Part 2: Jewelry
Here's the last part of this year's Etsy Holiday 2010 Edition Mini-series! I planned on getting all these up before Christmas, but as usual, I'm cutting it a little close ^_^ If you order from any of these shops, they sadly will not arrive in time for Christmas, but at least you'll know about these amazing shops for when the next gift-giving occasion comes up! This post will be a real mashup of various things, from pillows to macarons....so enjoy!
Etsy: VintageJamie
Yes, pillows. I love pillows. I own too many of them :\ The ironic thing is that I don't even sleep with a pillow >< I just really like them. VintageJamie is known for her Map pillows but I personally like her Orientalism pillows, which are inspired by hanboks and kimonos. She also makes pillows with pouches and little cross designs. Overall, I like the simplicity and classiness of her designs. Her fabrics are understated but sophisticated and hit the fine line between being beautiful yet not "uncomfortable" looking. You can actually use these pillows and there's nothing better than something that is both functional and pretty :)
I ordered the most embarrassingly Korean pillow ever for my dad for Christmas last year (it's pretty much ended up as mine though eheh) xD And the fabric quality and stitching was perfect. Every seam is precise and tight. No loose threads, no holes, no stains. The fabric quality was weighty and the pattern edges were perfectly aligned. The zipper on the side (so you can wash the cover), is practically invisible. Simply superb craftsmanship. The pillow I got was 18x18in. It's a very good sized, perfect for display and use. I would love to decorate my whole house with her pretty pillows. Her large 24x24in pillows would particularly make great lounging pillows - when I own my own house I'm going to be hauling at least two of them. She "models" a few of her pillows with her kids to give a size reference and they just look so at home.
Cons are that she is expensive if you just want a regular pillow. I paid $35 for both the cover and the pillow fluff (18x18), this price included shipping. I personally didn't regret it but it is certainly one of the more frivolous purchases I've made. For a decorative pillow, however, I think the cost is very fair. If you go to places like Bath & Beyond, you'll see that large decorative pillows generally run over $20 - and many of those can't be unzipped and washed. Also, in my opinion these kinds of pillows tend to be made from really impractical, uncomfortable materials (gauze, glitters, tassels etc) making them downright nothing but decorative. VintageJamie's pillows hit the balance between decorative yet functional. I think these would make a great housewarming gift actually ^_^
Jamie ships from Seoul, Korea and even though it's a pillow, she shipped the damn thing in a box filled with peanuts and wrapped in bubblewrap O_O She also included a large, beautiful handmade Christmas card. She did not sign it so *ahem* I actually used it again since it was too good to waste ^_^;;
Etsy: Kukubee
Official website: www.kukubee.com
Patikym of HerroHachi (home of many-a quirky, snarky T-shirt) introduced me to this Etsy shop and I'm so glad she did! I was totally enamored with their very unique, slightly off-kilter yet incredibly charming printed designs. Sadly, Kukubee just closed their Etsy shop for the holidays - right before I was going to order a sushi pouch too :(! Not many pouch styles are available, they only offer pencil and coin pouches. Call me crazy but I would so buy a makeup pouch with the sushi design. Or a laptop pouch. Omg, a padded laptop pouch would just kill me (and yes, I'm one of those people that lugs around her MacBook wrapped in a sweatshirt hoping not to drop it). The prices are all very reasonable indeed, $12 for pencil pouches and $8 for coin pouches. Since I have not purchased from this shop before, I can't comment on their services and packaging but I will say I'm going to snagging one of their sushi pencil cases as soon as they open after the holidays!
Etsy: Lunatiger
Known for her beautiful origami rose bouquets but she also makes a lot of adorable Swarovski charms. I have not purchased from her yet but I exchanged a lot of emails with her last year because I was thinking of purchasing a bouquet for Mother's Day. A few reviews stated that the bouquets are a lot smaller than expected, but I suppose that's to be expected considering that these are origami. Anyway, her bouquets look like they would just make wonderful Mother's Day or Valentine's Day gifts :) I also know they do a ton of bridal bouquets, which I think is a great idea since you would be left with a beautiful memento :)
Etsy: Sparkles Kitchen
Lisa introduced me to this site and omg, I've been drooling over them ever since! They look SO good and I have never seen such perfectly shaped macarons before. This shop only sells macarons - a telltale sign of confidence in their product - and the 199/200 positive ratings pretty much speaks for itself. They offer a lot of different intriguing flavors and it kind of pisses me off that they make if hard (ir not impossible), to try one of each all at once. I have not purchased from this shop, but Lisa vouches for their deliciousness and being that Lisa is something a macaron-maker herself, I'm sure these little puppies are worth trying~
And on that note~
I hope you enjoyed this year's Etsy Holiday/Shopping Guide mini-series! I've already come across quite a few more Etsy shops that I am lemming over, but I will introduce them to you another time :)
