For the Fellas: The Best Valentine’s Day Gifts for Your Lady

February 05, 2015 by NY Handmade Collective

No matter what your lady says, Valentine’s Day does matter. She will remember whether you remembered Valentine's Day. So let's make it one she'll be glad you remembered.

But I hear your trepidation, sometimes the pressure to give a thoughtful gift can be …. what’s the word for waaaay too much pressure? Oh, right. Overwhelming.

Spending hours on Amazon to find an impersonal, generic gift leaves me feeling a bit soulless and empty. And without a gift. So let’s get personal and on Etsy for homemade Valentine’s Day gifts your lady will love and remember. You're welcome.

Personalized Heart Necklace by Metalicious

Metalicious creates beautiful, personalized heart necklaces on which you can have the initials of you and your girlfriend engraved. This is also a great Valentine’s Day gift for Moms, who would love to wear her children’s initials proudly because you know your Mom already carries her children in her heart everywhere she goes (that’s the Catholic guilt coming out of me realizing I didn’t include Moms in this list).

Amberlee Isabella Home's Valentine's Day Art Print

I love this print. It’s so unique and touching, truly the perfect Valentine’s Day gift by Amberlee Isabella Home. It’s especially good for when you want to express how crazy in love you are with your wife or girlfriend, but words fail you.

Lifeology Gift's Valentine's Day Handmade Leather Journal

If words don’t fail you and you can't say enough to your lady, Lifeology Gifts creates beautiful journals in which you can write a love note on every page. That's a whole lotta love you can give in one gift.

If you’re looking for an inexpensive, sweet, and personalized gift you should check out Love Notes By Kate (full disclosure, that's me). These small canvases are handmade and can be customized to the color and quote you’d like to share.

Valentine's Day Card by Designing Moments

This card by Designing Moments hits two birds with one stone: you give a shout out to your anniversary AND you tell her you love her on Valentine's Day. It's a win, win.

I know you're not going to forget Valentine's Day, but on the slight chance that you need a last minute Valentine's Day gift and have a high quality printer nearby, Adly Owl Invitations offer an instant download of Valentine's Day wall art and cards. How happy will you be on February 14th to find these guys??

Whether you go with art, jewelry or a journal, the most important thing is to give a gift that will show your lady she means the world to you.

By Kate Davey Love Notes By Kate

Nostalgic Toys - Colorforms

January 27, 2015 by NY Handmade Collective

Founded in 1951, Colorforms is one of the oldest and best-known brands in the toy industry. It was the very first plastic-based creative toy, and one of the first toys ever advertised on television.

Colorforms are paper-thin, die-cut vinyl sheet images and shapes that are meant to be applied to a shiny plastic laminated board, much like placing paper dolls against a paper backdrop. The images stick to the background by adhesion, which takes place when two highly polished surfaces come in contact. The Colorforms vinyl pieces can be repositioned to create new designs and scenarios.

Colorforms oddly enough grew out of the progressive trend in the 1950's to create toys that were somehow beneficial to a kid's psychological well-being: these were (ostensibly) toys that helped kids learn and grow through play, stimulating their imaginations and creativity. To that end, the first Colorforms set was made up of little plastic shapes, of different colors. Kids could combine the shapes and colors to make their own pictures of whatever they liked.

The 1970's was probably the hayday of Colorforms, with dozens of sets devoted to such subjects as Evel Knievel, Star Trek, or Holly Hobbie. But the brand survives to this day, and as millions of kids discover to their delight, despite the obvious enticements of modern video amusements, this simple little plastic and cardboard toy can still offer many hours of quiet imaginative fun.

Written by Melanie Ann Mercado of M Ann M Creations

Relaxing into Winter: Taking the Perfect Bath

January 26, 2015 by NY Handmade Collective

We're three weeks into 2015 and it feels like time is flying by. But don't worry because EtsyNY has your knotted, stressed-out back. So let's slow down, take a breath and a break in a relaxing bath. Separately.

Please note, all products featured are handmade by people from New York. Yep, that’s right: local folks making amazing products to help you unwind and relax.

Temperature: First things, first, let’s get the temperature set. Anything too hot or too cool just won’t do when you’re aiming for relaxation. So let’s get this right. According to Allure, the perfect temperature for a bath is two degrees hotter than your body temperature. Allure says anything hotter or soaking longer than 20 minutes will leave you “dry and pruny.” And who needs dry or pruny in the Winter?

Candles: In my opinion, lighting can make or break a relaxing bath. It’s a little bit like finding the perfect bed for Goldilocks: too bright, you’ll get a headache, and too dark, you’ll fall asleep. So what’s the “just right” option when it comes to lighting? The folks at Canyon Ranch explain, “The calming effect of candlelight can be a simple yet sacred tool to help reduce stress and increase self-awareness.” Of course, candles!

These soy beauties come from Lucky Elephant Shop; be inspired by none other than Miss Audrey Hepburn herself as you soak into bliss.

And Vela Candela may be a self-proclaimed Etsy “newbie,” but her homemade soy candles look very professional and I have a feeling she’s going to do just fine on Etsy with scents like “white tea & ginger, oatmeal & honey, white chocolate truffle, and almond.” YUM.

Tea: There is nothing like a cup of mint tea to calm your mind. It doesn't hurt that the mix Enchanted Mint Tea by P.H. Tea Company is beautiful to just look at. Of course, if mint tea isn’t your thing, P.H. Tea Company, sells many other types including Rose Green and Smokey Mountains Tea.

Enchanted Mint Tea created by P.H. Tea Company

And if a cup of tea soothes your soul like it does mine, why not personalize your experience with a locally made mug? East Coast Love creates mugs with a little Brooklyn and NYC love in each cup.

Save Your Skin: I don’t know about the rest of you, but my skin is in serious need of repair since Winter has come (you’re not the only one who doesn’t look forward to Winter coming, Game of Thrones, it may not be a Red Wedding situation, but my skin does get pretty dry). This means we need to soak, scrub and oil up to keep our poor skin healthy in spite of the brutal temperatures. Naturale offers a Lavender Chamomile Fizzing Bath Salts/ Epsom Salt Bath and Naki Nagi Body Scrubs creates the perfect personalized body scrub where you can pick the scents! How cool is that?!

But you’re saying, Kate, what if I don’t want to slough off my dead skin cells? Okay, that got gross. Back to relaxing…so you don’t want to scrub. That’s fine because Sprinkle With Grace has a Coconut Bath and Body Massage Oil that you can use in your bath water to soak in and/ or use after your bath to moisturize your skin. A win, win.

Sprinkle With Grace's Coconut Bath and Body Massage Oil

So that’s it. You’re perfect bath with candlelit lighting, bubbles, and tea. Now get in before it gets chilly!

By Kate Davey

Thinking Red

January 23, 2015 by NY Handmade Collective

The next major shopping holiday is around the corner. Don't wait till the last minute. Start thinking now. Whether you have a child, lover or parent in mind, check out some local goods via etsy.com and search etsynyteam. You don't have to leave your desk and go shopping in the cold. It's all right here at your fingertips.

Slope Girl Knits, knitting out of Brooklyn, is offering a discount until January 31st. Look at this adorable red and white scarf:

The Candy Cane Infinity Scarf, $30.00 Slope Girl Knits

Be in the Moment knows how to say it simply with an enamel love necklace.

Enamel Love Necklace in Pink, $50.00 by Beinthemoment

Crystal Puffy Heart necklace from Mulry Jewels

Crystal Puffy Heart in Red, $50.00 by Mulryjewels

Heart soaps from Bubbles App

Large Heart Soaps with Bubbles, Set of 3, $12.00 by BubblesApp

Overload on cuteness from My Zoetrope cards.

To My Significant Otter - Valentine's Day Card, $5.00 by MyZoetrope. With so many choices from over 250 makers you are sure to find something for your loved one.

Tracey Toole

www.traceytoole.etsy.com

Five Uses For A Tea Towel

January 16, 2015 by NY Handmade Collective

What's a tea towel? Traditionally it was a towel to place over a tray to lay out your tea and tea time accessories. Of course popular in England and Ireland. I am not British but I am of Irish descent. If you ask me how I started making these utilitarian cloths I couldn't tell you. I also am not a tea drinker, but I am married to one and I am a fabric lover. Most Americans don't know what a tea towel is. Although most do use them every day. We call them dish towels. My family uses them all the time. I couldn't believe when I opened up my cabinet to count how many I had. 48. Yes, 48! That's not including ones probably in the dirty laundry pile. We use them mainly for drying our hands, under the dish rack at the sink and for basket liners.

With Christmas behind us some of you may have received a tea towel for a gift. They do make wonderful hostess gifts, one of the many uses. Ok what else can you use a tea towel for. Here are some ways to put this cloth to work. Some, new to me.

1. Wrap a gift, looks beautiful when the gift is something homemade from the kitchen.

2. Placemats, especially if you have color coordinating towels and eating something very messy! I use them as placemats for my 18 month old. Usually that's one for every meal.

3. Place it under a cutting board when rolling dough to prevent the board from moving. This one I read on babble.com

4. Drying vegetables

5. Pick up hot things, like a tea kettle!

Want to buy a tea towel from an Etsy New York maker. We have a few. Besides myself, there also is Titiluli, hand printed, simple and happy. My favorite might be the bumble bee.

RSscullery, based in Brooklyn, hand drawn then printed on cotton and linen towels. Perfect for a restaurant or an active kitchen. Have a little chef in your life. Get them one of these Chart Tea Towels.

Jenn Eng Studio has lovely, dainty sprint tea towels. Beautiful white and teal blue flowers in a cotton and linen blend.

When in doubt of what to give or need a little something extra, a tea towel will be a wonderful addition.

Tracey Toole

https://www.etsy.com/shop/traceytoole

Ideas for Your Home Office Space

January 09, 2015 by NY Handmade Collective

Happy New Year!

I’m not big on making resolutions, but I do set intentions for my business, personal life and of course, my home!

I’m always focused on home organization throughout the year, especially in January as I feel it sets the tone for the year! This year I’m paying particular attention to my home office space. As my design business expands in new directions it is important for me to keep my workspace area as organized as possible. Not an easy task when launching and creating new products, but I’m sure going to try!

Storage boxes

Currently, I store my dye supplies in clear plastic drawers or mesh drawers in my closet. But now I’m running out of room and I feel, neatly labeled storage boxes on my wall mounted shelving unit will make it easier to find what I need.

These boxes, from Container Store caught my eye as the perfect storage solution for my silk dyes, inks and other textile supplies. I’m leaning towards turquoise as a way to add a nice pop of color!

Baskets

What I LOVE about these baskets is that they have casters and they stack!! Talk about space saving, functional & stylish.

This is a DIY project so if anyone takes this on, please do share the end result, I would love to see it!

Work Table

This could be the ideal worktable for a crafter or maker! It’s extendable yet compact and perfect for a small home office space. It has enough storage for the immediate essentials and tucks nicely away in a corner.

How are you updating your home office workspace this year?

Post by: Rekha Krishnamurthi | www.divineny.com | ETSY Shop: DivineNYCo