N is for...

These little nightengale birdies are so cute! Today's alphabet feature N is for Nightengale comes from weesf or Wee San Francisco: a wonderful shop full of great decorations for your kids room! This piece is made from paper cut outs in brilliant colors. All layered together it really brings the work to life but then I've always been a fan of cut outs. (check out Roadside Projects blog for more great stuff!) What's great about this piece is it's simplicity. While it's playful and fun, it still looks put together and artistic, especially framed on the wall! Be sure to check out the other non alphabet items in this shop.

M is for....Martha!

Because this is the letter I hold nearest and dearest to my heart, I thought I would include a bunch of my favorites for this post instead of writing detailed descriptions. Please be sure to stop by these Etsy shops and see all the other great things they have to offer!

Letter M Print by lindsayart

Initially Yours by WhimsyHouse

Mister M by leahdevine

Initials Collection-M Pendant by MollyStuff

M Monogram Eco Felt Stocking by exlibrishandmade

Christmas Monogram Return Address Stickers by SimplyEmbellish

L is for...

I don't have any wees ones yet, but as a studio photographer I see lots of cute hairbows and this Holiday Arglye Hairclip Set is perfect for Christmas pictures! Samantha of TipTopLollipop, handmakes all these bows so any initial can be embroidered on the clippies. And I always say customizable makes for the most personal gifts! If you're a mom that has lots of friends with babies these are wonderfully thoughtful and cheap for only $5.75 for two clips! Plus this shop is bursting at the seams with super cute hair clippies for everyday. I don't ever remember having so many options when I was little! There are lots of styles and all sizes from newborn up to big girls. Hurry over to Samantha's shop to take advantage of her holiday sale!

And now for something completely different...a L Letter Lovers Notebook! If you love letters (like me!) then this is the notebook for you! It's by peeppaper and filled with 40 leaves of acid free paper. Toss it in your bag for jotting down great gift ideas, doodle too past the time while you're waiting in line during the holiday season...or yes you guessed it: GIFT IT! For $12.00 it's a good gift for a tween that you aren't sure what to get or somebody in your life that is always filling up blank books! There are lots of colors and letters available. I love the peeppaper shop because it's full of awesome fonts and the overlay of color printing it the work creates a fresh blend of classic and modern. This is the way stationary should be! Check out these notelets for more sweet graphics and overlaid patterns and look carefully at the companion notebook ...there are hidden Ls in the design! So clever peeppaper!

K is for....

Sorry for the delay, I missed a day! Yikes! But I'm sure you will enjoy today's feature.... Perhaps one of my favorite thing about this super fun alphabet feature is all the different fonts I come across, like the awesome tree font featured on this Letter K Totebag by duo David and Maggie at Etsy's LoyaltyandBlood. I'm a self-admitted font junky, just can't get enough and I especially love fonts created from pictures and objects like this. Pick up this tote bag with your initial on it for $22.00 and save a plastic tree the next time you go grocery shopping. LoyaltyandBlood also has tons of other simple and classic letter totes like this one as well as some great t-shirts and even brass jewelry. Here are a few of my favs: Mens Striped Florescent Tee, Womens Trees Tee, and Swallow Filigree Necklace.

First I have to thank reiter8 from my previous letter G feature for letting me know about her friend at acornletterpress, creator of the day's second featured item: these beautiful Letterpress Personalized Notecards. You get a set of 10 for $30.00. The great things about them: you can customize your order by letter, font, (yippee!) color, corner style, envelope type and even request a larger quanity. So many choices! And even though the election is over, I really enjoyed these Election Greeting Cards/Party Invitations as well! If you like traditional art, then be sure to stop by this shop. The letterpress technique that this artist uses by applying ink to a raised image and then stamping it onto the paper creates beautiful imprints that stand out from the rest!

J is for....

This J is for Jellyfish screenprint is just one of many favorites by StrawberryLuna! Once again, I had a hard time picking which of these alphabet prints to feature. This alphabet series features animals, as do many that I've come across on Etsy but what draws me to artist Allison's line of work is the awesome old school feel of her choice of paper and the negative space you often get with screenprints. Her illustrations remind me of an ABC book I had as a child, but with a new and artsy twist. Check out P is for Panda and Q is for Quail to see two other styles of this series. You can get the individual letters for $15.00 or buy the whole alphabet for $350.00. She has lots of other nifty screenprinted goodies as well, including music posters and t-shirts. Check out her website at http://www.strawberryluna.com/ and be sure to stop by her blog as well! This gal knows what fun is all about!

I know I've already featured some letter jewelry by KeyandMemories, but I just couldn't resist this collection of Narcissist Necklaces by yellowlux. This J - Narcissist Necklace - Frosted Glass Pendant is so crisp and clean. Nice and simple for those super particular people you never know what to get for their birthday and holidays. Plus if you really know someone whose really into themselves, this makes a perfect gift because you get to poke a little innocent fun at their ego (without them really knowing)! Each necklace costs $27.00 and comes in a cute little gift box. You can choice your chain length and these Narcissist Series pendants hang from a corner for a unique diamond shape display instead of the boring square shape we see all the time. Check out her other frosted glass pendants and read up on her blog for more about yellowlux!

I is for...

Today's item, Ms. I scores five points in my book: 1 for being a handmade plush, 2 for being a letter, 3 for being a handmade plush letter with a face, 4 for her pink lipstick AND matching eyeshadow and 5 for being totally and completely awesome! leahdevine is the creator of this soft and sassy letter and she's got lots more letters with lots of personality for only $23.00. To be honest, when I found this shop I got really excited! I had so many great letters to choose from that I had a hard time decided which to feature! So, because I can't show them all, you'll have to go to Etsy and check out Leah's shop. Plus she also has these adorable little plush owls, one of my other favorites! I think a top 10 owls on Etsy posting may be coming soon!

H is for...

Yup, you guessed it! H is for Hat, this particular one by paulchung at Etsy. I really wish I had a hat like this early tonight when I got soaking wet walking to my car after work! I love really like this artist's alphabet series because is very commercial and all digitalized! Yeah for sleek and modern. Alphabet Series H is $15.00 for a 8x8 print with a border for framing. I like the idea of graphic design being used in a playful, non-advertising way and it's about time I featured something a bit less feminine! Check out Paul's shop for more amazing fine art, graphic design and illustration with super saturated colors and a sweet mix of old and new design! Two of my favorites are Soy Girl and Anybody Can Use It (for all you dairy free photographers out there like me!)

G is for...Giraffe!

Okay, so here is the adorable little giraffe I was unable to post yesterday....makes me want to have a kid named George or Geoffrey or Gerald! Ha ha. Thanks Tim!!!!

G is for...

I've been a fan of waterbears for quite some time so you can imagine how excited I was to discover a marvelous alphabet painting in the waterbears etsy shop during my search for letters! Unfortunately I can't show it to you because I haven't asked for permission. I am behind on my postings....... But take my word for it and check out the waterbears shop! Please! Artist Tim Boyd has an amazing illustration style that reminds me of a awesome graphic novel with a mix graffiti and a dash of whimsy in his color and texture. If I was a painter I'd want to be just like Tim! The alphabet listing G is for Giraffe is a 4x6 print of an original painting so the cost is cheap at $10.00. If you want the real deal (and a different letter) then this custom alphabet listing is for you. And while your visiting his shop, be sure to check out some of my other comical favorites: I Love Bacon, The Argument and Fried Bananas. You can also visit his website at http://www.tmboyd.com/ But of course I had to give you something to look at so here is the second feature for today, a Recycled Sail Messenger Bag with the letter G! From reiter8, this bag is truly the coolest upcycle I have seen yet. Plus I love that this artist is saving these sailboat sails from being thrown into a landfill; because of the sustainability of this material, it truly is a waste to not repurpose them! I am definitely the kind of person that could benefit from a water resistant bag...if I didn't have too many bags already. This shop also has other bags, pillows, wallets and luggage tags all from the same sail materials. The feel of this line is very urban (the shop is based in Brooklyn) yet it reminds me of vacations to Maine and the rocky beach coasts there. I imagine these sails being rescued from a treetops and drift wood tangles on the shores after a windstorm. Check out this link to The Storque (Etsy's online newsletter) where you can watch a video to learn more about reiter8 and see how the bags are made!

F is for...

These customized t-shirts for kids by nissalisa are super cute! As the shop announcement says: monster wear for your lil' monsters, these ABC Monster Tees are perfect for your active little ones: the letters are made from soft terry cloth, which is great for drooly faces! Tees come in size 2,4,6, and 8 with your choice of letter on an American Apparel 100% cotton shirt for $28.50. If monsters are your thing, you're absolutely gonna love this shop! Lots of fun shirts like Bernard the Monster tees for kids and adults and great baby shower gifts like Max the Monster Gift Set. I love this shop because it has lots to offer, but it still has it's own style and sticks to one idea! Yay for this team of sisters in law and moms, Nissa and Lisa!!!

If quirky and vintage funky are more your style you'll really enjoy this F IS FOR FUN necklace and it definitely is fun, that's for sure! The large piece is a metal toy clicker (does it make me old if I remember having these?) and the other trinkets include a rhinestone F, bingo chip, plastic game piece and some shiny beads. For lots of other found object jewelry check out msbetsysVINTAGE shop on Etsy. But be warned, if you are easily distracted by shiny objects, you'll be perusing through this shop all afternoon! And hurry because she's having a Victory Sale! This featured necklace is only $18.00 today but will go back up to $24 after the sale is over. Check out her other shop, msbetsy for more cool artwork and sculpture!

E is for...

This is by far the most creative alphabet piece I've come across so far, and it seems so obvious to me but I've never seen anything like it! This E IS FOR ELEPHANT found object sculpture by artist ElisaAlvarado is a fun artsy old school twist on letter blocks and toys animal figurines. I always find myself digging around in the bins of plastic animals at Michael's but I never had a good idea for what to do with them. Kudos Elisa for being so creative! Check out her whole series of alphabet blocks for only $15.00 each.

I made it to the front page of Etsy...again

Sweet! Alanna, my third skateboard slug made it to the front page of Etsy yesterday. My second front page feature! She has already been sold and the custom orders are coming in like crazy! It's getting exciting, the possibility of someday doing this full time is becoming more than just a distant hope and dream!

And even better I just found out that my Toby slug is featured in the Geekery section of Etsy's Gift Guide! What a fabulous day!

D is for...

I love this Black Letter D Vintage Typewrite Key Necklace for only $10.00! Stay true to the alphabet with a small piece from an old Underwood typewriter at Etsy shop KeysandMemories. Other letters and colors are available and this golden oldie shop has lots of jewelry from earrings and rings, bracelets, and necklaces to cufflinks and other goodies made from typewriter keys and other letter related materials. Pick some up for the old school writers in your life. In following with today's vintage theme, I couldn't resist this super crafty handmade item from swellkid. D is for Debutante is a digital print of artist Carrie's original retro painting. For $10.00 each and lots of letters to choose from, these girly pieces would look great hanging above your dresser or on the wall of your walk-in closet. Who says you can't decorate in there! She also has other alphabet prints in the kid friendly animal series, like M is for Moose.

I love this guy!

C is for...

yippihippi says: C is for candy sprinkles! Yum, this Monogram Resin Pendant necklace is cute enough to eat! I've always been fascinated by resin, it's like a moment in time has been forever preserved and captured. Check out all the other fun and colorful items at yippihippi

like tie dyes for the whole family and lots of fun vintage cards! I'm trying to decide myself if I should splurge and spend $18.00 on the M pendant necklace for myself!

B is for....

I just adore this Personalized Initial Stuffed Felt Letter Keychains Charms or Zipper Pull because they are soft and fuzzy and have a cute little flower embellishment! And for $3.50 they are the perfect stocking stuffer. Esty seller MiChiMa has all kinds of fun alphabet stuff in her shop, including this amazingly fun Alphabet Set in a gift box. I can think of a few adults that might admit they need to brush up on their spelling if they had these fun letters to practice with! The second piece is a more traditional alphabet feature and the most commonly found on Etsy. Letter B print by Jenn Ski is just part of a beautifully crafted series that is colorful and fun. I love her retro cut out style and the textures Jenn uses to create all of her artwork. She offers all the letters of the alphabet with their animal accompaniments for $14.00 each for a 5x7 print. I always seem to come across her work when searching for colors or certain tags. The universe is telling me I'm a fan Jenn! What can I say! She has so many other amazing original works of art, prints and other acessories to name my favorites. If retro is your thing then check out her two shops: JennSki for artwork and JennSkiVintage for lots of, you guessed it, vintage goodies! And if you just can't get enough like me, check out her blog.

A is for...

This quilted Letter A Tag by beckarahn is part of the impromptu alphabet...how clever! It's only 2 x 3 inches, so it comes in handy for all kinds of things. She suggest: Use it as a key tag, luggage tag, decorate your favorite tote bag, keep track of kids' belongings.... And look good doing it! For $7.00 pick up a couple for those travellers in your life that seem to have everything! If you'd prefer to give a gift you've made yourself, then check out the Vintage Rabbit Ornament Kit . Be sure to stop by her blog for more info on sewing and dyeing fabric.

If you'd prefer your "A" to be frivolous, fun and without function (other than to add a hint of vintage to your decor), check out the selection of Primitive Paper Mache Letters by Frippelous. At 12" tall, these antiqued painted letters are big enough to make a statement but not so huge that they will overpower the room. I say perfect on the mantel of a rustic log cabin next to a bough of pine branches for the holidays. For on $14.95 each, why not get a few? For more vintage paper mache goodies, check out this set of boxes, complete with a cute birdie and nest.

A is for AWESOME!

I was looking on Etsy for Christmas gifts for my nephews tonight...I've almost always given them something I've handmade, like my fleecie beasties above, but I've run out of ideas! Two years ago these stuffed animal monsters were such a hit that I'm not sure how to top them! My sister says they all fight over the same one! (I guess dinosaurs are cooler than little blue winged monsters) Even though they are different ages, I usually like to get them all the same kind of thing. This year I thought of maybe something fun with their initials so of course I went straight to Etsy....low and behold a whole world of alphabet awesomeness exploded before my eyes! I've just spent the past 2 hours pouring over pages and pages of different Etsy artist's interreptations of the ABCs. And while I have not found the perfect gift for my 4 nephews, I did find so many unique and fun alphabet prints, sculptures, pillows, necklaces, photographs and more! I am inspired to do an alphabet feature for the next month, or 26 days anyway! I will post a new handmade letter each day with a link to that Etsy artist's shop page. Stay tuned!

For now, here are a few of the unconventional and fun alphabet related things I found tonight...

Set of 26 Alphabet Tags by vmilan. Great for scrapbooking or a fun activity for all ages, you get to create your own fun alphabet series. Unfornatutely this is sold out, but perhaps you'll like the Woodland Creatures Tags as well! Just as cute for fall!!!

TAG'D Graffit Initial Jewelry by beebles are two of my favorite things: unique and wearable. It's the new and hipper alternative to wearing one of those airbrushed t-shirts with your boyfriends name on it. Even better, get your initial and his, you'll never be apart! Check out her signature Rockin' Blocks too, super cool stuff. I wish I was a baby again so I could have them! I wish my nephews were younger so I could get them these awesome blocks!

The Letter L by TwoSarahs is just one of the many blocks you can choose from with the Amercian Sign Language symbol for any letter of your choice on it. These are wee enough to sit on your desk at work or perhaps turn them into magnets for the fridge. For the whole ASL alphabet check out this poster also for sale in the shop.

Cutest Shoes Ever!

I was surfin' the web (does anyone say that anymore?) and I came across some super cute shoes by fellow etsian em & sprout! I remember buying a whole bunch of shoes like these fun and colorful cotton mary janes a year or two ago with hopes of doing great things...but these little critters for your feet really take the cake!

My favorites are the zombie kitties...meroooooow! Lindsay, who is the creator of these adorable shoes, has lots of sizes and designs, something for every girl who likes to make sure her feet are always having fun, cause let's face it, your feet can't NOT have fun in these shoes! Check out her shop, the prices are a steal for the holidays.

I did make a painted and buttoned pair for my friend Bela as a birthday gift, but the rest are buried in my closet somewhere. Lindsay, you have inspired me to find a new and equally exciting design for the rest of my shoes!

Goodbye George W.

So, today is election day. One of my co-workers said to me today, it's weird that at the end of the day we'll have a new president! And I said, it's not weird, it's awesome! But on a completely opposite note, I have been viewing Bush in a slightly different light these past few weeks than I have for the past 8 years. Most of the time I am discouraged by him, disgusted at the ridiculous things that come out of his mouth and totally dumbfounded that he was reelected for a second term. Now I have changed some of those conceptions. I'm not saying I think he was the greatest president we've ever had (in fact I really hate discussing politics, don't understand it AT ALL and try to avoid it whenever possible) but I think we forget he's a lot like us, just another human being. Why the change of heart? I went to see Oliver Stone's W. a few weeks ago, and it really put some things into perspective. Yes I understand it was a movie, not a documentary but it made me realize that I don't know much about President Bush, other than he's not the greatest public speaker! I think too often people in the public eye are too quickly judged, we forget they are only human and make mistakes just like the rest of us. I'm not going to tell you anything other than it's more about George W. as a person and his relationship with his father than being the president of the United States. But don't let this be a turn off. To anyone who was thinking of seeing it, GO!!!! Oh and be prepared for the long haul cause it's a bit slow, but I'm really glad I watched it. And I recommend going to see it in the theater for this reason because if you wait for it to come out on DVD, you probably won't make it through the whole thing. I have to say, it's not the best movie I've ever seen, but I think it's really great that it was made and I hope supporters and anti-Bushites out there will go and check it out.

Call for Entries...kinda sorta!

Thanks to the few who voted for Thanksgiving slugs. Unfortunately I will not being making any special edition Turkeys or Pilgrims to list in my shop. My full time job is very demanding this time of year and I will be working up to 60 hours a week so I do not foresee much "free" time to work on anything too elaborate for my shop. I am sad about this, but there will be new slugs from time to time, I promise! I am working hard now to build up my stock so I can list new items each week. If anyone would like a Thanksgiving themed slug, don't hesitate to convo me on Esty and request a custom order. Custom orders are my ultimate favs! I love knowing that I can give my customers exactly what they want in a colorful little slug! And I can do more than just slugs too. Check out this super awesome set of yorkshire puppies I made for an etsy customer... They are so cute, I didn't want to mail them off to her! Speaking of giving my customers exactly what they want.....Another project I'd like to start (with the intentions of getting more viewers and slug fans to my blog) is in the works. I'm still working on completing the 2nd edition of slugs, hopefully before the end of 2008. Last I checked I was around 80 slugs total including the minis (but not the custom orders) out of 100. You wouldn't think it would be hard to come up with names and personalities, but it is! I've run out of friends and family members to commemorate in a slug. The down side to this is that most of the time I end up gifting their slug to them because the whole situation becomes so personal (I can't be selling these people I hold near and dear to just anyone)! However the plus side is that occasionally they see the slug created in their honor and have to buy it! Maybe I am a little too obsessed with these clay children of mine, but I truly do put thought into naming them. If I come up with something that just doesn't seem right, they go unnamed until something fitting pops into my head. It's then that I create an a snippet of a story about them and sometimes a little accessory to go with it. Lately, this process of naming and identifying has become more time consuming and difficult than the sculpting. So, I want to have a sort of call for entries I guess. I invite anyone and everyone to comment on my blog with new slug ideas. The purpose of course is to get fresh ideas for new slugs for the 3rd edition which by all definition must be just as much fun and silly, yet better by definition in some way than their predecessors. I imagine they will be more "evolved" in an artistic interpretation of what the evolution of a cartoony slug might look like. And I believe they will have more personality, wit and charm as well! So subscribe to MarthaLand, join the madness of my world and send me your ideas. I'll post my favorites and eventually start making them when I find the time again. Don't forget to include the name of the slug, a brief tidbit about his or her personality, hobbies, likes, dislikes, etc. and a possible accessory as well. Stay tuned to MarthaLand and the Etsy shop for more details.......