In my opinion, one of life’s little treasures is discovering the talent of an independent artist, seller or creator- and being able to make a little part of what they do your own- shopping ‘indie’ if you like. It feels like being let in on a really cool secret, only one you want to share and water like a little bud- until it becomes something bigger, exciting and even more likely to grow…
This deep analogy my friends, is how I describe Etsy and it’s bustling online home of independent retailers and wonderfully creative people. Just over a week ago myself, and some of my favourite ladies from the blogging world (read: Carrie, Lucy, Dunya, Kbel, Amy, Kate and Hannah) paid a visit to Brighton to meet some of the cities Etsy sellers, learn a little about what they do- and give it a go for ourselves- pretty special if you ask me! After indulging in a healthy lunch at hotspot Silo– we headed to Lick HQ to set up our stations for the afternoon, and indulge in crafty classes from flower princess Georgie St Clair and Designosaur– as well as meeting some other fantastic sellers (Toby from I Like Cats– getting serious purry kudos too, and not just from his Spice Girl postcard)!
After trying our hand at some of the crafts, we managed to chat to some of the creators, watching them in their natural habitat, and creating some of the most unique and special pieces you can pick up. With playful wood, acrylic and fine jewellery from RockCakes, delicate silver pieces from Oh Someday, whimsical laser cut goodness from Cat-a-Cake– accessories were firmly covered. We also got to meet hello DODO and their amazing screen printed graphic creations (think greetings cards and totes), Ellen from B Millinery and her amazing fascinators and headpieces- as well as discover In The Making, a dyed and graphic homewares shop too.
It was so wonderful to be able to get a little behind the scenes peek of how these people work, a mini preview of what their workshops look like (think plenty of paint pots, slogan notebooks and cat pictures a plenty) and get to know a little more about one of my favourite online sites. I’ve linked all of the shops above, so be sure to take a little nosey at some of the amazing goodies for sale. I’ve also updated my Brighton guides for anyone thinking of paying a visit, so if you’re planning a sleepover of your own you can see where to stay here, what to do here and more ideas here. Thank you again Etsy for the perfect couple of days!
x
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