Modish

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone!  We (the boy and I) will be ones holed up in our house with the lights turned off to discourage trick-or-treaters, watching really bad old 80's horror movies- Leprechaun 2 perhaps?  Yeah, I'm not really into Halloween anymore- had too many bad/weird experiences on this day in the past- but I will eat a Halloween donut (orange and black sprinkles!) to celebrate this festive occasion and I will announce the winners of the Ghoulish October Giveaway!  Ooooooooo....

The first ghostest with the mostest to take home half the wealth of the October Giveaway goods is.....Debbie, of Debbie Overton Designs!  She gets a pillowcase full of treats:
Krista Raak- turquoise ocean cuff
Paper Lotus Design- card set & flirt cards
Shana Says- mod flapper necklace
Presents & Law- set of assorted holiday postcards
Pixie Potions- pumpkin parade soap
Greetings from a Planet Named Janet- 3 notecard sets
Feto Soap-yummy roll-on parfum
Glittery Blue- gold star earrings
Mau Studio- mau mau message cards
Jewel Alchemy- iolite & labradorite earrings
Handmade Luck- photo coasters
Simply Bliss- handmade journal
Oblinaknit- handknit washcloth
Chic 36- fluffy floral tote
A Planet 4 Creation- blue fish earrings
Rae Beth Designs- Russian amazonite & tiger eye bracelet      
Paper Treasure- "the Madeline" necklace
Urbanknit- batik zippered pouch
Kim B Designs- copper sunset earrings
Art Created- Sets of sterling & pearl earrings + perfume sample

And the second Halloweener this month is......Nicole, from British Colombia!  Do they have Halloween in Canada too?  Well, Nicole does, and her treat bag is better than candy!
Paper Lotus Design- card sets & flirt cards
Presents & Law- set of assorted holiday postcards
Pixie Potions- vampyr perfume
Feto Soap- yummy roll-on parfum
Mau Studio- greeting cards
Oblinaknit- handknit washcloth
Art Created- Sets of sterling & pearl earrings + perfume sample
Relished Ravin- foldover snap wallet
Emma Lynne- fall collection notecards
Gallimaufry Arts- framed glass pendant necklace
Cherry Creek Designs- cotton candy necklace
Le Lapin Jewelry- mother of pearl earrings
Photographic Memory- art postcard
Miss Misa- antique peacock earrings
Dolphin Daze- sun & swirl pendant
Rebecca Tolk- pear image on barnwood
Sheila D- reversible corduroy tote bag
Eclectic Elements- poker tile pendant necklace
Ellen Ikemoto Design- fabric keychain
Sparkle Thots- autumn drop earrings

See?  People really do win, and one of the next people could be you!  The next giveaway will be a big double doozy taking place in early December, so stay tuned! 

Well, that's it for me today, so for a little shopping, find these sickeningly sweet necklaces at Paraphernalia!

Dandyfine, thank you

Want something that'll make you feel just dandy?  Reach for these adorable, handmade felt pins by Dandy Brand!

Combining felt, fabric, vintage buttons and hefty dose of cuteness, these pins are a unique way to add a little color and happiness to anywhere you place them!  And with lots of options to choose from, from owls to mixed tapes, you can find one that suits your personality just perfectly!  Check out the whole collection at Dandy Brand!

Happy Happy Joy Joy

Yay!  The Nantaka Joy website is now live!  Created by Joy, from the wonderful Oh Joy! blog, Nantaka Joy is a beautiful collection of cards and journals that are (lucky for us!) now available in her shop online- take a peek!

Rifferaff gift wrap!

My favorite part of giving a gift to someone is presenting them with a pretty package that looks as special and wonderful as the gift itself- it's allll about the presentation.  As of late though, it seems against my ethics to purchase big rolls of schlocky sparkly wrapping paper and bows at big box stores, but apart from making your own wrapping paper (which is also a cool thing, but a little too time consuming for me in the heat of the holiday season!) is there really an alternative?  Well, now there is!

Welcome to a handmade, eco-friendly and deliciously stylish alternative, gift wrap by Rifferaff!  Made from paper that's produced with some recycled content at a family-run, hydroelectric powered mill, each piece is hand silk-screened with hand-mixed, water based inks in pretty patterns that are perfect for the holidays, or anytime of year.  With contemporary color combos to choose from, you can find the one that fits your gift recipient the best because, as Rifferaff's slogan says, a handmade gift deserves handmade gift wrap!

New goodies in the shoppe!

I have some wonderful new things in modishoppe that would be great as gifts or as fun treats for yourself!

First up, vintage inspired jewelry by Tryst Jewelry:

And some gorgeous new glass animal pins and pendants, as well as some tees by Happy Owl Glassworks:

As well as some pretty new cards and a 2008 calendar by Good on Paper, printed on 100% recycled paper!

Check out all the new items, and here's a special tip for you: use code "modholiday" at checkout and you'll get 10% off your order over $50!

Craft = yay!

I just got my copy of the latest issue of CRAFT, and guess what?  Modish is mentioned in it!  Yay!  On page 141, under the Craft Holiday Gift Guide, Modish is listed as a great online place to find handmade gifts this year, along with some lovely shop company: Cut + Paste, Etsy, Buy Olympia, Mahar Drygoods and Fred Flare and fellow blogging bad-asses, Indie Fixx and Rare Bird Finds- congrats everyone & thanks CRAFT!

The elephant in the room...

...you've heard about it, you've known it was coming, there was no way to control it, but don't worry, this "elephant in the room" is one that you can talk about openly, freely, and spread the word about- it's White Elephant Vintage!  And it's now open!

Started by the pair of lovely ladies behind the blog, Love it A Lot, these vintage collectors decided they couldn't possibly keep all the good finds to themselves anymore and lucky for us, they decided to open a shop!  Filled with lots of cute ceramic figures and other decor, kitchen wares and more, there's pages full of goodness and more to come, so check it out now and check back often!

Shiver me timbers!

Oh hoping hoping hoping for cool weather just so I can wear this amazingly lovely shawl or scarf by Kelgwo:

If you haven't noticed by now, I love me some earth tones- they comprise my entire wardrobe pretty much and they make feel whole and real and beautiful.  I can tell that these lovely, loom woven creations would be no different, made from hand-spun wool that's dyed with local Chilean plants and roots and produced using ancient techniques.  Find more gorgeous, authentic textile creations at Kelgwo!

Coffee Break Friday

It's crafty newsy time, so sit back and relax with a cup of coffee or chai or vodka or whatever will help you relax on this lovely Friday morning, and catch up on some craft goings-on...

First things first- the fires that have ravaged Southern California are finally starting to be contained, but there's still the work of starting to repair the extraordinary amount of damage that has already occurred.  So, how can you help?  Apart from donating money directly to charity organizations, you can use your crafty talents to donate an item (or a few!) to Marie's Witch Fire etsy shop!  Marie is from San Diego and her hometown is right in the thick of it, so she's organizing a shop in which all proceeds will go to benefit the Wild Animal Park in San Diego and a raffle in which anyone who donates, buys something or shares a story about the fires will be entered.  Visit the Witch Fire blog for more info and contact Marie if you have questions or would like to donate an item to raise some money for the animals whose homes burned down!

In brighter and lighter news, Modcloth, a favorite modish sponsor, has a new has a new blog and a giveaway to celebrate!  You can win this pile of modcloth goodness worth over $150 simply by leaving a comment on any post on their blog from now thru Halloween! (10/31)  Easy peasy!

And, with holiday season approaching that means that craft show season is starting!  Mark your calendars for next Saturday, Nov 3rd!  That's when the Handmade Market will be happening in downtown Raleigh, NC- check out their site for details, directions and a list of all the vendors you'll find there!  And, for those of you a little farther north, the DC Craft Mafia is hosting their UnUsual Suspects Art & Crafts Festival that day as well!  Both of these events are awesome opportunities to find handmade gifts for everyone on your list!

Speaking of shopping for handmade gifts this season, I took the Buy Handmade Pledge, promising to buy handmade this holiday season and encouraging others to do the same!  Apart from awesome art and craft fairs like those above, you can always turn to modish where ALL the goods that are featured, ALL of them (except for vintage stuff), are handmade!  It's easier than ever to avoid the crowded malls, big box stores and monotony of holiday shopping, and buy something special for absolutely everyone that's handmade with love!  So, take the pledge!  I'll be here to help you with ideas through the coming months and if you're looking for something specific for someone, drop me a line- I may be able to help you find a wonderful handmade alternative!  Shop handmade this season, it's just better!

And finally, don't forget to enter the Modish Ghoulish October Giveaway!  The last day for entries is tomorrow, 10/27 at 11:59pm PST.  Two winners will be chosen and notified on the following Sunday- so enter now, it's easy and fun and you can win over $650 worth of wonderful handmade goods, many of which you may be able to give to friends and loved ones as gifts this season and spread the handmade cheer, huh huh?

Well that's it for the crafty news break- thanks for reading, have a good Friday and stay safe at all those Halloween parties this weekend! :)

Site of the week: Showpony

Showpony just rocks for so many reasons- #1- everything is handmade from start to finish- hand sewn and finished with hand screen-printed designs or made with hand printed fabrics.  #2- everything is eco friendly, using organic, fair trade cotton- yes!  #3- they're based in Glasgow, Scotland and I love discovering and bringing attention to indie companies beyond these US borders and #4- they're stuff is cute.  I mean, really really cute.  It's light-hearted and original and brings a smile to my face, and hopefully to yours too:

Just look at these wonderful tote bags, perfect for your grocery shopping needs, you can reduce and re-use and stay stylin' at the same time!  A must have for everyone these days.

And these complementing little clutch printed pouches and those made with pretty, nature inspired, handmade fabrics:

And how can you not love these wonderful pooch printed pillows and cool hiding place pillows?

Get a closer look at all of these designs, hip, fun and good for the earth, at Showpony!