Mother's Day Gift Guide

Celebrate Mom with these great gift picks, perfect for that special woman in your life. See our favorites below or browse all of the wonderful Etsy Dallas members' shops HERE.


The Greta Purse by LolaFalk
Made of taffeta and cotton, comes with a detachable brass chain/shoulder strap.
http://www.lolafalkdesigns.etsy.com/


Bird Tails Print by Pamela Michelle
5X7 inch print of an original acrylic painting, printed on heavyweight matte photo paper and mounted on high quality matte board
http://www.pamelamichelle.etsy.com/


Peapod Pendant Necklaces by Tefi Designs
Made with wire-wrapped sterling silver and jade on a silver-plated chain. Pods come in 2 or 3 peas - or any number you choose!
http://www.tefi.etsy.com/


Tea Bag Cozies by Karma Crochet
Holds up to 5 tea bags, sugar, or sweetener and comes in a variety of colors.
http://www.karmacrochet.etsy.com/


Custom Mommy Bracelet by Bead Genie
Up to 15 charms are handstamped and strung on a sterling silver chain alongside freshwater pearls.
http://www.beadgenie.etsy.com/


Dipped Rose Petals by Signature Scentsations
Vegan-friendly glycerin dipped rose petals come wrapped in a box and are available in several scents.
http://www.signaturescentsation.etsy.com/


Circuit 003 Ring by Eve M Metalsmith
Made with a gold rutillated quartz stone with a silver bezel and mounted on a sterling silver shank.
http://www.evemmetalsmith.etsy.com/



Wallflower Handbag by Cotton Candy Boutique
Roomy with several pockets, this bag is available in a variety of fabrics.

Now go hug your mom already, and tell her how wonderful she is!

Spring Bash Countdown....


The Etsy Dallas Spring Bash is just a month away with over 50 artists, crafters & designers bringing you an amazing range of handcrafted goods from paper, fabric, glass, metal and more!!

Mark your calendars DFW and don't be late or you will miss out on one of the 50 FREE goodie bags (aka coveted swag!). Don't believe me? Check out the all the good folks lining up early to get a goodie bag at the Jingle Bash.

Here is a sneak peek at the swag bags that Dylan of Dowdy Studio will perform his screen printing magic on. The vendors are putting together promos to make this Etsy Dallas best goodie bag (aka the #1 reason why you want to be early) yet!


Besides these goodie bags, Etsy Dallas will also be holding a free raffle and a Make and Take table and food drive with Girl Scouts Troop 1637.

See you at Southside on Lamar in May & don't forget to set your alarm clock 0r you might miss out on a free goodie bag!

Etsy Dallas Weekend Guide

Spring Art and Craft Shows are in full bloom this time of year. There is so much to do this weekend that you may just have to take Monday off work to soak it all in.


The Southwest's largest, four-day visual arts and entertainment festival, four days of fine art, food, fun and festivities! Rated as the Number 1 Arts Festival in Texas, the 9th largest Arts Festival in the country as rated by the Harris List and the Art Fair SourceBook, and is ranked by the Harris List as one of the Top Fine Arts Festivals in the USA.

Date: April 16 - April 19th
Time: (Th)10am-10pm, (F&S) 10am-11pm, (Su) 10am-8pm
Where: Main Street in Downtown Fort Worth
Web site: http://www.mainstreetartsfest.org/home.aspx
Cost: FREE!

Etsy Dallas member Pink Lemonade Bags will be strutting her wears at the Custer Road UMC Spring Fashion Show & Luncheon in Frisco on Friday.

Date: Friday, April 17th
Time: 11:30am - 2:30pm
Where: The Hilton Garden Inn, Frisco, TX

Don't waste Saturday night on the couch. Come enjoy free food, free drinks, music, and art. Nomad Art is a one night only Artist Exhibition held at 2616 Commerce in Dallas. DJ Blade will be there all night, along with the Ginger Valentine burlesque show, STEW playing at 11pm, and Hello Lover playing at midnight.

Date: Saturday, April 17th
Time: 7pm - 2pm
Where: 2616 Commerce in Dallas
Web: http://www.dallasnomads.com/
Cost: FREE!
If you're going down to Austin the weekend visit Tara to the T and the Texas Tarts at the Lone Star Round Up.

Its a great big car show with amazing rides driven here from all over the country, its a killer live music festival, its some seriously talented artists, pinstripers & unique shopping, its great food and cold drinks, its folks and friends and families getting together -

and when its springtime in Austin,
its Round Up time, ya'll...

Date: Friday, April 17 - Sunday, April 19th
Times: (F&S) 10am-12am, (S) 11am-10pm
Where: Travis County Expo Center, Austin, TX
Web site: http://www.blogger.com/www.lonestarroundup.com

Oak Cliff Earth Day will feature over 100 exhibitors, including information booths, artists, performers, food booths, pet adoptions, blood donations, hybrid vehicles, childrens activities, and much more! It's located in Lake Cliff Park, so bring the whole family, and Fido, too.

Please walk, bike, or take the bus to the event, in the spirit of Earth Day, and to avoid parking hassles. Methodist Hospital is kindly providing parking and a shuttle for those who don't take public transportation.

Also be sure to stop by all the amazing Etsy Dallas members art booths that will be there selling their one of a kind works. Dowdy Studio will feature his music inspired hand printed tees, Sherry's Nature Paintings will have her lovely nature paintings and prints, Pamela Michelle will have her original artwork and one of a kind wood jewelry, and don't miss the Kessler Craftsman's alluring charm and glass artwork and jewelry.

Date: Sunday, April 19th
Time: 11am-5pm
Where: Lake Cliff Park, 1200 N. Zang Blvd, Dallas, TX
Web site: http://oakcliffearthday.com/content/view/15/29/
Cost: FREE!

f. is for frank is having a workshop on Sunday. It is called Prints of Love. It incorporates jewelry made with fingerprints that we will then be cast in pewter. It is a perfect gift for Mother's Day or Father's Day and great for all ages.

Date: Sunday, April 19th
Time: 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Where: f. is for frank studio
web link: http://www.blogger.com/www.fisforfrank.blogspot.com
Cost: $40

posted by: Pamela Michelle

Member Spotlight: Sherry's Nature Paintings

Hummingbird and Fuschia, acrylic painting (not a print)

Spring is here and so are the hummingbirds. I'm obsessed with nature and I'm happily satisfied with the beautiful paintings of one of Etsy Dallas's newest members: Sherry's Nature Paintings. I'm so impressed with her realistic paintings of animals and flowers. It's refreshing!

Fawn and Bluebird, print

Come check out Sherry and many more artists at our Spring Bash Craft Show on May 16 at the South Side on Lamar Lofts. I can't wait to see Sherry at the show!

Sneek a peek and buy!
sherryart.etsy.com

b.liscious/brenda

Etsy Dallas Weekend Guide


It's that time again as Friday slowly turns into Saturday and the Dallas indie shopping fun begins. Remember to support your local economy and indie artists and designers by shopping local and handmade! Etsy Dallas would have it no other way. Get your weekend started off a little early and head out to Make Shop and Studio this Friday afternoon for a killer Fabric Sale that you don't want to miss. Make is celebrating their 4th birthday and wants to share the excitement with it's shoppers and DIY makers. Be sure to get there before 10pm, because they'll be closed all weekend for a well-deserved birthday break.

Where: 313 N. Bishop Ave Dallas, TX
Date: Friday April 3rd
Time: 4pm-10pm

Get your fresh on at Bolsa's first Farmer's Market in Oak Cliff. Buy yourself some yummy local foods and indulge!

Where: Bolsa, 614 West Davis Street
Date: Saturday, April 4th
Time: 11am-4pm

Eco•Ideas: Finding Green Inspiration


Green crafting sometimes needs a little inspiration to get things percolating. The use of ordinary things in unsual ways to give them a second, third or fourth purpose.

This book, Cool Green Stuff by Dave Evans, is the perfect place to start. It's a picture book of inspirational material for crafters and artists -- eye candy. It's even printed on FSC certified paper. It has everything from computer keyboard purses to grocery cart chairs to measuring tape brooches. Some of the artist's are even fellow Etsians.

Although this book does not have DIY instructions for specific items, it has excellent photography on the majority of pages and even better upcycling ideas. Each page has a link to the artist's web page where you can read about the people who created these cool things and see what else they're up to.

Happy Reading!

posted by: Alicia of Alicia Colina-Ashby

Etsy Dallas Weekend Guide


This is the week to party it up in Dallas! Get your artsy crafty shopping on all over the place at these fine events happening in your area.

The Girl Show - Arlington, TX
F6 Gallery is opening it's doors March 28th for the Girl Show, an exclusive all female
artist show. Come and see our very own Etsy Dallas member, Cut Out & Collect, with her handmade handbags, wallets, and pillows. This is a designer you don't want to miss.

Date: March 28th
Time: 8:00pm - 11:00pm
Location: South of 1-30 on Division St, Arlington, TX

Allen Early Childhood PTA Garage Sale and Vendor Show - Allen, TX
Etsy Dallas member Pink Lemonade Boutique Bags cordially invites you to the Allen Early Childhood PTA Garage Sale and Vendor Show Saturday, March 28th.

Date: March 28th
Time: 8am-2pm
Location: Lowery Freshman Center, Allen, TX (at the corner of Greenville and Jupiter)

Contemporary Art Dealers of Dallas - Dallas, TX
CADD Art Lab will be open late this Saturday to coincide with the photography exhibition openings around town. CADD is currently showing the exhibition "Flash: Photography from Dallas Galleries".

Date: March 28th
Time: 11am - 8pm
Location: 1608 C Main St. Dallas, TX
Tele: 214.741.1075

Member Spotlight: Om Clay Artist

Jill Whitfill creates and sells gorgeous Asian influenced pottery on Etsy under the business name, Om Clay Artist. Her experiences as a hospice nurse have made her keenly aware of the delicate nature of life. As a result, Jill strives to make every moment count. Art allows her to be connected with the Earth and to herself in a wonderful and peaceful way.


Jill has always enjoyed all aspects of art. As a child, she fondly remember art classes in school, and creating own homespun creations only appreciated by my family. As an adult she studied Asian art forms and admired the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright and Greene and Greene. She finds beauty and grace in the minimalist design and use of natural colors in these works. On vacation to New Mexico about 7 years ago she had the great fortune to meet Betsy Williams who is a renowned potter. Jill fell in love with her work and story; Betsy left a comfortable job to live in Japan for 5 years to study under a great pottery master. What courage! Jill was inspired by Betsy to see art more deeply, and possibly professional pursuit from woodworking and woodturning.

When a shoulder injury forced Jill to give up working with wood, she was inspired by Betty's influence and set out on a new journey. She enrolled at a local community college and was hooked! She has also studied with Janet Rodriguez another wonderful potter, business woman and community leader. Along with this training she has done several workshops with well known potters.



Jill really enjoys working with clay ; she loves the quietness and meditative aspects of throwing.. It has has helped her focus and express herself through clay art.

Clay has a way of letting you know whether you’re ready for a serious workday or not, and I’ve found that a sense of humor really helps.



She enjoys being a small business owner and gets involved in the community by sharing, teaching and learning. Please check out more of her work at Rimrock View Studio.

Posted by Randi/DallasDesigningDiva

Weekend Guide: Local and Austin


Whether you're planning on staying in town this weekend or traveling down to SXSW in Austin, there is plenty of crafty loveliness to experience all over the place. Mark your calendars and plan to attend some of these killer handmade events.


What to do in Austin for SXSW:


Etsy Austin Street Team will be heading out with free goodies to promote their Etsy stores during SXSW. Not only will they be selling their wares on South Congress, but will also be giving out free craft demos and hitting the streets with hundreds of handmade bags full of free stuff for whoever wants it!


Where: S. Congress in front of Hill Country Weavers
Date: March 20th and 21st
Time: 12pm-7pm






If you're on S. Congress, you may as well swing by the Handmade Austin Market, put together by Tasty jewelry. This is a 4 day show, running March 19th through the 22nd chocked full of handmade goodness with different vendors each day.


Where: Gueros Taco Bar parking lot, South Congress, Austin, TX
Date: March 19th - March 22nd
Time: 10am -5pm






Flatstock 20 will display the works of more than 100 artists from across North America and the globe. Posters representing decades of styles, colors and techniques will be on display and for sale as well as aditional merchandise. Show up early and be ready to be overwhelmed with amazing posters. (You might want to bring some dough since you don't want to leave empty handed!) See all the artists attending here.


Where: Austin Convention Center
Date: March 19th - March 22nd
Time: 11am - 6pm






Craftster and Standard Recording have teamed up to bring you a free day party on Friday March 20th. Stop by the party for some free drinks and eats, nine live bands, and fun free craft demos.


Where: The Art Project - 301 Chicon St, Suite F, Austin, TX
Date: March 20th
Time: 11am- 5pm


What to do Local in Dallas:






Artscape is the Dallas Arboretum's fine art and craft show and sale. This two-day art fair is happening in spring this time around when the gardens are in full bloom. This is in MSNBC's top ten things to do this weekend. So really not something to miss. Artscape will feature artists from around the country, wine tasting, entertainment, and food and fun for everyone!
Be sure to visit booth #80 and say hello to our very own Beading Genie!


Where: Dallas Arboretum, 8525 Garland Rd. Dallas, TX
Date: March 21st - March 22nd
Time: 9am - 5pm

Member Spotlight: Three Yellow Starfish

At Three Yellow Starfish, it's good to be a baby! As one of the newest members of Etsy Dallas, we are proud to spotlight Margaret Weimer's shop. She offers adorable baby and kids clothing in a variety of fabric designs and styles. In fact, she just got in some lovely new fabric designs just in time for Spring!


Don't forget to take advantage of her monthly giveaways at her blog http://threeyellowstarfish.blogspot.com/.

Visit Three Yellow Starfish in person at the upcoming 1st Annual Etsy Dallas Spring Bash on May 16th. Stay tuned for more info and visit http://www.etsydallas.com/!

photography by Misty Jones

posted by Stephanie of Tefi Designs

Eco•Ideas: Get Organized The Green Way

The time change has happened, spring is approaching and it's a great time to give your crafting corner a green spring cleaning. Begin by thinking about how you'd like to organize your tools and supplies. In many cases you can reuse things like shoes boxes or cereal boxes and other everyday packaging to organize your work space. Reusable gift bags can come in handy for storing projects in progress. Small gift boxes are great for storing things like beads and jewelry findings while glass jars from food products can be washed out and reused to store spools of thread, buttons, sequins, etc.

As you clean up consider donating things you haven't used in the last year to a charity or trading with a fellow craftie. This is a fantastic way to redistribute the things you haven't used while letting someone else enjoy something new to them.
As the tidying continues, keep a shopping list for supplies that are getting low.

Happy Spring Cleaning!

posted by: Alicia of Alicia Colina-Ashby

Spring Bash Applications Available until March 19th

It's here! The Spring Bash Application has finally arrived. Please read the following info carefully before applying and direct any questions to SpringBash09 [at] gmail.com

CALL FOR ARTISTS & CRAFTERS
You must have Adobe Reader to fill in this application. Please click here to download a free copy of Adobe Reader.

ABOUT THE SPRING BASH
Kick off the spring season! Etsy Dallas, who first brought you the famous Beer-B-Q trunk show and the Jingle Bash in 2008, is doing it again - even bigger and better this time.

The 1st Annual Etsy Dallas Spring Bash will be held at the historic South Side on Lamar in the hip and up-and-coming Dallas neighborhood known as The Cedars on Saturday, May 16th from 11am to 5pm. The show will feature local handpicked artists and crafters, DJ tunes, Make & Take crafts, a free Etsy Dallas-sized raffle, and 50 free swag bags chock full of handmade Etsy Dallas goodies. This event is FREE to the public!

While this show will be family-friendly, the vibe will be a fun bash full of handmade love and good times. Think of it as a party - not your typical craft show!

Stones & Bones Workshop


Treat yourself to something fabulous!

In the Stones and Bones workshop you will be making one of the following: a pendant, cufflinks, or a brooch. You will be using pewter with the option of incorporating natural stones, rhinestones and bones. You will create your own one of a kind design using stones and clay. Shannah and I will then take your clay design and create a mold. We will then cast your design into pewter, polish and then glue the stones into place. We will be giving a demonstration so you can see firsthand how all these processes work. Your piece will be ready for pick up within two weeks.

Cost: $50
  • all stones and supplies are included.
  • ages 15 and up.
  • limited spaces
  • call 217.749.0709 or email casey@fisforfrank.com for reservations

February 26- Stones and Bones Pendant,Brooch and cufflinks
(incorporating natural stones, rhinestones, bones) 6:30- 8:30 pm (adults only) $50

March 15- Bracelet Workshop
(incorporating leather strap, beading and pewter center pendant) 1 pm- 3 pm (adults only) $75

April 19- Mother's Day Gift: Prints of Love
(finger print gifts) 1 pm - 3 pm open house (all ages) Pricing $35 and up (depending on the number of prints)Link

April 26- Sand Casting Pewter
1 pm- 4 pm (adults only) $65

June 7- Father's Day Gift
1 pm - 3 pm (all ages) $5o includes 2 finished pewter castings of 1 design... one for dad and one for grandpa

2009 Team Members

We here at Etsy Dallas are super-duper excited about the new member line-up for 2009. While there are still a handful of veteran ED members, we are so happy to welcome some newbies to the fold! Among them are Superchica, Dreamy Starry Night, Haute Hardware, and Om Clay Artist, pictured below:


Check out our members' page at our web site to browse the shops of all the fantastic talent Etsy Dallas has to offer this year. Enjoy!

posted by Stephanie of Tefi Designs