Monday, December 29, 2008

Monday Giveaway - Gift Certificate  

70 comentarios

Woah! I hope you had a great christmas week. I really enjoyed dinner and lunch and got guitar hero for christmas! yay! (I can't stop rockin' now)
Now I have to wait till 6th January to see the rest of presents (3 wise kings day is gifts day in Spain)

Anyways, I am back with a new giveaway. And soon with more fashion! =)

This week: $20 Gift certificate by noodlesandmilk

She has some fantastic items in her shop! Your baby will love these super cute clothes =)

The winner will get a $20 (US dollars) gift certificate and free shipping in the US.

Rules to enter:

  1. Visit noodlesandmilk's shop and pick a favourite item.
  2. Leave a comment in this post with your favourite item and a way to contact you (email or etsy link. Leave a contact or I won't be able to place you in the draft).
  3. I will select the winner from the comments with a random number generator.
This giveaway ends 4th January at midnight EST. Good luck!



If you are a seller and want to offer an item for a giveaway, contact me (see contact details in last section of left column)


The new online zine VivaLaModa seems to be getting popular! People love it and I would like to spread the word, so if you want to link to it or write about it that would be great. Let me know and I can send you images or badges if you need them.
Thanks everybody!

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Merry Christmas! - New Online Fashion Magazine!  

4 comentarios

First of all, Merry Christmas (or Happy Holidays)!!!

And after weeks of working on this project, my gift for you guys this Christmas Eve is a new online fashion magazine! All focused in handmade / vintage / indie clothes, designers, etc. You will find info about new trends, designers, looks, and many more handmade related articles.
Hope you like it, it took me forever to finish lol =)

And the new magazine is: VivaLaModa
www.vivalamoda.co.cc

Click on the link to read it full size. here you have a small preview of all the goodies you will see in it!





I would love to read your feedback on it and what you would like to see in the next issue!

And, for those who want last minute gifts, I want to remind you of the gift guide we did about gift certificates. Buy one today and it will be emailed to you, you can print it tonight, place it under the tree and your friend will love you forever ;)

Hope you get a lot of great gifts tonight (or tomorrow) and that you have a lot of fun with your family! =)

Monday, December 22, 2008

Monday Giveaway - Feather Headband  

76 comentarios

Wohoo!! Almost Christmas and that is why I bring yo one of our most fashionable giveaways every! A feather headband!

Fancy Pheasant Headband by christinececelia

I love everything that has feathers, and I wish I could wear this any day... sadly I can' since I don't want everybody on the street to look at my head so I will have to wait until the wedding I am invited to in July. Darn!

Anyways, this headband is fantastic for any event =)

Rules to enter:

  1. Visit christinececelia's shop and pick a favourite item.
  2. Leave a comment in this post with your favourite item and a way to contact you (email or etsy link. Leave a contact or I won't be able to place you in the draft).
  3. I will select the winner from the comments with a random number generator.
This giveaway ends 28th December at midnight EST. Good luck!



If you are a seller and want to offer an item for a giveaway, contact me (see contact details in last section of left column)

Sunday, December 21, 2008

How to Trim a Very Vintage Tree  

1 comentarios


I know this article is probably a bit late for most of you, but I haven't put the Christmas tree yet! LOL Me and my mother are doing it tomorrow evening ;) Yes, no Christmas cheer in our house yet.. every year happens the same, christmas doesn't arrive to this house until 20th December or so.
Aaand tomorrow is national lottery day! Not the biggest prize of the year, but the day with most prizes. So, let's hope we win something tomorrow =)





How to Trim a Very Vintage Tree
by Jessica W. is a copywriter, an ice cream lover, and a nail-biter.

My grandmother’s Christmas tree was a spectacle. Every year, Granddad chose the only Douglas fir on the tree farm lot that seemed to aspire to be in someone’s home. It must have spent years planning just how to splay its branches for optimal ornament dangle. Unencumbered by an imposing “theme,” the tree was a hodgepodge of decorations, crystals and lights. It was massive but humble, and it seemed proud to exist for the sole purpose of making people happy.

Here are a few ways to create this kind of special Christmas tree.

1. Buy fresh, let it rest. The key to a long-lasting Christmas tree is cutting it down yourself. Let it rest on the porch, in water, for up to a week before you bring it inside. It will drop its first initial needles, but this kind of conditioning will adjust the tree to the indoor climate…at least according to Granddad.

2. Hunt for old ornaments. The most efficient way I’ve found is to limit yourself to estate sales. Nearly every grandmother has her own expansive array of decorations. You’re likely to gather enough for an entire tree just by scavenging one basement. Plus, you won’t have to pay antique store markup.

3. Blend old and new. My line of suncatchers called Ornamentary, My Dear (www.ornamentarymydear.etsy.com) does just that. These ornaments are new, but their antiqued silver lead-free solder and bubbly cathedral glass make them look like they’ve been passed down through generations.

4. Let there be light. Old strings of tree lights may have broken insulation, frayed wires, or any number of other problems. Avoid them. Instead, purchase brand new tree lights, but stick with white or pastel hues, not the brighter ones, and definitely NOT blinkers!

5. Round up icicles. You can use crystal icicles, but my grandmother’s plastic ones looked just as good. Or, if you ever come across vintage lamp crystals, purchase them for an elegant interpretation of an old standard.

6. Go for garland…maybe. That’s up to you. One word of caution—choose thinner garland; thick, bushy tinsel garland looks more 1982 than 1952.

When you’ve gathered everything you need and the tree is ready to go, spend an afternoon bringing your elegant evergreen to life. Make some mulled cider, turn on the Victrola, and create a spectacle of your own.

Copyright 2008 by Ornamentary, My Dear.



Thanks Jessica for writing such an amazing article! =)


Thursday, December 18, 2008

Fashionably delicious - World Recipes - Agua de Valencia  

0 comentarios

I'm back to blogging! Sorry I have been missing these last days, between editing the online magazine and the job hunt I don't have much free time. It's so weird how fast time flies when I am not doing anything real (you know, being at home all day in the internet lol).

Anyways, I am back today to bring you a fantastic recipe, this time for a drink. A very typical spanish drink! (NO, not sangria, that I will show you soon so you can drink it on New years eve lol)
Agua de Valencia! =) It is made with Cava (Spanish drink similar to champagne, usually cava is cheaper than champagne hehe - If you can't find Cava you can probably use cheap champagne or something similar) and very very easy to make.

Hope you like it, believe me, it is yummy!!

Read the recipe at Hand Made Europe Blog!

All your friends will enjoy this drink at your next party ;)

Monday, December 15, 2008

Monday Giveaway - Lip Balm Holder!  

47 comentarios

This week: Keychain Lip Balm Holder by BeaG


This is a fantastic idea! Perfect for the winter, to always have your lip balm on hand. And she has different models too so your bigger lip balms will fit too.
The winner will choose 1 keychain lip balm holder from BeaG's shop.

Rules to enter:

  1. Visit BeaG's shop and pick a favourite item.
  2. Leave a comment in this post with your favourite item and a way to contact you (email or etsy link. Leave a contact or I won't be able to place you in the draft).
  3. I will select the winner from the comments with a random number generator.
This giveaway ends 21st December at midnight EST. Good luck!



If you are a seller and want to offer an item for a giveaway, contact me (see contact details in last section of left column)

Friday, December 12, 2008

Gift Guide - Bags Addiction!  

5 comentarios

Yup, I'm addicted to bags! What woman isn't? And if it is not bags, it is jewelry, or shoes, or all of them! =)

I selected a few of my favourite bags, hope you like them! Most of my favs are big bags, I love tot ake tons of thing to work lol. I don't have any clutches because I don't see the use of something I can't hang on my shoulder, and I attend zero fancy parties so... maybe for a wedding...


Bags

Sellers, left to right, top to bottom: PurpleFlowerDesigns, emmapardos, takae, EmmaGordonLondon, tsurubride, mehran, minus, dearcollection, pego, TamamiKoBag, lifestylewithlove, tippythai

I specially love pego bags, I bought one in Spring, wear it everyday and LOVE it! You can read my product review here. And TamamiKoBag, I have been eyeing her bags for months now! Waiting for the right moment lol ;)

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Gift Guide - For fashionable Women!  

3 comentarios

Yesterday I hosted at the Etsy chats a fashion chat were we had quite a lot of fun! I showed some of my favourites in bags, clothes, accessories and jewelry.

So today I bring you a selection of my fav clothes, which I think would be great Christmas gifts for the women in your life, or your yourself! =)
There is a little of everything: dresses, shirts, coats, jackets, vest. The only things I didn't add is trousers and skirts. Mainly because I never buy a pair of jeans without trying them first, and I'm not a skirts girl :D LOL


Clothes

Sellers, left to right, top to bottom: Ureshii, LittleHouses, sarahseven, katsai, yellowcake, missbrache, heirloom08, kaoriyatsumoto, kimenna, seedclothing, idea2lifestyle, joodito, lizarietz, hopee, replicca, isadoraclothing

Now if only I had a fancy party to go to so I could buy one of those dresses... ahh!

Hope you liked the selection!

Monday, December 8, 2008

Monday Giveaway - Ring  

72 comentarios

This week: People are People Adjustable Ring by bakasartysta

It's such a cool ring! =)

A beautiful and bright ring to go with your favorite sundress! A yellow glass glob is collaged to create a truly ooak ring! Coated with gloss for protection. Mounted on a gold plated adjustable ring base.

Own this beautiful piece of wearable art!

Although it is coated to protect from water damage, I still recommend not submerging it in water just in case :)

Rules to enter:
  1. Visit bakasartysta's shop and pick a favourite item.
  2. Leave a comment in this post with your favourite item and a way to contact you (email or etsy link. Leave a contact or I won't be able to place you in the draft).
  3. I will select the winner from the comments with a random number generator.
This giveaway ends 14th December at midnight EST. Good luck!



If you are a seller and want to offer an item for a giveaway, contact me (see contact details in last section of left column)

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Fashion friendly item of the week - And Fashion Chat  

0 comentarios

This week: Keychain Coin Holder by BeaG
It is lovely! Now I will never be without coins when I go to supermarket or gym (evil lockers!!) With this sweet little keychain coin holder I will always have at least 1 euro to save me ;)


Fashion Chat Event!

It will be a lot of fun! You and I will discover tons of new trendy and cool stuff! Fashion ideas, questions, suggestions, trend alerts, decoration tips, dressing tips, gift ideas, anything and everything will be discussed, and I will try to show you my most fashionable finds. Come and join for 1 hour of fashion and shopping fun! (There will be virtual hot chocolate lol)

Finally scheduled for Monday 8th December at 7 pm GMT (UK time). That is 8pm in central Europe, and 2 pm EST time.
It will be held at Etsy chats
Look for the chat room named: Fashion & Handmade
and enter password: blog

Hope you can make it! Thanks! =)

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Fashion chat?  

5 comentarios

Well well... seems the crisis is getting to the IT sector! Most of the projects I was interviewing for are now cold dead. SIGH. Will I ever get a job before the crisis ends? Cause if 2010 arrives and I don't have a job yet I might have killed myself in the way. :@

So I have too many hours to think about stuff now and I have too many crazy ideas (in the good sense).
Some of my projects right now are:
- Keep working on the customizer project
- Make the online magazine (yay! Im really excited about this)

Aaaand... why would you care about this? Well, first of all I need collaborators to write for the online magazine. Interested people, please contact me.

And second of all, I love the shopping event the Storque and Etsy are doing every night and since I think it is a great idea, I think we could do the same! Organize a fashion & handmade chat/shopping event. Hosted in the Etsy chats so we can showcase items.
I love to find great and unique pieces, as well as fashion stuff and clothes, so if you need help with shopping for your mother/father/brother/husband/boyfriend/girlfriend/wife, etc, I think it could be a great opportunity!
I will help you out pick some great items for this Christmas or for yourselves, and talk a little about fashion!

** EDITED! Previously wrote 8 pm, it was wrong, I meant 7 pm **
So... who wants to come? I would like to host it on Sunday or Monday evening by 7 pm GMT (UK) time. Who is in? Please comment if you are coming or would rather host this on a different date (state if you rather have it on Sunday, Monday or another day). I wouldn't want to be there by my own! Once I know the date I will post it in the blog.

I will bring my fav items and selections to the meeting =)

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Ha! Back to the gym and coding  

4 comentarios

Yup! I finally joined the gym next door and hopefully will be going every week morning (ehem)

So... just looked in my closet and I don't have any cool (or at all) sport clothes. See what I found in Etsy.


gym

Sellers, left to right, top to bottom: phippsart, designsbyamber, InspiredByMe, gaiaconceptions, Ahpeele, HerbanDevi

Apart from that, I have been all week (and many more weeks) working on a web application to customize items (hey, I'm a bored Computer Science kid). What does this mean? Well, I created a sample page where customers can customze the colors of my silk earrings. For now this is all up for testing, and as soon as I finish the main page and shop pages, I will ask around to see if any other seller would like to have their items here to make their customers life easier =)


Please take a look at it here: http://customizer.zendfree.com

Play with it all you want, it is only a test page. What do you think? As a buyer: would you like to use it? As a seller: would it be useful for your business?
Thanks a lot! I need input/feedback on this tool to see if it has any future, if sellers are willing to use it, before I start building the administration part. (The graphic part still needs some improvement but I'm on it lol)

Oh, and also need a NAME for it! So far I named it customizer, but it doesn't sound cool enough :P - Help me!

And finally, one more thing. I love to design catalogs, covers, etc, so I thought I could transform the monthly newsletter into an online magazine to combine both my passions: design and fashion. I'm not interesting enough to write more than 2 - 3 pages so... anyone wants to collaborate with an article related to handmade and if possible: fashion? Anything could fit in: kids, decoration, fahsion, beauty, .... Contact me if you want to help!


*EDITED*

Ooops forgot one thing! If you live outside Europe and would like to get one of my items for Christmas, tomorrow is the last day I can ship it and assure you it will arrive on time. Please make your Christmas shopping by 4th December.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Monday Giveaway - Bunnie!  

64 comentarios

Sorry last week was a little slow! Hope you enjoyed the thanksgiving weekend and do some holidays shopping today :) (It's cyber monday!) oh, and, Hello December!

This week's giveaway: Somebunnie Loves Me by Paper Girl Productions

They are super cute!!!!!! I love plushies, and these ones are fantastic!

A few words from the artist:

The winner will receive ONE plush bunnie made by yours truly..Paper Girl Productions...taking the world on one plushie at a time.

The plush bunnie stands approx 8in tall and is completely handmade one stitch at a time from my own original pattern. Comes from a smoke free home and pet free home for the bunnies are unfortunately allergic to other animals.

Rules to enter:
  1. Visit Paper Girl Productions's shop and pick a favourite item.
  2. Leave a comment in this post with your favourite item and a way to contact you (email or etsy link. Leave a contact or I won't be able to place you in the draft).
  3. I will select the winner from the comments with a random number generator.
This giveaway ends 7th December at midnight EST. Good luck!




Also: We are extending the deadline for the giveaway: Key Fob by SewMuchDetail until 7th December too. It's a fantastic keychain, and you still have 1 week to participate!

And finally: I am running a sale! I have marked down all my summer and winter silk shirts from $44 to $30, a %30 discount! Check them out here.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Gift Guide - Gift Certificates  

3 comentarios

Happy Thanksgiving to the american readers! =)

Some of you will be super tired after a day of celebrating with the family, and although tomorrow is Black Friday, some of you rather shop from home. Take a look at our past gift guides to find great gifts! And, if you don't find anything suitable and are not sure what your friend might like, why not get a gift certificate?

I have searched for the best gift certificates, in the best etsy stores, and I bring you a small selection. Believe me, all the shops are worth checking out. (In my shameless self promotion I also added a gift certificate from my store hehe)


GiftCertificates

Sellers, left to right, top to bottom: MiChiMa, sarahseven, belleandboo, phydeaux, gilbea, MixologyMakeup, toybreaker, mcaplan, SistersSimpleSoap, simonewalsh, craftpudding, thenoisyplume, justmare, TextStyle, modica, malam

I am pretty sure that if you haven't already found the perfect gift, at least one of these gift certificates will suit you. There is a little bit of everything: clothes, Bath&Body, art, accessories, jewelry, makeup, pottery, decoration and even things for men!
Good luck on your shopping!!

Also wanted to mention that I have added 2 new silk bracelets to the winter collection and are now in the shop!



And on a side note, I am getting a little frustrated with the job hunt... Seems with this global crisis most projects are being slowed down and positions I had been interviewed for are now non existant! SIGH Let's hope January 2009 treats me better. I have a lot of free time now, so thinking on joining a gym... anybody knows of good work out websites? Thanks!

Monday, November 24, 2008

Monday Giveaway - Keychain and more!  

33 comentarios

I'm back with more giveaways! =)

This week: Key Fob by SewMuchDetail



You can choose any (1) Key Fob you want from her shop. She has some really fun pieces, like this one =) They are super cute and quite useful to not loose your keys ;)

Rules to enter:
  1. Visit SewMuchDetail's shop and pick a favourite item.
  2. Leave a comment in this post with your favourite item and a way to contact you (email or etsy link. Leave a contact or I won't be able to place you in the draft).
  3. I will select the winner from the comments with a random number generator.
This giveaway ends 30th November at midnight EST. Good luck!




2 for 1 this week! I am participating in Modish's November giveaway.
I sent a pair of silk earrings similar to these:
A lot of artists are participating in the giveaway, that is worth $805! WOW!

Click here to participate or read more!

If you are a seller and want to offer an item for a giveaway, contact me (see contact details in last section of left column)

Friday, November 21, 2008

Gift Guide - Jewelry Lovers  

3 comentarios

This time the gift guide is written by me, I jumped into my favourites and selected the jewelry items that I liked most. Obviously all of them (or at least most of them) are jewelry for women. After all, most women are addicted to jewelry! (I know I am!)

Every family has a member who loves earrings, necklaces, rings or bracelets. In my case it is earrings! So I hope this gift guide helps you out when choosing a present for that person.

Some of these items are quite expensive, that is why they still are in my favourites and not in my pocket! haha And I have many many more in my favourites, maybe some other day I will share them with you too =)

Enjoy!


Jewelry1
Jewelry2

Sellers, left to right, top to bottom: ShereDesign, modernbird, indiaylaluna, Ricksonjewellery, AngelaGerhard, pepperberrystudios, bethpohlman, sirenjewels, bcyrjewelry, catiesblue, lunaticart, daniellejewelry, imogeneANDannie, lake, nervoussystem, sudlow, melaniefavreau, eninaj, ashhilton, Joannarutter, FigsAndGinger, Galeana, Yoola, naturalezanica

Hope you like these items =)

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

About Bras  

3 comentarios

We have all tried on uncountable number of bras, and it is very very difficult to find a perfect bra, having huge differences between bras with same size!

So I bring you this very interesting article about finding a perfect bra written by Myrte from MirthQuakeClothing.etsy.com Thanks Myrte!


On the prowl for a Bra.

Some time ago I decided all my bras were either worn out or just boring, and I decided it was time to buy a real comfortable and functional bra, instead of a cute and cheap one that didn't do justice to my boobs. I wouldn't end up with balconnet bra where my boobs would peek over at the end of the day.
This time I would get decent advice. I would be completely open to the shoplady's comments while she looked at my self conscious little me in the fittingrooms. This is something that happens here in the Netherlands. I would invest in a decent and expensive bra where my cup D boobs would feel like feathers so light.
With this in mind, and the shoplady by the hand I picked my favourite from the rows of undies. They should've stopped me right there and then. They should've protected me from myself when I picked a luxurious balconnet bra.
The devine balconnet, I love it, but it doesn't do a good job with me. In the fittingroom my unhappy boobs already wanted to jump off the balcony. But the shoplady assured me that it took some getting used to for them, but that they would stay put, honestly. Apparently mine are very naughty because they don't stay put.

Now I am a thirty-something woman, and I've had boobs for some time(yes, I was an early bird) and I think I am a little wiser than a lot of Bra-sales persons.

The average person in a lingerie store looks at two things: the circumference below the bust, and the circumference of the bust at the so called bustline. The way they relate to each other determines your size as you probably know already.
Now if you're lucky enough to figure this out you haven't found the right bra yet. If you measure wrongly you're likely to live in bra-hell, tucking your friends back in their cups all day. And when measuring correctly, do you measure with or without wearing a bra? With, they will say, but if you only have poorly fitting bras you will never find a new good one. The amount you get from measuring with a bra with bad support(one with which your boobs have dropped themselves in a free fall towards your ankles) will leave you with a new bra that is too small. The shopgirls don't have an impressive answer to that: only measure your breasts while wearing a good fitting bra. But to find a good bra you have to have a good bra already. That is similar to the wisdom of making a lot of money when you already have a lot of money. So without money you will not easily make more, as you will not easily find a good bra when you don't already have one. Thank you very much.

What everyone seems to be forgetting is the placement of your boobs on your body. Mine start almost below my arms!
The way they move, in what direction, the distance between them, and yes even the length measured from your collarbone to below your breast can matter a great deal when finding the perfect bra.

For some women it is too bad, but they have to keep away from sexy barely-there bras. They need more coverage. For others the shoulders will suffer with a certain style and they need one with a little boning or extra bodice for the support.

I myself have always dreamt of the push up bra, But my breasts won't be pushed in any direction they don't want to go.
As a consequence I end up with the push up pads in a strange position so my figure looks really strange and unnaturally big for the rest of my body.

I am trying to find the logic in bras and female figures. But it ain't easy. I have the strong belief that every boob should be able to sit at the right level or even higher. This goal I want to achieve. I can share some of my life lessons. Perhaps I can help others in the jungle of bras.

-Make sure the straps stretch as little as possible. In the old days when elastic wasn't as common as it is now, they used to be made of fabric. Perky tits was the result. Try to affix your straps by stitching them through and through at the right position. Then the slides won't make your breasts drop an inch with every step you take. The slides are nice for the manufacturer, then more women will fit them, but you don't need to switch the slides every month once you have the right position.

-Do you think you need the stretchy straps to prevent them from nesting in your shoulders? Try a bra with an extended bodice. One with boning would be perfect. This way the weight is devided over your body and not only your shoulders.

-Do you think you have size 80C? try size 75D once. A great number of women who will try this will no longer have the size they always thought they had. You need to up the cup size and lower the circumference size below the bust. If the underwire floats before your body instead to fitting neatly on the body you have the wrong size!!

-When fitting your bra make sure you fit the closure at its biggest postition. Elastic is a very nasty material that will loose shape soon. Then you always have those extra positions to tighten things up a little.

-And finally there's the jump and shake move you have to perform in the fittingroom. Don't feel silly, just do it. Hang upside down and shake'm, or do a handstand and shake'm that's even better.

If this bra survives these tests, I would advise you to buy one hundred of them, because you will never stumble upon another perfect bra. With an average life expectancy of 81 years and the average of 2,3 new bras per year, you'll be safe for a while!

Good luck!
Myrte




And finally some bras I found in Etsy. I know you can't try them on to see how they fit, but they still look great! =) Specially underwear by OnTheInside, I'm gonna get one of her bras one od these days!

Bras

Sellers, left to right, top to bottom: OnTheInside, sandmaiden, queenBlingerie, MajoReyStore, gplingerie, ClareBare

Hope you find this article useful =)

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Fall / Winter Trend - Sweetheart neckline dress  

1 comentarios

Im back with more fashion! yay!

This kind of dress is one of the most femenine and sensual! Seems this season it is back, and strong.
You can find this dress in every store, from H&M to the super exclusive boutiques. What is hot this season is the dress with sweetheart neckline in 1 color: black, grey, dark blue, brown, etc.

How to wear it? The elegant option: no jewelry and hair up. The sexy way: short straight skirt. Shoes: from nice flats to high heels with round point, whatever you choose!
This dress can we worn to an elegant party, to go out clubbing, or if choose a more plain version it can be worn anywhere with a more casual style! =)

And here is what I found in Etsy:


HeartNeckline

Sellers, left to right, top to bottom: bellemichou, kittydearest, Shrinkle, HihloStudio, duchessvondudik, allencompanyinc, abstractpretty, NodtoModvintage, ohmillie

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Fashion friendly item of the week  

1 comentarios

This week: Peacock collar by DAINTYCROCHETBYALY

This collar is fabulous! It even seems like part of the tshirt. Fantastic idea.

If you think your items or someone elses could fit in this section, please post your pictures in the photo pool. Remember: Handmade / Vintage items only!

Shop Hand Made Europe this Christmas!  

1 comentarios

I just created a video to promote shopping in european shops for christmas gifts. Hope you like it!




To find european shops: European Shop Catalog
Or type in the search bar in Etsy 'europeanstreetteam'

Featured in this video (in order of appearance): annarubyking, mundogominola, bonzie, gilbea, iragrant, lunaticart, karlita, kreativlink, kupkup, lapomme, TheHouseofMouse, lookmamamadeit

Enjoy! =) And have a Merry European Christmas shopping spree!
Remember to shop in November for getting your presents in time for the Holidays.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Product Review!  

7 comentarios

Well, well, sorry it took so long to post another product review! Hope to bring you some more before Christmas.

Today I am going to review a fantastic pendant Lori from heartworksbylori sent me a while ago! =) She was so nice to submit one of her fantastic pendants for this blog's reviews and she also did a giveaway last month. And she also sent me a second smaller pendant, yay! Love them both!






First of all let me say I got it in a really nice package, with nice jewelry bags, A+ in presentation! I love wearing the simple Mini art pendant with a black top, it looks fantastic and quite fashionable let me tell you! =) Small enough to be everyday jewelry, and yet super cool. I love the image of the bird with the blue sky, and the simplicity of the pendant. For people who love bigger pendants, or more artsy, she has tons of different styles. I love the ones with famous paitings like Klimt images or the new lockets she has, so cute! I give the pendant a 5 out of 5 in seller's communication, product, finishing touch, and quality.

Thanks Lori!





Her shops:





Hope this review was helpful to you! :)

If you would like to review a handmade item you bought online (Etsy or not) please let me know!

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Gift Guide - Cute items!  

2 comentarios

Or as japanese people call them: Kawaii! =) (the more i's the better lol)

Today's gift guide: Cute items by Jacqueline from Jqline. Thanks!

Holiday season is just around the corner! Anyone would just fall for these cute little items for your little ones or for anyone who loves all things kawaii!
This gift guild was inspired by my love for all things so cute they hurt! Have fun checking out these great finds and start your kawaii holiday shopping early!
Happy shopping! n_n

Kwaii

Sellers, left to right, top to bottom: creativethursday, lookmamamadeit, bumblebird, joojoo, kachingdesign, DesignsByWho, Jqline, woodmouse, prettylittle, chickabiddybaby, M0J0, Meekiyua, Joannarutter, mimisayshi, littlebigpants, steppie

I love these items! =)

Jacqueline's shop: Jqline



If you want to write a gift guide for the blog, contact me (see contact details in last section of left column)

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Gift Guide - Ideas for Guy Geeks  

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One more gift guide! =) Remember to do some of your christmas shopping in Etsy this year! Full of great stuff. And if you are in for some silk items... well, remember my store please =) I added some jewelry and shirts these last weeks, as well as more long and mini scarves.

Today's gift guide: Guy Geeks by Amy from AlwaysAmy. Thanks!

In my opinion, Etsy is one of the best places to holiday shop if you have dweebs, dorks, nerds & gamer men in your life like I do. & this year I've started my holiday shopping early so I can snag fantastic items for them. I remember last year & all the best guy stuff sold out so fast. So this year, I am not going to let the geeks in my life go without! It's screen printed ties, gamer t-shirts, funky buttons & more for everyone!

GuyGeeks

Sellers, from left to right, top to bottom, are: phippsart, buttonempire, digiBling, dedalo, surly, Muncheys, toybreaker, sushipot, offensivedecals, edmdesigns, sewyolanda, medioXcore, owlyshadowpuppets, thepinksamurai, CircaCeramics, urbanheirlooms

Hope you like it!

Amy's shop: AlwaysAmy



If you want to write a gift guide for the blog, contact me (see contact details in last section of left column)

Newsletter First Issue!  

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Yay! It took me a while to get everything together but finally here it is!
This evening I will email the first issue of the blog's newsletter.

In case you missed it, you can subscribe in the form on the right column under the RSS feed.

And the articles this month are:

I think everybody will like this issue! =)

Monday, November 10, 2008

Monday Giveaway - Fused Glass Pendant  

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This week: A Sailor’s Tale by Vadjutka

It looks so bright and colorful, almost like candy! =)

Also, Judit wanted to announce this:

**VADJUTKA’S XMAS GIFT 4 U**
Free shipping over 30 USD orders between 15th November and 15th December.

A Sailor’s Tale – fused glass pendant on leathers in turquoise, deep blue and red colors.

This Sailor pendant woke up one morning and found herself wearing a red stripe instead of a blue one.

’I don’t want to be a Sailor anymore. I am a Cherry Blossom from now on’ she thought and sailed away.

This pendant has turquoise, deep blue and red glasses fused together. The pendant hangs on three strands of leathers in matching colors.

Size of the pendant:
5 x 2,5 cm
2 x 1 inch

Length of necklace:
41 cm
17,7 inch

Rules to enter:
  1. Visit Vadjutka's shop and pick a favourite item.
  2. Leave a comment in this post with your favourite item and a way to contact you (email or etsy link. Leave a contact or I won't be able to place you in the draft).
  3. I will select the winner from the comments with a random number generator.
This giveaway ends 16th November at midnight EST. Good luck!



If you are a seller and want to offer an item for a giveaway, contact me (see contact details in last section of left column)

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Fashion friendly item of the week  

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This week: Raperonzolo scarf by Claa

I love the size of this scarf (yes, it is kinda huge and looks super WARM!) and that it is braided... =)

And if you rather wear a cowl, she has plenty of them:

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Gift Guide - Warm Ideas  

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Today I am using a new tool to display the selected etsy items intead of images and later the links. From now on, if this works correctly (I hope the ones getting updates by email can see it fine) I will be using this method where you can direcly click on the images, like an Etsy treasury.
Thanks a lot to etsy admins and specially LazyTcrochet that sent it to me!

Today's gift guide: Warm Ideas by Jenny from thepaintedlily. Thanks!

In my neck of the woods, it is just now getting cooler and the leaves on the trees are beginning to glow in that lovely way that always makes me feel reminiscent and long for warm nights by the fire. This time of year always makes me slow down and turn to nature... see what I might have missed after all the whirl of activity and fun of the last few months. I have found some wonderfully crafted items on Etsy that I hope might inspire you to settle down, warm up, relax and embrace the change of seasons in your own way...


Hope you liked the gifts showcased here. Good luck on your Christmas shopping!

Jenny's shop:
The Painted Lily



On a side note, I have been featured this week in two great blogs: Mixed Plate and Handmade Europe! Hope you like the interviews! =)


If you want to write a gift guide for the blog, contact me (see contact details in last section of left column)

Friday, November 7, 2008

Gift Guide - Ideas for Knitters  

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I try to post a gift guide a day, so I hope you like them =)

I know Etsy made my father happy, now he doesn't have to wonder around downtown not knowing what to get me. Since last Christmas I have made his life easier by selecting items from Etsy and then my family buys me a couple of the items I listed. I use the Poster Sketch tool, then make a favourites folder for my christmas gifts with all the items in the poster sketch and print that page for my father. My mother is now starting to do it now and my father is uber happy lol =) I encourage everybody to use this system!

Anyways, if there is a knitter in your family, you will love this guide for christmas ideas!
Thanks to Ellen from elanknits.

Etsy is the easy place to shop for the knitter in your life.

Yarn is available in fibres from angora to wool and every colour you ever dreamed of. You think your knitter might feel like knitting fire & ice, she/he can. If you or they are a traditionalist you can find fibre ready to be spun into yarn. Items every knitter can use include: a huge variety of bags, stitch markers, row counters, needles and accessories & each has an individual style like the many knitters out there. Punk Princess knitter - we've got you covered, drama queen – check, love to knit vintage? - etsy can fill that need too. For the hard to buy for knitter, personalized tags will always find a use. Etsy is a knitter's dream of choices.

Knitters

Sellers, left to right, top to bottom, are (link to the item): tlwoldc, holly, gomonkeydesign, rmkush, seaglassthings, plainjanetextiles, souptoknits, NeedleFood, Irichmond3, ayarnoutlet, cupcaketree, GeneralWhimsy2, jeanettejed, namasteglass22, knit, lanea

Ellen's shop:
elanknits



If you want to write a gift guide for the blog, contact me (see contact details in last section of left column)

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Fashionably delicious - World Recipes - Pumpkin "malfatti"  

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Today we have: Pumpkin "malfatti", an italian recipe! =)


Read the recipe at Hand Made Europe blog

Hope you like it =)
Bon apetit!

Gift Guide - Crafty Kids  

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Another gift guide! This time of the year is a little crazy with all the gift hunting and so on, so that is why I am trying to post as many gift guides as possible before Christmas in case anybody needs inspiration =)

I think this one is uber cute: Items to get kids into crafting! Thanks to Kate of katedowding

Sit a kid in front of a playstation or x-box and they will more than likely pick up the controller and instinctively know how to hold it, what the butons do and how to make Lara Croft jump off the ledge, make her spin around that pole thingy and land elegantly on the other side and not in a crumpled heap on the ground (ouch! thats enough of my frustrations)

Sit a kid at a table with a needle and thread or a stack of card and glue, will they get stuck in? Well probably, yes, kids are awkward like that and can turn their hand to anything. But, if your children think crafting is all about drinking tea while knitting a bumper supply of christmas jumpers, then take a gander and these 'make your own' kits which should steer them away from the TV screen for a little while.


CraftKids

Sellers, left to right, top to bottom, are (link to the item): kitsandcaboodles, orangemoontoys, feelingfuzzy, sweetpeababy, heatherknitz, MyKangaroo, blackbirdfashion, katedowding, kitsandcaboodles

Kate's shop:
katedowding



If you want to write a gift guide for the blog, contact me (see contact details in last section of left column)

Monday, November 3, 2008

Giveaways: 3 for 1!  

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This week we have 3 giveaways!!!!

First giveaway: Rhodochrosite earrings by EarthsOpulence

Lovely earrings!!

Pink and gray swirls... 6mm Rhodochrosite beads sandwiched between sterling beadcaps. Black Diamond Swarovski AB crystals on each end, on a sterling ballpin. Earwires are sterling silver.

Rules to enter:
  1. Visit EarthsOpulence's shop and pick a favourite item.
  2. Leave a comment in this post with your favourite item and a way to contact you (email or etsy link. Leave a contact or I won't be able to place you in the draft).
  3. I will select the winner from the comments with a random number generator.
This giveaway ends 9th November at midnight EST. Good luck!




Second giveaway: I am giving away one of my silk mini scarves! This giveaway is hosted at a fellow fashion blog: Fashion Fling

To participate in this giveaway, you have to go to Fashion Fling's blog, visit my shop (GilBea), pick a favourite item and post it in the entry form (not in the comments) in Fashion Fling's post.
Deadline is November 11th =) Enjoy!
Click here to enter the giveaway


Third giveaway: We are extending the deadline for LaurieRyan's print up to 9th November. Please keep participating! =)

One last thing. Please subscribe to our monthly newsletter that will be coming out this week! =)
Thanks to fellow etsians we have articles on: how to make soap, scarf pattern, recipes, fashion, hair styles, and much more!


Sign up for the newsletter





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Thanks!
If you are a seller and want to offer an item for a giveaway, contact me (see contact details in last section of left column)

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Gift Guide - Ideas under $20  

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Yes I'm back from UK! I loved the place, it looks really close to my dream job! A great place, rotation through departments (great when you are a new grad and have no idea what you want to do!), great people, fantastic working hours and flexibility. If that job was in a sunny place in Spain it would be perfect! LOL
So I did my best, nothing I can regret. But there was a group exercise, and what exactly are you supposed to do on it to stand out? Oh well. Pointing out that English is not my first language I think I didn't do too bad =) I think I did well enough to get to the next round, but something inside me tells me I won't get this job even if I get to the next round! (Ah, how sad is that.... it looks sooo good!) Hope my guts are wrong. Thanks to everybody who wished me good luck =)

Anyways, here is the next gift guide. This one can be quite useful: items under $20! (Specially jewelry mwuahaha, I'm a jewelry addict) Thanks to Janna of jacjewelry

Holiday season is almost here! Before we know it, we'll be buying and wrapping presents for our loved ones. This gift guide was inspired by an idea to show you some great finds that don’t cost a whole lot – everything you see here is $20 or less!

There are some fantastic jewelry finds that will be nice compliments to fall and holiday outfits (earrings, a ring, necklaces and a wristlet), as well as a few things to accent your household (a porcelain cup, a bowl and fine art prints). We even found the cutest holiday gift tags! Everything in this gift guide is handmade.

Have fun checking out these great finds and start your holiday shopping early! Be sure to pick something up for yourself as well – holidays aren't always about others. :)

Janna

Under20

Sellers, left to right, top to bottom, are (link to the item): dreaminofbeadin, betsy3, MAKUstudio, Meetalls, alisonkelleydesigns, poshplushies, amandamackay, muyinmolly, jewelera, baileydoesntbark, beadedoriginals, thebunnycage, Midnightcreations, SavageArtworks, sunlitletterpress, PrinceDesignUK

Hope you liked this guide! =)

Her shop:
jaC Jewelry



If you want to write a gift guide for the blog, contact me (see contact details in last section of left column)