Search results (tags) for: "decor8"

Featured Buyer: Holly Becker of decor8

2008-10-22T12:33:00Z

This week's Featured Buyer is Holly Becker, the editor and founder of the inspirational design and decorating blog decor8, drawing 20,000 worldwide readers daily. She has been blogging non stop since January 2006 and we’re particularly fond of her weekly column on decor8 called Etsy Take Five Tuesdays. She also authors a popular Etsy slideshow series for Domino magazine online, authors a monthly design column in the Boston Globe, and is a contributing editor at RealSimple.com. With 160 purchases made on Etsy, Holly demonstrates her support of independent designers by promoting their work and shopping from them. Today she’ll share some of her favorite Etsy artists and show some of their work in her own home.

Oh Etsy: What you do to me! I started buying handmade on Etsy in February 2006 — my first purchase was a cosmetic bag from SeaBreezeStudio based in England. I remember when it arrived how excited and impressed I was with the quality. I also recall the responsive and friendly seller who made a great impression on me immediately. After such a positive first time transaction, I felt inspired to shop Etsy again and purchased from Simply Photo.

To date I’ve made 160 purchases and I’ve not had a single issue with any of them. I’ve shopped from sellers as far away as Singapore and items always arrive on time and exceed my expectations. Some sellers even include sweet little notes and extras, like stickers or candy. The whole personal touch thing is super addictive, as you’ll never see big box stores include personal notes expressing their gratitude for your support. It’s one of the reasons shopping handmade is so special and worthwhile. There are beating hearts behind the products, real people creating items that give them joy and they spread that happiness to others, giving us a chance to own a piece of their special worlds.

When my purchases arrive I feel positively giddy! I give so many of my purchases to friends as gifts. They always ooo and ahhh over everything; the response is so positive that I shy away from giving big box gift cards (I once gave only gift cards) and shop Etsy when I’m looking for the perfect present. It’s far more personal and you have a chance to show your friend that you really put some thought into the gift. At one time I only shopped big box for everything. Now it’s my last stop. I feel proud that I’ve changed the way I purchase and as a result I‘m contributing to the success of small business not only in America but worldwide.

I thought that you may like to see a few of my favorite art prints and original paintings that I’ve purchased from Etsy ‘at work’, living in my home. My husband and I primarily reside in New Hampshire, but we just took on a second residence in Germany, where we live five months each year. I’m in Germany as I write this, and over the past eight weeks I had to take an empty apartment and create a home from scratch. Throughout the process my big white walls kept screaming for love, and since I’m not at the point yet to decide on wall color or pattern, I went ahead and placed some of my beloved prints from artists who sell on Etsy in my living room to make the room feel more like home.

[Work above is, from left: SamanthaHahn, JenniferDavis, Caitlin Shearer of Pepperminte, LabPartners, Kareem Rizk, Bubbo, and Ez Pudewa of WrenandChickadee.]

This is my art wall. Nearly everything is from Etsy, with the exception of the vintage gold swallows and the limited edition JenniferDavis print of a Mississippi riverboat. I installed these pieces to look as though they were flying upwards, away with the birds. I like to hang artwork in a fun, non traditional way.

Also, all of the prints can be removed and swapped out with others of equal size so I can rotate my collection without adding new holes to the wall. Huge perk!

I pulled this small city apartment (under 60 square meters) together on a limited budget, which is why you’ll spot some IKEA pieces. The trick when buying from stores like IKEA is to fill in the ‘blanks’ with things acquired from indie sellers and flea markets. This brings in your personality and a sense of history. I still have lots to do in this space and a coffee table to buy, but placing Etsy art around has helped to make me feel at home.

[Artwork on this shelf includes: Pepperminte, JenniferDavis, Bubbo, CreativeThursday, AliciaBock, and a brooch by Toast. I cannot recall where the darling bunny is from, as it was a gift, so if anyone reading knows, please comment below so others can find the seller who made it.]

The best part about having a picture ledge above the sofa (don’t worry, no one can hit the ledge if seated) is that it is my rotating art gallery. I can put whatever up on the ledge that inspires me at the moment, so it‘s fun to play around with and I do not have to mess up the walls.

This is my small, very naked dining room. I still plan to install a pendant light over the table, paint and upholster the chairs, and etc. but this is what it looks like today. In my cabinet is where I keep lots of handmade and flea market finds along with books and fabric. Lots of these things came from Etsy and were given to me by friends.

One of my favorite treasures inside of this cabinet is the original painting from Brooklyn artist CaitlinKeegan (top right).

This is my home in New Hampshire and a peek into my living room, where I also have an art wall. Not all of this work is from Etsy, and some are original paintings, but I’ll highlight those that are: MyFolkLover, mcaplan, JenniferDavis, ashleyg, MicheleMaule, even the little soft mushroom is an Etsy find from littlebirds, along with the vintage dish via bluebellbazaar, and the ceramic deer is vintage from pinkshowercurtain.

This is what you’ll find around my bedroom in New Hampshire. The photograph is from AliciaBock, and the plant and pot are also from Etsy (yup!) via GreenwareDesign.

This is what was on my dresser last time I checked. An original painting from CreativeThursday, along with a lion she made out of clay, and jewelry by JadeScott.

Further Resources:
In addition to Etsy, I am continuously inspired by the blogs on my visual blogroll.

Thanks, Holly! Your space is quite inspiring (and Etsy filled!) For more of Holly's great taste, check out her blog at decor8blog.com. Looking to do more shopping? Check out our decorating posts and Featured Buyer series.

Handmade Kids Challenge: Expert Panel Award Winners

2008-09-17T13:10:00Z

More congratulations are in order! Besides the Members Choice Award Winners, where the Etsy community got to vote for the best of the Handmade Kids Challenge, there's still the small matter of the EPAoEs— that would be The Expert Panel Awards of Excellence.

Please join us in extending a warm welcome to our guest judges, the Expert Panel.

Each judge is a knowledgeable participant in his or her field and has chosen one winner per category to receive a $200 Etsy shopping spree, based on the following criteria:

Quality of craftsmanship
Originality of design
Adherence to theme and entrance categories
Quality of photography for entered items

...Let's get down to it, shall we? ...and the EPAoE goes to:

ACCESSORIES

Girls Pink Mermaid Tail Towel by tinygreenapples

Category Judge: Amanda Kingloff of Parents magazine

“This had me at hello! I love it because it’s not only a dress-up item, but because it doubles as a towel. The colors are fun and vibrant and the top stitching just adds that little extra something to make it special. (And she makes a size to fit your child’s doll, too!)”

ART

Plant A Tree by kachingdesign

Category Judge: Jodi Levine of Martha Stewart Living
“I chose this sweet print because it makes me smile. I love it's simplicity and I think a child would have fun staring at it and making up stories about the little character watering the plants.”

CLOTHING

This is My House, My Car, My Tree Girls Dress by babypop

Category Judge: Kelly Alfieri of Cookiemag.com

“This dress looks like a vintage one from a time when people had more time. The appliqué work, with the white stitching on dark denim that looks like chalk on a chalkboard, is gorgeous. I think this would be any little girl's favorite dress.”

ECO-FRIENDLY

forest creature hat upcycled by mosey

Category Judge: Bonnie Alter, Contributor, Treehugger.com

“Maybe it is the Canadian in me, but I love cozy hats for children: the only thing my doctor told me when my son was born was: he had to wear a hat in winter and summer. This one is green and made of felted wool, another favorite thing of mine.”

FURNITURE

Owyn Toy Box by modmomfurniture

Category Judge: Carrie McBride of Ohdeedoh.com

“Why it gets my vote: A mom with power tools – what's not to love? The OwynToy Box stands out for its unique leaftop design and modern graphic quality. Its adult-friendly look ensures its place in the home for years to come, long after its use for toys.”

HOME DECOR

Butterfly Mobile by khamm75

Category Judge: Holly Becker of decor8.blog.com

“I love mobiles and always had one growing up, so I'm naturally attracted to them. I really like butterflies and appreciate that to baby, a mobile is more than home decor but can be a learning tool and source of comfort. This whimsical mobile can grow with the child, a little girl may want to keep this in her room for years.”

TOYS

Frank Porter the Hot Dog Eating Champion Plush Doll by PillowMonsters

Category Judge: Mark Frauenfelder of Boingboing.com

“This whimsical doll with a hot dog as an accessory is adorable and well-designed. My kids would love it, my mother would love it, and I love it.”

Congratulations to all! In some cases, the members' and judges' tastes were very much aligned: both the Butterfly Mobile by khamm75 and the Owyn Toy Box by modmomfurniture placed in the Members Choice Competition. So double congratulations to these winners are in order!

EPAoE winners will be contacted directly with instructions for redeeming their prizes.

Still to come: The Handmade Kids Sweepstakes winners will first be contacted directly, and then be announced on or before September 22, 2008.

As always, love goes out to Etsy's international artists and designers who, though ineligible for the contest, shine just as bright in our eyes. Search the tag "INTLKIDS" to see stellar examples of their wares for the young ones.

Affordable Art for Kids with Decor8 and Real Simple

2008-03-26T17:01:00Z

This delightful post on affordable artwork for kids was originally posted by Holly Becker of decor8.blogspot.com on Real Simple's Simply Stated. We loved it so, we thought "we must share it!" Enjoy!

I could go on and on about affordable art (mostly prints) maybe even devote an entire blog to it (or book) because I'd never run out of content. It's a sickness, my design crack. If I showed you the plastic bin in my work studio filled with prints I've purchased over the years from artists I follow, you'd call me a total junkie. I need prints because I have to live around things that visually stimulate me. And when I have children, I will follow my own advice here and decorate their rooms with lovely art prints at least until they are old enough to tell me that the giraffes have to go because the Transformers or babes in bikinis are going up. While I can control what's on the walls, I'll no doubt be shopping at some of these fine stores below. Then again, I've already shopped at many of these stores so I'm living proof that some of these aren't just for the tots. If you click around the links below, you will no doubt find more grown up friendly designs by the many artists featured here.

So enough talking, let's look at some art!

Binth: Numbers Poster, $55.

Full views of work not shown above, you'll need to click on these links to see entire images. GUIDE: 1. Tootsweet Shop: Barometz print $50, 2. Sarah Jane Studios: Summer Tea Party $24, 3. Shirae: Hoola $18, 4. MikieP: Girl Power $20, 5. Lab Partners: Birds and Squirrel Field trip $20, 6. Blanca Helga: Animal Tower $3, 7 & 8. Kiki and Polly: Hippity Hop to Bed $20 and Pink Fabric Eared Bunny $20.

Paul Chung: 123 Bird Series $15 (each print shown grouped in 3 framed above), and A Sitting Boy $18, also by Paul Chung. He's pretty amazing, by the way.

San Fran 67: Freddy $70. This artist makes the most intricate paper cutouts and frames them, what gorgeous displays for any kids' room.

Molly Jey is another great artist doing work that is very beautiful by cutting paper to form beautiful storybook-like three dimensional scenes. Shown here is Mystical Forest, $120.

GUIDE: 1. Sasha Loots: Meg and Pelly $40, 2. Axel Honey: The Trip $20, 3. Sammy Dog Productions: Fish $15, 4. Bumble Belly Designs: Trains and Planes $56, 5. Joseph Blake: I'll Be $26, 6. Paula Birdy: Alpha-birdy $35, 7. Aja Vu: Monsieur Poo Arctic Explorer $20, 8. JMC Designs: The Dance $50, 9. Tamba Toys: Can You See Me $14, and 10. Nuria73: My Secret Garden Rouge $40.

e.soule: The Little Zoo series, $70 each.

GUIDE: Charlie Motel: Somebody Loves You $20, Creative Thursday: Peep Peep $35, Seaspray Blue: The CountUp $17, Margin: Laurence $20, JRitter Designs: ABC Illustration Girls $20, Wren and Chickadee: Paper Doll $18, Fox in the Woods: Forest and Fields $20, Corid: Miss Britta and Her Goose Goes to Market $18, Geninne's Art Store: Craft Bird $30, Calobee Doodles: Alphabet Soup $32.

Sandy Mac and her PEZ dispensers are fun, especially if you love a little retro!

GUIDE: 1.Witty Workshop: Alice's Flower $25, 2. Monster Gallery: Godzilla $4.50, 3. Goobeetsa: Ice Cream Monster $15, 4. Paint and Ink: Kingdom of Imagination $7, 5.Ubiki: Forest $25, 6. Cathy Nichols: Santuary $28, 7. Ink and Wit: Sour Grapes $35, 8. Plants and Animals: Owl Tree $12, 9. Yumi Yumi: These Are For You $20, and 10. Belle and Boo: Freedom $30.

Stephanie DosReis: 178 Ochre Street, $28.

GUIDE: Jenn Ski Art: Bird $25, Anne's Illustration: Mustang $20, Bee's Knees Industries: Robot Love $20, Marmee Craft: Monsieur Hedgehog $16, Shelby Healey: Bathtime $18, Carla Sonheim: Tire Swing Play $18, Claudine Hellmuth: Out Shopping $255 (cute for pregnant mom), Pequenio Craft: Paper Doll $16, Terese Bast: Swing $25, The Black Apple: Wolfbaby Vs Foxbaby $18, Michelle Caplan: Coney Island $25, Matte Art: Weather Vivienne $60.

And of course, you can always frame cards that you like. Sweet Beets has some of the best I've seen for framing for only $5.50.

What about displaying a few of these pretty masks on the wall from Abigail Brown? $9 each.

Many thanks to Holly of Decor8 and Real Simple! We love your picks!

Etsy on Your TV. And Your Computer. And in Print.

2007-12-17T14:30:00Z

Update:
Try to tune into the segment on Rachael Ray tomorrow December 18th! Online Shopping Ideas.

Let’s start with an update. In case you missed it, you can catch the news segments featuring Etsy sellers katinkapinka and gorgeousredhead on KEYE 42 CBS in Austin, Texas. Also, take a gander at Anne Holman talking about crafting on WTTE FOX 28 in Columbus, Ohio. Great job ladies! Out on the west coast, EyePopArt is featured on the HGTV show That's Clever! which airs on Friday, December 14.

Regina Lewis, otherwise known as, “Your advisor to the best online” has caught the Etsy bug. Not only did she mention us in not one, not two, but three of her recent blog posts, but she also talked Etsy up on a recent episode of The Today Show, and again on The Rachael Ray Show which airs on December 18.

Moving on(line), the folks at Babble.com made some great choices for their holiday gift guides, featuring Etsians in the handmade, green, and stocking-stuffer categories. SF Station, a local guide site in San Francisco, mentions us among their favorite holiday shopping options too. And they always manage to find fun stuff over at Apartment Therapy NY and Los Angeles, this time it’s felted bowls and photography. Chicagoist featured interviews with wickedpen and Up in the Air Somewhere, and decor8 by Holly Becker rolls on with her Take Five Tuesdays.

And in the printed word, we’ll start with today’s mention in USA Today, followed by several mentions in the Philadelphia City Paper’s Holiday Gift Guides, and continue with a lovely piece in The Capital Times of Madison, Wisconsin. There is also a very cute baby wearing a pdxbeanies creation in the January issue of Parents magazine. Also, check out stonesoupjewelry in the Boston Globe. Looking northward, you’ll find a piece on Etsy in the Calgary Herald. Both of these also have a thing or two to say about the handmade pledge as well.

Etsy in the Press: Pre-Holiday Digest

2007-11-26T14:28:00Z

Where to begin? Perhaps with one of the Etsy mentions in print magazines such as Real Simple, which described us as, “a shopping mecca for one-of-a-kind objects.” Or maybe Rob’s interview in The Deal, or the fact that Etsy made it onto Entrepreneur magazine’s 2008 Hot List. Or should it be the articles that feature Etsy sellers in Parents and Family Circle? So many choices! You can peruse these at your leisure on our press page.

Moving on(line), Etsy was the topic of interest in Canada’s The Globe and Mail, the Chicago Sun Times, and the Austin American-Statesman. And let’s all congratulate the sellers who got mentions in Madison, Wisconsin’s The Capital Times, chicagoist, apartment therapy (San Francisco, New York, and Chicago), Yes! Weekly out of Greensboro, NC, and SFGate.

Last, but certainly not least, decor8 blogger Holly Becker just started a feature called, “Take 5 Tuesdays” in which she will be sharing 5 of her favorite Etsy shops each week. Check it out! We love her picks.

On the horizon: if you live in or near Austin, Texas, be sure to watch the segment featuring local Etsy sellers on KEYE 42 CBS.It will air this Wednesday, November 28, during the 5:00 pm evening news.

As always, you can check up on Etsy's coverage of the coverage on The Storque's EtsyinthePress Featured Column.

Etsy In The Press: All Over the Place

2007-10-31T10:30:00Z

Whew! With all the rave reviews lately about Etsy, I had to stop and take a breather before sitting down to write this.

It seems like everyone had something to say last week, from Woman’s Wear Daily Fast to Details online. Also chiming in were the folks at Metalsmith magazine, who had kind words for coreyackelmire and meganauman (as well as meganaumanhome).

Apparently the Windy City loves Etsy as well, with Chicagoist interviewing LePhotique, and Apartment Therapy: Chicago buzzing about jamtartbaby, JoanJewels, jenskelley, and gamiworks.

Last but not least, decor8 blogger Holly Becker has picked out more great artwork for another Domino slideshow. Her theme this time is animals. I suggest you start reading, as this may take a while.

P.S. The related items below are from the Domino slideshow mentioned above, as well as everyone who's mentioned here. Check 'em out!