Etsy is a vibrant online marketplace where you can buy hand-made and vintage goods from small traders and craftspeople. Founded in 2005, it has more than 30 million members, more than a million active shops and sellers in more than 200 countries. Some of those sellers live in the North-East… and they’re offering lots of heartfelt gifts just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Alexandra Coates, Newcastle Chucky Egg Jewellery

ALEXANDRA decided to open up her shop in hope that she could provide the jewellery that people couldn’t find anywhere else. “I wanted to provide people with jewellery that could be totally unique to them, and with every piece being handdrawn, this is possible. I work on my own and make most of the jewellery in my bedroom. The shop is not my full-time occupation as I am also a design student,” she says.

Newcastle folk and glory shop

Folk and Glory run a little online shop selling a range of fun and original hand-made gifts and goodies. “We try to take inspiration for the things we sell from the people and places we love and then find the most sustainable and environmentally friendly way of creating them.”

Eve Sung, Newcastle KitschyCoos

Eclectic range from vintage clothing and hand-made bead bracelets to custommade super-size owl pillows. As long as it doesn’t hoot in the night...

Gemma, Sunderland Senor Picklesworth

Gemma is a full-time designer of chihuahua and dog-themed stationery and gifts. Every design she creates is exclusive and based around the world of Senor Picklesworth, the traveling Chihuahua from Mexico, who’s on a mission to track down all his long lost friends from around the globe. “Each time he finds a new friend, I design a new collection inspired by the friend and the place in which they were found. I design, print, score, and trim all of my paper products in my home studio and use only the highest quality materials. Every item is made to order to ensure the highest quality.”

Eva Rose, Newcastle Handmade By Eva Rose

In Handmade by Eva Rose you will find bags, purses, and small fabric handmade items all in functional design, with friendly prices and colours to make you smile. Everything is custom made Emily Atkinson, Durham folksycraftynook Emily loves making things from old materials. “These bears and critters are a great way of upcycling old kilts into something that can be loved again.”

Charlotte Dowson, Stockton By The Shed

By The Shed is a quirky new jewellery company, specialising in celebrating fruit, vegetables, gardening, allotments and most of all, living the Good Life. You can make sure you get your fivea- day with this great range of hand-crafted products that can also be found locally at Gentian, in Barnard Castle.

Maureen Gilbertson, Morpeth The Strandline

The Strandline began out of a passion for collecting sea glass, shells, pebbles... “in fact anything that was washed up on the strandline.

Using only perfectly smooth and frosted seaglass and sea pottery collected mainly from my local Northumberland beach, my jewellery is simple and chic. I now have another shop on Etsy, StrandlineFinds.etsy.com selling craft quality sea glass, beach pottery and shells.”