As you may be aware from social media I've been moving house, I spent December in a chaos of boxes and bags. Everything was a little upside down and with Christmas too it all felt a little surreal with me being ill all over December too.
That said, I was very fortunate to be invited to Etsy Made Local again and knew I had to make the time for it, last year left me with a feeling of wonder and I felt far more festive; this time was no different, it was a lovely atmosphere with all the creators and there were some beautiful things to behold and purchase.
I went on Friday evening and throughout my time at the market the lights started to dim from the skylight and you could feel the little bit of magic encompassing the room as the lights inside took over for the night.
Prior to the market I was sent some generous gifts from some of the sellers to give me a feel for this year's experience, I unboxed these over on my Instagram at the time but couldn't have been more grateful for the experience of receiving such a parcel. I was greeted by favourites from last year and new creators too.
The little parcel I received was so thoughtful and full of such beautiful and creative things, I used the tags from Chale designs on some of my special Christmas gifts for family, they added a really cute, personal touch. The 'Read Blog Edit Post' coaster from Cheeky Geeky sits on my bedside table because my bed is essentially my office and it makes me smile to look at. The Natty Candles Lemongrass and ginger wax melts smell so fresh and are so good that I actually bought a candle in the same scent at the market for my Bestie. The buttons from Blackbird Geranium are so pretty and I'm looking forward to putting them onto a black coat or cardigan to add that pop of colour and add a little quirk too. Mythillogical sent a lovely hair grip and the most adorable little hamster pin that I'm going to add to tons of my outfits. I often push one side of my hair back too, so this little flower grip is perfect for that.
These wonderful creators are around all year round, not just at Christmas time. But it is nice to go and experience the market at that time of year. I think its so important that we remember to shop smaller where we can all year round so being asked to go to the market means a lot to me as finding something a little special for a gift is something I really value.
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| Chale Designs |
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| Cheeky Geeky |
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| Blackbird Geranium |
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| Mythillogical |
At the market there was a plethora of stalls, with a wide range of things to buy - from jewellery to jewellery holders, from wax melts to dolls, there was fabrics, cushion covers, buttons, birthday/Christmas cards, candles, and art. The market was abuzz with the creativity that I've come to expect from Etsy and there was something for everyone.
As I explored I spotted little pieces I wanted to pick up but also lots of things I knew others would like too, either for themselves or to gift to friends/relatives. With being in the middle of moving house I couldn't pick up too much, though I did leave with a few bags full still.
Paper Ink Alchemy came with a range stunning baubles that could be personalised with your name on, art work that was incredibly detailed and these detailed little necklaces that called out to me. There were a couple of versions of the necklace but I loved the snowflake one, I love the delicate details of a snowflake, so unique and special but once brought together can create a blizzard and easily bring this country to a standstill. There's something powerful and incredibly special about that.
Cheeky Geeky had some really quirky pieces that you don't find anywhere else. I love my new coaster and because of that I picked up another for my Bestie for Christmas - the 'Load Play Save Fail' one because I thought they'd find it funny and like it for their desk and its something a little eccentric. It made the perfect stocking filler kind of gift and the items from this seller are all such a reasonable cost that they're perfect for showing people you're thinking of them throughout the year.
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| Image from Cheeky Geeky on Etsy - I do not own this image. |
PickleAndPig had a stall full of cards, prepared for any occasion - from the adult only, to the down right hilarious. I picked up some Christmas cards which I loved and had never seen anything like them before. The maker creates cards for lots of themes and I love the new Valentines cards they have produced. Its great to see something on the market that you haven't seen before, and wont see elsewhere. The Morgan Freeman card makes me smile every time I look at the photographs and the IT card was perfect for my horror film loving friend. The Deadpool card is very me, I love Marvel and Deadpool was a genius release in my opinion but I'm a total geek at heart. The quality is good, they make you laugh and they're something you can keep - not just your bog standard card.
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| One of the fab cards on the stall. |
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| My purchases. |
Natty Candles had a range of wax melts and candles, including these festive scents which I can confirm were perfectly in line with the season and smelled wonderful. As mentioned earlier I picked up one of the candles for someone special, loving the fresh scent it gave. I also picked up a beeswax candle which I was amazed by, I planned to gift this also at Christmas time - but honestly didn't have the heart. I wanted to see how it burned and am excited for the experience for myself. It was the only purchase from the day that I didn't gift as planned. The quality of the candles and melts from this brand are great, the creator is lovely and I definitely recommend them.
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| Beeswax candles |
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| Wax melt (gifted), candles are my purchases. |
Taylor Made Planners had a range of planners and diaries, including a pet planner and the ultimate goal-getter diary. The planners were really cute and the idea of a pet planner made me smile. The maker had a photograph of her dog, Tinkerbell on the stand and we spent time talking about pets - I'm a big animal lover and the idea of a planner for a pet sounds interesting and pretty cool to me, being able to keep track of the cute little things they do is a great idea. Their planners are also made with recycled paper, doing a little for the environment in a world of waste.
The Nine of Hearts Jewellery had some bespoke pieces of quirky jewellery that would be perfect for that rocker in your life. I particularly liked this moth ring, I'd wear it myself for sure but I think its perfect for anyone with that kind of style. I like things that are a little different, and the pieces from this seller stood out.
Honey Pot Dolls were in attendance again this year, it was a pleasure speaking with the maker and seeing all her creations. This doll with the blue hair was so pretty and all the little details were amazing. The raven was really cool, though the eyes unnerved me a little so I couldn't have it in my living room - it gave me the perfect Edgar Alan Poe vibes though and I love its smart little jacket.
I was quite excited when I saw Designs By Anika would be there, as I saw her beautiful art work on Instagram prior to the event. Her art is perfect for a girly bedroom or adding something a little bit special to a room. Now I've moved house I plan to pick up a couple of frames and to display these on my bedroom wall, they make me smile and I believe in filling your bedroom with things that you want to wake up to - the fortune teller and pumpkin house have just the right amount of whimsy to add a little magic to life.
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| One of my purchases |
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| My other purchase. |
Amulets and Artifacts who sent me the dainty necklace above had some splendid pieces made from both silver and gold, and all wonderful quality. The fennec fox necklace was remarkable and I know someone who would adore the elephant. All the pieces were lovely, and all a worthy investment.
You may remember me raving about Firefly Handmade Creations after the last Etsy Made Local and the lovely makers. I really loved the Snow Fairy wax melts last year and couldn't get over them. This year their selection had grown even further and I picked up melts and a candle as gifts for family and friends. The Avobath melt smelt so fresh and is another little homage to Lush, the blueberry muffin melt was heavenly so I couldn't resist but pick up the candle too for my Mom because it reminds us of a special time, the Christmas Rumball melt really did smell like Christmas and reminded me of happy times so I couldn't resist. There were far more to choose from but I picked out some favourites, I did resist Snow Fairy this time though!
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| What I picked up |
EllARTshop was the final stall I visited at Etsy Made Local, and I wasn't to be disappointed at the end. With a range of ring cones available in all kinds of patterns they are perfect for the jewellery lover in your life and with so many to choose from there is something for all different styles. I really liked the galaxy ring cones because they're a little bit me but the ones with spotty details were also very fetching.
Overall, for a second year I really enjoyed Etsy Made Local and it has introduced me to some new sellers on Etsy, and hopefully has introduced you to them too. Seeing some old favourites was really wonderful and meeting the makers behind all these different brands is so meaningful because they're not big high street corporations, you're giving money to people who are small scale and put their heart and soul into their craft and I think that's beautiful and very worthwhile. Bravo, Ideas Birmingham.
Etsy is a hub of creative people and is full to the brim, I'm sure you will find something you love, and all the things you could dream of for gifts this year - birthdays, valentines, little things to show you're thinking of someone and dare I say it - Christmas (I'm just saying, being prepared is never bad); Etsy has you covered and if you can shop local, even better. Next time you're browsing, I recommend these sellers from the Midlands.
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| How cute is the Birminghamster? I adore this notebook from Ideas Birmingham (Hamster by Mythillogical!) |
Happy Shopping!
A big thank you to Ideas Birmingham and the sellers for the gifted items which were greatly appreciated.
