handmade goodness: sugar, spice and everything nice

I planned on posting a handmade goodness feature about Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice today but, the day got away with me ... then I saw on the Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice Facebook Page that it is National Cupcake Day!  So I had to post this today ... it was meant to be.

Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice makes specialty cupcakes for all occasions. Peggy, the brainchild behind the adorably delicious cupcake company, has been a friend of mine for 15 years! She is an amazing person who has an amazing talent, she transforms a simple cupcake into something truly spectacular. Here are some of my favorite creations.

Yarn Cupcakes

Cheeseburgers Cupcakes over Charcoal Cupcakes

Teacher Appreciation Cupcakes

Popcorn Cupcakes

 Peggy says ...

I want to bring sugar, spice and everything nice to friends, family and others - a happy place is where a cupcake's in your face!

I totally agree.  I surely am most happy when there is a cupcake in my face! You must live in New York on Long Island to enjoy her tasty treats. For order inquiries, e-mail Peggy and be sure to find her on facebook!

 

HAPPY NATIONAL CUPCAKE DAY - MAKE IT SWEET!

a crafty holiday

I'm participating in A Crafty Holiday, a blog hop organized by Angela Flicker of The Artists' House to give passionate bloggers the chance to share why they buy handmade for the holidays. Friday, Nimo  listed all sorts of goodies that would make wonderful gifts and now it’s my turn!

I'm a big fan of handmade. Over the years I have given and made gifts for my parents, grandparents, siblings, co-workers, friends, and so on. Funny thing is, I rarely give handmade gifts to my husband, my kids or myself!  No idea why, since I truly love giving and receiving handmade gifts.  This year I am changing that.  I am buying each of us handmade gifts and I am thrilled about it!

I'm also a big fan of lists, so here is a list of reasons why I value handmade:

• the care, thought and craftsmanship that goes into each item
• the quality of a product that can only come from handmade
• the variety of handcrafted items is amazing and inspiring to explore.
• to support fellow artisans; their work and their livelihood
• handmade has heart. plain and simple.

I have a terrible memory but, I could tell you who and for what occasion every handmade item I own came from ... to me that speaks volumes about the value I place on those items.  I love boutiques and crafts shows and encourage you check local events in your area. However, juggling 3 jobs and a family, I find it tough to get out and explore (I'm totally missing out, I know). That is why I am so grateful for Etsy and the many sites like them who give indie artisans an invaluable place to share their goodies with the world online.

So without further ado, here's a peek at my gift and wish list.

1. Fiber Wreath Ornament - Alisa Burke
2. Ornamental Handmade Pottery Ornaments/Gift Tags - chARiTy elise
3. Horned Lark Hanging Ornament - Bird Nerd

1. Kids Hula Hoops - Nova Hoops
2. Checkered Tie Shirt - Desert Baby
3. Farmer's Market Veggies - Green Mountain
4. Mario Hand Carved Rubber Stamp -The Nerd Nook
5. Personalized Alphabet Blocks - Little Sapling Toys

1. Days Between Batik Tee - Tree Town Batiks
2. Fragrance Free Goat's Milk Whipped Body Cream - Artisan Soap Spa
3. Trey Anastasio Spray Painting Print - FrogMeow
4. Money Clip Wallet - Broundoor

1. Peridot Flower Gemstone Ring -  Kierra Ferrer Jewelry Design
2. Crocheted Felted Slippers - A Life Crocheted
3. Garden Sage Striped Skirt - Rosie's Whimsy
4. Cream Rosette Headband - Folding Chair Designs
5. Fragrance Free Vegan Body Lotion - Little Owl Soap Co

1. Portable Placement, Napkin and Bamboo Utensils - Seedling Designs
2. Take a Hike Print - The Wheatfeild
3. Bamboo Cutting Board - Studio 44 Eighty
4. Cloth Napkins Summer Breeze - Fern Hollow Finds

Don't forget your holiday cards!  Share how happy your handmade holidays are with a custom photo card by Melanie of Paper Mango. Short on time?  No problem! She'll print the cards for you, with envelopes (even envelope printing if you’re really in a rush!). And if you like to DIY, you'll love that her designs are available as an affordable DIY, printable file. For all the details please see Paper Mango's 2010 Holiday Card Collection.

Tomorrow, Paige Hill will be sharing their list.  You can see the entire schedule for A Crafty Holiday here. Wishing you a very handmade holiday!

Much Love,
Kristen

handmade goodness: distressed doll

Life Together Altered Album

I am so happy to have met Amy of Distressed Doll this past month.  I bought a calendar and journal from her at Hissyfits Hullabaloo and after checking out her facebook page and all that she creates, I simply fell in love with her art.  Amy creates altered albums, jewelry, paper arts, votive holders, teaches classes and welcomes custom orders too! Distressed Doll's items are as beautifully crafted as they are beautiful.

Address Books

Journals

 

Photo Clips

After Hissyfits, I saw Amy again at Mesa 2nd Fridays and purchased a handful of her adorable photo clips to hold gift cards. They are a wonderful way to add a touch of handmade goodness to an otherwise plain gift.  So much more exciting then sticking a card in an envelope, right?  Find Distressed Doll on Facebook!

handmade goodness: desert baby

Desert Baby specializes in handmade goodies for Moms and the Lil' Ones that rule their lives. All items are created and hand-sewn by my good friend and fellow hip mama, Amanda. Amanda has a wonderful eye for beautiful fabrics and does an impeccable job making her products.  You can tell lots of love and care are put into everything she makes. Check out Desert Baby on Facebook!

 These are some just of the adorable ready to ship goodies from Desert Baby

Infant Car Seat Canopy Covers

Organic Cotton Tie Onesie

Minky Burp Cloths

You can totally tell I'm a mom of boys, right?!  Desert Baby, of course has items in girlie girl fabric and styles too! Amanda loves custom orders and truly aims to please. I have placed numerous custom orders with her and she is kind, fair and super easy to work with.

Child Painter's Apron

 This is one custom item I ordered, a painter's apron for my son's 3rd birthday. My son loves rainbow colors so, this fabric was just perfect! He adores it and since it rolls up, we can easily store all his brushes in it when they are not in use.