Board No. 127 - Cyber Monday Sales

Support Etsians in your holidays shopping (for you AND for others) with Cyber Monday buys - including those having sales today such as these. More to come in subsequent posts!

Top row: Auvenier XL Bag from iragranteco; Faded Blue Plaid Pencil Skirt Dress from VonlenskaVintage; Puppy Love Plus Stuffed Animal from LayneDesign
Middle row: Morpho Didius Giant Blue from REALBUTTERFLYGIFTS; Knitting Pattern Sale from NeekaKnits; Vinyl Wall Sticker Decals - Owls, Birds, Butterflies Branch Set from wallartdesign
Bottom row: Cotton Wang Chung Two Tone Infinity Scarf from boubo; Chocolate Brown Fretwork Pillow from studiodesignlab; 2011 Desk Calendar from modernarteveryday

Board No. 124 - Cleaning Up the Beach

My friend Julia is stopping through town today on her way to "wintering" in South Carolina - and this post is dedicated to her, I can't wait to see her. She was inspired a couple months ago while walking along the beach in Montauk, N.Y., and has started a blog about what one person can do easily in their day-to-day life to make the world a better place. Check it out here - the photography she takes is worth a view in itself.

Anyway, here are some beautiful pieces all made from upcycled trash.

Top row: Large Wine Cork Serving Tray from 4EyesAndEars; Design Lamp Made of Household Trash from PouBelleDesign; Plastic Bottle Flower Necklace from RadicalRecycks
Middle row: Recycled Pepsi Bow Headband from RootsofBayer; Upcycled Statement BroochRecycled Vinyl Billboard Shoulder Tote from seen1
Bottom row: Sea Glass Cobalt Blue Necklace from aquablueseaglass; Bike Tube Ruffle Bag from ReclaimedWreckage; Sea Star for Your Hair from dreamsbythesea from jillmccp

Board No. 123 - Back to Work

It's been forever since I have worked on this blog, and have likely lost most of my followers, but I really felt I was spread too thin with a new job, school and life to do it for the past year. Well, the job is no longer new and I am a month away from graduating -- and all I can think about lately is how much I miss cruising around Etsy! I've gotten glimpses here and there since a lot of MICA students are on the site and the College is partnering with Etsy for our newest degree program - an MPS in The Business of Art and Design, written about here on Storque - but I missed it and this blog.

Anyway, enough said. Here is a roundup of items posted on Etsy around 3:30 - when I had a few minutes of free time at work - as a way of reintroducing me and my tastes to the blog world. These are eclectic choices but really reflect me and my style. I will start doing themed boards again (hopefully quite regularly), and it will be interesting to see how my tastes have changed in the past year.

Top row: Horse of a Different Color Notecards from tamaragarvey; Jolly Asymmetric Necklace With Charms from StudioRona; Modern Sterling Silver Oval Ring from LuttrellStudio; Hummingbird Limited Edition Watercolor Print from MaiAutumn
Middle row: Metal Crystal Stud Camera Pendant Necklace from Mattieleas; White Pearl and Turquoise Earrings from Mixstone09; Retro Moustache Tote Bag from PaisleyMagic; Hand Sculpted Nuzzling Love Birds Cake Topper from CountrySquirrelsRUS
Bottom row: Hand Knit Cable Beret Hat from pixiebell; P Is for Planet Print from FinnyAndZook; Cheetah Print from berkleyillustration; Nuetral Black, White Handwoven Cotton Rug from texturesgallery

So, what did that say about me? I like animal artwork? How about: I like vintage items with a humorous flair.

Board No. 118 - Black Friday Sales

Happy day after Thanksgiving everyone! I hope your meals were delicious and the leftovers today just as good. Since it's Black Friday and I'm sure everyone was in line at Kohl's at 4 a.m. ... just kidding, who does that?!?! I actually had a couple sales in my Etsy shop today, so maybe Black Friday and Cyber Monday are converging? Anyway, I thought I do a post on fun holiday gifts from Etsy stores doing Black Friday and weekend sales*. I'm going to do a ton more gift guides coming up, but here's some completely random highlights to start:

Top row: Chunky Taupe Cowl from crazyjaneknits; Custom Calligraphy Mug from winemakerssister; Monet's Garden Necklace from JenniferCasady
Middle row: Tiger Lily Moccasin Teal from darlingtonia; Butterfly Vintage Silk Swarovski Rhinestones Bib Necklace from kirevi8; Vintage Holiday Plaid Suitcase from GetReadySetGO
Bottom row: Needle Felted Gourds from cozycottagecreations; Embellished Bag - Frill from showpony; Joy Earrings from AliciaWalsh

* Be weary because a lot of people are using the tag "EtsyHolidaySale" and the items are NOT actually a sale price.

Board No. 115 - Welcoming New Etsians

Since the beginning, I have tried to make it a mission of this blog to feature new Etsy artists and vendors who haven't had any sales - but who have some amazing items for sale. Well, I am returning to the tradition:

Top row: Five Bowl Nesting Set from elizabethcohenpotter; Calcedonia Vessel 1 from stephenjacklyn; Rich Necklace from neosta
Second row: Ocean Floor Pearl Coral Gold Pendant from sunsouljewelry; Grandmother's Pearl Necklace from GloryJewelryDesigns; Spring Circle from Mar980
Third row: Turquoise and Silver Necklace from psgem2; Tree Pillow Cover from FleaFair; Duchess Satin and Cotton Velvet Slim Skirt Dress from MaretEiland
Bottom row: Black Strapless Cocktail Dress from glossvegas; Salvaged Sea Necklace from paradigmsshift; HalfMoon HandBag / Handcrafted Leather from EspontaneaBCN

Board No. 113 - California Cool

I was strolling around Capitol Hill (D.C.) on Sunday with a friend and we happened upon a garage sale getting ready to pack it in for the weekend. Well, I was lucky and found 19 super cool vintage glasses. Well, my favorite happens to be a three-toned (pretty rare) one from Hazel Atlas depicting California. It has been quite a while since I did one of my 50 Nifty posts, honoring each great state, so here's the next installment:

Top row: BART San Francisco Button Set from kingdog; Vintage California Beach Towel from RenaissanceProfessor; Golden Gate Bridge Charm Necklace from CharmStar; Retro 80s California Raisins Tote Bag from bostonbaglady
Second row: California Outline Necklace from boneofart; Candy Color, San Francisco Fine Art Print from RoadsidePhotographs; Going Back to Cali Suitcase from roundtrip; California Souvenir Vintage Handkerchief from corrnucopia
Third row: In the Redwood Forest Fine Art Print from TwoDogGardens; California 3-D Stickers from ExpressionsofFaith; Sunny Heights Orange Grove Redlands Fruit Crate Label from LABELSTONE; California Necklace from mylavaliere
Bottom row: Vintage California Ashtray from EmilyLynch; Set of San Francisco Patches from atrickey; Seagull Venice Beach Fine Art Print from prettyinthecity; California Milk Bottle, San Francisco from alyssaettinger

Board No. 111 - The Non-Working Gal

I know it's been a long while and I am very sorry for that. My life was turned upside down last month when I got laid off and I have made it my full-time job to find a new one. (Anyone have any leads? I'd like to switch careers toward marketing, which is part of the struggle.) Anyway, not to be a downer - because even though this isn't an ideal situation, I've actually stayed really positive through the whole thing - I wanted to put together a board of job-hunting supplies for anyone else in a similar boat, or if you're just looking for a career change.

Top row: Blue Owl To Do List Notepad from boygirlparty; Lilli Ann in Celadon Suit from melsvanity; Mini Wallet Business Card Holder in Cherry Red Wall Flower Fabric from baffinbags
Middle row: Elegance Paris 60s Grass Green Suit from starletvintage; Personalized Cards from colettepaperie; Vintage Green Wool Christian Dior Tailored Suit from SkivvyLuLuVintage
Bottom row: Handturned Wood and Corian Ink Pens from avintageflair; Laptop Case in Cream and Gold Retro Dots from JavaJaneDesigns; Custom Letter Pages With Envelopes (for thank you notes) from PeonyPaperie

If I don't figure out what I want to do in the next month, I think I'll be turning to this Etsy buy.

Board No. 105 - Falling Leaves

After a quick weekend trip to Ohio — where surpiringly fall has not hit at all — I am noticing that the trees are starting to change color here, a couple hundred miles south. Weird, right? So, I am finally going to do the post that my new Etsy friend and fellow CREST team member, aprilmist, gave me the idea for weeks ago (and she even picked some of my more favorite items). I know Etsy's been showcasing fall items up the wazoo (is that how it's spelled?), but I thought I'd throw my two cents in, so here's my favorite leaf creations:

Top row: The Best of Fall Throw Pillow from allisajacobs; Antique Brass Filigree Leaf Earrings from considerthelillies; Green Oak Leaf Felt Headband from lupin; Pair of Raspberry Espresso Cups from creativeutility
Second row: Gray Messenger Bag With Leaves from sineminugur ; Golden Leaf Necklace from loriyab; Sterling Silver Leaf Earrings With Copper Swarovski Pearls - Autumn Splendor from jayval; Out on a Limb Ginkgo from blockpartypress
Third row: Flora Flat from HydraHeart; Reversible Dress With Leaf Applique from allthenumbers; Harvest Goats Milk Soap from sissysoap; Wild Garden (kaleidoscopic) from yumiyumi
Bottom row: Autumn Hammock Earrings from lennonsleadinglady; Orange Autumn Maple Leaf Felt Earrings from hitree; Ophelia in Pearls Bracelet from wristcandycreations; Two Leaves Necklace from AvenueC

P.S. If you haven't already noticed from previous posts, I'm a bit of a horticulture geek, and, as a bonus, I just found out today that I will be doing some marketing consulting work for the Maryland Home & Garden Information Center. You should check them out, they do some great work spreading the hort love!

Board No. 103 - Tiger-tastic

Ever since I saw this tiger typeface shirt — which I totally love for so many reasons (I'm a designer, so fonts are a silly obsession) and I featured on my back to school in style board — I am seeking out all things tiger. I am totally feeling tigers for a vintage school feel, for the fall colors, for their voracity... I don't know, I just love it right now!

Featured in center: Typer Tiger Shirt from inkfingerSutter
Top row: Large Clutch Purse - Tiger on the Flower by Etsuko Furuya from KimberlyJonesDesigns; 2 Tiger Magnets from papermenagerie; Woodburned Tribal Tiger from BoxesByMary; Tiger Wood Toy from happysquashtoys
Second row: Vintage '80s Big Face Tiger Oversize Sweater from ancestorvintage; A Tiger Called Asaron From Brooklyn from loranscruggs
Third row: Asian Tiger Hand Embroidered Handbag from jessamity; The Tiger Print from badbird
Bottom row: Needle Felted White Tiger from moxiemittens; Majestic Tiger Pendant Necklace from lucindascharms; Furocious Tiger Pocket Journal from nowvember; Tiger Tee from 1AEON

Board No. 102 - Pounce

It's been a little while since I've done a Pounce post, which is quite a shame — I think they're my favorite because you don't go in with an expectations and they are such a good representation of your current mood. It's weird. I also love browsing through the Pounce Undiscovered listings because you get to catch up on all of the latest trends. So fun!

Top row: Copper Pick Earrings from dannikellidesigns; Apple Kitchen Canister from beckysterrett; Handmade '80s Rainbow Earrings from msthingsandstuff; Grass Fat Quarter of Fabric from repeat
Middle row: Black True Norway Draw String Shoulder Bag from cparty; Antique Applique Textile from ThreadsOfOld; My Deer Heart Embroidered Cushion from angharadjefferson; 14k Gold-Filled Chain and Swarovski Crystal from Leakat
Bottom row: GothSack - Needled to Death from Pixlkitten; Three Hearts in Sterling from KriksSilver; Starlight Candle from BeautifulFlame; Ruffle Bum Onesie from sewsavie

Post No. 99 - Back to School: It's in the Bag

I already did my back to school board way back in June, kind of as a joke, since I am in grad school and don't get a summer vacation. I thought I'd revisit the topic since it was a fun board and it's the topic on everyone's mind right now with just two weeks to go for most kids (me included) to start back up for the fall. Truthfully, I did most of these next three boards and had them ready to post last Monday, but life has gotten away from me. Sorry!

My new Etsy friend and fellow CREST team member, aprilmist, suggested a back to school bag board. She says: "Getting organized for back to school (or, erh, full time round year grad school - I feel your pain ;) is so dependent upon a great bag, whether it's a laptop bag, book bag, or my own favorite 'big mama' bag, (which hosts my lunch, shoes, water bottle, and book among other necessities)." I couldn't agree more, and so here's the first of my school-themed boards, including a couple of aprilmist's picks:

Top row: Amelia Black Gray White Laptop Sleeve/Bag from janinekingdesigns; Backpack in Pink and Brown from mehran; Coimex Organic Coffee Sling Bag from thewren
Second row: Red and White Retro Messenger/Laptop Bag from mariforssell; Ayu in Maroon With Adjustable Strap from mories; Lili Blue Satchel from WoolyBison
Bottom row: The Letter Bag from moop; Gretel Leather Tote Bag in Guava Pink from renneslechateau; Z Bag (everybody's loving the red bag, but this is totally unisex!) from ZolaJones

Board No. 96 - Fall on the Horizon

Yesterday's post mentioned that we're finally hitting the "dog days" that D.C.'s known for, but that just makes me look forward to the fall, which happens to be my favorite season. And since Etsians are on top of things, tons of sellers are starting to stock their shops with autumn essentials. I just love the colors I'm starting to see all over the site's pages. Here are some early fall finds:

Top row: Vintage Wine Wrap from bananasaurusrex; Lovely Leaves Cross Stitch Wall Hanging from CakeEaters; Madras Plaid Gourd or Pumpkin from SeaPinks
Middle row: Selma Ring with Mustard Green Chrysanthemum from Peaches4me; Amber Romance Antiqued Brass and Pearl Earrings from pearlandpebble; Folk Bird Tree Tote from dutchdoor
Bottom row: Sweet Leaves - Mixed Harvest Fabric Leaves from janejoss; Pair of Vintage Ginger Jar Lamps from TheRelicTrail; Crochet Bubble Beret in Rust from softspoken

Board No. 93 - Around the 4:20 Time Frame

I was in training all day for work, and got out around 4:15 (15 minutes late, I may add!), so I rushed over to my computer to see what was new on Etsy - what I had missed that day and if there were any new trends in the 8 hours I had been away. I'm not obsessed at all ...

So, you may ask, what's the big trend I noticed: I'm seeing a lot more fall items starting to pop up, which I actually love since it's my favorite season! Check out this fantastic fabric pumpkin that I am going to save and feature in another board. Also, I noticed a lot more mid-century pieces of decor and more '40s and '50s style clothing. Is this a big lead-up to the "Mad Men" premiere? Maybe I'll do another feature on that trend, too!

Anyway, here are some of my favorite items posted around 4:20 or so.

Top row: Lemon Drops Necklace from TheBlueDress; Art Deco Beauty from matouenpeluche; Vintage Wedge Open Toe Shoes from starletvintage
Second row: Two 8-Inch Strands of Matching Czech Glass Beads from theroyalbeadtreasure; Poppy Personalized Stationary from carielowry; Custom-Designed Clutch from mollusa
Third row: Steampunk Vintage Bulova Bowtie Necklace from edmdesigns; Discotheque Earrings from WeeSparrow; Three 1940s Outlet Switchplates from littlebyrdvintage
Bottom row: 4-Ever Personalized Art from SilhouetteBlue; In the Birdcage Flower Fascinator from liaison; 60s Mid Century Modern Stacked Chrome Ball Lamps from fabulousmess

Board No. 90 - Pounce Roundup 3 (Finale)

I wanted to end with my personal favorite of the day's sweep of pounce posts. This may be a bit of a stretch, but this board highlights different ways materials can be used and different techniques you just don't see every day. Now some of them may not entirely be practical (I don't know, but knitted Chuck Taylors?), but they are all amazingly unique and fun.

Top row: Pirate Knit Chucks from PrettySneaky; Colorful Leather Leaves Clutch Bag from dazeddorothy; Brocade Lace Black Flask from Relishbygt
Middle row: Mixed Metal Necklace from myimperfections; Toro (After Picasso) Vintage Bike Part Ram's Head from Atelier688; Setotus Turbo Seashell Necklace from designershell
Bottom row: Rusted Cream Stoneware Tart Dish from RaffaeleDesigns; Titanium Oval Hoops from TitaniumLab; Job's Tears Coixseeds Seed Earrings from Katiesbasement

Board No. 88 - Pounce Roundup 1

While searching the pounce undiscovered listings I found so many things to feature that I didn't know what to do with myself. And, most notably, I found new trends, which I always love. Here are some great clothing/accessory finds from new sellers:

Top row: Retro Dress (Navy) from justkitsch; Car Onesie from mandymade; Eco Friendly Button Tree Bag from dreammachines
Middle row: 1970s Tulip Button Up from VioletVariance; 80s High-Top Sneakers from ellmerfud; Grey Flower Tank from Coie
Bottom row: A Spring Cape from kajaro; Silk Summer Scarf from alisonsweaving; Turquoise A-Line Vintage Dress from RachaelsRealm

Board No. 84 - The Symbol of Summer Into Fall

It was really hard to choose which of EtsyBlogger of the Month miesmama's items to feature — there were so many fantastic items to pick from. She does a lot of unique crafts and I especially love all of her work with felt, and so much of it seemed summery, even if it's made out of a heavier material. The one that stood out to me the most, though, was the tote with a coneflower, likely because I am starting to see these flowers pop up all over the place and I just love them. To me, they symbolize the transition from summer to fall — one of my favorite times of the year (probably because it's around my birthday)!

Featured item: miesmama's Purple Coneflower Sweater Tote, which is made out of a recycled sweater!
Top row: Purple Coneflower and Butterfly Wool Applique Pin Cushion from StrandsandStitches; Purple Coneflower Dress in Plum Linen from CorysHandmade
Middle row: Summer Cone Flowers Enamel Earrings from leafingearth; Girls Hand Painted Tee from wendymarsh; The Purple Coneflower Modern Art Print from artistscs28; One At A Time Fine Art Photograph from AmeliaKayPhotography
Bottom row: Purple Coneflower Note Cards from onecrazychicken; Touch Abstract Coneflower Closeup Photo from flandersfield; Pink Coneflower Wildflower Miniture Watercolor from BillingsleyRose; Coneflower Enhanced Photo from ClaudiaLord

Board No. 83 - Going Green

It seems like this is the time for teams to get together for a cause! Well, here is another one I'd like to highlight: The Etsy Twitter Team is Going Green with tips, tricks, giveaways and sales on green products this week. (Plus, they're having a scavenger hunt, which is always fun and a good way to get people to visit loads of shops! Though this one is really hard — I only found one of the eight and I visited EVERY shop. As a hint, I featured the one I did find...) Here are some of my favorites from the sale:

Top row: Black Rubon Alphabet for Scrapbooking Letters from scrapwithstyle; Houndstooth Garden Bouquet Clutch from pinswithfury; Beachcombed Sea Buttons from NovaScotiaBeachGlass; Poker Chip Altered Art Pendant Burnt Orange Butterfly from prettywhimsical
Second row: The Coraline- A Vintage Upcycled Felted Flowers Pillow from FirebirdHouse; Go Green Hand Painted Canvas Tote from HandmadeBySandi; Go Green Leaf Handmade Silver Necklace from PunkyJane; Natural Felted Organic Soaps from herbanlifestyle
Third row: Apple Dress Striped Recycled Pillowcase Jumper from Amievoltaire ; Recycled Vintage Bead Earrings from threepeats; Link You Fill My Hearts Print from geekdetails; Cable Knit Mug Cozy from waysideviolet
Bottom row: Upcycled Lady Godiva Earrings from ThatsHeadley; Cockle Shell Gold Earrings from prettycheap; Wooden Soap Dish / Soap Deck from crochetgal; Crochet Criss Cross Scarf Pattern from JaybirdDesigns

Board No. 82 - Christmas in July

The Etsy Bloggers team (which I am part of) is having a Christmas in July sale (which I am not part of, out of pure laziness of course - it also started last week and I'm just getting this up...). Click here for the complete list of stores participating, but here are some highlights:

Top row: Peter the Dancing Panda Onesie from twozanyzebras; Blue Sky Cloe Cloisonne Earrings from lindab142; Fancy Christmas Dangles from roseworksjewelry; PlayTime Potholder Set from veryverdant
Middle row: Poppy the Pipette Garden Fairy from beckykazana; Snowman Howlite Earrings from AKeepersJackpot; Curly Cute - Hand Knit Ruffled Holiday Scarves from FoxyGknits; Rainbow Sorbet Jade Necklace from FabulousChic
Bottom row: Angel Dust - Moonstone and Copper Angel Earrings from BeadedTail; Mollie Clutch In Alexander Henry's Red Carolina from TiLTcreations; Gingerbread Whipped Sugar Scrub from spottedcowsoaps; Vegas Strip - Rainbow Striped Bead Dangle Earrings from BeadedTail

★★★ And, here's the lazy man's out: If you mention this blog post when ordering from my store through July 31, I'll refund you 15% of your purchase (not including shipping). Just remember, you have to mention the post!

Board No. 77 - Vintage Repurposed

I signed on to Etsy yesterday (I wanted to post this then, but I've been pretty busy) to find these wonderful pillowcases featured on the front page of the site. I just love them, probably because of the different vintage materials she used I can count the number of sheet sets that I had growing up (3). I love it!

Well, that's inspired this collection of vintage items that have been repurposed to have a whole new life ahead of them. I know it's chic right now with recycling or upcycling or whatever, but I just love vintage and if something is tattered or dated, it's nice to feature it in some other way...

★★★ UPDATE: I was just informed that the Trashion Team is having a group sale July 20-27, with a bunch of sellers having a percentage off merchandise (loneweever, featured below, is offering 15% off) and a huge giveaway of a lot of cool stuff donated by members.

Featured center item: pinsandthimbles's Large Cushion Made with Vintage Sheets (The Mint Patch/3)
Top row: Strawberry Lemonade Necklace from florabond; Recycled Sweater Ashtray Pincushion from loneweever; Bird Circle Skirt from mariansmale; Vintage Fabric Pillow Cover - Orange Surprise from joemomma
Second row: Sunset Window Art Repurposed Window Frame from SemperNova; Green Tree Clutch from anotherjamiedavis
Third row: Car Show Necklace from hollylynne; Caught in a Net - Vintage Tropical Charm Statement Necklace from bionicunicorn
Bottom row: Vintage Suitcase Pet Bed from vintagerenaissance; Dew Drop Do Wop Necklace With Antique Chandelier Crystal from savagesalvage; Bamboo Garden Teacup Soy Wax Candle from TwilightSpells; Steampunk Tree Box from arrowsarah

Board No. 74 - Posted Around 3:40ish

Sorry for the big delay in posting (I seem to be doing this a lot lately...), but after my weekend away on vacation, I got some sort of 24-hour bug (or food poisoning, but I am hoping it's the former). So, here I am, back to work and really backlogged with work. I took a quick break from the hecticness of the day (around 3:40ish) to check out what was new on Etsy. Here are some of my quick-hit favorites from what was posted around that time:

Top row: Orange to Yellow Pyrex Cinderella Bowls from findingfabulous; Sea Foam Kiss Clasp Clutch from bonecalinda; Volumes Of Gold Slouch Bag from Debos; Claudette Ring from laralewis
Middle row: Montmartre Pillow from hazelandhunter; Still Life with Red Orchids from pattyabaker; Leather Lattice Pumps from lisazain; The Venus Bag from Trouvez
Bottom row: Vintage 70's Sheer Wrap Purple Floral Dress from jantiques; Black Statement Crochet Necklace from DAINTYCROCHETBYALY; Floppy Bows Print from janethillstudio; Monarch Notes from wickedpen