Punctuation and Etsy
25 Feb 2010 7 Comments
in all about me, writing
I’m a big theoretical fan of Etsy–crafting, design, whimsy, DIY ethic, empowerment, endless possibilities–what’s not to like? But I’ve only bought one item from an Etsy shop before, a ninja t-shirt for my sister, and I’m not quite sure why that is. It is too overwhelming? Maybe, but I think also I’m still a bit old school, a bit reluctant to buy something sight unseen from someone I don’t know. I think it’s also why I try to stay out of bookstores, because I know I will spend too much once I get started–happened just this week at the girls’ Scholastic bookfair, in fact!
Anyway, I forget how I ended up there, but I started searching for punctuation-related items on Etsy a few nights ago and came up with some real gems:
My favorite mark of punctuation is the interrobang. Again, I say, what’s not to like? It’s graphically distinctive, it expresses “attitude, curiosity and wonder,” and since I spend much of my life with fourteen-year-old girls, I definitely see a need it would fill if we had more access to it. On Etsy, I found Interrobang necklace and among others, a set of punctuation cross-stitch patterns including the interrobang.
I searched mainly for house goods and necklaces, because necklaces are the only kind of jewelry I wear regularly (apart from wedding rings). I found some cool ones using typewriter keys, like this one with a semicolon and colon. There’s also a lovely !?@ necklace that isn’t keys, but has the same vibe. Finally, there’s a Ampersand necklace that appears to be laser-cut from an old vinyl record.
I’m not going to splurge on it all, because then I’d be that Crazy Punctuation Lady. But there’s something kind of amazing about them all, and very soon, you might see me around, wearing my grammatical love around my neck.
Feb 25, 2010 @ 22:50:08
Oh man, I love me some etsy. A couple of years ago, I had an all-etsy Christmas (well, except for some horrible plastic crap the kids HAD to have). But I could spend a million dollars there, if I had it to spend.
The good thing about it, from my perspective, is that it’s gotten me back into sewing, which I had stopped doing when the kids were really little, even though I love it.
Feb 26, 2010 @ 08:34:46
Those cross-stitch patterns might get me back into embroidering– in little hoops and different colors, they’d make cool wall decorations, I think! I miss embroidering and it has definitely gotten lost in the daily shuffle.
Feb 26, 2010 @ 09:11:44
Also, landismom, what do you find yourself buying the most there? Do you search by category, theme, color? The sheer volume of stuff available is overwhelming for me.
Feb 26, 2010 @ 14:16:07
I am definitely a veteran Etsy buyer at this point. Mostly jewelry, but also bags, soap, and knitwear. I always have a bunch of favorites lined up.
Feb 26, 2010 @ 16:33:39
Ooooh, bags! Do you have favorite shops, or do you just search for stuff and see what comes up?
Feb 27, 2010 @ 19:06:23
Love this post…especially the interrobang!
Thanks for sharing!