The wonderful world of Etsy

Etsy Finds (clockwise from top left):

• Tilt-A-Whirl--------- from My Selvaged Life
• Small cake stand... azure lace cake plate from Vessels and Wares
• Coral Embroidered Cotton Trim from The Trim Buyer
• Robins Egg Wall Candle Holders from Pretty Darn Cute

Now I know most of you know about Etsy already but I am still surprised to find that many of my friends and people I meet do not know about it. So, I thought it was high time I did a post about Etsy.

Etsy was founded in June, 2005 by American furniture maker and photographer, Rob Kalin. They now have over 400,000 worldwide sellers including 5,000 who are based here in the UK. There are just under six million handmade items from independent artisans for sale which are viewed by 39 million potential customers a month! Aside from the handmade treasures there is also a vintage section and for those that want to make their own treasures there is a supply section, full of great looking stuff from cupcake wrappers to the prettiest ribbons, fabrics and trims. All products are organised by categories, colour or location and you can favourite your best finds/sellers, making them easy to come back to. If you are at a loss as to where to start there are the Editor's pick pages.

Know what you want but can't find it? Well, you can turn your ideas into reality with Alchemy! Buyers can post requests for custom handmade items, and then sellers bid on the opportunity to make the goods.

I love the sense of community and the unique gifts from independent artisans you can find for loved ones and yourself! I personally can spend hours browsing this treasure trove! I will share my favorite finds here with you.

Have a sweet day!