Etsy's Handmade Blog
Gift Ideas: Shop Local Asia with starrydesigns
Story by starrydesigns
Published on December 9, 2008 in Spotlight 		Photo by

starrydesigns

starrydesigns is an Etsy seller based in Singapore. We invited her to curate this Shop Local Asia edition. She was kind enough to oblige and handpicked some other talented Asian-based Etsians for your viewing pleasure! Shop Local this holiday season and support independent craftspeople while reducing your carbon footprint!  

Thank you, Etsy, for allowing me to be a part of this series. Etsy holds a very special place in my heart. It is not only a venue to sell my handmade wares, it is also a place I get to know people from all over the world and make lifelong friends.

The picture above was taken at a local coffee shop. It is one of  my favourite places to go for a tea break and to hang out with close friends. They are styled like traditional coffee houses from decades ago and serve various food and drinks – coffee, tea, toast and local delicacies. These traditional coffee houses evoke fond memories of olden Singapore. If you ever stop by, you have to visit one of these. Don’t worry, they are all air-conditioned!

I was born and raised in Singapore, commonly known as one of the four Asian tigers (besides Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan). Sized at 273 square miles (1/4 the size of Rhode Island), we have a population of almost 5 million.

Here are some interesting facts about Singapore:
•    Singapore has 4 national languages – English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil.
•    English is our first language.
•    Majority of the people live in multi-story apartment buildings.
•    It is common for children to move out only after they are married.
•    Over the weekend, most people enjoy shopping, eating and going to the movies.
•    It’s summer all year round!

Now introducing the rest of the sellers from Asia:

CrysallisCreations (Hong Kong): “This photo was taken at The Landmark at Central, right in the center of the financial district of Hong Kong.  I spend a lot of time here during Christmas shopping season to help raise funds for a charity — my good deed of the year. Though tiring, rushing between this sale site and then back home when my son gets off from school, it's so much fun to be among all these festive holiday spirits!  Yet such a torture to see all these shoppers with big shopping bags of brand name labels......  GAH!”



saplanet (Singapore): “The Singapore Botanic Gardens was founded in 1859 by the Agri-Horticultural Society as a leisure garden. It contains an orchid garden, rainforest, ginger garden, and many others. The Singapore Botanic Gardens is one of the many tourist attractions in Singapore. It is a luxury to be able to take a relaxing stroll in the Singapore Botanic Gardens on a weekday, while everyone else is working hard in the office.”



minimania (Philippines): "I’ve lived abroad practically my whole life, since I was three, so it’s ironic to me that I met my husband here in my home country, the Philippines. We got married in September 2007 and though there are many beautiful churches, we chose the one in this photo as it has a more modern feel and great natural lighting. In this picture, we were thrilled that the ceremony was finally over so we could just relax and party with our loved ones! Our wedding was simple and modern, with fun, whimsical touches throughout. I generally prefer things that way and it shows in the jewelry and accessories I make in both of my Etsy shops — minimania and myladida."



raescreations (South Korea): “This is me in front of the nice traditional-style buildings of Korean Studies Hall, home of the Institute of Korean Culture at Korea University. (Hmm I realize that there are three 'Korea's in that sentence.) This is where I work as a researcher — I feel so lucky to be able to enjoy both my day job and my 'other' job at Etsy, where I get to share my shiny little creations with people all over the world.”



adorebynat (Indonesia): “This photo was taken at Ciputra Water Park, the largest water attraction park in Indonesia, located in the city of Surabaya, where we are currently residing. I brought my little one there for the first time when he was about 9 months old. There are not too many outdoor activities that we can do since the weather is quite hot all year around. This water park has become one of our favorite places to go as a family. I left my professional work and Canada soon after Ethan was born. With this new addition to our family, we also decided to live in Indonesia for the time being. Being a stay-at-home-mom has also given me more time to do papercrafting, including card making and scrapbooking.”



Eclettica (Malaysia): “This picture of a self-confessed neurotic, control freak Gemini with a genuine love for the overachiever syndrome was taken in a truly unglamorous setting of a roadside coffee shop. That there is my best creation ever, Eve, my 9 year old diva-in-training. I have a true love for waging war upon wires and often indulge in heated debates with gems. I love my man, my children and my work, not necessarily in that order. My motto? If there's a fire, we pick up a box of gems each and make for the door.”


Shoppers, get your holiday gifts this season with Shop Local and meet your talented neighbors (shrink that carbon footprint too)! Find sellers belonging to local Etsy Teams in Asia.
Singapore Etsy Team
Etsy Japan Team

Shop Local Posts | Gift Ideas | Shop Local in Your Area

Please let Etsy's blog know about your favorite local Etsy artists. Pitch your town, state, country or region.

Tags adorebynat, Asia, CrysallisCreations, Eclettica, Gift Ideas, holidays, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, minimania, Philippines, raescreations, sellers, Shop Local, shopping, Singapore, South Korea, starrydesigns
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79 comments     Login to add your own!

Dec. 9, 2008 at 10:26 a.m. dogties

Looks like fun!
Great items.
We love to shop handmade around the world.

Dec. 9, 2008 at 10:28 a.m. kjoosupplies

This is great! Thanks for sharing*

Dec. 9, 2008 at 10:29 a.m. beachhouseblues

A great window into new community!

Dec. 9, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. beachhouseblues

starrydesigns....
wonderful jewelry!!

Dec. 9, 2008 at 10:37 a.m. kimikal

This was fun! My mom's cousin is now living in Singapore as a physical therapist so it was nice to see some of the places she might go in her time off. We miss her tons back here in the States!

Thanks for sharing =)

Dec. 9, 2008 at 10:51 a.m. moonstr

Great Article!

Dec. 9, 2008 at 11:03 a.m. uniquegrabs

Wow! A lovely article on Asia!

I am from Asia too - Singapore! :)

Dec. 9, 2008 at 11:09 a.m. kimiko611

Awesome article Cindy!! You look great up there!

Dec. 9, 2008 at 11:10 a.m. starrydesigns

Thanks!!! I'm glad you guys are enjoying the article! :D

Dec. 9, 2008 at 11:11 a.m. glorygifts

Interesting article! I love the Asian cultures!:)

Dec. 9, 2008 at 11:15 a.m. Iammie

Wow! I hope I can join this ShopLoacalAsia someday!

Dec. 9, 2008 at 11:15 a.m. bubbletime

YAY SHEELA & EVE!!! *waves wildly*

Dec. 9, 2008 at 11:18 a.m. beadgaldesigns

okay, that photo of deb (crysalliscreations) is cracking me up.

Dec. 9, 2008 at 11:25 a.m. kilsook

great article. as someone adopted from seoul, korea, it is really great to see pictures and visit the sites coming out of asia. it's definitely a visit that i want to pursue sooner than later. thanks for the story and for sharing all of your work.

Dec. 9, 2008 at 11:35 a.m. courtneyannedesigns

awesome article. Love the items!

Dec. 9, 2008 at 11:38 a.m. inkypots

Hello fellow asian etsiers! I'm in awe of the spinnings of our home-crafters. Hope to see more Malaysians represented soon... beautiful work etlettica :)

Dec. 9, 2008 at 11:43 a.m. sugarcookie

Those handmade goodies are soooo cute. I love it.

Dec. 9, 2008 at 11:58 a.m. christinececelia

That water park looks fun!
I wanna go!!!!!
:)

Dec. 9, 2008 at 12:30 p.m. shellieartist

I learned a lot by reading this shop local edition...great job everyone and beautiful photos!!!

Dec. 9, 2008 at 1:07 p.m. EJPcreations

I wannna go too!!! Could their stuff be any cutier Kawaiiiiii!!

Dec. 9, 2008 at 1:07 p.m. sweetestpea

Great feature. I love "visiting" Etsy sellers from around the world!

Dec. 9, 2008 at 1:51 p.m. eraseandrepeat

its so great to see these talents from asia! Fellow singaporean here :)

Dec. 9, 2008 at 2:01 p.m. galit

Cindy!!! It's such a great article!!!

Dec. 9, 2008 at 2:13 p.m. JustFeltHungry

Really neat article! I love all the little bags, purses and pouches, especially the one by Takae!

Dec. 9, 2008 at 2:23 p.m. kaoruwerk

Go Asia!

Dec. 9, 2008 at 2:23 p.m. FluteTeacher

I loved this article! I learned so much. Thank you for sharing.

Dec. 9, 2008 at 2:44 p.m. SpaTherapy

Great and interesting article w/ fabulous shops!

Dec. 9, 2008 at 2:57 p.m. CutieDynamite

Fantastic! I love the couple stamp! Too cute!

Dec. 9, 2008 at 3:32 p.m. 1920

fun pitures! love them.

Dec. 9, 2008 at 4:01 p.m. kachingdesign

I'm from Singapore too! I've been living in the US for quite a few years now. This article reminds me how much i missed the food back home! Thanks for sharing!

Dec. 9, 2008 at 4:17 p.m. BlackStar

Starry! Thanks for doing this article. I love it.

Dec. 9, 2008 at 4:25 p.m. CarlasIndieDesigns

Cool, I have a very cute pair of earrings from starrydesigns!! I'm glad she was picked :)

Dec. 9, 2008 at 5:07 p.m. deleteyourself

Yay! Great article, starry:)

Dec. 9, 2008 at 5:56 p.m. pinkshowercurtain

Cool article and super cute picks!

Dec. 9, 2008 at 6:48 p.m. CrysallisCreations

GAH! exposed......

and it's fun to see some faces finally!! :D

Dec. 9, 2008 at 7:14 p.m. winniel

This article made me feel like travelling! haha... thanks for including me in the "treasury" ;) now I get to see more of other asian Etsy sellers!

Dec. 9, 2008 at 7:36 p.m. annejulie

another wonderful article! Oh I do love this series of "Shop Local"!

Dec. 9, 2008 at 8:48 p.m. CorkandCotton

I really enjoyed reading the article and seeing the faces behind these great shops!

Dec. 9, 2008 at 8:50 p.m. littleredbear

Fantastic!! its so good to see shop from asia!

Dec. 9, 2008 at 8:56 p.m. MaestraEva

Interesting stories and I loved the photos.

Dec. 9, 2008 at 9:08 p.m. starrydesigns

Yay! Thank you all for your kind words!

Dec. 9, 2008 at 9:47 p.m. cherbie

cindy! just saw this...WOW! :-) good job!! go singapore and asia!

Dec. 9, 2008 at 9:57 p.m. minimania

Thanks and great article Cindy!! You're so cool!! Oh, and you make great jewelry too! ;D

Dec. 9, 2008 at 10 p.m. lifestylewithlove

proud to be part of the Singapore etsy team!

Dec. 9, 2008 at 10:06 p.m. studio479

Great article~ well done

Dec. 9, 2008 at 10:14 p.m. manoaroad

Cindy, terrific article! The photos were a great touch to showcase the real people behind the shops. Very nice.

Dec. 9, 2008 at 10:32 p.m. adorebynat

Awesome article, Cindy! Thanks for including me. It's so great to know fabulous stories behind other Asian stores.

Dec. 9, 2008 at 11:29 p.m. RaesCreations

Yaaaay! Asian sellers rule! :-) Such a wonderful article... thanks to Cindy and everyone else!

Dec. 10, 2008 at 12:28 a.m. OpusMuse

Way to go Cindy! You've show me some stores from Asia which I would not have found otherwise in the sea of Etsy! Thanks so much for opening our eyes. Singapore Etsy Team rocks!

Dec. 10, 2008 at 3:06 a.m. expressyourself

Wonderful article Cindy.

Dec. 10, 2008 at 3:15 a.m. glasfaden

Ohhhh.... this make me miss home (esp. the food *lol*)!!! Thank you so much for sharing!

Dec. 10, 2008 at 4:06 a.m. emberlish

great great article:) Thankyou so much cindy

Dec. 10, 2008 at 4:31 a.m. DorisWorks

nice!

Dec. 10, 2008 at 5:02 a.m. lapomme

agree with glasfaden: asian food--yum! hello, asian sellers. great article!

Dec. 10, 2008 at 5:08 a.m. anakim

Great article! I love south Asia, been to some of the country there and intend to see other. I agree about the food - you made me hungry now:)

Dec. 10, 2008 at 5:33 a.m. chichiboulie

great sellers - Thank you for this new locale!

Dec. 10, 2008 at 6:46 a.m. yaelfran

wow!!! Nice to meet you girls!!!!!!!!

Dec. 10, 2008 at 7:04 a.m. tamatama

Great collection of shops! But "Asia" is not "Local." "Asians" do not come from one country or culture. Don't misunderstand - I am overjoyed to see the sense of boundary-crossing community created by this site, I am just taking issue with the semantics. The largest continent in the world is "local?"

Dec. 10, 2008 at 10:10 a.m. DalenaVintage

A nice collaboration of shops and countries as well!

Dec. 10, 2008 at 10:52 a.m. heartfeltoriginalsi

AAAH...What wonderful memories of Asia this article invokes.I wanna go back!!!also starrydesigns was one of my first discoveries on Etsy.

Dec. 10, 2008 at 11:20 a.m. Tumus

Great article! It's so nice to meet the designers and where they live. I love that Etsy is such an international Marketplace! Makes me all mushy inside ^_^

Dec. 10, 2008 at 12:43 p.m. kittencake

Yay for Malaysia!

Dec. 10, 2008 at 12:44 p.m. Studio618

It's great to see all the quality works from Asia instead of hearing the opposite. Yay!

Dec. 10, 2008 at 1:51 p.m. BeadsInTheBelfry

Fabulous!!!!

Dec. 10, 2008 at 8:39 p.m. AlasMyDear

thanks for a really neat article! eccletica takes the cake :)

Dec. 10, 2008 at 9:33 p.m. lilypoh

nice description of our culture in Singapore!

Dec. 10, 2008 at 9:39 p.m. Lucky12324

Would love to let everyone know about the Asian Inspired Etsy Team :-)

We always love to have new members!

Dec. 10, 2008 at 10:26 p.m. starrydesigns

Thank you, everyone! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the article. :)

Dec. 11, 2008 at 2:47 a.m. mulberrymuse

Beautiful piece, lovely to get to know the people behind the shops:)

Dec. 11, 2008 at 4:19 a.m. veroque

great artical. love reading about the people behind.

Dec. 12, 2008 at 8:03 a.m. Piggy

Great article! Thanks for introducing the Etsy community to Asia :D

Dec. 12, 2008 at 9:16 a.m. waisze

Fantastic article. Love all the photos.

Dec. 16, 2008 at 1:04 a.m. nichan

a little bit disappointed with "indonesian" because when I checked out the seller it was said: "Canadian live in Asia, Indonesia"...alright, so it's local indeed but NOT the seller...I'm not proud of it...mentioning indonesia while the seller is not...I think there are some other really-really Indonesian people who live in indonesia who deserve to be in this article...I remember a woman who sell leather crafts. Very beautiful and high quality.
sorryyyyyyy...but I'm not really happy with this article...

Dec. 17, 2008 at 5:07 a.m. starrydesigns

Hi Nichan, I saw her beautiful leather crafts. The reason I couldn't feature her was because her last update was in October. I wanted someone who updates the store frequently. :)

Dec. 17, 2008 at 5:13 a.m. saplanet

Thank you Cindy for the wonderful article. Although I don't swim at all, the water park sure looks very fun! It's a great article to showcase various artists in Asia, I've not been to many of the Asian countries myself, so this is really a good read.

Dec. 17, 2008 at 9:53 a.m. eclettica

Woohoo, yay for Malaysians ~wink wink~ although a tad late, thank you AGAIN Cindy dear, for featuring me. It was (and still is) such a kick!!!

xo Sheela xo

Dec. 17, 2008 at 9:58 a.m. eclettica

Hey Jen ~ madly waving back ~

Inkypots ~ terima kasih :) ~

KittenCake ~ it sure does!! ~

AlasMyDear ~ LOL thank you dear, I wasn't sure if I'd appear way too freaky up there :) ~

xo Sheela xo

Dec. 17, 2008 at 9:02 p.m. JewelleryHaven

Great article! Nice work :)

April 15, 2009 at 5:24 p.m. agalou

niiiiiiiiiiiiiiice

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