Sunday, August 28, 2011

This week's spotlight Shop: Jaded Estrella

This week, we're celebrating yet another fabulous Etsy seller who's dedication to adoption and the search for quality pet products has brought her success on Etsy, Jaded Estrella!

Amy Luke is no stranger to Etsy, as she has been acquainted with the site for around four years. Her shop has been open since April of 2009. Amy notes that her loofah chews were inspired by her  two adopted chinchillas, Fivel and Oblio:


Do not adjust your monitors; they really are THAT cute!

It's no surprise that she fell head over heels for these boys, and set out to learn everything that she could about them. She discovered that they really liked loofah, so like most concerned pet parents, she searched high and low for the best quality chews. Loofah is a tropical vegetable that becomes a dense mass of fibers when mature, and is often dried, bleached, and used as sponges. While super great for cleaning your back during the morning shower, it is also a very nutritious vegetable that is high in fiber and vitamins. Unfortunately, the commercial loofah treats contained unhealthy additives, like strings, glue, preservatives and colorings that were just too risky to munch on.

Amy then decided to seek out a reliable source for natural loofah that was not treated or bleached, and colored them with natural FDA approved edible colorings. You will see that she has also created a lot of adorable shapes as well ( toy and treat, yay!). After sharing these wholesome and fun treats with her friends and even peers on the online community, she decided to open her own shop which you can find here:F & O Loofah. If anything, you have to check out her site to see the pics of the satisfied customers enjoying her treats. My favorite is Alina the Rottweiler, savoring the tiny loofah "fry" held gingerly in her paws! Naturally,  the handmade nature of her treats was a perfect fit for Etsy as well, which has given her an opportunity to share and learn with even more animal lovers, and with our happy group.She also has been exploring other crafts as well, that we can't wait to see more of.  We hope that Amy continues to learn from us as much as we learn from her, which exemplifies FTLOSA in a nutshell. So please check out her shop and website, and check her out on our forums!







Sunday, August 21, 2011

Our weekly spotlight shop: Markysmommy713

This week's spotlight shop is Markysmommy713! Crystal is 25 with two youngsters and six sugar gliders that she has helped rescue.  She has successfully helped rehabilitate sugar gliders affected from toxic cage and malnutrition and sees first hand the hundreds of sugar gliders abandoned due to owner negligence. Crystal is the kind of gal who always take a bonding pouch with her, "just in case". She started out making these fun, whimsical toys for her own suggies, and then decided to sell them on Etsy to raise money so that she could continue helping other gliders in need. Her toys attract a lot of attention as they are very colorful and cute. She has a variety of different types of toys that she makes to fit your sugar glider's every need.
The Panda n Bowl is Chibi's personal favorite. ;)

She's quite new to Etsy so I know FTLOSA can't wait to learn more about her and her rescue efforts.


'Pink Elephants for everyone!' by CobbCabinCrafts

I just couldn't resist!


KINDLE 3 E READER Sleev...
$15.00

Daisy Kingdom Pink Elep...
$50.00

Pink Elephant Baby Boot...
$8.00

Pretty Pink Elephant Su...
$32.00

Hand knitted toy Pink E...
$55.00

Pink Elephant Print Squ...
$15.00

Elephant Foraging Toy
$7.00

Cosmetic Make-Up Bag --...
$25.00

PInk Elephant applique ...
$18.00

Pink Elephant- Reusable...
$12.99

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Our Weekly Spotlight Shop: DragoninKnots


"Once upon a time, in the land of memories and dreams, there was a young girl. She liked to lie in the warm patches of sun cast by the windows and whisk around the house in a half-dance half-run, whilst softly singing some odd little tune. She was taught to sew and cook and dance and play music, as she thought all little girls learned to do. And she would follow her mother to craft fairs and spend her pocket money on odd little knick-knacks, as she thought it was perfectly natural to do. She grew a little taller and a little older and seemed, for awhile, to outgrow her whimsical former self. But we never quite outgrow ourselves, do we?"

This is the delightful introduction to the world of DragoninKnots. You can tell before even taking a glance at her shop that you will find whimsy and femininity at each click of the mouse. Then take a glance at her amazing ACEOs and you may find that they are sophisticated and even reminiscent of Van Gogh's sketches from his famous letters ( think Starry Night over the Rhone).

After making her handmade cards for charity, DragoninKnots decided to take a whirl at the online shop, eventually making her home on Etsy. The goal was to sell her wares to pay for her schooling. More recently, after seeing her mother delve back into crocheting, she decided to try it for herself. After the more interesting creations that come from learning crochet ( anyone, myself included that has picked up a hook has experienced this), she began making scarves, gloves, coasters, and much more. Most impressively she has even made a crochet corset! Coming from a family of crocheters, each family member can recognize each others style so you know that what is created is truly unique.

The shop  currently contains fantasy accessories, winter accessories, bright and colorful crochet and ink ACEOs. One of the wonderful things about her crochet pieces is the incorporation of ribbon.Ribbon is something she uses while making her clothing and adds to the texture and feel of each crochet piece. Texture is extremely important as she feels that especially with winter accessories, these worn items should feel good and comfortable. DragoninKnots prides herself on her individual coasters, as she enjoys the idea of trying different styles and not having to commit to one decor for your living room, kitchen, office, etc. The ACEOs are inspired by her own love for collecting other artists' mini artwork and are a reflection of her own experiences and travels. Studying abroad in France, learning the language and her vast knowledge of Old English are the current inspirations for her pieces.

Some of her other passions right now are her up and coming photography shop. You can see some of her amazing photos on her blog: http://DragoninKnots.blogspot.com. The composition of her images are engaging and the imagery itself is inspiring. She also recently adopted a very shy roborovski hamster ( we love adoption here at FTLOSA) that she hopes will warm up to her new environment and friends very soon.

Please do keep on the lookout for DragoninKnots now and in the future. You never know what adventure she'll have in store for you!


Like the music? Check out JoanSteret on YouTube!

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Our weekly featured shop: Morumoto!

Our weekly spotlight shop this week is Morumoto. She has had her shop on Etsy for a little over three years now. When you see her beautiful plushies, we just know you will want to "adopt" one! Mostly because they are so incredibly lifelike. Each little "critter" is posed in a cute little scenario for their photo, and there is a story behind each one. Here's alittle bit about Morumoto from her profile:

"Hi everyone! I'm Morumoto (Japanese for "guinea pig", in case anyone was curious). I've been drawing ever since I could remember and learned to sew at a young age. Creativity is something I cherish, and I just don't feel right if I'm not working on some sort of artistic or crafty endeavor.
I'm a traditional artist. All my artwork is hand-drawn, hand-inked, and colored by hand. I don't have anything against digital art (there are actually quite a few digital artists whose work i admire), I just prefer doing my art by traditional means, being able to feel every pencil line, every pen stroke, and every dab of color. I'm very fond of animals (especially canines and rodents) and creating an atmosphere through the use of
Although I picked up the needle and thread when I was young, making plushies is something I began doing somewhat recently. It began with my fondness for guinea pigs; simply put, I've only ever found so few cavy items such as figurines and plushies that I decided to make some of my own. I craft my plush critters carefully by hand, creating a life-like portrayal that captures the feel as well as the appearance of my subjects. My crafting endeavors have already turned towards other rodents, such as mice, rats, hamsters, and and I won't be satisfied until I have made a plushie of most if not all rodents. I'm constantly searching for more materials and ideas."

Please do check out her lovely shop. You will be amazed and will find yourself going "awww" for these lifelike plushies!

'You Might Be A Chocoholic If' by gottaspoilemgems

You Might be a Chocoholic IF you start seeing types of chocolate in Everything.


Cuppa Joe Java Jacket--...
$7.00

Rat Plushie - Chocolate...
$12.50

Brown Cable Knit Beret ...
$15.00

Cherry Almond Clusters
$10.00

Chocolate Donut Soap Wi...
$4.95

Flower Fascinator Hair ...
$12.50

Sassy lassy Chocoholic ...
$28.00

S'mores Dog ID Tag
$22.00

Pastel Drawing Deer Faw...
$15.00

cupcake ring
$4.09

iPad Cover Quilted Slee...
$16.50

Mocha Muffins - Vegan
$9.00

The Kiss - 4 x 6 art pr...
$5.00

100% Cotton Leopard Pri...
$19.95

Binky's Seashore Fu...
$12.50

Choco Chip Cookie Earri...
$6.50

Friday, July 29, 2011

Some Great treasuries featuring Wizard at Work!

'It's a white-out!' by CobbCabinCrafts

A collection of fun white items. This treasury was made during our family vacation in Tennessee and it is HOT! I needed some snow colored items to help me cool off.


Great Skin is Just a St...
$10.00

Five Ruffles Pillow Cov...
$74.00

Ginormous Mug for Knitt...
$21.50

Ivory Chiffon Rose Wedd...
$17.00

Organic White Ruffle-io...
$23.50

custom family tree -- b...
$30.00

Stay Puft Marshmallow L...
$4.00

A Place to Rest - tree ...
$19.50

Bon Bons with BLING - N...
$2.50

Your Summer Pearls
$26.24

FREE SHIPPING- 6 Organi...
$19.50

Two Bags of All Natural...
$15.00

LOVED and BLESSED Set o...
$20.00

Christmas In July--Read...
$12.00

Happy Holidays Notecard...
$8.50

In this house we do...
$49.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

'Lets Ferret It Out' by gottaspoilemgems

Great Ferret items for the Ferret And Ferret Lovers


Brown Dots Ferret Hat
$4.00

HUGE Rat, Ferret, Chinc...
$16.00

Ferret Pop Art 8 x 10 P...
$7.99

Fantastic Fuzzy Fair-Ha...
$5.00

A Collection of Famous ...
$15.00

Ferret-Realistic Amigur...
$35.00

Bright Stripes Large Te...
$18.00

Bandit The Ferret Fiel...
$3.00

Crochet Pet Playset-Tun...
$16.00

Sterling Silver Ferret ...
$69.95

Ferret Ride
$6.00

Romeo and Juliet Ferret...
$7.00

What A Day Ferret Not...
$2.60

Ferrets Rule navy denim...
$48.50

SABLE FERRET - needle f...
$150.00

Ferret drinking Coffee ...
$5.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.