etsy friday

Happy Friday! :) You know how it goes...


Azul Moisture Therapy from azulbodycare.etsy.com
left: Body butter (spearmint/eucalyptus), right: Crafter's Balm

I'm often hesitant to buy lotions on etsy (versus say bar soaps)-- their shelf life seems much longer than soap, not a good thing if I don't like the scent or feel. When I read that Kristi (of toothachingly adorable twins and red dog knitting fame!) was opening an etsy store full of body butter and body therapy fare, I jumped in with both feet and yay! it is *so* nice.

The left is a container of body butter and you can see (aided with my toddler's help) the texture is like thick whipped cream-- so soft. The scent I chose is super nice too; I worried before it arrived that I would smell like a gum chewing koala, but its really crisp and light and clean-smelling. She also sent me a sample scent of "chocolate mousse" body butter and goodness it just makes me want to use it all over and... well, not sure but it smells like chocolate, and not the metallic artificial teenager scent type, either. My favorite part of the butter though has to be that hours later my arms and hands still feel moisturized. I log too many hours in the sun and sport what my grandmother kindly refers to as dishpan hands, but my exposed skin doesn't feel its normal tight and dry after using the body butter.

To the right is the crafter's balm-- thick and solid, a little puck of amazingness. This one's unscented, but Kristi uses cocoa butter in it so my son is convinced I'm hiding chocolate from him in the tiny tin (which is a screw top, such a nice difference from the pop off metal tin lids that can be too slick to be removed). I'm a nailbiter, a cuticle ripper of the highest order and this stuff actually helps me calm the desire to pull off my own fingers by keeping the skin and nailbed soft. I've also taken to using it a few minutes before I start spinning, because embarrassingly I have snagged fiber in my hangnails (!!) and it just feels good to take a few minutes for myself before I sit down and spin.


Back: merino/tencel/silk/silk noil batts, front: handpainted tussah silk roving. Both by stringtheoryfiberart.etsy.com

I admit, I have not spun anything I've purchased from stringtheoryfiberart yet, but its because I don't want to mess it up. She makes the softest, loftiest batts that I just want to hold-- and these are no exception. I also have purchased my first 100% silk from her-- 2 ounces. I read a great idea on Abby's blog (I think?), to spin it as a single and ply it with wool for socks with shine. It may turn out too pretty (when I actually spin it!) for that, but it may be a fun exercise for me to dye the wool that will be paired with it.


Glass pendants-- raised, scrollwork heart and black bone from LORiOLA.etsy.com

I'm a *huge* fan of LORiOLA, ever since she made me a custom cherry red spree robot satellite pendant. I always check her shop for new "flat" scroll pendants, have seen her bones but wasn't really grabbed by them though they're really cool. I remember coming home one day a few weeks ago feeling unheld and lost and saw Lori had listed her my "toughest heart" pendant... one of those it spoke to me moments and I'm glad for it. It is just so awesome, and so is the black glass bone (I'm wearing it right now). I'm now watching her shop for more bones, I like this one so much :)


Wraps per inch (wpi) spinner and knitters tool by SullivanToyCo.etsy.com

I know, I could use a ruler and figure out wraps per inch but I never do. (WPI isn't just for spinners, check the link for a good way to eyeball yardage needed for a knitting project.) Instead, I asked SullivanToyCo to make me a custom wpi tool out of cedar since he didn't have any listed in his shop at the moment-- a bit later it was reserved for me in his shop, and a few days after that it was in my hot little hands. He also makes really cool toys and spindles from wood as well. (STC is the husband of SpazSpun.etsy.com, who sells handspun, handpainted yarns, batts, and other knitting accessories-- nice lady! she took my custom request when her husband was out of town.)


rooster block print card by nquinn.etsy.com
herman miller airport chair postcard by cricicis.etsy.com
while we were sleeping (lambs in moonlight) by KatrineK.etsy.com

...and is it ever really etsy friday without cards? Sure, but there always seems to be more to share :) The rooster card by nquinn has a lot of handwork in this single card-- a handcarved block has been dipped in ink, the print made on paper that was machine stitched onto the front of the card (I love machine and hand stitching on cards). The airport chair postcard by cricicis is so elegant and the retro feel is echoed on the back with postcard lines and "postage" printing. Finally, this whole sheep thing can be seem as out of control by outsiders, but the "while we were sleeping" lambs card by KatrineK is just adorable even if I wasn't, you know.

Have a good one! :)