What I've been up to lately....

So,  wow! I have been sooo busy lately. I have a million projects at various stages of unfinished-ness :) haha! I have been making new pieces for a Holiday Limited Edition section of my shop because I scored a coveted spot in the Etsy Stalker Shadowboxes starting Dec 10!!!!! I'm super excited - but I want to be able to showcases new holiday oriented jewellery so I have been spending most of my free time planning out my Shadowbox :)

Also I don't know how many of you know this but I am a member of the LabRats Team on Etsy and we are having a Holiday Challenge with the theme of Glistening Snow and Mistletoe. I have been working on something special to enter in this challenge and I recently just finished it, so I wanted to share some photos of it below - and I would love to know what you think of it! It will also be listed with my Holiday Limited Edition items so you can purchase it if you really love it!

I want to know what you think!!!! Please let me know in the comment section below.

There will be voting on our team blog for this challenge.... I'll let you know when that is :)

P.S Sorry no Wishlist Tuesday tomorrow..... too busy to window shop this week!

New Canadian Shops on Etsy

Here I am again - Kim from A little bit of pretty - with your weekly installment of New Canadian Shops on Etsy. This week I am featuring Maple Creek Soapworks . So let's begin shall we???

Maple Creek Soapworks is a couple from Edmonton, Alberta who began making soaps together following years of being itchy and uncomfortable after showering due to the use of commercial soaps. After a particularly uncomfortable episode, they had the opportunity to try some handmade soap and were amazed at the difference, and decided to try to make their own. So after some research, there was a working recipe, and the rest is history :)

Maple Creek Soapworks opened shop on Etsy in January 2009, and already have a wide range of products. There are bath soaks,  lotions,  lip balms, solid perfumes, and a Premium Line of products they call GlacierSpa that includes (for now I'm sure) an Anti-Aging Moisturizer, a Botanical Toner, and a Creamy Green Tea Cleanser. They also have products for tattoo care and make your own lip balm kits.

Their soaps are made, cut and wrapped by hand from top quality natural ingredients such as olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter and hempseed oil. All of their cold process bars contain cocoa butter and natural glycerine for extra moisturizing and they use essential oils or top quality fragrance oils for scenting. Ultramarines and iron oxides are used for coloring. All good stuff! :)

I am particularly intrigued by the bath soaks - especially the muscle soak. I am plagued by a stiff back and headaches dues to hours and hours spent beading and making jewellery, and am wondering if this might remedy or alleviate the tension???? Maybe I'll have to buy some to find out! There are also bath soaks for cough and cold symptoms and a couple lavender blends that would do nicely right before bedtime!


So check out this new up and coming soaperie - they are also having a Christmas sale right now of 15% off all items in the shop! Happy shopping :) Until next time, Kim XO.

TGIF!!! Nov 13, 2009

Here is this weeks' edition of TGIF- get ready to shop, shop, shop!  This week I decided to put together some items that would be great to buy "for her". These are also some of my favourite Etsy shops as well :) So without further ado - get ready to shop!

My first pick are these 3 dot earrings (love colours) by 3dots . I love the shape of these, and the colour of the beads that are within the large wooden circles. I have been coveting several items from this shop for ages! I love the look of wooden jewellery and all of the pieces in the shop are stained this gorgeous deep colour. These would make a great gift for anyone who loves jewellery!

Speaking of loving jewellery, what is better than a one-of-a-kind piece? The BLUE FROST-One of a Kind Lucite Collage Art Bangle with Swarovski Crystals by CindyG's Quirks of Art is truly a unique find. This is a stunning mixed media decoupaged bangle finished on a high quality frosted lucite/acrylic resin bracelet. Each and every bracelet in this shop is a work of art and love - a great gift idea for someone special!

Purple Flower Needle Book and Pincushion Set by JennMaruskaDesign - cute little wool and felt needlebook and pincushion perfect for holding sewing accessories. Great gift idea for that crafty sewing person in your life :)

Beach Bride Hair Comb Starfish SC Ocean Star by OhFaro - this comb is so beautiful! It is three vintage brooches that had been repurposed into a hair comb :) I love the way this one looks with the cute tiny faux turquoise and pearl beads - the piece is dressy but still beachy looking. Love it!

The twilight collection - Esme . bobby pins by pandacub - Great trio of bobby pins inspired by the character Esme from the wildy popular Twilight movie of course! I love the colours, and the combination of flower and vintage cameo. Would make a great stocking stuffer!

Blue and Purple Waffle Hoodie / size Large by Replicca - have someone on your list that hates shopping in chain stores but loves handmade clothing? Replicca has a great assortment of knit hoodies, tshirts, dresses, and turtlenecks and most of the pieces in the shop feature the same 3 colour blocking technique shown here. Very cool!

I love this great recycled, quilted vintage fabric clutch...sustainable purse by rikrak. Its the cutest little quilted clutch ever! Its a great shape and size (10x5 inches), and made of fresh repurposed vintage fabrics! Makes a great small, run around town clutch because it can fit all your essentials but you aren't wieghed down by a cumbersome purse! This one is on my wishlist :)

Snowflakes sterling silver earrings by TDNCreations - I am totally on a snowflake kick right now, so I was really excited when I found these snowflake earrings and I HAD to include them in this Christmas shopping post! Aren't they great? These little guys are handcut out of a textured sheet of silver and tumbled so they have a nice shine :) Love them!



Well those are my picks - I hope that I have helped you out a little bit with your Christmas shopping. I'll be back next time with some more great gift ideas! Until next time, Kim XO.

2 minutes of silence.....

Today is Remembrance Day - so I am taking the day off of regular blog posting. I will return tomorrow with a new shop feature, but for today I am going to observe the 2 minutes of silence and remember my friend Corporal Bryce Keller. I can't believe its already been 3 years. We miss you Bryce :(

Lest we Forget

Wishlist Tuesday Nov 10/2009

Another Tuesday - new Wishlist Tuesday post! This week I have some more great home decor picks since I am constantly searching Etsy for decoration stuff :) So I have put together another collage of cute, eclectic, and unique decor items. Enjoy!

1) Darling Petite Silver Mirror by SparrowsNest1

2) elephant bookends by monkeyandsquirrel

3) Custom Map Coasters by CarolinaCottage

4) Original Watercolour Piece - Summer in France by moonthroughfog

5) Two Organic Shaped Tealight Holders by ParadiseHillDesigns

6) Citrine Leaves - Buckwheat and Lavender Pillow by Mireio

7) Two Hand Engraved Wine Glasses "Reaching Branches" by daydreemdesigns

8) Pinch Bud Vase in Green by tannerglass

Happy shopping :) Until next time, Kim XO.

I LOVE my blog followers!

I told you it was coming - a special announcement :)

Because I LOVE my blog followers SO much I want to extend a special

20% off the One-Of-A-Kinds section in my shop

To recieve this, send me an email or convo through Etsy telling me you are

a blog follower and what item you are interested in. I will set it up as a reserved

listing and change the price to reflect the 20% off.  And shipping is FREE!!!

This special blog followers promotion is open from tonight (Nov 6) to Friday,

November 13. Thats a whole week to get a jumpstart on your Christmas shopping

and buy some beautiful jewellery for yourself or someone you love :)

Enjoy! Kim XO.

TGIF!!!! Nov 6,2009

This weeks installment of TGIF - get ready to shop, shop, shop is all about the November-babies :) I have come up with a bunch of ideas in case you are stumped and don't know what to buy.... this time of year can get that way. Everyone is in Christmas mode, and  it seems right from the start of November, those of us who have birthdays in November sort of get lost in the holiday spirit. I should know - I am a November-baby myself! So I have put together a list with a range of ideas, from birthstones to zodiacs. Have Fun!

This ring has been on my wishlist for weeks! They are so cute, and I love the vintage feel of them. There is one for every sign of the zodiac with the corresponding "birthstone" colour - Star Sign rings by pandacub .

My next pick is this Gold Shine - Citrine Quartz geode dipped in 22K gold by mycellardoor . I am in love with this necklace! there is nothing I like more than seeing lovely gems in their natural state. I guess that's the geologist in me :) This citrine geode pendant is dipped in gold and hung from a 14K gold chain. What a lovely gift this would make!

What about some great artwork with a zodiac theme??? I am a huge fantasy and sci fi geek so I am loving the way the artist has portrayed the scorpion and saggitarius in these prints - I would definitely love to hang one of these on my wall. Zodiac Collection - 5x7 Matted Print by mysticmoonmedia - these prints come in your choice of zodiac sign and all are free to ship!

Romantic Rose Golden Citrine Blossom Flower Bobby Pin by ayawedding . How about a beautiful, handmade, organza flower pin to adorn your flowing locks? These flower bobby pins are just so pretty, and you could have one in any colour you want! And the best part is, the flower never wilts :)

How about a set of handy Cute Animal Zodiac Multi Note Cards Set by Cuore. These note cards are blank, A2 size, come in a choice of 3 paper colour choices, and is a set of 12 (one for every zodiac sign or your choice of one sign on all 12 cards). These are really handy to have around - how cute wold it be to send notes to all your friends with your "signature" zodiac sign on them???

Just looking for a little something to give as a gift? How about a Custom Hello Kitty bell phone charm - zodiac crystal inlay by sachicrafts or The Snake key ring by JooSweetie . The key rings come in your choice chinese zodiac sign (in my case - Yes not only am I a Scorpio but I was also born Year of the Snake ;) ) and the bell charms have a choice of strap colour and crystal colour.

I have lately become very intrigued by felting. In fact there was a lady with a booth at the quilt show I attended last week who did nothing but felt. I was mesmerized by the array of items on her table! Here I found this wonderful Cobweb felt scarf - Autumn leaves OOAK by vilte that is in a beautiful citrine shade! And it is a one-of-a-kind!

Of course my last pick has to be a bag :) I love bags, and I stumbled upon this wonderful shop while looking for ideas for this post. I would seriously buy everything in this shop if I could! This Citrine Bow Handbag by mojospastyle is exactly my style - I love the colour, the bow, the shape, the length of the strap (not too long not too short). I hope I get this for my birthday!!! :)





Well thats it - Happy Shopping :) Until next time, Kim XO.