A year ago, there I was surfing the Internet, *ahem* window-shopping *ahem* online stores, trying to stay out of mischief from eBay when lo and behold, I stumbled upon that site called Etsy. The thoughts of eBay being the shopper’s devil completely went out of the window, when I set my eyes upon its beautiful, beautiful spawn.

I liken Etsy to a gigantic flea market of handmade gems. Seriously. It’s like walking in a city of gorgeously handmade items which you normally only see at flea or craft markets. eBay was completely forgetten (well, that was then. Today would be an entirely different story). I couldn’t tear my eyes away. Incidentally, neither could my wallet.

Blogs like Oh My So Cute and Lotus Palace do NOT help at all. Ladies, I love your blogs, I really do, but everytime you introduce me to a new Etsy store, or show me your latest Etsy purchase, I always head over to Etsy to see if those items are still available. And then *wham*, damage done to the pocket once more 😛

Self-perseverance and I with Etsy do not seem to go well together.

Here are a few of my favourite items that I bought off Etsy. A couple of them are entirely unnecessary, but so pretty that I just had to have it.

Seller: aishii

Olive green isn’t something I’d normally choose for myself. I’m not really a fan of the colour (well, except in eye makeup), but something about the way this pouch was made simply caught my eye. The pouch is made of linen and has double lining.

Seller: THlENTHANH

Frequent readers of my blog would know of my love for cherry blossoms. When I first saw this purse on the seller’s page, it actually looked lighter in colour in the pictures. Still, I think it’s beautifully made and I love the fabric.

Seller: GracieDesigns

I found the seller of this name card holder from Paris B, who also bought a couple of name card holders from her. There are two card compartments, in which I use to carry my jewellery business cards, and my blog name cards. The colours of the holder and the cards complement each other perfectly.

Seller: downstairsDesigns

This is my most recent purchase. Being the organising nut that I am, I wanted something like a portfolio to hold my planner, cards, a pen, etc to be placed in my bag. The ones from Officeworks are black and sterile *bleh*, so I turned to Etsy for something different. I really like this one, and the seller was lovely to also include a fine Sharpie, a small notebook and a postcard with the folio.

Unfortunately, I believe that would not be the last of my purchases from Etsy. All jokes aside, I’m completely blown away by how many incredibly talented people there are out there, who could produce such wonderful pieces. If you’re looking for something unique and handmade, look no further than Etsy. I’m sure there’ll be something to suit your needs and fancy.

Just be careful and remember to close that page after you’re done. I’m serious, it’s really addictive. I cannot be held responsible for that large Etsy bill at the end of the day 😉