June Frist Fridays Highlights

It was great to see so many wonderful members of the KC community at our June First Friday's Trunk Show in the Crossroads District. A special thanks again to Shiraz Restaurant for allowing us to use their beautiful Gallery Room, and of course to our amazing artists. Here are just a few highlights from the show!



See you all at our next show in the River Market District at Eljay's Coffeehouse for Third Friday's!

Artist Spotlight - Genea Beads

Earlier this year we took our children to the Moon Marble Company in Bonner Springs, KS, for their Open House and watched glass artists create amazing marbles. We watched wide eyed as these talented artists transformed thin rods of glass into beautiful, intricate marbles - true pieces of art, not a child's toy.

Shortly after this basic introduction to one aspect of lampwork, I met Genea of Genea Beads, a fellow KCEtsy team member, at one of our First Friday Trunk Shows at Shiraz Restaurant. As a lampwork artist, Genea turns thin rods of glass into unique and vibrant beads and pendents to use in whimsical pieces of fine art jewelry.

"I've been making jewelry for years, and one of the most exciting things to add to a piece of jewelry, are beads I made to match whatever design I have in mind."

Fun, vibrant and playful best describe Genea's overall style. Her attention to detail and playful use of color and design bring her work to life.

"I love glass! There is something amazing about working with fire and using things from the earth to create beautiful works of art."
You can see Genea's lampwork creations first hand this Friday night at Shiraz Restaurant, as she and other KCEtsy Team Members show their upscale handmade wares as part of June First Fridays in the Crossroads District. Genea also sells her work at Bead Boutique in Kansas City, MO on Englewood Road and on Etsy at Genea.etsy.com.

* Written by TinyStitches.

June First Fridays Trunk Show

We've been a bit quiet on the blog for the past couple of weeks, everyone on the team is hard at work preparing for a busy June!

The KCEtsy Street Team is at it again for another First Fridays event in Kansas City. Taking place at Shiraz Restaurant (a delectable place to eat BTW), inside the restaurant in their Gallery Room at 320 Southwest Blvd., at Southwest Blvd. and Broadway in the Crossroads District, KC, MO.

The artists show and sale runs from 7:00pm to 9:00pm on Friday, June 6th, 2008. You can expect to see 10 local artists displaying their fine art and upscale handmade wares. Come join in the fun - shop and eat at Shiraz. See you there!

A partial list of the artists in our show. Please check back for updates.










*Written by KarenKayArtworks

The Whole Kit-n-Caboodle

Pictured above are some of the fantastic handmade items found in the KCetsy Spring Fling, Trunk Show gift basket. This great gift basket contains samples from Dumb Kid Designs, Jewl-Li, The Funky Felter, Genea Beads, Cinderelish, SoHo Couture Cards and Gifts, Karen Kay Artworks, Semiprecious Designs, ni-chern designs and BBesigns.

Visit us at Shiraz, TONIGHT, Friday, April 4th from 7-10 p.m. back in the Gallery Room; enjoy the Spring weather, the shopping and the food. While you are there, enter for a chance to take home this whole handmade, Spring Fling kit and caboodle.

*Written by Cinderelish.

Artfully Preserving Memories Digitally

Ahhhhh yes…..Scrapbooking; it's every creative gal's favorite way to preserve memories. But let's be honest, who has time these days to shop for the supplies, get out the supplies, learn how to use the supplies, utilize the supplies, clean up the supplies, then put away the supplies?

As a mother of three kids and a small (very small!) business owner, I found that one of my favorite hobbies was turning into a headache I no longer found relaxing. So what to do?I didn't want to give up the memories I was preserving for my three children and their posterity, yet I honestly did not have time to keep up all three of their life threads.

During this frustrating time, a photographer friend of mine suggested digital scrapbooking as a way to cut down on the time, the expense, and the mess. She was in full digi-scrap swing and loving it, but I had my doubts. There was just something about a flat piece of finished scrapbook paper versus a 3-D piece of finished scrapbook "artwork" that didn't seem quite as nice. However, I decided to check it out and to my surprise, I was immediately hooked.

Digital scrap takes all the same elements we work with in traditional scrapbooking, and makes them digital. All your paper, cutting tools, brads, ribbons, fibers, finish techniques, embossing, etc., etc., etc., it's all there in a neat little kit you can simply get on line, pay for, and immediately download. Shop at home, there is no mess to get out or put away, and you can literally cut your scrapbooking time in half. Oh, and the finished product is awesome! I have completely converted to digital scrapbooking and I couldn't be happier.

If you have a photo editing program on your computer, you are good to go. Check out Scrapgirls.com for some great tutorials, fabulous products, and lots of freebies. A few other sites my digi-scrap pals and I have found really helpful are: twopeasinapocket.com, retrodiva.net, cottagearts.net, and digitalfreebies.com. You can find enough freebies on these sites to set you up for a long time.

Digital scrapbooking skills, tools and elements don’t have to be used only to create memory books. Semiprecious1, uses all of these techniques and tools when creating unique and chic “Bubble Art” pendants. See semiprecious1’s amazing line of jewelry in person this Friday night at the KCEtsy First Fridays Trunk Show at Shriaz Restaurant from 7-10 pm.

* Written by semiprecious1.

Spring Fling Trunk Show at Frist Fridays

If you haven't come out to a Kansas City Etsy Street Team First Friday's Show at Shiraz Restaurant yet, April is the month to attend! Galleries and restaurants will open their doors Friday night, April 4th (the first Friday in April) with a variety of art shows from local artists, throughout the Crossroads Art District, and Shiraz Restaurant is no different.

What: KCEtsy's First Friday Spring Fling Trunk Show

Where: Shiraz Restaurant, The Gallery Room
320 Southwest Blvd., Crossroads District, at Southwest Blvd. and Broadway

When: First Friday, April 4th, 2008
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Admission to our Spring Fling Trunk Show is free and open to the public. Buy a glass of wine at the bar and join us in the Gallery Room to talk with the artists, and shop their amazing handcrafted items showcasing lots of Spring inspired designs!

Check out these participating vendors' Etsy Shops for a sneak peek:











*Posted by tinystitches

Fresh New Beginnings As Spring Comes to the Heartland!

Heralding Springs arrival, the KC Etsy Team is busy creating new works inspired by the season of warmer temperatures, rebirth, and regrowth. We've asked several team members to share what they're working on these days, and how they are inspired by this lovely time of year.

"I find much of my inspiration from colors and nature, so when spring rolls around I'm thinking pastel colors like pink, light greens, robin's egg blue and love designs that include little flower beads or leaves," says Julie of JewlLi. "I've been working on torch-fired enamel pieces and am also using lots of pretty faceted gemstones like apatite, amethyst, blue topaz, phrenite and citrine. "

1) Little Flowering Hoops 2) Tourmaline Branch Necklace 3) Spring Blossoms 4) Swallow Necklace with Apatite

According to Karen of Karen Kay Art Works, "Spring for me is a time for new beginnings - everything starts out new again in spring. Trees get fresh new leaves for the summer and flowers pop up from the previously frozen ground to say 'Hey, I survived the winter!' I am working on some softer colored girls (pastelish with soft earth tones), full-figured (not just faces anymore) with new beginnings topics and words of affirmation and inspiration. New spring items will be in my shop soon, very soon!"

"Spring is such a time of renewal and new beginnings. Each spring I like to step a bit outside my comfort zone," says Sue from Angelfire Art Glass. "I like to try new techniques or work in colors that I am not usually drawn to or use a lot. The warmer days of spring allow me to just go out and try new things and simply play! I've been working in bright, juicy colors like orange, lime, yellow and red. One of my weaknesses is picking a limited color palette and working up new bead designs or making a variety set of beads that are all different, but coordinate instead of beads sets that are all the same. That has been my focus the past few weeks along with expanding my colors and styles of my Bloomkin series of pendants and rings!"

1) Colorways Lampwork Disk Beads 2) Speckle Pink Lampwork Ring 3) Blue Speckle Lampwork Ring 4) Lime Twister Lampwork Ring

AJ from AJ’s Country Cottage says, “The changing seasons are definitely a source of inspiration for me. When spring comes, I'm thinking about the bright colors and sweet fragrances of flowers. Spring also calls for fresh, clean scents and the earthy fragrances of the garden. I've tried to capture some of these concepts in my new spring soaps and soy candles. I wanted to create a soap that smelled like the earthiness, the herbal greens, and the sweet blooms of my garden, so I came up with my "Spring Mosaic" soap (pictured below left). I swirled earthy browns, fresh greens, and bright yellows in this batch to mimic the colors of my garden. I also created a soap that reminds me of strawberry patches full of ripe fruit. "Strawberry Fields" (pictured below top right) is both earthy and fruity, an elegant and sophisticated "grown-up" scent featuring deep burgundy swirls on a tan background.”
AJ also has great soy candles in many new fresh scents. AJ adds, “White Jasmine, Wildflower Meadow, and Dream Weaver are all lovely and elegant flower scents, and Country Clothesline, Ocean Breeze, Linen Closet and Summer Breezes are wonderfully fresh & clean fragrances. And I love fruit, so I've added the sophisticated and elegant Mediterranean Fig, as well as Strawberry Coconut, Monkey Business, Forbidden Fruit, and Satsuma Citrus to my line. Satsuma is my new favorite! It's bursting with energy.” Find all of AJ's new soy candles ... flowers, fresh & clean, fruits ... listed in her shop.

As you can see, The KC Etsy team members are ready for spring, and hope you’ll check out these and other great spring themed items in their shops!

See Karen Kay Art Works, JewlLi, Angelfire Art Glass and other KCEtsy team members show off more of their new Spring creations at our April First Friday's Show, April 4th at Shiraz Restaurant in the Gallery Room.

* Written by AJ of AJ’s Country Cottage and Julie of JewlLi

Another Successful Show

A huge thank you to everyone who braved the fridged temperatures Friday night and joined the KCEtsy Team for the Crossroads Arts District First Fridays. Shriaz Restaurant was warm and inviting place to come in out of the cold and enjoy the fantastic Mediterranean cuisine, and a wide range of local art in their Gallery Room.

The KCEtsy Team is already gathering artists for April First Fridays! So mark your calendars (April 4th) and call your friends for a fun night out enjoying local art at Shriaz Restaurant and other participating galleries in the Crossroads District.

A special thanks to Shiraz for the use of their wonderful Gallery Room and continued hospitality as well as the many KCEtsy team members who participated!

Artist Spotlight - Ni-Chern Designs

Designer Nicole started Ni-Chern Designs, handmade handbags and accessories, originally to help pay off study abroad loans. But what started as a young designers wish to pay down traveling debts, has quickly turned into a love and passion for designing and making new things with crisp, chic fabrics on a daily basis.

Nicole finds much of her inspiration in the colors and textures of the fabrics she uses. “Being able to see the colors and textures of a fabric is one thing, but touching it’s softness or the raise of the design adds a different dimension. Using those senses as inspiration really guides me to what item a piece of fabric should become.”

Modern and über chic without losing out on any functionality, best describes the style you’ll find at Ni-Chern Designs. Finely crafted with exceptional attention to detail from both upholstery and cotton fabrics, Nicole’s bags are fully lined and sprayed with Scotchguard, to help keep them looking beautiful.

“I absolutely love it when someone tells me they love the item they bought from me and that they get so many compliments on it. I love that an item I created with my hands brings a smile to their face.”

You can find Ni-Chern Designs on Etsy and at First Fridays this month, March 7th at Shiraz Restaurant in the Crossroads District, as part of the KCEtsy Team’s Go Green Trunk Show. To learn more about the show, and see a sampling of the quality and variety, of unique handcrafted items presented by other team members at the show, see this blog post.

*Posted by tinystitches

Artist Spotlight - JewlLi

Silver, gemstones and sea glass are the three favorite materials you’ll find artist and jewelry maker Julie of JewlLi, working and creating with in her Lawrence, KS studio. Julie says she’s always found, “… that I am just happiest when I’m being creative.” After exploring many, many artistic mediums through workshops and classes, she finally found her true passion - jewelry making. “After a couple of metalsmithing classes,” she says, “I was hooked. It is pretty much what I think about 90% of the day!”

Julie uses sliver, gemstones and sea glass to create beautiful necklaces, earrings, bracelets and her favorite to design, rings. “Sometimes I just sit down with a jar of sea glass, hold the pieces in my hands and wonder what object they used to be … a bottle, a jar, someone’s dinnerware? It’s fun to imagine it’s prior life before it becomes a pendant or a ring.”

When designing a piece, Julie typically looks to color and nature to find inspiration for what direction to take with a collection of beads, or piece of sea glass. But when she doesn’t have a specific plan in mind, “I let the piece sort of take on its own direction. Sometimes, that’s when I make the best pieces.”

Recently, Julie has been experimenting with torch fired enameling and the results are stunning! She currently has beautiful earrings (like the red heart earrings pictured above) and pendants in shades of vibrant red, blue green, and aqua listed in her shop using this technique.

You can find Julie’s beautiful one-of-a-kind jewelry at her Etsy shop - JewlLi, Broer’s Flower shop in Eudora, KS, and at First Fridays, March 7^th, at Shiraz Restaurant.

KCEtsy's Go Green Trunk Show

The Kansas City Etsy Street Team is teaming up once again with Shiraz Restaurant this month, to participate in the Crossroads Art District's First Fridays.

Where: Shiraz Restaurant, The Gallery Room
320 Southwest Blvd., Crossroads District, at Southwest Blvd. and Broadway

When: First Friday, March 7th, 2008
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Admission to the KCEtsy "Go Green" Trunk Show is free and open to the public. Buy a glass of wine at the bar and join us in the Gallery Room to talk with the artists, and shop their amazing handcrafted items.

Check out these participating vendors' Etsy Shops for a sneak peek:











*Posted by tinystitches

Artist Spotlight - Cinderelish

By day, Kansas City pottery artisan Cindy, of Cinderelish, is a humble HR coordinator. But in her off-hours, you're likely to find this creative wife and mom at her potter's wheel. Her passion for making beautiful, functional stoneware began about eight years ago. "I have always loved art, but I thought I was too busy paying the bills to be able to be creative. After I got married, I was fortunate enough to be able to stay home with my daughter. When she was about 5 years old, I was able to devote one day a week to pottery. I was hooked!"

The rainbow is a source of inspiration for Cindy, as is evident from the bright and lovely colors she chooses for her pieces. "A nice creamy white stoneware is my favorite material to work with. I really love to make altered bowls with rolled rims." Her current projects include large platters and slabrolled trays. "I am trying new alteration methods and new surface decorations. I think I will always be working on something new."

Cindy's pottery creations are sold at the Liberty Heritage Festival, on First Fridays at the Shiraz Restaurant in KC March 7th with other KCEtsy Team Members, and in her Etsy shop. Stop by and check her out!

* Written by ajcountrycottage.

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!

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.

Artist Spotlight - Karen Kay Artwork & Adrienne Designs

Painter, illustrator, sculptor, designer, photographer, crafter and all around artist, Karen of Karen Kay Artworks, finds inspiration all around her. “Inspiration is in a warm summer day, a child’s face, an antique rocker, music and TV commercials, which I love to watch. Most of my ideas come when I am alone, listening to music or even in my dreams.” And it’s reflective in her bright, fun and lively work.

Karen is not only another artist who will be showing her work at our Everyone Needs a Little heART, Trunk Show at Shiraz Restaurant tomorrow night, but she is also the main organizer of the event!

“I can’t imagine a day without working on a project or painting or just sketching and writing down ideas” Karen says. This year, Karen is turning her creative focus to painting, turning drawings from her sketchbook into works of art. For tomorrow nights show, Karen has brought one of her sketches to life on canvas, entitled “Heartbreaker” (pictured below top left). Heartbreaker isn’t the only new project Karen has in the works for her show. She’s also been working on more textural pieces, (textural materials are a favorite of hers) making their first public appearance tomorrow night!

I for one can’t wait to see the latest witty creations of Karen Kay Artworks. Karen can be found online at her website, and her Etsy shop.

* * * * *

Adrienne, of Adrienne Designs, was told by her high school art teacher she really should find another line of work because art just wasn’t something she was good at. Well that art teacher never handed Adrienne a pile of beads and wire and told her to have at it! Adrienne discovered her hidden talent and love of beads and jewelry design quite by accident. It all started with a simple bracelet kit of her daughters. “We did [the kit] and I thought ‘I could do something prettier than that!’” And from that simple child’s jewelry kit, an artist was born.

Natural stones and wire, fibers, are just a few of Adrienne’s favorite materials, “I enjoy working with so many materials! I have a special fondness for Artisan Raku beads and pendants.”

Adrienne’s passion for creating beautiful jewelry hasn’t been diminished by intense health challenges. Three years ago she underwent major surgery that unfortunately, didn’t go well and took a full year to recover from. During that year, she simply focused on survival, and survive she did! “… although I’ve lost a few cognitive skills and short term memory, I can still create. I’m awed by that gift. I’m lucky to be alive much less creating and making jewelry. I give complete credit to God.”

What are Adrienne’s latest creations? A unique and beautiful line of necklaces made of ribbon and other fibers, beads and found objects. She is also working on a few men’s jewelry designs.


**Posted by tinystitches.

Artist Spotlight - Dumb Kid Designs

Susanne of Dumb Kid Designs found Etsy while searching the internet for handmade goodies. For Susanne, Handmade has been a part of her all her life, well before “Buying and Giving Handmade” became a movement. She started crafting as a young girl trying to follow in her mother’s footsteps and make her own doll clothes. This quickly moved into making gifts for her siblings, and now nieces and nephews. When you come from a large family, (she’s the 7th of 8) Susanne says, “You really need to be creative. My younger sister and I would make gifts for everyone. I still do.”

Dumb Kid Designs will celebrate its first anniversary on Etsy.com in March of this year. When she first got started she thought, “if I sell one – that’s pretty cool.” Well one sale, turned into another and another and another and this hobby crafter is now becoming a growing business woman in the world of Handmade. And although dealing with all the legal paperwork associated with getting registered with the state and taxes and such, is her least favorite part of the trade, it is helping her achieve a dream, “and that feels so great to me!”

Whimsical wallets made with hip, conversation piece papers (maps, vintage images, original designs), laminated and run through the sewing machine for durability are Susanne’s signature offering in Dumb Kid Designs. Susanne is working on a new project for the upcoming show, this coming Friday night at Shiraz Restaurant, map purses! Be sure to come and check out Susanne, and the other fantastic local artists who will have their handmade goodness on display.
**Posted by tinystitches.

Artist Spotlight

One of the things I love most about the Kansas City Etsy Street Team is the diversity of the artists within the team. Not only are we from all over the Metro area and beyond, but the members are hugely talented and widely diverse in their creative talents and abilities.

In the weeks leading up to our First Friday’s “Everyone Needs A Little heART!” Show in February at Shiraz Restaurant in the Crossroads District, we will be giving you a special look inside the team, introducing many of the talented men and women who will show their amazing handmade wares at the show.

* * * * *

When you talk to Barb of bbesigns, about how she got started, she’ll tell you she’s always loved making things with her hands. Like many artistic people with a love of creating, she’s ventured into many different areas, everything from jewelry making to wall hangings to mosaic. So it’s no surprise to learn that Barb has a degree in design from the Kansas City Art Institute.

Barb’s current focus is on card making. “I like making paper from recycled materials and doing small water colors” she said. Each of Barb’s special occasion cards, available in her Etsy shop and also at Becoming Nana in Brookside, are made using her special handmade papers and small watercolors. When you send one of Barb’s cards, you are really sending a small piece of original art.

What does Barb have in the works for the upcoming First Friday’s “Everyone Needs a Little heART“ show? “Right now I am making extras of the lines I have and will possibly add gift tags and invites to my inventory. I really like making personalized cards which can be challenging to do ahead, but I will need to do that for the show.”

* * * * *

Shelli of MondeDesign, grew up around amazingly talented women who were experts when it came to using a sewing machine and fabric. But it wasn’t until Shelli started her own family that she decided to follow in her mother and grandmothers footsteps. She convinced her husband to get her a sewing machine for her birthday and “that was it for me!” And when you look through Shelli’s offerings it is obvious sewing is in her blood.

MondeDesign specializes in custom sewing and machine embroidery focusing on personalized custom made accessories for weddings and children. Wedding dress labels, pillows, purses, clutches, favors, and her newest offering, garters, are just a few of the many items Shelli offers to make your wedding unique and memorable. While weddings are by far the largest portion of Shelli’s business, she’s quick to admit that most fun things to make are for little girls. “Anything you can put their name on, they just think is the coolest thing ever!” Hair accessories, dance accessories, aprons, altered clothing, baby burp cloths and many more! But Shelli’s favorite item to make, “purses for little girls—little versions of grown up purses are the best.”


**Posted by tinystitches.

Upcoming KCEtsy Artists Valentines Trunk Show!

That's right! Several KCEtsy members are part of an upcoming Valentines Trunk Show on First Fridays in February! We'll be presenting our uniquely handcrafted artwork at Shiraz Restaurant in the Crossroads District. Come browse and shop for yourself and your loved ones . . . after all, everyone needs a little heART for Valentine's Day!

DATE: First Fridays, February 1st, 2008
TIME: 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
PLACE: Shiraz Restaurant, in their Gallery Room, 320 Southwest Blvd Kansas City, MO 64108 (At Broadway and Southwest Blvd. in the Crossroads district)

Check out these participating vendors' Etsy Shops for a sneak peek:












creativeARTchika, wearable art - memory wire bracelets, earrings, etc.

Also at the show:
Roger Cissner, a fine art photographer
Erik Fouts, portrait artist

**Posted by thefunkyfelter.