The Creative Wild: best of etsy

Hello creatives!

I hope you all enjoyed your weekend. I spent some time shopping at Handmade Harvest where I got to speak with numerous wonderful vendors while drooling over their handmade creations. I started my holiday shopping (which will be completely handmade), and got to thinking. Shopping handmade for men isn't easy. There seems to be loads of handmade options for women (jewelry, bags, bath products, beauty products, candles, scarves, etc, etc), but you have to dig a little deeper to find great handmade gifts for the men in your life. I've done a bit of the hard work for you and found these fabulous handmade gifts for him, all available on Etsy.

1. Personalized bottle opener

For the beer drinker in your life, this personalized bottle opener is the perfect gift. Have his name engraved on it to make sure it never goes missing and always makes it home.

2. Handcrafted Kitchen Knife

Does the guy in your life have a passion for the culinary arts? This handcrafted kitchen knife is perfect for cutting meats and cheeses, and comes with a lifetime guarantee.

3. Olive wood mortar and pestle

Another great pick for the guy who's great in the kitchen, this mortar and pestle is perfect for hand crushing fresh spices. They are made from the dense wood of older olive trees that no longer produce fruit.

4. Hand-stamped brass guitar pick

For the guitar hero in your life, these hand stamped guitar picks are a great gift idea for your guy. With different phrases to choose from, you're bound the find the perfect pick.

5. Aged oak magnetic knife holder

For handy access to the finest blades in the kitchen, this magnetic knife holder is a great kitchen gadget for an amateur chef or barbeque master.

6. Personalized golf ball marker/divot remover

Another great personalized gift, this time for the golfer in your life. They are handcrafted from either light oak or dark walnut, and hematite finished metal (derived from a lustrous black stone). They are the perfect addition to his collection of golf paraphernalia.

7. Blueprint seating chair of Lambeau Field

Perfect for the man cave, this blueprint of the seating chart at Lambeau Field (home of the NFL's Green Bay Packers) will make any Packers fan very happy on Christmas day. With prints of other stadiums for sale as well, this seller has you covered.

8. Personalized pocket knife

Every man needs a pocket knife, so why not one with his name on it? With a durable wooden handle and stainless steel blade, this knife is built to last.

9. Custom Italian leather flask

This handcrafted Italian leather flask is engraveable with initials or your guy's name, made from high quality steel and vegetable-tanned Italian leather. Perfect for the classy liquor enthusiast in your life.

10. Foo Fighters record clock

Does your guy love to rock? This Foo Fighters record clock is man caved approved.

11. Periodic table cutting board

For the science nerd who loves to cook, this periodic time table cutting board is a surefire hit. I's made-to-order and comes in maple or cherry.

12. Portable Altiods speaker and amp

If your guy like gadgets and music, this Altoid amp/speaker is THE gift. Useable with all of his devices, this speaker can be connected to anything with a headphone jack (and even includes the cable).

I hope I've helped make your handmade gift shopping a little bit easier. Don't forget to support local and handmade artisans this holiday season!

- Amy

Hello creatives.

I'm not sure how many of you are aware of this, but I'm an East Coast girl. I was born and raised in Nova Scotia, Canada, and for those of you not familiar with Canadian geography, Nova Scotia is a wee little peninsula sticking out in the Atlantic ocean. Small, but with a big heart! Seriously, go there, you'll know what I mean.

Naturally, being a girl who grew up and lived a significant part of her life by the ocean, I miss it and long for terribly now that I'm landlocked in the great province of Ontario. Don't get me wrong, Ontario is nice and everything, but I miss the salty fresh air, sound of the waves, and sunset across the Bay of Fundy.

My love for the ocean is accompanied by my love for all thing nautical. Anchors, ships, the compass rose, sea creatures, ropes, buoys, shells, sea glass, sea-smoothed beach rocks.... Yikes, got a bit carried away there. Well, you see where I'm going with this.

This evening while I was perusing Etsy (which is a regular activity for me - and it should be for you too), I found myself favouriting (<-- totally a word in the world of Etsy) all the cute nautical things I could find. I've compiled them here in this blog post for you! So you can check 'em out, favourite them yourself, and maybe even buy one or two or all. If I don't beat you to it.