Shop Local on Etsy

If you're not yet familiar with Etsy.com, count yourself among those missing out.  The Brooklyn-based handmade and vintage marketplace has taken off in popularity since its founding in 2005. Etsy has thousands of sellers from over 150 countries, but one if its coolest features is the ability to find artisans in your own community. 

A search of Bronxville, Tuckahoe, and Eastchester via Etsy's "Shop Local" tool found a handful of area artisans and vintage sellers who offer some great one-of-a-kind products to round out your holiday shopping list. 

Here are today's picks—tomorrow we'll follow up with the rest of the local shops you can find on Etsy.

Rose McKay Designs:

This great little jewelry shop is run by Bronxville resident Beth Hiney. She's been selling on Etsy for about a year. Beth worked fulltime in the fashion industry until her daughter was born, and then leveraged her artistic talent, creating gorgeous necklaces, bracelets, and earrings from semi-precious stones. She says she's inspired by the natural world around us, "the ocean, leaves, the changing seasons." 

When she's not busy creating works of wearable art, Beth and her daughter volunteer at Mary the Queen Convent in Yonkers. Beth says she loves living in Bronxville, for "the close knit community feel. I love that it is essentially a small town that is so close to the city."

Stop by RoseMcKayDesigns.etsy.com  on Black Friday (tomorrow!) or Cyber Monday and receive 20% off, plus free shipping.  You can also check out Beth's blog at rosemckaydesigns.blogspot.com

Dara Kane:

Dara Kane moved to Bronxville with her family in 2007 from New York City, and has been selling her original collages on Etsy since 2008. She's been working in the medium for over twenty years, though, and recalls, "I began collaging with my sister while she was recovering from back surgery. I really enjoyed collaging and kept at it long after she recuperated" 

With a degree in Textile Surface Design from FIT, Dara has developed print designs for Nautica, Yatas Home, and design studios in Manhattan for the fashion and bedding industries. Her passion locally, though, seems to be teaching. 

"Today, I teach children art at a variety of venues in Southern Westchester," she says, including the Bronxville After School Club, at the Bronxville and Tuckahoe Public Libraries, at Sarah Lawrence, as well as through ArtsWestchester. 

She's enjoying her work with Etsy, saying that it's "been a wonderful online forum for me to share my work with the public." As for living in Bronxville: "I especially appreciate all the natural beauty in Bronxville," she says, "whenever I step off the train from Manhattan I feel an immediate sense of calm."

Check out Dara's Etsy shop at darakane.etsy.com, and her website at darakane.com

Jazzi Jewels:

Adia Ledbetter opened her Etsy shop in August of 2009 after selling by request only to performers and friends. She started designing and making jewelry about six years ago, using it "as an outlet for dealing with life's many trials." Soon, she focused on an "ethnic elegant" style inspired by Africa, using beading as a primary medium. 

Adia says that she loves "walking through New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art to gain inspiration for different pieces." Her craftsmanship is becoming nationally known, as she recently made the finals in Fire Mountain Gems Gemstone Beading Contest.

Adia's talent isn't limited to jewelry. She has also been singing for over a decade, and recently released her second recording. She's been living in Bronxville for just over two years, after moving to the area to attend graduate school.

Check out Adia's shop at jazzijua.etsy.com, (mention this article for 10% off!) and while you're at it, give a listen to her music at jazzijua.com

Stay tuned tomorrow for more local Etysians (yes, that's what they're called) and great gift ideas.