Nichole of Little Brown Pen	Kate Szabone

There appears to be an inexplicable link between blogging and DIY, and so it is hardly surprising that many bloggers also sell their lovely, handmade wares on Etsy. One of my favourites is Vain and Vapid, whose independent clothing line can be found on the regularly updated Vain and Vapid Etsy store. The sweet, well-crafted collections are often sold out in record time, so act fast if you see something you like.

The talents of my fellow bloggers extend far beyond the field of fashion design. Mrs French and Jinnie, who belong to a breed of photography bloggers, sell prints of their beautiful and creative photographs on Etsy. Prior to discovering works like theirs, I have never thought that I will fork out good money for a piece of paper, but now I'm a convert!

Speaking of paper, letterpress paper goods are all the rage on Etsy, and rightly so. Nichole of Little Brown Pen operates an Etsy shop with her husband Evan, offering adorable, printable stationery. As the year draw to a close, I'm sure I'll be picking up one of their printable calendars to share with my friends and start the new year with. I bought one last year too (pictured).

Naturally, Etsy comes with one of the key perks of online shopping - access to a huge collection of international sellers with exciting items on sale. In particular, I found myself drawn to the custom-made fine jewellery by independent designers. I greatly admire the work of Blanca Monros Gomes and Kate Szabone for their refined, classic aesthetics. The best thing about small-scale productions like this is the exclusivity and relatively low price point.