friday fuzzies: handmade gift guide

this week's friday fuzzies is going to be a little different, particularly because it's such a big shopping weekend.  i'm all about buying handmade no matter what the occasion is, so i'm going to profile some shops that i've bought from - and think you should check out too!

for purses, scarves, and other cool and edgy accessories, check out warning label creations...  my favourite item in her shop is this executioner clutch bag which will one day be mine. in purple i think.

for handmade polymer clay and resin jewelry, check out pet zombie creations...  i picked this damask necklace from her shop because i have one myself and i LOVE it!

for cute punk rock clothing for both kids and adults, check out rocky the zombie...  zombie love was the first design i purchased from her shop and it's still one of my favourite tees.

for fingerless gloves, check out zen and coffee designs...  i have several pairs from this shop already, and my pick is only one of many from my wish list - who killed mr. moonlight gloves.

for reading pillows and recycled gifts, check out Inverness Studios...  my pick is this alice in wonderland reading pillow - cute and functional!

for dolls, accessories and other cute stuff, check out camamiel...  just about everything in this shop is on my wish list, and it was hard to pick one thing!  plush felt doll lulu is a super cute doll that is in need of a good home.

for stocking stuffers such as burn busters, hair clips, and other cute little things, check out The Biting Gnome...  i have a jack skellington burn buster and it is such a wonderful thing to wrap around my morning tea.  this hello kitty love burn buster would made a perfect gift for any kitty lover, or HK fan!

for bra tops and other cute clothing, check out rad rocket...  my pick from her shop is another wish list item, a halter bra top with a black and white skull print.

for gifts for your pet, check out Fabulously Fierce Pets...  deck out your pooch or kitty in something more fun this holiday season.  my recommendation is this green striped small dog collar.  and she's got some great picks for the punk rock pet, such as a the black & white skulls collar my cat wears.

for alternative punk rock jewelry, check out Headless Tess DIY...  there are several necklaces on my wish list from this shop!  do you have a harry potter fan on your list to buy for?  then you might want to pick up this ravenclaw house crest necklace. 

and last but certainly not even close to least we have Indiscretion/Haute Indiscretion...  i love her street couture/shabby chic/steampunk point of view and i have a top and a dress that she's made.  my pick would be this wallpaper party dress, perfect for YOU for all your holiday get-togethers. =)

wearing handmade wednesday: sunshine monster!

"Well, some go this way, and some go that way. But as for me, myself, personally, I prefer the short-cut."

isn't this "cheshire hat" from SunshineMonster cute?!?  erica normally makes these in pink and purple stripes just like the colours of the cheshire cat from disney's version of "alice in wonderland", but me having to be take my short-cut...  i requested mine to be made in my beloved black and white stripes!

there are a lot of other cute and quirky hats in her shop, along with purses, some mad doorknob covers and other fun accessories.  personally, i love her bacon scarf which i featured in one of my "friday fuzzies" posts.  so go check out her shop and bring a little sunshine to your wednesday. =)

wearing handmade wednesday: ms christa!

it's almost halloween, and how perfect is this hair accessory for the holiday (and beyond, in my case!) made by the fabulous MsChrista?!  it's a black rose with skeleton hands peeking out from underneath, but she has many other colours and designs available for purchase in her shop.  christa usually makes these on combs but she also offers them on a french barrette, as i picked.  i've worn this several times since i received it and i love it!  i use it as a great alternative to wearing a ponytail - and with wicked style! =)

wearing handmade wednesday: indiscretion!

my dear friend pili has inspired me to partake in "wearing handmade wednesday"!  i have some handmade clothing items, lots of jewelry and many other accessories so i know i will have a lot to share in weeks to come.

my inaugural post is about a handmade top.  the design was inspired by a movie favourite of mine - tim burton's "alice in wonderland".  i found a downright wicked dress in mara's etsy shop, Indiscretion, which i fell in love with.  however, i don't wear dresses too often and the dress listed was not my size so i asked her if she'd make me just the top part in the same design.  she did, and i LURVE it!!! now go check out this listing because if you love it as much as i do, you can have one too! =)

little whimsical treasures

i met brittney gobble in january of 2009, and her name is the name of her shop - bgobbleart.  this talented polymer clay artist creates the most adorable little dragons, along with some other creatures from both land (piggies!) and sea (turtles and seahorses!) that you would gladly welcome into your home.  she also makes some fabulous miniature wedding cakes!

i own several of her precious dragons but this one is my favourite - her mommy dragon with babies sculpture.  part of why is the baby just starting to break out of its egg.  it's very small, only about 2" wide and 1-3/4" tall, and it is proudly on display on my dresser.  i love the colours, the shimmer, and especially the detailed work she puts into each one of her pieces.  there are also embedded glass beads used in both the base and for their eyes which really help bring her creations to life.

another piece i love is this barrette she custom made for me.  i'm so happy my hair is more than long enough again to wear it often!

i am thinking my next purchase from her shop will be one of her turtles, perhaps a turtle ring?  but i have adored this miniature cake since i first saw it too!  hmmmmm...
when you purchase one of her items, you will receive a certificate of authenticity which has a picture of the item, materials used and her signature.  isn't that a great idea?  speaking of ideas... any of her pieces would make a great gift and keepsake!

a last note, brittney is truly one of my favourite sellers.  she exceeds in all areas of a great handmade shop - communication, customer service, craftsmanship and fast, well-packed shipping of her delicate items.  so please, make sure to go show bgobbleart and her sculptures some love. =)

turtle girls unite!

a while ago i spent some time trying to create some of my little characters in polymer clay and i learned i am severely challenged in the 3 dimensional arts.  i don't know if practice will one day (ever) make perfect, haha, so in my quest to create my beloved turtles in 3-D, i enlisted the custom services of a favorite etsy shop, michellesclaybeads.  her style is very similar to my drawing style so she was the perfect person to help me make this a reality.  here's my design, and what she made for me:

i truly could not be more pleased with the job that she did on them!!!! =)  they are PERFECT!!!!  so now you ask why did i have her create them?  well, first of all they are an *exclusive design* made just for me!  if you purchase a minimum of $30 of my turtle girl design (can be any or a mix of lined or custom invitations, labels, and cupcake wrappers) you get to pick a turtle bead of your choice for your little (or big) turtle girl.

above is a sampling of some of the other beads of hers that i have purchased. all of them are incredibly cute, and when you see the actual size of them (they are very petite little things) they become even cuter!  they are very well made and she ships SO fast.  my experience with her and her shop has been nothing short of outstanding.  michelle lists new beads/items every so often, so make sure to heart her shop to make sure you'll get first dibs on her latest creations.

i heart zombies LOTS

let's see - where do i begin with this one?!?  rocky the zombie was one of the very first shops i hearted on etsy, and was found when i was randomly searching for things under "cute skulls".  i fell in love with little rocky immediately and knew i'd be in big, big trouble!  rhi's artwork is the perfect marriage between cute and punk, and besides the t-shirts and hoodies with my artwork on them, the ones i own from her are truly my favorites!

the first shirt i purchased was the "zombie lovers" design as can be seen below.  i have *the* perfect items to go with it: black leggings, a gray, black & red plaid mini, a black cardigan, studded belt, and either black patent mary janes or black chucks...  can you see how i fell for this little guy?

rhi used to hand paint all the tees - so i know my first couple of shirts are truly originals.  but now to help in her quest of rocky world domination, her items are screened.  besides women's shirts and hoodies she has onesies, kids tees, men's clothing, tote bags and paintings.  i own, ahem, (quite) a few of my favorite zombie apparel items and i can attest to them lasting very well through many washes.  there are also a few designs i'd like to get one day as an 8x8 painting.  here are a couple of my favorites... amazingly i don't have that skull cupcake one yet!  note to rhi: soon!!!

rhi makes quality products, ships fast (from the UK no less!) and i am always happy to consume the candy that gets included with my purchases.  she's very personable and will cheerfully accommodate custom orders - such as my zombie kitty (i love the touch of the fish!!).

she's even in kahoots with brooke van gory designs in making rocky screens for totes and handbags, which brooke sews together...  of course i have one (yes, this is mine!) - do you really need to ask?

so check out her shop, fan her facebook page, and if you decide to purchase something make sure to tell her deb sent you.  i think the best way to sum up this favorite handmade of mine is "cute, punk and zombified!". =)

p.s. i don't know if you can tell at its small size, but i even drew my avatar wearing a rocky shirt.  heee!

do you know what a "buttfreckle" is?

what exactly IS a "buttfreckle", you may ask?   it's an incredibly cute little plush ball with eyes that comes in many colors, textures and sizes.  but how did it get the name "buttfreckle"?  that can be explained in the undercover process bridgette has to go through to get them into her shop (see http://buttfreckle.bigcartel.com/)

"All freckles are snatched off quickly and with excessive force. They are then taken to a secret lab where they are exposed to radioactive caju dust which causes the freckle to greatly increase in size. After exposure to the dust, the freckle's unique characteristics become easily visible including their very own butt freckle (a special glass bead sewn on the rear)."

i think i should start with the story behind my first purchase... i initially saw these cute little creations in the etsy treasuries and fell in love with them.  my brother's nickname as a kid was "FB", short for frecklebutt which i think is self-explanatory.  once i found out what they actually were, i knew i needed to send one of these to him after all these years.  i purchased a blue grimace buttfreckle for him, perfect for his son in case he didn't find the gift as humorous as i did.  thankfully he did have a sense of humor with it when he received it but he kept asking me "what do i do with this now?"

and what does one do with a buttfreckle?  bridgette does have a list of ideas posted in her shop announcement, and here are a few: hide it in the medicine closet, stash it in your child's lunch, throw it at the cat, set it on your desk, tag the back of your bro's head... the possibilities are endless!  after the purchase for my brother, i started my own little collection of these characters.  i have a couple of fall/halloween ones, a couple holiday ones and a few others that match my decor colors.  i like to keep them out on display but where they are displayed has changed a few times!  my cats seem to think these little guys are included with their toys (they average around 2.5"-3" round depending on the freckle, and some come quite a bit larger). they stole my mummy right before halloween and it went missing until nearly christmas. then they stole my snowball right before christmas for about a week.  one of these days i'll have to purchase a buttfreckle just for them.

i don't think there is a buttfreckle in bridgette's shop that i don't love. they are all so cute, and the descriptions of where each freckle came from are truly worth reading.  her sense of humor makes her little creations even more endearing!  each time i heart one instead of buying it right away it ends up sold within a day or two.  apparently i am not the only one who is totally smitten with these little guys! =)