The mastermind behind these amazing sud filled wonders is Geek Soap. Each bar of GEEKSOAP Game Cartridge bars are handmade one-at-a-time from natural vegetable glycerin and moisturizers, enriched with aloe and vitamin E. The bars are also scented with a lime mint fragrance and come shrink-wrapped to seal in freshness and allow you to keep the soap on display until you’re ready to use it. GEEKSOAP is also vegan friendly! The soaps have really been catching on and with this high demand wait for your bar of soap is currently around 3 weeks.

Buy your bar of soap at: http://geeksoap.bigcartel.com. Prices range from $7.50 a bar to $2.00 a bar.

Right now, I’m really into her bright resin rings and bangles, as well as her adorable ‘Best Friends’ polymer clay necklace. Everything in the shop is priced very affordably, ranging from about $13 for rings, up to $22 for a necklace.

Here is a little bit more about her!

“My name is Adelle and my blog is adelle.com.au. I try to post every couple of days with art projects I’m working on, creative things I fall in love with on my internet travels, colourful things I find day to day, and inspirational treasures that I just want to share. I also love posting about what my students at school create.

And yep, I am an art teacher by day and a crafter/artist/jeweler by day and night. I have just recently launched my new collection of picture transfer polymer clay jewelry, which I am really excited about! I am totally in love with working with this method because it has just opened up so many creative possibilities in regards to wearable art.

I have also just opened my online store where everyone can browse and purchase my colourful jewelry. I would love you to come and have a look… You might just find something perfect for you.”

Check out Adelle and her creations at:

www.adelle.com.au/buymyjewelry

www.adelles.etsy.com

Each belt also comes with a matching black bandanna and is packaged in a hand stenciled burlap sack! Each piece is hand made to order and they are only doing very small production runs. Bottom line if you want one of these bad boys you need to pre-order one! The belt will set you back $75 and there is a 30-35 Days for delivery.

Use coupon code “IAMTHETREND” for 15% off anything at Enclothe.com

Check out everything Enclothe has to offer at: www.enclothe.com

The items that would have to top my list would have to be the hand-embroidered Moleskine pocket notebooks. The designs range from cute deer, bears and unicorns, to rainbow spewing kittens! They are so
loud and obnoxious that you have to love them!

You can also find hand-embroidered greeting cards with kittens and PBR cans on them, as well as unicorn clad light switch plates, and not to mention the great handmade vintage yearbook photo stickers!

The prices for everything in the shop are pretty reasonable; a little pricey on the pocket notebooks at $15-20 each, but I can appreciate the time and effort that must go in to embroidering each one by hand.

The light switch plates are hand-painted and are only $10; greeting cards and sticker packs are at a great price of $8 each. I honestly love everything that is in this shop and if I could afford it…. I would probably own one of everything.

I highly recommend checking out Nowvember and getting some rainbow spewing kittens or unicorns of your own!

www.nowvember.etsy.com

Basically what PicClick has setup is a new website called PicClick.com/Etsy This site is connected to to Etsy.com and brings to you an infinite scrolling site full of product images. Yes I said “infinite”, basically the page keeps loading the further you scroll down leaving you with limitless options. The site also lets you search visually by category which definitely makes it easier to find something specific.

I think this is a great idea and will really make your Etsy searches a lot easier and enjoyable!

She has necklaces and designer tees for sale as well, but the most popular item is the statement bracelet. With phrases such as LEGIT, BRUTAL, RUTHLESS, BELIEVE, WALLFLOWER, and many others; just about everyone can find one that says something about them. These bracelets are very reasonably priced at $10 each. I know I was able to buy one, and so can anyone else at that price.

Needless to say, I am impressed that someone so young can be that successful in doing what she loves. Here is an interview I did with Jac Vanek so we could get to know her even better! Enjoy!

Jacvanek.com

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Jac Vanek and I own a clothing and accessory company of the
same name.

When did you start your business and how did it start?

I made my very first bracelet around three years ago (the “ruthless” one).  It’s funny, because I never intended for this to become my career and take over my life.  I made a few bracelets for fun for some
of my friends…gave a few to friends in bands…and slowly, they started to catch on.  And finally, Jac Vanek became an actual official business in the fall of 2008.

What got you first interested in jewelry/fashion?

I’ve been into fashion my entire life.  However, I’m honestly not really into designers and high end fashion…I’m more of a thrift store junkie.  I sew, alter, or cut up almost every single article of clothing I have.  I’ve never been a generic dresser, and I’ve never dressed to a particular genre either.  I mix and match colors, patterns, and styles to create something that works for me and only me.

Where did the inspiration for the bracelets come from?

Music, movies, books, quotes, values, beliefs….life.  There is a specific reason behind every single bracelet, shirt, and necklace I have made.  Whether it is the title of a song from my favorite band,
or a word representing a specific belief I have, there’s always strong backing to each item I sell.  I recently added descriptions to every one of my products at my online store so customers can jump in my brain to see why I decided to go with a certain word or phrase.  I also rely very heavily on the input and feedback I have from customers and fans…if I have enough demand for something, I make it!  I would be nothing without them, so the least I can do is make my customers what they want.

How do you decide who you are going to do collaborations with?

Everyone I have done collabs with in the past have been close friends of mine who would rather support what I’m doing rather than rip me off.  Some of these have included Alex Gaskarth from All Time Low,
Gabe Saporta from Cobra Starship, William Beckett from The Academy Is…, etc.  I also did a three-way collaboration with Miley Cyrus and Mandy Jiroux, which they approached me about.  That was awesome for
me, because it reached outside of the scene I’m very involved in now!

Do you have anything new coming out in the near future?

Oh yes, of course I do!  I’m most excited about a collection of rings I’ll be releasing in the next month or so.  It’s one thing to have a design screen printed on a shirt…but it’s another to have my own
unique piece of jewelry crafted specifically for me!

I know that musicians and their fans love your bracelets, why do you think your bracelets are so popular?

I think it’s because the bracelets are so expressive, so bold, and so loud.  And by now, I have so many different sayings that there is a bracelet for pretty much everyone, every emotion, and every day.  Not
to mention, they’re a great conversation starter at a party!

Do you have advice for someone trying to open his or her own online business/shop?

Do your own thing!  If you think you have an awesome idea that you know will sell, go for it.  Start small and be patient.  Like I said, I started with one bracelet, and slowly built on that.  Don’t try to
take any crazy loans out to fund your business.  Do what you can with what you can.  You don’t have a million products…try to find what works for you, and work with that.  Also, you are going to need thick skin. Nothing comes easy, be ready for criticism, and try to use it to better your business.

What do you love most about your job/life right now?

The number one thing I love is that I am my own boss.  I spent the first 20 years of my life trying to impress others, live up to certain expectations, and be accepted by others.  When I finally abandoned that and did what really worked for me, everything just clicked.  To me, work and play are the same thing.  Traveling and touring are part of my job…how bad ass is that?!

Lastly, what is your favorite album as of right now?

Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More.  Obsessed, obsessed, obsessed.

Check out everything they have to offer at Jacvanek.com

Tranter studied music at the Berklee School of Music before becoming the front man of Semi Precious Weapons and launching his jewelry line. It all started when he made the jewelry to sell as merchandise to fans
at shows. It eventually grew to the point where he was able to use the money made from the jewelry sales to fund their first album and to allow fans to download it for free.

There are various jewelry lines to Fetty, such as Fetty of Brooklyn, which showcases various designs of weapons. One of the styles is ‘Royalty’ in which the jewelry is made of materials like diamonds, and
14k gold, these pieces retail in the range of a few hundred dollars. The ‘Boutique’ line has the same designs as the ‘Royalty’ line but are a lot more price friendly at the range of $35-$50 per piece. They are gold and platinum plated. The third line is the most affordable and is called the ‘Urban’ line with the same designs, but made out of brass and nickel…and these are a steal at $10 dollars each!

I really love the Lizzie Loves necklace with the axe and cut heart. I also enjoy the fact that they cater to every different customer as far as price range goes. Most designers only work with one or two materials, and you either can afford to buy it or you can’t. Fetty allows you to be both flexible with your cash and stylish!

Along with the Fetty of Brooklyn lines, there is also a Semi Precious Weapons line and another upscale line called Fame. Fetty jewelry is sold in many stores from Barneys to Urban Outfitters and Fred Segal.
There is also no shortage of celebrities who love Fetty, everyone from Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Kate Moss and Rhianna are big fans of the jewelry.

I definitely suggest checking out Fetty of Brooklyn and picking up a weapon or two!

www.thefetty.com

After studying Industrial Design at the University of Cincinnati and interning for such footwear companies like Adidas and New Balance, she is well on her way to creating a successful brand of her own!

The shoes are themselves works of art. Made out of a durable hemp canvas for the uppers, a hand molded sole made out of natural latex and sawdust, salvaged cork and natural latex for the insoles, organic bamboo for the linings, these shoes are completely sustainable and vegan. There aren’t even any adhesives used in the making of these shoes and the insoles are also removable so that the shoes can be turned inside out to be washed if needed!

I was very impressed at how these shoes can be so beautiful and durable, while also being eco-friendly at the same time. Alisha really puts her all into the craftsmanship of these shoes and you can absolutely tell!

The shoes run in sizes 6 thru 10 and come in a variety of colors; everything from natural to navy to red and marigold. I also especially love the detailed work that is put into the textured flats as well as the bow flats. These are definitely something that I can see myself wearing as well as a lot of other women out there! Prices range from $85 for the simple natural flats, $95 for the hand dyed flats, and upwards of $165 for the texture detailed flats. Although a little on the pricy side, you get what you pay for and with all of the work that has been put into each and every pair of shoes; it is definitely worth it!

You can check out SMARTFISH at:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/SMARTFISH

http://www.amandawachobtattoo.com/
These are a little more permanent than the rest of this list, but I couldn’t help myself. Her modern tattoo designs, sans the typical thick-black lines, set her into a whole new world of tattoo design. And it is no doubt a bold move to get one of her amazing abstract designs.

2. Urbanears

http://www.urbanears.com
You don’t have to be a DJ or a college student to fall in love with these headphones. These things come in all the colors of the rainbow, so now you can match your headphones to all your favorite t-shirts.

3. Dirty Pretty Things

http://www.dptjewelry.com
A personal favorite of mine, the crew over at Dirty Pretty Things really knows how to tug on all the tough-girl heart strings. Affordable and utterly cool, you need to rush out to add one of the amazing pieces of art jewelry to your collection before everyone catches on to this trend.

4. Studio Dong

http://www.etsy.com/shop/studioDONG
Artist Nick Dong plays with shape and style with these beautiful hand made introspective rings. No need to be flashy on the outside, you get to keep all the flash and style to yourself. Dong designs the rings this way on purpose, so you feel the energy of the gems by yourself – and no one else will know where your secret glow is coming from.

5. The Invisible by Andreie Chaves

http://www.yatzer.com
If you’ve ever seen Lady GaGa’s outfits and said to yourself “I can pull that off!” then these shoes belong to you. The Invisible Shoe embodies the current trends in fashion, design, and art. Plus, who wouldn’t want to get to know the trendy soul who could wear these with no hesitation? Check out Andreia Chaves’ other footwear concepts and bask in the glory of her imagination.

6. Killspencer Messenger Bag

http://www.killspencer.com
You don’t have to travel by bike to fall in love with this bag. KILLSPENCER makes all their bags in the USA and uses materials “used in combat” to put them all together. So not only do you have a great looking, easy travel bag hanging on your back – but it also protects your computer and business documents from all sorts of weather, including fire. Each KILLSPENCER product comes with an attached strap that attached to a wall mount you can place anywhere in your home. So there, it’s hanging on the wall, now it’s art.

7. Kiel Mead Jewelry

http://www.kielmead.com
Try making jewelry that’s original, recycled, and cool enough for boys and girls. Try being Kiel Mead. Kiel [pronounced “Kyle”] works with more than just jewelry, and at 24 he’s already had his work featured in over 15 magazines and numerous galleries (including MoMA). Plus, how bad do you want to wear a Cadillac key as a ring?

8. Ariane Hartmann The Best Place brooch

http://www.ariane-hartmann.de
German Artist Ariane Hartmann hits all the right notes with these sweet little works of art. Tugging our Vinyl loving heartstrings and bringing us back to the days when scratching albums was taboo, each brooch is marked specifically to show you the best part of the song. Pin them onto your scarf or jacket and rock them with confidence that, yes, you are trendy.

9. Macha Jewelry, the Jagger Trilogy Ring

http://www.machajewelry.com/
Diamonds may be forever, but this ring is a permanent staple for anyone who loves modern fashion. Creatively stuffed with solid hunks of plated gold and sterling silver, it’s a beautiful treasure that won’t cost you a fortune.

the. is a really interesting company. I recently came across some of their products online and was quite intrigued by them. My favorite product that they produce is their set of Anti-Theft Lunch Bags, never again will your lunch be swiped by a classmate or sneaky co-worker! Basically what you get are 25 plastic sandwich baggies (think Ziplocs) that have moldy green splotches all over them to make your food look…well…green and moldy! The price isn’t too terrible at 10 bucks for a set of 25 sandwich baggies.

I think I might have to pick up some of these myself! If you are interested in the. and their collection of products including their Anti-Theft Lunch Bags you can find them at: www.thinkofthe.com

Megan Bogonovich creates wonders out of clay. After finishing art school as well as graduate school, she now works at a local community college in her town of Concord New Hampshire. She creates some of the most beautiful and strange porcelain sculptures I have ever seen!

Her pieces have such a sense of simplistic whimsy that you cannot help but admire them and smile when you see them! I love the attention to detail and glaze work that she does on her more intricate sculptures.
Many of them show a lot of natural textures that remind me of the sea or woods with a feeling of being in Alice in Wonderland to them with the curious disappearing female figures.

Her work has been featured in publications like Artscope and ID Magazines and she also sells her sculptures on
www.artstreamstudios.com as well as www.melabo.etsy.com. Be prepared to shell out a little over a thousand or so dollars for one of her more intricate sculptures. The craftsmanship is so beautiful though that I have no qualms with the pricing.

For those of us that may not be able to afford to spend thousands of dollars on a piece of artwork, she also sells other more affordable pieces as well ranging from about 20 – 60 dollars. Some of the more popular items are the cake toppers, mini sculptures and figurines. I love the mash up designs! The cake toppers with different heads for the man and woman and also the strange altered animals are quite interesting! With over 1,000 sales on her Etsy website to date, it is easy to say that I am not the only person intrigued and impressed by her work!

I highly recommend checking out Megan’s work on both her own personal website and her online shops as well!

www.meganbogonovich.com
www.melabo.etsy.com
www.artstreamstudios.com

To make a long story short, the owner of the shop was a self proclaimed “outcast” growing up and throughout high school, she felt as I am sure many young women do, that sex would somehow make her more popular and accepted among her peers.  Unfortunately she was wrong and overtime became ashamed of herself and her vagina.  It even became so bad for her that any thought of her vagina would result in a sick feeling in her stomach, feeling dirty, ashamed and useless.  This was until a friend of hers took her to see the show The Vagina Monologues.  It was this experience that helped her feel more confident and proud of who she was.  Looking for away to turn her past into something positive she started VulvaLoveLovelys.  The shop allowed her to express and celebrate herself and the female anatomy.

I think it’s absolutely incredible for someone to take something so negative in their life and turn it into something completely positive, especially when we are talking about something as taboo as a vagina.   Some of the shops items range from pendants, pillows, key chains and even vulva lip balm.  With over 327 satisfied customers the shop seems to be gaining popularity and a strong following.  While these products aren’t for the timid or meek; actually most of these products look about as real as possible; I can definitely see a home for them with many women.

You can check out the full line of products at: VulvaLoveLovelys

“Dynomighty Design established in 2002 seeks to create a vibrant array of products to complement and accentuate the modern urban lifestyle with the designs of Terrance Kelleman. Dynomighty seeks to educate and impact people with products that influence their lives and perceptions. We want you to reach out and touch the products, play, learn and discover. We want to achieve this with simplicity of materials and economy of design. The best product ideas are often the simplest ones. Products that have a simple use of materials and an elegant solution of form and function stand out in the marketplace, spark consumer interest and create demand.”

Dynomighty Design carries a wide array of awesome products, one of these being link-less magnetic jewelry. You can purchase everything from rings, to bracelets and chokers that are beautifully designed and hold themselves together simply by the force of magnets! They also have exclusive patent rights to this type of jewelry, which I think is uniquely awesome as well. Prices for the jewelry range from twelve dollars for a simple ring, to sixty-five dollars for a necklace.

You can also find some very cool totes, luggage tags and wallets that are all very eco- friendly and made from Tyvek material. You know like the express mailers you get at the post office that are impossible to break into or tear? Each wallet, tote, and luggage tag has a unique design or print on it and I especially love the wallets with the subway maps printed on them! They are also very reasonably priced at just ten dollars for the luggage tags, fifteen dollars for a snazzy wallet and only twenty dollars for a tote bag! You seriously can’t beat that!

Check out all of the awesome wares that Terrance Kelleman has to offer
at dynomighty.com

I personally LOVE the ‘Milk and Bread’ pendant! Who would have thought you could make a stylish piece of jewelry from what looks to be a shiny bread bag tag! Love it! Here is a little interview I did with Melanie!

Website: www.melaniefavreau.etsy.com!

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Mélanie Favreau and I’m a jeweler for more then 8 years now. I live with my hubby in the city of Montréal, in the province of Québec, Canada. I’m also a crazy cat lady (I have 5 cats) and I love cheese and eyeglasses I only sell my jewelry online on a few websites: Etsy, Supermarket, Dawanda and Artefaks.

When did you start and what got you interested in jewelry making?

In 1998, I moved in Montreal and found out that university was definitely not what I expected! So, I drop out of my philosophy class and started a class of jewelry making for 3 years at the École de Joaillerie de Montréal and finished in 2001. Then I started to work for other jewelers for 5 years. I always knew that someday I would be my own boss but, I wanted to get some experience first. I started
selling on Etsy the day of my 30th birthday, November 29th 2007 and got my first order a week later!

Why do you work with sterling silver and resin as opposed to other materials?

When you learn to make jewelry, you start to work with copper and sterling because it’s an inexpensive material. I love to work with sterling now for the same reason! Would you buy a 300$ moustache ring? I don’t think so! Seriously, I really love working with sterling and resin because I can turn it into any crazy idea I may have and I know it will still be affordable for most of my customers. It’s really
important to me to be able to make nice custom made pieces of jewelry that will really mean something to you or to the one you love but at a reasonable price.

What inspires you and how do you come up with new designs?

Recently, I found out that I get my best ideas when…I’m angry! Crazy, isn’t it? Is there a psychotherapist in the room? But when I’m happy (99.99% of the time!) I like to get a pen and some paper and start to draw shapes, words and ideas. I got tons of small papers all around my computer with little sketches that will turn into a piece of jewelry…or not! My husband loves it!

Any advice for someone trying to open their own online business/shop?

Do it now! It is the best way to express yourself and make your creations available to the whole world! Don’t censure yourself, do what you love and only what you love. Take your passion and try to turn it into a profitable business but, don’t try to do it JUST to make money. Always keep the faith! Try not to get discourage if it
doesn’t work as well as you thought. Give it some time, be patient. For me, Etsy is the best way to start your own little business. So, now your Etsy shop is full of nice stuff and now what? Get out there! My favorite thing now is Twitter but I also like Flickr. I know, I should have a Facebook page and a blog but, I got to make jewelry too, you know?

What’s the best part about living in Canada?

Maple syrup…it’s just the best! lol!

Check out Melanie’s jewelry at www.melaniefavreau.etsy.com!