Modish

Kute with a K!

As if Relish at Home owner Kelly wasn't already busy enough managing her lovely little Berkeley boutique, she has started her own handmade accessory line called K. Autumn and is responsible for the cute contained in these luscious little leather bird pouches!

Made from colorful butter-soft napa leather, these birdies are actually coin purses in disguise complete with a zipper and key ring to attach to your bag for safe keeping.  And what's even cooler- just like real birds, no two are alike!  E-commerce isn't set up on the site yet so if you're interested in purchasing one of these for $10, just drop Kelly an e-mail!  ps: also be sure to check out her gorgeous custom hair flowers!

Whip it up!

Attention all my lovely crafty wizards: Whipup has officially decreed that February is "recycled crafts" month!  To make it concrete, their Whiplash competition this month is to "make something that utilizes pre-used/pre-loved/trash/junk/waste items"- you can make pretty much anything, as long as it has at least 90% recycled content.  Check out the details on Whipup.  Prizes include a subscription to Craft magazine!

Also, they're having a banner design competition so they can get a new look for the new year!  The winner will walk away with a bunch of awesome design books by the Princeton Architectural Press- check out the details!

Etsy is so Poppy!

Jan from Poppy, one of my favorite design blogs, has started a new Etsy Pick of the Day feature y'all should check out!  Each day, she'll pick a favorite Etsy find of hers and put it right up top for optimal viewing- so far, almost everything she's posted has sold old the same day!  Salutes to Jan for helping keep indie design in the forefront and helping expose great Etsy sellers!  Find the new pick of the day everyday right on her blog, and check out the gallery of past picks at etsypickoftheday.blogspot.com.  If you're an Etsy seller and would like to submit your shop for possible review, shoot Jan an email!

Kanzashi Attack!

Kanzashi what?  Kanzashi are hair ornaments traditionally worn by geisha who are, in my opinion, some of the most beautifully styled women in the world.  Now you can add a bit of that ornate yet delicate style to your own wardrobe with a beautiful Kanzashi barrette from goche-moche!
Made from authentic Japanese silk that's used to make kimono, I think this red hot chrysanthemum barrette is red hot with creativity!  Delicate and lovely, I've really never seen anything like it, except for the other amazing hair accessories available from goche-moche, that is!  Check them all out to take home a little piece of geisha glamor for yourself.

January Goodie Box Winner!

The time has come to announce the lucky lucky winner of this month's giveaway!  First, let's have a little reminder of the $680 worth of goodies that were up for grabs this month from some amazing indie designers- please be sure to thank their kindness in donating by visiting their sites!
Dotsie & Misswit- tee with original watercolor design
Ellen Ikemoto- hand crocheted scarf
Shattered Glass- beaded window catcher
Zurina Ketola- silk charm necklace set
P1UON- hairpin
Minty Print- notecards & magnets
Head Full of Pixies- notecard set
Buttered Parsnips- hand altered journal
A Planet 4 Creation- notecard set
Oblinaknit- washcloth
Ada-jito- wire & button necklace
Renee Garner- catnip meowl
N-Designs- beaded crystal bracelet
Shades of Violet- thank you card set
Nek Jewelry- instaparty earrings
Gajettes- reversible headband
Broken Plate Pendant Co- pendant
Charcoal Designs- deer silhouettes necklace
LanLan Design- multi-crystal hoop earrings
M. Augusta Woodland- coral & turquoise bracelet
Jaime Zollars- button set
Deluxe Junque- leopard clutch
Starving Artist Bazaar- mini amoeba pendant
Early Jewelry- hand carved bone earrings
K. Talis- anderson necklace
Gemdrops Jewelry- green turquoise earrings
Edesse Designs- cake erasers

Now, onto the big news, a name was chosen randomly from the list of Modish newsletter subscribers this past weekend and the lucky winner is..........Kristy from Little Red Pear! Kristy hails from Australia and is a super cool crafter herself- check out the adorable plushies she makes!  Congratulations Kristy!!!

Stay tuned for the next giveaway, announced in three weeks where you could be the winner!  PS: If you're an indie shop owner and would like to participate by donating an item to the next one, drop me a line!

Don't clam up

For some reason this necklace struck a chord with me the instant I saw it- it feels like it emerged from the deep of the ocean, a newly discovered shellfish creature that offers a garnet rather than a pearl.  Take a peek at what a mean with this lovely necklace from My Sunset Road.
Made from hand-cut sterling discs that have been hammered into these concave, naturalistic forms and oxidized to add texture and depth, this unique necklace would definitely catch everyone's eye paired with a simple black v-neck top.  It would make for a nice Valentine's day gift request, or splurge and buy it for yourself- Valentine's day is a big holiday farce anyway, right?  Whatever your reason, make sure to hop over to My Sunset Road and check out this necklace and more lovely jewelry designs.

Look Foxy!

Winter fashion doesn't have to leave you in the doldrums- when the next cold snap hits, take cover with a gorgeous, one-of-a-kind handmade scarf by Alyson Fox!
Thank you Anh-Minh for introducing me to Alyson's lovely, felted wool scarves often combined with vintage materials.  They're like sculptural pieces of art for your neck, but comfy!  Check out the line of scarves and other fashion accessories available on Alyson's site, and find more scarves to choose from at Greener Grass Design.  Keep warm and look foxy this winter!

Year of the Pig

The Chinese New Year is coming up on Feb 18th and it's the Year of the Pig- to celebrate, Design Night has come up with this gorgeous gorgeous ooo la la it's almost too pretty to touch Gift Envelope to aid in the festivities!

This ornate laser cut envelope is made from red crepe paper and hand assembled with much care, made with the Chinese New Year tradition in mind (that I just learned from good ol' Wikipedia) of passing out Red Packets full of money, from a couple bucks to hundreds of dollars.  These envelopes were traditionally passed from married couples to unmarried people (ooh, pick me!)  But, if not participating in the Chinese New Year, they will also make for amazing envelopes to house your special Valentine or a paper gift for any other lovely occasion!  Check them out at Design Night!

Oh, Brother...

I discovered Bartleby's Brother on Oh Joy, and oh my, how I love!  Check out this gorgeous art piece, As a lock of hair fell from the do and a million sentinel crabs scuttled across the coastline:
I love how the integrity of the maple wood is maintained adding texture and richness to the piece.  The wood is watercolored to a subtle finish and then the ink design applied, abstract and alien like, but still somehow so warm and inviting.  Perk up a corner of the room or a stark looking dresser with this wonderful piece by Bartleby's Brother!  And hurry!  My favorite piece actually sold while I was writing this!

Celebrate Valentine's Day with Flare!

Fred Flare, home to the super-cute, is having a free shipping special to celebrate all their Valentine's wares!  Just enter Valentines.0207 at checkout and get $7.95 stricken from the record of your order total!  Offer ends this Sunday, Jan 28th so hurry up and shop!  Be sure to check out some of the handmade items like these art hearts by Chris Uphues and these fake cakes by Amy Sedaris: