Velvet Verbosity

Last October, before I moved the blog over here to its own domain, I discovered Wendy Drolma (formerly known as Wendy Klein) and her amazing hand crafted leather masks on Etsy.  Since that time, Wendy has moved to a new website too!  She asked me to be so kind as to change my links to her.  I thought I would go one better and re-introduce the blogosphere to her handicraft.There are a few things I like about Wendy’s mask work.  It goes without saying that she is superbly talented and that each mask is a work of art.  Aside from that, she doesn’t seem to be bound by narrow vision.   Her masks span from the elegant to the dark, from the sensuous to the disturbing.  She has also come up with a unique “over the ear” bead design that holds the mask to your face without having to be tied behind your head.

I don’t want to tell you everything here.  Visit her website, which is itself mysterious and alluring, and check out the various designs, along with an interesting interview with Wendy.

I know we’re almost in February, and that oft dreaded holiday is just around the next bend, but I’m still basking in the pile of gifts I and my children got for Christmas. That put me off shopping for a while. Sorry I’ve been negligent in my Etsy duties. I hope you know I still care.

With all fronts on economy surrendering and throwing up their white flags, I won’t be doing any shopping anyway, but hey, a woman can still look can’t she? Besides, how I can I deprive you all of my latest handmade finds on Etsy. That would just be wrong.

By the way, I love the “connections” search feature on Etsy. I find a few things I like, then I get to see who else likes it too (and that makes them automatically cool in my book) and what else they like. That’s how I found these stupidly cute kitten wallets. True, I might not buy one even if I did have the money because I’m not sure my reputation could weather such cuteness, but YOU might want one, or know someone else who might want one. Come on. They ARE stupidly cute! Handmade of canvas and wool by Bubbledog, you can also visit www.bubbledog.com

If there’s anything cuter than pixie hats, it’s penguins.
Come on, penguin daddies suffer bitter cold and harsh winds to
protect their one precious offspring and they come
dressed to impress every day!
This little fella is safe for newborns and safe for your wallet at $16.

I’ve always been a fan of the Waldorf style dolls.
I can imagine I would have adored one or two of these
sweet little Wee Pocket Babies ($7.50) when I was a girl.
Each doll is custom made to order by germandolls of Etsy.

If you didn’t like the hip Tall Bear, you probably prefer these
more traditional stuffed critters from The Land of Nod.
Even my 15 year old loves these guys.
$12-$24

The great thing about hats and mittens like these
is that young kids will love them because,
“OMG, I can wear a monkey on my head” and older kids
will love them, well, because, older kids are just so
cool they know where it’s at!
These sets are from Garnet Hill with a price range from
$24 - $50

Finally, a bright take on some classic games.
Make 5 is a two-player game for 8 and up.
Travel sack and self-contained makes it great even for the car.
$20

Stay tuned. There is still so much more to come!

This week’s Etsy treasure comes from the Lady L Lovelies Victorian Etsy shop. At first glance you might think this is a breach from my normal style, and you would be right. It’s true, my name, Velvet Verbosity, might hint at a slant toward Victorian sensibilities and if this is at all true, I owe that to my mother. In fact, I can’t put a disclaimer at the end of this week’s Etsy pick because the truth is, these Victorian style lavender sachets are made by (drumroll…..) Velvet Verbosity’s very own Mother! (Hi Mom!)

I owe her a review after I cajoled her into putting herself out there on Etsy. She’s been selling on Ebay for years, and these shabby chic handmade sachets (otherwise known as the “strawberry sachets”) have been the most popular item. Each sachet is unique and made with exquisite care. You need look no further for an old world charmed gift for your dear, sweet (fill in the blank) who prefers handmade roses to sleek lines, the sweet scents of real lavender to new age Patchouli, and the richness of Victorian details over sparse modern design.

Start subliminal message…”Christmas is just around the corner…doesn’t this just smack of a Victorian Christmas? And doesn’t that make you feel nostalgic for simpler times? For warm pies, and Christmas Carols, and fur muffs, and red noses, and horse drawn sleighs complete with sleigh bells jingling through the silence of a starlit snowy night?”…End subliminal message.

Currently, there is only this one-of-a-kind Lady L sachet creation in stock.

I can’t tell you what the creative force who made me will come up with next, but I assure you, it will be beautiful. Here’s a sampling of previous handmade lavendar sachets that sold like hotcakes on Ebay.

One of my personal favorites.

I ask you, “Does it get any more Victorian?”

I’ve heard tell that the creative Lady L does not take custom orders, but she has been known to tuck away requests for colors in the back of her mind for the next time she’s feeling all “purple”, or “mauve”, or “rose”, or whatever.

I have but one favor to ask. If you visit the Lady L Lovelies shop, please drop my Mom a line and tell her Velvet Verbosity sent you. It took some convincing to get her to venture out of Ebay and into Etsy (and the new world of social networking). I want to let her know that this whole social networking thing? It’s kind of fun. And it works.

Ah. November in New England. Bare trees against the backdrop of a low slate sky.

Ick! I hate November. There are only three things that redeem November in New England. It is the month I gave birth to a pretty cool human being, it is the month of Thanksgiving (i.e. homemade fatty comfort foods), and this Birch Tree Tote by feeldesign that somehow translates a bare tree against a gray sky with elegance, grace and style while leaving out the cold, bitter winds and depressing lack of sunshine. Who knew November could be so hip? I think I’ll just crawl inside this custom made tote and hibernate until Spring.

** Disclaimer - All items from Etsy that I choose to feature here are of my own finding. They are things I like, not things I will get a kickback on or a free gift of. No one has approached me asking me to review their product. Most importantly, I don’t always BUY these items (what, you think this blog is making me any MONEY?) This is just me, doing my part and sharing a little bit of what’s worth finding on the world WIDE web. No animals were harmed in the writing of this review, but an apple pie was relentlessly plucked apart and eaten.

Dude. I don’t know about you, but I find this bicycle toilet decal to be WAY better than the usual fluffy, flowery, gaudy or just plain stooopid toilet adornments that have been the status quo for FAR too long.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that toilet art is dead. No. No. Far from it. Some people are quite active in their County Fair’s toilet decoration contest.

Even the tank itself was patented for it’s aesthetically pleasing encasing of the vulgar inner workings.

But, as you’ve come to rely on Velvet Verbosity to bring you only the best and ultra-hip of Etsy (oh, you know you have!), I have delivered. In the words of Vital (the artists behind the decal) (no, NOT in the tank pictured here fool):

Through critical thought, art and design are integrated into all aspects of life. These values are layered into an aesthetic that is at once urban and rural.

Long Live Toilet Graphics!

** Disclaimer - All items from Etsy that I choose to feature here are of my own finding. They are things I like, not things I will get a kickback on or a free gift of. No one has approached me asking me to review their product. Most importantly, I don’t always BUY these items (what, you think this blog is making me any MONEY?) This is just me, doing my part and sharing a little bit of what’s worth finding on the world WIDE web. No animals were harmed in the writing of this review, but a whole bunch of tea leaves were boiled and consumed.

Happy Halloween!

** Disclaimer - All items from Etsy that I choose to feature here are of my own finding. They are things I like, not things I will get a kickback on or a free gift of. No one has approached me asking me to review their product. Most importantly, I don’t always BUY these items (what, you think this blog is making me any MONEY?) This is just me, doing my part and sharing a little bit of what’s worth finding on the world WIDE web.

I am in love with this week’s Etsy Find. I won’t be able to afford this gorgeous handcrafted Paper Lotus Light Shade right now, but I hope someone can. Better yet, I hope someone buys me this for Christmas!

You want to know the best part? These hanging light shades are custom made to order so you can specify size, and even color. The dynamic duo behind this beautiful lotus also make other lamp shades, which are really lamp shade sculptures.

Lest you worry that your beautiful lotus light shade will burst into flames right before your eyes after just a couple of hours of glowing warmly, no need to worry. Blue Tree is way ahead of you (or maybe it’s just me). All paper lamp shades are treated with a “protective finish” rendering them non-flammable and moisture resistant. This is fabulous news.

So, Dad, Sister, Mother, Brother, Someone Who Loves Me, Children of Mine, Stranger on the Street, take note. This is on my WISH LIST. If you’ve been in my kitchen, I think you’ll agree. I need this.

** Disclaimer - All items from Etsy that I choose to feature here are of my own finding. They are things I like, not things I will get a kickback on or a free gift of. No one has approached me asking me to review their product. Most importantly, I don’t always BUY these items (what, you think this blog is making me any MONEY?) This is just me, doing my part and sharing a little bit of what’s worth finding on the world WIDE web.

Imagine how hip your fridge is going to look with these droplets of subtle colors and reflection holding up your kids’ artwork (or your own). These Fairy Drops Magnets would make wonderful gifts and for the price, you could fill 100 stockings with the little darlings. There are over 30 designs to choose from and they can be found at Aerie Fairy’s Etsy Shop. I corresponded with her to ask her how many were in a package (8-9 FYI). I assure you, she’s prompt and ridiculously friendly (that’s a good thing). Tell her I sent you, not because she’ll do me any favors, I just want her to know that good product combined with friendly service has its rewards.

** Disclaimer #1 - All items from Etsy that I choose to feature here are of my own finding. They are things I like, not things I will get a kickback on or a free gift of. This is just me, doing my part and sharing a little bit of what’s worth finding on the world WIDE web.

**Disclaimer #2 - I have just ordered my set of Fairy Drops Magnets so I cannot speak to the quality, speed of shipping, or anything else regarding the shipping and receipt of this product. I can tell you she has all positive reviews, and my correspondence with her was very positive. I will update this post when I receive my order.