Hard times? Versatility is key!

As we are all aware, times are getting harder and we are all needing to make our money go a little bit further when we spend it. Well I have an idea to make those pennies go that extra mile when buying clothing and accessories. Buy goods that are versatile and wearable in more than one way. Things with versatile uses are so much more value for money.

As it is wedding season and wedding dresses cost so much I thought I'd start with one of Isadora's beautiful wedding dress that can be worn in so many ways that you will be able to wear more than that one special day and have it look like a totally different dress. Simple, sleek and gorgeous!

Sew is your face created this funky fun reversible hood, which allows you to wear it with more of your clothes. Swap which side you have showing and change the look. Also the long scarf tie allows you to change the look even more.

Mohop is a genius! These shoes can be worn in so many ways and the look be changed over and over just by adding a different strap/ribbon. You can perfectly match up your shoe straps to your outfit each time you wear them. Hundreds of pairs of shoes all in one fabulous design.

Barefoot Creations obviously understands small children and babies. This pretty pinafore dress is totally reversible, so if you are out and about and your child manages to get one side covered in tomato pasta sauce you can whip it off turn it inside out and slip it back on. Hey presto! Clean looking child. Magic!

Pinky Pig has given you 2 bags in one. This stylish tote is totally reversible so you can choose which side to have on the outside to suit your mood or outfit for the day. It doubles it's use. I'm guessing you could ask to have one made with day time fabric on one side and a more swanky evening out style fabric on the other. Then you would have a bag to take you through from day to an evening out on one of those busy days when you have to go to an event straight from work.

Investing in clothes and accessories that can be worn in many ways are a great way to save yourself some cash in the long run. There are lots of people out there handmaking versatile goods. Take a look around and see what you can find.

Written by Lynne of PiratePixieCrew and Hyperloop Hoops

A word about our Sponsors

On the top right of this blog we have Project Wonderful ad spaces which are always full of great sites to visit. The people placing the ads there are helping to sponsor the running of this blog, so that we can highlight and share with you all the fabulous world of handmade goods. Today is just a thank you to our sponsors and an encouragement to you, the readers to click through to their sites, because as you will see below they have some fabulous goods on offer and they are all handmade.

I found these unusual earrings in A~Z Jewelry Design's shop. I've never seen anything like the purple conglomerate jasper stones used. I like the individuality of them. Very funky and fun.

Miss Black Pepper designs repeat patterns that can be used on a small scale by crafts people to brighten up their websites, or even be printed in small runs onto fabric for use. What a great idea!

This beautifully hand crafted baby Kimono is from Sew Classic. It's so pretty and versatile. Baby's have a habit of growing fast, so the adjustable tie fastenings on this mean it can grow with them.

Chainmaille by MBOI is a company run by husband and wife team Andrew and Kimberly. Their whole site is full of gorgeous pieces like the one above. Surf around and take a look.

Fuzzy Lumpkin Crochet is the maker of this rainbow of colours brooch. It's so cheerful that to wear it would be sure to cause a happy glow inside. The buttons just finish it off perfectly.

So all you lovely sponsors, thank you again for listing your ad's in out ad block. We really do appreciate your support. I hope that our readers come and visit all your shops, as they really do contain some beautiful work. You're a very talented bunch.

Written by Lynne of PiratePixieCrew and Hyperloop Hoops

Coriandr Sellers

Today is all about sharing with you some of the beautiful goods you can purchase from talented artisans through Coriandr. This site is fairly new, but it has lots of style and has attracted some amazing artisans to set up shop there. It's still looking for new sellers, so if you are creative and looking for a new venue to sell through, check it out.

I have been looking longingly at Katcha bags for some time. This lady makes the most amazing bags that tick a lot of my boxes when it comes to buying. They are stylish, well designed for purpose, made from recycled rubber, car seatbelts and they are hand sewn. No electricity used. Fabulous!

The Shy One doesn't need to be shy about her work. It is gorgeous! This Autumn thistle print of a watercolour is one of a limited print run of 30. I love the colours, textures and feeling of motion in the picture. If you look in Carols shop you'll see her talents don't stop at watercolour painting.

Miss Bumble is very talented in a craft I have tried and failed at. Needle felting is very hard to do well and Miss Bumble does it amazingly well. This giraffe is proof of that. I'm somewhat jealous. I chose to show you a close up of his head so you could see the intricate detail.

Sarah Watkins Fairbourn is the designer of this beautiful wardrobe. It would be perfect for a nursery or young girls bedroom. Sarah collaborates with a local cabinet maker who builds her designs. I think they do a fantastic job. Click on the photo so you get taken to the listing where you can see close up's of the pretty details.

Kaytea grabbed my attention instantly with her purple and orange coloured blocks. What baby could resist playing with these? Beautifully soft fleece makes them cuddly as well as fun to play with and they are fully washable, which as any mother knows is very important.

There are many other really talented, creative people selling over on Coriandr. Have a visit and a little surf around the shops and see if you can resist buying or recommending goods to other people. I couldn't! I hope you enjoyed my choices.

Dinosaurs! WooooHoooo!

Admit it, you love them too. Dinosaurs may have died out millions of years ago, but we are all still fascinated by them. Maybe because they are long gone is why we are so interested in them. From the smallest child to the oldest person on the earth dinosaurs capture our imagination. The variety of shapes and sizes astound us, especially the Massive ones like Tyrannosaurus Rex, Stegosaurus, and brontosaurs. Lots of artisans use dinosaurs in their work. Lets have a look at some.

Love Yu has created this cuddly cute blue patterned dinosaur. He's very stylish and anyone would love to have him as a squishy pal to keep them company. At 14 inches high I'm tempted to buy him to put on my sofa so that when a scary movie comes on the telly I can hug him and he can protect me form all the oogally boogallies.

Just how cute is this? Yes I do mean the baby and the bandanna bib. Kewt Kids made this great dino dribble catcher. The main problem I've found with bibs in the past is that babies have a naughty habit of moving their head to watch the cat go past and they drool past the side edges of conventional bibs. This one, however is beautifully wide. It's sure to keep your babies clothes nice and clean.

Wood, wood, wonderful wood! Eenie Beanie Threads has combined a fabby dinosaur design with one of my favourite materials and created this beautiful jigsaw. This smiling T-Rex looks like he has spotted dinner and is about to go off and catch it. I hope I'm not dinner *gasp*

The Polka Dot Tot Spot's shop is chock full of beautiful soft toys. There are building blocks, soft balls and bunting. These dino blocks would make the perfect gift for a new born. Soft, safe and tactile. There is a matching ball to go with them, which would be great to encourage babies learning to crawl and walk to chase when rolled across the floor.

Sugar and Cream's print made me smile. The little kitty is willing to share her ice cream with the big red dinosaur. Is it just so the dinosaur won't eat her or is it just because she is a kind kitty? I think it's the latter. The print looks utterly stunning when framed (there is a photo in the listing). A perfect picture to hang in a playroom or child's bedroom... or in my bedroom.

I adore all the items I found to day. So much love and care had been lavished on each of them in their creation, how could you not adore them? Go and put "Dinosaur" into the search engine of your favourite handmade shopping site and come back here and leave a link in the comments to the item(s) you most like. Share the dinosaur love!

Written by Lynne of Hyperloop Hoops and PiratePixieCrew

People Starting out on the Journey of online sales at Etsy.

There are now hundreds of thousands of sellers trying to get noticed on the Etsy website and it's really not that easy. What with all the search function problems and the batch listings, it can become quite disheartening when you are starting out. I decided today to pick a few people with 5 or less sales to feature. They all have some gorgeous goods for sale and I think they deserve more sales than they currently have, so even if the item I don't feature doesn't grab you take a look through their shops and see if you can't find a perfect gift for someone you love.

This funky onesie is made by Jpline. Her shop is chock full of beautifully hand crafted baby goods and I really can't understand why she hasn't had any sales. I wish her well in the future, because her goods do truly deserve to be snapped up.

Give someone your heart this Christmas with FeltCreations detailed felt brooch. The stitching in this ladies work is so fine and carefully done. I work with felt and I know how hard it is to make such detailed pieces. Look through her shop and see for yourself.

Don't you just love these Sophista-birds from Katezila?! The monocled dude in the middle looks so pompous, he's divine! They look like they should be in leather wing backed chairs in a gentleman's club all clucking at each other about the youth of today. Fabulous work Katezila!


These stylish little drop earrings are from GMAjewellery and in such a difficultly large category in Etsy of jewellery it's very hard to be seen. I think this lady deserves more views and sales, so go along and check her out. She has got a good eye for colour, balance and shape.

This beautiful wedding dress appears in shanasshoebox. Hers is a shop filled with a variety of goods from clothes to bags, Jewellery to shoes. Take a look around and see all her goodies. This dress is stunning!


The man himself, at work, and this man is Jesse Mosher. His shop has been on Etsy since January and is full of his gorgeous artworks. All the pieces are made from reused or refinished materials and are painted on plywood. He's subjects in the main deal with portraiture and he will take on commission orders. How about a family portrait?

Another person fighting to get seen in the Jewellery section is Rozzie. These berry hoops earrings show her love of textiles silver and beads. Many of her pieces follow this theme. Most of her pieces are one of a kind so you are unlikely to see someone walking toward you wearing the same jewellery as you if you purchase goods from her.

Now all these people I've featured today have shown that there are some great new sellers joining Etsy every day, so take the time to look around and dig out some of the new gems joining up on Etsy to sell.