Etsy Bold and Beautiful - Color Cavalcade

Hi there! Before I start overloading your senses with this week's picks let me first take this opportunity to introduce myself. 

My name is Alice Elizabeth Still and I am the unrepentant beadaholic behind Snapdragon Beads. I was born and raised in Ireland and am now living in the UK in the absurdly named town of Biggleswade. I have always had a love of crafts and was raised by a fabric addict who it seems still doesn't have quite enough fabric.

After a slight detour which saw me graduate from Trinity College in Dublin with degrees in Engineering and Mathematics, I am now devoting my time to passing on my love for all things handmade to my 11 month old daughter Amelia.

I'd like to thank EtsySwag for kindly allowing me to write this feature which I hope in time will become your favorite place to discover daring and colourful items from Etsy, as well as terrible punny subtitles ;-D

And without further ado, let's have a look at my picks for this week.

Resin d'Etre

Resin is very hip and happening at the moment and I am simply awestruck at the fantastic, imaginative pieces being created. What I am especially taken with is how resin artists are using techniques for working other media in addition to mixing media to great advantage and effect.

The marriage of silver with resin produces some stunning results wonderfully showcased by the work of Quercussilver. But as lovely as these pieces are, what bowls me over time and again are her 'Hewn Bangles'; a natural evolution from her Hewn Rings.

This wittling/carving effect forms a link between modern and ancient; somewhat reminiscent of Roman jet bracelets.

Getting Hooked on Crochet

As with knitting, crochet has been enjoying a resurgence in popularity of late; from 100% cotton wash cloths to jewelry, worked in wire and beads.

My next selection is from Canselda, in Turkey. Her crocheted scarflet is delightful and the myriad of colours in the surface embellishment, which remind me very much of fat cabbage roses, means that this will go with any number of different coloured coats. Or even, as modelled, would look stunning with a dead plain black outfit. It brings together the idea of the old-fashioned detachable collar with the newer trend for textural experimentation.

Bowled Over

Another weakness I have inherited from my mother is for pottery and stoneware; she herself is an avid collector of Mosse's pottery and even owns a number of pieces designed and previously owned by the late great Sybill Connelly.

I had to stop and blink, rub my eyes before going "Wow!" when I spotted some ultra colourful plates by AtelierBB on the Front Page a few days back. Today, when I started having a better look around her shop, I just fell in love with the Matt Cotton Biscuit Bowls. I don't think you could by just one. These should be the next big collectables since Feistaware jugs. Made from white stoneware, and imprinted with a lace-motif prior to glazing and firing these bowls are practical as well as a visual treat as they are dishwasher and microwave safe.

I hope you've enjoyed my picks this week and I look forward to sharing more Bold and Beautiful handmade items from Etsy with you!

-Alice