Going Green in Kansas City!

The theme for our March KCEtsy Trunk Show, March 7th at Shiraz Restaurant, is Go Green! So today I'm sharing ways you to go green - environmentally speaking - starting this weekend, and I have more great St. Patrick's Day inspired offerings to share from more of our team members!

Three quick and easy tips for Going Green this weekend!

• The internet has made shopping so much easier … at your finger tips you have access to so much more than you could ever get at the mall. But with online purchasing, come piles and piles of mail … nam ely catalogs! If you find yourself simply dumping catalog after catalog in the trash can – without even leafing through them – call the company and ask to have your name removed from their mailing list. It will take about 3 months, but reducing the amount of unwanted paper in your home is well worth it! And of course it goes without saying, recycle, recycle, recycle all catalogs, magazines and newspapers - it’s good for you and the environment!

• Are you switching out all the light bulbs in your home to the longer lasting more energy efficient ones. The upfront cost of the bulbs is more than the cheaper, less efficient bulbs, but they use less energy (saving you on $$ on your energy bill each month) and they last much, much longer – like 7 years! Saving you time and aggravation in not having to constantly change burnt out light bulbs.

• A couple of months ago my local grocery store started selling reusable shopping totes … large durable fabric shopping bags that look a lot like the brown paper grocery sacks with the handles. And at $1-$2 each, they are totally affordable. I purchased four and am amazed at how much produce, caned goods, dry goods, bread, even milk, I can fill in them! They each hold ~30 lbs and I’m easily able to fit ~$100 of groceries in my four bags – impossible to do in plastic! This simple inexpensive change has drastically reduced the number of plastic bags I’m taking to the recycling center each week and has simplified unloading the car after a shopping trip!

For more information on ways you can make simple life changes that can make a big environmental impact visit, The National Geographic's The Green Guide.

Did you know that when you buy something made locally you are also Going Green! According to the World Watch Institute, "Buying any goods produced locally saves energy by reducing the fossil fuels needed to transport ... items across the country and around the globe." Plus your money goes to continuing to support the local economy!

Here are some great handmade Irish green offerings perfect for St. Patrick's Day.
*** See more of what each artist has to offer by clicking on their name, you'll be taken directly to their Etsy shop. To learn more about the featured piece of art, click on the name of the piece in the list below.

1. Artist - JewlLi, Luck o The Irish - Kelly Green Sea Glass Pendant
2. Artist - somethingfromcassie, St Patrick's Day Lace Greeting Card
3. Artist - ajscountrycottage - Coconut Lime Soap, luxury olive oil soap
4. Artist - AdrienneDesigns - Lucky Shamrock Pin
5. Artist - tinystitches - Irish Luck Pillowcase
6. Artist - DumbKidDesigns - Celtic Wallet


JewlLi, and DumbKidDesigns will all be showing at our Go Green, First Friday's Show at Shiraz Restaurant, March 7th from 7-9pm. Be sure to stop by their tables and say hello!

And in keeping with the Love of Irish Green, I have one last little goodie for you, St. Patty's Day cards, created by tinystitches for you to download - free, print at home and send to friends and family. Enjoy!

Start March off ...

... with a bit of Green! The Kansas City Etsy Street Team is all about GREEN as we prepare for our upcoming trunk show March 7th at Shiraz Restaurant. Look at these fantastic offerings in a beautiful crisp apple green!

1. Artist - thefunkyfelter, Orbiting Moons, Fiber Art Pendant. Adorn yourself or that special someone with Orbiting Moons, a one-of-a-kind, handcrafted piece of wearable fiber art. Made using a combination of 100% felted wool and a glass cabochon embellishment, set in a lead-free pewter base that is 2.25" high x 1" wide x 0.25" deep.

2. Artist - nicherndesigns, Green Blossom and Bird, Fully lined medium size pouch with handle. Lined with a print of little green birds on a brown background. Inside is a pocket to hold a credit card/id/etc. and another larger pocket to hold small items. Pouch: 9" wide x 5" tall x 3.75" deep. Handle: 1.25" x 4.75"

3. Artist - cinderelish, Shallow Green Baker, ceramic and oven safe. Thrown on the wheel then altered into an oval shape by hand with a rolled rim for extra durability. Handrolled, textured handles help you get a grip of this beautiful dish, perfect for spinach or layer dip. Size: ~6 1/2" X 5 1/2" X 1", holds 1 3/4 cup.

4. Artist - StirDesigns, Moss Scarflette, with hand dyed silk button. Moss colored yarn in a beautiful moss stitch. Button can be done anywhere on the scarflette to create different and unique looks. Measures 5" x 19".

See more of thefunkyfelter, nicherndesigns and cinderelish at the March 7th, First Friday's Show at Shiraz Restaurant from 7-9pm. In the days leading up to our show, we'll continue to feature beautiful green creations from team members and show you lots of great previews of what our show will have to offer Kansas City!

*** To see more of what each artist has to offer, click on their name to be taken directly to their Etsy shop. To learn more about the featured piece of art, click on the name of the piece in the descriptions above.

**Posted by tinystitches.

Mark your calendars . . . Kansas City Etsy Street Team Meeting on Wednesday, February 27th!

It is time for another Kansas City Etsy Street Team meeting. We're planning an in-person meeting for this Wednesday evening so be sure to mark your calendars! Whether you are an established KCEtsy member or just interested in Etsy and what the local Etsy team has to offer, you are welcome and encouraged to come.

Who: KCETSY team members - old, new, and want to be's

What: A meeting to talk about what's happening with KCEtsy and our upcoming trunk shows.

When: Wednesday, February 27th, 2008, at 7:00 pm

Where: Oak Park Mall at the tables outside of Nordstroms (look for the crowd of artsy Etsians!)

Hope to see you there!


Also, whether you are a current member who has not sent in their membership application yet or an interested prospective member, please go here for more information. To be included on our updated list of member shops on the blog and Etsy team profile pages, you must fill out the membership application and fulfill the requirements stated on our team rules page.

For more information about KCEtsy or to join our discussions about upcoming meeting topics and other team activities, visit our Flickr group.

**Posted by thefunkyfelter with contributions by mondedesign.

Color my gray world ...

The cold gray skies and washed out colors of Winter have me wishing for warmer temperatures when the beautiful colors of the Midwest will return. While we all patiently wait for Spring to come, add a touch of Spring and a splash of color with one of these beautiful creations from members of the KCEtsy Team.

*** To learn more about each of the featured artists, click on their name to be taken directly to their Etsy shop. To learn more about the featured piece of art, click on the name of the piece in the descriptions below.

Above left: Artist, lbolter, Josephs Coat, Print. The vibrant colors, textured surface, and brush strokes in the original painting (done in acrylics) are captured in this affordable print. The image measures approximately 7.75" x 7.75" and is printed on a 8.5" x11" heavy weight sheet of professional grade, archival, acid free paper.

Above Top Right: Artist, bellajean, Old Pick-Up Truck, Fine Art Postcard. Photograph taken at an old abandoned house down the road from me here in Kansas. Professionally laser printed on 110# acid-free, archival paper. Postcards are 5 1/2 x 4 1/4. Each card comes with an envelope suitable for mailing.

Above Bottom Right: Artist, Victoria Garrette for gshot, WaterLilies on Blue, 8x10 Print. These lovely lilies were shot and captured at Powell Gardens, just East of Kansas City, Missouri. A striking representation with excellent contrast making this one a ∆ g SHOT ∆ classic. Image size, 10" wide x 8" tall. Paper size, 11.5" wide x 8.5" tall.
Above Left: Artist, aquakej, Blue and Green Dragonfly Display. Three black & metallic blue damselflies (close relatives of the dragonfly) flutter among a green, white, orange, blue, brown, and red floral art background. The display opening measures 5x7, and the entire frame is almost 8x10 inches.

Above Top Right: Artist, MyPaperGarden, Bird Note Cards, Set of 4. Beautiful bird collage note cards. The cards are heavy ivory cardstock with prints of original collage works by My Paper Garden. Cards are blank inside, ready for your own message. Ivory envelopes are lined with vintage sheet music.

Above Bottom Right: Artist, MultiplePersonality, Gnome print set, two small prints. Each piece is signed and dated. Actual print area of each: 4" X 6". Prints have a white border for framing. Printed on high quality acid free photo rag paper with 8 colors of archival ink.

*** Remember, to learn more about each of the artists featured above, click on their name to be taken directly to their Etsy shop. To learn more about the featured piece of art, click on the name of the piece in the descriptions above.

**Posted by tinystitches.

KCEtsy is making First Fridays a tradition!

Since the Valentine's Trunk Show on February 1st was a great success, we're planning on making First Fridays a tradition with KCEtsy. Shiraz Restaurant has invited KCEtsy back to participate in a First Fridays kick off for the Crossroads District in March. There will be even more terrific handmade art and wares, wonderful food, and just an all-around fabulous social event! On Friday, March 7th, KCEtsy will be having a St. Patrick's Day Trunk Show from 7 - 9 p.m at Shiraz, so mark your calendars .... You'll even have a chance to win a gift basket full of KCEtsy's handmade goodies!


Featured below are the Etsy shops of our recent Valentine's Trunk Show vendors. Several of these vendors will be back on March 7th for our next First Fridays Trunk Show. Simply click on the blue shop names under each small photo to go directly to that vendors' online Etsy shop. Be sure to browse and see what may be available for the upcoming "Go Green" St. Patrick's Day Trunk Show at Shiraz.

*For a complete list of KCEtsy member shops, please see the right column menu.
**posted by thefunkyfelter

February First Friday Recap

Our first showing at First Friday’s was a huge success! 11 local artists showed off their amazing talents at Shiraz Restaurant in the Crossroads District downtown and many people from around Kansas City came to get a taste of what the Kansas City Etsy Street Team (KCEtsy) is all about! No one went home disappointed! The food at Shiraz was fantastic, and many of the handmade wares and art from our local artists have found new homes across the Metro.

We would like to extend a special thank you to Ali and Stephanie, owners of Shiraz Restaurant, for their warm hospitality and use of their beautiful space. The space is warm and inviting, while having plenty of space for everyone to move freely from artist to artist. As artists, we instantly fell in love with the location and were thrilled to be invited back to use the space for First Fridays in March, March 7, 2008.

A special feature of our February First Friday show, a gift basket filled with special items made and donated by artists from the KCEtsy team. The KCEtsy Gift Basket was given as a heart felt thank you to one lucky show attendee who was randomly picked out of those who signed up for our mailing list. The basket included, art cards from Scott Garrette, assortment of felted accessories from The Funky Felter, vintage art collage from My Paper Garden, red lampwork heart earrings from Adrienne Design, art print from Laura Bolter Design, hand painted silk barrette and stationary from Karen Kay ArtWorks, red and white vintage beaded earrings from Crazy Babes, hand painted cards from bbesigns, small fabric clutch from Ni-Chern Designs, and wallets and bookmark from Dumb Kid Designs. Another basket is already in the works for the March First Friday show with new artists from the team contributing!

Some of our artists making last minute preparations before the show (picture taken by The Funky Felter):

Video taken by Scott Garrette during the show:

A huge thank you to all our artists who participated in the February First Friday show, to Karen of Karen Kay ArtWorks our main event coordinator, and again to Shiraz Restaurant, each of you gave 110% to this show, creating a quality event the public thoroughly enjoyed.

**Posted by tinystitches.