Etsy Spotlight: Pata Pri

I'm back from my short blogging hiatus with a rather special Etsy Spotlight!  Pata Pri is the Etsy store of Japan based graphic and textile designer Yuko Uemura, and it features her designs printed on to Japanese 'imabari' towels - 100% cotton, super soft and very absorbent.  And, until 13 April, $5 from every towel sold is being donated to the Japanese disaster relief efforts.

As much as I love the simple, fun designs of Pata Pri it's the beautiful, washed out colour palette that really gets me, so very lovely!  Anyway, enough chat - go get yourself some towely goodness, now!

Etsy Spotlight is the Good Things* seal of approval.  You can read more here, and find all the posts here.

Etsy Spotlight: Sugar Cookie

Sugar Cookie is the Etsy shop of product designer and cartoonist Missy.  In her profile, she says that as a kid she learnt to draw from Ed Emberly books.  Her work is sweet, simple and fun, and it features the odd dachshund.  I think Pilgrim may have originally introduced me to Sugar Cookie's lovely wares, and I'm very glad that she did.

Etsy Spotlight is the Good Things* seal of approval.  You can read more here, and see all of the posts here.

Etsy Spotlight: Thrush Vintage

Of late I have been mildly obsessed with finding the perfect vintage frock - something pretty and bright and summery, and perfect for everyday wear.  Something to get me through the Spring and Summer months with flair and finesse.

Two such contenders (this one and this one) have come from the really wonderful Etsy seller, Thrush Vintage.  Thrush Vintage is full of beautiful things, beautifully photographed.  If I had a (much) smaller waist I would have likely purchased half the shop by now.  My 21st century girth is probably for the best then, I guess.

Etsy Spotlight is the Good Things* seal of approval.  You can read more about it here, and see all the posts here.

Etsy Spotlight: Sarah McNeil

Sarah McNeil is an illustrator based in Wellington, New Zealand.  I love the sweet softness of her drawings, and the feeling that there might be something just a little darker below the surface - her work features titles such as 'Trying to be happy a lot of the time' (above) and 'New Years Eve and an Awkward Kiss' (below).

If you like her stuff, she has a blog too with lots of links to other internety places where you can find her, including her lovely Tumblr.

Etsy Spotlight is the Good Things* seal of approval.  You can read more about it here, and see all the posts here.

Etsy Spotlight: Pearson-Maron

Welcome to the wonderful world of Pearson-Maron!  Pearson-Maron represents the work of ceramicist and mixed media artist Adam, and painter and sculptor Quincy.  Their shop features starkly beautiful miniatures (my favourites), loch ness fridge magnets, big foot pins and oh so much more.  Go have a look!

Etsy Spotlight is the Good Things* seal of approval!  You can read more here.  And see all the posts here.

Etsy Spotlight: Knme

A scarf is a scarf is a scarf right? Well, not when you have a Knme scarf!  The ingenious interlocking design holds the scarf neatly in place, keeping your neck warm and hands free.  Plus, they aren't too bulky.  And they look super cute don't you think?  I have one in this rather delightful rusty orange colour, but I've been eyeing off a grey one lately...

Etsy Spotlight is the Good Things* seal of approval!  Read more here.  And see all the posts here.

Etsy Spotlight: Jane Foster

Inspired by Scandinavian design and vintage fabric, Jane Foster's work is so very much right up my alley!  Check out her gorgeous Etsy shop for cushions, totes, softies and prints featuring a mix of fabulous retro / retro inspired fabric and Jane's own crisp designs.

Etsy Spotlight is the Good Things* seal of approval!  Read more here.  And see the all the posts here.

Etsy Spotlight: Handmade by Angela

Handmade by Angela is the Etsy shop of crocheter and self proclaimed 'crazy animal lover' Angela Davidson.  I just bought one of her crochet dinosaurs for my dino crazy nephew and I was so pleased when the little guy arrived.  Wonderfully hand crafted and bursting with personality - even my husband (who doesn't always 'get' handmade) was quite taken with it. 

Angela's creatures are colourful, unique and quirky, and clearly created with love.  Well worth the price if you are looking for an extra special gift for someone, big or small.

Etsy Spotlight is the Good Things* seal of approval!  Read more here.  And see all the posts here.

Etsy Spotlight: Raw Bone Studio

I love felt and I love embroidery and I really really love the work of Raw Bone Studio.  I stumbled upon this shop while researching for this post on Handmade Spark and I had to get me some of those ornaments right away.  Don't you just adore the patterns and the detailing?

Robin is the talented (and funny!) lady behind Raw Bone Studio.  Here is a snippet from her Etsy profile:

Living in southern CA as a fair-skinned redhead, I've learned to spend the 8 month summers indoors creating. Kind of like Portland only opposite. If my hands are idle I can't think. Once I made a 12 foot gum-wrapper chain in one sitting.

Etsy Spotlight is the Good Things* seal of approval!  Read more here.

Etsy Spotlight...

As you may have noticed, I am a certified Etsy addict.  I buy a lot of stuff from Etsy.  Most of the time it's stuff I was going to buy anyway (that is, stuff I 'need' if you use a fairly loose definition of the word...), and I just choose Etsy to buy from.  Sometimes it's something I chance upon, fall in love with and buy on the spot.  Either way, it all adds up to a lot of purchases.

I know Etsy isn't perfect and that there are too many re-sellers, and that some people think it doesn't allow for enough customisation, and that sometimes it puts pressure on artists and crafters to discount the stuff they make.  But I love buying on Etsy because you can find almost anything there, and more often than not you end up with something that's lovingly made and unique (or lovingly preserved and unique, in the case of vintage items).  And you also get to help someone make money out of doing the thing that they love, which is pretty darn cool. 

All this is just a long winded way of saying I buy a lot of things off Etsy so, from here on in, Etsy Spotlight will only feature sellers who I have personally bought from.  That way it's not just about me loving the look of something, but it's also about the quality of the actual product in real life and of the customer service.  Think of it as the Good Things* seal of approval.

[Etsy Heart button by Bauer Designs]