Around The World - Malaysia

It's the new year, and I'm starting a new weekly blog series! It is called Around the World (on Etsy) and every week on Wednesday I will feature 6 artists from a certain country. Well I know majority of the sellers on Etsy are Americans and that's why I'm going to divide USA up into states and major cities! :)

One of the things I really enjoy is travelling, looking at new things, broaden my views to the world, and enjoy the little communication mishaps and best of all... SHOPPING! But unfortunately, I was born into a family that hates travelling. *sobs* I've only really been to Japan and Singapore hahaha, and that is without my family too. I like to play pretend that I am travelling the world, absorbing and learning all the different culture. And thankfully in this day and age, I can, through the wonderful internet. :)

Well it still wouldn't be as good as the real thing, (in which I really want to achieve someday) but this will do for now.

The wonderful thing about Etsy is that there are sellers from all around the world on it. A lot of these sellers are pretty amazing too. And that is why I want to tour the world on Etsy, doing a little of window shopping in different countries weekly. To start the series off though, I will begin with Malaysia, my home country! :D

There's nowhere better to start the journey than my own, which is filled with so much talent it's about to burst!

Only in Malaysia can you find these amazing MDF board designs and supplies from Phings. The amount of detail, the variety, the colors are just amazing and so unique! If you're looking for interesting supplies for some DIY MDF craft projects, look no further. I was a fan before I even realized she was a fellow Malaysian, and imagine my surprise when I did!

A lot of Malaysians are green too! Huey and Wah from Nottypooch creates chic, durable and eco-friendly products like Macbook sleeves, wallets, storage bins and a lot more from billboard banners. That's right, they recycled taken down billboard banners to create all these amazing products! And the best thing is? Due to the nature of the material, all of their products are one of a kind, you will never find another one that has the same design. (unless they managed to find 2 of the same banners of course) I am so in love with the wallet on the bottom left. (the one with the Big Ben and KLCC towers) *dreamy sigh*

Tired of the super hectic city life? Go for a vacation in the country side, practice some yoga and enjoy some tea with Inkypots's tea cups. I just love the organic look of her pottery work, truly embraces the feeling of nature and zen. Heck, she even sells Yoga art in her Etsy shop! So if you are looking for some ceramics or artworks to decorate your zen-like house, she is the woman you go to!

Another sub culture that is huuuge in Malaysia is the Zakka phenomenon. In which Beanipets embraced it so gracefully. Adorable plush pillows and other items made mostly with Japanese fabric, it is quite difficult not to fall in love. I dare say that her shop may be one of my favorites on Etsy. I will have one of her plush pillows someday!

Continuing on the Zakka phenomenon, here are the whimsical illustrations Minifanfan, a frequent seller in local craft markets too. Her drawings are just so adorable and unique that they are extremely recognizable. All of her pendants and products are hand drawn and one of a kind as well.

Malaysia has a lot of talented illustrators as well, and Chan Yee Von is definitely one of them. Her artworks were most often inspired by nature, and they are just so fluid and beautiful. She draws a lot of cute animals as well and sells adorable paper goods in her other shop - Whimsy Whimsical.

And that's it for the first installment of Around the World series. :) To keep a record of the countries I 'visited', I will be keeping a world map and will update it weekly, adding a little heart on the map and which 'stop' it was in my 'travels'. (can you find Malaysia on the map?) To access the map, there is an image link on the left column. And to access the series, you can click on 'Around the World' label on the left column as well.

Till next week! ;)