Boo! Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I love the kids dressed in costumes, carving spooky pumpkins and decorating the house. I know I am not alone here. Andrea Harasek of Canadian small shop Fuzzling Monsters is a member of my Halloween-loving tribe. “I started making plush monsters back in early 2013 because my husband and I live Halloween 365 days a year! Our home has skeletons at the dining room table, a coffin coffee table and tons of spiders and bats hanging around all year round. We used to drive a white hearse for fun,” she exclaimed. “I wanted to make something that would ‘go’ with our lifestyle and plush monsters made sense. They are cute, but have a bit of a scare factor because they are monsters.”

Fuzzling Monsters are hand stitched plush creatures with fleece faces and ears, safety eyes and felt teeth. “Since I’m not good with a sewing machine, I needed to make something that could be hand stitched. Faux fur doesn’t mix well with household sewing machines so it was a perfect fit,” said Harasek. With a variety of bright, fun colors and shapes (and a price point of only $35), the Fuzzlings are appealing to all ages. “My Fuzzlings are not really like anything on the market that I have seen. I watched a lot of Jim Henson shows and movies growing up, so I know his work inspired me in my monster making,” Harasek explained. “The very first Fuzzling was round, like a beach ball. I started making them triangle and then tombstone-shaped, but they have evolved over time to an egg-shaped monster. It is an easier shape for me to cut out and stitch up and I love that because they are hand stitched and done one at a time, they each have a personality that shines so brightly!” Each fuzzy friend comes with an adoption certificate with a name, as well as care and safety details. “Recently, I also started making felt chocolate chip cookies as an add-on accessory because Fuzzlings love cookies! They have become a hit. Of course, I think most of us really like cookies,” she shared. The shop also offers limited themed Fuzzlings throughout the year, like in honor of Harasek’s favorite holiday. “Over the years, I have made Fuzzlicorn with a unicorn horn, FuzzliBunn for Easter, FuzzliBee, FuzzliFawn with antlers for the holidays, and for Halloween, I have made WereFuzzlings, FrankenFuzzlings and, of course, FuzzliFang, a vampire Fuzzling.”

Harasek had a hard time identifying what she loves most about the Fuzzling Monsters. “The current shape of their ears is my favorite part…no, I lied. My favorite part is their snaggle tooth. Yes, their little snaggle tooth is my favorite,” she laughed. “I love coming up with new ideas and seeing if I can get the pictures in my mind to work out well in real form. Moments of daydreaming are the best ways for me to think up new ideas, new themed-Fuzzlings or a new story line for my Instagram and Facebook feed.”

Right now, she is stocking up for her favorite season. “Can you keep a secret? I’m working on some new themed Fuzzlings – some for Halloween and some for the holiday season. The Halloween ones will be a reboot of a previous edition with different fur and face colours. The holiday ones are totally new and I’m still working on the prototype, but if I can get my brain and my fingers to communicate and play nicely, the holiday Fuzzlings are going to be awesome!” Adopt a Fuzzling through the Fuzzling Monsters website or Etsy shop and follow the shop on Facebook and Instagram for new Halloween tricks or treats coming soon.

Melissa Pettit wants to welcome guests at your home. The head crafter behind small shop East on Twenty Designs uses vinyl stencils to create, among other things, custom doormats for the front door. “The most popular design so far this year is the ‘Welcome to our Lakehouse’ doormat,” she shared. “This spring, I brainstormed about what I would want in front of my door and we were in the process of trying to buy a lake house, so many of my new designs revolved around the lakes and woods.”

Pettit was gifted her first cutting machine last August and she immediately got familiar with how to use it. “I honestly didn’t even know what it was but I knew it had something to do with crafts. I watched videos, read blogs and joined groups, so that I would be an instant pro. Instant pro I was not, but it was love at first cut,” she professed. Pettit soon expanded into screen-printed t-shirts, personalized gifts, and of course, her popular doormats. “The doormats started selling well and I just kept adding designs. In the fall, I found a winning design and could barely keep up with the orders,” said Pettit. “I was not new to Etsy, as I had been running a successful crochet shop for four years. For a little while, I had them both open at the same time, but that was short lived because I became way too busy with the new venture to continue with the old. And this was way more fun!”

While Pettit is having fun crafting, she is also extra conscious of costs for her customers. “I offer my items for affordable prices with quick turn around. As a thrifty mom of four, I understand what it is like to want nice things for my home on a tight budget,” she explained. “I charge as little for shipping as possible and when I am able to ship for less than quoted, I refund the overage.” Her favorite part of the design process is “being able to take a customer’s rough idea and turn it into something that they love. So often I think I’m sending a mock-up that maybe isn’t a real winner, but then they end up loving it. I also enjoy seeing my designs randomly around the small town where we live. I just can’t help but smile. “ The shop name East on Twenty Designs originates from Pettit’s own home in Indiana. “I live about a quarter mile north of US Highway 20, which spans from coast to coast. Because my business is based out of my home, I was constantly telling people from my small town to go east on 20 to come pick up their orders,” she smiled. “Plus, I’m a New England girl transplanted in the Midwest. When I want to head back to see my family in Connecticut, I have to go east on 20.”

East on Twenty Designs recently introduced a new product to market: “I just started selling neoprene drink sleeves. They come to me blank and I have many designs to choose from or customers are welcome to purchase a custom design. I am the only shop on Etsy that sells these. They are great for iced coffees, frozen drinks and even sodas from the famous drive-thru restaurants. They keep drinks cold longer, prevent the annoying puddle of condensation and keep your fingers warm, which is important for those crazy people who drink iced coffee in the winter. The sleeve by itself is such a great thing and being able to have them personalized is just an added bonus.” Sounds like a perfect hostess gift! Check out all of the custom gifts from East on Twenty Designs in its Etsy shop and Facebook page here. Plus, use the code AUTUMN19 to save 15% off anything in the shop. Thanks Melissa!

Lauren Calhoun is punny. “I brainstormed all kinds of names and knew I wanted to include the word ‘sew’ somehow using a play on words,” explained the designer behind small shop Sew Sweet It Is. “I thought I was pretty clever naming my business after the Marvin Gaye song, ‘So Sweet It Is’ until my husband later informed me that the song lyrics were actually ‘HOW sweet it is to be loved by you…’ Either way, the logos were already made and that was my business name, but I still love it.”

Sew Sweet It Is specializes in feminine dresses adorned with girly ruffles and bows. “I love taking a basic pattern and changing it up with trims, sleeve lengths, ruffles, buttons, you name it,” Calhoun exclaimed. “Pattern mixing is my passion and there is always something new to try.” She started sewing while pregnant with her daughter, Piper. “At that point, I was pretty much only sewing straight lines, but I wanted to make her clothes. I am thankful to friends, YouTube and sewing groups for helping me get started sewing girls clothes (which was a new ballgame compared to the pillows I was making),” Calhoun laughed. “It was so fun and addicting that I wanted to make more, so I started sewing for friends, trying to pay for this ‘hobby.’ Now, I am thrilled to be a part of several designer showcases and am excited about some new opportunities on the horizon.” Many of Calhoun’s designs are driven by different fabric options. “Fabric is my first inspiration, so I am in several fabric groups getting new releases and visit my local stores enough that they know me and my daughter pretty well. I also get inspired from other seamstresses and how they use patterns, trims and fabric placement.”

These days, Piper’s closet is full of original Sew Sweet It Is creations. “I am pretty proud to look at my daughter’s wardrobe and say that I have made most of it. Everything I design, it is because I love it and would want my daughter to wear it,” said Calhoun. “I love sewing for all the seasons and challenging myself with new techniques and fabrics. I sew mainly for girls and it is so much fun making extra frilly things that adult women can’t pull off.” A small shopper herself, Calhoun also prides herself in supporting other makers. “I love the phrase ‘Her success is not your failure.’ I love cheering on other businesses and working together to build one another up,” she professed. “I love to buy things I don’t make from other small shops, like bubblegum necklaces and bows. I have met so many awesome boutique owners and love to collaborate in giveaways, promos and made to match items. We are all in it together and to have fun, so let’s stop being jealous.”

Calhoun is designing for Halloween and Christmas now. Think plaids, peplum and short sets and suspender skirts. Also in the works, “a little break for me as we are expecting our second baby in late October. Another girl!” How sweet it is! Join the Sew Sweet It Is Facebook group here to place custom orders before the holidays.

Stephanie Munden Jones initially launched Love Yourself Bath Co. in 2017 under the name “Mommy & Me Beyoutiful.” Her varied life experiences taught her that all children should believe they are beautiful as created. “When my daughter Rochelle was around three years old, she came running into the house after playing with the neighbor girl and was crying so profusely, I could barely understand what she was saying. The little girl had informed Rochelle she was ‘blaaaack!’ I am assuming from the cries coming from my beautiful daughter that it was said and taken in a negative manner,” she recalled. “This truly broke my heart; I could not imagine my child feeling less than for being who God created her to be. From that day forward, I have always made it my life mission to make my child feel and believe she was beYOUtiful just the way she was.” Years later, Jones’ godson Joshua was born and diagnosed with microcephaly and cerebral palsy. “You can trust that Joshua is so much more than his diagnosis. He is an inspiration to me and many others,” exclaimed Jones. And then, in 2008, she took the steps to become a foster parent. “In this journey, I learned even more that we must raise our children to believe in themselves and to believe in their own beauty and worth. So many children go through life believing others’ perceptions of them. They are too dark, too light, too skinny, too fat, not smart enough, too different, etc.,” Jones explained. “I want all children to know they are exactly who God created them to be. BeYOUtiful! I believe it is our jobs as mothers to instill in our children the self-confidence, self-worth, self-love, and the ability to be who they are and know they are beautiful just as they are.”

Jones now expresses this passionate sentiment through Love Yourself Bath Co. “About six months after the creation of our shop, we changed the name to better reflect the what and the why and Love Yourself Bath Co was born,” she said. “Spending time together with your child whether it is bath time or hair care time or even doing facials together gives a child an opportunity not only to bond with you, but feel important to you.”

The small shop features handmade soaps, colorful bath bombs, bubble bath, shower steamers and soaks crafted from high quality ingredients. “My favorite is our classic Manic Mango. The scent is just so relaxing and refreshing to me,” Jones shared. The shop’s surprise toy bath bombs for kids are the most popular and come in scents like “Fruit Loops” and “Lemon Sugar.” My boys are still playing with the baby shark and rubber duck toys that came atop their Love Yourself Bath Co. bath bombs (baby shark, do do do….), and I was impressed by the beautiful colors of the shop’s moisturizing Summer Cloud bath bomb. “We are always trying to evolve and revamp to better, brighter, and more exciting. I love coming up with something new and beautiful and the anticipation of the bath art the product will create,” said Jones.

This fall, expect more pumpkin-scented bubbles from Love Yourself Bath Co. “Lots of yummy fall scents are coming. Fall is my favorite season and I love all the smells that give you those feel-good memories.” All orders over $49 ship free (in the U.S.) and turnaround time is about a week. Check out all the fizzy fun on the Love Yourself Bath Co. website and get sneak peaks and discounts in the shop’s VIP Facebook group here.

“It all started nine years ago when my daughter Olivia was diagnosed with cancer,” Jennifer Ashley Brobst of Jennie B Jewelry recalled. “Beading became therapeutic for me and I started making accessories for my daughter’s first birthday. After she was in the clear, I kept crafting. She has always been my muse.” 

In 2013, the photography studio where Brobst was working went under and she soon transitioned to being a full-time caregiver for her daughter while building Jennie B Jewelry. “I was left with a sense of sadness and relief. The portrait studio was a very demanding job and I was happy to spend more time with my daughter. I had more time to create,” said Brobst. “Olivia was very interested in what I was making, so I used beads to teach her patterns.” That spring, Brobst took a leap of faith and consigned some of her beaded necklaces at a children’s boutique in Delaware. “My husband later got a job offer in Bellingham, Washington and we moved to the west coast. That fall, I finally decided to open up my Etsy shop. It was great for me because I was able to combine my skills from my degree in photography with my love for creating jewelry.”

Jennie B Jewelry has since expanded beyond one-of-a-kind necklaces and offers small shoppers bracelets, earrings, headbands, flower crowns, bows, bow ties, teething necklaces, key chains, beaded pens, and ornaments. “I mostly create wearable art for children, so color is a big part of that. Many of my creations tend to be bright and bold and sometimes I have to remind myself that it’s okay to have subtle pieces too,” said Brobst. “All my flower crowns are adjustable to fit kids to adults. Most of my necklaces can fit both kids and adults too.” Her favorite designs incorporate an ombré effect, “but my most popular necklaces usually include a unicorn, like a unicorn necklace with matching headband.” Olivia, now safely cancer-free, continues to inspire Brobst’s creativity. “I really enjoy collaborating with my daughter. One of my favorite pieces we created together included shades of the land and sea. It was a big hit,” she shared proudly. “It’s obvious my little shop would not exist without my daughter and I most likely would have never created a line of bow ties if I didn’t have my son, Alex. All of our adventuring out west inspired a lot of my work too. Exploring tide pools, taking in the amazing views of Artist Point, and feeling the mist of waterfalls on your face are all little reminders of the natural joys of being a kid.”

The small shop has developed its own design style over the years. “I started out using big gumball beads because that was the most popular back then. I mostly stick with smaller sized beads now,” Brobst explained. “I now do craft shows, online auctions and charity events, in addition to running my Facebook page and Etsy shop.” You can also regularly find Jennie B Jewelry creations online in groups like Hip Kids Market and NoMad Auction House. “I absolutely love being part of groups of talented female designers. 99% off the bead vendors and suppliers I purchase from are all strong, inspiring women.” Equally important to Brobst, as a mother of a child who underwent cancer treatments, is supporting the Live Love Foundation through jewelry donations. “They put together personalized presents for kids battling cancer all over the country. It is a cause close to my heart.”

Brobst is presently working on some spooky creations for Halloween, one of her favorite times of the year. “Expect to see some of your favorite character necklaces with matching bows in the fall. I might even throw in some classic horror movie pieces,” she predicted. “Spooky bow ties are definitely on the way. I hope to mix in some zebra or tiger ears for trick or treating. The cat and unicorn classics will be available.” Step up your accessory game with a piece from Jennie B Jewelry through Brobst’s Etsy shop and Facebook page here.

“Every night I lie in bed / The brightest colors fill my head / A million dreams are keeping me awake.” – A Million Dreams

“Design inspiration comes to me in dreams,” Amanda Tuck shared. “But, I don’t sleep well at night, so I will lay there thinking of ideas. I also like to research different clothing eras online.” Tuck is the creative designer behind North Carolina-based La Boutique Noel, which features vintage-inspired handmade children’s clothing. “I love using vintage materials. I think I was born in the wrong decade,” she joked. “Anytime I can make something with repurposed materials like vintage sheets, it is my favorite design. I look for unique fabrics and I am always changing up the pattern design. I just like working outside the box.” Tuck has an eye for unique patterns and color combinations and I appreciate all the little ruffles, buttons and bows. “I spend a lot of time on planning my design and I am very OCD about details,” she shared. “I like to change things up and pair colors together that most people would not normally do. 95% of my fabrics are vintage and I also love hunting for fabrics that others don’t use.” “We can live in a world that we design.”

Tuck started La Boutique Noel in March this year with support from friends and family. “My friend encouraged me to start selling hair accessories, but I loved making dresses more, so that is my main focus now.” The small shop – pronounced like the Christmas season – is named after Tuck’s husband. “His middle name is Noel, but it is pronounced as ‘Knoll.’ I included ‘La Boutique’ because I wanted it to sound fancy,” she laughed. “I am a stay at home mom and I wanted to contribute to our family’s income. I needed a job that I could do from home, but I also wanted it to be something I enjoyed doing. This is the only job where I don’t mind spending all day doing – if my 3 year old lets me.” Over the past six months, Tuck has also sharpened her design and seamstress skills. “My sewing has come a long way,” she said. “I had not sewn in years and my focus wasn’t previously on clothing, so I am very proud of myself for accomplishing what I have in such a short time.”

Like so many makers, Tuck cherishes all of the reactions from her little customers. “My favorite part is watching the excitement in their faces when the kids see their outfits for the first time,” she exclaimed. “Just knowing that I made them happy makes me happy. I am a people pleaser, so if they didn’t like it, I think I would cry. I truly do put a piece of my heart in everything I make.” “However big, however small / Let me be part of it all / Share your dreams with me.”

La Boutique Noel is about to release a new line of dresses for the holidays (“Be on the look out for plaids and Christmas”) and you can place your custom order through the shop’s Facebook page here.

“Designing and making stuffed animals is almost like warm glass of milk and homemade cookies for my spirit,” Stormy Stricklin professed. “These days, we need more cute, more cuddly, just more positivity in general. So now, I make these creatures to not only bring joy to kids and plushie lovers, but also to heal myself.”

Stricklin is the chief Dumpling designer behind Little Sugar Dumpling Shop. The small shop has become known for its guinea pig-like stuffed animals. “I created cute, fuzzy creatures that have chubby little faces and furry paws that shyly cover their faces a bit. My inspiration comes mostly from things I find cute, like Pomeranian dogs, cupcakes, freckles and chubby cheeks,” she laughed. Stricklin’s sugary sweet plush pals come in a variety of colorful minky fabrics and feature hand embroidered faces. “By some awesome turn of events, I love embroidering. My favorites are details and facial expressions; I love to see the personalities come to life,” she shared. We were recently the highest bidder in a charity auction for a pumpkin-themed orange Sugar Dumpling with adorable candy corn freckles and it was a big hit with my boys. “My favorite design is a lightly stuffed Sugar Dumpling. I love the feel of the springy stuffing but also some looseness for extra squish.” For Stricklin, the squeals (of delight) for the squish motivate her creatively. “My hands-down most favorite part of the process is when a child’s face lights up seeing something I have made. I’m like, ‘wow! I sparked imagination!’ It is incredible and humbling.”

Before Little Sugar Dumplings, Stricklin operated as Dream Big Ponies sewing fleece baby ponies. “I love horses and think people should follow their dreams, but I didn’t want to be confined to ponies only. After a few months in business, I was brainstorming about what my new shop name would be. My oldest son, Noah, age 14, walked in the room and I said, ‘hey sugar dumpling!’ That’s when it hit me!” she recalled. “I have called all three of my boys sugar dumplings since they were born. I don’t even know where I got it from, but it stuck and I thought it would be the perfect new name for my shop.” Speaking of family, Stricklin’s sister, Jessica Johnson of small shop Button Jar Monsters, also provides her with support and encouragement. “My shop started out of admiration for my sister. She is an amazing monster maker, businesswoman, mom, and friend. Seeing her passion and enjoyment made me want to bring smiles to kids’ faces too.”  

Little Sugar Dumplings is poised to breakout this holiday season. “Little Sugar Dumplings has evolved into a whole world. I have plans for a lot of new colors and surprises, like Fairy Dumplings, Dragon Dumplings and more fun. Every month, I am going to introduce Dumpling animals. This month, I focused on Dumpling koalas, and next month will be brown, black and golden bear Dumplings,” she teased. “I do plan on bring a limited number of ponies and donkeys back for drops in January, but the Dumplings are the direction I am heading. They bring me so much joy.”

Bring some guinea pig-shaped joy home for your own kiddos and don’t miss the new drop from Little Sugar Dumplings today, September 27^th at 5pm Central on its website. Plus, follow the shop on Instagram for sneak peaks and new releases.

It is an ongoing joke in my house that I am a plant killer. Houseplants live (for a brief time) in fear of my black thumb. I have over-watered, under-watered, sun scorched and also underexposed plants of all different varieties, but they all eventually meet the same untimely fate: my garbage can. 

Jamie Leigh Griffiths has met many reformed plant killers over the years. The artist behind Shop Little Pricks hand crochets succulent plants – no watering or direct sunshine required! “When I see a gorgeous succulent, I accept the challenge of recreating it with acrylic yarn,” she said. “I personally crochet every piece and they generally consist of over 600 individual knots each. I particularly enjoy looking for their ‘pots’ or ‘vessels,’ which is a really meditative experience for me.” The shop specializes in soft, potted succulent sculptures, like the “Muscle Man Sheila,” “Bearded Ladies,” and the floral “Fat Bottom Girl,” which range in size from 2-5 inches tall. “All of my Little Pricks emanate a different aspect of the fierce femme personality. Regardless of who you are and what you experience, we all deserve love and we especially deserve self-love,” shared Griffiths. “My soft sculptures are my representation of positive body image and encourage every woman to be unapologetically herself. Something that took me a long time to do myself.”

Originally from Philadelphia, Griffiths launched Shop Little Pricks in 2015 after moving to South Florida. “My Mommom taught me to crochet when I was very young and, after 30 odd years of crocheting, I finally landed on succulents,” she recalled. “It came out of necessity when all my plants died in my poorly lit apartment and I have been passionate about creating them ever since.” Griffiths explained her design process as a “spiritual experience:” “My favorite part is how serendipitously all the plants and pots come together, as if they were meant to marry all along. Sometimes, I just gaze at my inventory space and behold the beautiful handmade garden I have created and think about how grateful I am for this gift that I have and the ability to share it with other people.” 

Griffiths is also a self-described “home design addict.” “I save so many gorgeous home-porn pictures from Instagram and Pinterest. Especially if the picture has a beautiful plant in it, I’m all over it,” she laughed. “Also, my house is basically a giant garden. Curating a beautiful space that I feel that I can calm down and grow in is really important to me.” Griffiths regularly showcases her crocheted plants at local craft fairs and events, but often restocks her online shop. “Transferring my brand personality to a website has been one of the most challenging aspects of having a handmade business, but just the fact that I have items on Etsy is a feat in itself!” 

Do you love the look of succulent plants but hate the maintenance of keeping one more thing alive in your own home? “Each Little Prick is joyfully designed with love and respect for all the plants we have involuntarily put out of their misery. May they always grow in our hearts.” Check out all the Little Pricks popping up in Griffiths’ Etsy shop and Instagram account here. 

Naked Mangoes is unapologetically authentic and that is how shop owner Jessica Markovich wants it. “Most of my designs center around feminism and female empowerment because I practice these principles every day of my life, whether at work with a 75% male staff or trying to set an example for other women and young girls,” she shared. “I also have a dark sense of humor – I am the house of Slytherin after all – and love designing items that have a shock value, like my ‘Be Nice or I’ll Poison You’ or ‘Free the Belly’ designs. Most of the time I will not get the ‘Awww, that’s so cute’ reaction from my customers and I am 100% okay with that.”

Naked Mangoes screen-prints apparel designs for kiddos through adult sizes. “Most of my designs are handmade by me. The screens are coated and prepped by my husband, and then I hand print each item with a squeegee and ink and cure the ink with a heat gun,” Markovich explained. “But, it doesn’t end there. Most people will request their tee cut with fringe or a front knot. Most people don’t know how much work goes into each item.” Her favorite t-shirt design is the “Sour Girl” design (inspired by the Stone Temple Pilots song). “It was my first acid washed design I ever did. It set me down the path of bringing in retro 90’s and grunge designs when I was simply doing what I loved and making things for my daughters.” Small shoppers love the Naked Mangoes rainbow ombré designs, so much so that Markovich does not regularly list them for sale on her website, but only during her ready to ship sales. “It requires me to take the six colors of the rainbow and carefully flood the screen with these colors and print them perfectly on the garment. The error rate is high for rainbow prints, but they always sell quick!” While the design process has become a creative outlet for Markovich, she most enjoys when the kiddos love wearing her apparel. “I love when parents comment about how much their kid loves something I made because I hope it is giving them the same confidence and joy that I see when my girls wear something they love.”

Markovich ventured into t-shirt printing in 2016 while pregnant with her oldest daughter, Shiloh. “When I found out I was pregnant with a girl, I wasted no time in creating designs that were more empowering to females. I spent months in my garage teaching myself how to screen-print the old school way – coating screens with emulsion, burning the image into screens using exposure by sunlight and hand pressing items with real ink,” she recalled. “The amount of patience it took to perfect the craft most likely made me a more patient mother when Shiloh finally came!” She initially named the shop “Naked Mangoes” back in 2016, but later switched to “That Oregon Girl” before finally reverting back to the original name. “When I was younger, I had a journal that had quotes scattered all around it and one asked the question, ‘Have you ever ate mangoes naked?’ and that had always stuck out to me,” said Markovich. “I liked the idea of living a carefree life, but being weird and quirky at the same time. It also represents idealism. How would you act or be if you were taken out of your shell? Mangoes are one of the tricky fruits to peel, but the reward when you peel a mango and enjoy the delicious fruit inside is worth all of the work.” Two daughters later, Markovich is still dedicated to promoting women’s rights and gender quality. “When I first started, I felt like most people viewed ‘feminism’ as a bad word and for that reason, I held back more than I do today. My shop started when Obama was president and now it is Trump. I think many people have become more vocal under the current circumstances and they have put their passion into their craft – myself included,” she exclaimed. “Mostly, Naked Mangoes has evolved in a way that has enabled personal growth within myself. Sometimes, you have to tell people ‘no’ and that is okay. You can’t please everyone and stretching yourself too thin isn’t worth the possibility of my shop becoming something that doesn’t bring me joy.”

Check out all the snarky designs in the Naked Mangoes online shop here and join the VIP Facebook group for sneak peaks, especially while Halloween is creeping close (“Expect some awesome new Halloween designs, but also some in-your-face designs since the 2020 election is around the corner.”). Plus, use the code “smallshopdrop” to save on your next purchase. Thanks Jessica!

Stephie’s Beauties are indeed beautiful. The Florida-based (like me!) small shop handcrafts ring and trinket dishes from colorful swirls of polymer clay and then stamps or paints the finished pieces with intricate designs. “I want my shop to spread positivity and beauty throughout the world. I try to make beautiful designs on my dishes that speak for themselves and share some light,” said Stephanie Newton. “I like to think that every time I send out a dish, I am spreading love to that person or whoever they are gifting it to.”

Stephie’s Beauties opened about two years ago, but this is not Newton’s first foray into the small shop business. “In 2013, my original shop was called Nana’s Hidden Treasure. My mom, sister, aunt and I loved crafting and began the shop together. However, my aunt passed away in 2016 and the shop became something of the past. In 2017, I began working with polymer clay and loved it so much, I decided to start Stephie’s Beauties,” she recalled. “When I first decided to open my shop, I was making duct tape hair bows and I was all over the place. Now, I am more focused with what I place in my shop. My designs have also become more complicated than when I began.” These days, the shop focuses exclusively on tiny dishes personalized for every occasion, like weddings and even tooth fairy holders. Each dish is roughly 3 ½ – 4 ½ inches in size and they are perfect for holding jewelry, loose change and keys. “I have quite a few dish designs that I have always loved. One of my absolute favorite dishes is also one of my best sellers.  That is the dish that says ‘you are fearfully and wonderfully made.’ I love the color combination and I love what it stands for,” Newton shared. “I also love the gold scalloped edged dishes. I feel like it gives them something extra.”

Newton starts her design process with various clumps of polymer clay and a general concept in mind. “It may be a positive quote, or maybe something that will be used in a wedding ceremony. I will see which colors look beautiful together and, once my clay is marbled and my shape is formed, I add my design,” she explained. “A lot of my designs come from how I am feeling at the moment. I love bright and vibrant colors and seeing how the colors interact with each other. Plus, I love sparkle and spreading a positive message. All I really want is for my dishes to bring joy and inspiration to others and I try to make dishes that would do just that.” Newton usually gets plenty of feedback and design input from her supportive family. “I have a lot of helpers, especially my twin sister and my niece and nephews. They will tell me what they like about the dish I am designing and what they think I should change. I have had some interesting suggestions from the kids,” she laughed.

Most of the dishes range in price from $21-$24 (including shipping!) and make perfect gifts <think bridesmaids presents>. And, while we are still a few months away, Newton is already gearing up for the holiday season. “I have started planning ahead for Christmas and the fall season and have some new design concepts in the work,” she said. Check out all the designs currently available in the Stephie’s Beauties Etsy shop and Facebook page here.