Recent Handmade Purchases - What I've Bought Lately!

I am long overdue for another handmade purchase blog post!  The goal of these posts is just to have a little fun!  You get to be nosy and see what I spend my money on, and I get to introduce you to a few Etsy sellers I really like!  So, let's get on with it!!

This year seemed to be a lot about aromatherapy for me.  I go through phases where scents feel very motivating to me.  And when I can combine my aromatherapy fetish with my soap fetish, I'm extremely blissed out.  Topping it off with awesome packaging and I'm likely a lifetime customer, lol!  First up is my Juniper Seed Mercantile purchase:

Juniper Seed Mercantile's Grapefruit Aromatherapy Spray

Juniper Seed Mercantile's Ginger Lime Foaming Hand Soap

My soap fetish was in full swing after this as evidenced by my discovery of Naiad Soap Arts!  The owner, Erin, puts a ton of care into her products and I found a couple of scents that I'd been trying to hunt down for awhile.  One of these is Beach House.  Virtually every Etsy scent and/or soap seller offers a version of a beach scent, but (surprise! surprise!), I'm very peculiar about what I like.  I want something that doesn't overwhelm me with coconut and palm trees, something that feels right in summer or winter.  This is it:

Beach House Sugar Whipped Soap

You can even try out her sugar whipped soaps in smaller batches before investing in a big jar!  I also recommend her key lime & grapefruit combination if you're into soap that smells so juicy, you accidentally eat it in the shower.  It has sugar in it for exfoliating purposes, so it's not a complete caloric mistake, lol.

If you read past posts on what I buy, you'll see that this next seller, Chicks in Hats, is a favorite. This is the second year in a row I've purchased this calendar for my Mom.  She's a complete chicken addict/collector.  Julie, the shop and chicken owner, takes these pictures of her own chicks!  They are beyond adorable.

Chicks in Hats 2014 Calendar

Now, onto some other gifts given this year.  This summer, one of my nieces turned 11!  She's big into swimming and an inspiring kid to be around.  Here's what she got on her special day!

Just Keep Swimming Wooden Block Decor

from BubbleWrapped

Personalized Clutch Purse by Lil Tin Purse

I customized the purse with the quote: "DON'T WISH FOR IT, WORK FOR IT!" and had her first initial, A, as the scrabble tile. She absolutely went BONKERS over it.  

Signage must be on my mind this year!  Because I work from home in my fabulous studio, I get kind of annoyed at the number of people who solicit in our neighborhood.  Every ring of the doorbell is an interruption of my creative spirit, lol!  I bought this sign to help cut down on that.  It's sort of working.  Now, I just get folks who ring the doorbell and then explain to me that they're not actually soliciting whilst they are trying to sell me something.  I think some folks need to review the definition of  'soliciting.'

No Soliciting Wooden Sign by Daisy Patch Primitives

Awhile back, I wrote a post about all the packaging fun we're having in my shop and forgot to include the fabulous washi tape I got from the Sewing Post!  If you decide to enter this shop, you do so at your own risk! It's unbelievably addicting! Washi tape is worse than beads--addiction wise.  You will start putting tape on your tape.

Choose any 10 rolls of Washi Tape 

And finally, the gift I bought for my Dad for his birthday this year (and last year, lol!), Cherry Pie Heart Pops!  They are delicious (he tells me!!).

12 Heart Shaped Pie Pops From Old Time Favorites

Well folks, that's the latest look at where my money goes. I'm happy every time I get to support a handmade micro-business because I know how having a successful shop can truly change your life.  If you've never shopped on Etsy, why not give it a go this year?  You can read these posts for previous purchases!!

Be sure to check out all the new products we launched in 2013 HERE!  And all of our personalized Christmas ornaments HERE.

Talk soon,

Lori

Recent Handmade Purchases- Rings, Calendars, and yes, More Soap!

Time to invite you guys to be super-nosy and see what else I've bought on Etsy lately! My previous posts can be found here.  Read them! They're fun!  Let's dig in....

My ring fetish is back in full swing again.  I'm a writer in my other-other life, and I need to constantly remind myself that writing = rewriting, so I bought myself another sterling silver stacking ring from Tiny Tokens.  I know what you're thinking...you make jewelry, why are you buying from someone else?  It's because I don't work with sterling silver and sometimes I like to treat myself to something different than what I make day-in and day-out. :)

Hand Stamped Ringlet

I really wanted to get a set of rings with my kitty cats initials on them, so I bought 2 of these little cuties from Kathryn Reichert.  Aren't they adorable?

Stackable Letter Ring

And to further support my author-alter-ego, I bought some cool custom pencils from The Carbon Crusader.

I Write, Therefore I Am Pencils

Next, I bought a small chipboard calendar to keep track of marketing events for my shop.  I absolutely love it!!

2013 Chipboard Plain Desktop Calendar

And finally, I gave in to my soap addiction with some new whipped soap in a jar from Anderson Soap Company!  I tried a new scent called Infinite Romance, and O.M.G. this scent is perfection if you favor fruity scents over floral.  I adore it!!

And a little peppermint, too. I love the tingle!!

Hope you enjoyed this peek behind my curtain!! 

~Lori

Recent Handmade Purchases - Scarves, More Kitties, Calendars, Signs

Well, as promised, here's another round of my recent handmade purchases!  All of my previous posts can be found here.  Now that everyone in my family has opened their holiday gifts, I can chat about some of them.  And true to form, many of the things I bought were just for me!  First up, are 2 more new additions to my handmade stuffed kitties kabal!  Meet Madame Meow from S. Auman Smith's shop on Etsy.  This fabulous lady is about 1 1/2 feet tall! She looks amazing on my dresser in my bedroom and even though I couldn't sleep at first, I'm used to her all-knowing stare now!

I've also added another kitty from Marjii's shop...the golden raisin cat!  Isn't she gorgeous!

Next up is an awesome sign from SignFail that perfectly exemplifies my life within my Risky Beads empire.  It couldn't be more true!

It's gotten pretty cold here in NC as of late, so I was back buying one of my major must-haves...screen-printed scarves.  I bought 3 for myself from Rainbow Swirlz and one for my sister from ellembee.  So here's the one I got for my sister...

And here's my favorite one from my recent splurge, and no, that isn't me in the picture, lol!

And last but not least by any means are the new calendars I bought.  One for me from Modern Printed Matter, one for my assistant from Sudachan, and one for my mom from Chicks In Hats.

Here's mine:

And here's my assistant's.  She has new dachshund puppies so it's appropriate!

And here's my mom's. Please note that the artist takes all the pictures herself and no chickies are ever harmed, just adorned for a few seconds! They are beyond adorable.  I almost can't stand it!

The buying will slow down for awhile, but I'm sure it'll pick up again before too long.  Ya can't teach an old dog new tricks, ya know?

~Lori

Recent Handmade Purchases - Art, Coasters, Kitties, and Vintage Goodies

It's really, really hard to shop for your friends and family on Etsy and not end up buying cool stuff for yourself.  And when I say it's hard, I mean like impossible.  So, as is my long standing tradition on my blog, it's time to get nosy and see what I spent some of my money on...for me!

First up is a new little friend I've been eye-ing for quite a while.  He is so cute and he looks fabulous in my bedroom just smiling at me while I sleep.  I cannot confirm or deny whether it was I who bought the last two cats she had today.  You can torture me...I'll never tell.

Oak Ridge Cat from Marjji

Next up is a little vintage decor treat that I found on Cyber Monday on Etsy.  Risky Beads started out as a home for quirky beaded jewelry and though I've moved on to mostly metal stamping, I still have a great fondness for my beading days, not to mention the fact that I still have all the beads!  So, when I found this vintage abacus at a vintage shop called Charlie's Nest , I had to have it! It combines my joy of beading with my joy of running an Etsy shop!  It's going on the wall in my office/studio once the holidays are over and I can actually get to the walls in here.

Moving on, I have yet another fetish that I've probably never divulged on my blog, and I blame this fetish on my mother who convinced me that I would drop dead immediately if I ever sat a glass on a piece of furniture without a coaster!  As a result, coasters play a big part in my comfort zone, and I bought this new set from Nature's Heavenly Art because it combines my coaster fetish with my tree fetish.  And let me tell you something, these things are STURDY.  My eldest cat decided to push two of them onto my hardwood floor the other morning because I was not awake enough for her and they survived without a mark.  That's my kind of coaster.

And now the last purchase for this post is the perfect addition in my new home.  I can't wait to frame it and finally decide where to hang it.  It just makes me so happy every time I look at it!  It's burlap art from My Adobe Cottage.  It is seriously amazing people.  Seriously.

I've made some other purchases (of course), but I don't blog about them until I get them so stay tuned for some more insights into my consumer behavior. :)  You can always read about past purchases anytime! You'll find some great shops that way.  Have a great day!

~Lori

Recent Handmade Purchase - Spoon Rests from JulesCeramics

Wow, it's been over a year since I've done a post about what I've been buying on Etsy.  That's probably because I ended up moving and all I was buying was boxes and tape, lol.  I have a brand new and functional kitchen now and one thing that I've always wanted were some really pretty spoon rests!  I know, the things that make me happy... go figure.  Anyhoo, my new kitchen is a tableau of browns, blacks, creams, and grays and these two spoon rests from JulesCeramics look freaking AWESOME on my stove! 

First up, I wanted a big one and I have a serious infatuation with leaves, so I bought this one:

Dark Clouds Ceramic Leaf

Then I wanted one that had a little more brown/cream in it, so I bought this one, too!

Creamy Caramel Ceramic Leaf

I really encourage you to check out her shop because she's a great seller and has some really cool and affordable pieces -- not just spoon rests!  I mean, check it out people... she even sells shoes amongst many other prettiful things!

Enjoy... and feel free to see what else I buy.
~Lori

Recent Handmade Purchase - Caribbean Scents Soy Candles

It's once again time to gush about a recent purchase!  I do this periodically as it's become a crucial step in my Retail Therapy, lol. Today's praise comes from a seller I've bought from before--Caribbean Scents on Etsy! Since I've been getting uber-busy again with Mother's Day, Graduation, Father's Day, etc., I decided to splurge and spoil myself with my favorite drug of choice--handmade bath and body goodies.  As I've said before, I'm hard-core addicted to the Brown Sugar Fig scent Ana makes.  I've tried similar scents from other shops, and they literally made by stomach turn.  Not Ana's.  Ana's makes me so freaking happy.  (Don't ever let anyone tell you aromatherapy doesn't have some truth in it.)

So, this time I decided to try her soy candles because, like I said, spoiling myself.... I bought 2. One in a glass jar and one in a little tin. They both smell unbelievable. This candle in the glass jar, though...well, I think I'm in love. It has a wooden wick which is something I haven't tried before, but I'm hooked now. When you burn it, the wood adds a trace of a fireplace scent and it actually crackles a little. For real. At night when I'm trying to wind down, I burn it for a few minutes in the darkness of my bedroom. Peace in a jar, I tell ya. Peace. In. A. Jar.

Know that my effusive praise comes only from the heart when I brag about these products. I do it because I enjoy it, and I figure, you might enjoy it, too.  It's fun to lurk and see what other people buy, isn't it?

~Lori

Recent Handmade Purchase--Jersey Screen Printed Scarves

Well, it's time to divulge some more favorite handmade purchases of late! So here's a little tidbit about me: I'm a very hot-natured person. I'm never the person sitting in a restaurant or the movies complaining about being too cold. In fact, my hands stay so warm that friends have used me as their personal heater when they come in from the cold. Because I'm always toasty, I miss out on some really cool accessories because I'm afraid if I don them, I'll explode. Well, this winter in NC has been particularly chilly; we've had more snow and wind than we usually have the entire winter, and it's not even February yet, so I decided to buy a scarf I'd had my eye on and give it a shot. Result? FULL ON SCARF-LOVE. Jersey knit scarves are light-weight because they're made out of t-shirt material, and I often just wear a scarf and no jacket because it keeps me warm enough! Here are the ones I bought...

Roots Tree Sheer Jersey Triblend Scarf, Zen Threads, $17

(I bought this in black with a white print.)

Sheer Jersey Cotton Scarf, Flock Design on Asphalt, Limeyts, $18

Vintage Damask Scarf in Chocolate, ellembee, $22

Screen Printed Jersey Scarf in Tri-Coffee with Red Line Drops Print, Michelle Brusegaard, $25

(no, that's not me, lol)

I'm addicted to these scarves now because they're so super soft and lightweight and pretty. One of the really cool things about this type of scarf is that artists can print their own designs on them, so it's like walking around with warm, cozy, functional art! I have my eye on some others right now, but I'm trying to pinch my pennies.

Hope you enjoyed! Be nosy and see what else I've bought and bragged about!

~Lori

Recent Handmade Purchase - Ballet Recital Outfit for American Girl Doll

It's time again to brag about a recent Etsy purchase that I'm VERY happy with...or rather my 4-year-old niece is.  Christmas 2009 saw the arrival of American Girl dolls to my three nieces and ever since, it's been a joy to find cute handmade clothes for them on Etsy.  This time I bought this adorable ballet recital outfit because my niece is all about dance.

The dress comes from Polkie Dot Designs and it's even prettier than the picture.  The little tights and ballet slippers really make a niece touch.  I'll definitely keep this shop bookmarked and come back for more.  Kathy (the shop owner) has some really cool outfits!  Here are a couple of my favorites:

 Custom Cheerleader Set, $19.99

Red with Roses Circular Dress, $16.99

Hope you like this peek at what I bought. Stay tuned for me and be nosy and see what else I've bought and bragged about!

~Lori

Recent Handmade Purchase - The Zoological Garden - Christmas Candy TWO Tough Cat catnip kick pillows

Well, the holidays have come and gone, and I think I've survived them, not completely sure yet. I was so busy that I didn't have time to do my regular posts about the awesome handmade things I've bought lately either for myself or as gifts. I'm going to be doing several of these posts this month because I have lots to share with you!

Today's post is about a gift I got for my kitties! During the holidays, I felt so bad that I didn't have time to sit down and just play with them, so I decided to get them some Christmas-inspired catnip kick pillows from The Zoological Garden on Etsy. Here's a pic:

Aren't they adorable? Jenny (the shop owner) was even nice enough to accommodate my request for a little less organic catnip than is standard for these pillows. My cats tend to have a rather psychotic reaction to huge amounts, so she cut it in half for me. Worked perfectly!

I have to admit though that the ribbon that came with them has gotten even more play time, lol. It is currently carried around my both of my cats like it's their blanky. I think that's pretty cute!

Hope you like this peek at what I bought. Stay tuned for me and be nosy and see what else I've bought and bragged about!

~Lori

Recent Handmade Purchase - BPR Designs

My Christmas shopping is officially underway, and although I'll probably make most of the gifts I give, there are always a few that I buy, and (surprise, surprise), they're almost all handmade!  This year, I'm excited because I got the coolest plate for my brother-in-law!  He was a real trooper about a year ago when he helped me buy and deliver the sofa from hell!  I feel like I'll always owe him for that disaster, lol.  In his free time, my brother-in-law likes to fish; he owns his own boat named High Maintenance...after my sister, lmao.  So here's what he's getting for Christmas this year:

Glass Fish Cheese Plate, BPR Designs

I'm going to go out and buy some of his favorite cheese and crackers to put with it.  Everybody in my family has a hard core cheese addiction.  You just can't go wrong with cheese.  Now, while I was shopping for my BIL, I couldn't resist picking up something for myself...

Woodland Brown and Cream Contemporary Soap Dish, BPR Designs

My handmade soap collection has to have a pretty place to sit, and this matches my bathroom perfectly!  It even came with a sample of Pumpkin Brulee with Pistachio Butter soap from Tallulah's Soaps!  Doesn't it look delicious?

Pumpkin Brulee with Pistachio Butter Soap, Tallulah's Soaps, $5.50

That's all for now!  Want more?  Be nosy and see what else I buy!

~Lori

Recent Handmade Purchase-Silver and Copper Stacking Rings from Minty Fresh Fusions

So, as I promised yesterday, here's my other ring purchase of late. I decided to order these really cute stacking rings from Minty Fresh Fusions on Etsy. They come with 3 silver and 3 copper. Aren't they adorable? They also came with great customer service, which is always a plus.

Flowered Copper and Sterling Silver Stacking Rings, $38

I ordered them in a size 8 which is a tad too tight, so for now, I wear 3 on each ring finger. I figure if anyone asks, I'll just tell them I'm married to Etsy because it's practically the truth anyway! Did you know that you can be nosy and read about what else I buy? :)

See you tomorrow,
~Lori

Recent Handmade Purchase-Sterling Silver Stamped Ring from Tiny Tokens

Well, it's confession time again.  My handmade soap and lotion fetish is completely out in the open, but there's another fetish I have that's less well known and that's rings!  Here's a picture of my handmade ring collection from several Etsy shops.  I've had these for a couple of years...

 Lately though, I've been in the mood for smaller rings because I smack the big ones on every thing I touch...bull in a china shop somedays around here.  So, I went with Tiny Tokens on Etsy and bought this sterling silver ring below and had it stamped to read:  EXIST * INSIST * PERSIST * because that's my mantra.  So this is 3 shots of 1 ring below:

 It was $16 and I absolutely love it.  I never take it off.  Stay tuned for details about another ring purchase tomorrow!  Be nosy and read about what else I buy.

~Lori

Recent Handmade Purchase-Body Frosting from Caribbean Scents on Etsy

Well, it's Friday, and what better day to pontificate effusively about my recent Body Frosting purchase from Caribbean Scents on Etsy? I am always on the hunt for the perfectly aroma-therapeutic bath and body experience and this one did NOT disappoint! I like it when bath and body shops offer sample sizes because try as I might, I can never get the scent feature on my monitor to work. ;-) So, I opted for 4 samples of body frosting for $7. I chose Brown Sugar, Lime Crystal Kisses, Pineapple Coconut, and Ginger Peach.

I'm impressed with this cream. It moisturizes well and doesn't feel at all greasy. I've also noticed a small improvement in my skin. I say 'small' because anyone who uses as much handmade soap and lotion as I do, already has sufficiently drenched skin, lol. Of the 4 scents I purchased, my least favorite is Pineapple Coconut; it's not quite pineapple-ly enough for me. (I'm ALL about the fruit!) I'm very pleased with the Lime Crystal Kisses and the Ginger Peach. It's pretty hard to mess up lime, and the Ginger Peach is a really interesting scent. It has a little kick to it that I really like. (Yes, I know that's the ginger, lol.)

You can sort of tell from the picture above that Brown Sugar is my favorite! And when I say favorite, that's an understatement! I LOVE this scent. I'm an Om gal, a discontinued scent from The Gap that you can only find on Ebay on the second Tuesday of every week and while I still have some left, I'm also searching for a comparable scent to take over when my dealer runs out of it. Brown Sugar might just be it. Ana, the shop owner, describes it as: a magical, complex fragrance composed of top notes of Fresh figs, peaches, and passion fruit; followed by middle notes of coconut milk, vanilla orchid, jasmine, muguet, and freesia; well-balanced with base notes of vanilla beans, caramel, maple sugar, fig leaves, and musk. Now I've purchased similarly described scents on Etsy before and many of them have gone right in the trash because they were harsh and overbearing. I like my perfumes to warm to my skin and make you wonder why I smell so good rather than make your nose implode on your face. This Brown Sugar is delightfully mysterious, and while I realize how goofy that sounds, it's just the truth!

Hope you enjoyed yet another foray into my penchant for purchasing! Be nosy and read about what else I buy. More confessions coming soon....

~Lori

Why is there soap in my mailbox? Confessions of a soap-porn girl...

Well, if you follow this blog you know that I love handmade and I LOVE soap and lotion. Seriously, good smelling soap/lotion can change my entire mood. I think I'm a poster child for the success of aromatherapy. I like fruity scents... the tangy and more tart the better. I'm partial to lime, cranberry, pomegranate, and orange. I burn lime oil when I'm in a bad mood because it always seems to pick me back up. So, imagine how happy I was (and a little confused at first) when I opened by mailbox the other day and saw a package from Soap that Makes Scents. Confused because I haunt tons of soap shops on Etsy every day, [I like soap!porn, I guess] but I try like hell to refrain from buying. Why? Because of this...

This is my soap stash. And I can promise you that there's more than this; I've probably stashed it somewhere else. So back to the story...

I saw the package and my first thought was, "Oh #$^%, I went sleep-shopping again! Dang it!" assuming that I'd been surfing the soap at 2 a.m. when my resistance is low. When I opened the package, I got even more confused because this is what was in it:

Citrus Splash Handmade Body Souffle Whipped Soap, $5.75

I knew I'd been lusting after this soap about a week prior. And there was only one other person who knew I was lusting after it...my friend, Paula, of Picard Creative:

Yes, it's true, sometimes I don't surf the soap!porn circuit alone. I blame Skype for that. So the soap was a surprise gift from my friend and I'm really enjoying it. Not only does it make me smell fabulous; it made the whole bathroom smell fabulous for the rest of the day! I keep wanting to get back in the shower, lol.

So, thumbs up for this soap! (And for Paula, lol.)

~Lori