Season of Love

Camille and Owly from skunkboycreatures



Thank you to everyone that had the chance to vote on Etsy's "Season of Love" poll! I was rosy in the cheeks from the amazing outpouring of support. Below is a little glimpse of the standings (there were 59 entries in total). Aren't those little owls adorable?!? SO deserving of the 1st place spot!





Have an incredible weekend and remember to smile :)

Peach Picks: Splurges for $10 or less

Pretty Ginkgo Plate from sumiko


You turn on the TV, there's talk of the failing economy. All day at work, words of financial crisis. These days things are tight, yes, BUT I think the most important thing is heightened moral. We still need to remember to do little things for ourselves and others.

What better way to feel anew and bring a bit of excitement than to find a gift, any gift for any reason, that doesn't take a meal off of the table! Here's a few that I dug up (some of which are on my personal wish list!).

Have a wonderful day!



Notebook from fieldandsea



Bachelor Bar from LaveMeSoapCo



Small Oval Pendant in Sage Green from MSPottery



In Carol Brady's Kitchen from Thrush



Simple and Honest from fotofiction



Blue Dahlia - 4oz loose leaf artisan tea from TeaNoir



VINTAGE Tin Box from simplysuzula

Royal Platery

I'm loving this dinnerware by PrinceDesignUK. They make me want to have a shindig serving only fresh figs, cheeses and sparkling cocktails :)

Yum.








Happy Wednesday!

Rubies Rubies everywhere.

Good Day to you all!

Thank you ENDLESSLY for all of your support on Etsy's "Vote! How Do YOU Say Love?". It's so amazing to me still :)

This morning, I was browsing Etsy's front page and came across a much known to me, haven't visited in a long time, most AMAZING shop.





RubyPearl has a level of style brilliance that I long to achieve. But I could gush about her all day! The MAIN reason I bring her up is she has a TON of clearance items up! WOO HOO!!

It's never too soon to pick up that perfect summer slip dress :)

A plea to VOTE!!

Guys!!



One of my pieces (Shirley, above) has been chosen to be a part of the "How do YOU say I love you" voting challenge!

Visit the storque article to read all about it. Or go straight into the voting extravaganza :)

Your support would mean the WORLD to me!

Happy weekend to you all!

xoxo
Amy

Peach Picks: Nessie

I Love Cryptozoology from BarrelOfMonkeys


I was pleasantly surprised by the response on "The Savages" post, that I couldn't resist doing a Peach Picks on it! The favorite creature came out to be the cute little green Loch Ness Monster.

The following is a tribute to Nessie :) Dear sweet, deep dwelling Nessie!



Nessie Cloche from bayandleague



Nathan Loch Ness from nimoy



4 oz soap NESSIE from EncantadoSoap



Underwater Scene Loch Ness Monster Mini-Sculpture from PearsonMaron



PATTERN - Loch Ness Monster from hansigurumi

Have to have....

Shark Dance Tee from NewDuds


Economy or not, I have a serious Etsy shopping addiction. Maybe I should really consider cutting down my computer time....

These goodies have snuck into my heart, over to my wallet and taken what they needed to make them MINE!!



Soap Sampler from FlameWorks



Collective Names of Animals from Xenotees



Personalized Art Deco Stationery from ModernPop



Small Barnwood MIRROR from ParadiseHillDesigns


Done any Shopping lately??

The Savages

Anyone else find these little creatures from GirlSavage absolutely adorable??














I can't get over how engaging and personable her photographs are :)

*FEATURED ARTIST of the week* ~~RikRak~~

RikRak






1. What is your craft?

thanks so much for having me, peachtree! i just love your beautiful blog! (**note from the editor: blush**)

so, my craft… is designing and handmaking sustainable, patchwork goodies (accessories, housewares, children’s wares, etc.) sewn from beautiful vintage fabrics.


2. What led you to take it up? i’ve always loved things handmade.

i was lucky to have been raised in a wonderfully talented home, where my parents always encouraged creativity, expression thru the arts, the joy of music, & the cherished virtue of handmaking. so i’ve always been cutting & pasting, playing with design, and was fortunate to learn the intrinsic value of a handmade piece at a young age! (thanks so much, mom & dad!)





a few years ago, when i was pregnant with our little sweetie, i became especially excited about quilting. my maternal grandmother was a master handcrafter, and her handmade quilts brought joy to all those around her! i loved that! with her insight, (and repurposing the grand collection of vintage fabrics i had inherited and collected over the years), I started sewing & designing goodies! i just *loved* it! … and the rest is, as they say…is history!


3. Which part of your work do you most enjoy?

i love so much of it! i really do! i adore the designing, coming up with new goodies, love the colour-play, am thrilled to be able to run a little business that now supports us so i can keep staying home with our sweetie, the joy of repurposing, seeing how something that someone else has finished with can be remade into something entirely new, and love getting a chance to use photography on a daily basis (one of my favourite hobbies!)






4. Which part do you find hardest?

sometimes i find balancing running a small business while being an at-home mommy a challenge, because i certainly want to be the best mommy i can to my little sweetie and make sure my customers are happy, too. i put a lot of thought into that.


5. Where do you get your inspiration?

i am genuinely excited (some might say *obsessed!*) about the interaction between light, colour-play, pattern, symmetry & geometric shapes. i gain joy & inspiration from so many wonderful people in my life, from playing & making with my little sweetie, to going on adventures with my cute hubby, to warm & wonderful teaparties with my mom. i’m so lucky to have opportunities to learn & be inspired at every turn!


6. Do you participate in any etsy groups, and if so, which ones?

yes! i love the support, friendship & community of Etsy groups! i’m a proud member of the Trans-Canada Etsy Team, EcoEtsy,



EtsyMom, & TeamTrashion.


7. What's one material your shop can't live without?

gorgeous vintage fabrics to repurpose into something else!


8. What is your favorite item that you have purchased off of Etsy?

hmmmmm… that’s a toughie, as i just love sooo many things i’ve purchased from etsy. i think my two favourites would be:

one) a custom handfelted piece that the amazing tanisalexis created for our home (inspired by this beauty of hers)




and two) my very first purchase on etsy… this adorable pencil drawing by the wonderful annarubyking.



we’ve collected many beautiful pieces of art from talented etsyans, and can’t wait to collect more!


9. If I could sell one item from my shop today, it would be...

well.. i have to be honest… i’m excited everytime something sells in my shop! i hope that feeling never wears off!




10. If I had enough money to pick one item on my wish list from any shop on etsy to buy, it would be...

hmmmmm… today i’d love a quintet of elementclaystudio’s fabulous, textural micro tiles!




11. What are the top three favorite items currently listed in your store?

these days: quilted vintage fabric wallets



recycled vintage fabric coasters



and believe it or not, even though the Holidays have ended, i’m still getting lots of new eco.felt stocking requests!





12. What undiscovered artisans would you recommend the world to know?

i’d love the world to know about two amazing artisans, whose work fill our home with joy! both my hubby & i were fortunate to have amazing grandmother’s who handquilted. we have a quilt my grandmother made for us when we were married that we love, and a beautiful collection of my husband’s grandma’s quilts! their work is displayed proudly in our home.


(wallhanging from lmkquilts)

being a patchwork quilt pattern designer and maker wasn’t as much regarded as artistry in their lifetimes, but we certainly adore their artistry now! so to grandma puckrin & grandma winger – thanks! (and to all the other grandmas who are patchwork quilt artists out there – you’re amazing! )


13. What is the best advice you have ever received?

be kind.





that’s the best advice i’ve ever received, for sure. many of the people i most respect in the world have shown me that wisdom by their actions! i hope to always strive to be genuinely kind in what i do, and think and make.