I first came across Invita Paper Studio through these lovely thank you cards, made that much nice with a simple “thank you” on the outside and a “very much” on the inside.  They use a great solid feeling white linen card stock and don’t shirk on the envelopes either.

mixed tape vol. i, 3×2 designs w/envelopes $9

My family has a habit of purchasing plastic items of food to sit around as decorations. This annoys me to no end because if I see a donut, I want a donut and if the only donut on hand happens to be made of solid plastic….that’s going to make for a very chewy donut eating experience 
But for whatever reason (hypocrisy?) food shaped soaps appeal to me. That- and the shop’s name- made Dirty Ass Soaps today’s Indie Retailer. (The soap’s are also vegan, although the food that it’s based on …

Woodburned pieces speak of a kind of craftmanship you don’t always see nowadays, and the work at Sixth & Elm is carefully crafted both as a general product but also for custom orders.  Its hard to think of a phrase that signifies quality moer than “custom-woodburned” right?  Her non-custom work itself bears the strong stamp of elegance without being pretentious.

butterfly box, 8″ wide by 8″ deep and 2″ high at $65

I’m a little nervous writing about this paperie, because I can’t remember where I heard of them.  If I stole the original idea from one of Brandy’s Indie Retailer posts, please forgive me.  The Frantic Meercat makes absolutely charming pastiches of vintage text, images and sentiments.  Some remind me of the Anne Taintor line, but most ring true as their own personal spin on old-time ephemera or new-time sardonics.

get well, 7 x 5″ card for $3 (inside reads, “I recommend the worm cakes.  Get well soon.”)

What drew me to Nancy Farmer’s work initially was why I was so interested in one of the pieces I featured last week, and that is her series of greeting cards featuring elaborate inappropriate behaviour from Barbie, Ken and the other iconic dolls of our youth.  Each one is done without photoshop, “just patience and a lot of handmade accessories.”  Above the fold I’ll feature a PG card, below there’ll be a PG-13 card, but I encourage you to check out the more explicit ones at her etsy shop.  Her …

The designs of Hidden Louise at Hide N Seek Illustrations riff on a familiar theme, but they play the colours and shapes of fairy tales with a modern sensibility and a wry sense of the classics.  I’m pretty sure that the “lost girl” in the “terrible woods” is a trope rich for interpretation, and I’m intrigued by the views presented here.

seduction, 4″ x 6″ card for $4.20

Poink is a small, one-woman business that sells adorable plush critters with the tagline of “handmade friendship.” Plus, I’ve been playing Spore lately and I think I might try and recreate one or two of these (for the record, no the game isn’t the be all and end all, but I do enjoy making cute critters and running around the place).  The flavour text on these items is charming … I’d like to introduce you to Ramone:  “When you say Ramone’s name, you have to roll the ‘R’. He’s an …

Artist David V. Moore’s surreal paintings really resonate with me both in the choices he makes with “natural” settings and the whimsy he follows with their surreal twists. I’m most attracted to his digital prints, but feel free to browse his abstract hand-painted works on canvas as well. The pieces are quite evocative, make good use of light/colour, and demonstrate a sense of wonder without being too “out there” to hang in a common living space. I’m in love particularly with the earthy tones of the horse …

Lauren Elgee Design was suggested by Anne in the Indie Retailer Suggestion Thread. I liked Elgee’s kitschy earrings so much that I decided to feature her shop right away. The price tag of $55 a pair is a bit higher than I would normally go for a piece of jewelry (yes, I’m cheap), but these pieces are so unique that they’re worth it. Some of them might make it onto my “to buy” list for the holidays. 
What’s the Lauren Elgee Design formula? Start with some generous helpings of covetable kitsch: 

Retro …

Rocket Science Shop has stationary that serves as science/math nerd shorthand. When you care enough to send the best, you pass along Avogadro’s number. Obviously. But there are also obvious symbols like e=mc^2 and pi if you want to go with a lower level of geekery.

Avogadro’s Number Blank Greeting Cards, set of 3 (with envelopes) for $5.00