What a sight for sore eyes!

This was the sight that greeted me as I opened up Etsy this morning - lots of loveliness created by fab sellers all from here in the UK. Now Etsy is a predominately US site - it was created there and probably 80% of the sellers are based there, so it is just wonderful to see the UK featured on the front page.

If you are unsure of the Etsy phenonomen, let me tell you a little more about it.

Etsy was started in June 2005 as an environment to buy and sell all things homemade. You'll need to register to buy from the site, however this does mean that all your details are saved for your next visit - and you will visit again! Each seller is an individual on the site, and you pay them direct, most sellers in the UK will give you an option to pay by other means, however the speediest way is via Paypal. Because the site is based in the US everything is currently displayed in US Dollars - as a rough guide (and with the exchange rate as it is) just divide it by half to get the Sterling equivilent. Alternatively you can always check out any of the Currency Convertor sites - I tend to use this one. Paypal will handle all the currency conversions for you - so no worries there then. Most sellers, if based, outside of the UK will happily ship here, just check before you buy. Naturally buying from UK people negates the wait and helps reduce carbon emissions - most UK sellers include the tag UK in their listings, so when looking for items just add UK to your search (and if you're a seller who doesn't yet do this, you probably ought to!).

Here are some links to just a few of my favourites over on Etsy ::
Abi Bansal - fabulous custom made clothes and beautiful bags
Gorjuss - wonderful prints and iron on images
Karen Jinks - lovely illustrations and journal books
Lupin - darling felt things
Red Ruby Rose - clutch bags.... clutch bags... clutch bags
Umbrella Heaven - fabulous umbrellas, perfect for our climate!

Now, I've far more favourites than just these, however I'm due for a day out with my husband, including lunch - and he's champing at the bit to go. Happy days to everyone, particularly those Etsy'ers from the UK. Cara x