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!  

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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  

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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  

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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!  

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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!  

1 comentarios

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  

114 comentarios

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  

0 comentarios

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  

2 comentarios

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  

1 comentarios

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"  

0 comentarios

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  

0 comentarios

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!  

99 comentarios

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  

1 comentarios

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)