My first Sale on Coriandr

To celebrate my first sale in my shop on Coriandr I've decided to feature some fellow sellers from the site. If you have never heard of Coriandr I'd advise you to go and take a look at the site. It's easy to navigate, has lots of fabulous handmade goods and everyone I've had contact with from the site are friendly, helpful and very talented. Let me show you some of the goods on sale there.

Indie Café Lounge is the creator of this honey and almond soap. Due to it containing real honey it is bound to be very moisturising as well as smelling yummy. It has added oatmeal that acts as a gentle exfoliator. Handmade bath goods are definitely the best in my eyes!

I love the glamour of Kiss Curl shop. The hats, fascinators, and hair accessories are cute, sexy and fun. They have echoes of days gone by when style and romance went hand in hand. This feather fascinator is just gorgeous!

Dan Jackson's sense of humour is very similar to mine judging by his photographs. I think his ability to capture the essence of absurdity and put a new spin on everyday objects is fabulous. Check out his shop for "Death by Chocolate" and "Cereal Killer", hehehe!

I was so wowed by Frute Juce's fabulous baby vest I just had to share it with you. The skill Alison must have with a sewing machine to be able to freehand embroider this much detailed is amazing. It reminds me of the skilled etch-a-sketch pictures you see.

Now regular readers will know my love of the colour orange so they won't be surprised by the fact I have chosen to share this bracelet from Lilyja. Isn't the colour divine? Bright, cheerful and very pretty.

So that's just 5 of the gorgeous goodies you can find over on Coriandr. If you are looking for lovingly created handmade goods, talented crafts men & women and like the look of the items above, you'll love the site. Go along and take a look around. Just see how many fabulous items you can find.

Written by Lynne of PiratePixieCrew and Hyperloop Hoops

As yet no sales.

Today I thought I'd share with you some gorgeous goods from people that have yet to make their first sale on Artfire. After taking a look in their shops the only reason I can conclude that they have not yet had a sale is because people haven't seen their shops yet, so lets get a few visitors for them.

Gravel Road Jewelry has a selection of stylish unusual jewellery pieces. This ring is a really good example of the wire work you can see there. The sterling silver and Czech glass look great together. Attention to detail is obviously very important to this Artisan and it shows it.

I can't understand why Jellypark has had no sales as yet. Her work is so beautiful. This bouncy little bunny watercolour is a delight to the eye. Not only is it an original painting it is only USD$30 (Approx UK£20 or Euro 22.77 ). What better gift to give a rabbit lover or a young child for their bedroom?

Cresek Studio works in clay and these stunning bowls demonstrate just how adept this potter is. 20 years of working in this medium shines through in the pieces displayed in this artisans work. I love the greens and blues in the glaze and the way the light reflects in a waterlike way off the insides of the bowl.

By recycling and creating such a beautiful chair, KL Upholstery has demonstrated to me that she has a brilliant eye for finding the beauty in pre used furniture and reinventing the way it looks so that it fits in with people live their lives today. I adore this patchwork vintage rocking chair. I has retained it's vintage feel but looks current. It would fit in perfectly in a modern or old style house. Beautiful!

I wish I had the ability to drum because having found Slap Happy Drums I have found so many items I'd love to own, but in all honesty after trying to learn to play a Djembe I found I really didn't have what it takes. Maybe I'll have to stick with her pretty little critter shakers. The little mouse one is very cute, but then again I love piggies too...

So if like me you are amazed these people have yet to sell anything, get chatting about them and their goods and lets see if we can't connected up the people wanting to buy these goods with these sellers.

Written by Lynne of PiratePixieCrew and Hyperloop Hoops

Flickr Finds

The Flickr group is going from strength to strength. We have so many talented people posting photos of their work into the pool, I couldn't resist sharing some more of them with you today. If you want to join the group just to chat and make friends with lots of fabulous artisans, you're most welcome and if you are someone making, crafting, painting, photographing, videoing, sewing, weaving... etc and you want to get your work seen by more people join the group and show us what you make.

I can't tell you just how much I adore the work of Sianburys without sounding like a stalker. Her sock monkeys are so perfect! The details are amazing. She takes such care to make each one individual and distinctive. This one is Dr Watson from the Sherlock Holmes stories. Isn't he just delightful!

Jenny Foreman Textiles has posted a few of her lovely chicken paperweights on the group pool. I nearly put the Pink skull and crossbones on the blog but thought I'd pick out this pretty little strawberry one as I'm always picking the pirate influenced items to share. This chicken would be great when doing the weekly paperwork, to stop the paperwork getting all jumbled up.

Ali Bali Jewellery makes such stylish pieces of jewellery. This one caught my eye because of the lovely orange carnelian stones. I'm really not one for busy jewellery and the simplicity of this piece's clasp also appealed to me. This is a very chic piece.

Steam Punk Glass is another person that has added a lot of pieces to our Flickr Group Pool. He seems to be able to capture whole universes inside tiny pieces of glass. They are so stunningly beautiful. I have no idea how he does it and in all honesty I don't want to know. It would spoil the magic. This marble has a nebula inside it.

Creative bag makers always will gain my support. Why? Because the more beautiful fabric bags that get made and used, the less plastic bags will be created and used. See the Wood created this fabulous red leaf shopping bag. It's stylish and washable and if a great reason not to use another plastic bag ever again when doing the groceries shopping. Ditch the plastic and get buying bags from See the Wood and other bag fabric creators.

Flickr is a great site for sharing and the best part is you can use it for free. Come and join us on the group and participate in showing your love of handmade, vintage and recycled goods with us. We'd love to see you there.

Fabulous Flickr

Lots of lovely items have been appearing on our Flickr group lately and I've been a bit lax in not showing any of them to our blog readers that don't go over to Flickr all that regularly. I would encourage you if you have a little time to go over there and check out all the great photos. So many talented people sharing their work, it's really worth a look.

Catfluff makes the most beautiful reusable shopping bags. No more plastic bags will ever be needed if we were all to use fabric bags like the ones above. Imagine just how much less plastic waste there would be if we all did that one simple thing.

Carol King's art is so textural and colourful, I adore it. This Collagraph print covered book would be a joy to own and use. Check out her website to see her stunning art works. One very talented lady!

This medieval knight made me think of Terry Pratchet Disc World Novels. Creative Critters has the ability to put so much character into a lump of clay. You can almost hear this one speak. His eyebrows are just fantastic!

Fibrespace creates so many beautiful items and all from the fibre taken from a sheep's back. The above flower looks so delicate and pretty. I think a drip of your favourite floral essential oil on the back of this brooch is the only thing that could enhance the wearing of it.

Did you think that cross stitch and embroidery were for the faint hearted? Mooosh-Meso Funky proves that you would have thought wrong. Her work is wickedly witty, decorative and could never be accused of being faint hearted.

If you are not a member of the Flickr group yet, we would love to see you join and share, with the rest of us, your arts and crafts there. You can also make friends and chat in the group discussion section. You can get a free flickr account if you don't have one. Come and join in the fun.

Written by Lynne of Hyperloop Hoops and PiratePixieCrew

Tweet's from Twitterers

Today I'm featuring some lovely bird themed goods from Twitter users. Twitter is a great way to meet other artisans and I have found lots of fabulous handmade goods through using the service. You also get to chat to some amazing people. If you want to follow me on there, I'm CapnSkulduggery.

Vintage Violets Buttons creates beautiful felt brooches and Frankie the owl is one of those gorgeous creations. As you can see from this close up photo attention to detail is what makes these brooches so special.

Swirlyarts has a shop full of bird related goodies. I love her chicken door stops but I chose to share these labels with you because they are just so cute and colourful. A myriad of feathered friends.

The lovely Tizzalicious makes a range of colourful goods, from Jewellery to plushies. The Retro feel of her shop will appeal to so many people. I think any little girl would be very excited to receive this chick necklace.

Tea anyone? Vintage Town has created this birdie cosy to keep your teapot lovely and warm so that you can spend a long Sunday morning reading the paper and sipping at a cupper whilst you find out what's going on in the world and read the funnies. It will even keep your pot warm whilst you finish off the crossword too!

Artistico collage art print made me chuckle. The Owl is so patterned, he really stands out. I'm not sure with all those bright jazzy feathers he would be able to sneak up on that many mouse dinners.

If you are looking for new people to chat to about the handmade movement or just want to see lots of gorgeous handmade goods, get over to twitter and do a search for people that have tagged themselves as "handmade". You'll find lots of people to chat to and follow and you will hear all the latest updates to shops and news about what people are working on. See you there!

Written by Lynne of PiratePixieCrew and Hyperloop Hoops

Flickr Group Goodies.

Our Flickr Group has had lots of gorgeous goodies added in the last few weeks. If you haven't been over their lately I'd suggest you take a look. So much talent, so little blog space to show it all off. Today's pick of five are here to wet your appetite.

Highland Fairy, I confess, is one of the most creative people I have had the good fortune to meet on-line. Her talents know no bounds. This stunning painting shows off just one of her skills. I noticed in her Flickr Profile she has a new website and I will be checking that out once this article is written.

Sew Recycled created these marvellous mushroom pin cushion houses. They have such pretty little details on them and they are very useful too. I'm forever losing my pins and needles when I'm working. One of these would be a great place to keep them all.

Mossmottle makes a range of jewellery in precious metal clay (silver). This pretty ring is a good example of her work. I love the texture of the surface. She is also a painter. I'm impressed by her abstract pieces. Again it's down to the textured look of them.

Miss Gina Designs works in many mediums and when I saw this bright colourful bag in the Flickr Group pool I just knew I had to share it with you. It is made from "magic shrinking sheets", which is something I'd never heard of before. It looks great!

PJTurner created this beautiful pen from a real corn cob. Isn't it fabulous! The colour and the way the light reflects from it is just stunning. Putting a corn cob on a lathe and turning it isn't something I would ever have though possible. Brilliant!

So as you can see, the Flickr pool is full of beautiful works or art and crafts. Have a look through and find some new favourites to share with your friends.

Written by Lynne of the PiratePixieCrew and Hyperloop Hoops

George in all shapes and sizes.

When anyone ever asks me "What shall we name him?" the first thing that comes into my head is "I shall hug him, and squeeze him, and call him George!" which I think comes from a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Why that is stuck in my head for ever more I will never know, but it is. Odd how things like that stick. After doing a search on some of the handmade sites for the name "George" it appears I am not alone in liking that name.

The first George of the day is this gorgeous fishy drawn and printed by Jessica Doyle. He looks every inch the poshest fish that ever did swim in the sea. My favourite part of him is his eyelashes. I bet he is a big flirt and would love a quick squeeze!

From to From brings us George the Lime polka dot pant wearing hottie water bottle, so you really will want to hug and squeeze this George because he will keep you toasty warm. He really is a proper little hottie! I think he maybe winking at me.

What better name for a Giraffe than George? Skribbly Kids knows it. This is George as a 4" x 6" print but George the Giraffe comes printed on magnets, pins and more, so you could have him with you all over the house! I might need a ladder to be able to hug this George, being as he is so tall!

Joy Cookie's George looks like the kind of boy that would protest "Gerroff me!" if you tried to hug him. Mischief looks more his game than giving someone a squeeze. He is a positionable puppet, so his arms and legs are bendy, even his eyes can be moved! I think he is fantabulous!

Cheeky Nado's wee George looks to have no arms so it might be a very one way hug you give him. Maybe he can tickle you in return with his moustache. I think he looks very French so you may have to pronounce his name with a bit of an accent.

Well anyway, I think I have hugged and squeezed enough Georges for one day. So how many other Georges you can find out there looking for a new loving home.

Written by Lynne of Hyperloop Hoops and PiratePixieCrew

A word from our Sponsors

So today I had a look through the shops of people that had placed bids on our ads blocks here on Autonomous Artisans. I got to see a lot of great goods and would urge you all to take time out to click on the ads and have a look around all the shops. These are a few of the fantastic items I found.

I was so glad I found Gallery Juana. The shop is full of gorgeous works in a variety of sizes and prices, but all are stunning. I chose this one to share because of the warm rich colours. Having a broken boiler in your home doesn't matter when you can be warmed by Juana's beautiful artwork.

Nick Anny Creations soap wrapper made me giggle. I love it! The soap is gently exfoliating and has honey and beeswax in it to soften your skin. Honey is such a yummy scent. Washing with this would be a joy. This shop has much more than just soap in it. Go along and find out what else you can buy.

I love these earrings! They look like little puppy faces who a bit fed up of waiting for a long promised walk. Nathalie of Canadian Rockies Art has lots of high quality handmade jewellery in her shop. Nathalie also offers gift vaouchers, so gents, if you are having a problem deciding between all the lovely goodies to buy yor partner this Valentines Day, you can let your lady choose for herself.

Talking of Valentines Day, Krishell of BlueStarButterflies has created this cosy, sexy cowl that would look so glamourous over the top of that little black dress. You'll be the bell of the ball, so if you don't have a partner yet maybe Valentines Day could be the day you fine one. If red isn't your colour Krishell has others to choose from.

Polka Dot Candle Shoppe has a whole aroma filled shop of choices. Candles galore and scented melts! These voltives come in a stunning 68 (if I counted correctly) different scents. You can mix and match which you want. From strawberries and cream to Gingerbread. A different scent for every occassion.

Written by Lynne of PiratePixieCrew and Hyperloop Hoops

More Flickr Finds

The Autonomous Artisans Flickr group is still going strong and you are all welcome to join, put forward photos of handmade goods and chat about items you love, crafts you enjoy, artisans you admire or just sit and stare at all the gorgeous photos of goodies that people have made. If you haven't been over there to see all the fabulous items yet, I've picked out a few to share with you.

Glamasaurus made these cookie earrings that look good enough to eat. You might have to fend off hungry passers by when you wear them.

Dangerous Mezzo is a very talented lady. This is one of her collage paintings, but she also creates gorgeous jewellery.

Are you looking for a warm hat for this winter. Dread Nought Designs has just the thing. Made from flannel and fleece it is bound to keep you feeling cosy.

Meero made these stylish fresh water pearl earrings. They have a simple elegant stirrup shape that would look fabulous hanging from any ear shape.

I love Venice and this picture from Sounds Like Rain reminds me of a happy afternoon laying in a gondola. Kay is an amazing photographer as her shop will show you.

I'm so glad I set up the Flickr group as it has turned up many wonderful artisans and given me the opportunity to share them with you. Please spread the word about it so that we can give exposure to many more independent artists and crafters.

Written by Lynne of Hyperloop Hoops and Pirate Pixie Crew

Valentines day is coming!

It is only just over a month until Valentines Day, so I have gathered together a few items that you might like to buy as a present for your loved one. Be sure not to forget, or you will end up in the dog house. Valentines Day also happens to be my Birthday, so that another good reason to go out and buy presents (Hint, hint, Jon). If you don't have a one special person, how about treating yourself and reminding yourself just how special you are.

On Valentines day everyone wants to have a gorgeous aroma and what better way to get that than with these beautiful hear shaped soaps from Shine your hiney soap. Scented with mango and margaritas this one is sure to set the mood. The bright red colour is so eye catching, to bathe with it would make me smile.

Now before you go on that all important Valentines Day date be sure to get those lips as soft as they can be. Seasprite Soaps has just the thing to help you with that, rose lip balm. Now I'm not just talking to the girls here. Remember that there is nothing more off putting than bad breath or chapped lips when it comes to kissing. Get balming now so that in a month you have luscious lips.

It is traditional to give flowers on this day, but for those that know me they would never do that, as I hate cut flowers. I just feel like you sit and watch their beauty fade and die. Jeweled Ambrosia offers a way to give flowers to someone like me in there beautiful vintage rose earrings. So simple, yet very elegant.

When we were kids we used to make each other pasta cards for special occasions like Birthdays. It was great fun and meant that the card you gave was unique and personal. This fabulous print from Sweetness & Light brought all those memories of PVA glue, card, paint, glitter and love flooding back. What a perfect gift to give a loved one to hang on their wall to remind them just how much they mean to you.

This pretty, colourful heart from Half an Acre is perfect for hanging on your loved ones front door, so that when they come home from school, college or work they won't be able to miss the fact that you adore them. Little gestures mean so much, so maybe attaching a little love note to the back would fan the flames of amour.

Have you decided that Valentines Day is the day you want to get down on one knee and demonstrate just how special that certain someone is to you? If you have Eidel Precious has the perfect ring for you. What says "I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you" better than a stunningly hand crafted ring of white gold, diamond and sapphire? The Sapphire has long symbolized truth, sincerity, and faithfulness and diamonds symbolise purity. Perfect for saying you are the one for me, there is no doubt.

Being that Valentines Day is my Birthday I will probably be spending the day eating cake, being very silly, trying to convince the postman I'm not a hussy with lots of suitors sending me cards and kissing Jon a lot. I hope you all have a very special day too. Plan ahead for it and make sure you have lots of lovely surprises ready for all those you love. Oh and don't forget, you mustn't sign those cards. Leave them guessing who their secret admire is.

Written by Lynne of Hyperloop Hoops and Pirate Pixie Crew