Madeit

On my quest for indie prettiness, and supporting local artists, I discovered Madeit. It basically amounts to an Australian version of Etsy, which I think is fantastic. Obviously, it's a bit smaller than Etsy, being exclusively Aussie. I do recognise a few sellers from there, mainly being Rhasalda who's bath stuff I've been umming and ahhing over for a while, especially her Barista soap (that's the Madeit link, here's an Etsy one). There is just as much skill, passion and creativity to be seen on Madeit. There's loads of stuff want, and loads of sellers I admire on Etsy, but I'm definitely interested in purchasing from Madeit. It's faster, the prices are a bit better, and I love the idea of supporting Australian artisans and creators. When I finally actually purchase something from there, I will be making an in-detail comparison of the two websites, and reviewing whatever product I get. I think it's a great and little-known resource, both for artists and artisans, and for those who like to shop indie.

On a related note, Etsy have started showing prices in Australian dollars! Woo! It's based on, as far as I can tell, the same tech that eBay uses, meaning it's loosely based on as much of the current exchange rate data as they can grab online while you browse. It's not always 100% accurate, but it's damn handy.

What I am most interested in - besides the Aussie exclusivity, which means faster and cheaper shipping for me - is the standard and enforcing of the 'handmade-only' clause. I have seen and heard a lot on Etsy about the seeming laxity of their standards. This means that it's really easy for make-up repackers, poor quality (to the point of being unusable) items, and things that are obviously not handmade or vintage. I'm hoping Madeit might be better.

On an unrelated note... I emailed off my first submissions to a magazine last night!!! Very exciting :)