Expressions in Leather by Brigit



Brigit's love affair with leather began in 1970 while in college. With a $25 investment and some encouragement from a leather supplier in Denver she was on her way.

She immediately became hooked on the texture, the grain and the feel of fine leather. It is a natural product with endless possibilities for creativity. She uses cowhide for almost everything she makes with an occasional piece of pigskin for a lining or an overlay.

Although Brigit takes her leather work very seriously she has never used it to make a living. This allows her to spend more time on each piece without worrying what she will charge. Her reward comes in the personal satisfaction of knowing that she has created something that will be used and enjoyed.
Even after 37 years she finds the time she spends in her studio to be very rewarding.

Brigit stands behind every item in her shop and wants you to be completely satisfied with your purchase. If for any reason you are not, she will work with you to ensure your satisfaction.



As you can see from Brigit's shop she still makes some "retro" items that are a throw back to her early years, but she works to keep up to date with things like cell phone and MP3 cases. Right now she seems to be going through a bright color phase. She has some absolutely gorgeous colors of leather.

In Brigit's leather Etsy shop you will find completely handcrafted gifts and accessories in leather and suede. She is a one-person shop so she makes everything from start to finish. Her work area is smoke and pet free.

She is continually adding new items so stop back and browse often. Don't hesitate to ask and send her and Etsy convo if you have a question or want something special made that you currently don't see in her shop.

Location: Sewell, New Jersey, USA

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Loveclay - Handmade Polymer Clay Crafts and Jewelry




Her name is Sarah, she is 18 and she uses her Loveclay Etsy shop to help her save for college. She sells polymer clay jewelry ad crafts. She has always loved arts and crafts. As a kid she was always doing something creative. In high school she took six classes of art including AP Art. Someone asked her what got her started on making things out of clay, and when she really thought about it she realized it was because she saw someones blog with tutorials on how to make beads and it seemed easy enough to roll some clay in a ball, poke a hole to make a bead and bake, voila! It started out as cheap stocking stuffers for Christmas for her sisters but soon she realized the possibilities are endless and that was what she really loves about it.




Each of Sarah's pieces are handcrafted. She is open to customizing pieces so just send her an email: loveclay@hotmail.com.

She really like robots :) She has always loved Star Wars. R2-D2 was her favorite along with C-3PO coming in a close second. She wanted to come up with a new type of robot so that is what she did with her Loveclay Etsy shop. She also has some mini robots that are a bit more traditional and would compliment a charm bracelet or necklace very well. Sarah has recently made her robots into smaller versions for earrings and cell phone charms. She is hoping to sell more robots so she can expand more into a new direction.

Sarah (just like the rest of us [knits4kids]) wishes Etsy would feature more polymer clay artists and she hopes that someday she will make it on the Etsy front page.

Please also look at Loveclay's blog where she features items. So submit yours!
You can follow LoveClay4 on Twitter, fan Loveclay on Facebook or add Sarah's Flickr.

Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA

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Angelic Folk - Bespoke Clothing For Your Little Angels



Karen is a SAHM (stay at home mother) mum of three, one daughter 16 and two sons five and two. Her oldest son is autistic and the inspiration behind her business. There are only so many rummage sales and village fetes that you can organise, and franky she got sick and tired of being rained on to raise £4.29p. Hence Angelic Folk was born. 20% of her annual profit is donated to the National Autistic Society who do such a fantastic job of raising awareness and fighting for the rights of autistic people of all ages in the UK. The remainder of the money is reinvested into the company.

This is her way of saying thank you to them and of doing something positive to help. She has another account on Etsy under the user name tipsylipsy.



At Angelic Folk you will find clothing from casual day wear to formal wear and christening gowns. If you can't find it now, contact Karen through Etsy conversation and she would be happy to make something to suit your requiements and budget.

Angelic Folk only buys small quantities of each fabric and unless asked to do otherwise will only make one of each style of clothing each fabric and color choice which means every item she makes is unique. They will make items in the same style but not with the same fabric.

Karen can add embroidery or appliques and personalise items too. If you can't see anything you like in her stores, please contact her, she will be happy to research colours and fabric to suit you and can usually have your item ready within a week of buying the fabric. Everything is handmade, and so each item will be unique to you. Angelic Folk can stitch anything to anything**, so if you'd like a special dedication or message on one of their phantastic products they can do that too.

For more information visit Angelic Folk's main website: www.angelicfolk.co.uk and follow Tipsylipsy on Twitter. In addition to raising money for the National Autistic Society she is also a member of the Etsy Angels team which is raising money for the Susan G Komen fund during October.

Location: Billingborough, UK

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Arthur Simo's Art Kingdom



His name is Arthur Simo, he is a teenager, born in 1992 and he has Autism. He loves to paint because he has fun creating each picture. He enjoys playing nintendo, watching movies and reading about sharks, space, the Universe, dinosaurs, aliens, Egypt and collecting fossils. He skates, rides horses and bikes. He is taking a Tai Kwon Do class and he is a green belt.

Autism is a "bio-neurological disorder that is observable in early childhood with symptoms of abnormal self-absorption, characterised by lack of response to other humans and by limited ability or disinclination to communicate and socialize. Other symptoms include avoiding eye contact, sensory integration dysfunction, and restricted and repetitive behaviors such as stims." [www.wiktionary.org]

What are Arthur's social issues? A good example is having difficulties keeping up with teenagers. He loves to talk about space, planets, sharks, dinosaurs, rocks, aliens and teenagers are interested in other things and they will bore him, just as he will bore them. Further his communication will connect with his behavior because he lacks the meaning of some words. This will get him in trouble sometimes at school when he asks the teacher if she does not know how to read his work.

Arthur is attending Hialeah High School and he is in 12th grade. He loves wood-shop and cooking. He belies in God and he attends church every Sunday. He speaks Spanish because his parents are Cubans.



Arthur invites you to look into his world full of art, because art is his life. In his paintings he will show you a vision of his own nature, into his pictures. He will paint as he imagines them, not as he sees them. He doesn't know any rules, because art for him is freedom. He invites you to see through his eyes and to discover the road to unlocking the mysteries of Autism.

Arthur's mother Adriana just opened up the "Simo's World" shop on Zazzle to promote Arthur's art. His paintings and drawings are displayed on mugs, t-shirts, aprons, cards, etc.

You can visit Arthur on Ebay and follow Adrianasimo on Twitter.

Location: Hialeah, Florida, USA

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Roses Bloom - Recycled Lovely Yarn for Lovely Sweaters



She loves recycling sweaters. Rose Bloom is a very addicted knitter, but when she got laid off from her geologist job, she decided to start making yarn out of old thrift store sweaters. She had been wanting to do this for so long, but never had the room, time, or motivation to do it. Now she has more time and a lot more umphf!

She doesn't know about how much room she has though. Her husband and Rose live in a one bedroom apartment on the north side of the building. The live with a cat who is constantly fighting her for her yarn. They don't smoke.



Maybe you are wondering why Rose would go through all of the trouble to rip out, wash, skein, weigh, and measure thrift store sweater yarn. There are multiple reasons. First, she is reusing/recycling something that had no purpose other than to be a manufactured sweater that someone did not want anymore. Thereby she is reducing her own carbon footprint by reusing already made yarns. Plus, since a thrift store sweater is quite cheap and produces a lot of yarn, she can offer you the yarn for a good deal.

There are two reasons to buy reused yarn:
1. Nice to the environment
2. Nice to your wallet

Rose doesn't cut any corners. She reuses all of the little ends from the sweaters to tie her skeins together. The paper label is made from reused paper. And she uses environmentally safe soaps to wash her yarn!

She has a RosesBloom-Recycled-Yarns Facebook page, she keeps the "Nosie Rosie Knits" blog and if you are interested in knit items, check out her Nosie Rosie Etsy shop.

Location: Denver, Colorado, USA

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Le Chat Noir Studios - Original Handmade Fantasy Art Dolls on Etsy



Her name is Laura Bartlett and she has been creating art since she had her first art show at the age of five. Crayola never looked better on her Grandma's dining room wallpaper. Grandma said she would grow up to be an artist.

Laura taught art in public school for a while, but quit to pursue her own art. She had been making dolls for several years. A documentary on Ray Harryhausen helped her develop her dollmaking technique of working from the inside out on her pieces. She creates a wire armature, wraps it with yarn, builds up the muscles with batting and skin the piece by hand sewing fabric over the surface.
Her jewelry is made by beading over covered cord.

She has a minor cerebral palsy that affects her right hand and leg so she had to come up with a way to work somewhat one handed. Laura can hold things in her right hand but that's about it. She uses handcast resin eyes in both her dolls and jewelry work. Her interest in mythology, history and fantasy is evident in her work.



Laura is willing to make custom pieces. Please feel free to contact her with ideas through conversations in her Le Chat Noir Studios' Etsy shop.

Her husband MJ Bivouac is adding his work to the Chat Noir. He is an illustrator and sculptor and he is known online for his pin-up and erotic art work. He has also worked in motion picture effects. He makes the epoxy eyes from the Chat Noir line.

Laura recently started to write a blog named "Twisted Beauty" where she regularly posts thoughts on art dolls and celebrates the strange and unique.

In the interview "Spotlight Feature #25 - Laura Bartlett" which Laura gave to Sara's Texture Crafts on March 5th 2008, Laura states the two most important skills as a doll maker as having a basic understanding of anatomy and having basic hand sewing skills.

Le Chat Noir Studios specializes in fantasy, and mythological art dolls, plush and fabric fantasy animals, Cthulhu monsters, beaded and hand painted jewelry, pin up art and illustrations. She also does custom work like logos and one of a kind pieces.

Le Chat Noir is a proud member of the Freethinkers Street Team and she runs a smoke-free, cat friendly studio. You can also follow ChatNoirsMeow on Twitter.

Location: Lancaster, California, USA

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Unique Baby Quilt Boutique - Quilts as Unique as Your Baby






This mother of four, wife, and teacher of Gifted Education for over 35 years has always been a lifelong learner with a passion for quilting.



As a youngster, Sharon learned the art of quilting and the love of sewing from her Grandmother, as she sat for hours with her listening to the hum of the sewing machine and watching her hands gently rock back and forth, as she created what she came to love as her beautiful patchwork quilts.

Many scores of her own quilts later, she decided to put this passion together with an up and coming venture idea – marketing on line. Thus, Unique Baby Quilt Boutique was born.

Sharon sews each unique, one-of-a-kind baby quilt in a variety of original and innovative designs. A perfect combination of comfort and creativity, hand quilted by herself or her business partner, Sharlene. Both are mothers who know from personal experience what babies want and need. All quilts are made to be both durable and beautiful. These one of a kind quilts are sewn from 100% cotton and baby flannel fabrics and are machine washable and dryable.

When registering your name and email, you will receive a 10 - 20 % discount off the online price and have access to the newest handmade baby quilts, before they are even placed on the website.

You can follow babyquiltlady on Twitter and become a fan of Unique Baby Quilt Boutique on Facebook.

Unique Baby Quilt Boutique would love to hear from you. You can contact them through the website by filling out a contact form or send Sharon an email.

Location: South Florida, USA


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Two Best Friends - Joyful Art Factory



They are two best friends, mothers of three and four kids. Bibi and Nanda have a passion for handmade products, love to create and design art, sharing lots of precious memories... The Joyful Art factory was born.

Bibi, lives in Holland, mother of four, creative, kind-hearted, temperamented, honest, loving, best friend.
Nanda lives in Spain, mother of three, creative, colorful, passionated, loveable, reliable, best friend.



A personal, custom handmade gift is one of the sweetest and most unique gifts to give or to receive. The Joyful Art Factory loves it when someone takes the effort in giving them or their own kids such a special present. These special present are gifts for live.

All items are hand made with lots of love.and they are original and from their heart.
If you would like to receive more pictures of an item, please contact Joyful Art Factory through Etsy conversations and they will send them to you.

Important for the Holidays or special occasions, Joyful Art Factory offers free gift wrapping, and if you wish they will include a card with your message for the happy receiver.

Besides the official website www.ja-factory.com, Joyful Art Factory maintains a blog "JA Factory - Jewels & Art, Gifts, Decoration and Accessories... Handmade with Love..." and you can follow jafactory on Twitter.

Additional kids decoration items, accessories and jewels can be found at Nanda's other Lil' Miss Polkadot Etsy shop which was introduced in the article "Lil' Miss Polkadot - Paintings, Accessories and Handmade Gifts for Everyone" in the crafters and artisans directory.

For the future, Bibi and Nanda are planning on opening a special Etsy shop for webdesign, graphics, banners and invitations etc. If interested, they are already taking custom orders.

Location: Alhaurin el Grande, Spain

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Lil' Miss Polkadot - Paintings, Accessories and Handmade Gifts for Everyone



She is a stay at home mom of three and she loves to be creative...
Nanda's biggest inspiration is her very own lil' miss Polkadot, her daughter, as well as her other two miracles. Her family means the world to her.

They live in Spain, another big inpiration for her. The bright colours from the Flamenco Dresses, colors of the food, happy people, the sea...

Every little piece she sells in her Lil' Miss Pokadot Etsy store is unique and made by herself with lots of love... precious, as life itself... She loves to make custom orders! Have fun while you are checking out her creations!



Lil' Miss Polkadot offers a variety of custom original artwork, handpainted nursery or kids room art, decor, personalized letters, initials, jewelry, accessories, gifts and more.

The things Nanda makes are great gifts for just about anyone... kids, babies, adults and everyone else. You will find the perfect gift for a birth, birthday, wedding, baby shower, parties, or just-because. She believes that a personal, custom made gift is one of the sweetest and unique gifts to give or to receive. She personally loves it when someone takes the effort in giving her or her kids such a special present. These are presents for live.

Do you see something but you can not afford it? Contact her through Etsy conversations and she will see what she can do for you...

You may choose and order from the designs in her Etsy shop, or previous work, or she can create something new, only for you. If you prefer a custom made item, please send her an Etsy conversation with details and she will make a special listing for you!

Each piece of her artwork is original and made with love. This can be seen in her pictures Flickr. Follow Nanda Lilmisspolkadot on Twitter, it's easier to stay in touch with her and take a peek at her wonderful Lil' Miss Polkadot blog.

She also just opened another Etsy shop, the JA Factory. You can read more about it in "Two Best Friends - Joyful Art Factory".

Location: Alhaurin el Grande, Spain

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Chasing My Star - Snuggle Monsters



She has been having a lot of fun dreaming up new snuggle monsters to make. Chasing My Star will be posting more in the near future.

Each monster comes with an official Monster Birth Certificate and Biography card. If you would like specific details included please send her a message through Etsy conversion at her store www.chasingmystar.etsy.com or send her an email to mary@chasingmystar.com.

Monsters like the ones she sews and sells will also be donated to charity.

Some of her favorite charities include:
- SPIRIT JUMP - Uplifting the spirits of cancer patients through unexpected gifts.
- COMFORT ZONE CAMP - A fun, safe, and free camp for grieving children. (locations in Virginia, New Jersey, California, & soon Massachusetts.
- THE TOY SOCIETY - Spreading love throughout the streets of the world with handmade toys looking for a nice home.



Chasing My Star welcomes custom orders but please keep in mind that it may take up to two weeks to complete. If faster service is needed please contact her for additional information.

ChasingMyStar announces every "birth" of a new monster on Twitter. Please visit her website for inspiring monster pictures at www.chasingmystar.com. In her scarce spare time as a monster mommy she enjoys working on her Chasing My Star blog.

Location: Richmond, VA, USA

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Squidkid Design - Handmade Creations, Children Clothing, Accessories, and more...






As a mom Martha Salazar always enjoys sewing and creating stuff and she sees SquidKid as an opportunity to share with you and your children the things that she makes.
Based in Vancouver and launched in 2009 her online store offers handmade children's clothing, accessories, and more.

Martha grew up in Mexico. Her mother had a sewing shop at their home where she learned all about sewing but she didn't carry on with it. In 2007 when her daughter was born she finally got back into sewing again after working in international trade for the dairy industry, teaching English as a Second Language (ESL), and moving to Canada to volunteer.

She loves to hear from you! She reads every message and comment. You can send her an Etsy convo or send her an email: m.salazar@squidkid.ca. She is happy to get your comments, questions, or suggestions. She will be constantly adding more products. Please keep in touch and visit her Squidkid Etsy store again.



Launched in September 2009, SquidKid creates fun and comfortable children items for those who prefer a unique and handmade style for the little ones in their lives. Martha also developed her own unique eco-friendly and reusable party supplies.

Remember you can order in advance and pick up for free at any tradeshow Squidkid Design participates in. (You will get a refund for shipping charges). SquidKid will be at:

*The Children's Trunk Show Vancouver - Nov 6th and 7th
*Make It Vancouver - Nov 20th to 22nd

Browse through the store and pick a special item for your little one (and yourself) to enjoy. All designs are copyright to SquidKid and were photographed by Chad Galloway.

Become a Fan of Squidkid Design on Facebook or follow Squidkid on Twitter. Besides Martha's Etsy store you can also purchase directly from her official Squidkid Design website.

Generally SquidKid offers in-house designs, however Martha is always excited to find other creative mothers and share their wonderful creations with our kids. SquidKid promotes buying handmade by featuring the work of other creative mothers. These creations are available for you to enjoy as well.

Exclusively for readers and visitors of the Crafters and Artisans directory, Squidkid Design offers a 10% discount on a first order. To redeem the coupon, mention code: MAF1017 when placing an order and Martha will send a refund.

Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

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Silver Sun Alpacas - Handspun, Spinning Fiber, Batts, Yarns, Spindles, Handpainted, Roving



She saw her first alpaca in 2004. It was love at first sight. After one year full of research and visiting different alpaca ranches, she purchased her first females. A year later, they moved from a big city to a small rural town, and were able to house their alpacas in their own pastures.

Silver Sun Alpacas is located in the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley in Southern California, nestled on 5 flat acres, among California's famous wineries.
Silver Sun Alpacas breeds and raises alpacas with the finest bloodlines.
Their goal is to offer buyers quality and healthy alpacas at affordable prices. They are determined to provide the best possible service, dedication, and ongoing support to their customers, and to continue this tradition for many generations.

Silver Sun offers a selection of raw fiber, hand spun and mill processed yarns and handmade knits used from their own alpacas' fiber. She also likes to hand-dye and make beautiful batts on her drum carder and hand-spin on her Kromski, Minstrel.



At Silver Sun Alpacas Etsy and Artfire stores, you will find Alpaca yarn, Handspun yarn, Drum card's batts, handpainted roving, and handpainted alpaca yarn, all made with love.

Spinners and knitters, if spinning is not your cup'o'tea and you like to work with her batt, she will be delighted to spin it for you. Contact her through her Etsy store at www.silversunalpacas.etsy.com.

She has been portrayed twice in the "Daily Chum - A Daily Dose of Fibermania" in the articles "ESotD: Silver Sun Alpacas" and "Spinning: Beautiful Batts". Additionally she entertains her own blog "Silver Sun Alpacas" where you can find out all about alpacas, creations, muses and fiber art.

Join her Ravelry group or follow SilverSunFibers on Twitter for shop updates and she is proud to be a contributor to Phat Fiber Sample Box. Become a Fan of Silver Sun Alpacas on Facebook and check out her wonderful photostream on Flickr.





Location: Santa Ynez, California, USA

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Dutch Felt Art - Felt Made with Love and Passion



Monique Smelik believes that beautiful things can be made with materials straight from mother nature. She enjoys working with fibers and mix them up to create ooak felted items. Additionally she dyes silk and other fibers to get wonderful combinations and material mixes.
She makes all items with love and great pleasure finding her greatest inspiration in her daughter.

The process of wet felting although very intensive is also very relaxing and while she is working on a piece, almost always new ideas pop up. Monique compares working with fibers with painting. Both make life natural and beautiful.

Monique started experimenting with fibers years ago. First she began with spinning fibers and later she developed her passion for felting. Felting has many things in common with painting; it is therapeutic and yet abstract objects can be made. Up until last year she was teaching many felting workshops.



Her DutchFeltArt stores on Etsy and Artfire are the places where pure natural handfelted and hand dyed products can be found. As the Etsy Mini pictures demonstrate, Monique specializes in wet felting, needle felting and crazy wool techniques. Her mission is to make unique things with natural materials (fibers, nunofelt, silk, textiles) and she loves to experiment with mixed media.

All items are original designs by Monique Smelik and she welcomes custom orders.

Feel free to follow DutchFeltArt on Twitter, on Flickr or visit Monique's Dutch Felting Art website.







Location: Zierikzee, The Netherlands

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Crochetgal's Wearable Art, Affordable Yarns and Handcrafted Soap Dishes




Although she learned the art of crochet as a teenager in the 70s, it fell by the wayside as Crochetgal's life adventure took its path.

It resurfaced again at the start of the new millenium with one little Winnie the Pooh for a friend's grandchild as a Christmas gift. Before Winnie could even be delivered to that little one, friends were asking to purchase Winnie from her. Little did she know that it would eventually turn into a small business. Within a few years, Crochetgal was trying various methods of crochet, along with different pattern designs and before long she was actually designing a few simple pieces.

Currently, she is a crochet professional working in the industry. She loves to work with any type of materials. Her philosophy is that "If it can be stranded, it can be crocheted with." Many of Crochetgal's items are of her own crochet design, some of which have been featured in major publications. Her passion is using antique and exploded lace techniques. Most of her wearables are one of a kind pieces. She is always looking for fresh, new ideas so if there is something that you would like her to make, please get in touch. She enjoys a challenge and as long as she has a picture to go by, she can usually make the item.

Crochetgal is an 'out of the closet' yarnaholic and just cannot pass up a good bargain. Crochetgal is involved in the collector car hobby in her spare time and can occasionally be spotted at various car shows and racetracks around the state.



Crochetgal loves to design and to share her crocheted creations with the rest of the world. As the Etsy Mini pictures indicate, each piece is made with the utmost attention paid to details. All wearables are individually numbered and logged.

All yarns that she sells are new, coming directly from the manufacturer. If there is a yarn that you like but it is not in the right colour or if you need a different quantity please contact her through her Etsy shop www.crochetgal.etsy.com.

The soapdishes are made at Crochetgal's and her partners shop from selected hardwoods. Should a different quantity of soapdishes be required other than what is listed in the shop, that can be arranged as well.

Crochetgal can usually be found at many of the various art and craft shows in the Phoenix area throughout the year.

Crochetgal is a proud member of:
- The Crochet Guild of America (CGOA)
- The EtsyHookers Etsy team!!
- Team SASsy (Sellers Assisting Sellers)
- EtsyFast (Etsy Fiber Arts team)!
- CreateCrochet Team!
- Member of the Altruism on Etsy team

Crochetgal believes that 'What you sow, so shall ye reap'. She heartily supports the local Project Linus group and believes that every child needs a blanket to call their own. A donation is made to the local Project Linus group each month.
Other local charities are also supported as the need arises.

More of her work can be found at Flickr by crochetgal (if you see something you like on Flickr she can list it for you), she blogs under "Crochetgal's Confessions of a Yarnaholic" and she tweets as Crochetgal.

As a certified yarnaholic she operates a small yarn buying group. The group is open to anyone wishing to purchase beautiful yarns at great prices.

Location: Phoenix, Arizona, USA

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Paws 'n Tails Cat Collars - Fashionable Accessories for the Kitty in Your Life



She loves animals and her family has two cats: Nine year old Gracie and ten year old Gibson. They adopted both from the SPCA as older adult cats. Gibson is a 14 lb longhaired Buff manx and is a truly faithful friend (they say manx are the dogs of the cat world). Gracie is also a longhaired Buff cat but non-manx (has a tail). They are both quite attached to staying in the house which is a good thing. Gracie does enjoy gazing outside at the birds and Gibson slinks out occasionally to munch on some grass before he darts back into the house. Both cats leave tremendous amounts of buff-colored hair all over the house and on their clothes. Paw's n Tails has become a compulsive vacuumer/lint-fur brusher.

She lives with her husband and three children on lovely Vancouver Island just a few blocks from the ocean - just loves the smell of the sea and that cool ocean breeze. They enjoy watching the deer munching on their plants in their front yard and watching eagles and herons fly overhead. It doesn't get much better than that!



Welcome to Paws 'n Tails, home of the fashionable line of soft, fabric cat collars and harnesses worn by discriminating felines worldwide.

All cat collars come in size regular 7-11" opening.
Available on request (on non-sale items) is size kitten 5-9" opening and mega kitty 9-13" opening. Just put a note in the 'message from buyer' as to the special size you need. Wholesale enquiries tickle her pink - just contact her for special pricing.

Have a look at her other shop "Boysenberry Lane" where she makes fun and quirky fleece fingerless gloves! It was also featured in this blog: "Boysenberry Lane - Fun, Fancy, Monster Fingerless Gloves and iPod Cases".

Location: Comox, British Columbia, Canada

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Boysenberry Lane - Fun, Fancy, Monster Fingerless Gloves and iPod Cases



She loves to sew! Her mom bought her her first Kenmore sewing machine when she was eleven. She makes all kinds of craft and clothing items for her two girls, for their friends as gifts and has also been sewing pet collars for around five years.
Let her loose in a fabric store and watch out! She also loves to crochet and has crocheted tons of hats to be sent overseas with humanitarian aid shipments.

She lives with her husband, three children and two cats on lovely Vancouver Island just a few blocks from the ocean - just loves the smell of the sea and that cool ocean breeze.



She specializes in gadget cases and fingerless gloves. She is always striving to create new and interesting gloves that are also the utmost in comfort. My gloves can be worn pretty much anywhere and anytime so have a look around! She hopes you find something you like today :)

Her name on Twitter is BoysenberryLane and she has another shop on Etsy, Paws 'n Tails Pet Collars. I wrote about it in the post "Paw's n Tails Cat Collars - Fashionable Accessories for the Kitty in Your Life." If you have a cat or know someone who does, you should definitely check it out.

Location: Comox, British Columbia, Canada

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Dough Ditties - Joyful Expressions of Life



When I was a kid, I used to make dough ornaments and I was thinking maybe this is something I would like to get back into again. I started to wonder if there is somebody who is already selling dough ornaments on Etsy and this is how I found Dough Ditties.

She began making character dolls of papier mache in the 1970's. Being "Mother-Earthers" in college, Mary Sell and her husband bought 50 acres of land and became homesteaders living 15 years without any electricity or water, raising their now 27 year old son. From there, the they became full-time crafters making and selling bread dough ornaments at shows throughout the midwest. After a break of over 15 years, she started making bread dough ornaments and dolls again in 2007.

In an INCrowdTeam Interview "Mary Sell aka Dough Ditties" published March 21 2009 Mary recounts the origin of her store's name "Dough Ditties" and how she began crafting as a child.
The question of what inspires her, she answered: "Color and life inspire me, and faces with expression. I'm not sure how some ideas come to mind, but I get a picture in my head and just want to try it."

Bread dough ornaments are the basic salt dough recipe, painted with acrylic paint and India ink, then dipped in gloss polyurethane for a protective finish, doll heads and hands are handshaped from a mixture of white bread and glue, most doll accessories are also handmade, dresses are fabric and lace.






Each handcrafted ornament is made with care and attention to detail. Mary's hope is that the customer is more delighted with the work when they hold it in their hand than when viewed on the Etsy mini image.

Shaping flour, salt and water into human (or somewhat human) form, adding lively faces, fun accessories, and bright colors - this is what she loves to do! Please visit her store and browse through her assortment of little "ditties" (ornaments, jewelry, and dolls).

For a unique keepsake that can't be found on any retail shelf, please contact Mary with your idea for a custom ornament. She has yet to be presented with a challenge she can't meet, from a middle-aged woman with a pierced navel wearing a She-Ra cape to a young boy with his pet beta fish to bagpiping highland cattle.

She also personalizes standard ornaments at no extra charge (i.e., name, year, sports uniform number). Indicate details with your order.

She enjoys sharing her techniques, so please visit her blog "Dough Ditties - Joyful Expressions of Life" for tips on making dough art, updates on works in progress, and examples of custom orders. Her personal website is located at www.doughditties.com where many more pictures of her work can be found.

Mary is a proud member of the INCrowdteam and recommends their blog "The IN Crowd - Indiana’s Etsy Street Team"  and its Twitter EtsyINCrowdteam.

Location: West Lafayette, Indiana, USA




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Bella Lilly Designs - Modern Style... Vintage Inspired



She never really planned to make jewelry…it just sort of happened. What was once an occasional hobby has become an ever-increasing addiction to beads and the desire to make what Deb considers little pieces of art for people to wear. She has always liked to work with her hands and would consider herself a creative person but it wasn’t until she discovered jewelry making that she was able to find her “niche” in the art world.

By day Deb lives in the corporate world. She humors herself with multi-colored file folders, sticky notes and random pictures on the walls….it helps to liven up an otherwise small, gray cubicle. After hours, making jewelry has become her creative outlet and true passion.

She gets her inspiration from many things…magazines, celebrities, walking by a random stranger, a shopping spree, a new haircut and perhaps even nature now and again. Sometimes it’s nothing more than necessity… Deb just NEEDs to have the perfect pair of earrings to go with that shirt! "I never know when the creative urge will strike me but when it does, it’s a wonderful thing" she says.

With beads you have so many different colors, shapes and sizes. They can change for the seasons, for your style or your mood. The possibilities are endless and so is her desire to constantly create new and unique pieces of jewelry.



Most of Deb's jewelry is one of a kind or very limited quantities. If you see something you like in the sold section please feel free to ask about availability. She can usually make something similar if she has the supplies on hand.

Deb makes every attempt to take clear pictures that reflect accurate colors of each piece of jewelry so you will not be surprised when you receive your order. Dimensions and materials used are also listed. Should you have any questions or concerns before ordering, please convo her through her Bella Lilly Designs store and she will do her best to assist you.

Deb admits that she would love to make a special piece of jewelry just for you. If you see something you like in her shop and would like some modifications (longer/shorter length, different clasp or ear wire, maybe a different color or perhaps combining two pieces to create a whole new look!) get in touch with her regarding your request and she will see what she can come up with!

Please contact her with any questions, comments, requests, concerns or just to say hello via email BellaLillyDesigns@Yahoo.com.

Location: Arundel, Maine, USA

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Mamacateyes - Where Crafting Isn't a Hobby, It's a Passion


She is the mother of two children, has a husband, two dogs, several sewing machines, a pile of fabric overtaking her living room and stacks of paper dominating her bedroom. A lot of people ask Jana why the name "mamacateyes"? Well her natural eye color is a yellow green much like a cat's eye and being a mom is a HUGE part of her life hence mamacateyes.

Crafting is and for the most part has always been her sanity. Jana began with her grandmother teaching her how to sew and crochet when she was about seven years old and continued off and on from there. Most of what she has learned however has been self-taught either by trial and error or very careful reading in magazines and on the internet.

Over the past few years Jana has discovered a PASSION if you will for quilting and developed a fabric addiction. She does a lot of late night crafting making baskets and crochet in the dark so as not to keep the rest of the house awake (she may be determined to go blind this way.) She is a multitasker A+ meaning she MUST have three or more projects going on at once or she can't function.





Besides her handmade creations she also sells craft supplies. However, she absolutely LOVES doing the baskets and she hopes that you enjoy her pieces too. Always feel free to convo her through her Etsy shop www.mamacateyes.etsy.com and ask questions about how to's, commissions, and the meaning of life. She probably can't help you on the last but she can give you a good opinion and the other two she is always up for helping with.

She is currently taking custom orders on baskets in case you have something specific in mind for the upcoming holiday season. Remember to check back often as she is always trying to add new items.

She updates her blog "Hugs, Cuddles and Love" (www.mamacateyes.blogspot.com) several times a month featuring additional pictures of her creations and "random musings of a multitasker, former comic shop owner, mother of two, seamstress and a small craft business woman".

Follow mamacateyes on Twitter, become a Fan of mamacateyes on Facebook or check out her wonderful pictures on Flickr.

Location: Murray, Utah, USA



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Granddar's Knotty Creations



People ask her," what is Granddar?" Leslie was annointed "Granddar" by her two and four year old grandsons. She had to ask them what a Granddar was. It is a cross between a grandmother and a super hero action figure. Since she uses power tools instead of knitting needles, they seemed to think she deserved that title.

Growing up in Arizona was what allowed her to sppreciate the wonderful types of wood out there. Although, Leslie has to admit that she did not care for Mesquite as a kid. It has large thorns that tear you up while riding horses, which is what she spent a large part of her childhood doing.

Leslie was actually born in Montana, loved trout fishing in the Yellowstone River, which was across the street from her grandparents house. Her first fishing pole was a small branch off of a tree. She tied string, a small rock and an old rusty hook to it and sat out there for hours. Did not really care if she caught anything, she loved the smell around her.

That pole was Leslie's first introduction to woodworking, not knowing that at the time, of course.

She loves what she does and feels blessed to have the time to do it. She also loves to look at other people's creations, it always inspires her in some way.



Leslie works primarily with Velvet Mesquite, which is indigenous to Arizona. The Honey Mesquite, which is a Texas native, has been introduced into her region and is a more ornamental looking tree.

She does use other woods as she comes across them, and she never knows what that will be. People call her and tell her they have a dead and down tree and Leslie goes to take a look to see if she can salvage wood out of it.

She likes staying true to the wood as much as possible, in other words, the wood dictates what the piece will be. From time to time she uses other material with the wood to add interest and dimension. So take a look at her wonderful pieces, you might see something you like.

Leslie is a mom and a grandmother. Even though she has been woodworking since she was young, she did not take it on full time until later in life.






In her pieces you can see that she loves tools, and what they can do to make her woodworking come to life. She also may add some pieces of marble, flagstone, mirrors, and almost always add turquoise, malachite, onyx, coral, lapis, whatever tickles her fancy at the moment. She likes her pieces to be unique and different.

Woodworking is more a hobby of hers, but she loves selling it online and meeting really wonderful people and artists. You can follow Granddar on Twitter or get in contact with her through her stores. And she is a big fan of handmade soap, which is where the inspiration for soap dishes comes from.

October is here and that means cooler weather for us and yellow leaves on the trees. Soon, we will have brisk air to breathe. Fall is one of her favorite seasons. Christmas is around the corner so if you are planning for holiday shopping, take your time and look for a unique gift in her Granddar's Knotty Creations Etsy shop or visit her Granddar's Knotty Creations Artfire store.

Location: Bisbee, Arizona, USA

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Razberries Designs... Handmade Cards, Prints & Gifts



Lauren currently resides in MA. She loves the change of seasons (blistering hot summers, freezing cold winters, soggy wet springs - so of course her favorite time of year is Autumn...haha) that the New Englanders get to experience, as well as the bustle of Boston and the quietness of the lovely ocean. She loves her family, friends & all animals. She enjoys being silly, singing karaoke & playing video games. She relishes a good laugh. She loves creating and working with her hands.

Lauren has always thought of herself to be a crafty, artsy person. When she was a kid, she told people, “I want to be an artist when I grow up.” Well, at the time supposedly she didn’t realize the term “starving artist.” Needless to say, after a few jobs out of college (um, yeah never utilized that art degree) & just trying to make ends meet, she decided to revisit her inner artist & follow her childhood dream. And now she owns the "Razberries Designs Shop" on Etsy and the Razberries Store on CafePress, sharing her love of creating with everyone else.



In Lauren's blog "Razberries - Fresh Designs from the Vine!" (www.Razberries.com) you can see where she has been and what she is currently up to.

If you need a custom-sized print, just email her: razberriesdesigns@yahoo.com. She is happy to personalize any item, just convo her and let her know what she can do to make your item extra special! Please note that she can't accept returns on personalized items.

Become a Razberries Designs Fan on Facebook and follow razberriesdsgns on Twitter.

Friends, Family and Teams Lauren Gardner is participating in:
BellaLillyDesigns.etsy.com
ZeldasJewels.etsy.com
LanternsnLace.etsy.com

All images and artwork © Razberries (Lauren J. Gardner). You are not purchasing the rights to the image when you purchase the artwork. All publishing and reproduction rights remain solely with the artist.

Location: Beverly, Massachusetts, USA

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Chickenpants Creatures by Absolutely Small - Plush Chickens & Toys



Absolutely Small is devoted to making truly odd, yet approachable plush chickens, pompom animal toy creatures and art. Claire abhors straight lines. Viva Chickenpants!

Absolutely Small is Claire Chambers. Claire is a crazy-pants artist/crafter who spends most of her time indoors in the country cowboy part of Northern California. She likes making people laugh, chickens and two pugs, one bunny, a tortoise and writing about herself in the third person. She takes way too many photos, and has a major Blythe/Re-Ment addiction.

All art, softies, and other creations in the Absolutely Small shop are her original designs.

She is a member of the Etsy Plush Team and you can check out their fabulous plush adventures at http://www.plushteam.com/. She runs the collaborative plush blog The Needle. Check them out at http://www.theneedle.org/.

If you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact her on Etsy or email her: chickenwidget@gmail.com.

Visit her at her blog Chickenpants - the blog of the absolutely small or enjoy her latest creations on Flickr. Most of Claire's new work goes to Flickr first, plus stop motion animation and background information on some of the pieces.



In her Etsy store, the Absolutely Small - Chickenpants Headquarters, you will find collectible plush toys. No two are ever the same. Each one is named & numbered.

Next to her fabulous plush toy stores she maintains a CafePress venture at www.cafepress.com/absolutelysmall where she sells t-shirts, cards and buttons with her own designs and photos.

Oh yes, Claire is on Twitter. Tweet abolutelysmall your wishes and desires.

The Absolutely Small Mothersite is at http://absolutelysmall.com where she features chickenpants movies! FAQs! Photos! Fun!
Sign up for her mailing list chicken-y goodness which she sends out once a month, and contains coupons!

Her Chickenpants Artfire shop is located at http://chickenpants.artfire.com/ and you can become a Chickenpants Fan on Facebook: http://tr.im/ChickenpantsFanPage.







Location: Cool, California, USA

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Iggy Jingles Crafts




In a career spanning twenty-five years Robyn Coburn has been a costume, scenic and lighting designer and worked in every kind of theater from community to educational to “broadway” style, both in Australia and the US. She was a freelance Production Designer of independent films before repurposing her life as a work-from-home, homeschooling mother. Now she crafts and writes screenplays and blogs.



In her Etsy store (http://iggyjingles.etsy.com) you will find Art Dolls, Aromatic Homewares, Textile Arts and Vintage Redux. Robyn is a member of the EGADS Team, ADO and the Bench Project Team.
Please visit her blog for dolls in progress and other news: www.iggyjingles.blogspot.com The Iggy Jingles blog is her main portal to all the other groups and Ning networks such as the Fiber Arts Mixed Media Network, the OOAK Art Dolls Network and the Worldwide Network for Filmmakers & Film Industry Professionals she is participating in.

Interested in dolls? Visit Robyn's daily round up blog Dolls: Crafting and Collecting for an assortment of posts about doll artists, collectors, events, designers and manufacturers from all over the world.

Robyn writes intermittent musings about creativity on her Imagination Tribe blog and a column about green crafting for Natural Life Magazine six times a year.

She also has a newsletter that you can sign up for on her blog. Robyn entertains a personal Facebook page and a Facebook Fan Page for Iggy Jingles. You can also follow IggyJingles on Twitter.

Recently Robyn has started writing Hubs. She only has published a few so far, but she intends to write at least one article a week.

Location: Playa del Rey, California, USA

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Yardage, Fat Quarters & Supplies from PennyFabricArt



In an earlier post we introduced the reader to PennyFabricArt. Lisa, the artist and owner not only maintains the handcrafting fiber arts and quilts store at http://pennyfabricart.etsy.com she also has a site for de-stashing her overstocked supplies, as she really didn't like how the supplies listings were changing the personality of her craft site.

She hopes that you find something you like. Please feel free to convo her (through her Etsy store, Facebook or Twitter) if you're looking for something specific - She has got bins and bins that she will be working on over the next few months!

She is also a member of the street teams for CTEtsy, EtsyFast, Quiltsy, Acetsy (ACEO).



Welcome to her supplies shop, where she clears out excess inventory of fabrics, embellishments, crafting supplies, and packing & shipping supplies.

All items and fabric are new, unused and they have been stored in her smoke-free, pet-free home studio.

She hasn't quoted International shipping, as most of her items are not worth the price of international shipping fees. Contact her if you have questions or want a bulk shipping quote.

Check out her main Etsy shop: http://pennyfabricart.etsy.com

Location: Ridgefield, Connecticut, USA

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Textile Art, Fabric Collage & Art Quilts by Lisa Penny



"The evolution of my own inherent artistic vision has developed more slowly. Perhaps this is because I spent two decades working with graphics that were intended to communicate entire concepts and sales messages, instead of art that had the freedom to just wallow in the essence of an idea or element." That's how Lisa M. Penny described her road to Pennyfabricart to Judit Wild in the "The Scoutie Girl" blog. In her interview from March 27th 2009 "then & now - pennyfabricart" she describes her childhood growing up surrounded by art and how she was introduced to quilting in 2001 by a friend.

Lisa creates contemporary original textile art designs with unique visual and textural components in a modern collection of fabric art collage and mixed media art. In her artistic statement she confesses that she believes her art should be visually pleasing, intellectually intriguing, technically stunning, and sometimes humorously entertaining.

Her concept of "Mixed Media" embraces a mix of processes as well as materials. In creating a new work she is often a photographer, digital artist, illustrator, painter, art quilter, and collage artist. The natural world gives us so many textures to capture or reflect light - she loves balancing and contrasting many of them in a piece.

Most of her compositions are inspired by perspectives from the natural world, often in macro (up-close) views. Although every now and then she diverges into geometrics, abstracts, and architecture.

She loves the versatility of fabric as her base medium. The vast variety of types and styles allows for infinite combinations of visual and tactile textural variety. Adding other media to this base brings contrast to the fabrics' natural warmth.

Some of her pieces are intricately sewn using advanced techniques, others are fused collage with top-stitching, painting, drawing, wire sculpture, tile work, beading or other embellishments.

By approaching fabric from a mixed media viewpoint, rather than traditional needlework, she hopes to introduce art lovers to the magic of fabric as an emerging fine art medium.

She studied Marketing and Art in college, and has worked in Publishing and Advertising Design for over 15 years. She has spent the last 9 years working as a full-time artist, focusing on fabric art, art quilting, and mixed media art. She is currently working on 2 book contributions, due to be published in early 2010.



Exhibitions:
Slater Memorial Museum, Norwich, CT
Ciel Gallery, Charlotte, NC
Kismet Gallery, Troy, NY
McHenry College Gallery, Crystal Lake, IL
Stamford Art Association, Stamford, CT
Ridgefield Guild of Artists, Ridgefield, CT
Farmington Arts Festival, Farmington, CT

Affiliations:
Ridgefield Guild of Artists, Ridgefield, CT
Stamford Art Association, Stamford, CT
American Quilter's Society (AQS), Paducah, KY

Additionally she specializes in custom and commissioned works.

Please see her full online art gallery at http://www.pennyfabricart.com.
As you can see in her Etsy mini she creates contemporary original Textile-Based Art & Fabric Collage with unique perspective on natural forms, in a modern collection of abstract & representational designs.
After taking the summer off from Etsy to do other exhibitions, she is listing new items again.

In her shop you will find gallery-wrapped art (wired for hanging), quilts, and small-scale and miniatures.

She also sells fabric short yardage & remnants in her "destash" shop at: http://fabricdestashsale.etsy.com
You can read about her destash shop here in the Crafters and Artisans directory in the article "Yardage, Fat Quarters & Supplies from PennyFabricArt".

Join her on Facebook http://facebook.com/PennyFabricArt or follow her on Twitter http://twitter.com/PennyFabricArt

Location: Ridgefield, Connecticut, USA

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Laura's Left Hook --- Tawashi, Alphabet & Sports Themes




Laura is a mother of two girls, one who is hard of hearing. She was a teacher for seven years before having children. Currently, she teaches an American Sign Language playgroup twice a month to help others in the community as well as keeping her family signing capabilities alive.

She gained much of her crafting interest from her mother and grandmother, although Laura would not say that either taught her the crafts she now does. She learned to crochet to remember her grandmother. She is a lefty crocheter that learned to crochet from a book many years after her grandmother tried to teach her. She discovered the joy of creating her own patterns over the last few years and is enjoying sharing them with others.

Paper crafting came from scrapbooking during her children's first years. and she would love to explore ideas that she gets from reading children's picture books.

Recently Laura was featured on the design blog/studio SWISSMISS run by Tina Roth Eisenberg, a Swiss designer gone NYC.



COMING SOON (made while nursing broken toes, just need photos to list) in her stores: Ravens Football Beverage Cozies, Pine Cone Christmas Ornament, Astros Baseball Beverage Cozy

NOTE: She is now offering Capital I and Capital E patterns free. Just contact her for these files or check her blog http://lauraslefthook.wordpress.com to download the pdf files.
She is also a member of the Etsy teams EtsyHookers and CafeMom.

Laura has a second store on Artfire http://LaurasLeftHook.artfire.com/ and you can also follow her on Twitter.






 
Location: Manasses, Virgina, USA

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