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Objects of Our Affection

Rock Paper, Scissors

Nothing beats handmade. Let us count the ways we love Etsy, online marketplace of all things made by hand. For starters, there’s the thrill of finding your wildest desire — a chicken lamp, opal rhinoceros earrings, an ana-tomical heart crafted from felt? It’s on Etsy. Then there’s the good vibe. Etsy may be a global network of thousands of sellers, but the site feels like a small-town Main Street. You can browse each artist’s online shop, ask questions and even make special requests. And we love how easily creative types can now get their work out into the world, a great thing for hundreds of talented Rhodies with Etsy shops. Which brings us to these eight more things we love: 

Paper Cuts

1. Ingrid Lavoie paper-cuts
Scherenschnitte, the ancient German art of paper-cutting, is hard to pronounce, but it’s the intricacy of this Wakefield artist’s fun, fresh work that left us speechless.
$175 unframed; ingridlouise.etsy.com.
Necklaces

2. Sweet Maddie necklaces
You’ve seen Newport-based Madeline Polss’s bar chart pendants in Elle magazine. We loved her simple “Magnetic North,” should we ever lose our way.
$22; sweetmaddie.etsy.com.
Switch plates 3. a la mode switchplates
Providence’s Linda Demers’ decoupaged switchplates come in a range of cool prints, but this one is an instant pick-me-up all year long.
$10; alamodestuff.com
Wristlet 4. Pink Lemonade Boutique wristlets
Tote Lisa Billings' super-cute purses on their own (perfect for cocktail hour) or toss them into a larger bag to keep track of little essentials.
$25; pinklemonadeboutique.etsy.com.
flatnotes 5. Heather Jeany flatnotes
Providence-based Heather Toupin’s hand-printed stationery designs range from crazed vintage Barbies (we can’t explain; see for yourself) to cool goldfish.
$14 for set of eight; heatherjeany.etsy.com.
glass 6. Suegray seaglass jewelry
Coastal Living recently featured Newport jewelry designer Suegray Fitzpatrick’s seaglass wreaths. Her necklaces, bracelets and earrings are just as striking.
$44; suegrayjewelry.etsy.com.
Key hooks 7. Tanner Glass key hooks
Handblown pieces by Suzanne Tanner of Cranston turn house- hold items into eye-catching accessories.
$18; tannerglass.etsy.com
cup sleeve 8. It’s Sew You coffee sleeves
You’ve seen them at some of the trendiest spots in Providence: these reusable sleeves keep your caffeine addiction eco-friendly.
$7; itssewyou8.etsy.com.

 To find other local artists on Etsy, visit artsinri.com or search by town on etsy.com/geolocator. —Nicole Maranhas

Please be civil. We reserve the right to edit or delete any comments.

Reader Comments:
Jul 11, 2009 07:05 am
 Posted by  tannerglass

This is a great feature! I am continually amazed at all the big talent in little Rhode Island. Thank you for mentioning Etsy (my favorite place to shop), my team (artsinri), and for featuring my hooks.

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