Jenny Wren Paperie

Jenny Wren Paperie is a fabulous company that showcases original illustrations by Jennifer Playford. The bright, beautiful colors on the homepage really caught my eye. Jenny's new holiday cards are a unique take on the traditional red & green we are accustomed to. I am completely giddy over the animals on the birthday cards. Other products you will not want to miss include the wonderful thank you notes, blank cards, and notebooks.

Sharma Designs

Sharla decided to start making her own jewelry when she was unable to find original pieces that reflected her personality & style. The pieces were so popular & in such demand that she decided to start Sharma Designs. Here you will find cool unique pieces that you won't see everyone else wearing. The red leather wheels earrings are stunning & so original. And I love the orange butterflies! There's also lots of cool necklaces, like this red thai piece. Don't miss the fabulous bracelets either. For a little insight to the behind the scenes life of Sharma Designs, you can read Sharla's blog.

Edit: Sharla has been kind enough to offer Funky Finds readers a 15% discount! The coupon code is "funkyfall" and it is good til October 15th. Thank you for your generosity Sharla!

Wonder Threads

Diana of Wonder Threads lots of cool goodies to choose from. The cute greeting cards are a combonation of fabric, paper & trimmings that create a unique product. I love the applique set which comes with various pieces you can assemble any way you wish. The newest products are those for the little ones. How cute are the onsies & tees? You will also find adult tees, bags, and home goodies. Or, if you have something else in mind, you can have these products customized to suit your taste!

Note: This is post 495. The contest will end Monday & winners will be announced at approximately 3pm Central time. You still have plenty of time to leave links to your funky finds in the comment section this weekend!

Stocking Stuffers

I recently learned about Stocking Stuffers while reading the Pink Bathtub Designs blog. Erin of One Lucky Baby has started this Etsy shop as a one-stop spot to find cool stocking stuffers from a variety of Etsy sellers. You can buy packages such as the pink dot sock monkey package which is full of goodies appropriate for children. You will also find fabulous stockings, my favorite being the sock monkey portrait stocking. Another great packages is the gal pal stuffers which is full of fun girly stuff such as softies & moisturizer. Keep checking back for more additional items. Such a fabulous idea to make holiday shopping easier while promoting indie artists & crafters!

Dreams & Jewelry

With the recent onset of fall, I say it's time for some new jewelry. I'm not sure if that's the rule or not, but it sounds good, right? Dreams & Jewelry has a beautiful fall collection. The Branch of Berries and Delightful necklaces are perfect for this season. The Jewels of Fall bracelet is gorgeous, too. And I love the Frill earrings with copper stones. You will find many fabulous earrings, bracelets, and necklaces here. There's also many wonderful rings that are perfect for you or as a gift. The Leaf of Change is my fall favorite!

Pillowhead

Angela is the creative talent behind Pillowhead, an Etsy shop featuring her hand-embroidered goodies. She makes the cutest embroidered pillow covers, which you can also have her customize. There's also the most adorable embroidered greeting cards. I love the Halloween cards! Other cool products include the coffee sachets and lavendar sachets. These will make fabulous stocking stuffers! Check out all the beautiful items Angela has to offer.

Alfie & Rex

After living in London for eight years, Lisa Futterman decided to revive an old interest in photo silkscreen with an unusual subject, dogs, when she returned to New York. The name Alfie & Rex is derived from the two canine influences of the company. The minute I saw the Chihuahua tote bag I knew this was indeed a funky find! You will find tees, totes & other items adorned with your favorite breed's likeness, such as Pugs and Boston Terriers. The dogs with hydrant tee is also wonderful. And don't think your pooch is left out. There are plenty of tees for them to wear, too. If you prefer cats to dogs, then here's a tote for you. I think this is one of my favorite Etsy shops to date!

Prickly Pear

Sibylle Hartmann of Prickly Pear has created a fabulous line of one-of-a-kind and custom made handbags and accessories. I absolutely love the unique design of the mockingbird totes and handbags. The boxy penguin totes are also wonderful. You will also find many adorable wristlets, my favorite being the cute crowned bird. Be sure to check out all the beautiful pillows and cute ornaments, too.

Note: This is post 490. You still have time to enter my contest. I have great prizes from various indie artists I've featured in the past, including The Paper Princess, M. Patrizio, Insurgent Muse, Michelle Caplan, and more. The more links you leave, the more times you are entered!

Essimar

More fabulously designed cards headed your way...this time from Essimar. The vintage baby carriage is a great design, as is the clothing pin card. I love the young amigo and young conejo designs, which you can also buy as a set. The tea kettle is another fun one for you to enjoy.

Papered Together

I absolutely love the paper goods Papered Together has to offer. The elephant to-do lists are a fun way to keep track of all the daunting tasks you need to take care of. The thinking about fall card is perfect considering it is in fact officially fall. I love the antique-ish feel of this happy birthday guys card. And who can resist a card adorned with mules in love? You can also have your own personalized stationery made, and this set would be perfect for the knitters you know & love. Check out all the whimsical designs Papered Together has to offer.

NOTE: This is post #488, so there's still plenty of time for you to leave links to funky finds in the comments in order to enter my contest! Thanks for playing.

Blueberry Bandit

Sara Kirkpatrick is the creative force behind Blueberry Bandit. She says she spends her free time creating cupcakes, birds & funny looking animals with bad habits. Here's a wonderful print of a bunny playing hooky. Sweaty the Horse is cracking me up! And here's a yummy cupcake greeting card for you. Of course I'd be remiss if I didn't bring your attention to the Stinky greeting card! Check out all of Sara's wonderful work today.

Reckon

Reckon is a cool Etsy shop run out of Austin, Texas. Here you will find lots of unique handmade limited edition apparel, bags & pillows. With the new Gap ad, Audrey Hepburn is again at the forefront of fashion. So why not get a tee featuring the icon? I also like the Jackson Pollock screened tee, as well as the Lloyd Dobler tee. And for all the old typewriter fans out there, here's a tee for you. I have never in my life seen a onsie emblazoned with Robert Smith's mug, but this one is fabulous!

Everyday Is A Holiday

Jenny Holiday, a new Funky Finds reader, posted a comment with a link to her shop for my contest. She was unsure about leaving a link to her own work, thinking perhaps it isn't kosher to self-promote. Just to clarify, I LOVE when people leave links to their shops & work. How else will I find them!? Anyway, Jenny & her boyfriend Aaron are artists & they make the most fabulous cake artwork which they sell in their eBay shop, Everyday Is A Holiday. I wanted to post about their shop now because of the fabulous Halloween artwork that caught my eye. I love the Halloween cupcake collage, too. All of the mixed media pieces are wonderful, especially this red cake that I adore. Have a look-see today!

The Chocolate Lab

Yesterday I received a fabulous swap package from Amanda Torris of New Jersey. In this package I found lots of great goodies, including homemade dog treats for my chihuahua Abigail. Anyone who treats my pet well is a winner in my book! Amanda now sells her wonderful organic treats on her site The Chocolate Lab. She started making them about a year ago after getting a beautiful Labrador named Molly Brown. She is pictured on the site & is a beautiful pooch. You can see all the varieties of treats in Amanda's Etsy shop. The Looks Like Lobster, Tastes Like Chicken treats are a riot! She also has different bandanas you can dress your pooch up in. And don't miss all the adorable pictures in the pet gallery. Amanda has the cutest fans!

Three Dog Party

Three Dog Party's motto is "Craft fast, die old, and leave a messy room!" I love it. And look at their logo. Those dogs on typewriters are killing me! I love the secretary silhouette that adorns patches, hoodies, and tote bags. The typing dog I am so crazy about can also be found on this tee. Isn't the air mail postcard fun, too? You can get the same graphic on a cute striped tee, as well.

Note: This is post #483, so there's still plenty of time for you to post a link to a funky find in order to enter our current contest.

2 Fresh Petunias

If you are looking for a snazzy handbag or tote to carry, look no further. 2 Fresh Petunias has plenty of great styles to choose from. I absolutely love the sophisticate handbags, especially the African Chocolates bag that is perfect for fall. The daily bags are also wonderful, as are the FreshMum totes. You will also find cool fabric belts and adorable tank tops for little girls. And don't miss the sale section either.

Flat Earth Jewelry Design

Jennifer Suhm of Tucson, Arizona, is one busy gal. She had created each of the wonderful treasures you will find at Flat Earth Jewelry Design. I love that you can shop either by product category or by type (stone, style, etc.). Some of my favorite pieces of jewelry include these amethyst & sterling ball earrings, these vintage crystal & glass earrings, and these gorgeous vintage green glass leaf earrings. You will also find many beautiful bracelets and necklaces. Jennifer has also created these very cool decoupage frames and platters. Be sure to spend some time perusing this site. There are many wonderful pieces you do not want to miss!

Dear Monday

Each card that Dear Monday offers is embellished & decorated by hand making each one unique. I adore the cupcake card & the sugar slice card. And how cute is the cherry box? I went nuts for the squirt baby card...isn't it fantastic? The orange blossom card is beautiful and the daiquiri and margarita cards are so much fun. There's also adorable mini enclosure cards, too. Check out all the offerings at Dear Monday today.

Chromosapien

Chromosapien is a unique Etsy shop run by a crafter in Dallas. I found out about this shop through the Dallas Craft Mafia website. You will find lovely fancy shmancy bobbies, a very handsome striped dish, and a very cool elephant doodle necklace.

Sidenote: Don't forget about the current Funky Finds contest. You can enter multiple times to win great goods from various indie artists that have been featured in the past. Be sure to leave a link to a funky find in the comment section to be entered!

Contrary

Contrary is a cool Etsy shop full of fresh, fun and affordable jewelry for any occcasion. I love the vintage buckle necklace, as well as the Secret Garden earrings. And aren't these leaf earrings stunning? Miss Mary Contrary Andrews also has many cool prints to choose from. I really want an antique typewriter key necklace, too! How about these adorable sewing machine earrings for a seamstress you know? There are too many fabulous items at Contrary to list, so scoot on over there & check them out for yourself. Don't miss the Contrary Garden blog.

AMH Design, LLC

I saw these cool contemporary needlepoint kits by AMH Design mentioned on Design Sponge recently. You can choose a linen photo album or journal in which to display your needlepoint design on the front. The kits come with thread, instructions, needles, and everything else you need to complete this project. AMH also offers these adorable tool charm bracelets. Check out all the cool products today.

Mood Swing

Mood Swing - now that is a name I can relate to! Kristen Townsend is the creative force behind this company that strives to create off the beaten path items that give you something extra special with which to decorate your body and home. Look at this beautiful cuff complete with handsewn semi precious and glass beads. Or how about this creative piece which is a shoe clip turned necklace. The walk it like you talk it necklace is gorgeous, as is this ring. You will also find cool craft packs full of vintage papers, photos & more, as well as cool vintage pieces. The vintage collection is a wide array of goods varying from old craft kits to salt & pepper sets.

Contest Time

This is my 475th post since starting this blog in March. Leave a comment between now & my 500th post and you will be entered into a drawing for various prizes. The only catch is that in order to be entered, I ask you to leave a link to a funky find in your comment. I think this will be a great way for readers to help spread the word about indie artists & crafters, as well as cool companies, that they know of. And this will also be a way for me to show my appreciation to my loyal readers! So stop lurking & start commenting. Thanks everyone!

Foxy & Winston

Foxy & Winston was established by illustrator Jane Buck who hand draws each whimsical design. Each of her drawings are then hand screened on fine quality cards. The red hedgehogs are my favorite. I also like the brown beaver and the wonderful chocolate goat. And look at the spring chick...adorable! The unexpected blue paisley elephant is also stunning. Also available is the holiday bundle which includes five different cards. Jane does custom work as well.

Heavy Tees

Cutesypoo mentioned Heavy Tees a while back & I just had to post about their designs. The graphics on these are very unique and well designed. Some of my favorites are Hummingbird, Giant Acorn (love that smiling acorn!), and Turtle Race. Of course I also think Happy Arms for Hugging is fabulous, too! There are lots of cool men's designs, too. Check out Veggie Tiger and Swan Crown. You can sign up for the tshirt of the month club which has a meager one-time shipping fee of $5.

Creative Chaos Artistic Stamps

My favorite pair of artistic sisters, Linda Woods & Karen Dinino, recently mentioned Creative Chasos' cool stamps on their blog, Visual Chronicles. People tend to spell their names wrong (or miss the mark completely) when writing about them. I copied & pasted their names right off their blog, so if they're wrong it is not my fault. (Love ya girls!) Vickie Enkoff is Creative Chaos & she has a wonderful collection of rubber stamps, as well as art accessories & zines that she has published. The background stamps are very cool & would be perfect for collages & other projects. My favorite stamps are the hands, especially the large pointing hand. I also like the vintage labels & tags stamps. You will find stamps in just about any category you can imagine. Take some time to browse...I don't think you will be disappointed.

Indie Fixx

There's a cool new contest over at Indie Fixx called the I Support Indie Knockout Contest. You sign up by entering your name, email address & a blurb about how you are the biggest indie supporter ever. The best entries will be chosen & then a poll will be set up for viewers to vote on who's the biggest supporter. Sound fun? Of course! And the prize back is full of cool goods from Dear Monday, A Planet 4 Creation, Manic Trout, Spipo Designs, and Starchild Crafts. I plan to do future write ups about the cool goods these shops have to offer. In the meantime, sign up for the Indie Fixx contest by September 30. And be sure to check out all the awesome indie goods featured on their blog daily.

Luxe Paperie

Hostess with the Mostess recently wrote about some fabulous monkey gift wrap from Luxe Paperie. I am crazy about monkeys, so this was thrilling. But they also have tons of other great products I thought you might like, for instance the cool Halloween cards. They also carry the beautiful floral note cards by Smudge Ink, amongst others. The madarin floral cards by Little Tree Press would be nice for fall. And I love the bicycle notes by Lily & Scooter, as well as the flower skirt cards by Sugar Bean Press. There are lots of beautiful journals, invitations, and stationery sets also. Don't miss the great sale items either.

Guava Lava

Mary recently posted about a cool necklace she ordered from Guava Lava, a shop on Etsy that is full of cool mod jewelry. I love these large mod & geometric earrings. Swingin'! And look at this beautiful pair named Italy in the 60s. I really like the design of this pair, Carnival Candy, too. Of course, the little apples are darlin', too. Check out all the fun items Guava Lava has to offer today.

Maryink

I am always on the lookout for cool graphic tees, and Maryink is full of them. All of the graphics have a slightly whimsical feel to them, which I love. The turtle pond & mermaid designs are adorable. I really like the pink & brown parachute design, too. The aqua & red combo on the carriages tee is fabulous, as is the windmill tee. You will also find really cool tote bags with similar designs on them at Maryink. The sparkle cat tote is my fav!

Sewing Stars

Teresa is the creative force behind Sewing Stars and she has just recently updated her shop. She makes all kinds of cool things, my favorite being the woodland animals pouch. There's other adorable pouches with cute rabbits & other animals, too. I also love the Mr. Bunny notepad and all the adorable pins. You will also find a great pattern book with which you can make a cool octopus & more! And how about this raccoon tee? Fabulous!

Madame Butterfly Gallery

Shae Reid, a lovely soul from Victoria, Australia, has recently started a shop called Madame Butterfly Gallery with her father. They decided to embark on this journey in order to make shopping a glamorous experience for shoppers from the luxury of their own home. The boutique offers many beautiful presents & luxurious treats. There's great wedding gifts such as the bride & groom mugs and bride & groom pillow cases. There's also whimsical gifts like the bunny radio which I adore! And how cute are the cupcake tees? Madame Butterfly also offers lots of unique jewelry and accessories, as well as home decor pieces. I am dying to get my own set of desperate housewives wire corsets. Check out all the exciting products & other offerings on this site such as the creative cabinet and the fortune cookie section. Shae says she will ship most products to any location in the world, excluding very large items that would cost a bundle to ship.

Alex & Jett

Amy Lam recently started a company called Alex & Jett which specializes in customized graphic tees for children. You choose one of the playful graphics for either a girl or boy and then customize the text with their name and the year & city in which they were born. My favorites are the lollipops and Mr. Roboto. Amy's designs are so unique and innovative. I think they would make the perfect gift for a special child. Check out Alex & Jett today.

9/11/01 In Memory

2,996 is site where volunteer bloggers have joined together to pay tribute to the victims of 9/11. Thank you to Joleen for informing me about this blog. To all the victims, heroes, and loved ones left behind, you are all in my thoughts & prayers - today and always. Let us never forget that fateful day that changed all of our lives forever.

Amy Peters' Studio

Amy Peters has been designing jewelry since she was eight years old. She strives to design pieces that will inspire and become keepsakes and talismans for everyday life. I'd venture to say that she has achieved this goal. My favorite pieces are the fortune cookies, which come in a teal takeout box. I think I need one that says "take the leap." Other cool pieces include the identity bracelets that come with an inspirational message, the beautiful chunky chokers, and the dainty discs. Check out all the fabulous pieces Amy has created, as well as her blog.

Funktion

Funktion is a cool operation run by Tara & Dave, a husband & wife team that design the goods. They have a lot of great apron designs, my favorite being Jessica, of course. Raquel is pretty great, too. There's also beautiful aprons for the kiddies. I really love the wonderful dishtowels, especially the denim strawberries and the peony floral print. They have also created several beautiful hampers (does beautiful usually describe a hamper?). And for those of you lucky enough to go to the beach regularly, there are these great mats you'll want to take along.

Look What I Can Do

No, not me personally. That's the name of this terrific Etsy shop, Look What I Can Do. I love plushies, don't you? Well, this is the place to find some great ones! My favorite is Bob the Whale. Isn't he fabulous? There's also Essa the Elephant and Helsinki the Bear for you to adore. Fred the Elephant is equally adorable. And let's not forget Pencil the anorexic hippo! You can read more on the Plush-a-holic blog.

Sulu-Design

Susan O'Connor of Queens, NY, has a lovely Etsy shop called Sulu-Design. Here she sells her gorgeous handmade jewelry. I love the pieces that combine wooden discs with beads & wire, such as these lovely earrings. I love this pair that incorporates a black plastic chain as well. And the dramatic red & black pair is stunning! I think I know where I'll be doing some of my Christmas shopping this year!

The Crafty Devils

The Crafty Devils is a Seattle-based online shop dedicated exclusively to all things handmade that was started by two friends and fellow graphic designers, Nicole Sarsfield and Angie Bowlds. They have several beautiful cards that are Gocco printed. I really love the feather & pretty in pink designs. And I think these cocktail rings and dangle earrings are fabulous. I also dig the antler design on this wristlet.

Richmond Street Designs

Heather of Richmond Street Designs & I seem to have some things in common. She too is a graphic designer by day, but likes to get her hands dirty working on artwork and crafts. Heather makes these small works of art on playing cards by layering paint, vintage paper & other pieces. And each piece comes with a metal hanger on the back ready to be displayed. I find these to be very touching & thought provoking. There's also some pieces that are larger & on different mediums, as well as items such as birdhouses. Have a look around!

Anna Bella Stationery

Anna Bella Stationery, formerly know as Anna Bella Baby, is celebrating their grand REopening. I admire the designs on all the products here. I especially love the animal parade on these bookplates and the great dingbat stationery. I am a sucker for pointing hands (do not ask me why!?) There's also this adorable tooth fairy kit, perfect for celebrating your child's milestone. And I adore the pea in the pod announcements. Don't miss the great shower invites and birth announcements, as well as coordinating postage stamps. There are tons of goodies you'll want to check out & be sure to enter the coupon code GRAND25 at checkout to receive 25% off any order over $25.00.

Apartment 6A

Lots of cool creations are coming out of Apartment 6A. I love the bling that is the hug hug kiss kiss card, as well as this pretty congratulations card. There's also this really cool & clever how's it hangin' card. And who doesn't like a red Vespa? My favorite may very well be the seahorses though. They are lovely!

Chrisi.com

Chrisi.com is full of fun unique items. There's lots of adorable doggie items including these fluff dog luggage tags, this great poochy train case, and matching makeup bag. And check out the handpainted, one-of-a-kind furniture. I love the safari crate! Chrisi also has a nice selection of women's tees and other clothing pieces. Be sure to take a look at all the sale items, as well.

Danielle Maveal Jewelry

Danielle Maveal creates jewelry for the unusual & lots of little precious things. I love the etched kissing bunnies on this necklace and I am crazy for the snail earrings! You will also find kissing fish, a cool strawberry, and a hungry squirrel. Check out all the fabulous goodies on Etsy & on Danielle's website.

Love This Life

Loving the life we're leading isn't always easy. But perhaps that's why we all need one of these cute tees to remind us to love this life. The site says this clothing is "an ever-evolving collection of women's and men's sweatshop-free apparel that celebrates where you are at at any given moment...knowing all-too-well that no moment should be taken for granted." I really like this vintage tee emblazoned with a beautiful butterfly & the manifesto "love this life." There's also cool ribbed tank tops, guitar tanks, and thermal tops. Check out all the awesome products & remind yourself to love this life.

Red Cap Cards

Carrie Gifford and Hal Mertz are the creative forces behind Red Cap Cards. They have successfully combined their passion for ink and art to create the whimsical world of Red Cap Cards. It's impossible to narrow down a few favorites when all of the illustrations on the cards are just so wonderful. I see these images & I feel like I can escape to a Wonderland-like world that is happy & fun. There's box sets available for various holidays & occassions, as well as invitations. And do not miss the fabulous baby clothing & women's clothing that bears the same great illustrations. Again, I cannot pick one (or even five) favorites. Everything is so delightful!

Emily Allyn

Emily Allyn has created the most adorable clothing for infants and toddlers based on the premise that everyone has silly nicknames for their children (and I'll admit, lots of these nicknames are ones I use when talking to my pooch). You choose one of their adorable design to have printed on any of the various clothing styles. I love the peanut, monkey, and baby cakes designs! Emily Allyn also donates to several important organizations, making me love the company even more.

Rose and Radish

Rose and Radish stocks many wonderfully designed items. I've featured Sidepony before & Rose and Radish sells the fabulous good feelings cards. I love the whimsical Wonderland cards by Stolen Chicken, as well as the baby fever card set and the great greeting cards by Saturate. Rose and Radish also sells the Atelier Lzc dishcloths we seem to talk about every other day or so...and great prints and steel pieces to boot. How cute is this deer pillow by K Studio? And my favorite...a deer coathanger by Pakhuis Oost.

Lucha Workshop

Lucha Workshop creates original bags and tees that are hand-screened & hand-sewn. The handbags are screened with funky images, my favorite being the deer. I really love the color combo & design of this teal bag. And the factory graphic on this bag is captivating for some reason. Of course the bunny complete with a pompom tail is fabulous! Who wouldn't want a little pouch with a mermaid tail on it? Be sure to check out all the cool tees Lucha Workshop has created, as well as their blog. The news of a thread & thimble strike had me rolling on the floor in my pjs this morning! More bling for string!

Set

Alison Riley, founder of Set, strives to offer intelligent designs at an intelligent price. I think the truth hurts set is a very intellegent design indeed. I know in my heart you lied...that one struck a major chord with me. Who hasn't want to express that sentiment at one point or another? I also like the stop talking cards and the knots. There's also these cool chipboard cards and gift cards you are sure to like.