COVETED: An Etsydelphia Holiday Gift Guide Supplement

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COVETED: An Etsydelphia Holiday Gift Guide Supplement

POSTED: Thursday, December 9, 2010, 7:16 PM

Filed Under: Shopping Coveted

If you haven't picked up a City Paper yet, do it! Do it right now! Inside you'll find our local-est Gift Guide ever, focusing on neighborhood stores (from Fairmount to Fishtown, Passyunk to Manayunk) that could use your business way more than, say, Best Buy. But there's one biz demographic that didn't quite fall into our neighborhood rundown: Etsydelphia. That is — Etsy shop owners who live here in Philly but whose goods can only (or mostly) be found online. So if you're feeling particularly home-bodied but still want to support your local economy, get clickin'.

APPAREL + ACCESSORIES > Giant Dwarf, purveyor of oversize floral fascinators that we've been eyeing for years now, has the cutest new headband, and Kat Von Dee agrees. Available in diamond, gold, ruby or onyx, the Starlette Crown "is guaranteed to make you feel fancy and special whenever it's atop your pretty head." Yes, please! It's made from hand-cut vinyl stars, jazzed up with German glass glitter and lined with felt. Buy this for your girlfriend to wear on NYE and you'll be in smoochville when the ball drops and Snooki's head pops out. Just keep that orange bitch away from your lady's crown. $50, Giant Dwarf. BOOKS + ZINES > "Keeping it green" just outside Philly, Ivy Lane Designs is all about the quirky upcycle. Her Vintage Recycled Notebooks use old-school record covers (of the kid-friendly variety like Sesame Street and Pinocchio, but also including real-life, grown-up musical heroes from Kenny G to Placido Domingo, plus Broadway hits like A Chorus Line for the Glee nerd on your list) to bind looseleaf-paper-size books, and extra-large spirals accommodate "oodles of your photos and/or scrapbook goodies." Bert & Ernie: Side by Side is an original, so there's only one available, but the shop has, as its owner would put it, oodles of choices. $20, Ivy Lane Designs. FOOD + DRINK > No gift guide would be complete without the inclusion of Philly Etsy queen Girls Can Tell, who goes by Sara Selepouchin when she's not busy selling the most charming tea towels, coasters and prints known to DIY man. Focusing on original illustrations and diagrams of home and hobby, the GCT product line is ever expanding, but our hands-down favorite new item is the bright yellow Beer Is Delicious Bottle Opener Keychain. Featuring a glassware diagram, the opener is a seriously great stocking stuffer. And, as Selepouchin points out, "This bottle opener is quite honestly just the most awesome." Agreed! $6, Girls Can Tell. HOME + GARDEN > "Refined aesthetics and modern design" is how Kaye Rachelle describes its M.O., and it's absolutely so. There's something so clean and sweet about the design duo's collection of pillows, placemats, totes and tea towels, but also curious: They're all hand-screen-printed with unusual images that range from nautical knots and silverware to the NYC Highline and oyster flowers. Most delightful and surprising is the company's Radiator Pillow. According to its description, the image was inspired by "years of living in Old City apartments with lovely radiators full of character." The pillow's available in a variety of colors to match your living room decor. $34, Kaye Rachelle. KIDS + PETS > And here you thought the cupcake fad had finally hit critical mass, but you must've forgotten that puppies need snacks, too! These Mini Pupcakes are made from Jackie Starker's pet-friendly biscuit recipe, which she taste-tests with her adorably named pooch, Amelie. "If my picky little shih-poo eats up these treats, I'm sure they will get your dog's tail wagging as well!" (Can we just linger on how cute the idea of a shih-poo is for a sec?) The Pupcakes Bits & Pieces brand also includes doggy stocking-stuffers, peanut butter treats and tooth-shaped frosted Breath Busters that're all so pretty you'll want to eat them yourself. But 'tis the season for giving, 'member? $4 (for four-pack of mini cakes), Pupcakes. MIND + BODY > A medical anthropologist by trade, Sarah Powell somehow makes time in her busy schedule (she works full-time in public health at Temple) to create "concoctions, herbal blends and infusions" for her line of spirit-cleansing body products. (She also sells teas, perfumes and herbs.) Lilith's Apothecary specializes in aromatherapy, and the Herbal Home Spa Facial Kit is a great representation of everything the brand stands for. Included in the gift basket: toner, facial steam pack, facial mask and a patterned bowl for mixing — so your over-stressed mom can pretend she's in her very own apothecary. $38, Lilith's Apothecary.

mclovebuddy

Posted 2010-12-10 10:16:37

great finds! i love etsy as a buyer and seller of vintage and handmade, www.mclovebuddy.etsy.com. it's fun to do.  great content there.

Caitlin Connors

Posted 2011-02-08 18:18:23

Hey guys! This is a great article; I used to work for a few local entertainment guides and was always looking for local artists to spotlight.

I wanted to let you know I am a local artist as well who does surfer photography and illustration. You can see my stuff at: www.esty.com/shop/babygfunkmonkey! Maybe you can use my for the 2011 guide!

Posted by Carolyn Huckabay @ 7:16 PM Permalink | Post a comment

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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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