Etsy Obsession

The Etsy phenomenon is far from new, but I just had to write a quick something about my obsession with its awesomeness. Because not only is it a cool place to browse for (typically) well-priced jewelry, art, and hand-made crafts, but it is one of my favorite go-to sites for artistic inspiration. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, am I right? By no means do I condone copying someone's art, and I am definitely not suggesting you do that. But if you needs some ideas for general projects, especially those utilizing recycled materials and found objects, check out what other people are doing. It can't hurt.

Online window shopping is one of my favorite pastimes (as demonstrated by my rave about Target's non-committal list feature), and Etsy is the single most comprehensive place to find cool stuff. I mean, that is really the only word for it. Cool. My favorite realized purchase? A large gold necklace with a copy of the original Alice's Adventures in Wonderland illustration. Where would you find that in real life? (Side note: I have a major obsession with Alice; she is basically my idol and I think the nonsense genre of literature is amazing. I would also like to point out that my obsession began WAY before Tim Burton and Johnny Depp made that ridiculous and awesome and ridiculously awesome book popular.)

In the end, my point is that sometimes we all need a little inspiration. For instance, I get free discontinued fabric samples from my job in the interior design showroom. I have stacks of fabric books and shopping bags full of small squares. Now, until I learn to sew, I am at a loss of what to do with all these, but I know that they are just too reusable to dispose of. So, off I go to Etsy to search for textile art.

BAM. Awesome framed textiles. Who would have thought? Granted, the example is sewn, but nothing is stopping me from cutting out fun designs and putting them behind glass. I feel an adventure in patterns and texture coming on... stay tuned.