If you’re not familiar with Etsy, maybe you should be. Etsy is an e-commerce website (etsy.com) focused on handmade or vintage items and craft supplies. These items fall under a wide range of categories, but here we’ll focus on primarily handmade in Gaston County. At Etsy you can shop local craft people for unique gifts and more, and without leaving your couch. To find local sellers, go to Etsy.com. Then just click on the search bar (leave the search field blank) and then a menu appears on the left side. Scoll down to “Location” and pick “Custom”. Then just type in Belmont, or Mount Holly, or Gastonia, and viola! Page and pages of handmade and vintage items to choose from. Here are some of our favorites.
1. Susan Lambert 
Designs
“I have been designing and selling jewelry since 1993, starting with fusing glass and working with silver. My jewelry is unique and needs handmade components so I make the glass lampwork beads, fuse glass, and build components with silver and mixed metals. I hate to buy a ‘part’ for jewelry and aim for an entirely handmade (well made) small work of sculpture/art for one to wear. After a long career of teaching (mostly art), I am able to devote more time to my designs, for shows and galleries, and of course…. Etsy!” Find out more…
*Susan’s popular Spinner ring shown above the opening paragraph as well…
2. The Jule Bug Shop, owner Valerie D, Belmont.
“Welcome to The Jule Bug Shop. Here you will find Maternity Sashes and all kinds of beautiful and unique accessories that are perfect for the little girls in your life. Most of our items will be made upon order and therefore will require 2-4 business days before being shipped out to you. If you have any special material, patterns , size, or combination requests please don’t hesitate to contact us. We will do our best to get you what you are looking for.
We ship all of our items USPS First Class Mail which generally takes 2-5 business days (in the US) once shipped. If you need an item sooner please contact us for faster 
shipping. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
3. Brushnhand, Carol Ross, Mount Holly
Carol grew up in Maryland; she now calls Mount Holly, NC her home. She has been married to her best friend Steve for over 40 years. She enjoys painting, gardening, photography and travel and allows these to inspire 
her work. Her art and collections are displayed in Maryland, Virginia, Florida, Iowa, Indiana, Texas, South Carolina, California & North Carolina. Prints are available for sale at the Cabarrus Artist Gild Gallery – Concord, 
NC. Carol took up painting in high school and has worked in many mediums over the years. She has found Watercolors to be her favorite! “Art is a personal thing. If a painting brings to mind a special place or memory, draws you into it, or stirs an emotion to admire God and the beauty of His creation, it has done its work”. Her paintings are a reflection of these things – just a Brush N Hand. Please feel free to contact her if you have any questions or inquiries. More here..
4. Shady Creek Farms, Dallas, NC
Shady Creek Farms carries natural soap, laundry soap, stain sticks, crochet products and more. They also carry Sampler sets and trial sizes. See more here…
5. Bluegill Pottery, Vicki Gill, Gastonia.
“A potter with a painter’s background. Fell in love with clay at first touch. Have a great rescued greyhound who comes to the studio with me everyday. He is the sounding board for my thought, arguments and inspiration. Enjoy the wonders of nature and the surprises of everyday. Live with lots of pottery and use it to create a beautiful, organic life.” Check out Vicki’s work…
6. Smash Candies, Jenifer & Scott, Gastonia
“Smash Candies and Edible Delights is the product of a lifelong passion for cooking and art for husband and wife team, Scott and Jenifer Masterson. It is our pleasure to make treats that not only taste amazing, but look beautiful as well! We use only the finest ingredients and the highest level of cleanliness to provide treats that you won’t soon forget!” See more here…
7. Hand stamping Memories by Deby Lynn, Gastonia.
Deby Lynn offers stamped rings, pet tags, pendants, and more. Check it out..
8. Kristen Jarvis Art, “ I am Kristen Jarvis, owner and creator of Kristen Jarvis AR.T. My entire Etsy shop is filled with fairy inspired items galore. The signature product that started it all is my fairy wing earrings, made using genuine cicada wings! All of my creations showcase items that are found in nature, such as, crystals, bones, insect wings, as well as other things, all with an added magickal fay touch. As a buyer, you know when you purchase an item of mine, that it will be truly one of a kind, as nature never creates two of exactly the same thing. You can also be assured that all of my creations are cruelty free and ethically sourced, meaning that nothing is ever killed in order for me to make my art and jewelry. See more here…
9. Unique Cards by Paula
“I am a crafter.. I create handmade 3D greeting cards for any and all occasions. I use the finest cardstock available, and I am very particular when I choose the die cuts and embellishments that I use for my cards. I do not only decorate the front of the card, but also the inside and I add greetings to my cards.. I include a cellophane sleeve 
and a matching envelope for each card. I make mostly 5 x 7 inch cards, but I can create any size card. I will be gradually adding 6 x 6 inch cards and possibly smaller cards as I go. I also make the large A9 size cards of all occasions…and I offer free shipping if mailed within the United States” Find out more…
10. J Vernon Art, J. Vernon Abernathy, Belmont.
“As a young child, I was strongly influenced by my mother who ran a small home business decorating cakes, planning wedding receptions, and making ceramic mold pieces in her in-home shop called The Mud Hut. As ceramic molds may sometimes become very heavy, wanting to gain favor with my mother, I woul d help her pour the clay “slip” into molds and set the molds in place for drying. My greatest pleasure was to open a cured mold and see the ceramic “green” (unfinished) piece that had been produced. This became the foundation of my love for carving. That was how I began carving into some of the ceramic pieces, creating my own chess sets in the clay, and learning about the art of molding and carving during my high school and college years. With the help of my mother, we won a decorated birdhouse contest when I was in grammar school Although I graduated from a state university with a bachelors degree in accounting, I never lost my love for craft art. I continued making and decorating birdhouses and carving faces in wood throughout my adult life.
During 2007 I began decorating my birdhouses with discarded plastic bottle caps and cutting colorful plastic containers to depict scenes such as apple orchards, grape vineyards, citrus groves, daffodils, etc., and marketing these locally. I also make birdhouses with pine cone parts, tree stumps, tree bark, and broken tree limbs. Look at my work in the pictures that I hope you will find have the professional touch necessary to classify my birdhouse construction as works of art, and worthy of being accepted as Art Sculptures”. More here…
11. dKinley Designs, Donna Kinley, Gastonia.
“Hand made in the USA! Children’s clothing and items for popular sized dolls. Matching doll and girl outfits available. If you like the style of one item and the fabric of another, send me a convo – I’d love to create something just for you! I have many other fabrics available as well – tell me what you want and I’ll see what I can do.
Look for dkinley on pinterest and facebook.
In the meantime, I’ll be busy designing and planning… can’t wait to share my new items with you!”
