Hello to Handmade!

Hello 2014...and Hello to Handmade.  Let's make this year the year of handmade because buying handmade is buying quality...and family.  When you shop at your local small businesses, or purchase handmade at craft shows and on-line, you are supporting family.  Let's see what I can find today....

...according to Pantone, the color of this year is Radiant Orchid.

Isn't that just GORGEOUS!!!

So, now let's go shopping...

I generally don't shop at Etsy anymore...but I thought today, aw, why not.  I was so pleased to find this handmade Kumihimo bracelet in the shop of Sparkleez Crystals. 

 If you love bling like I do, you'll love this shop.

Over at Handmade Artists the first thing that popped up was this beautiful Orchid Lavender Knit Headband created by my friend Sandi at iKnitQuiltSew.  I especially like the flower, and with the cold weather across the nation, this looks toasty and warm. :-)

Now on to The Craft Star, and these very pretty Layered Heart Tags in the shop of Cards and More by Sheri.  You can find so many uses for these cards, gift giving, scrap booking, or string them together for an awesome banner.

And now for some self-promoting...here is my Radiant Orchid Lilac Beaded Handbag.  I have lots of other stuff too in my shop...

Yankee Burrow Creations,

and

Yankee Burrow Vintage.

So, what do you have that's Radiant Orchid?

Be blessed,

Debbi

Besteam feature on Turquoise Angels

Joni Walker and her daughter Rebecca Finch is the mother/daughter team behind Turquoise Angels, a great Etsy shop filled with goodies for little girls. They have just recently moved, so they are busy busy busy.  I don't envy them, I hate packing and unpacking.  I told my husband that if we ever move again, we are selling our house fully furnished, and buying a house fully furnished. lol.  This team works together to create wonderful tutu's, and clips for little girls.  Here's a peek at their creations.

First up is this Italian Princess Petti Tutu. What pretty colors!  Joni and Rebecca take great care when creating these tutu's.  Quality made, these tutu's were made for fun, and your little girl will surely have fun playing dress up it this.

And how's this for a hair clip?  Their Patriotic French Clip Hair Bow is hand tied and the ends are heat sealed to prevent fraying.  They have a total of 68 hair bows, so if you only wear red, white, and blue in July, check out all the rest.  You will definitely find any style, pattern, or color you need to complete any outfit.

And for that extra special member of your family...there are tutu's for them too.  This Pumpkin Orange Doggy Tutu is just tootoo cute.  (Sorry, had to throw that pun in)  If your little girls best friend is her doggy, they can get matching tutu's. heehee.  Turquoise Angels is now taking orders for flower girl dresses, and have tulle of all colors handy to match your special color theme.  Plus all their tutu's are custom made so be prepared for a 2 week turnaround between placing your order and shipment.

You can keep up with Joni and Rebecca by reading their blog, or follow them on facebook.  So click on any link above and start your holiday shopping early!

Debbi

If you are an Etsy artisan that likes to blog, click here.

If your a blogger that has an Etsy shop, click here.

Besteam feature on Poison Garden

This week I'm browsing the shop of a BESTeam newbie...Poison Garden.  Three friends, Melissa, Suzette, and Crystal share this Etsy shop, which is full of great romantic jewelry and accessories.  I was intrigued when I was reading their blog, and saw their pictures.  I want to share those pictures with you, because they look like they would be a blast to hang out with.  I love their romantic style!

From left to right we have...Crystal...Melissa...and Suzette.  Love that hat on Suzette!  And this great fashion style flows into their custom designs, gothic, steampunk, ribbons, suncatchers...you'll find it here.  Let me show you what I found while shopping their store.

 This Smokey Rose Suncatcher would look great hanging from my
mini-van rear view mirror.  One look at this and maybe I'll hear the wisper of a wind blowing thru an english rose garden instead of "mom...he's looking at me".



I love pearls...and this large pearl pendant looks wonderful.  Hanging from a choker created with sliver rose beads, clear beads, and small white beads, this is a great look for both casual jeans, and that classy little dress.  The Margaret style Pear Choker is just waiting for someone to take it home.

My eye became stuck on the gorgeous colors of this Purple and Teal Feather Hair Clip.  I love color, but if I bought this, I would have to buy a new outfit to match.  Hmmmmm, maybe I should think about this? So if your drawn to this hair clip like I am, you better get it quick.



The girls also have a wonderful blog just jammed full of artist features, info on them, upcoming shows, custom work...be sure to follow this blog.  Or if you prefer quick updates, check out thier facebook page.  And for even faster updates...twitter!  So hurry...and have fun shopping with Poison Garden.
Debbi

If you are a blogger that has and Etsy shop, check us out here.
Or if you have an Etsy shop and likes to blog, check us out here.

Besteam feature on ChickyD's

Wow, it has been waaaay too long since I've had any extra time to blog, what with homeschooling, E.O.G.'s, and a too long to-do list.  But today I'm carving out time to share a great new shop with you.

My BESTeam buddy Danielle, from Danizabeth fame, has just opened a new shop on Etsy, Chicky D's.  Danielle has expanded her talents to create great accessories for your little fashionista.  Chicky D's is full of hairclips and bows like these below.

 This Cupcake Clippie 3 Pack Boutique Style is created with the cutest cupcake ribbons.  And with 3 in the pack, you have several choices for your little one.  I bet they would even work for us big girls!

And this Polka Dot Korker Boutique Headband has a removeable bow on an alligator clip for 2 different looks.  Or you could just switch out the headband with another hair clip like this

 Fabric Yo Yo with Button Clippie

Just clip it on the headband, and viola.  Or use it alone to keep your girl's hair out of their face while they study.  Haha, you can see I still have homeschool on the brain. :)

Danielle has also decided to share her artisit talent with paint and brush with the rest of us.  Yea!!!  You can dress up your wall with a wonderful piece of art like this Dandelion Painting on Wood

You can click on any of the above links to get to Chicky D's and see these wonderful items for yourself.  You can also follow Danielle on her blog, facebook, and twitter.

If you're an Etsy artisian that blogs, check out our besteam page.

Or if you're a blogger that has an Etsy shop, check out our besteam blog.

Too Much of a Good Thing is Good

Let me tell you about a great Etsy shop....too much of a good thing.  Leyla is the creative force behind this shop full of wonderful items.  I should know because I am also a customer of this shop, and found the items to be exactly as described.  I got these cute little crochet flowers for my scrapbooking.  They look so cute in my daughter's book.   Leyla can take extra yarn and scrap paper and make the best stuff, like this crochet elephant.  Too cute with the monkey.  TooMuchOfAGoodThing is based in Salem, Oregon, and there are 2 local shops that carry her cards.  I've ordered her cards and they were very well made.  Time for me to order more, like these adorable sock monkey baby cards.  Something new I've noticed in her shop are crochet headbands, perfect for any length hair.

Her blog makes for great reading, with tutorials and stories.  It is one of only a few I actually subscribe too, and I read it every time.  But don't just take my word for it, click on any of these links to see for yourself.

TooMuchOfAGoodThing shop

TooMuchOfAGoodThing blog

If your an Etsy artist, and a blogger, consider joining the BESTeam ever!

Besteam feature on LoveElycia from Etsy

"Quirky", my word for the day. I just enjoy the sound of the word, it makes you smile when you say it. And it is the perfect description for this weeks Besteam feature on LoveElycia. I have always enjoyed her shop and blog, and I got a giggle today when I noticed that she dyed her hair blue. Looooove it!

My Hannah wants purple and pink hair. Daddy says no, but someday I'm sure she'll have it. Elycia seems to be the kind of person you might want to get stranded on an island with, because she will keep you entertained. lol. She's a cat person who loves Star Wars, (must be a missing member of my family), and when I read her blog intro about herself, I became sure that she belongs in my family, hahaha. Her blog is a great place to spend some time, and she seems to have a thing for mustaches *smile*.

 She loves headbands, and she now has some vintage clothing in her shop.  Here are a few of her great items.  Be sure to stop by her shop and blog, and say hello to the quirkiest girl I know. lol

too much of a good thing is Wonderful

I just spent the last 30 minutes reading the wonderful blog by Leyla, proprieter of the Too Much of a Good Thing on Etsy.  She is also a fairly new member of the Besteam, which is a team of Etsy artisians that promote each other thru our blogs and twitter and facebook.  Now, getting back to Leyla, her blog is simply... well... wonderful.  She is a newlywed and her husband's name is Isaac (which means laughter), and it sure does seem that Leyla likes to laugh.  She blogs about book reviews, trips, new reciepes, and so much more.  It's one of the few blogs I scrolled down to read her older posts too. :)

She also has a cute shop on Etsy where she sells her creations of greeting cards and crochet flowers.  Here, take a look, then go choose something for yourself, or a friend.

Next do yourself the pleasure of checking out her blog.  I'm pretty sure you'll find something there to interest you.  Welcome Leyla, to the Besteam!

welcome Alison

We have a new artist working with us in our etsy.com shop, Alison Little.  I (Debbi) first met Alison about 9 years ago when we were both working for a local furniture manufacturer.  Then after Amanda moved south (ok, Chuck and I packed her up and moved her without giving her a choice, lol), her and Alison became friends.  We were thrilled to be invited to Alison's wedding to her great guy, Scott.  And thru the years Alison became the mother of 2 wonderful boys.  Alison has just recently taken up sewing, and her great and supportive husband gave her a brand new sewing machine as a gift.  And since then, Alison has been creating these cute pouches and headbands.  Because her work is of great quality, and because she is such a good friend, Amanda and I invited Alison to join us in our online venture.  Good for us, she agreed.  So here are some of her items to get you started.  Click and browse thru our store, and check back often for new listings.  And for those of you who don't want to join another website to purchase our items, we do have some pieces for sale on our facebook page.  So there is no longer any excuse for you, hahaha.