Weekend Eye Candy - Secrets Revealed

In order to bring you this weekend's eye candy I have to admit to something I generally keep secret. I love dolls...now. As a little girl I never had a doll, I never even wanted a doll. I was quite the tomboy. But as I've grown up I've been drawn to dolls. Not the lace and dolly dolls of old ladies, but beautiful and daring art dolls, like the dolls of Marina Bychkova. I blogged about these beauties awhile back. Well these dolls led me to...which led me to...which led me to...you know how surfing the net goes, but most importantly I bumped into artist, and fellow Enchanted Doll fan, Monika Viktoria.


She has a playful, fantastical and whimsical collection of original artwork on etsy, at crazy affordable prices. Her shop is The Long Lost Woods Boutique. She also blogs under The Long Lost Woods. She is talented, imaginative and as I learned this week extremely nice. Please check out her shop and blog you'll be happy you did. Good Weekend!!

P.S. if I didn't mess up, in a couple weeks, I'll have pictures to share that will prove what a great person Monika is. Until then go snap up her artwork.

Weekend Eye Candy - I'm in Love

I think these are just about the cutest little creatures in the world. They are the creations of "Sweet Bestiary", and I'm in love with them. I think it's the whimsy that gets me, or it could be the imagination. No, I think it's the sweetness in their little faces. I've got it, it's the...okay I admit it, it's everything about them. I just love them. The artist has a blog by the same name. Very inspirational and full of great eye candy. Please check out the blog and shop, you'll be happy you did.

Weekend Eye Candy - Gift Ideas 4

I realize this is cutting it close on gift ideas, but if you are a wait for the last minute person, there is always fedEx, Express Mail and UPS one day. You may need to convo the artisans and do a little begging but they say humbling oneself is good for the soul. So here are my final Holiday Gift Ideas, it's now or the mall.

$10.00 and under (stocking stuffers)

1. Arcadia Aromatics - These are solid shampoo bars. How fun is that? Give someone a new and fun shower experience, and still remain G rated.

2. The Twilight Shop - This is the second cool use of a fork I have featured, maybe I have a thing for forks. Can you imagine one of these cuties sticking out of your favorite book? Love these guys.

3. Tortoise Loves Donkey - Terrariums are very hot this year. And this little beauty is a fantastic example of simple and cool. You must check out Tortoise Loves Donkey's terrariums you wont be disappointed.

$25.00 and under

1. Elsita - This shop is a must visit on etsy. This artisan is wicked talented so treat yourself to a visit to her great shop. You will be happy you went. She also has 3 blogs you can visit. I don't think she sleeps.

2. Figs and Ginger - is a husband and wife team making Eco-Friendly sterling jewelry. And if that's now enough, look at how unbelievably sweet these little studs are. Great gift for anyone with pierced...well anyone pierced.

3. Multifarious - Not as evil as it sounds. I really enjoy the work of this artisan and the description on her header would make for a good opening for a book, it says....Although this sounds an awful lot like nefarious and therefore makes me sound a bit wicked... rest assured, I'm too dull to be wicked. It makes me want to read on. Check out her shop you'll be glad you did.

$40.00 and under

1. Janny's Girl - Hats, Hats, and more Hats. If you are a hat person you know what I'm saying. If you aren't a hat person, why not? They are fantastic. And Janny's Girl's shop is a good place to start. This artisan makes fun, pretty, warm and casual hats.

2. Village Clayworks - This whimsical pottery is so fun and happy. This artisan has bowls, plates, mugs,and vases that I promise will make you smile. Pop over and take a look, even if you don't need anymore gifts you will get a warm feeling from your visit.

3. Something's Hiding in Here - And sense we're on the subject of whimsy. This maybe the ultimate in whimsical gifts. Yes, you are looking at a "Mustache on a Stick". I doesn't get more whimsical than that. When you check out the shop look at the pictures of brides with mustaches, so fun.

$60.00 and up (The "A girl can dream, can't she?" category)

1. Mara Goti Joyas - I lust after these earrings, so please someone buy them and take them away from me, then I can sleep at night. You would be doing a public service really. But seriously this artisan has such beautiful jewelry if you miss out for the Holidays, Valentines Day is just around the corner.

2. Compulsive Collection - I dream of owning real Adirondack chairs. So I have to include this fantastic example. The design is so stylish and simple, my back yarn needs two of these chairs. This shop also has some great vintage trays and planter boxes.

3. Ekaa - I think by now we all know I'm loving the color blue. So is it any wonder I love this ostrich purse? I should hope not. This shop is full of great stuff it would have been impossible to pick just one item if not for the beautiful blue on this particular bag. Go check out this shop, I'll wait for you here.

Go check out Such and Such. Lora added a fantastic Weekend Eye Candy. It's really beautiful.

Happy Holidays everyone.

Weekend Eye Candy - Gift Ideas 3

Here are some more gift ideas. It's getting close, time to shop shop shop. So check out the following shops and see if they have what you're looking for to fill out your Holiday list.

Gifts under $10.00

1. Leo and Company - These guys make fantastic organic dog treats. They are healthier than anything I eat, I can tell you that.
2. Chic Earth - "Who knew saving the Earth could look so chic" is this shops motto. Really fun stuff, green and beautiful, check them out.
3. Pretty 'n' Preppy - This artisan makes really nice quality accessories. And I love a good lavender satchel so I couldn't resist.

Gifts Under $25.00 (the Patchwork Long Beach addition)

1. Corrie Hill Design - I met Corrie at Patchwork Long Beach and her baby cloths are fantastic. She is a super nice person, so excited about her work, and the designs are even cuter in person. Check her shop out you won't be disappointed.
2. Chocolate and Steel - Was also at Patchwork. You know how much I love Christine's work so I won't go on and on. But if you're looking for simple and modern Chocolate and Steel is the place to shop.
3. Done by Digits - Graziella was my neighbor at Patchwork. Her hand crocheted stuffies are so nice. They are unique, adorable, cheerful, sweet, and so inexpensive you should snap one up now before she comes to her senses and raises the price.

Gifts under $40.00 (jewelry addition)

1. Copper Frog Studio - Really beautiful jewelry. There is so much great work on this site, I hope you enjoy looking around this shop.
2. Zeal Creations - This is a brand new seller on etsy and the work is really beautiful. Take a look at this shop.
3. Naftali - This artisan makes beautiful polymer clay and sterling jewelry. This is one of first shops I hearted on etsy.

Gifts $60.00 and over

1. Gabriela and Catalin Art Gallery - This art work is really stunning. You have to look at this shop.
2. Darrielle's Clay Arts - I love love love these tumblers. The glaze is so beautiful, the color is wonderful and the tray is super cute. Who could ask for anything more?
3. Jenni Brant's Ceramica - I have a thing for tea cups. I know, who would have guessed it, but I love delicate beauiful tea cups. I love this artists work and hope you enjoy it also.

Check out Lora's blog if you need a bit more Weekend Eye Candy. Have a great one.

Weekend Eye Candy - Gift Ideas 2

I'm making another bid for buying handmade this Holiday Season with my weekend eye candy. Why buy a gift the recipient can get at the Gap near their house when you can get them a handmade something? And because the answer is "So true" here are some more handmade gift ideas.

$10.00 and under

1. Whimsy and Spice - It was hard to pick one goodie over another but in the end I had to go with the brownie, although a close second was the chocolate marshmallow.
2. Bead Siam - I really love the cool and simple leather bracelets on this site. Click over and check them out.
3. Vervain Savon - These soaps are so beautiful you don't need wrapping paper, just put on a bow and you have a beautiful gift.

$25.00 and under

1. Nature Design - They have all these wonderful wooden items. I featured their great coffee scoops a couple weeks ago.
2. JJ Evensen Art - I love these fork hooks, and check out the Peace, Rock On, and Fork You hooks, hilarious.
3. Dee Beale's Hand Pulled Prints - I love these prints so graphic, simple and elegant. I had a hard time picking just one, so I'm not, I also love the Cornflowers.

$40.00 and under

1. Granny Purse - The clutches available from this artisan are really fantastic. A can't miss gift.
2. Foxy Girl Boutique - Isn't this ring sensational. Anyone would love it.
3. Darrielle's Clay Art - I don't knit but this bowl is killer. Their sponge holders are pretty sweet also.

$60.00 and over

1. Eight Seasons - Okay you are going to love these bags, they are out of this world fantastic. Because I can't pick just one you have to check out Pod Pouch in black also. You won't regret it.
2. Chocolate and Steel - Christine's work is so well made and her finish work is impeccable. And if that's not enough she is having a great Black Friday thru Cyber Monday SALE. Really it's amazing; FREE shipping and a FREE stud earring with purchases over $75.00, you must check it out.
3. Hydra Heart - These shoes are so cool. I want at least three pair but I had to go with the Lotus Mary Janes but the Flora Flats were a very close second.

I hope your Holiday shopping is going well.

Weekend Eye Candy - Gift Ideas

For the next few weeks I'm going to use Weekend Eye Candy as a way to share my Handmade Holiday Gift ideas. I hope you see something you love or get inspired to buy handmade.

$10.00 and under

1. Cafe Boulet - They make great green coffee cup sleeves and other accessories for the trendy café goer.
2. Studio Petite - Jennifer Lambein has these super fabulous mini prints for just 5.00. Can you image, art as a stocking stuffer.
3. Intentions - Soap that looks good enough to eat. Intentions makes such beautiful soap, if it looks this good can you imagine how good it must smell.

$25.00 and under

1. Made by Swirly Girl - For the dancer in your life this is a beautiful set of cards. She also sells really great prints.
2. MaReRi - Mareri makes amazing bags and purses. She also has a cool blog by the same name.
3. Pinkkiss Pottery - I love these whimsical striped vases. The pottery in this shop is whimsical and yet classy, really great work.

$40.00 and under

1. Designs by Maya*Made - These are the cutest burlap buckets ever. This shop has a lot of truly original home decor, you will want it all.
2. Pelpa - This London based artist is making the perfect gift for the person who has everything; a handmade, hand painted, one of a kind; finger puppet. Who could ask for anything more?
3. Stave Creations - Talk about beautiful up-cycling. This artisan takes oak wine barrel stave's and makes them into beautiful home decor.

$60.00 and up

1. Ivar's Design - These up-cycled barn wood frames are to die for. The wood in these frames is estimated to be 100 years old.
2. Pink Perch - This is the cutest monkey mobile ever. This shop has the cutest mobiles, there I've said it, the cutest.
3. Bure - Bure Felts - Can you believe these felted slippers are in my shop's colors? I love felt and this shop has some amazing felted products.

Weekend Eye Candy - Jewelry

There is so much talent on etsy. I just typed in jewelry and got 54,000 pages of choices and I found these 9, brand new to me, talented people and I barely scratch the surface of those 54,000 pages. I hope you enjoy the work of these talented artisans as much as I enjoyed finding them.


And here is where you can find them on etsy:

1. Kommara
2. Katherine Sheetz Designs
3. Mary and Jane
4. Kelly Reece
5. Marcus Berkner Jewelry
6. Lemonade Handmade Jewelry
7. String Beadz
8. What Katie Did Next
9. The Beaded Lilly

Check out the rest of the eye candy this weekend from:

Lora at Such and Such
Michelle at The Ornamentalist
Christine at Chocolate and Steel

Weekend Eye Candy - Small World

Or should I say small worlds? I love terrariums. And here are some of my favorites of these small wonders.

You can find the amazing artisans making these living art pieces in the following etsy shops;

1. Funk• tion•al
2. Doodle Bird Designs
3. Teresa’s Plants and More
4. Wee Green Spot
5. Doodle Bird Designs
6. Coco Honey
7. Tortoise Loves Donkey
8. Knotty Nature Art
9. Augury

Check out the other weekend eye candy from;

Lora
Christine
and
Michelle

Weekend Eye Candy - Wild Things

I'm about to make the most personal admission I have ever made on my blog.... I'm deeply afraid of Birds...yes even little finches scare the bejibbers out of me.

I share this because this fear informs one of my most important core beliefs. I fear birds, I don't hate birds. For many of us the things we fear become the things we dislike, or even hate. In a way I'm glad I fear birds, it gives me a chance to remember that the things I fear, or don't understand, don't have to be, or become, the things I hate. I fear birds, I don't hate birds.

Now lets look at these scary beasts.

You can find these beautiful bird creations in the following shops on etsy;

1. Studio of Madelaine Fedorowich
2. Siempre La Lucha
3. Retro Ranch
4. Pesky Cat Designs
5. Chocolate and Steel
6. Red Hot Pottery
7. Mad Art
8. Lulu Bug Jewelry
9. Blenda Studio

Check-out the other Weekend Eye Candy from;

Lora
Michelle
and
Christine

Weekend Eye Candy - Hats

I love hats. I have a really great collection and I'm always looking to add to it. So for today's eye candy I thought I would share with you some of the hats on my hat wish list. I hope you enjoy.

You can find these amazing milliners on etsy in the following shops:
1. Bonnies Knitting 2. Liza Rietz 3. Nadine New York 4. Leatherhead Originals 5. Couture Millinery 6. Retro Repro Handmade 7. Moe Sew Co. 8. Twigs and Honey 9. Couture Millinery

Don't forget to check out the rest of this weekend's eye candy from Lora, Michelle, and Christine. Have a great weekend.

Weekend Eye Candy - The Enchanted Dolls by Marina Bychkova

Okay, I know I've been very MIA from my blog all week. I've been very busy trying to get ready for my first ever craft show. But, I'm about to make my bloggy absence up to you, and in a big way. While surfing flickr, at midnight, coming down from work, work, and more work, I found Marina Bychkova. Actually I found her photographer, Chad Isley, at least I think he's her photographer. But whoever he is, he brought me to Marina and I'll be forever grateful. And now I bring her to you. I hope you enjoy her work with the same jaw dropping delight that I did.


I could keep adding photos all night but I will stop here. I am not affiliated with this artist in anyway, I just really, really, really want one of her dolls.

Check out the rest of this weekend's eye candy from;
Such and Such
The Ornamentalist
and
Chocolate and Steel

Weekend Eye Candy - Undiscovered Talent II

I wanted to highlight some more of the fabulous undiscovered talent on etsy. These great artists have not made their first sale...yet. I hope they make that first sale very very soon.


You can find these great artisans in the following shops on etsy;

1. Carbon Footprints 2. The Bow Spot 3. Von Chandler Imaginarium 4. Lime Green Rhinestones 5. Tenebra’s shop 6. Lady Pym 7. Vervain Savon 8. Jen’s Bags 9. Mystic Fibers

Check out the rest of this weekend's Eye Candy from;

Such and Such
Chocolate and Steel
The Ornamentalist

Weekend Eye Candy - Paths

These images speak to my current state of mind. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

You can find these amazing artists on the following flickr pages

1. Lars van de Goor 2. Edward Dullard 3. Astanse (Angela) 4. Lizza0222 5. Hans IH 6. kweaver2 7. Angela7Dreams 8. Art by Chrysti 9. Ginger

There is more Weekend Eye Candy available from;
Such and Such
Chocolate and Steel
The Ornamentalist

Have a great weekend.

Weekend Eye Candy - Visiting the Old Haunts

This week I found myself looking around my old etsy haunts. Visiting my etsy favorites and checking out what's new. I hope you enjoy visiting my etsy haunts for this weekend's eye candy.



You can find these amazing artisans on etsy in the following shops:

1. Steel Toes Studios 2. Chocolate and Steel 3. Lora Hart Jewels 4. The Peppermint Forest 5. Jennifer Kahn 6. The Builder’s Studio 7. Meetalls 8. Copper Frog Studio 9. Lulu Bug Jewelry 10. Lizards Jewelry 11. Sonya Rasi Jewery 12. Njia Studios 13. Rainbow Swirlz 14. Tui Zui 15. Made by Swirly Girl 16. The Abbey James Co.

And checkout all the other great Weekend Eye Candy from

Such and Such
The Ornamentalist
Chocolate and Steel - Christine is actually taking this week off eye candy to do the LA Gift show, Good Luck Christine, but check out her blog anyway, it's great.

Weekend Eye Candy - American Folk Art

Happy 4th of July Weekend everyone.

These amazing artisans can be found on etsy at the following shops:
1. Door County Woodworks 2. Primitive Prints 3. Folk Art by Catherine Holman 4. Wendell Fiock art shop 5. Folk Art by Campbell Jane 6. Nauvoo Quilt Co. 7. Studio Petite 8. Cathy’s Crafty Covers 9. Tara Treasures

Weekend Eye Candy - Photography

These artists can be found on esty in the following shops;

1. Get The Picture 2. Jason Nichols 3. Made by Swirly Girls 4. Irene Suchocki 5. Gary Heller 6. Tony Carlisle 7. Lori Hildebrandt 8. Arnold Blanchet 9. Alicia Bock

Checkout the other Weekend Eye Candy from;

Christine
Lora
Michelle

Weekend Eye Candy - Books

I love books. I have more journals than I will ever fill, love to read, and I create photo books with iphoto. But have never done any book binding. I've always wanted to but have never tried. So for inspiration, on an unfulfilled hobby, here are some very cool books I found on etsy, for this weekend's eye candy. I hope you enjoy and have a great weekend.


You can find these amazing artisans at etsy in the following shops:
1. Somavenus 2. Double Happiness 3. Evalicious 4. Daily Threads 5. Painted Fish Studio 6. DutchCraftWork 7. Juliehum Creations 8. Quinn Bookbinding 9. Campbell Raw Press

And don't forget to checkout;

Such and Such
The Ornamentalist
Chocolate and Steel

for more great Weekend Eye Candy.

Weekend Eye Candy - Blog discovery

This week's eye candy is all about finding amazing artist through your blogging friends. I have been a follower of my friend Lora Hart's blog Such and Such from it's beginning. Through Lora I have been introduced to some incredible artist's. This mosaic highlights only a few of the talented people Lora has introduced me to through her blog. I have had the honor of meeting in person three of the talented people in this mosaic, thank you Lora, Christine at Chocolate and Steel, Michelle "The Ornamentalist", and Maggie at Play! Design! Create! and someday I hope to meet them all.


1. Maggie Bergman 2. Celie Fago 3. Ag Jewelry Design 4. Chocolate and Steel 5. Lora Hart 6. Silver Garden 7. L’Ange Est Lá 8. Lizard’s Jewelry 9. Michelle Ross

I'm off to check out all the great Weekend Eye Candy.

Such and Such
The Ornamentalist
Play! Design! Create!
Chocolate and Steel

Look how are weekend eye candy family is growing. Christine is doing Renegade Brooklyn so I think she took the weekend off. But check out her blog anyway.

Weekend Eye Candy - Undiscovered Talent

Christine over at Chocolate and Steel has this really great feature, where she highlights some of the great undiscovered talent on etsy. I really love this idea, so my Weekend Eye Candy this week features all undiscovered talent over at esty. These folks have created some really great work and are yet to have the sales they deserve.


These artisans can be found on etsy in the following shops;

1. LRP.Photo 2. Sterling Roots 3. Jen Kiaba Photography 4. Nap. Play. Bark. Love Barklee. 5. The Peppermint Forest 6. Unusual Birthday Cards 7. Karen Sam Norgard 8. Foursight Designs 9. Jane E. Roberti

Now I'm off to Such and Such and Chocolate and Steel for their weekend inspirations.

Weekend Eye Candy Circus

I love handmade bath and body yummies. They are a great way to pamper myself without blowing my very tight budget. And, as you have read before, my budget calls the shots around here. So it's nice to find things that I can buy and really enjoy, guilt free.


You can find these amazing artisans on etsy, at the following shop locations;

1. JM Creative 2. Made1ine Bea Soap 3. RiffRaff 4. The Abbey James Co. 5. Heathen’s Hearth 6. Earthway Soap 7. In a Lather 8. Anderson Soap Company 9. Enchanting Soap Favors

I hope you have a great weekend. I'm off to Such and Such and Chocolate and Steel to check out their great eye candy.