Talk Crafty To Me Just another WordPress weblog

I was cruising the archives of etsy’s blog and came across these adorable camera cases made by Hine, a Vancouver based artist who also does stop motion animation. Each one is a unique piece of functional art, handmade with felt and button embellishments. They are so cute, they make me wish I still had a compact camera not just my DSLR.

- Hine’s Etsy Site
- More stuff from Hine

In honor of my second favorite non-holiday holiday, here are some lovely green finds from etsy.

1. Beach Balls – Genuine Sea Glass Cage Earrings
2. Lucky Charm – Green Opal, Sterling Silver Necklace
3. Olive green cable beret
4. Irish Beer Soap
5. Dark moss green leather shoulder bag
6. Hand-knit Cowl
7. Limey – Thin Enameled Bracelets
8. Wool Felt Flower Necklace/Pendant
9. Cotton Cluch

There’s a fantastic tutorial over at sew mama sew for a handbag made from a fat quarter. So simple and easy you can make one to match every outfit.

For those of you who aren’t quilters or don’t know what a ‘Fat Quarter’ is here’s the basics.

Most quilt-weight cotton is 44″ doubled over on a bolt. A yard is 36″, which means that a regular quarter-yard ends up being one long skinny piece measuring 9″x44″.

For a fat quarter, you typically cut half a yard from the bolt and then cut along the fold leaving you with two pieces measuring 18″x22″. Or one full yard cut into quarters.

Basically a fat quarter offers you more flexibility, especially when dealing with large prints. Many shops sell pre-cut fat quarters with coordinating solids making them super easy to work with. If you haven’t previously worked with fat quarters, once you do you’ll start seeing the endless possibilities for them.

I love headbands, and though recently I haven’t had much need for anything more than just a simple band, I have fallen in love with a few beautiful pieces from some very talented young women.

First up is Naomi Reid Davis. Living in a tiny studio in NYC, Naomi recently opened her etsy store ‘taza & the prince‘ where she sells individually crafted headbands. She sold out the very first day she opened but has been working hard to restock, so if you’re interested in a specific design be sure to let her know.

http://taza.etsy.com/

Next is the dynamic duo from ban.do. Jen and Jamie, two L.A. stylists who launched their collection of ultra-glam headpieces last summer. All pieces are handmade, and many of them are one-of-a-kind. They’re big, bold, sweet and romantic all at the same time. Spotted on Zooey Deschanel at the Grammys and also the winner of Daily Candy’s Sweetest Thing of 2008 these pieces are sure to add a little bit of flare to your life.

https://www.shopbando.com/

Last on the list is Hollywood A-list fav, Jennifer Behr. Her collection is handmade in her Brooklyn studio and has appeared multiple times on Gossip Girl’s Leighton Meester, a.k.a. Blair. Unfortunately not all of us can be An Upper East Side Princess… These headbands are a little on the expensive site, but the fabulously crafted pieces are definitely turning heads.

http://www.jenniferbehr.com/

These beautiful handbags were created by Zelaya Design, a family run business in El Salvador. Their line of clothing, handbags and accessories are made from biodegradable and renewable materials, such as cotton, vegetable dyes and upcycled fabrics, wood and leather.

They take their inspiration from traditional Salvadoran culture, nature and contemporary life, with an emphasis fair trade values.

To view their entire collection visit www.zelayadesign.com/