Featured Crafter- Handmade Crafting by You

Hello there lovely! Welcome back to another installment of our Featured Crafter adventure.

Today, we're meeting Emilee from Handmade Crafting by You. This shop is a little different from what you'd normally see. Emilee offers finished items and kits to help you DIY yourself to fabulousness! 

 Handmade Crafting by You focuses on handwoven baskets, hand and back warmers, and cross stitch patterns. Emilee started making her baskets two years ago when she inherited her Great Grandfather's basket making supplies. She had watched him weave beautiful baskets as a child, but had never tried. Once she did, she found herself hooked on the art.

Emilee opened her handmade shop because hand weaving baskets isn't as prominent of an art as it once was. It's a shame to see beautiful creations go by the wayside because of mass production and deep discounts. Emilee noticed an empty spot in the market that coincided with what she loves to do, and that will help carry on her Great Grandfather's legacy for years to come.

Emilee weaves many styles of baskets, but the Cherokee Style baskets are her absolute favorite to make. Each basket comes out so unique and has it's own personality. Even made from the same materials and same colors, they never come out identical.

Emilee's main goal in running a handmade shop is breathing life into a dying art. People don't really think to weave their own baskets anymore. All it takes is a trip to WalMart or Pier One, and the basket fun is over. But by making your own or buying handmade, you get a basket with hours of love and talent put into it. A basket with a story.

Outside of crafting, Emilee loves horses. She spends every moment she can get out at farms and on ranches visiting with those big beautiful animals. As a weird fact, Emilee has never used an Eos lip balm until the night she answered her questions. This tells me that Emilee is random and I love her already, and that she has now firmly moved to the dark side of Eos lip balms. Did you know you can get hand jeweled ones? Well, you can.

You can visit Handmade Crafting by You on Etsy, Facebook, and on Instagram @Happy_Handmade_

Creative Indulgence Design Group

Don't you hate it when you go into a store (online or brick and mortar) looking for something semi-specific, and they don't carry it? "Specialty" stores are great when you're looking for that specialty, but they fall short when you want items to coordinate. Personally, I find this more of a frustration than a benefit. (Scroll to the bottom for a full list of makers).

This is one of my most motivating factors in creating new items for my shop. I don't want people to open up my Etsy and be like "Ooooo I love the feathers on that hat! Why aren't there any hairpieces made that way?" or "That fabric flower is SO cute! I wish there was a hat/shirt/cup corset/something to match it!" Yeah... I've been there. It's the worst. It seriously took me days to find a shirt to match a pair of adorable sandals I bought. You have no idea how much that nagged at me. First world problems at their best, people.

Anyway.... But I can't make everything. I mean, I don't have interest in making a lot of crafts, to be honest. There's other stuff I've tried that is just not my forte, like crocheting. The tediousness of that task is mind-numbing to me. There's again other things that I know someone who does it so well (crocheting falls into this category as well) that there's not much of a point in me doing it. 

That last category is what brings me to my point- Etsy is great, but how do you know which sellers are good and which are not? How do you know who really puts time into their items and who couldn't care less? You don't. You can read reviews and stuff, but you don't really know who you're buying from.

Being a part of the crafting community means you know crafters. You work with them, buy from them, trade with them, and make friends with them. You idolize some and help others. Most importantly, involved members of that community get to know other involved members, and when they have great talents, items, and dedication, they can offer awesome things.

This is what we're doing. We started Creative Indulgence Design Group because, for almost a year, we've all been able to work together successfully and beneficially. Each of us has mad respect for the other crafters we work with and support them in the ways we can, be it a purchase or a Facebook status share. We offer items all across the board- from women's and children's clothing to lip balm, crochet items to soaps. But we're each our own, independent shops.

This remains true, but now we have a place to show you what we've got, give you amazing deals for being great clients, and get to know you better- We have Creative Indulgence Design Group. Daily Deals will occur every week, and we'll have fun games or event right about once a month. Most importantly, as an amazing handmade shopper, this makes your life easier. Join the group, turn on notifications, and collect totally unique, quality handmade items for gifts and for yourself. Here are our makers- 

Featured Crafter- Ky*Elle Kreations.

It's time again to meet with another wonderful crafter! Today, meet Elisa, owner of Ky*Elle Kreations.

Elisa makes all kinds of wonderful things in her shop... She has beautiful wreaths, burlap flags, burlap wine bags, and seasonal items like stockings and tree skirts. You can decorate your entire home in her shop. Seriously.

Ky*Elle Kreations has truly been in the making for most of Elisa's life. As a child, her mother crafted with her and helped her make clothing for her dolls from her old jeans and shirts. Her father taught her to draw and paint, and with every new skill conquered, Elisa just wanted to learn more.

Now, a proud Marine wife and mother of two, she has found her true passion, and through all the fear and trying times, Ky*Elle Kreations was born. 

Though she offers quite the variety in her shop, wreath making is where her heart is. No matter the event, theme or colors, she loves to make wreaths. As she so wonderfully put it- The only limitation is your own creativity. 

Her favorite thing about making wreaths is that she gets to help a family express themselves and give off a fantastic first impression. When you visit someone's home, you almost always see the front door first. What makes a better impression than an absolutely stunning, creative, and unique wreath on the door? Elisa gets to be a part of this for families all over the country, and that's so flattering to her.

Outside of crafting, Elisa loves to cook! She has food allergies, so eating at restaurants can be challenging, as can eating pre-packed foods from the grocery store. This forces her to be creative in another area of her life, which also helps her family be more healthy and have a great variety of meals!

Many people think Ky*Elle Kreations is a play off of Elisa's name, but it's actually a combination of her daughter's nicknames, Ky and Elle. There is no better inspiration in this world for creating beautiful things than the ones you love.

You can visit Ky*Elle Kreations on Facebook, Etsy, Instagram, Pinterest, and on Twitter @kyellekreations.

The Science Necklace Everyone Needs

For real. I do not joke about science, nor do I joke about jewelry.

Okay, those are both lies. I do. But I'm not right now, and that's truly the point.

Have you heard of Nerdtastic? Because if you haven't, consider yourself informed. This is knowledge you need in your life because we all are nerdy/have nerdy friends. And you/your friends need nerdy gifts. Duh.

So Nerdtastic is awesome, as is its owner. Amanda is a super nice girl; really easy to work with. Her shop carries a great variety of items to fit all budgets and needs. She's got everything from lip balm to bracelets, and coasters to necklaces. Searching through her shop is way fun!

Not too long ago, she posted this necklace on Instagram. Before I show it to you, you should know three things about me- 1) I shop, like, all the time. I don't spend ridiculous amounts of money or anything like that, but I'm almost constantly in shop-mode. 2) I'm a sucker for handmade. I see this beautifully handcrafted item for sale, and I can visualize a lovely creative soul toiling away at a desk to bring her inner visions to light. Tugs at my heart strings, I tell you. And 3) We're big time nerds in this house. We love science and documentaries and history and science fiction. I mean, my son's name is Odin... Need I say more?

Moving right along... So she posted this necklace on Instagram. This one, right here...

See it in the bottom corner?

And I was like "OHEMGEE. *Grabby hands* No, behave yourself, woman. You shop too much. You have to stop." But I couldn't not think about it. The tiny microscope! You'd have to be heartless to not fall in love with that (or not a huge fan of tiny things). And "science!"? I mean, how? Seriously! How could I resist that?

So I gave in to temptation, as I so frequently do. I messaged Amanda and was like "Girrrrrrl. You kill me."

Before I knew it (because that's how Amanda rolls), the necklace was in my mailbox. It's perfect, you guys. And you know what makes it better? You can order it in any chain length you'd like, and in all caps, all lowercase, or a mix! I chose all lowercase. But you should totally get the uppercase one. Then we can be necklace buddies.

Here's some details about the necklace... It comes standard on a 24" chain, but like I said before, you can choose whatever length chain you want. The disk pendant is smooth around the edges and all of the charms are very light weight. It's easy to wear and simple enough to go with everything, but it sure makes a statement when you wear it places. Also- you will love it!

Check out Nerdtastic's store here and Facebook page here. You can also follow her on Instagram @nerdtastic42. 

Thanks for reading, folks!! Now go fill up Nerdtastic's order book ;)

Featured Crafter- Shabby Chic Soap Company

Why hello there, gorgeous. I hope you're feeling wonderful today!

We're chatting with the owner of Shabby Chic Soap Company today, Sheena. Her soaps are shea butter based, detergent free, and aimed at cleansing your lovely skin! Shabby Chic Soap Co. was born of Sheena's need for a creative outlet, and desire to create something useful. Inspired by her boys, she started learning how bad detergents are for our skin, and it all grew from there.

This makes it sounds like Sheena makes soap. That's true, but it's not just soap. It's glorious, beautiful, so-pretty-you-don't-want-to-use-it-ever soap. If there is ever an excuse to accessorize with soap, hit up Sheena. She's got you covered.

As with many makers, Shabby Chic Soap Company all started with one thing. Sheena makes these super cute Peeps inspired soaps, which make amazing Easter gifts (*hint hint* what holiday is coming up soon?). From there, Sheena added many more products in like a bazillion different scents. 

Her favorite to make is her zebra soap. Every batch comes out differently, as she layers the color in by hand. Even in each batch, each bar comes out just a tiny bit different, adding extra excitement to cutting into the bars. 

What Sheena loves most about her shop is knowing that her soaps allow you to pamper yourself. Somewhere out there, a little boy is more excited about bath time because he just knows there's a toy waiting for him inside that soap. There's a stressed out, overworked mama taking a few extra moments for herself with beautiful and luscious products from Sheena's shampoo and conditioner collection, or her Angelface Soap-free Face Cleanser. Those thoughts warm Sheena's heart, as do all the lovely messages she receives thanking her for making what she makes.

Angelface in Action

Angelface Cleanser

As one of those stressed out, overworked mamas, I'll tell you what- Sheena's soaps are amazing! I'm not one for enjoying a long shower... I get bored easily and just want to go do something else. With Sheena's soaps, I do find myself taking a moment longer to breathe in the fresh, clean scents and thinking to myself "I'm going to smell sooooo awesome." 

Furthermore, as a mama who has a little boy that is toy addicted, the soaps are crazy fun. He's got his crab freed from one soap, but the purple octopus will take a while still (they're similar to this one here). He's got Mickey Mouse head soaps too, but I tend to use those more than he does ;)

These ones are bath crayons, but they come as just soap too :)

And finally, as a wife with a husband that is a total nerd, I can tell you that the dragon's egg soaps are a huge winner. The colors are super vibrant and fun, and you really get to hatch your own little dragon over time. Straight from Game of Thrones, I tell you. 

When Sheena answered "What sets your shop apart from others like it?", I sensed nervousness. I sense that Sheena doesn't want to be like "Because I'm awesome," but Sheena- I'm telling you. It's because you're awesome. It's all you, girlfriend. 

What sets Sheena's shop apart is her edge and creativity. These are not your traditional "guest bathroom" soaps that look all fancy and ritzy. If that's what you like, sweet, rock on buddy. But if you are looking for something for yourself or for a gift that no one has seen before and is totally customized to them, Sheena's your gal. She offers soaps with style, attitude, personality, and whimsy.

Outside of crafting, Sheena loves to read (if you've been reading these posts for a while, you'll notice this is a trend with creative people). She started making soaps to hopefully spend less money on books, but has found that the books she loves have just made their way into her soaps by inspiring styles and scents. 

One strange fact about Sheena is that, although her business is in the beauty industry, she's not really into make up and styling. She's most comfortable with her hair in a pony tail and a touch of lip balm. This strikes me as most likely a good thing, because soap making seems like a messy deal. I'd think it'd get all up in everything.

If you love what you've read here (and let's be real, you did), you can find Shabby Chic Soap Company on Etsy, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter :)

Featured Crafter- Waltons Jewelry

Well happy Friday!! It's the most fun day of the week for most people, but if you're not one of those people, you can still enjoy your Friday with our Featured Crafter!

We've met with Amber of Walton's Jewelry before, but it's been quite a while. We're back today to talk about her favorite things in her shop, and her favorite handmade shops to buy from!

You see, us makers are a close-knit bunch (pun intended). Most makers don't see things other handmade shops are making and think "Hey, I can make that too!" The majority of the time, we buy from each other because we know how other crafters feel. It can feel like a lonely, thankless road at times, so its important that we stick together and show our support.

Amber has a lot of great items available in her shop, so I imagine it was somewhat of a nightmare to pick out just a few favorites. First up, we have these super cute and whimsical fairy earrings. 

She also chose these adorable owl necklaces! I love the sparkle on them. 

I really couldn't help but add a couple favorites of my own ;)

This is my first pick. The detailing in the heart is stunningly beautiful and I love the simplicity of the black cord against it. This could truly be worn with anything!

My second pick is this amazing cameo necklace! The depth and colors are astonishing, and again, the black cord is perfect!

Now that you've seen Amber's gorgeous items, let's have a look at her favorite shops :)

Toni's Bowdacious Bows is Amber's first choice to shop handmade. She has bright, fun and well designed hair bows for little girls. 

She also really loves the shop from The Hooking Gals. This crochet shop offers many well made and useful items, but my favorite is this too-cute snowman!

What are your favorite handmade shops? Do you have a shop of your own? Link us your favorite items to spread the love!

Handmade Easter Items

Can you believe it's March?! I can't. We should stage a protest about this.

But the bright side of that is Easter is coming!! I love Easter. I love the colors, candies and egg hunts. I love the little Easter dresses for tiny ladies and the bow ties for tiny gentlemen. It's all so cute.

So we have all come together, yet again, to bring you a gorgeous list of Easter items that are all available from handmade shops. 

First up, we have Adore by Nat and her always amazing paper tags! These are great for keeping track of who's basket is who's or giving small gifts for the kids' classrooms!

Easter Bunny and Egg Gift Tags for Spring Celebration 

http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/product_view/adorebynat/3099384/

20% OFF Sale going on now

This just wouldn't be a proper list without bubblegum necklaces from Weil'd Hair and Accessories, dont'cha know. 

Easter Bunny Dainty Bead Necklaces by Weil'd Hair & Accessories

So those cute little dresses for tiny ladies... Sweet Pea Designs by Dee nailed it! These dresses are great for parties, egg hunts and photos!

Spring Easter Dress

Handmade Crafting by You has a great craft to get you into the Easter feel- handmade basket kits! She offers the kit or the finished product, and either way you go you'll end up with a unique creation!

Shabby Chic Soap Company is totally on top of this whole Easter deal with her Peep inspired soaps. They come in a variety of scents and look adorably similar to the treats we all ate too many of as children. 

Peeps Soap - Shea Butter based, Detergent Free soap in the classic Easter candy design. They can be customized in your choice of scent, or get them in Marshmallow for more of that classic vibe.

To dress the extra tiny people, Little Elephant Design has this adorable body suit in stock. The cute little bunny tail kills me. 

This appliquéd bunny short sleeve, three month size bodysuit is perfect for your little one to celebrate easter or for the bunny lover. This bunny features a multi-color "egg" patterned bunny with a brown tail and accent. 

Great as a gift or just because you love Easter, this key chain/zipper pull is crazy cute and bright! Crafting Memories has a lot of other amazing things you should check out, too ;)

Always looking for your keys? This beautifully made key fob is the perfect solution. Wear it on your wrist to the store or the gym. Easy to find in your purse.
These can also be used as a zipper pull for your jacket or backpack.
All key fob/key chain wristlet / zipper pulls are made of cotton webbing and grosgrain ribbon.
They are 1" wide and approx. 5 1/2" in length.