Indie Designer Spotlight: On Cupcake Moon

The handmade gods must be happy with me lately, because I won TWO handmade giveaways in the past month!

A few weeks ago, I won this super cute skull n cupcakes apron from Deb of On Cupcake Moon.

Doesn’t that just make you want to go bake some tasty cupcakes? I hope so, because I really want a cupcake right now. If you could get on that baking, that’d be great. Let me know when they’re ready.

P.S. I like sprinkles.

Getting awesomeness like this in the mail reminded me that it’s been a while since I did an Indie Designer Spotlight. It’s the perfect opportunity to spread a little handmade love!

Deb also makes the cutest damn holiday cards on the planet:

I love the idea of sending out Krampus cards!

But I’m also quite smitten with this cute little Yeti!

She’s also got cake toppers, cupcake wrappers, banners, and more, so you can have the coolest creepy cute decorations on the block!

Check out On Cupcake Moon:
www.OnCupcakeMoon.com
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Loft 415 Clothing

A few weeks ago I snagged 3 awesome tops from the awesomely talented Hope of Loft 415. If her shop looks familiar but the name doesn’t ring a bell, she used to go by Label of Hope.

I’ve been a fan of Hope since her Ebay days, and one of the things I’ve always admired about Hope’s style is that she seems to effortlessly blend wear-ability and elegance. (I almost wrote elegant-ness.)

When the tops arrived, I almost didn’t know what to do with them. Real grown up clothing!

Because, you know, everyone assumes, “Hey, you’re a fashion designer, I bet your closet is amazing.” But the truth is I almost never ever make stuff for myself. Usually once a year on my birthday I sit down and sew for myself, and now let’s all stop and ponder how sad it is that I’m sitting at the sewing machine ON MY BIRTHDAY.

(Plus I don’t know if you can call any of my stuff “grown up”. Sometimes I think the 5-year-old Me that was obsessed with sequined granny sweaters is the one making all of the design decisions for SmarmyClothes.)

On a daily basis, I tend to dress like I did in 7th grade.  Today for example I’m wearing a pair of jeans with a giant hole in the knee and a novelty Halloween shirt that’s printed to look like a mummy’s wrap. Très chic.

But hey, I’m gonna shut up now and show you the swanky duds.

This is my favorite of the three, perhaps because it’s the further from what I normally wear. It’s pink! And pretty! There are no soup stains on it!

loft415_01

There’s this awesome little lace detail on the sleeve!

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Read more…

StitchCrafty4U Review and The Cup Cozy Debate

I thought I never had much use for a cup cozy- I like my hot drinks to scald my mouth AND my hands.

And then one frigid January day I was trying to enjoy an equally frigid smoothie, and I realized I was shivering from having to hold the freezing cold glass in my bare hands.

AHA!

So when Nizel of StitchCrafty4U offered to send me a sample for review, I went straight for the cozies.

protect thy hands!
protect thy hands!

Perfection! The cozies have 2 buttons with an elastic closure, so they’re sure to fit any size. I felt the heart print was excellently timed for Valentine’s Day, which is just around the corner!

The major bonus here? Her cozies come as a set with little handwarmers! I think Nizel understands the true calling of the cozy!

The handwarmers are pure genius. I have something similar that’s much bigger that I use when my neck and shoulders get sore from my perpetual slouching, but these little guys are the perfect size for pockets!

Everything came wrapped in a cute little bag, perfect for gifting!

Speaking of gifts and Valentine’s Day, her cozy sets are on sale right now for only $8 ($3 off ). Go check out the StitchCrafty4U shop!

 

And don’t forget to swing by the StitchCrafty4U Facebook!

If you’re a handmade artisan and would like to send a sample for review, please contact me!

Featured Indie Designer – Crossbones Couture

This holiday shopping season, be sure to check out the clothing and accessories chock full of attitude at Crossbones Couture and Crossbones Collateral.

Your Name: Brooke
Age: 28
Hometown: Wheaton, IL (Suburb of Chicago)
Current Location: Schaumburg, IL

How did your interest in fashion begin?
Actually, my interest in fashion stems from being pretty anti-social as a youngster. Since I had no friends to speak of, I decided to use my energy being creative. If I could create clothing that reflected the way I saw myself, and portrayed it to the outside world without making me feel uncomfortable, then that is what I created.

What motivated you to start selling your designs and what were your expectations when you started?
I feel that there are so many young people that either get lost in the crowd, or stand out for the wrong reasons. I go to the mall, or the movies, and see young girls with their bellies bared, and their pants leaving nothing to the imagination, and guys with their boxers hanging out, and the look on their faces tells me that they feel uncomfortable. I am interested in fashion not only as an industry itself, but also as a means for people to be able to express to the outside world the way they feel comfortable being, living in their own skin. Read more…

Featured Indie Designer – Devil and Mouse

A chat with the cute and evil creator of Devil and Mouse jewelry!

Your Name: Kim
Age: 31
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Current Location: Los Angeles, CA

How did your interest in jewelry making and painting begin? The painting part comes from my art background. I had never made jewelry before and always wanted to try it. It led me to explore and play with different materials to find out what worked for me. Initially I was going to sculpt pieces of jewelry but I quickly realized I’m no sculptor! Painting was my forte so I combined that with jewelry making and it worked out in the end.
What motivated you to start selling your designs and what were your expectations when you started? Several years ago, I was working a full time job at a travel agency and day in, day out I was sitting at a desk in front of a computer with a phone glued to my ear! It was really the wrong kind of job for me. The travel part was exciting as I got to learn about different parts of the world and talk to people about it. I even got to do a bit of travel myself. But sitting there on my butt everyday not doing anything creative was very draining for me.Read more…