Etsy Your Heart Out!

I have to tell you, I am addicted to a site I recently discovered, called Etsy. It's like eBay or Amazon for all things handmade. You can purchase everything from handmade books to one-of-a-kind sculpture to fine furniture and jewelry. Obviously, there is also plenty of crap and some of the stuff is way overpriced, but there are a lot of great sellers on the site that make some really wonderful items.

I've only purchased two items from Etsy since my poor grad student status automatically negates much frivolous spending, but I still love to snoop around the place thinking of things that I could make, either for myself or as gifts. A particularly fantastic part of the site is that most of the sellers are willing to work with customers to create personalized, one-of-a-kind items, so that you get exactly what you're looking for.

My favorite seller, so far, is Froydis. She uses old, falling apart books and dust jackets to make beautiful hand-bound journals. I can only hope to someday make books that look half as good as hers. The whole site makes me want to give up on school and start making books and selling framed photos...

Anyway, if you like crafty/artsy things or if you need a gift for someone who does, Etsy is a good place to start and finish your search.