A global field guide to design, (life)style and secret finds
est. 2007
  1. Wee Etsy pick of the week – one for B&S fans!

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    It's high time I got back into it posting about Etsy on a regular basis. It's no secret that I'm a big fan of the site and have around 300 individual Etsy shops sitting in my bookmarks folder. And each one is absolutely brilliant.

    I've also heard from a few of you who have asked for more posts about "cheap stuff online" and "cool crafty finds". To be honest, I can't think of anything that beats Etsy in terms of affordability and originality, and it’s the ultimate antidote to mass-produced, over-priced crap.

    I've bought a lot of gifts from Etsy over the past two years, and I've had nothing less than brilliantly positive experiences. I also quite like the idea of buying direct from crafty individuals around the world.

    Admittedly, I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for this week’s Etsy pick, Sarey Poppins, as the crafty owner is actually Glasgow-based Sarah Martin, who's also a musician and member of my favourite band of all time, Belle and Sebastian.

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    Liberty-print linen bag, US$45, from Sarey Poppins' Etsy shop.

    So this may sound like a bit of a fan-girl response, but Sarah's range of hand-crafted fabric bags, purses, cushions and lavender bags are an absolute delight. I especially love her choice of textiles - lots of vintage-style Liberty prints and old-fashioned florals.

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    Sarah explains that the fabric in this shoulder bag (above) is "a pretty close copy of one of my favourite bags for the last few years, which I picked up in Stockholm from Ordning and Reda. It's made of some of the nicest fabric I have come across in a long time - heavy linen, printed with big plants in great bold colours."

    I also love the retro-style corduroy Liberty-print fabric used in this shoulder bag and cushion (see below), which Sarah describes as "a firework-y, peacock-y, paisley-ish pattern printed on lovely soft baby cord".

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    And she's also made the most adorable range of lavender sausage dogs. (Surely a lavender sausage dog, hand-sewn by Sarah's nimble fingers is the ultimate twee souvenir for the most dedicated B&S fan?)

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    Liberty-print lavender sausage dog, US$7.50, from Sarey Poppins' Etsy shop.

    If you live in Glasgow (or if you're ever visiting), you might like to check out Sarah's lovely wares at E&A Clothing on Queen Margaret Drive.