Etsy Monday: Sellers I've Worked With

Happy Monday (afternoon/evening)! 

Today has been kinda busy for me.  I had a training class from 9 am to 12:15 pm, and work started at 12:30 (I will go home after 7 pm).  I got up early enough to get gas, breakfast, and run to the bank, so by the time I get home I will have been out for more than 12 hours!  This probably seems normal to some people, but I'm still so used to working on my business from home all day, and going on outtings when I feel like it.  This schedule thing is still a bit new, but at least it means I am a little more financially stable!

Anyway, today's Etsy post is all about aknowledging the awesome sellers I have dealt with in the past!  Some of them won't be featured today (I can't give away any birthday presents I may have purchased for local friends I have yet to give them!), but many will.

If you are a proud mama of a fur-baby (like me!) having beautiful art of your pets around may be for you!  And these are amazing.  I actually have a print of the image below, and it looks so much like our dog Josie, people think it was done custom!

via: k9artgallery

 I bought Bear a hand-sewn Dragon book full of goodies from this next shop for Christmas 2009.  It was his favorite gift!  So unique and whimsical!

via: darklingemily

 I purchased a recycled LP cover notebook for my Brother from this next seller.  It was amazing!  I also love this print!!!  It's sad to me that card catalogs are being replaced by computer systems.

via: chicalookate

 This next seller is one I went to for buttons to go with my brother's gift (the whole thing was a Star Wars theme.  We love Star Wars in my family!).  They were excellent quality and a reasonable price!  I think these drawer pulls would be so interesting to use as hardware on a tired cabinet!  They definitely would bring life to a piece.

via: buttonbistro7

 For my future father-in-law, I purchased a new leather wallet.  We all attend the MDRF at least once a year, so the celtic knot design on the handmade leather struck me as something he would like (I was right!).  This belt buckle is gooorrrrgggeeeeooouuuussss, if I only had a belt to put it on!

via: galeatherlady

 My dad was an electrical engineer (USCG) until his recent retirement, and continues to work in very technical fields.  My brother is also pretty tech savvy.  Naturally, I found perfect gifts for them both from this seller!  My dad received a hard drive desktop clock and a year later, my brother received a Mac keyboard wall mount clock... and the seller wrote me a nice note about my continued patronage!  I was am so impressed!

via: pixelthis

Go show these talented people some love!

Here is my handmade rant, and why the above sellers are so awesome in comparison to other "handmade" sellers I've dealt with...

Once upon a time, I purchased an item from a vendor who claimed their items were handmade (not on Etsy).  Nothing upsets me more than telling a friend about this great handmade item from a local seller and then discovering it's really mass-produced overseas and then labelled and sold in the US as something it isn't.  I wasn't totally surprised about this particular item, as it kinda struck me as something made in mass, and I purchased it because I liked it.  It does irritate me that the vendor didn't tell me up front that the item is imported, opting to let people assume it's locally made (it IS handmade, but not by the individuals, the way it was implied to me).  If you plan on starting a shoppe of your own, I recommend being up front about your merchandise!  If it is bought and altered, state that.  If you make it yourself, state that.  If it is an item handmade by Indonesian children and shipped to you... well, don't let your customers find out later from a friend they recommended your product to who happens to be a research librarian.

Anyway, support handmade!  And sellers... please always be sure to advertise accurately!