I love ETSY! If you’re unfamiliar with the site it’s basically an online community where you buy and sell handmade goods in virtual “shops”. Bewarned, ETSY is addicting and you’ll want everything, but it’s amazing to see the ingenious ways people create things. Here are a few local literary items I found on the site so you can support Hawaii’s small businesses/authors and the handmade movement at the same time!
WatercolorSkyHawaii‘s shop has beautifully crafted accessories made out of beach glass, but I really love the different bookmarks featuring real beach glass, puka shells and silver charms—a charming gift for any book lover.
Speaking of bookmarks, leslee6’s shop ‘ Tropical Crush ‘ features ceramic Hawaiiana creations that are rustic and earthy. Great colors and creative jewelry designs, these honu bookmarks are too cute to pass up.
Recently featured in Honolulu Magazine, the etsy shop of ManilaExtract recycles or “upcycles” Hawaii coffee sacks into all manner of bags and purses including this, soft-on-the-inside case, for your reading glasses!
Local author and publisher of Tikitales, Judi Riley, also has a Tikitales shop on etsy! You can buy her book and handmade items with local fabrics featuring local animals and themes. Plus the “Java lavalava” a coffee cup cozy for anyone who likes to read and caffeinate at the same time. 😉
OK, so I saved the best for last!
I think the most fabulous local literary find on etsy would have to be local illustrator and author, Caren Loebel-Fried’s shop! She sells notecards, prints and linocuts of her art and book illustrations. The linocut prints run from small to large and can be a bit expensive, especially for the hand colored ones, but they’re absolutely gorgeous, and well worth the moolah for anyone who loves her books.
I’m sure there’s more out there in the vast Inter-webs. Let us know if you find any Hawaii-related, literary loot!
