etsy vendor love: bella puzzles

You may remember our post about wedding guest books when we featured Bella Puzzles. We love to see wedding traditions turned up-side-down, and that is exactly what Bella Puzzles does with their custom-made wooden puzzles which can be used in lieu of the traditional guest book. Personalized with names, figures, photos, and dates, these wedding puzzles are a fun activity for your wedding guests (they sign the pieces), an heirloom made to last for decades, a piece of art you can frame to enjoy everyday, and, of course, a puzzle. We're smitten!







Visit Bella Puzzles' Etsy shop!

All photos, designs, and creative content ©2009-2011 Lara Braithwaite / Bella Puzzles LLC.

Etsy Vendor Love: Pomp and Plumage

Pomp and Plumage has been on our radar for a long time.  You might say we are more than a little smitten with their gorgeous line of wedding accessories.  Not only are Denise and Ian super talented, but they are super sweet, to boot!  We had the chance to ask them a few questions to get to know them a bit better.  Would you like to meet them?  Yes?  Well, today is your lucky day!  Read the interview below, then head to their shop post haste and see all the goodness that they have to offer.


Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Pomp & Plumage is a partnership between Denise Cole and Ian Cole, a husband and wife team who live in a lovely little town situated between the farm fields, forests and vast expanse of Georgian Bay in rural Ontario, Canada.  We've been in the wedding market for a year now and maintain a busy Etsy storefront when we're not at our day jobs (Denise is a high school art teacher and Ian is a naturopathic doctor).  Denise is the lead designer and also makes all of our fascinators, veils and garters while Ian makes the boutonnieres and coordinates shipping.


How did you get started creating your beautiful pieces?

Denise has always had a love of good design, and Ian has always been the practical mind behind things, not to mention an exceptional craftsman.  When Denise was young, she designed all sorts of things and sold them along the shore to cottagers in the small beach town she was raised in (including rocks painted to look like valuable gemstones at a low point, and original watercolours at a high point).  We were married last summer and after our wedding Denise was still thoroughly obsessed with wedding design blogs.  So, we started designing some pieces, having designed many things for our own wedding, and soon Pomp & Plumage was born. We aim to provide pieces rich in texture, colour and detail that tell stories of their own and give brides of independent spirit and discerning taste alternatives to the mainstream bridal market.


What are your top three favorite materials?

1. Feathers; silky, wispy, buttery soft, perfectly hued natural feathers.
2. Moss & twigs; they add an element of earthen texture that cannot be found in fabricated materials.
3. Vintage lace, tulle and brooches; they help us craft a rich narrative in our pieces, and they're usually of much higher quality than newly manufactured materials.


What is your favorite part of a wedding?

The ceremony.  Hands down one of the loveliest moments that life has to offer.  A very close second favorite part of weddings is, of course, the design.

Want more?  We thought so. Find Pomp and Plumage all over the internet: web | etsy shop | facebook