Southern Scraps

Another edition of the Halloween series features- witches at etsy! 1. Witching hour tile pendant by GildedLilyGlassArt 2. Tavern sign by CountryWorkshop 3. Felt witch hairclip by cutesieclips 4. Halloween pin-up tote by HautTotes 5. Two witches silhouette necklace by CreativeRampage 6. Hayley the Halloween witch notecards by evelikesit

Initials and monograms are a popular item in paper crafts, fashion, and home decor. This week's feature is about letterperfectdesigns, where you can get great initial pillows. These pillows showcase initials fashioned from mother of pearl or buttons. You can also get designs of birds, butterflies, stars, or dogs. Here are some of my favorites.

Theses awesome images are by NatureIsArt . Just like his shop name suggests, nature really is art and this etsy seller does a great job of crisply capturing nature's majestic creatures. You'd almost think they posed for him. If you love nature, and want to incorporate it into your decor, I'd suggest picking up some of these prints. In additon to his visiting his shop, you can see more at his website natureisart.

Tomorrow is read a book day. Of course it's an unofficial holiday, but still a good idea. To make sure you don't loose your place, check out these bookmark from boofolobeads. With at least 70 to choose from, you can get most any color or charm you want. Head on over to etsy and check them out.

Another unique way to use photos- Photos by Alexis . Let her turn your family name into a photographic work of art. Each letter is represented by a photo of an object. These are so cool!

Scrapbookers, I know we are always looking for unique ways to preserve our memories and photos. Above is just a preview of the types of customizable items offered by CharmingElements. Have your loved one's photo put on a tile or have a cool piece of art placed on a bamboo tile or choose one that's ready made. There are lots of options here.

This Friday's feature is all about metal, specifically the metal art of TimothyAdamDesigns . From necklaces, earrings, jewelry and earring trees, card holders, to furniture and home decor, you can find some type of cool item from shaped steel. Go check him out at etsy! He also writes a great blog, and from now until the end of 2008, he is giving away two of his modern steel necklaces each month. Visit his blog for a chance to win. Or why chance it? Visit his shop and own one today!

This Friday's focus is on one of my favorite subjects- photography. I love to look a photographs that tell a story or evoke some emotion. I love it when the photographer has a unique sense of style and conveys that in their photos. That's just what JoannBristol does. From Wilmington, North Carolina, she claims to be a self taught photographer. I hope to learn this art one day myself. I hope I do as good a job as she did. Her coastal photos are beautiful to look at and have a wonderful calming effect. Head on over to etsy and check her out!

Yes, I know, this is going up very late. It's been a long, busy week at my job and I did not have time to find a feature. But while browsing my email, which contained one from mycraftivity.com , I found the most amazing etsy artist. Check out the work of Glory2727. WOW!! That's all I can say. WOW!! The first piece is a colored pencil piece! I have a lot to learn about using my colored pencils. Maybe by the time I reach 76, I can be half this good. Yes, 76, this artist is 76 years old! Kudos to her for staying creative!

Once again, the beautiful work of beadsme . Lots of great earrings. I know some of these would look good dangling from my ears? How about you? This great jewelry artist can also be found at silkfair.

More work from beadsme . This is a sampling of her beautiful necklaces. And more, aren't these gorgeous?

I'm bringing you shades of red, white, and blue for this feature and all from beadsme. This awesome seller has lots of great pieces in her shop. "Stunning blue" is how she describes the last piece and I'd say that's an understatement. Go check her out!

June 23 is listed as National Pink Day. It's origins are unknown. Pink was my favorite color as a child. This bit of info prompted me to feature pink things on etsy. The links at the bottom will take you to the seller's flickr account and from there you can find links to their shops in their profiles. You'll then find these or similar items. (Sorry for the indirect feature of sellers this week and not sending you straight to them, I didn't have time to contact individuals. Flickr mosaics are fun and a quick way to feature several things.) 1. brown tree top on pink , 2. Pink Doublet Fused Glass Pendant , 3. Pink & Silver Butterfly Pendant , 4. pink flowers in the black vase , 5. Pink & Brown Happy Birthday , 6. Pink Roses and Linen Tote/Wristlet Set

Summer will soon be officially here. As far as I'm concerned, it's here. Temps have hit 100 degrees this week. Warm temperatures always have me thinking about summer shoes, and what better than cool, comfy flip flops. So for this Friday's feature, I am focusing on some of my flip flop finds at Etsy. This cute little sign is perfect for your summer decor. It's made by So Shabby and Prim and she has more colors to choose from. This adorable purse from saxbysuzan sports flip flops galore. More cute purses can be found in this shop too. And for the real thing, get your own monogrammed flip flops from katiebows. Lot's of colors to choose from, and she loves to customize.

Saturday is Flag Day so today's features are some of my flag finds at etsy. These note cards by KiniArt have the cutest little Westie sporting a flag. And for the envelopes, these labels by MaddisonHaylie are great. You can get them personalized. Another great flag find is this purse by Beanhank . Check out each of these awesome sellers. If you're not into flags, they each have other interesting items.

Did you know that the first Friday in June is Donut Day? It was originally started in 1938 to raise money by the Salvation Army. Even though Americans consume 10 billion donuts per year, Canada consumes more. Why do they have holes? To allow them to cook more evenly. Speaking of cooking, here's a recipe for homemade donuts. (from Diana Rattray/ about.com) INGREDIENTS: 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening 3/4 cup sugar 4 egg yolks 3 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/4 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground mace 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 cup milk PREPARATION: Mix together the shortening, sugar, and egg yolks. Into another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Stir into the first mixture alternately with 1 cup milk. Stir until dry ingredients are moistened, handling dough as little as possible. Roll dough to about 3/8-inch thickness on a floured cloth covered surface. Let rolled out dough stand for about 15 ...

I've recently cut my hair and something about that makes me want to wear a different type of earrings from what I used to wear. In the past, it was all hoops- small and conservative. Now I want some dangly ones so I've been searching at etsy and here are some of my favorites. by Bead Designs by Ellen by beadmedley by LeJoulesDesigns by Beth Cyr Jewlery by beadstylin

Today's featured item from etsy is a really cool fabric journal cover from whimsiedots . Made to fit a composition book, you can write to your hearts content, and when your journal is full, remove the cover and put it on a new notebook. She has five others in her shop, but this is my favorite. The cool, relaxing colors would really put me in a reflective frame of mind.

This week's features focus on the two national holidays celebrated yesterday. Honor the police officer in your life with this great memo board by Kayskrafts It would make a great Father's Day gift if the man in your life is an officer. The next item is absolutely adorable. They are totally calorie and guilt free. You can display them and celebrate chocolate chip day all year! These crocheted chocolate chip cookies by lubee are a hoot! These push pins by rebeccascards are equally adorable and also calorie and guilt free! What a great way to enjoy some chocolate!

Since yesterday was Have a Coke Day, I went searching at Etsy to see what Coke related items I could find. Here are two of my favorites. This Coke candle by jotaysgel is a unique gel candle. It even has ice cubes. When you burn up the candle, you'll have a Coke glass to keep. The next find is a flower necklace made from a recycled Coke can. You'll find this and other cool pieces of Coke jewelry at Made From the Heart.