MaryLou's time2cre8

Etsy Friday... It's been a busy week here, making all sorts of custom orders for people. I love making all sorts of things, and it's fun for me to do custom work because I get to have fun with someone else's ideas and try to translate them into something they'll love.

But now it's Etsy Friday again. Actually, it's just Friday, but Etsy Fridays are becoming a tradition of sorts. My tradition? To take this opportunity to give an extra thanks to the Etsy sellers who were my customers during the course of the week. So if you're reading this blog, go check 'em out! You might just find something you can't live without!!

First up is Melissa (aka BlueTulip), who creates wonderfully funky handbags and totes. Not only do I love the totes, but I love that she photographs some of them with yummy examples of what'll fit into the totes! Check out this Retro Swirl one - great, huh?

Just in time for the holidays, Abby (aka Folktale Fibers) has this gorgeous handspun wool yarn called Sleigh Ride. It has all sorts of great-looking fibers woven into it, and the color's just gorgeous!

Nicole (aka WhirlygigYarns) is another spinner, and her yarns are also fun! I sure wish I could do something besides knit in a straight line. :-) I love all the textures that are possible with handspinning, so this Birds on a Wire yarn just flew at me (yes, pun intended).

I am absolutely thrilled when I encounter a young Etsy artist, and Nate (aka nathantheartist) is only six years old! Nate doesn't have any artwork listed right now (maybe he's tied up with his studies), but I found King Kong on Rollerskates in his sold items. Ya gotta love an artist who envisions King Kong skating! Keep on drawing, Nate!

Bari (aka DesignsByBari) is lucky to have a beach nearby where she can track down sea glass. It's so much fun to go exploring on the beach to find those treasures that are washed up on shore. I find them, but I just put them in a jar or something. Bari, on the other hand, transforms them into beautiful jewelry! Once again, my love for purple drew me to this Purple Beach Sparkler. I've seen lots of sea glass turned into jewelry, but this treatment is unique and so cool!


Lynn (aka Hallucinations), a really nice repeat customer, is someone with whom I can identify... I could have written this statement, from her profile, about myself: "because I love too many things, and I can't confine myself to one (or even 3)". Lynn's shop is filled with all sorts of goodies, many of them exhibiting eye-popping color combinations. While this 6-strand necklace doesn't come with the pins that are pictured in the listing, it's such an inventive way to turn one piece into something completely different just by switching out the focal piece! Oh, so many possibilities.

Kathleen Bostick (aka studiometalsmith) is another repeat customer, and she truly lives up to her shop name. The jewelry she produces is phenomenal. It's so simple and has such clean lines, and it's beautifully photographed. I'm not much of a jewelry wearer, but I do like rings... nothing flashy, though, so this wide and hammered silver band is just my style! Alas, it's only a size 5, and I don't think that would even fit my pinkie...

Susan (aka Sirène Designs) just listed this pretty bracelet a couple of days ago. It's a great combination of colors, with those tortoiseshell cylinders and all their swirls of color offsetting the green faceted beads.