HANDMADE BY ... ARTIST BECCA STADTLANDER

Good morning! I came across the work of artist Becca Stadtlander on Pinterest today and fell in love. I adore the vibrant COLORS she uses in her paintings and her themes are so heartwarming. I've just recently picked up my drawing pencils again (I'm having a blast!) and if I allowed myself to compare ... which I do my best not to ... I could become a little discouraged with my simple line drawings of birds and horses in comparison to her illustrious paintings. But, I'm not even going to go there ... nope, not me. ;)

Have a wonderful weekend, sweet friends. Thanks for stopping by this week!  xx

HANDMADE BY ... SMILE MERCANTILE

Oh, I love this shop!  Smile Mercantile is such a sweet place to visit with so many charming handmade items to add personality to your (my) home.  Besides handmade Christmas ornaments, bridal bouquets, petite pincushions, and carnival bean bags, there are lovely vintage pieces, too.  Take a look at these rustic red and white enamel bowls and these cool rubber stamps ... just a couple of the unique vintage pieces they offer.  :)

For more vintage goodness, take a look at their website!

BEAUTIFUL FELT CREATIONS FROM FAIRY FOLK

I'm always just a tiny bit envious when I browse Etsy and see the talent of so many women from around the world ... I'm just in awe of their creativity and their skills when it comes to sewing, felting, and hand crafts.  I have some new goals to do more hands-on type crafts in 2013, but for now much of my creativity is focused on my photography, teaching e-courses, and decorating.  2013 is going to be my year for hand crafts ... that's a promise!!

Donni is the creative lady behind Fairy Folk on Etsy.  Her shop is overflowing right now with needle felted Christmas ornaments, home decorating items, lovely felted wool acorns, beach pebbles, flowers and toadstools!  She also creates educational toys for Waldorf and Montessori along with wedding favors and decor and handmade felt jewelry.  I'm so impressed and inspired by her work.   :)

A WOODEN TREE

Have you heard of A Wooden Tree?  A sweet online friend of mine, Emma Lamb, mentioned them on Facebook yesterday and I was immediately drawn to their handmade/vintage online shop.  They have a wonderful blog, too! You can find it RIGHT HERE.   :)

Here's a bit of info. about A Wooden Tree in their own words:

"A Wooden Tree transforms sourced and vintage textiles, turning the undesirable or discarded into a work that has new life and creates fresh memories.  The sourced textiles range from garments and pillowcases to embroidered table cloths. 

It pretty much feels like she has raided your granny's linen closet and turned into characters from the Scottish woodlands. The work takes it shape in soft interior adornments such as wall hanging Mr Stag, Miss Foxette plush and soft brooches.

A wooden tree brings your grannys linen closet to life by recycling found fabrics into plushies, accessories and art."

Have a great new day filled with beauty!  xo

HANDMADE BY - LILA RUBY KING

A contact of mine on Instagram had one of these sweet coloring books posted in her photostream and right away I knew it was something I wanted to share with you.  In fact, I think I might want to personally own one (or more) of these coloring books for grown up "kids"!

Anna, the owner and artist behind Lila Ruby King, is an Australian artist living in Greece (lucky her!).  She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Arts and majored in printmaking with a minor in painting. She's also completed a certificate in Jewellery Design and Manufacturing.

In her shop, you'll find a great collection of handmade paper goods, fabrics, and porcelain accessories featuring her hand-drawn designs.  To see more of Anna's work, you can visit her Flickr Photostream!

P.S. You're not seeing things ... I switched back to my original blog design. It just felt more like home. :)
 

HANDMADE BY ...

So, how's everyone doing today?  It's been so quiet this week in the comments section that I'm starting to wonder if anyone's out there!  ;)

I just paid a visit to my friend, Rachel Follett's, blog and shop this morning and it really started my morning off nice.  There's so much beauty to discover on her blog (it is called "the pretty blog", afterall) and her online market place, Lovely Clusters, is overflowing with everything handmade.  You'll find exquisite jewelry, gorgeous apparel, vintage housewares, dreamy art and photography, a wedding section, and more!!

Hope you have a few minutes to spend there today!  Oh, and if you're a seller looking for a place to promote your work, you can get started right HERE.  :)

HANDMADE BY ... PEG AND AWL

I'm so impressed with the variety of handmade items that the Etsy shop, Peg and Awl, offers!  Many of their products are made out of wood and all are unique and one-of-a-kind.  If you like rustic, quirky, and want to make a statement in your home or in your personal style, I think you'll find their shop intriguing.  :)

Have a great Thursday, friends!  xo

Artist Feature ~ Landon Metz

You know, I draw and paint with pen & ink and watercolor from time to time, but I don't do it often because I'm kind of a perfectionist and I like to put a lot of detail in my drawings and paintings.  Seeing Landon Metz work makes me realize that simple can be beautiful!  I would hang any one of these paintings in my home.

Are you like me and find yourself in a creative rut because you have high expectations for yourself when it comes to your art work?  How do you get yourself out of that perfectionist mindset?
 

New Sponsor ~ bialaKura

Good morning! I feel so honored to have a new sponsor on my site! She is so talented that it was tough for me to choose just six of her pieces to show you. Not only is she an amazing photographer with an eye for beauty, but she also designs hand made bookmarks, greeting cards, and unique silhouettes using her photography as the background. Artists like Agnieszka challenge me to stretch myself a bit creatively. There's so much more I want to do with my art!
  
How about YOU? What new creative ideas do you have stirring around in your head?

Illustrations by Camilla Engman

Have you seen the work of Camilla Engman? This is only a tiny sample of her amazing body of illustrations. She also creates unique and eye catching mixed media pieces, colorful and imaginative paintings, and custom artwork for public commissions.

Hmmmm..... she might be a great one to have as our Resident Artist for Droplets or Raining Umbrellas (register now for the Spring session beginning May 7th)!

Son of a Sailor

Hello, how's your week been so far? Hope it's been a good one for you. Not much new with me. Just having fun and keeping busy with my e-course, Raining Umbrellas, and hard at work planning the lessons for my upcoming e-course, Droplets. I never imagined how much I would enjoy writing and teaching creativity e-courses!

If you like retro, enjoy the sea, and have a touch of hippy in you, I thought you might have fun browsing Son of a Sailor, a jewelry and print design shop on Etsy.

To learn more about the creative duo who run this fun shop, just follow THIS LINK!

Crochet Beauties from Cherry Time

Find these and other gorgeous crochet items HERE!

I never knew such unique and beautiful things could be created with crochet, did you? When I was in Junior High a neighbor friend taught me how to crochet and after we were first married, an elderly woman who I assisted in her home, taught me even more. Unfortunately, it's been years since I picked up crochet needles (don't think I even have them anymore) and I don't remember a thing!

Do any of you know how to crochet or knit? They have a wine and knit club where I live and I'm thinking about joining. I'm hoping that someone there will have the patience to teach me. Crocheting and knitting seem so relaxing and therapeutic!