Chicago Top Ten for the Week of August 10, 2009

Well, things are certainly looking up from where they were last week. I had three sales (one customer) last week. Sold some of the kettle dyed yarn! And this week's Chicago Top Ten is filled with fun, fresh and funky items from the Windy City's best. Here, in no particular order, is a sampling of the fun holiday shopping that just a few week in the making!

Squamodo by getintimidnation
Hard to select which little critter was my favorite, but since this one was so bold as to invade the backyard, he was my choice!

Indian Princess Green by daisypetals
Love the color, the boldness of it (bold again, could this be a trend?) and then there are unusual details.

Gingerbread Latte Upcycle Tote by Greeniebeanrecycle
Oh yeah, like you didn't know a tote bag was going to make the list...

Dewdrop Earrings by evasdesign
..Or a pair of earrings....

Big, Bold Amber by BeauFemme
...or two. These are by a new shop owner with no sales yet. (That could change very soon!)

Here we are, halfway through this week's list already! Where does the time go? I want to give a shout to Heather at Heart On Sleeve Art. She does her own feature on different artists - a habit I would like to see more folks do. But if you take a look at her blog, you will see she has fun with an eclectic group of folks who seem to enjoy each other's company. Gotta love a girl like that! Thanks for following my blog, Heather. I appreciate the support.

Eco Brown Tote by Mojospastyle
It's not my fault! They're out there; they're cool, they make the list. Simple as that.

Tangle Tango by CuteJewels
These are tooooo cute. (What really amazes me is that there are still shops that haven't been placed on my favorites list!)

Leaf Earrings by Chinacherie
I know the shop has made the list before. They just make nice things. Kinda like Meryl Streep.

Pizza by laineyspawtique
Pizza for the pooch! And she donates a huge chunk of what she makes to animal organizations.

Bitch Friend by puck55
Well, because this is the mildest one in the bunch and it certainly embodies bold.

This week's selection went by quicker than last week's and I thought that went pretty fast. I love finding these things and I love sharing them. Wherever you live, there are local artisans who make fantastic things. Consider scoping them first before you shop at the big name stores and the Internet - not that I am knocking them; I'm not. Lots of folks are employed by them and if they don't have a bunch of tax breaks then they contribute to keeping taxes down for the rest of us. But it's just the idea of something made by hand so it will be automatically unique even if the artist makes another one that's supposed to be just like it.

Visit these shops to show your support and visit local shops in your area. We're in it together!