Yep, I said it.
My wishlist is a mile long (just a sampling down below…feel free to look, but don’t buy! I want them for me!). Granted, most items stay just that…wishes (especially the $600 fire pit). But every now and again something has to come to play at my house. My will is only so strong.
I remember when I first heard about Etsy. I had the response that most people I tell Etsy about have: basically I was expecting cheesy-craft-fair items ala the craft fairs my mom dragged me to as a child (my aunts participated in a few of these…they were incredibly talented, but the majority of the stuff at the shows? VELVEETA). Little did I know that that first purchase, something that was mentioned on who knows what messageboard/forum/blog by another gal, would lead to a now almost 2 year addiction and appreciation for handmade and indie-designed things. ALL things.
I think a part of the obsession is that I am continually amazed by the talent these people have! I no longer even buy jewelry retail. It just seems so…blah, to me. Knowing someone handcrafted my earrings just seems to give them more value (and I’m not talking the monetary variety). And I love watching my favorite designers become ‘discovered’! Yes, that usually means their prices go up, but it’s just so cool to know that I found them “back when…”. Dilly Bop Designs is a good example of this…she now has her own outstanding site, and her line is carried in many a boutique. A true success story! And I’m trying to scoop up pieces from my fave jewelry-crafting gals, because I know here shortly they will be big-time and way out of my budget. Siren Jewels? Forget about it…she’s insanely talented.
I always worry that my Mama Log readers are going to jump up and boycott, or at least tell me I should rename my site to “Things I love from Etsy”. But the fact is, though I make a concerted effort to review products that are NOT on Etsy to try and avoid such a disastrous occurrence (of course much of this depends on the designers that contact me and submit their wares), so many designers have discovered the beauty that is Etsy. It’s a marketing machine for talented handcrafters! So it’s hard to find a quality handmade item that’s NOT on Etsy.
What? You say you’ve never HEARD of Etsy? Goodness…where have you been?
(wondering about my first purchase? it was a set of personalized play money for my rugrat and my nephew. makes for a great stocking/easter basket stuffer. wait till you see their eyes light up when they see their own face on ‘money’!)
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