No, it’s not the time of this post, it’s the name of this shop that is run by Johanna. 12fifteen is based in Connecticut and is full of pretty paper. Silhouette graphics with simple messages make for a happy start to a little note. I am loving everything at Johanna’s shop. See for yourself…

Personalized Notecards-Colorful Bird; Identity Crisis Deer-Cheerful Colors:

 
Urban Thank You; Modern and Cheerful Pattern Filled Swallow:

I wasn’t always really a big fan of pink. Recently, however, I’ve grown to appreciate this color a bit.

Let’s see the pink…

The One Bad Apple Mini-Messenger Bag at Bake Sale Designs; Hot Pink Bracelet at Fossa Designs; Bird and Flower Shirt at Random Nicole:

Gloveables Rubber Gloves at Feather Your Nest; Pink Heart Pin at Iglubu; Glasses Bookplates at Pink Loves Brown:

Coco Pink Bag at Emma Gordon Handbags; Flower Power Tee at Love Plus One; Majesty Dog Collar at Bark and Sparkle:

Jan DiCintio is the girl behind Scoutie Girl, a fresh new blog that digs up indie and emerging designers. As a small business owner herself (check out her handmade bags at Daisy Janie), Jan understands the importance of supporting the growing independent community. She has been in the business of art, craft and design for around 7 years now and has owned businesses where she designed, created and sold art pieces and painted funky wallpaper-ish designs for clients in their homes. Basically what I’m saying is - she knows her stuff!

Other than great reviews and features, Scoutie Girl features a Sponsor Giveaway and Designer Q & A’s for you to check out. I’m loving having this blog on my “daily reads” list and am always amazed at what Jan digs up. Add Scoutie Girl to your bookmarks and discover a world of cool artists.

Right now at Punk-n-Pie there’s a special going on. If you purchase $25 or more of Little Twig products, you will receive a FREE gift with purchase. The free gift? A cute little lady bug wash mitt with samples of Little Twig products.

Little Twig is a great company that produces natural products for sensitive skin. With ingredients such as lavender, jojoba oil, vitamin E and more, you know you’re getting quality goods. Plus, how cute are the bottles and all?

Head over now to Punk-n-Pie to get your free Little Twig gift while supplies last.

Baby Basics Gift Pack; Bodymilk:Pure; Travel Basics:Bee:

Wanna meet one of our lovely sponors? Of course you do!

Meet Marianna Urrutia of ChickRocks

Where are you located?
San Antonio, TX, USA

What is it that you design and create?
I design delicate and unique pieces (earrings, necklaces, and bracelets) made of semi-precious stones, glass, sterling silver and 14k gold-fill.

What is your favorite part of the design process?
I like the excitement of something beautiful and unique being made by my very own hands, I’m often surprised at the final product. But what I love the most are the compliments from my clients, it inspires me to continue doing what I love.

How did you come up with your business name?
Well, I wanted something hip and catchy. I tentively used ChickRocks at my first show in December 2005 and the show was a huge success! So I decided to buy my domain name immediately and keep using ChickRocks.

Where/How did this all begin?
I began designing jewelry when I was pursuing a Master of Architecture at University of Houston. I would spend most of my time at a friend’s house supposedly working on school projects, but in reality we would be surfing the net, reading fashion magazines, and often be caught eating eggs and toast with a glass of wine at midnight. Fortunately somehow, after doing several all nighters we would get our semester long project done. It was during those years, that I was introduced to designing jewelry. Lucia and her mom would constantly be making wonderful pieces and I was intrigued. Eventually I was given some tools and practice material…and well that was it! Here I am today…‘thank you Lucia!’www.blugrndesign.com

Who or what inspires you?
Anything and everything!

What’s on your iPod/music player right now?
Lately I’m hooked on Marcela Gandora. She is a spanish artist from El Paso who sings beautiful love songs. She has an amazing voice and her lyrics are thought provoking and full of inspiration.

What t.v. shows are you currently hooked on?
I love BRAVO TV…Project Runway and Top Chef.

What was the last movie you watched?
Reign Over Me

What’s your favorite food?
Sushi

What’s your favorite candy?
Bachi, an Italian chocolate, it is delicious!!! Bachi means ‘kisses’ in Italian and each Bachi comes wrapped with a small romantic note translated in several languages.

Coffee or Tea?
Both

What store could you walk around in for hours and be happy?
Borders and Anthropologie.

Any pets?
Yes…1 Shih Tzu and 3 toy poodles.

Any celebrity crushes?
George Clooney and Brad Pitt

Favorite Holiday?
Christmas!

What do you secretly wish you could do/be?
A personal shopper for Cameron Diaz, Gwyneth Paltrow, Drew Barrymore and the likes.

Favorite piece of clothing?
Currently my BCBG white leather purse.

Do you speak any other languages?
Spanish

Thanks for the interview, Marianna! Here are a few pieces that you can find at ChickRocks:

Oxidized Silver, Pearl and Pink Coral Necklace; Oxidized Silver and Light Blue Quartz Earrings; Amethyst, Silver and Olive Jade Necklace:

Oxidized Silver, Carnelian and Lemon Jade Earrings; Oxidized Silver and Quartz Necklaces; Gold-filled and Semi Precious Stones Earrings:

There is a ‘Buy 2, Get 1 Free‘ sale going on through March 31.

If you remember the last time I did a post on Rosanna, Inc this will ring a bell…

“I could never eat off of these plates”…and I still mean it. They are so lovely and fun, yet I’m not sure that I could bring myself to plop food on them. Either way, they’ll bring a smile to your face just because they look good. Take a look at their newest arrivals:

Boho Collection; Fleur Collection:

Dottie Baroque Collection; Stockholm Collection:

Here are some sweet pretties from one of our sponsors, Anne Maa. At Anne Maa Designs you’ll find earrings, bracelets, necklaces and rings crafted of beautiful precious stones, sterling silver, vermeil and gold-filled wire.

Gold Dipped Maple Seed Necklace; Mossy Green Apatite Row Ring; Golden Sapphire Drop Bunch Earrings:

Bliss Lau is a Hawaii gal and so I just had to do a feature on her. Bliss was raised in Hawaii and attended the Parsons School of Design. After graduating from college she launched her handbag collection. In addition to gorgeous well-designed handbags, Bliss also has a belt and jewelry line at her shop.

Pulling inspiration from her time growing up in the Hawaiian Islands and incorporating New York’s style and landmark architecture, Bliss Lau’s collections are amazing. Everything is so stylish and yet so functional. While I don’t own one of her bags yet, I can say that I’ve seen them in person. This may be one of those items to put on your splurge list!

Woven Accordion; Suspension Demi; Mini Pleat:

Bettyjoy is a one-woman shop that is run out of a little cottage in the North of England. Lucia Kempsey had the idea of starting up her site simply because of her love of making things and seeing the handmade goods of others. Accessories, toys, jewelry, homewares and more can be found at Bettyjoy. All of the items are adorable and fun and are very reasonably priced.

Check out some of the goodies…

Injured Panda-Spotted; Deer Earrings; Obi Style Belt-Koi:

Ready for some fun designs printed by a gal in her shed? Yes, Rachel Bone prints her own designs by hand in limited runs (on sweatshop free apparel, might I add) in the shed behind her home in Baltimore, Maryland. Well, the shed, the kitchen, the basement, bathtub and more are all great working spaces for this creative lady.

Red Prairie Press is a great one-woman operation. Rachel uses non-toxic inks in her printing and sells her goods at stores around the east coast as well as at local craft fairs. There’s even cute onesies for your little ones as well as artwork and posters at her site. You can also commission a piece for priting or design if you’re interested.

Check some of my picks from Rachel’s shop:

Purple Marsh; Planeride Tote; Enjoy Baltimore:

Happy Birthday to you, a lover of cycling and bicycles. This post in is honor of your birthday day…

Sacha White of Vanilla Bicycles is a master of custom creations. He is a frame builder that opened up shop in 1999 in Portland, Oregon. Prior to buildilng bikes he would restore Vesapas and was a bike messenger. Now he owns a company that’s definitely a favorite of bike lovers everywhere.

Using unique details such as baskets and retro lights, Sacha’s Vanilla Bicyles sets itself apart from the other designs out there. Welding, sanding, bending and shaping are all steps in creating a bike made just to fit you. Sacha is truly an artist and you can see it because everything he designs is just plain cool.

If you’re interested in your own Vanilla Bicycle, head on over to the site and contact them now because there will be a wait. You can tell how popular Sacha’s bikes are by looking at the waiting time for custom jobs. As of February of this year the wait is about 47 months. Yes, that’s around 4 years! The cycles look super sweet and will surely be worth the wait.

Here’s a taste…

Road Frame (Orange/Blue Road); Randonnee Frame:

Commuter Frame (Gray Fixy); Track Frame (Blue Track):

Kerry Turner of Brighton, England is a charmer. Starting her site, Miss Kerry Turner, in 2006 was in part to share her love for accessories that would combine the style and glamour of vintage jewelry with a modern edge and sense of humor.

Earlier this year Kerry decided to concentrate on what she does best - ridiculously fabulous charm bracelets! Focusing firmly on limited edition charm bracelets and her extremely popular bespoke service is what drives her in 2007. She uses the highest quality materials and has revamped her favorite popular pieces in sterling silver and vintage beads. Miss Kerry Turner even has a new site!

With charm bracelets that were inspired by Alice in Wonderland, you know you’re in for a

surprise. So head over to Miss Kerry Turner and see the new, improved and even more charming site.

Flor de Muertos; Curiouser and Curiouser; Paris in the Springtime:

To celebrate her new boutique, Kerry would like to offer Mixed Plate readers 20% off custom orders. Just mention Mixed Plate when you request a quote.