Washington State Friendship Boxes Make Great Gifts

Composed mostly of items from the Eastern Washington Etsy Street Team shops, the newly launched Washington State Friendship boxes will make wonderful gifts for holidays ahead. For only $16, purchasers receive a box chock-full of great gift items. This month's boxes feature items from these Etsy sellers:

DeAnne DeSigns-- http://www.deannedesigns.etsy.com/
I design and sew handbags, totes, baby blankets, aprons and other goodies. Shopping for fabrics spark ideas and inspires me to create. I have worked with many types of fabrics, but two of my favorites are canvas and novelty print cottons. I want people to see my handbags, totes and other products as tasteful, creative and fun. Take a look at my shop and remember to check back often to view new products. http://www.deannedesigns.etsy.com/

Crown Prince Treasures-- http://www.jnetprince.etsy.com/
I'm a stay at home mother of two young boys. One is in first grade and the other a preschooler. I also teach violin lessons. Needless to say I am always running around the house working on one thing or another. My boys inspire me either with the joy of just being around them or the frustration of needing mommy time (which both result in a creation of some sort of jewelry). My husband is my best friend and best critique of my art. I couldn't do it without him. I'm proud to be an Eastern Washington artist.

Gecko Jewelry-- http://www.geckojewelry.etsy.com/
I have been interested in jewelry for many years. I remember cutting out pictures of jewelry from magazines when I was younger. As the years went on I got married and had two wonderful boys. The jewelry passion was on hold for a bit. Now that my boys are in school I have time to work on my hobby and passion, making jewelry. A year ago I went all out and opened up my business Gecko Jewelry. It has been such a wonderful experience. I enjoy making jewelry and see people wear my creations. I make jewelry with all kinds of materials, from lampwork beads, stones, agates, glass, metal. I also take custom orders. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. Geckojewelry@hotmail.com or you can contact me on my etsy website.

Breath of the Dragon-- http://www.breathofthedragon.etsy.com/
I am a person of many adventures, and Breath of the Dragon [on Etsy] is my current adventure in pyrography (wood burning). After serving in the US Navy for 5 years, I Sunfire (aka Connie Mitan) is exploring the "real world," trying my hand at making money being crafty. I was introduced to wood burning once in 2006, but it wasn't until late 2007 that I really dove into it. While I am still new at it, I am enjoying all the possibilities that this craft has to offer. Always open to ideas and suggestions, I am open to custom work based on your needs; just send a message!

The Jewelry Box-- http://www.brenda45.etsy.com/
Wearable art created by Brenda Smith I have been creating beaded jewelry for 2 years. My style is mostly eclectic and feminine, although I do make mens chokers and pre-teen jewelry too. I've been selling jewelry on Etsy for over a year now, and I plan to have my own website in the near future. In my shop, you will find a hodgepodge of jewelry created with different gemstones, glass beads, lampwork beads, boro beads, crystals, sterling silver, copper, gunmetal, and gold-filled findings. Next year I will be creating a new line of jewelry with tumbled and wire-wrapped rocks from the Northwest area. Look for upcoming holiday sales in my shop at http://brenda45.etsy.com/

Glitz n Glass-- http://www.glitznglass.etsy.com/
I have loved jewelry for as long as I can remember. As a young girl I would buy dime store costume jewelry, bring it home and take it apart to create new pieces. In the mid nineties I started making pieces for friends and co-workers which led to starting a small business which grew by word of mouth. I have taught the jewelry class at our local Michael's craft store and found I really enjoyed sharing this awesome hobby with others. Though I have always been creative I had never considered myself artistic so no one was more surprised than me when I took up painting in early 2001 and found I really enjoyed the process and the outcome. I had wonderful support from family and friends which kept me going and with more practice I became a better artist. I look at some of my earlier pieces and laugh at how truly awful they are and thank the support I had which gave me the desire to continue. Painting has taught me that if you really enjoy something and continue to strive for perfection you will improve, art like all things is a learned skill. The candles sort of evolved from the painted glass. I had always loved candles and the mood they could inspire with their glow and aroma so I decided in 2004 to take on the art of candle making, it seemed the perfect compliment to the glass pieces I was painting and though it proved to be quite the challenge after many mistakes and trials and errors I feel I now have a superior candle with excellent scent throw and great burn. I started the palm wax late last year and have fallen in love with it. In my opinion it is much better than soy for scent throw and is also all natural with no petroleum by products. I offer a refill program for all my local clients, if you are interested please contact me for details. I sincerely hope that you will love my creations as much as I love creating them.

Whimsy Love-- http://www.whimsylove.etsy.com/
I'm a self-proclaimed dork & a create-at-home mom who loves making stuff & lives for creativity. I'm an avid "how-to" junkie, with a passion for all things handmade. I've never been able to stick with one style of craft & constantly crave trying new & different projects. I prefer items that are faded, worn & loved. I enjoy spending my time thrift shopping & finding vintage or unusual items to create with. One day I'm a wacky goof ball & the next I'm girly & romantic--& that reflects in the diversity of items I make. I currently live in Richland, WA with my hubby & 2 wee kid lets. Come peek into my handmade world at whimsy-girl.blogspot.com

Rose Works Jewelry---http://www.roseworksjewelry.etsy.com/
Hi! My name is Ruthie and I have been creating jewelry, for fun, since I was a freshmen in High School. Over the years I've mostly made projects for my family and friends, including all the jewelry for my wedding in 2007, but I've had people telling me for a long time that I should sell my work. So here I am! I work with a variety of styles so I hope you can find something that you like. Please feel free to contact me at any time with questions!

Ragnazidnar-- http://www.ragnazidnar.etsy.com/
As an recent graduate from art school, I hold a special place in my heart for creating art- whether it is a painting or a special journal. Every day I've make it a point to create something, which naturally progressed into having my own etsy shop to pass my passion along to you. I have a serious love for paper and most of my work reflects that. Bookbinding, especially, became a passion of mine while in art school when I started creating unique sketchbooks for me and my classmates. (Who wants to sketch in a boring store-bought book?) You'll also find items such as stationary, paper beads, and even resin pendants or fine art pieces in my shop. My shop is constantly changing, so check it often- you may just find that item you've been looking for.
Ragnazidnar is a proud member, and president of the Eastern Washington Etsy Team- supporting artisans throughout the Eastern side of the Evergreen State! Buy handmade, support your local artisans.

Sagegold Soap http://www.sagegoldsoap.etsy.com/
My interest in soap-making began at the end of 1999, when I received a popular "soap-making" kit for Christmas. Using the kit was fun, even though the resulting 'soap' left a lot to be desired... And I became hooked on the idea of making a great handmade soap. By the end of 2000, after countless hours of research, sampling different soaps bought from soap-makers at local craft fairs and on-line, and many, many experimental batches - I finally felt I'd developed a product that not only made my skin very happy, but was good enough to send to friends and family for real-world testing. It was at their insistence that Sagegold Soaps was born. Since that time, each batch of my cold process soaps has been carefully created from scratch using pure and gentle vegetable oils; measured, mixed and cut by hand; colored and scented with high-quality, skin-safe pigments and fragrances, and "cured" for several weeks to make a solid, long-lasting, effective and gentle product. Because Sagegold Soaps are a true soap and retain all of their natural glycerin (a humectant) and small amounts of skin-friendly emollient oils, your skin will be left feeling simply clean and comfortable - not over-stripped and dried out as you may have experienced with commercial cleansing bars, which often contain harsh detergents and synthetic sudsing agents, and have had the glycerin extracted. Once you've tried our soaps, your skin won't ever want to go back to commercial cleansing bars!
Sagegold Soaps hand-crafted soaps are a product you will enjoy using every day, as well as a gift you can be proud to give to friends and family.

Nicoles Vision http://www.nicolesvision.etys.com/
My name is Nicole. I've been taking pictures for fun since I was 17. In 2001 I began my journey into business. Using my photography to earn a living, it was a long & bumpy road to get where I am today. I never feel like I will know it all, or have learned all I can learn. In 2005 I went from shooting film, to digital. This started a whole new journey for me. Going digital has indeed changed the way I take pictures. I've been told I have an eye for the photography I take. I love to find new things to do with my images. My note cards are unique & I have not seen any like them yet. I love my bookmarks, & can't wait to try new things with them. My prints are also unique. Some have a very different coloring effect, some are just as nature intended and some have been adorned with words. No matter the medium, the subject or anything, there is always pride in my work.

To view and purchase boxes and sign the guest book for a chance to win a free box (members of the team not eligible for the drawing,) visit
http://www.washingtonstatefriendshipbox.com/
Drawing will be held October 31st.