Spooky, Man

Smacshop offers a nice assortment of the haunting. As the proprietor has written in the shop announcement, Smacshop is, "where the surreal, nostalgia, past ghosts, forgotten toys, and the rejected human soul all find a home". I like this shop quite a bit. I have visited it several times since I was sent the link, and feel it is best experienced in gallery view.

There is a lasting impression on the psyche after viewing art like that presented in Smacshop. I really like the spooky vibe, strange milieu, and the sense that I am viewing something lost forever, but still very real.

A Shot in the Hip and a Dose of Cute

Moving right along in our exploration of handmade creatures with wacky DNA, we visit Atelier de Soyun. This shop is a mixed bag of very pretty floral brooches, hats, and plushies. The plushies have big wide eyes and are really quite strange and cute. Amy the Adorable Elf captures my imagination and makes me smile. I think the combination of big wide eyes and the outstretched arms turn the charm way up.

_____________________________

Ugly Gerbil's Monsters and Stuff makes me laugh out loud. The banner to the shop really cracks me up! I love all of the items and they look so well made. All of the little critters are very cute, have tons of personality, and originality. Darla, Mistress of the Stern Neener makes me happy and she is perfect for reminding us all to lighten up!

Don't Worry, It Only Stings for a Moment

For the next few days we are going to take a look at a collection of odd, weird, and interesting creatures who have some very strange DNA. I imagine them each sitting in the lobby, painted a sickly green, of a hospital, all waiting to go in one by one for DNA tests and scientific...exploration.

Some of these specimens of weirdness are quite...cute, some have that unmistakable mixture of cugly, (you know what I mean, so ugly it is cute, like ET), some are merely strange, and some are on the edge of bizarre. I will let you be the judge of that.

I hope you enjoy the journey.

First up is Melabo, a shop of porcelain sculptures where weird science is being beautifully executed. I never thought of these creatures when granny was talking about her precious porcelain collection. The menagerie of woodland creatures includes a Man Spider, Owl Girl, and a Dainty Chipmunk Lady. The creature that tickled my fancy the most was the Petite Man Kitty. Actually, I am still chuckling.

__________________________

Cloud Eleven offers a mix of glass pendants, bottle stoppers, and bobblers. All are unique and interesting. Some go beyond the interesting and step into the rubbernecking, gotta see what that lady is wearing, category. I laugh every time I see the glass vessels in this shop, and marvel at how creative and skilled this artist must be. They are all so vibrant and polished. This kid's DNA is a mystery, and his bad attitude is adorable.

Finally, we end today with a hint at what is coming tomorrow. A few of my wacky DNA finds have been the work of fabric artists who seem to be happily throwing DNA sequences into a blender. The results are cooky, funny, and amazing. I find myself visiting these shops for a dose of the giggles.

FlakyFriends offers a variety of plushies with huge personalities. The finely tuned artistry and skill used to make these original creations is a wonder, and a must see. I love their screwy expressions and their openness. Everyone needs at least one flaky friend.

Mean, Odd, and Without any Noticeable Socially Redeeming Value

Mature and Adult Content Warning: Please, if you don't enjoy adult content and language, don't read this post.

I like mean things. Mean little eyes and pouty mouths speaking volumes without saying a word. Disney villains always being much more interesting than their heroes. Scar being at the top of the villain heap. Angelica being so wonderfully mean to that bunch of babies. The scrunched eyebrows of Buttercup, sure she helped, but you know she didn't want to. All of those mean little things make me smile. Malevolently, of course!

Here are 3 Etsy shops that exemplify meanness. They run the gamut from sweetly mean to wonderfully incorrigible!

Bittersweeets is an emporium of brooches, stickers, magnets and other small items with big impact. All depict deliciously mean, and quite possibly criminal (the jury is still out), inanimate objects from the food world. This listing really sums it up quite well. After all, if you were a cupcake wouldn't you be a tad bit angry?

________________________

Pocomeio is an awesome little shop of mostly mean little plushies! All of the characters have a wonderful handmade feel to them and they all have great facial features that give them personality. The shops "Bad Girls and Boys" section speaks to my mean little heart! Ewww, someone needs a spankin'.

_________________________________________

Here come the dirty words. Rounding out this list of mean little shops with scrumptiously displayed angry and bitter behavior is Spidercamp. Spidercamp is a shop run by someone with an elegant way of summing up the delicious world of curse words and swears. Emblazoned across the chests of the wonderful assortment of Spidercamp bunnies are words that get your mouth washed out with soap coupled with faces that say it all.

Now that I am done with my review, I am off to kick some trashcans and pick some fights.

Read tomorrow when I review a few shops who devote their talents to making fantastically bizarre faces out of an array of materials!

Katie

A Month of the Truly Odd, Weird, & Insanely Interesting

Yesterdays post talking up ZombieParts inspired me to really take a deeper look at the odd. I am kicking off 31 days, July 25 through August 24, of features filled with the truly odd, weird, & insanely interesting shops found on Etsy. Many of them were my finds during my travels through Etsy's pages, and the rest were sent into me as suggestions from others. For the most part I have only window shopped these Etsy stores and haven't made a purchase, so my review is based purely on what I see looking through the glass. If you decide to browse these shops and buy, make sure you read their policy page and profile.

Katie

Odd I like

I like shopping and finding odd little collections. I like finding things off the beaten path and that tickle my imagination.

I found a shop on Etsy that feeds my need for odd.

Zombie Parts features ephemera, beads, and the occasional fabric. None of the offerings at Zombie Parts ever seems run of the mill or ordinary. I have purchased several items and have always been happy when the package comes in the mail. I like the seeming randomness of the shop and I will be a repeat customer.

Check them out today!

Katie

Got "Through the Woods" and Took my Bath

So, I got my "Through the Woods" bag done and I am very proud of it and happy with how it turned out!

I found this awesome fabric in a thrift store. It used to be a sheet. I fell in love with it immediately and every time I am thrift shopping, I keep my eyes peeled for another lucky find like this one. I brought it home, laundered it and got to work. My finished bag is so different than the one in my mind when I first started this project. I love it!

If you are interested in purchasing this One-of-a-Kind bag, please, visit my shop at http://brandedbutterfly.etsy.com/

I also finished taking my bath! lol I received an order from one of the nicest bath and body shops on Etsy for one of my Business Totes. Stupidly it is sitting here all nice and packaged for post and I forgot to take it's picture! No worries, my customer says she will happily take the picture for me when she gets it. I will try to remember to post it here!

I made a huge dent in my list for this week. I have the houses for the two Blythe's all cut out and ready to be sewn up. I found the perfect fabric for another project I am working on, and that will be next on the agenda.

Katie

Things to Get Done Today

1- Finish my journey through the woods.
2- Watch the Bunnies Hop
3- Take a Bath
4- Give Two Blythes a Home

Progress will be posted at the end of the day.

Katie

Superb Talent!

frskull_edited-1
Originally uploaded by Flamestitch

It is such an inspiration to see good craftsmanship paired with awesome design. Original, fresh, and flashy are the adjectives I would use to describe the designs found at flamestich.etsy.com

I believe they are designers of must have fashion.

Katie

Jumping In

Hi,

This is my 4Th attempt at starting a blog in support of my business! I just never could get into it because it was firmly fixed in my mind that I had to wax poetic about my business and what it is that I am doing for my business all the time, and while I love to write, (I am a journalism major), I don't like to feel like I am having to come up with something to say. So, I decided to approach my blog as a place to post the news about my business. What, when, where, and how are much easier topics, and much less intimidating to me!

Katie