There are many folks out there turning computer parts and electronic parts into really cool stuff. Like Liz over at Zelle:

Not sure what those are? They are resistors. If you’ve ever cracked open your TV or a computer or certain electronic things, you’ve seen those resistors. They do come in other colors, and Zelle has an entire limited edition line devoted to intricate-looking jewelry made from resistors and diodes.

You will also find other fun jewelry at Zelle, made of things ranging from audio plugs to wires to fuses to fan guards! Dismantling electronics can be made fun!

I’m also a big fan of the website, which is a homage to DOS and the 404 errors you sometimes get while surfing the internet. It’s clever stuff.

Liz also runs Fractalspin, a boutique full of cool geeky stuff such as the Nintendo Power Mint Tin.

Long live geekery!

Ever feel like a complete dolt and felt the need to apologize to someone for it? This might be the perfect card to do it:

(Yes, I’ve felt like that many a time. Many.)

This humorous line of cards is from Mixed Species, a wacky group of guys from Corvallis, Oregon, who turn out some pretty funny stuff. And some of the modeling photos on their Etsy site are alternately disturbing — like this one — and hysterical.

You’ll find some repurposed goods, like cork coasters that have things printed on them, other cards, t-shirts and even some underwear. A lot of it probably isn’t suitable for children’s eyes, but if you like snarkiness and your humor goes in that direction, you’ll find some great stuff. After all, that’s to be expected from a place whose motto is “We go there so you don’t have to!”

I’ve written about fellow Sacramento craft mafiosa Missy before — she is the cool cat behind Mohair Circus — but Missy is so crafty that her wares can’t be held in just one store.

Missy also runs Crafty Carnival, which as her tagline says, is “a mish-mash of all things crafty.” There, you will find cards, buttons, post-it books and these stamps:

These stamps — all original doodles by Missy — are also available individually. Add a nice touch to some of your tags, cards or anything stampable.

There are regular ol’ quilts and then the stuff that Krissi Sandvik does:

Krissi is a member of the Sacramento Craft Mafia, and she brings with her some amazing art quilts. Some incorporate 3D elements (like the Loteria quilt at the very top), and all of them involve some sort of machine embroidery. Many are also made of cotton and silk, and just about all of them are vibrant and colorful.

You can see what Krissi is working on by visiting her site, and while you can buy some of her art there, you can also buy at her Etsy store.

It’s a pretty good conversation piece if you get your hands on one!

It always amazes me what sorts of goodies can come out of a sewing machine (because I can’t sew to save my life). So I enjoy looking at the work of those who sew.

Like this little gem:

This little mouse (meeces?) is from one of the Sacramento Craft Mafia’s newest members, Lauren of Speckled Hen. You will find many sewn and fabric-related goodies at Speckled Hen, including purses, smocks, hairpins and pouches.

You will also find lots of pincushions, because all good sewing people need them, right? But I thought this pincushion was just ingenious:

Perfect for someone who’s a chocolate lover and sews! (They come in lots of colors, too.)

Now, in this age of saggy, baggy pants and low-cut jeans, don’t you ever look at people and think, “You know, he/she could use a belt.”

But belts always tend to be kind of boring. Black or brown leather, maybe something braided if you were lucky. Or you had one of those strappy belts that didn’t even have holes in them, a leftover from your carefree days as a child, when you had no choice in the matter because your parents usually stuck a belt around your waist whether your pants were falling down or not.

Well, we’ve probably moved on from those days and desire something far more chic than hearts or Care Bears or rainbow stripes on our belts. When you’re ready for that chicness, check out these belts from Sacramento Craft Mafia member Applina:

Alas, there are no belts for boys. But there are some children’s belts, too, and trust me, none of them are super cheesy. There’s even a kids’ skull belt if you’re so inclined.

If your pants are feeling a little loose — you know, from all that *ahem* working out you’ve been doing for the summer months — go check out an Applina belt.

This girl I know, Amy? She’s a smart and crafty one indeed.

She is president of the Sacramento Craft Mafia.

She’s a fellow computer whiz.

She also makes all sorts of stuff and sells it in her shop, Peptogirl Industries.

What might you find? Well, for starters:

The Blue Skies necklace (and that’s a fused glass pendant, handcrafted by Amy).

The I Heart Cupcakes Yoga Bag (though I assume you can stuff other things besides yoga gear into it).

(Oh my, pardon my referencing of a Color Me Badd lyric. *shudder*)

Maybe a cool clock will make up for bad lyrics?

This wickedly cool clock is courtesy of Haworth Handmade, a Sacramento Craft Mafia member who actually hails from Davis. (Said clock was actually displayed at Bazaar Bizarre.)

Melissa is the gal who turns these vintage books into actual working clocks. And a lot of those books are straight out of childhood if you happen to be in your mid-20s or older. She even had some Childcraft books turned into clocks. Remember Childcraft? They had some crafty books in that set!

There is only one other clock in Melissa’s Etsy shop at the moment, but if you drop her a message, she has many more that are not listed online. She might have a book clock that is right up your alley!

In keeping with the vintage/recycling theme, Haworth Handmade also offers Zip Quilt Kits. That’s right, I said Zip. As in Zip disk. I kid you not:

These quilt kits — this one happens to feature some cute elephants — are great for those who are new to quilting and want to try their hand at a mini quilt. It makes something that your kids’ doll can use, or a really cool looking single placemat. All instructions and materials are included, and again, in a stroke of genius recycling, everything fits neatly into a Zip disk case. Never thought a good use could be found for those, but apparently, I was wrong.

Maybe you feel your hair is a little plain Jane? And maybe you don’t really feel like doing something crazy to it, like getting an outrageous haircut or putting red/blue/purple/super blond streaks in it? (Hey, I did the red streak thing once. It actually looked cool.)

Or maybe your job prohibits the things you can do to your hair. Bummer.

But you can still spice it up with hair accessories like this, maybe?

This lovely hair clip — with a handcrafted Dia de los Muertos skull, to boot — is courtesy of Sacramento Craft Mafia member Shonda, who is the gal behind Ignition.

Ignition’s tagline is “Improving hairdos everywhere!” And you will find the clips to do that in the shop. Think feathers and flair and big and flashy. You will definitely be noticed in an Ignition piece!

There are also brooches and other jewelry at Ignition, and some of the motifs will bring you right back to your childhood. Take this, for instance:

It’s the Poky Little Puppy! Who didn’t read that book as a child?

Check it out.

You know, most times coasters serve one purpose — they’re supposed to keep icky rings from forming on your table because someone left his or her can of beer just sitting on your precious wood … and you’re too lazy to wipe up after your guests (or you have way, way, way better things to do).

Well, coasters can be fun, too. And they can make you laugh while you’re setting your beer down. Like these:

Appropriately called the “Luscious Lush” coaster.

Freaks of Nature coasters

Where is all this coaster madness coming from? Why, it’s all from Handmade Luck*. Melody is the gal behind Handmade Luck, and she is also a member of the Sacramento Craft Mafia.

Not only is she out decoupaging these fab coasters — there’s even a set of Coaster Coasters (featuring roller coasters, wouldn’t you know?) — she makes other stuff too, like earrings and other beaded jewelry.

Maybe you’ll get lucky and find something you like over at Handmade Luck*.

The Sacramento Craft Mafia presents its first-ever show, where you’re encouraged to get made … handmade!

(Click on the flyer for a larger version.)

This show will be at Willemina’s Restaurant and Bar in Old Sacramento on Sunday, June 24 from 2-10 p.m. If you’re in the area, please come and check it out.

Even if you can’t make it to the show, you can still support the Sacramento Craft Mafia by buying a little something from their Etsy shop. You’ll find some notebooks, and some buttons like these:

(Seriously, we all thought the “Weapons of Mass-Construction” tagline was hysterical. Thanks to our prez, Amy.)

Also, in honor of the SCM’s upcoming show, the next week of posts on indie*galore will be devoted to different members of the mafia. And if you’d like to check out previous mentions of SCM, check out these posts: Sacred Snatch, My Punk House, Little Lovelies and Mohair Circus.

Quick! When you think of porcelain, what do you think of? Really, really old china? A wedding gift you need to give someone? Pale white figurines in a curio cabinet (or your parents’ shelf)?

Now, would you think of this?

This is a lovely pendant from Chinook Jewelry. High fired porcelain. It’s only one of a myriad (and fun!) collection of ceramic pendants that are all handmade. Pendants are in several categories, from Modern Art (which is where the heart pendant was found) to a Seashore collection to a Things With Wings collection (which has some very nice bees, by the way). There are a wide range of styles and all colorful and pretty indeed.

There is even a bead section, filled with porcelain beads … it’s a veritable flower garden, too!

No boring bone-colored ceramic here!

And just when you thought the pendants were cool enough, there’s also some awesome finished jewelry pieces as well. Like this:

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That above is the Fallen Leaves necklace. The leaf is in gold plated with copper. Still a long ways from fall, but it’s pretty nonetheless.

It’s summertime, which means lots of vacationing for many people.

If you’re fortunate enough to fly somewhere that requires you to have a passport, maybe you can keep it in one of these:

This is appropriately titled “Never a Dull Passport Case.” Indeed. It’s way better than the blah brown leather thing my mom used to use.

The case is from stiksel, an Etsy seller based in the Netherlands. This particular one is made from leather and fabric printed using rubber stamps. There are several of these cases available, all leather, all with different sewn motifs. And they’re handstitched.

Even if you’re not leaving on a jet plane for another country, you might find something else you like. Maybe some handstitched journals, or some bags, or some nice photography. Definitely worth a look.

I’ve always had an interest in beadwork and weaving, though my dexterity is questionable and it’s highly doubtful that I will ever produce anything that looks like this:

(On the right is a necklace called Ice Maiden, which features a woven spiral. At left is Dancing Butterflies, featuring a beautiful flock of butterflies.)

Where to find such delights, you ask? Why, they’re at Erthe Fae Designs!

Erthe Fae Designs is run by AJ Reardon in Tucson, Arizona. AJ is inspired by myths, folklore and nature, and much of that is reflected in the accoutrements (like the butterflies), the bold earthy colors and the designs of her jewelry. Those photos above don’t do it justice. The chokers and collars are seriously a must-see and offer a great glimpse of her intricate work.

And, if you hop over before June 15th, you can get free shipping! That’s the sale part!

Erthe Fae Designs will also have another sale around the 4th of July … to keep abreast of new projects and potential sale info, check out AJ’s blog.

Came upon these on Etsy the other day:

I always like it when otherwise unappealing insects or invertebrae are made cute. (I’m deathly afraid of being stung by bees — my mom is allergic, kind of — and snails are just icky sticky to me.)

These bags can be found on Bestiary’s shop. Many of these bags are made of sturdy upholstery fabric in cute prints. And some of the animals are unusual. There’s even a sweet-looking blowfish bag and one featuring a squid.

Good stuff!