REAL product reviews!!

Ok people, Imma gripe for a lil' bit... as an blogger and an artist, I am kind of tired of being approached by people who do "product reviews" on their blog where you have to not only send an item to the person doing said review, but also on as a giveaway to a reader. So I have to come out of pocket 2 items so that maybe you get traffic to my site? Some say this is very successful. I dunno, I understand that the reviewer has to see the items in person to give a good review... but more often is just seems like a ploy for any random person with a blog to get free stuff.

Ok I am gonna stand up and respectfuly say NO! All the giveaways we have done here at Lipgloss and Razorblades are items of our crafter friends who we can personally vouch for their handywork OR items from fellow crafters we have actually purchased! Wow, how's that for an idea!! In this economy, I truly believe in supporting other artists! Buying handmade means you are supporting that person and their family directly! And if you really think someone is worthy of featuring on your blog, then they should be worthy of you yourself purchasing an item from them and supporting them! It's good karma too!

On to the good stuff! I have been dying to post pics of these awesome baby bibs I bought for my now 4 month old girl, Stella, made by Palm Tree Princess! I buy a lots of online baby stuff (the only thing I buy more of is my craft supplies!) and these bibs are SO cute and well made! I got a pink cupcake and a light blue Hello Kitty one! They have absorbant backing and are stitched beautifully. The cute big button closure is a plus for me too cause I hate velcro. So I just wanted to giver her shop a shout out, especially when there are SO many crafters on Etsy, you could spend hours searching for who you think has the best stuff. So, from one mom to another, these are a great find for anyone who loves unique, handcrafted baby stuff!

Her hair bow is by Katie at Lucky Lemon Accessories who is due to have her baby boy ANY day now! She is another great crafter I love. I know, I know, there's a lot of bows out there but really, her stuff is made meticulously with now glue poking out or anything! I was super impressed.

Also, in the future the other Stacy and I will be reviewing other items we have purchased and give you the low down on what stuff we loved!

PLUS, our next few giveaways are going to be our own items that we made and come from inventory in our own shops! All of our giveaways from other artists go directly to the winner, we dont ask for free merch from anyone!

Speaking of giveaways... Stacy H. hasnt picked a winner for the hot yellow Gunslinger Necklace yet! Scroll down, its a totally cute kitsch piece from me, Essem Design! Its still up for grabs, so go comment to be entered to win!!

Check back for updates, trends, info and more awesome giveaways in the future too :) We are building new websites for own online shops and we post hot new items all the time, so there's a lot we're brewing!

XOXO, Stacy M.