Friday Favorite Finds!!

I don't have much of a sweet tooth to speak of. But lately I've REALLY been craving some cupcakes. And there's nothing like dressing it up pretty for a photo shoot before you eat it! So this week's favorite finds are of the baking supply variety! :)

LOVE these!!! so colorful and stripey! 

berry striped cupcake liners by HeyYoYo

ooooo pretty Spring colors!

sherbet polka dot cupcake liners by the bakers confections

I have some heart shaped silicone baking cups and I LOVE them! the cupcakes (or muffins) pop right out, easy peasy! I've been looking for other shapes!found a few more here too.

round silicone baking cups by diy mold

these come in other colors too!

orange-yellow swirl cupcake liners by  Lulus Cupcake Boutique

mini cupcakes are the perfect little bite size snack - and I thought they couldn't get any cuter!?! but these baking cups would definitely do the trick!

mini purple with polka dots baking cups by  little monster hugs

gorgeous colors! love the big polka dots!

pink and lime bubbles cupcake liners by Cupcake Social

This only makes me want cupcakes even more! A big stack of PRETTY cupcakes! Good thing International Monster's Day is this weekend. ;) That means I can make a big ol' MONSTER CAKE and get my fix (even though I probably won't eat more than a bite or two before it gets too sweet for me).

Friday Favorite Finds!!

Somehow I completely missed posting my favorites last week but I'm back on schedule for this week so... who like clocks?!

kirie 01 bamboo clock by decoylab

IN.LOVE. seriously!! the flowers! the vine! that butterfly!! the ivory acrylic over the bamboo?! SHUT UP!! this is AMAZING!! Who knew clocks could actually be art all by themselves?!

modern chartreuse clock with numbers by uncommon

I love the way you can just barely see the numbers and the ornate hands are beautiful, so elegant and just perfect on this simple clock!

as luck would have it, Uncommon is having a sale this weekend!! Two days only (26/27) 15% off everything in their shop to celebrate their two year anniversary!! So if you like the clock above, or any of the other awesome things in their shop, make sure to stop by tomorrow!

blue circle clock by chromalab

beautiful shades of turquoise in the offset circles (they have quite a few other color options in their shop if turquoise isn't your thing) and that punch of red from the second hand is just the right touch!

 pop clock in red large wall clock by whitevan

 GORGEOUS bright red clock, I'm a big fan of the circles, I love the shadows they make on the wall. they have a bunch of different options in their shop, some with only four circles, some with twelve and then more like this. lots of color choices as well. very cool stuff!

and OH MY GOSH can you even get over the incredible cuteness of these?! why did I not find these when my kids were smaller! I SO want one for a playroom or a nursery!! *LOVE*

Children's wall felt clock round orange by evgie

so in love with the whole concept of this clock! genius! what an adorable accent in any child's room!

modern animal clock lion by decoylab

I know I already shared another clock by this same artist but I could not leave this one out. seriously. KILLING me with cuteness!! I so want this clock!! they have a bunch of animal shapes (hippo, elephant, hedgehog) but the lion is by far my favorite!

I could go on... there are SO many amazing clocks on Etsy! I could fill a room with my favorites. But I'll leave you with these.

If anyone has any suggestions for Friday Finds themes I'd love to hear them, feel free to leave me a comment. :)

the return of Friday Favorite Finds!!

Friday Finds is back and it's all new and improved! ;) In the past  for my Favorite Finds post I would choose one or two sellers on Etsy whose work as a whole I just adored, but I've decided there are SO many awesome things to share that I need to share more than just two a week. SO from now on, I will be sharing a handful of favorite things, each item from a different seller, every week! I may or may not have a theme each time, but for this first week back, I most definitely do! Lately I've been drawn to jewelry. I don't wear much, if any, unless I'm going out somewhere (which doesn't happen often as a single mom who works from home) but I seriously love some of the super fun rings I'm seeing on Etsy these days and find myself wanting to expand my very small collection! ;) Here are just a few of the rings from my favorites folder...

Sterling silver Handmade - Life is crazy, Candy baby - Pink Fused Glass adjustable Ring by LaNinja

I just LOVE this ring. I love the cotton candy pink color against the dark metal band and that scallop edge all the way around the stone is just TO.DIE.FOR! SO cute!

Oh happy day / Oh crappy day ring set - acrylic by Weasel Factory

I've been seeing these 3D acrylic laser cut rings all over the place. I don't know how comfortable they would be to wear but some of them are super cute. Like this set! I love all the tiny details - lightning and sunshine against the clouds. Adorable!

heart ring size 7.5 by Jewelry by Michal

perfect for Valentine's Day! ;) I love the shape of this heart ring and that beautiful deep red color of the resin stone. pretty pretty! From the last picture in the listing it looks like it might sit a little crooked on the finger and I like that too! :)

book worm word ring by Dreaming Tree Creations

how cool is this?!?! the word love is actually cut out of a book and then sealed in resin. I love this!! As a HUGE book worm myself I would love to have something like this. it's so unique! even better, you can special request other (short) words if you don't want it to say love... like READ or BOOK or BOYS (lol I have three of them) or CUTE or well, the list goes on. depending on who you're buying it for you could pick a word that means some special to both of you. I love it!! :)

magenta dichroic fused glass adjustable sterling silver ring by Desert Fire Designs

GORGEOUS stone! I can just imagine how sparkly it must be in person. and I love how the band twists around instead of just the standard ring band. super fun! :)

candy cane vintage lucite and sterling silver ring - your size by Minty Fresh Fusions

I am 100% head over heels for this ring!! That fun stripey stone! *HEART* The scallop edge (again)! *GASP* Even better... click on the link, because one of the other pictures shows the ring from the back side where you can see the genius who made it cut a heart shape into the metal behind the stone. it's like a secret only you know about when you're wearing it! I have been eyeballing this ring for a while and though it's a bit of splurge for this single mom who really has no use for such pretty things, I seriously hope to set this one on my finger and call it mine some day! :)

Well, I think that's probably enough for this week. ;) Check in again next Friday to see more of my favorite Etsy goodies!

Friday Favorite Finds!!

Another week of favorite finds!! :)

• pixlpshr (seriously amazing video game themed felt collages done on canvas)

This one is a really unique find that I think would be super cool hanging up in my boys' room. They are definitely video game obsessed and I have to admit, I'm a big fan of the classic games from Atari and NES. Here's a couple of my favorite pieces... 

I like this angle because you can see all the individual little felt squares AND it's a great shot of the whole picture. If you go to her shop you can see close ups and pictures of each canvas from straight on.

I had a really hard time narrowing it down to just two! I have a bunch of them in my favorites. I especially LOVE the Frogger and Q-Bert ones! :) I may have to snag one for myself as a Christmas gift. :) I'm just totally impressed by the technique. The colors used to make the shading and the pixel looking squares... every piece is just full of awesome! Pixlpshr doesn't seem to have a FB page that I can find, but you definitely need to go check out her shop!! If you've got boys or if you like video games yourself you will not be disappointed. :)

• Shop Dirtsa (super cool pillows and other home decor... but the pillows seriously rock!)

All sorts of awesome happening in this shop...my favorites are the color test pillows, the scrabble tile pillows and the penmanship pillows.

I was just watching the episode of The Office where Jim and Pam are having their baby ;)

SCRABBLE on the couch... or the bed... or anywhere really! MAN I want an entire alphabet of these! ;)

How great are these?!? So smart and creative! Can you imagine playing a jumbo game of scrabble with those pillows?? lol Okay, maybe that's not realistic. But I can think of a bunch of words that would be cool spelled out with these on the couch or the bed or a chair. Or initials. Or a short (very short) quote/saying on the penmanship pillows! Yeah, so you must go see her shop! And if you order any of her super fab scrabble pillows I totally want to know what word you get, so share with me in the comments here!

And... that's it for today's rendition of 'Friday Favorite Finds'. See you next week with more super fun finds!

(Please Note: I have been in no way compensated for mentioning these shops. All statements are entirely my own opinion based on my personal tastes)

Today's Gratitude: I am incredibly thankful for days like today when my boys get along and play together nicely. The weather this afternoon was fabulous and I know we won't have many more days like that as we get into Winter, so after school I took the boys to the park. They climbed around on the play structure together, laughing and goofing around. They had a great time. It was so nice to see.

Friday Favorite Finds!!

“The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love color the most.” ~John Ruskin

I recently ran across this great quote and I just loved it. :) I am madly in love with color, can't get enough of it. Which brings me to today's Favorite Finds! Fellow "color lovers" that just so happen to be selling on Etsy. Check 'em out!

• Silly Buddy (offering super awesome stuff for stylish doggies)

I have two dogs (Elmer and Oliver) and I am obsessed with super cute collars! They both get at least one new collar/leash set each year (as a Christmas gift) and sometimes more... if I find something cute that I HAVE to have in between (like the green and brown polka dots that they're sporting right now). ;) Silly Buddy is SO on my list! I LOVE these cute collars!

I found them on Facebook too! If you have a dog, or know someone who has a dog, these would make great Christmas gifts! Go become a fan and heart the shop! LOVE! :)

One more colorful find for this week... 

• Lubu (adorable little clay figurines that make me squeal)

First of all, the shop tagline cracks me up... a superfacepunch of love! lol Twilight fans will get me when I say I always think of the scene where Mike asks Bella to go see a movie and after inviting everyone else Bella suggests they see 'Face Punch'. rofl Ok, back to the cuteness! Here are some of my favorites from the shop

I couldn't find Lubu on Facebook but you should definitely go check out the shop asap! I can definitely see adding one or two of these little guys to my collection of Etsy goodies that hangs out on my desk. :)  ADORABLE!

...superfacepunch ;) lol

Today I am thankful for laughter. :) I laughed so hard at the dinner table last night I almost choked to death on my dinner. By the time I finally caught my breath I had tears running down my face. My kids crack me up all the time (especially my 13 year old, that kid is a comedian). Even though there are a number of NOT funny things going on in my life right now, I'm so thankful that I am still able to laugh every day. :)

Friday Favorite Finds!!

I know I'm super late with this today but I've been sick... and trying to keep up with orders... then my car started making this HORRENDOUS noise so I had to spend some time sitting at the shop today while it was being worked on. I'm here now though!!! Recently I've been surfing Etsy looking for art. Nothing huge or anything, just small prints that I can pin to the wall behind my computer so I have some lovely inspiring goodies to look at instead of a white wall. :) AND as many of you know I LOVE stuffed animals and small cute things that I can keep on my desk and admire while I work. Both of these things inspired my finds for this week. First off we have some super cute desk sitters (at least for me... maybe you want them for your bookshelf or the dresser or just to play with)! ;)

• The Jaunty Gnome (adorable little felted gnomes that I am completely in love with)

I am completely in awe of those who needle felt. I truthfully have little idea about how it's actually done but I do know it takes lots and lots and lots of pokes with a needle to make a single piece. These tiny gnomes and other little bits and pieces that go along with some of them are SO cute. I especially love the ones who are adorned with flowers! SUPER CUTE stuff!! A couple of my faves...

I definitely need one (or more) of these little guys for my desk. ;) 

You can find The Jaunty Gnome on Facebook here, go 'like' her!! She's going to be starting a "gnome of the month" giveaway soon but you can't win if you aren't a fan! ;)

New favorite find #2 is from one fantastical amazing artist...

• Rob Foote Illustrator (makes some of THE cutest drawings I think I have EVER seen)

When I stumbled upon this shop I could not stop giggling! Of course that brought the kids running and after looking through all of the prints they each told me their faves (and asked if I would buy them some, lol). I am most definitely going to be adding a few of these to my cart very soon. Until then I am sharing just a couple of my favorites with you.

OMG my very favorite in the whole lot of em! Those bunnies are SOOO cute! I love that all the little 'popcorn'  pieces coming off the cob are bunnies and the crackly bits in their ears just like on the inside of the popped kernels. SOO creative and freaking adorable!! LOVE!!

ok, yes this lion cub has the most adorable face... but aside from the obvious cuteness, you can really see how talented the artist is in this one. That is one amazing drawing! The eyes are so expressive, the detail is just unbelievable! I wish I could see the originals in person!Fantastic!!

you seriously NEED to go see the rest of the animals in this collection!! They're just so wonderful! :) I couldn't find Rob on Facebook but I did track down his blog where you can see lots more of his wonderful work, so check it out.

And... that's it for today's rendition of 'Friday Favorite Finds'. See you next week with more super fun finds!

(Please Note: I have been in no way compensated for mentioning these shops. All statements are entirely my own opinion based on my personal tastes)

Friday Favorite Finds!!

Ok... since I shared two NON plush makers last week, this week I'm going to jump back in with some creators of squishy little toys (because I LOOOOVE them). I've picked two uber-talented plush makers from my favorites folder, believe me it was NOT an easy task to choose only two. BUT if you've got any stuffed animal lovers in your life you will definitely want to click on these links! ;)

• Hello Again Monsters (super amazing awesome VINYL monsters!)

I seriously don't think I've ever seen anything like them, and my 13 year old thinks they're wicked cool! I love every single one of them and keep wanting to place an order but I just can't decide! (That, and the fact that I already have more stuffed animals than any Toys R Us might need... ever! yeah, that's a deterrent.)

stripes!!

and spots!!

I'll probably cave eventually because they're too cool not to own. ;)  But until then, you should all go buy some... lots of them! Just leave me one. ;)

Up next on my list of plushie favorites...

•  MrSogs (a brand new discovery for me, lots of super cute critters here)

Every once in a while I do a search for 'monster plush' and add a truck load of new stuffed animals to my favorites. Someday... when I win the lottery, I'll buy every single one of the plushie friends in my favorites and build them a house in my backyard so we can have parties and watch movies together. Does that sound strange at all?? Ya know... for a grown up??? ;)

Of MrSogs creations, here are a couple that will definitely need to join my house of plush!

 Seriously fabulous colors and personality! I'm in love! :)

And... that's it for today's rendition of 'Friday Favorite Finds'. See you next week with more super fun finds!

(Please Note: I have been in no way compensated for mentioning these shops. All statements are entirely my own opinion based on my personal tastes)

Friday Favorite Finds!!

I missed my Friday Finds post last week but I'm back on the ball and ready to share some amazing Etsy artists this week! :) I have A LOT of plush designers in my favorites because I am a total sucker for stuffed animals. BUT I'm also trying to mix it up a bit realizing all of my readers might not be as wild about squishy little toys as I am. ;) SO this week I share two NON-plush making artists... first up:

• Linda's Edible Art (amazing, incredible works of art... that you can EAT!)

I LOVE fun food! I make fun treats every chance I get. But THIS is something I could never do at this skill level. The cookies Linda makes are PHENOMINAL! They don't even look like cookies! In fact, if I had one in front of me I'm not so sure I could bite into it! They're just too pretty! 

My very favorite set... this big bunch of sugary girlie-ness ;)

BUT as a mother to three boys, I can totally appreciate the sheer awesome-ness of these...

I haven't ordered any yet, but I am SO going to! Maybe for Valentine's Day for the boys and I to share. :) She does say in her shop policies that she accepts custom orders so I'm going to have to come up with something super fab. I'll definitely share here when I get them! And if YOU order some, SHOW ME! Leave me a link! I wanna see!

Super awesome Etsy artist number two is the uber-talented...

• Wide Sarcasm Sea (so you can share your obnoxious attitude with others!)

Seriously. The cards and notepads offered by Wide Sarcasm Sea are hilarious! I've got a few items in my favorites but the very BEST thing, is this TOTALLY RAD birthday card...

*and the inside is even better, get over there and see for yourself!

This card totally reminds me of friend Tricia from junior high, who has sent me some of the THE BEST birthday cards ever. I wish I had found it in time for her birthday this year... but next year! She's so getting this one! ;)

And... that's it for today's rendition of 'Friday Favorite Finds'. See you next week with more super fun finds!

(Please Note: I have been in no way compensated for mentioning these shops. All statements are entirely my own opinion based on my personal tastes)

Friday Favorite Finds!!

Week Two of my new feature, Friday Favorite Finds!! I do have plans for other weekly features, just haven't had the time to put them into action yet. So be on the lookout, they're coming soon!

Ok... on with the fabulousness of Friday Finds! ;)

This week I went in search of handmade artists on Facebook and made friends with a bunch of awesome talented people. My first favorite find today is an artist who I not only found on Facebook, but is also on the Crafting in Color Etsy team with me!

• Paper Demon Jewelry: totally unique and colorful jewelry

She makes the most AMAZING jewelry using paper of all things!! This is definitely a unique find and something you have to see for yourself! I haven't made my first purchase (YET! that is) but I have a number of items in my favorites that WILL be joining my family sooner, rather than later. ;) Here are a couple of lovely things from Paper Demon Jewelry...

she has a number of different color combos available in this style but I LOVE the red/orange/yellow together!

ok, yes I like orange! ;) again, she has a few different colors of this particular style of necklace, but I love the orange paired with the copper wire. and remember... that orange background is PAPER! So cool!!

Definitely check out her Etsy shop and follow her on Facebook to keep up with all the new goodies she has to offer!

• B Connor Design: crazy awesome artwork!

It's no secret that I'm a fan of BRIGHT, splashy, fun COLOR. This shop most definitely fits the bill! Amazing artwork in the most brilliant colors and the amount of detail in each piece just astounds me!! Not to mention you can order prints or cards without breaking the bank. I think Santa may be ordering a few prints for me this year. ;) They would be just lovely brightening up my desk area! It's possible I may actually have the entire shop contents in my favorites, so it was very hard for me to narrow it down here. But because this one is just full of color from corner to corner and edge to edge, it's got to be my #1 favorite!!

click on that bad boy and check out the DETAIL! It's positively stunning!!

I wasn't able to find a Facebook page for B Connor Design, but I'm thinking she needs to get one going so all her fans can gather in one place!! :) I'm first in line!

And... that's it for today's rendition of 'Friday Favorite Finds'. See you next week with more super fun finds!

(Please Note: I have been in no way compensated for mentioning these shops. All statements are entirely my own opinion based on my personal tastes)

P.S. I completely forgot to mention last week that you can find The Jae Bird on Facebook. Go 'LIKE' her! She's awesome!

Friday Favorite Finds!!

I decided I wanted to start posting some regular weekly features here and since this was the first feature that came to my mind, I decided it should be the first. to be posted Unfortunately I completely forgot it was Friday until just now, so I'm sneaking it in with just a couple hours left in the day.

Every Friday I will chose a handful of sellers and/or items from my Favorites folder on Etsy! I have QUITE a large folder of favorites so we should be able to keep this up indefinitely! ;) Hopefully it will inspire all of you to support the artisans of Etsy and buy handmade!

This week I'm going to share two sellers whose goodies have recently found their way into my home. They sell super cool AWESOME things! ;) Ready, set, go...

• TheJaeBird: Amazing, top notch quality. (and the seller is totally sweet) :)

she makes THE CUTEST little one of a kind plush monsters and I am totally and completely head over heels with her line of Little Uggles.  I try not to buy things I don't really really NEED, I try really hard (ok maybe not that hard)... but I tripped into her shop on a stroll around Etsy one afternoon and haven't been able to leave! And the rainbow colored fur of Gretchen had me hooked from the minute I saw her. I mean seriously... how could you resist this face?!?!?

Yeah, I know, right?! Now she lives on top of my computer monitor where I can look at that wild rainbow-y hair every day! SO... if you need a monster, or someone you know needs a monster, or maybe you know someone who doesn't really NEED a monster but might maybe just LIKE a monster... go see The Jae Bird!

• ButtFreckle: seriously... if that name doesn't get you, the product will!

I have always had a thing for stuffed animals. The more unique the better. And BRIGHT colors are totally my thing so you'll probably see that theme quite often too! I'm not even sure how I found this shop but OMG if it didn't have me rolling. BUTTFRECKLE?! Really?!? The things she sells are actually just called Freckles, but the name ButtFreckle comes from the fact that each one has a special glass bead sewn on the rear. ;) I don't have mine yet, but he should be on the way and soon he'll join Gretchen on top of my computer monitor.

The BEST thing about these cute little balls of fluff... each one has a different name. Seriously. And some of those names are down right hysterical!! Like my friend here... his name... CANDY FACE SUGAR CAPUCHIN. I'd say it's pretty fitting, wouldn't you?! ;) So if you work in a boring blah cubicle, or a big fancy office... and you need a little fun to brighten up your desk that won't take up too much space (and can be hidden in a drawer during important meetings with your boss), I recommend you check out Buttfreckle!

So that's it for my first Friday Favorite Finds! Don't forget to check back next week for more super cool Etsy goodness! :)

(Please Note: I have been in no way compensated for mentioning these shops. All statements are entirely my own opinion based on my personal tastes and recent purchases)