Shop Local at Etsy
My new favorite earrings! A fabulous Etsy find from Contempo Jewelry Designs.
I love shopping for handcrafted items with a fresh squeezed lemonade in one hand and a falafel sandwich in the other. But I can’t always wait for Arts Festival and the other summer fairs to get my fill: I want my art now!
That’s why I love Etsy. The site bills itself as “the place to buy and sell all things handmade” and it doesn’t disappoint.
In the market for knitted baby slippers? Check. Need a one-of-a-kind necklace or pair of earrings? Done. I even found a stuffed elephant head–made of felt and buttons, of course. No matter what your style or obsession, Etsy will satisfy it.
You can browse from broad categories such as “ceramics” and “pottery,” as well as more specific ones like “vintage” and “wedding.” But my favorite search leads me to my own backyard. With Esty’s Shop Local feature, type in any town–State College, Bellefonte, Spring Mills, Julian, etc.–and get linked to fabulous artisans who showcase their treasures on Etsy, but are located in Happy Valley.
It’s an easy way to support local and get your arts fix all year round. Just one disclaimer: it’s addictive!
This entry was posted on Friday, May 8th, 2009 at 7:23 am and is filed under Shop. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
May 8th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
I’m just finding out there are lots of other local artists out there — Dwell in Style and Contempo Jewelry being my two favorites. I’ll be looking to shop local on Etsy for birthdays and Christmas this year.
May 8th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
I love Contempo - Stacy’s work is great. In fact, I have a pair of her earrings on right now!
May 8th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
I love Etsy and am even more excited to see that there is a “local” Etsy to support our artists.
May 12th, 2009 at 10:54 am
Wow ladies!! Thanks for all the support. I try to do as much local shopping as possible as well. I always tell my kids we need to support our *neighbors*