West-side representing!

This week’s series continues with a round-up of artisans from the Western side of the state. Western PA is a little foreign to me so forgive me for lumping it all together. A great place to start looking for artisans from “out there” is the Etsy Pittsburgh team blog. I would love for those of you in the know to comment here with your fav artisans & handmade sites.

Another great spot to find handmade goods in Pittsburgh is the I Made It! Market. Check out the I Made It! blog for more information on upcoming events. And I found my daily yarn fix today from one of the vendors, Cosy Knits (Literally).

LZ Rocks! Endymion Pendant

I love this pendant from LZ Rocks! Etsy shop. She writes, “The shepherd Endymion was so gorgeous, the moon fell in love with him, and begged her father to allow him to remain young and beautiful eternally. Asleep in a cave forever, Endymion is kissed by his lover each night.” This pendant represents that story beautifully!

BoyGirlBoyGirl's "No No No" tshirt

I met BoyGirlBoyGirl on Twitter and I fell in love with this t-shirt. Need help saying “no?” This one’s for you! Stop by the BoyGirlBoyGirl etsy shop for more cool t-shirts & neat children’s items.

Jessica Sharrah's Splash of Lime Earrings

I was fortunate enough to receive a pair of Jessica Sharrah’s earrings for Christmas – a pair of lime green, swirly studs – LOVE! I have become obsessed with ceramic jewelry. Check out Jessica Sharrah’s Etsy shop and Artfire shop for a wide variety of designs. Not only is Jessica’s jewelry amazing, she has great business advice on her blog, as well. Her last post kicks off the New Year by helping artisans (or any small business owner) with developing a business plan.

Cufflinks' Lego Cuff Links

Finally, I’ve got to include a little something for the gentlemen! How fabulous are these cuff links? The Cufflinks Etsy shop is full of kitschy designs for the little boy in every grown-up man.

Tomorrow, I’m going to take a break from rounding up the artisans of PA and discuss why it’s so important to buy handmade AND buy local in today’s changing economy. And on Monday, I’ll have our kick-off giveaway! By the way, I’d love to host bunches of giveaways for our Keystone State readers but I need some volunteers to sponsor them :) Email me at tara AT handmadeinpa DOT net for more info.