FriedaSophie

FriedaSophie is a jewelry designer based in San Francisco, California. Her handcrafted organic modern nature-based mineral stone jewelry in unusual colors sets her products apart from the masses. FriedaSophie says that she is passionate about designing & she feels that her jewelry adds a new fresh & modern style to the world of accessories. Using carefully selected gemstones in combination with sterling silver & 14k gold, each piece makes a bold statement. The Green Chrysoprase Triangle Necklace (pictured) is a perfect example of this.

Each piece is so gorgeous & feminine, making it hard to narrow down which ones to feature here. I love turquoise, especially for Spring & Summer, and the Rectangle Turquoise Earrings (pictured) are exceptional, as is the 14k gold Turquoise Rondelle Necklace. If I had to choose an absolute favorite, I believe I would choose the Onyx Ametyst Cluster Earrings because the color combination & shape are so wonderful.

To see some of FriedaSophie's one-of-a-kind pieces that are sold out, visit her Tumblr site. Also, Funky Finds readers will receive FREE SHIPPING with coupon code FREEBLOG.

Milk & Honey Naturals

Milk & Honey Naturals features products that are organic, vegan, and of course handmade. Courtney Cascante says her creative process is sporadic & would seem hectic to some people. Inspired by new places & foods encountered when traveling, she gets the creative bug & begins creating until she is simply worn out. Using environmentally-friendly products, Courtney whips up products like Rosemary Lavender soap and Amber, Clove & Nutmeg soap for men. The NY Black & White Snickerdoodle soap (pictured) sounds especially delightful, as does the Revitalizing Mint Chocolate Rosemary soap. If you're looking for a nice gift, don't miss the Organic Exotic Handmade Soap Gift that is made up of four soaps of your choice. Receive a 10% discount with coupon code FUNKYFINDS10. Expires February 28, 2011.

Crash Pad Designs

Philadelphia-based designer, Renee Pedro, says she started Crash Pad Designs in 2009,"because coming home should make you smile." Inspired by her new home, an obsession with mid-century culture and design, and her 1963 Philco electric oven, Renee has created a line of Earth-friendly home textiles. Adding to the eco-friendliness is the fact that all the inks and dyes are either water or soy-based, then set with heat instead of chemicals. Her original fabrics, available by the yard, and handmade home textile items are all fun AND functional. I love the lampshades that all sport a funky print made of organic cotton. The shades are available in four sizes; however, Renee is open to custom orders. If you're looking to add a mod vibe to your kitchen, you don't want to miss the tea towels. The 14"x26" towels are also made of 100% organic cotton and can be machine washed, making them great gifts, too. Renee is working to add wallpaper to her product line, so check back soon. Receive a 20% discount with coupon code 005831 (expires May 31).

Funky Five: Earth Day Finds

1. Upcycled Silver Snake Bucket Hat by Silent Sea Studios

2. Japanese Woodblock Ornament by Rimrock View Studio

3. Handmade Vegan Soaps by Earth Natural Essentials

4. The Fern Tank Top by Orgotton

5. Soft Orange Handmade Paper by Astonishing Handmade

Love & Luck Greetings

Alana and Javier Marmanillo are the brilliant husband & wife team behind the wonderful stationery company Love & Luck Greetings. The duo recently launched their first e-commerce site featuring their hand-drawn designs on greeting cards, matchboxes and soaps. What separates these greeting cards from other stationery lines are the original illustrations. The cards are hand-drawn by Javier and feature color & typography by Alana. Also unique to Love & Luck is the fact that all of their greeting cards, invitations, and products are available in Spanish. The products are adorned with genuine Swarovski crystals and are all made in the USA.

*GIVEAWAY - Closed: Love & Luck Greetings is giving away 10 cards and one organic soap. To enter, simply visit their website & leave a comment on this post noting one of your favorite products. Giveaway ends at Midnight EST, Tuesday, December 29.

stickers by dVider

Stickers by dVider has recently undergone some new and exciting changes. The creative team has been busy dreaming up fresh new designs to add to their selection of fun, easy-to-use vinyl decals. The latest addition to the sticker collection is an entirely new sticker series, appropriately entitled "eclectic." This new category has been designed with the imaginative and free-spirited in mind - it's retro, it's smart, it's funny, and it's completely different. I love the French Bulldog, as well as the classic cameo. The other unique categories range from organic to edgy.

*GIVEAWAY - Closed, Congrats Suzy! Stickers by dVider is giving away one Cameo Wall Sticker in the winner's color choice. To enter, visit Stickers by dVider & leave a comment on this post noting your favorite design. Giveaway ends at Midnight EST, Tuesday, October 27.

Catchall Jewelry

Sonia of Catchall Jewelry creates wire-wrapped, Indian-inspired jewelry. The Citrus earrings are festive pieces featuring jade teardrop beads, honey jasper and red aventurine. I love the bold red Bombay Earrings and the interesting Copper Coral earrings. If you're looking for a pair of earrings that are a bit simpler in design, you may like the organic Mod Sprout pair. Sonia also designs intricate bracelets & necklaces that are works of art themselves.

Tracy's Treats

Tracy Artman, owner and founder of Tracy's Treats, Inc., creates fantastic body care products that I had the pleasure of sampling. She says her company was born out of her own personal skin care needs, as she has extremely sensitive skin. Most of us now know that the soaps and lotions that are widely available in the marketplace do more damage than good to our skin. Lucky for us, Tracy has worked hard to formulate products that will be a true treat to your skin. My favorite product that I sampled is the pink sugar scented whipped shea butter. This luxurious product is similar in consistency to whipped cream and a little goes a long way ensuring that you will definitely get your money's worth. The shea butter lotion hearts, Tracy's signature product, are perfect for moisturizing your hands, cuticles, elbows, knees, and feet. I am addicted to lip balm & Tracy's all natural lip balm is one I will definitely continue to come back to. Tracy's Treats now offers 14 unique and handmade skin care products, so treat yourself today!

*GIVEAWAY: For your chance to win organic whipped shea butter, a shea butter all natural lip balm, a single shea butter lotion heart and a room spray from Tracy's Treats, simply visit her website & leave a comment on this post noting which product you'd most like to try. Giveaway ends at Midnight CST, Saturday, May 30.

Freshly Blended Press

New York-based designer Nicole Lecht has a love of books and paper goods that is evident when looking at the products in her shop, Freshly Blended Press. I love the heavy-duty journals featuring illustrations by Lara Cameron that are hand-silkscreened on 100% organic fabric. The red and white Gingko journal is beautiful, as are the houses and bicycles. Freshly Blended also offer matchbook style notepads and small vintage wallpaper flip books that are bound with vintage wallpaper and waxed linen thread. Nicole also offers a limited-edition set of gocco prints featuring land birds.

Kiss My Style

Kiss My Style has many treats perfect for all types. The newest addition to this shop is the organic bath care products. The organic bath mit is handmade using a hemp and organic cotton blend. You will also find great pampering items, like the eye pillows and Nourish Nail & Cuticle Oil. This is the perfect remedy for dry, brittle nails, or nails with ridges and splits. Kiss My Style has many other products including those for children and the home. Take some time & browse through all the fantastic items this shop has to offer.

AG Ambroult

Amy Ambroult is a jeweler and metalsmith located in the Boston area. Her contemporary designs have an earthy, yet urban, tone. Designs such as the Orbit earrings are sleek and organic at the same time, bridging nature and industry. The Sweet Silhouette dog necklace wins me over as it resembles my lovable Yellow Labrador. And the Mobile Earrings are innovative and extremely unique. Amy says she crafts these "elegant and elemental" pieces for the up-to-the-minute gal who has an eye on nature, her feet firmly on the pavement, and her finger on the pulse of the evolving world. I think we would all like to believe that we fit that description, so why not dress the part & accessorize with Amy's beautiful pieces?

The Recovery

The Recovery is a unique company that works to provide the utmost care to those who have undergone surgery or recently given birth. Their line of all-in-one recovery kits takes the guesswork out of the search for the perfect recovery products. Taking care of women who have just given birth is important so that she is better able to care for her newborn. Some of the treasures found within the recovery kits are creams, salves and sprays that minimize stretch marks, scars and other postpartum ailments, luxury spa robes, chic c-section underwear, aromatherapy eye pillows, abdominal compression binders, postpartum recovery cds, reacher tools, spa candles, and gourmet organic chocolates. All-natural and organic products are used wherever possible and each kit is delivered within an eco-friendly reusable tote or beautiful designer diaper bag by Not Rational. As of now, The Recovery offers six different kits for new moms - three for c-section recovery and three for childbirth recovery. Receive a 15% discount on any item with coupon code funkyfinds15.

Kaya's Kloset

Johanna Parker of Kaya's Kloset recently released a new line of organic children's shoes. The products are made usine unbleached organic cotton fabric with reclaimed corduroy soles. The shoes are even sewn with organic thread & are hand-painted with designs especially created for Kaya's Kloset by Boston-area artist Miranda Greenhalgh. Custom orders are also welcome & all available fabrics can be viewed online. All the Kaya's Kloset products can be purchased via Etsy, including the organic line. Enter FunkyFour in the "Notes to Seller" section when checking out & you will receive a revised invoice for $4 off your order (good through 2/28/09).

BLOX

BLOX is a line of contemporary geometric jewelry created by San Diego designers Magdalena Kubik and Lori Reynolds. Their line consists of accessories made from glass and metal tiles with sterling silver. I love the combination of wood and silver used to create the wood necklace. There's lots of cool square, rectangle and circle shaped necklaces to choose from. The white and turquoise circle necklace is another favorite of mine. This creative duo has also created many other beautiful items, including earrings, bracelets and rings. If you like unique stylish accessories, then BLOX is for you.

Little Pies & Heddyjack - The Shops @ Funky Finds

As I mentioned on Wednesday we launched The Shops @ Funky Finds. I hope you will all take some time to visit the shops that have opened up so far. Just so you know, we do not take your credit card information through our site. All transactions go through the secure PayPal site. This insures that there will be no violation of privacy and no issues of theft.

Little Pies is one of the latest shops to open. Amanda creates yummy homemade doggy treats that are available in a variety of flavors. My Chihuahua Abigail has had the privilege of enjoying some of Little Pies' treats in the past & loved them.

Heddyjack is another fantastic shop that features organically designed jewelry made of stone and wire. I absolutely love the beautiful Emerald Valley Turquoise ring, as well as the Royston Turquoise Ring that is equally appealing.

Visit the other great Shops that are open & check back often for new Shops opening!

Oracle Organics

Oracle Organics recently sent me a generous box of their organic vegan products to try out. I have been using the foaming body wash, bloom mask, rosemary mint body butter, & soothing lavender soap for a few weeks & have been very impressed with the quality of these products. All of the products smell divine, transporting me to a place of serenity & relaxation. The light smell of spearmint in the body wash is a wonderful treat at the beginning & end of a long day. Oracle Organics believes that no living being should have to needlessly suffer for our luxuries; therefore, all of their products are vegan and NEVER tested on animals. Also, they are not one of the many companies partially or minimally using organic ingredients in their products. All of the ingredients are either organic, wild harvested or cultivated without the use of chemicals. Other products that sound equally fabulous are the bath crystals, massage oils, & herbal oils. I urge you to treat yourself or someone you love to a few of these wonderful products. You are sure to pleased!