Handmade Scarves

I've been deliberating what to write about for my next post for far too long until there was a knock at the door this morning with an extra special delivery. I love supporting independent store owners on various media outlets such as Etsy and Instagram. It's a great way to have something custom made that is completely unique to anything you can buy in the typical, over-run high street shops. So, today I want to share Shantelle's wonderful talent with you.

Shantelle is the owner of the Etsy shop:

Sweet Pea Bow Bakery

Instagram: @SweetPeaBowBakery

(Her Etsy shop is currently closed but the Instagram account is running and
 keeps us up to date with sale specials and store announcements).

The handmade crafts over at Sweet Pea Bow Bakery come in many different shapes and sizes. As you can tell by the name, the store specializes in custom made hair bows that are attached to an alligator clip which you can accessorize with any outfit. There are also ornaments, jewellery and scarves for sale.

For months and months I have admired the beautiful pieces being made by Shantelle at every and any moment she had available. So when I saw she was hosting an infinity scarf sale on Instagram with new Disney fabrics to raise money for her family, I couldn't resist!

I eagerly awaited for the sale to start and instantly put my name and email down for two of the most wonderfully illustrated fabrics I have ever seen. Here are the two I went for:

The scarf on the left features square images of Belle, Cinderella, Snow White and Rapunzel along with their names printed as a background. The scarf on the right has wonderfully detailed sketches of the Evil Queen, Maleficent, Cruella de Vil and Mother Gothel (who I was very excited to learn was featured as she's not one of the traditional villains!).

These scarves come as a long, closed 'loop' of fabric, sewn together at the ends. The fact that these come nice and long allows you the control over how many times you want to wrap them and how long you want them to sit around your neck. I like my scarves to sit quite close to keep the wind away so I have looped mine around 3 times, but if you want them to sit as more of an accessory then they also look lovely draped around in only 2 loops.

 They are made of great quality, strong fabrics so they feel like they are going to last a very long time. The sewing is impeccable, with a zigzag stitch that is perfectly in line and adds a nice little finishing touch. I'll admit, the wait time on these is a little long but you can really tell that a lot of time and love goes into making each one which makes them completely worth that wait and at

 $20 each* (£13) they're an absolute steal! 

I can't wait to purchase more from this wonderful young lady, I'm definitely planning on snapping up some of her Disney bows some time soon! I hope you all love her work as much as I do.

*prices of the scarves do vary, depending on the fabric.

Custom Phone Cases!

Okay, so one thing you should know about me is that I am obsessed with fancy phone cases. They can be incredibly beautiful and unique. The downside is that you can come across so many of them now and it takes weeks scrolling through various Etsy.com shops trying to find the person you want to buy from. I thought I'd show you a few that I've purchased so you can get an idea of the quality of the product. Each title will include a link to their Etsy shop!

Happy Cat Deco

Instagram: @HappyCatDeco

I had the great honour of winning this case in a giveaway that Happy Cat Deco was hosting. I entered with my idea of a dream case (Audrey Hepburn) and never expecting to win. But lo and behold - I DID! Words could not describe how excited I was as I had been lusting over her creations for far too long. This case has to be my most prized one of the lot. Just look at the detail and all of those pieces... yes ALL... were hand made by Happy Cat Deco herself. Incredible! The case itself is a work of art, sometimes I'm a little too scared to touch it because of my amazing lack of balance and normal control over my limbs (I swear they have a mind of their own sometimes). However, I have got so much use out of this case because I can't help but show it off! So far, it's held up incredibly but I haven't dropped it yet - and I don't intend to! If you want a beautiful canvas of creativity and artistry on your phone then I recommend you pay a little visit to this wonderful lady. She also sells the charms and chibi characters individually, which I definitely plan on buying some day soon!

DiDePux

Instagram: @DiDePux

This little treasure is my go-to case at the moment. It's such a simple and classy design and completely different to all of my other cases. I love how subtle it is that I know this is a Sailor Moon themed case but to others it's just a beautiful design. The little banner reads "For Love and Justice" which just adds a little flair to the piece. In terms of the sturdiness - I have dropped this phone on numerous occasions, including extremely solid surfaces and it still looks brand new! Personally, I think that's amazing. To me, it looks like this would break quite easily because, surely, its just glued on, right? Well think again, this must be some industrial class stuff because it's never even budged slightly! It's a gorgeous case and the little rhinestones add just the right amount of sparkle that a girl should have on her phone! DiDePux sells a huge range of items from jewellery to handbags - all being some of the most unique items I've ever seen. I can't wait to purchase more from this beautiful designer and to see what more she has in store for us in the future.

Nerd Space Decoden

Instagram: @Nerdspacedecoden

I was one of Alice's first customers when I bought my Sailor Moon whip case from her. Even as a new starter her cases showed such flair and creativity. Alice specialises in character cases from many of eveyone's favourite anime's. I was so happy with my Sailor Moon & Sailor Jupiter case that within a few months I was already asking her to make me a Teen Titans one. These weren't characters Alice had in stock but she went out of her way to find the perfect set for me so that I could have my dream Robin & Starfire case. I've had both for around a year now and they're still in great condition - I did break the rose on the Sailor scout case but that was down to how clumsy I am and I dropped it on a very hard floor. Doh! But, considering how many times I've dropped them, they are incredibly sturdy! Her prices are also very good and competitive with others on the market so she is definitely worth checking out!

Society 6

Instagram: @society6

Society6 is a community website where artists from all over the world can post their work and it can be printed onto almost any canvas you desire. You can choose from t-shirts, mugs, prints, phone cases and more. I think this is a great way for us to use a unique image and be able to showcase other people's work without worrying about any copyright issues. Sadly, I can't find this image of the Cheshire Cat on there anymore so if anyone knows of the artist, please let me know! This was the first case I bought when I received my iPhone 5 so I've had it for almost 2 years now. Through that period of time I've dropped it, thrown it and stuck many a sticker to it. It's held in there like a trooper and it still looks just like it did on the day I received it. It also features a little pad along the inside so that it cushions the back of your iPhone, which means that there won't be any nasty scratches or damages to the original casing! It's finished with a glorious gloss which just brightens the image to show it off in all its glory. If you want just a simple case with a great design then I definitely recommend having a little search on this website! The only trouble is, there will be so many designs that you love - you'll be there for hours! So prepare to be in it for the long haul!

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I'm also waiting for an order from Saphira's Creepy Cases who I have loved ever since I set my eyes on custom cases but just couldn't afford it at the time. When she posted about a sale on her Instagram (@saphirascreepycases) I just could not resist so I snapped 2 up! I'm sure I'll post a little review of those beauties when they arrive but I'll post a couple pictures of her designs as she specialises in bling cases but has recently jumped into the whipped world too! 
Here's a few examples:

Now as much as I love supporting independent crafters, I couldn't help but try to make my own! At first I was terrified - I had no clue what I was doing but after some googling and a few tips from other lovely crafters (Happy Cat Deco especially) I managed to make some cases that I'm very proud of. Now I know I'm no where near these girl's leagues but I still love my cases - also, I don't sell mine online; they're purely for my enjoyment and for my friends and family. Here's some of mine for you to gander at! 

I might make a post one day about how I make these for those who are interested. But that'll be when I have enough time to get round to it!! :) Let me know if you would like that post and I'll think about doing it sooner rather than later.