You Are One Crafty Ninja

You know I don’t think supply sellers get as much credit as they should. There are thousands of supply sellers on Etsy, both commercial and handmade, as well as a ton of crafters getting rid of extra supplies through destashing. I get tons of our bead supplies from destash sales and you save SO much from it. So much so that it’s hard to limit yourself sometimes, leaving you to need to destash yourself.

The Etsy artists and suppliers in this article are:

auntifranni, BareNakedFindings, beadbarnsupplies, BellaNoelle, clearcutcrafts2007, colorhouse, dorothydomingo, felicitysiu, greenkitten, happysupplies, karaku, littleappleton, MaryNotMartha, MermaidTreasures, room29, shareliving, sistermaide, skstudiojewelry, slippedstichstudios, Stashable, SunBijoux, TheCraftyBead, TheFrontHouse, theopalescence, and violaviola

Elvis Week

When I was a kid I had this baby sitter that was obsessed with everything Elvis. I remember his songs constantly playing. I think that’s why I don’t like many of them (with the exception of Hound Dog and Blue Suede Shoes). I do however love the references to Elvis in sci-fi. The mention in Men in Black and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and stories like Elvis in the Attic show how one charismatic personality can become pretty much immortal. What are future cultures going to think when they dig up piles of Elvis memorabilia and find him mentioned in such stories? Ten bucks says with as often as his name and Oprah’s come up and the tendency for us to believe our predecessors are more religious than ourselves, the future archeologists will probably speculate they are gods or something >_<.

The Etsy artists featured in this article are:

21CannonSalute, BarkerBell, BByeButterfly, CreativePal, drinkingstars, ElvisResurrected, lovelasmuertas, missluckyhellcatart, OneElf, OriginalsbyLauren, parsnipandpear, recyclemania, RetroVisionClothing, SandDragonH2O, SKULLCLOWN, soapopotamus, supapun, thestockingswerehung, XOHandworks, and zanneavenue

It’s Cheese Cake Day!

Yeah, that’s right. Cheese Cake Day.

The Etsy artists featured here are:

minimenageriecakes, KarnesBitsAndBobs, BodyLuminosity, longwinterfarm, GudonyaToo, paintsquared, SoulSisterSoaps, FusionSweets, VintageConfections, FashionCandy, CynfulCreations, myotherprincess, TwoDogGardens, LittleGrayFox, marissajoannarojas, and ivylanedesigns

Flutterby

Butteflies are not insects. They are self propelled flowers.

~ R. Heinlein

They can be bright and colorful or blend in, but it’s hard not to admit butterflies hold a fascinating beauty to them. They are used as a symbol of change and patience in their progression from caterpillar to butterfly and have been the model for one of the best loved fantasy creatures, the fairy.

The Etsy artists featured in this article are:

meredithdillman, UnaLuna, mydaisydreams, freerangeart, Mymothersgarden, EmbellishedPaper, starbrightgirl, BlackBaroque, heartworksbytori, fixdesign, SugarRobot, MyDigitalCottage, walldecors, CJCrew, babycakesanddecor, intheframe, acelebrityexperience, maysay, TrianaTreasures, enchantingsoapfavors, DareDream, SatinandBirch, JolieMarche, ecoblingcouture, Thesteampunktrunk, idotakeu, MorticiaSnow, and KUKLAstudio

Also check out our array butterfly style costume wings in our Etsy shop.

More Than Just Green Jello

Ok so the green jello thing is not just a rumor. We’ve moved around a lot (I’ve never lived in the same house for more than three years) and about every other move made in Utah has resulted in a nice neighbor bringing green jello.

I meant to do this feature on the 24th, for Pioneer Day. Pioneer Days is celebrated almost like Utah’s own 4th of July with parades, fireworks, etc…

Utah can be kind of an odd place. In Michigan they have a saying, If you don’t like the weather wait 10 minutes. In Utah (especially in the fall and spring) it would be more like If you don’t like the season wait five minutes. I’ve seen it go from snow in the morning to a balmy 70 by noon.

We have a growing film industry here thriving off the varied landscapes all within a short drive (some scenes from Pirates of the Caribbean were filmed out on the salt flats not too far from here, and Disney does a lot of filming here). We’ve got an amazing winter sports scene in Northern Utah, the Shakespearean Festival every summer down by Cedar City, beautiful national parks, some of the randomest liquor laws in the country, and due to some very specific weather conditions air pollution that can rival LA.

We also have a thriving craft and artists community.

The local Etsy artists featured in this article are:

RaeGun, Artman1, TheBobbinsNest, mydaisydreams, hanpaintedloveboxes, threeseasonsdesigns, BabyBirdz, ShabbyRosebyNicole, tootsietutushop, RoseyCornerCreations, SnuggleBugSlings, liltulip, debthorpe, 30one, freerangeart, studiojk, isabellsumbrella, Modernality, Crowsmack, thepatternbag, Kiss2Keep, lterrill9, foreverandrea, and curiousworkmanship

1 Tequila, 2 Tequila, 3 Tequila Floor

In honor of my new found appreciation of really freaking random holidays, here’s to Legal Drinking Age Day! No I’m completely serious (or at least as serious as I can be after a shot or two).

A new personal favorite is the black cherry Mike’s Hard Lemonade. A lot of friends of my boyfriend refer to Mikes and other flavored drinks as bitch beer, but I’ve never seen any of them turn it down (in fact you leave it in the fridge unattended while they are over and the stuff seems to mysterious vanish instantly).

Personally I can’t stand the taste of beer, but rum, now there’s a drink. Especially for cooking. I make rum spice cookies and rum pizzelles, and my brother’s rum ice cream recipe is the best (combine that with a pizzelle shaped into a cone and yay!). Another alcohol baked goodie I’m very partial to is sherry cakes.

There are a lot of makers on Etsy who celebrate the joys of alcohol.

My Alcholic Friends by The Dresden Dolls

As always remember to enjoy your booze with brains. Underage drinking can damage still developing bodies and minds, driving drunk is selfish and moronic and if your beer is a coping mechanism as well as a beverage you have a problem and need to seek help and support to deal with that problem.

The Etsy artists featured in this article are:

Modernarchitex, marywibis, HardWoodShop, clinks, CombustionGlassworks, TRUECONNECTIONS, Gnipmac, wiggleperfume, tuckooandmoocow, blisscandles, williewobble, AtlasSigns, rocketmanclay, RetroDivas, ifitsmetal, FunkyRecycling, hopinkstudios, BreadandBadger, atwopipeproblem, khphillips, anotherfeather, soapopotamus, frivoloustendencies, CleanQueenSoapCo, bovinebubbles, designtalentedone, choklit, and ManEatingFlower

Faetastic!

It’s finally (almost) here! Faerieworlds, a huge gathering of those fascinated by everything fae. Faerieworlds goes from July 30th until August 1 and is located in Eugene, OR.

This year Faerie World Con will feature the music of Faun, Woodland, Brother, Telesma, Wendy Rule, Tricky Pixie, David Helfand, Adam Hurst, Taarka, Stellamara, Delhi 2 Dublin and Gypsy Nomads. I had only heard of a couple of these before looking more into Faerieworld, but after hearing their music I’m definitely a fan of them all now (need to stretch my music budget a little more this month maybe, because I definitely want more of their music). They have pulled together a group of musicians that is bound to give the feel of a fae court in full blown party mode. I love the mix of styles that Delhi 2 Dublin and Telesma use and Tricky Pixie is just awesome.

Music of course isn’t going to be the only thing there, but this post is already going to be quit long once we get through the gift guide and following special extra’s below. Unfortunately our travel budget this year has been rather tight (well for the past couple years nearly everyone’s has been pretty slim come to think of it), so we’re not going to be able to attend this year’s Faerieworld. This is something we definitely want to do in the future, whether it be as a vendor or just as really happy wing wearing spectators. So in the mean time enjoy today’s faetastic gift guide.

So, on to the surprise I was talking about. Your going to need some wings for Faerieworld right? From today until Aug. 1st in honor of this event we are offering a 10% discount on all wings for our readers. Just include the coupon code FAERYTIME in the notes to seller at check out. This coupon is good for custom orders as well, but the order must be officially placed by August 1st. For more on our coupon policy please check our shop policies page.

The Etsy artists featured in this article are:

meredithdillman, SuzannesPotteryFarm, Syrendell, PhnomeGNOME, tzaddishop, EnlightenedPlatypus, cosmicsky, jessejanes, mulberrymudd, DaliDecals, Etheralcreation, theitsybitsyspider, FractalWings, DarklyngStudios, Thyme2dream, blueyeduckstudios, JewelryByJLy, fairiesnest, FrigidCouture, kennosborne, ghostgirl11, REALBUTERFLYGIFTS, TrashAndTrinkets, and thecrowsnest

Birds of a Feather

Anyone who has known me for a while knows of my love of birds and that I’ve had a variety of pet birds over the years. Currently my home is sadly birdless (but will soon contain some kittens!). When cared for with love birds are the sweetest, and in my opinion most enjoyable companions. My first bird was my beloved friend for over 8 years. We were pretty much attached at the hip (or more foot and shoulder). She was a dark gray cockatiel. who loved fly ahead of me on walks and curl up under my chin while I read. It seems silly to grieve still for a pet that has been dead for four years, but that little bird meant the world to me. We had a cockatoo who used to sneak up the stairs and try and sneak under the warm covers between me and my boyfriend. She’d introduce herself when ever someone new came over or we were out and about and would giggle hysterically as she ran/hopped away with something you needed Another was a sweet eclectics (normally a hyper kind of bird) that was so calm and mellow.

Throughout my meanderings on Etsy I have stumbled across a multitude of items created using the same (or similar) bird charm. I’ve even used it myself on a recent ear cuff. I marvel at the different ways people can use such similar components.

The Etsy artisans featured in this article are:

AnechkasJewelry, mylavaliere, littlemissykate, AmandasBoutique, MDsparks, chinacherie, ChristineDomanic, sassycassjems, lizhutnick, hawaiibeads, Fineartreflections, papermache, smilesophie, liliswan, LilyLeighs, BeadsStory, pinkingedesigns, BirdinFlightBoutique, mommyholly, and Oceanmiststudio