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Feature Friday: PoisonedAppleCrafts

9 Mar

Feature Friday Presents:

PoisonedAppleCrafts!!

“Hey, I’m Elizabeth, and I run Poisoned Apple Crafts! This is a unique jewelry store, as everything has a source of inspiration, and each piece tells a great story. We specialize in friendship bracelets, beaded bracelets, chain maille, and other types of jewelry!”

Summertime Swim star pendant blue necklace       Hawaiian Flowers Friendship Bracelet MADE TO ORDER

$22.00 USD                                $9.00 USD
Simple as the Ocean necklace on double ribbon       Sunrise/Sunset Themed Beaded Bracelet
$12.00 USD                                 $22.00 USD
Made to Order Film Strip Friendship Bracelet       The Favorite Statement lightweight oversized necklace
$8.25 USD                                  $20.00 USD

Sun and Clouds Chinese Crystal Beaded Friendship Bracelet      Morning Daydream Starburst Star Shaped Glass Necklace With Rose Clasp

$15.00 USD                               $24.00 USD

Q&A

What got you interested in crafting?

I always did friendship bracelets on car trips to San Diego, cause it was 6 hours of nothing to do. Mom and I used to bead together, but we stopped. I picked it back up in 2010, and just couldn’t stop.

What has been your favorite project to make and why?

It truly depends project wise. I love my friendship bracelets, because of how much work I have to put into them. The Jack Sparrow bracelet:

takes around 20-25 hours of complete work time to make. I love being able to just sit down and focus on this.

Beading wise, I made a bracelet called “The Red Queen”, which recently sold: 

Absolutely loved the piece, and I’m still proud of it.

What’s the secret behind your etsy name?

I’ve always had a fascination with Grimm’s story of Snow White, and it was a nickname of mine in the past. The concept of the poisoned apple just stuck, and I found it to be something beautiful. It’s definitely unique, and catches everyone’s attention.

If you could open up a shop in your town what would you call it and what would it be like?

I’d call it Poisoned Apple Jewelers. I’ve done mostly jewelry thus far and that’d be my specialty. Scarves and possibly hats are to come soon.

What is the most challenging thing you have made?

Starting any friendship bracelet pattern is very challenging for me, but the most difficult one I’ve been working on is a Nyan Cat bracelet. SO MANY COLORS! I’m also starting one of the Sailor Moon icon, because it was a huge part of my childhood.
What are some of your goals you hope to achieve within the next year?

1) To get up to 200 Facebook fans. I know when I hit 100 I’m having a giveaway, so stay tuned for that one 🙂
2) To rely more on this as my job rather than making Starbucks. As much as I love working as a Barista, I’d love my passion to be the main focus on my life.
3) I’ll be finishing my associates, so I’m hoping to save up some cash and expand into more in-person retail. I’d love to do house parties (like Cookie Lee or all those candle companies do) or find a spot in the mall to rent out. It’d be a dream come true.

What inspires you to be crafty?

Music and visual arts are some of my biggest inspirations. One of my favorite necklaces was inspired by the movie “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time”. it’s absolutely fun, just doing ordinary stuff like listening to your iPod, and you’ll think “That’s a great concept for a new piece! I have to do it!”

What is your best quality when it comes to your crafts?

Customer Service and keeping my customers informed. If you’re sick and can’t work on their piece, you have to tell them. I feel like letting them know the truth is so much better than taking so long and not keeping them updated about what’s going on.
Another thing that’s my strong point is that I take pride in making every single piece that I do. It’s not often that I find someone spending 20 hours on making a single bracelet. People have asked why I do this and tell me I’m crazy, but that’s my craft. That’s what I take pride in.

If you could have one thing to help your store what would it be?

Better advertising/word of mouth. My website, Facebook, Twitter, and business cards don’t seem to be enough to always attract people in. I’m talking with people about doing craft fairs and things of that sort, and just trying to get more exposure. It’s the one difficult thing to do as a one-person shop.

The item up for giveaway is here:

Want to win this gorgeous necklace? Here’s how!

1 point for commenting on the blog post
1 point for letting us know what their favorite item from her shop is http://www.etsy.com/shop/PoisonedAppleCrafts
1 point for liking her facebook page http://www.facebook.com/PAppleCrafts
1 point for following her on twitter http://twitter.com/PAppleCrafts
2 points for sharing about the giveaway and giving us the link to where you shared it!
5 points for buying something from her shop!
Leave a comment letting us know which points you followed through with and your email address to contact you if you win! Monday night at 9:00 PM Eastern Time we’ll post the winner of the Giveaway item!

Thanks for stopping by! If you haven’t already visited PoisonedAppleCrafts – click on the link!

Love Always,

J

If you  have a shop and would like to be featured – send me a message! Check out my contact page for my email address 😀

Tuesday Tutorial: Braided Rug!

6 Mar

Welcome to Tuesday Tutorials – where I find awesome easy tutorials for you – now go get crafty 😉

This crafty tutorial comes from: Martha Stewart

Before you start, practice the braid by making a miniature version of the mat with thinner rope. When you’re ready to make the big mat, cover a large work surface with kraft paper.

Draw a cross on the paper; it should have a 33-inch vertical line and a 12 1/4-inch horizontal line. (This is the dimension of the mat when you get to step 4.) As you weave, use the cross as a guide and tape down loops to retain the mat’s shape.
We used 1/2-inch-thick twisted nylon rope. About 165 feet makes a 33-by-20-inch mat.

Braided Doormat How-To
1. Starting at one end of rope, form a loose knot as shown; leave a 30-inch tail on right side and slack on left side. Gently pull down on loops.

2. Flip loops to left as shown. Lift the first loop and cross it over the second.

3. Using tail end, weave as shown.

4. Using slack end, weave diagonally toward bottom right. Pull rope through. Continue weaving back to top as shown, adjusting rope to resemble diagram.

5. Follow path of first round with slack end, staying parallel to previous round. Pull rope through after each pass, weaving until mat is formed.

6. Finish ends by using a needle to sew through the rope just below any frayed ends and tightly wrap thread around rope a couple of times. Sew through several more times to secure. Cut off end of rope just above thread. Singe frayed ends with a lighter to seal; sew to underside. Apply permanent craft glue to underside between ropes in spots to prevent shifting.

If you haven’t already stopped by Martha Stewart– click the link!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Love Always,

J

Product Review: Chalkboard Mat aka My Lunch Time Love!

2 Mar

Today’s product review comes from a shop called ImpulsiveCrafter! From Dayton, Ohio this shop has a wide variety of things for your children! She is one of the first shops I go to when I’m comparing other things I see on etsy for Emma. With the great quality in which she makes things her prices seem like a steal! Another thing she beats most stores on is variety. She has 20 pages of items and in most stores you might see 3-4. She gives you so many choices that you are crazy if you can’t find one you don’t like! Check out what I ordered:

So if you are wondering why I call this my lunch time love here is why. When I am making little Miss Emma’s lunch or dinner she is always running around my feet, asking to get up, putting her head in between my legs, you name it! I grab this and a few pieces of chalk out of my drawer and sit her up in her high chair. She’s entertained until dinner is ready! My second favorite thing with this is it’s so EASY to clean. I don’t have to worry about Emma coloring on her clothes or the chair. It wipes up with one swipe of a paper towel. She even gets it in her hair and WIPE – it’s gone! This one item has saved me many frustrating nights 😀

Some more info about this shop: She’s been open since April 9th, 2011, this shop is THREE sales away from 1,000 sales, and 100% feedback. It’s obvious how much having options can really improve an etsy stores sales. Because she has 20 pages of options it makes buyers more willing to stay in her store to find the perfect fabric. Another plus for this shop is she has divided her shop sections in the easiest, most user friendly way possible. If you find something you love in her store just go to the top right and click that section so you can see all your options! Do you need another plus to start shopping? Here you go – even if you are that one person that can’t find the exact thing you want – she offers custom orders as well!!

Check out some of her feedback!

Feb 27, 2012 – Such a cute necklace. Thank you for getting it to me so quickly in time for Dr. Seuss’ birthday! My students are going to love it! THANKS!

Feb 25, 2012 – I’ve now seen pictures of the birthday girl in both leggings, and they’re darling! Thanks very much 🙂

Feb 16, 2012 – Abso-stinkin-lutely adorable!!! I bought these for a baby shower and they are just too cute! The parents aren’t really into “overly” girly things and neither am I so the ability to choose from the massive selection you have was fantastic. Also, holy cow on your quick shipping! Thanks so much!!

Feb 3, 2012 – The bottlecap necklaces are adorable, I can’t wait to give them to my girls for Valentine’s Day! They are so cute, and your shipping and prices are so reasonable. I will be back!

Q&A

What inspired you to start selling these on etsy?

I started selling chalkmats because I wanted to make one for my daughter Bells, and I can never make just one of anything, so then I have to start selling them to pay for all the fabric I bought!

How long have you been making chalkboard mats?

I have been making the chalkmats for about 9 months now give or take a month.

What do you think your store offers that others might not?

I’m trying to make my store a one stop shop for baby showers and kids gifts! I’m hoping to add some crochet stuff like hats and baby cocoons in this upcoming year.


And the final review says it is:

FIVE OUT OF FIVE BUTTONS!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Love Always,

Jennifer

*If you have a handmade store & item you’d like to have reviewed – please contact me! You can find my email in the contact tab at the top right!*

Product Review: A Hug for Your Mug!

1 Mar

Today’s product review comes from a shop called bekaboodesigns! From England this shop has the most original things I’ve ever seen. When I think of coffee – I immediately think Starbucks and a their brown cup holders to keep your hands from burning. This is actually pretty amusing since I hardly drink coffee at all or go to Starbucks all that often. I am a stay at home mom who makes hot chocolate in the microwave and is lucky if she remembers to get it out of the Microwave 😉 When I was shop hopping on Etsy I found this little shop with hand corcheted items and thought – I could probably make these myself. I tried. I failed. I don’t know how she does it but I went back and bought more. I now own three of these adorable mug hugs and they ROCK! Check out what I ordered:

These easily wrap around any mug. They fit on my small ones perfectly and stretch enough for my big ones! Now if you are from the U.S. and are a stickler about not paying big on shipping I’ll have you know that she does an amazing job of keeping the price down. You are not over paying for it at all – these are definitely worth it and it’s a speedy delivery. Sometimes when it’s overseas you never know when exactly you are going to get it. Because these go through customs without an issue, their small, and lightweight they don’t take long at all. If you are from the UK you are getting a steal of a deal! I’ve had mine for months now and I’m going to wear them out until they die – then buy more!

Some more info about this shop: She’s been open since July 20, 2010, has had almost 40 sales, and 100% feedback. When you are looking at shops on etsy it’s important to know that even though a shop may not have had over 100 sales – do not pass it by for shops that have had more. The feedback is the most important tool you can use on etsy to see how the shop owner works with their customers. I’ve gotten things from shops that had merely 2 sales and I had much better customer service with them than I had with  a shop over 1,000 sales! Keep in eye out for those undiscovered shops – that is a great way to get a one of a kind item!

Check out some of her feedback!

Feb 29, 2012 – Arrived safely and quickly. Thanks – it’s great and is going to my mum for Mother’s Day. Jane xx

Dec 12, 2011 – So beautiful!!! Great customer service! Product just as described in perfect condition! ill make amazing gift!! Can’t wait til Christmas!!

Oct 19, 2011 – Tracey does amazing work, with so much attention to detail. The horses and mug cozies are so much better than I ever imagined, and Tracey was so sweet and helpful about my special requests. I highly recommend her shop! So happy!

Sep 16, 2011 – So CUTE I CAN’T STAND IT!! Love them! Super high quality and super fast shipping. Wonderful! Wonderful! Thank you!

Q&A

What inspired you to start selling these on etsy?

What inspired me, well, the idea came originally from the paper sleeves you get around take out coffee’s and the fact that my coffee kept going cold while I was out in the garden! A quick search of the internet showed me that I wasn’t quite the first person to have the idea of knitted mug hugs but that there really weren’t alot of people out there making really nice decorative ones. I trialed my designs with freinds and family and they went down a storm so I put a couple in my Etsy store. They are one of my bestsellers on Etsy and at the craft fairs I do.

How long have you been making mug hugs?

It all started about a year ago I suppose.

What do you think your store offers that others might not?

 Me! I am a country girl at heart but with a modern city girls upbringing so while I dream of an olde English country cottage my tastes are actually quite contemporary and I think this is reflected in my designs.


And the final review says it is:

FIVE OUT OF FIVE BUTTONS!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Love Always,

Jennifer

*If you have a handmade store & item you’d like to have reviewed – please contact me! You can find my email in the contact tab at the top right!*

Funky Chunkies!

29 Feb

Today’s product review comes from a shop called FunkyChunkies! From Phoenix Arizona this shop has created a new fashionable way to upcycle bangles! I bought a set from her for a friend for Christmas and I have already decided what I want to buy next for me! These bangles are durable and sure to fit your style since she can make a custom design just for you! Check out what I ordered:

Her description was spot on! These things are durable – so much so that you can tell she took the time to make them last. Even though they are upcycled with paper products it feels like plastic and since I’m a klutz I wasn’t worried about dropping them and messing them up!

Q&A

What inspired you to start selling these on etsy?

My bangles started out as something I made for myself but after being asked a number of times where I purchased my bracelet I decided to open a shop that I could send people to. So being that I’m an events coordinator that specializes in weddings, Etsy has been a go to place for a number of years now. So when I was thinking of a place to sell my Chunkies Etsy seemed the best match.

How long have you been making bangles?

About 4 years now. I saw the instructions in a magazine and just had to have one. I fell in love with them, and every piece of paper I found I had to have that design in a bracelet, and so did my friends.

What do you think your store offers that others might not?

If I had to choose I guess it would be that I’m able to make these in any size and the fact that they can be customized and/or personalized.

She’s been open since January 3, 2010 and has had over 300 sales and has 100% feedback rate!

Here’s a few of her reviews:

Feb 17, 2012 – Love my purple chunkie!! These bracelets are real conversation pieces and so fun to wear!!

Feb 14, 2012 – I can’t wait to give these to my daughter! They are so stinking cute! Wonderful shop I am for sure going to be a repeat customer again and again!

Feb 9, 2012 – I absolutely love my custom Funky! I swear its the cutest thing I have gotten in a long time. Most certainly beats even my highest expectations. Seller is very easy to work with, and is dedicated to what she does and making sure what you order is the best it can be. Thank you again!

Jan 27, 2012 – This was a fantastic buying experience for me. Fantastic fantastic seller, wonderful product. Exceeded my expectations! It even came beautifully wrapped! This is a gift for my granddaughter’s best friend–any girl who’s a Justin Beiber fan needs these bracelets! You won’t be disappointed!! Thanks so much Leanna! I’ll definitely be back. I’ll send more pics when Dima opens it! 🙂

Jan 11, 2012 – Such a beautiful creation. packaged so delicately ! Amazing seller, great communication. Lovely items! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

And the final review says it is:

FIVE OUT OF FIVE BUTTONS!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Love Always,

Jennifer

*If you have a handmade store & item you’d like to have reviewed – please contact me! You can find my email in the contact tab at the top right!*

With A Pretty Flower In Her Hair

28 Feb

Today’s product review comes from TheHookUp! I bought Emma the cutest crocheted headband with a gorgeous flower on it. From Clovis, California this shop is filled with most adorable and functional crocheted items. Just looking at her shop you see cute little baby faces and clear crisp pictures! Aimee is known for hats, earwarmers, gloves, leg warmers, baby booties, sandals and MORE! Her product descriptions are right on point and come from a smoke free home so you know all your items are made clean! This is what I bought from her:

And here is a picture of Emma sporting it!

The yarn she uses is durable and a little bit stretchy so it fits perfectly on Emma’s head and the flower is so soft and just the right size that it doesn’t scratch or itch her face! Emma will see this hanging up and ask if she can put on her flower hat. She hasn’t quite gotten the concept of the word headband but who cares! She loves picking out what goes in her hair and luckily it goes with almost every outfit!

Here’s some more info about Aimee’s shop: She started teaching herself how to crochet when she was pregnant with her son. She wanted to make him a blanket before he was born so he could have something unique from her. Then eight years later, here she is with arms wide open ready to make unique gifts for the ones you love. Custom orders are available in her store and she’s had over 500 sales with 100% feedback!

Check out some of her reviews:

Feb 11, 2012 – Love these! Get compliments on them constantly!

Feb 2, 2012 – My five month old loves his hat! We plan on getting a lot of good use out of it. Thank you 🙂

Jan 28, 2012 – Thank you SO much Aimee, I absolutely LOVE the hat and diaper cover! Beautiful work and delivered BEFORE promised. I will probably be back for that Newsboy Cap, it’s super cute too!

Jan 17, 2012 – These are absolutely gorgeous and I cannot wait until my special day on the beach to wear them. I don’t know if you remember me but we are friends on FB. When you posted these a year ago or so I told you I would order these for my wedding. He proposed on New Years and here I am! Thank you again, they are beautfiul.

Dec 19, 2011 – These are great boots! They are super easy to but on and they actually stay on! Very well made. I got tons of compliments on these. They are adorable 🙂

And the final review says it is:

FIVE OUT OF FIVE BUTTONS!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Love Always,

Jennifer

*If you have a handmade store & item you’d like to have reviewed – please contact me! You can find my email in the contact tab at the top right!*

What’s ahead?

26 Feb

I’ve got great news! We have loads of new products that have been reviewed and are getting prepped and ready for the big debut on the blog! Keep your eyes peeled for some awesome handmade products that you aren’t going to want to miss! So while you are waiting we’ll show you a list of shops that I can’t resist 😀

Eye Shadow  Shimmering Season of Green 5 grams         Hand Painted Compote Dessert or small Juice Glasses

$5.00 USD                                       $45.00 USD

Apples Polka Dots Pincushion Pinnie Large 5" Size        Handpainted Beatles inspired "Let it Be" Necklace, SALE on 20" silver chain, with natural gemstone charms, teal, red, yellow

detailsbydes                                     JesseAnneDesigns
$15.00 USD                                     $28.00 USD

Quilted Clutch with Vintage Button Red Yellow & Black Floral        Ella Mary Janes

Quilted Clutch with Vintage B       Ella Mary Janes

LilyStitches                                      ShwimmyKids
$15.00 USD                                     $33.00 USD

SALE - Airplane Baby Name Sign (5 Letters) - Custom Hand Painted Wood Letters with Planes Theme        Starburst Recycled Candy Wrapper Bracelet - Great Stocking Stuffer

SALE – Airplane Baby Name         Starburst Recycled Candy

SarasHandmades                             justByou
$65.00 USD                                      $8.00 USD

Girl Dress - Gray Polka Dot Pink Dress - Harlow - Matches our other items         Baby Owl Hat - Made to Order

Girl Dress – Gray Polka Do             Baby Owl Hat – Made to Order

Appleandivy                                      justHOOKing
$38.00 USD                                      $20.00 USD

LOIS Pregnancy Necklace- Sterling Silver - Rose Quartz, Amethyst and hot pink Chalcedony         Black and White Damask  business card holder 14% off Coupon Code: HEART

LOIS Pregnancy Neckl                   Black and White Damask busi

artsychicas                                        ItsyBitsyBriggsy
$42.00 USD                                      $7.99 USD

Extra Large Sweet and Simple Green Polka Dot Pinwheel Hairbow Perfect for St. Patrick's Day         15 Feet Pink Waxed Cotton Cord for Jewelry Making Macrame and Hemp Style Jewelry.  Shipped from the USA.

Extra Large Sweet and Simpl         15 Feet Pink Waxed Cotton 

SaraOlsenDesigns                             yourday
$3.49 USD                                         $1.29 USD

4 Small Flower Gift Boxes         Dog Treats No Wheat/Gluten Mini's--Sweet Potato Carrot Apple-Perfect For Poodle, Shih Tzu, Terrier--3 dozen

4 Small Flower Gift Boxes              Dog Treats No Wheat/Gluten

caitcait88                                          TrueTreatsPetBakery
$7.00 USD                                        $6.50 USD

Which one is your favorite?

Love This Stitch!

23 Feb

Another fantastic product review is here! Today we are showing of an awesome store called LilyStitches! From Rochester NY this shop makes me want to personalize everything! I purchased a reindeer t-shirt for my daughter this past Christmas and a Clutch that I gave away as a present to an amazing friend. One of the first things that attracted me to her store was her awesome banner! Another thing I always look for is detailed descriptions – she tells you everything you need to know! Now let’s check out what I bought!

When it comes to buying clothes for kids it seems like you never really know if it’s going to fit. That’s one thing that always makes me hesitate but this was perfect! Another thing I look for when buying embroidered clothes is the quality of the sewing. It’s important that it’s not going to come loose and wash out after the first few cycles. Her quality of sewing and the durability of the embroidery was impeccable! Emma couldn’t destroy it even if she tried!

This was the second thing I bought from her! I gave this away to a friend as a Christmas present but I will let you know I had a HARD time giving it up and I want to go back and buy another one! If you’re looking for something simple, chic, and well made – you’ve found it. It doesn’t have any pockets on the inside which as a pocket lover I would usually be disappointing about but I am NOT at all disappointed. With a clutch this size you don’t need any pockets to keep things organized. You can open this enough to see where everything is and it’s the perfect size for going out on a quick run where you don’t need much with you.

So here was a two for one product review! If I haven’t enticed you enough to buy it – send me an email! I’ll keep raving about it until you go buy something!

Some other awesome facts about Kim: She opened shop April 2011, her feedback rate is 100% positive, her customer service is impeccable, and she offers custom orders so you can get exactly what you are looking for! Here are a few of the reviews she got on her products:

What everyone else is saying!

Feb 3, 2012: Came very fast! The shirt is super cute and I will order more shirts soon. Very helpful and easy to work with.

Dec 13, 2011: Super quick shipping and wonderful communication! Cute!! Great detail to quality!

Sep 13, 2011:  I ordered these outfits for my nieces to wear at our rehearsal dinner, and they were absolutely perfect! The girls looked adorable, but were comfortable enough to run around and play easily. The quality of the clothes is excellent; I know the girls will continue to get good use out of them.

Jul 21, 2011: I just received the clutches that you made for me, and I couldn’t wait to tell you: I LOVE THEM!!!! They are perfect in every way! The size is great, the sewing is amazing, and the wristlet that you attached for me is just what I wanted. Thank you for working with me to create the perfect gift for my wedding party!!! I can see each of them in the fabrics that we chose and I know that they will use them on my wedding day as well as many times after that! THANK YOU!! It really was a pleasure working with you on this!

 

And the final review says it is:

FIVE OUT OF FIVE BUTTONS!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Love Always,

Jennifer

*If you have a handmade store & item you’d like to have reviewed – please contact me! You can find my email in the contact tab at the top right!*

What Every Cook Needs!

22 Feb

Welcome to our first product review! I’m happy to start out with a wonderful shop called iBstitchN! From Greeneville, TN this shop has a handful of items that would be any cook’s dream gift as well as many other things for the home, children, and pets! Her sewing quality is impeccable and the quality of her materials she uses is spot on! I purchased a finger mit that she recommended for microwave uses but I use it for my toaster oven also and I don’t think I’d go back to using anything else! It is great for wrapping your fingers around things that a normal oven mitt might be awkward or too big to use.

You can’t tell me these things aren’t adorable!

Barb opened iBstitchN in 2010 and you can tell she knows exactly how to run her business. Her feedback rate is 100% positive and she’s had almost 350 sales! This is something you should always look for when purchasing from a handmade shop. You can’t beat 100 percent 😉 She also has another store here at ChildrenWithPaws. The total sales between her two stores is over 500 and with over 250 items in her shops, there is surely something for everyone !!

Here are some pictures of the item in use at my own place!

 Ignore my dirty toaster oven 😛

This is the pan that I use the mitt with the most. It has that little lip that makes it difficult to pick up with the regular sized ones so this is my immediate go to!

Ahh – my yummy hot chocolate! During the winter time – I make hot chocolate almost every day!

Plus if you are anything like me and you make a mess – these things wash well! You can spot clean it or throw it in the wash. I left mine out to dry and it was ready in no time for me to mess it up again 😉

And the final review says it is:

FIVE OUT OF FIVE BUTTONS!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Love Always,

Jennifer

*If you have a handmade store & item you’d like to have reviewed – please contact me! You can find my email in the contact tab at the top right!*

It’s Just The Beginning!

21 Feb

Hey everyone! Thanks for being patient with me while I got everything set up and ready! Starting this Wednesday I’ll be doing a daily review of handmade items and shops so that you can get to know a little bit about the handmade community, the quality of work they provide, and what they specialize in! The items that I review either have been purchased or given to me so I get a first hand look and feel of the item.

I personally love handmade items. It’s one way to get something that’s seriously unique and you know that someone has put time and effort into their items. Most handmade gifts run a little bit higher in price than what you might find in a chain store but 99% of the time – the quality outdoes anything else you would find! One of the reason I started making things myself was because I wasn’t happy with what I found in stores. For example, the burp cloths I make are much thicker and more absorbent than anything you would find in a store. I also use soft materials that provide comfort for both you and your baby. The idea was originated by my cousin who was looking for a baby shower gift and after I made some from a tutorial I found, I realized how much better I could make them. A few trial and errors later – I came up with a new pattern and I will never go back to using those wimpy burp cloths again!

As a buyer when I am shopping handmade gift stores I check out the products the shop offers, the amount of sales they’ve had, the feedback they have been given, and how long they’ve been in business. After talking with other buyers and getting their perspective on the handmade gift store process I found out most people don’t even know how to look for those things! As shocking as it sounds – buying blindly is what most buyers do. This is one reason I wanted to start doing reviews and thanks to an amazing person who gave me the guidance to get this going. You’ll find his blog on the blogroll over to the right or you can click the link here BAexpat just don’t forget to come back to me!!

So I have a number of things planned for this blog – but we’ll go ahead and start with the reviews Wednesday!

Hope to see you again soon!

Love Always,

Jennifer

 

P.S. If you have a handmade store & item you’d like to have reviewed – please contact me! You can find my email in the contact tab at the top right!