It's A Wolf Thing.

Thank you to Nancy Breaux of Breaux Bunch Quilts for sending me one of her pillow cases for review on my blog.

T-shirt Memory Quilts, Baby Clothes Quilts, Bereavement Quilts and Longarm Machine Quilting.
Christmas Orders: I must have your shirts by November 15, 2013 to ensure delivery by Christmas Day. Express shipping charges may need to be paid by the buyer, although I will try very hard to avoid this happening. If it is after November 15, please contact me first to find out if I will be able to accomodate your Christmas orders, otherwise it may not be possible.

The pillow cover is of a great size, design and quality, and looks great filled with a pillow and placed upon my bed. It is handmade from one of Nancy's tees, yet it looks professional. The stitching is small and neat, and has a flap at the back so the fabric can fold over the pillow without showing the insides. The only problem with it is that the fabric is stretchy, therefore the pillow inside easily manipulates the cover, making it appear a tad frumpy.

"Absolutely Perfect! Nancy did an amazing job on my quilt! It is a custom t shirt quilt and Nancy helped me choose the perfect backing and borders. I am over-the-moon happy with my results! Thank you so very much Nancy!!!"

"Stunningly beautiful work. Please keep Nancy in business! Super easy to communicate with, always responsive, quick turnaround, impeccable judgment. Could not be happier with this purchase. Thank you!"

I am a massive fan of Twilight, so this pillow case is perfect for me. However, I am still trying to decide on whether I am Team Edward or Team Jacob, because I am currently reading the books and Edward seems a little less intimidating and a little more enticing than he does in the major productions, and Jacob seems a little weedy in the books.

Visit the Breaux Bunch Quilts Etsy page at https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/BreauxBunchQuilts for more information.

Pinegrove Leather

Thank you to Rob Boyes of Pinegrove Leather for sending me one of his products for review on my blog.

My wife Lou made me a leather case for my harmonicas, as I didn't like any of the ones you could buy. It was rough but widely admired and we had to make more for friends! I developed the design further then started making cases for other instruments too. Later on we got hold of a proper sewing machine for leather and we were off!

I love the process of design and crafting in leather. It's an expensive material, and you can't patch up mistakes, but otherwise it's very rewarding. It lasts forever, looks great, feels great, even smells good. The variety of finishes you can get is amazing, and I can even create my own effects. My style is rustic with some Western and 50s jukebox influences thrown in. I try to avoid using modern style catches and fastenings, preferring the challenge of designing an effective fastening using more traditional techniques.

The case looks gorgeous, and is made with authentic leather. It has been scored on the outside, which adds a bit of character to the case. It is wellmade, with an original logo and faultless stitchings. It has been made by hand, and is perfect for holding my many guitar picks. It has four spaces in the inside of the case for guitar picks, and a pocket to hold more, or things like business cards or spare strings.

The case arrived in perfect condition, and had been carefully wrapped to prevent any possible damage. I received it quickly within the allocated time, after it had been shipped straight after an address had been given. Customer service was brilliant, with all communication quick and swift, yet filled with all the appropriate details and information

Pinegrove is based in the small but beautiful Pennine town of Hebden Bridge. This unique place is set at the meeting point of three steep sided, wooded valleys. Amongst the trees are nestled the stone ruins of woollen mills from the earliest days of industry. Above the treeline is a vast space of heather moorland, with grouse, curlew and deer, and ancient packhorse trails that lead in every direction. Me, I like the views, but I also like the details, like patterns on the rocks made by the lichens and mosses. Thanks for reading, I hope you like my pieces. Let me know if you want something in my style that's not listed.

The case is of top quality, with a professional finish. It is perfect, and has a slight shine to it with makes it more aesthetic. It came with leaflets displaying more gorgeous products, and instructions on how to take care of and clean the case. It is brilliant, and will come in great use for when I'm playing my guitar whilst travelling away from home - it makes the perfect travel plectrum case. I have filled it with picks and business cards. It would make a lovely gift for a loved one, or a nifty present for yourself this Christmas.

Visit the Pinegrove Leather Etsy page at https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/PinegroveLeather for more information.

Chow Arts Farhampton Poster

Thank you to Amy (great name!) of Chow Arts for sending me one of her gorgeous Farhampton posters - it looks great.

Digital art has always been my passion and I was excited to discover Etsy as it gave me a chance to show others what I love and what I can do with Photoshop. Most of my work revolve around graphics with a positive message. Some of my work are inspired by the comedy show How I Met Your Mother. It is one of my favourite comedies and there are many quotes from the show that I think are both funny and uplifting; especially to fans of the show. 

I am a massive fan of How I Met Your Mother, so this poster was perfect for me. Farhampton station is where the main character Ted finally meets the mother (who the television series is blatantly about). Ted spends years looking for 'The One', after his two best friends from college fall in love, marry and have a child, and then his 'bro' Barney falls in love with Ted's ex Robyn. It's all very complicated, and literally the first six series are about Ted searching for 'the love of his life', when FINALLY he finds her. Despite the complex story line, it really is a great series, so I was pretty chuffed to receive this poster and show it off.

Sometimes when we are feeling down, a reminder of a few encouraging words can pick us back up again. That is the effect I want people to have when they look at my posters. They are all about inspiring viewers to stay strong and think positively.

I mostly focus on positive messages because of the effect it has on myself; it makes me feel happy as I am designing them and I hope my posters will have a positive impact on others. 
I am still in the process of expanding my shop and I can't wait to show the Etsy community my future works!

The poster arrived quickly and in perfect condition, after being sent in a tube made for posters. Communications were simple, yet full with the appropriate information.

The poster is amazing quality, printed on a reasonably thick card. It has a slight gloss to it, so it reflects beautifully when light is shone on it. I have hung it besides another How I Met Your Mother poster that I have, so it actually looks like I am beginning to create a shrine. It is a great length and width, and attatches easily to the double sided tape that I used to stick it to my wall.

Visit the Chow Arts Etsy page at https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ChowArts for more information and to browse.

Salvage Woodworks Ring Tree

Thank you to Rod Surber of Salvage Woodworks for sending me one of his ring trees for review on my blog.

I've worked with plants all my life. Indeed, some of my earliest memories are of "helping" my mother working in her extensive vegetable garden and ornamental beds with an enormous variety of flowers, vines, shrubs and trees. I've worked in silviculture, arboriculture and fine gardening all of my working life as well, starting with a year-long stint in the Young American Conservation Core for the California Division of Forestry in 1977 (I was seventeen), and the Youth Conservation Core for the U.S. Forest Service in 1978. I worked for many years as an arborist in several northern California communities, and have been self employed in arboriculture / horticulture since the late '80s.

Artistic, creative expression was always supported and encouraged in my house growing up, and has remained an important, essential element of my life journey. Both my father (who has now passed), and my mother have been consistently involved in some form of artistic expression themselves. For many years my main creative ax was writing, although that has never become part of my working life. (I earned an MFA in poetry writing at San Francisco State University in the "90s.)

Each piece of the Salvage Woodworks collection is unique and not one is like another. They're all organic and handmade, looking brilliant. My ring tree is small and nifty, and it manages to hold about six of my rings. I use it for show on my bedside table, displaying my favourite rings. It looks great placed upon a mantlepiece or side, and suits any type of material, be it marble or wood or glass.

I love the curves of the tree, and the way that it elegantly slopes down. The design is beautiful and intricate, with small details here and there.

Towards the end of earning that degree I was really missing using my hands and creative energy in the world of physical objects as well as the world of ideas and writing. One day I happened on a very inexpensive (and poor quality) wood-lathe on a sale table in front of a hardware store. Woodturning was something I had never tried, and as I say, I was craving the use of some kind of tool other than a pen or keyboard, so I bought it and began turning as a hobby. I took to it immediately, and with the help of many excellent books from my local library and several incredible websites began to learn to turn! Over the course of the next several years I finished my degree and after trying it I knew that the most likely avenue to parlay an MFA into a career (teaching) was not something I wanted to do full time. (!) Throughout those years I had been continuing apace with my woodturning "hobby" and had become pretty proficient, and was getting a lot of encouraging feedback on my work. I gave a lot of turnings away, and sold a few pieces, but was still accumulating a lot of work, and at a certain point it just made sense to try and get more serious about sales. 

All communication was quick and simple, yet detailed enough for me to write this review. I received it faster than I expected, with no damage at all due to the care taken in Rod's packaging process. The Salvage Woodwork's etsy is full with wonderful designs, with handmade products such as drinking glasses, bowls and trinket boxes, all equally wonderful.

The ring tree is a subtle yet postivie decoration for my bedroom, and it successfully presents my jewelry. It looks great, and stands easily without any assistance. It solids stays standing up, and is flat on the bottom so it doesn't sway from side to side upon my side.

So I launched Salvage Woodworks and set up a booth at one of the local Farmers' Markets, which soon became several local Markets, as well as Arts and Craft shows, etc. I started a website for the business as well, and learned how to include an online storefront, but I was struggling to generate enough traffic on my own website to lead to brisk sales. My shoestring business launch just didn't include a suitable advertising budget. In the spring of 2011 I discovered Etsy and was struck by the number of shops that had really awesome, really handmade goods, and although the number of shops was a little daunting, the site's overall traffic and international presence was impressive, and the set up cost was minimal, so I launched my Etsy shop and here I am! I hope you enjoy it.

Visit the Salvage Woodworks Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SalvageWoodworks for more information.

Cool TV Props

Thank you to everyone at Cool TV Props for sending me one of their Legendary tees - It is actually pretty gorgeous.

"These are awesome. My only suggestion would be to include in the product description that these are, in fact, scented and what that scent is. I didn't know if they were but decided to take my chances. Thankfully it's a scent that I don't mind, but this is useful info that should be shared with customers before they buy. Thanks."

I am a massive fan of the How I Met Your Mother television series, so this tee is perfect for me. Barney Stinson catchline is 'It's going to be legen... wait for it... dary,', and he constantly refers to it throughout the show.

"Got a couple for my guy friends to put in their car as they are HUGE Breaking Bad fans. They thought it was really cool. It's great quality and it looks exactly like the one from the show. However, the scent is really strong."

The tee is made with cotton which therefore is incredibly soft. It is of good quality and doesn't stretch, and is printed with environmentally friendly ink. It is handmade and is shipped worldwide from the United States.

"The item was shipped and delivered in a timely manner. However, the pictures and price led me to believe that the mug would have been of a higher quality. I expected the glass to be thicker and more durable, but it was thin and light. "Respect the Chemistry" looked like it had some light flaking, but was not really that noticeable. For the price I paid (over $30 including shipping) I just expected a higher quality product. The good news is that my friend loved it, as she is a huge Breaking Bad fan, and she found it a wonderful birthday gift."

All communication was quick and simple, yet detailed enough for me to write this review. I received it faster than I expected, with no damage at all due to the care taken in the Cool TV Props' packaging process. The Cool TV Props etsy is full with wonderful designs, with handmade products such as air freshenners, shirts and posters, all being equally wonderful.

Visit the Cool TV Props Etsy page at https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/CoolTVProps for more information.

Krusty/ The Joker Mash Up Tee

Thank you to Stefano Gentile from Stefano Gentile Nerd Art for sending me one of his tshirts for review - it's awesome.

I begun drawing Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck when I was 4 and continuing painting Star Wars parody, Marvel's deconstruction, amazing robots etc.
I took my first expo at "Wow! Milan's comics museum" in July 2012, then I showed my paintings also in "Leogallery", a famous Gallery in the north of Italy

At the beginning of 2013 I had an exposure to the important MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART OF ROME for the collective: Gioco e Giocattolo. My painting "Hiroshima mon amour" has been selected to the final of the prize "LAGUNA ART VENICE 12-13". 26th July-21st August: "Robots do not dream just electric sheeps", Solo show, Carrara, Italy.

This tee is a mash up of Krusty the Clown from my favourite animated television series The Simpsons, and the legend The Joker from Batman. It looks pretty cool, if not slightly terrifying. It is made with 100% pure combed cotton, which obviously means that it is incredibly soft and extremely comfortable.

The screenprint is professionally printed with plastisol ink, resistent and completely natural, being mais and soya based. On the back of the tee is a small logo also printed with the environmentally friendly ink. It is barely noticable, yet when focused upon it really adds charm to the tee.

"The real print the guy sent me it's way better than the pics on Etsy. nPaper is fine quality and the details that you can catch when the paints are on the wall are supercute. I thinks that there's no comparison between the screen and the print. Now i am wondering about the original paints! Good job boy, the lad is a real good artist."

Customer service was great, being quick and thorough. The tee arrived in the allocated time, and in perfect condition. It was carefully packaged with precision, so it was fully protected even in overseas travel.

The tee looks great, and I have been wearing it with a pair of black leggings, black bomber jacket, fluffy black socks and red boots to break up the colour, with red accessories such as earrings and a hat. However, this tee will look great with anything, be it monochrome or flashy pink, it will still be the main piece.

"Received my print today- not too long for shipping from Italy to Canada. Beautiful artwork. This will look fantastic in my son's room. Thanks!"

"Awesome painting, really well done. Great immagination of the artist, fast shipping and good communication. A NEW STAR IS BORN! Thanks Stefano!"

Visit the Stefano Gentile Nerd Art Esty at; https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SteGentileNerdArt

GARLAND FROM FUNKY FRILLS

Thank you to Abby Mace of Funky Frills for sending me one of her gorgeous 40ft long strings of bunting.

Funky Frills UK was born in August 2012. It all started because I wanted a simple garland for a birthday party, but just couldn't find what I was looking for. So decided to make it myself. Being the kind of person I am, it just snowballed from there. I was being asked by friends and family to make them something for their parties, house decor and Christmas doo's.

It's just so exciting for me that I can do what I love, which is creating for other people. I hope you enjoy looking through my garlands, I'm sure there is something there for you, and if not, why not send me a message and see if I can create the perfect garland for you.

The bunting really brightens up my room, without becoming overpowering and taken attention away from my other bright decorations. They are made from quality card stock, so are strong enough to withold tugging and pulling. They had been handmade using a sewing machine, so once I had wound it around my room, I could then cut the end and use it for decorating something else.

I live in Pulborough, West Sussex, UK. I'm a devoted Wife to Jon & mummy to 3 gorgeous children. I love making my paper garlands for you, so thank you for making it possible for me :)

Many thanks for reading my story and I hope to see you in my shop soon.

As you can see in the image above, the bunting looks great in my room. It was easy to put up, yet reasonably difficult to get the lengths right so it looks evenly proportioned. It balances the decoration and colour in my room, and is now one of the first things noticed when someone walks through my door.

Customer service was great, with all conversations kept to the minimum, yet any informtation needed was easily accessable. I received the bunting quickly and hassle free, and it arrived in perfect condition due to the protective way in which it had been packaged.

"It is so enchanting! Super adorable and perfect to hold up with my fiance in our engagement shoot! The size is just right to hold in between two people, or to place between two chairs at my wedding!! The shop owner even drew a smiley face on my receipt in my mail! Great!"

Visit Funky Frills on the Not On The High Street Website at; http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/funkyfrillsuk

Visit the Funky Frills Etsy page at; http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/funkyfrillsuk

In The Makings - Lightshade

Thank you to Christy Reynosa from In The Makings for sending me one of her lightshades for review - it looks gorgeous.

Thanks For Looking! Feel free to ask about other sizes or colors in any of my hat styles! Hats that are already listed can be re-sized too! Send Me a Convo If You Would Like Me To "Remake" Any Items That I Have Sold! I normally don't ship international but you can always ask for a shipping quote. I SHIP OUT FAST AFTER PAYMENT IS RECEIVED (SAME DAY OR NEXT DAY) SO BE SURE YOUR ADDRESS IS UP TO DATE :)

This lightshade is about 12 inches from the top to the bottom, which meant that it fits perfectly to my wall hanging lightbulb. It looks perfectly proportioned, and doesn't overhang or appear too thin.

The lightshade is made with a black lace material which looks great in my room, which is weird considering the fact that my room is filled with bright accessories and decorations - I thought that it would have taken the attention away from the lightshade, but that doesn't happen. It would look great in any room, be it one with monochrome wallpaper or one with flashy prints, I can assure that it will still stand out as one of the most eye catching pieces.

"I LOVE this hat! So 1920s flapper! Very well made and sturdy, worth much more than the price. Christy was wonderful to work with. I inquired about a custom order, and in 5 days it was on my front porch! Thank you so much! I will definitely be back for another!"

Customer service was brilliant with Christy, with all communication being quick and thorough, with no useless details. It was shipped in the allocated time, and arrived slightly sooner than expected. It arrived in perfect condition, due to that fact that it had been safely and securely packaged.

The lightshade had been handmade, and if you look closely you can see where the materials had been attached, however it really isn't noticable whilst hanging from a bulb. It looks gorgeous, and really improves the look of my room. Many people have complimented me on it, as of which I directed them straight to Christy's Etsy shop.

"Love this hat. Wearing with my olive coat and my camel colored coat for both dressy and casual wear. Great experience with seller, fast shipment, excellent response time on a question I asked prior to making the purchase."

Visit the In The Makings Etsy shop at; https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/cokiethebaby for more information.