crafters who have quickly been added to our favorites list.

The first artist we visited with was Shelly Pinder. Her artwork was captivating & unleashed the imagination. I happily bought a print of the piece Spider Queen. The detail & colors in this work of art are mesmerizing. I was also impressed with the Alice Cards piece, perhaps because Halloween is right around the corner.

Being the pet lovers that we are, we loved the Bella Vita Pet booth. Jennie Jones creates elevated dog feeders that are stylish & very unique. The Chow Chairs are available in a variety of colors & styles with various embellishments. They also had a great assortment of tees, but I do not see them on the website.

Beth Albrecht of Paired Hearts traveled to Dallas from Austin. Even though she began her company ten short months ago, Beth's work is terrific. I loved all the cards created using felt, such as these lovely elephants. The recycled paper journals were also great products.

We had a great time visiting with Debra Hernandez of DH Originals as she too is a West Texas gal. Specializing in dichroic glass, Debra creates gorgeous accessories that are wearable works of art.

Miney Mo was another favorite of ours. This artist offers terrific images that are screen printed onto stained birch pressed wood. The pink houndstooth coasters would make an excellent stocking stuffer this holiday season!

I am a lip balm addict & I always look forward to discovering new products at the shows we attend. Denise Paruolo of Shibui had a nice eco-friendly offering of Bodee Butters, massage oils, and of course lip balms. I purchased the Grapefruit Lip Styck and it is fabulous! Very moisturizing and long lasting.

We were extremely impressed with the work of Lynn Wilkes Armstrong. Her lace embossed earthenware ceramics are stunning. I know several women who would love to receive a winged lady vase. Lynn also had a great selection of ceramic earrings & bodice jewelry stands at the Bazaar.

Sutecchi is a fun shop featuring eco-friendly, one-of-a-kind threads for kids. The sushi onesie is fantastic, as are the lanterns.

Other great shops you must check out:
- Superchica: Love the hand-painted wrist cuffs & necklaces. Judy rocks!
- Anchovies: Fantastic children's goods
- Chromosapien: Very cool fused glass pieces
- Maja Custom Jewelry: Beautiful bracelets, earrings & necklaces

Creative Charlie

As a child I thoroughly enjoyed working on arts & crafts projects. I still enjoy making things today, as I know many of you do. Creative Charlie is a great source for kids' arts & crafts project kits. The boxes include a variety of supplies needed to create various projects. The rainy day box is packed with lots of great items, including recycled paper, stickers, letter stencils & much more. This product beat over 100 products to take the overall winner title in the Toys and Games category at the Practical Pre-School Awards 2008. The travel pack is perfect for keeping kids entertained while traveling. In addition to putting together terrific supply packs, Creative Charlie is committed to offering a variety of environmentally friendly products. They offer cool pencil cases made from recycled tires, recycled pencils, notebooks, aprons & more. If you live in the UK, you may be interested to know that Creative Charlie is available for hire offering a range of art & craft workshops perfect for children.

Halloween & Fall Goodies - Part 2

1. Tara of Tara to the T is one of the coolest, craftiest chicks I know. She creates gorgeous accessories that have a vintage vibe to them. She also has lots of pieces perfect for Halloween, such as Nola and Daphine. Receive free shipping on all Halloween purchases through October 31.

2. Auntie Di's De-Lites has a nice selection of Halloween earrings. The Candy Corn lampwork earrings are great & I love the scary skulls.

3. I really enjoy Halloween crafts & Jane Says is a great place to find Halloween craft supplies. And right now all Halloween supplies are 50% off! The creepy hand tags rock!

4. The leaf dish by K.J.M. Art is a beautiful piece appropriate for the Autumn season. Also available in sets of three.

5. Fourteen Sisters creates fabulous letterpress cards and they have several wonderful Halloween designs, including the Large Pumpkin.

6. LaWatha's Glass & More has many beautiful pendants to choose from. Going Batty is a great piece for Halloween & the Leafy Tree pendant is perfect for the entire Fall season.

7. Mahar Drygoods always has tons of great products available for purchase. For Halloween they offer these adorable Big Black Boot baby booties, as well as a Spooky House Decorating Kit.

8. Collage Art Studio offers a variety of Halloween notions, including trims and cards.

9. Annie's Powder Room stocks fun soaps that make great gifts and party favors. I love the Boo Soapsicles & adorable pumpkins. The Autumn Oak Leaves are also very nice.

10. Little ones want to join in the festivities this Halloween, too! The Trick or Treat Sock Monkey tee is adorable (I want one for ME!), as is the retro pumpkin & bones.

11. The Quirky Corncrib's plush owls are great for decorating this fall. These detailed characters are hand-embroidered without a pattern. Impressive!

12. I heart the adorable decorative letters you will find at I Heart Pretty Things. Isn't "eek" fantastic?!

Other Great Links:

- Handmade Halloween at The Long Thread
- Better Homes & Gardens' 100 Days of Halloween
- Tip Junkie's Halloween Home Decor Post
- Dia De Los Plush Show (day of the plush show) is going to be held at Red Hot Robot in Phoenix, AZ from October 11th - November 7th from 7-10 PM featuring over 20 international plush artists.

Sublime Stitching

Sublime Stitching has a stellar reputation for revolutionizing & modernizing hand embroidery. Austin resident Jenny Hart is the well-known business woman who launched the company in 2001. I have purchased many Sublime Stitching patterns, as well as the Craft Pad & book, and can tell you first-hand that the patterns are of high-quality. They iron on easily & can be used multiple times. Recently Sublime Stitching launched several new pattern sets, including a limited-edition Handmade Nation set with a portion of sales being donated to the making of the Handmade Nation documentary.

*GIVEAWAY - CLOSED* Want to win a pack of assorted patterns for yourself or someone you know? Visit the Sublime Stitching website & choose a pattern that you like best. Come back to this post & leave a comment stating which pattern you chose. Giveaway ends at Midnight CST on Thursday, October 16.

Preview upcoming weekly giveaways here!

lello

Mike Parker & his wife Erika own and operate a small art company called lello. Located in Maplewood, NJ, lello specializes in custom children's murals, as well as children's t-shirts. The rompin, stompin Zebra tee is absolutely adorable. And I wish the monkey tee was available in adult sizes, as I would wear it proudly. Mike & Erika are also happy to work one-on-one with customers to design unique birth announcements & other artwork.

Urban Street Bazaar - This Saturday!

The next Urban Street Bazaar is upon us! Saturday, October 11 you can find over 40 designers, makers and artists in the Bishop Arts District of Dallas. Sponsored by Funky Finds, Craft Magazine, Intown Mix, Maker Faire, Dallas Crowd, and Make Shop & Studio, the bazaar is the perfect getaway for a day. This amazing shopping experience will include everything from screen printed t-shirts to artwork. There's sure to be something for everyone! Enjoy the Bishop Arts District, shop local merchants, dine at one of many fabulous restaurants and check out some galleries. We hope to see you there!

*Check out the weekly giveaways page for a preview of upcoming giveaways!!

Be Picky

Today I came across Be Picky, an awesome shop that made me squeal in delight! The colorful accessories are created using a variety of guitar picks. Artist Rachel Thomas handcrafts these rockin' pieces designed to survive even the rockiest of rock shows. I especially love the yellow, black & white bracelet named Taxi. Rachel also creates cool earrings and belts that will spice up any ensemble. And I've got to say that the three tier chandelier is just about THE coolest creation I've ever seen! Man, how I want this for my craft room/office!!!

Craftsbury Kids

Craftsbury Kids has partnered with some of the best independent crafters around the world, quite a few making unique products especially for their company. The mission of this lovely shop is to offer parents and gift-givers an alternative to mass-produced goods, as well as high-quality products for the younger set. Children's book illustrator Abigail Brown has created a collection of lovely creature masks. I first discovered Apple & Eve's gorgeous embroidery work on Flickr. The hedgehogs are my absolute favorite! Tina Rodas, the artist behind Hi Tree! has designed a unique line of plush toys, including the adorable Itty Bitty Oak Tree. Some artists, such as Tomo & Edie, also offer unique clothing for children. To celebrate the shop's expansion, Craftsbury Kids will be offering product giveaway packages over the next couple of weeks. Learn more via the Little Ida blog. (Spool Doll pictured is by Erica Daley)