Wednesday, November 10, 2010

A Crafty Holiday

Hello friends, can you believe it's already November and time to start thinking about gifts?! I tend to get a little stressy searching for the "perfect" gift for each person (and doggie!) on my list. The perfect gift shows that you truly thought about the person and that you think they are pretty darn special, right? 

I started thinking about the gifts I've received or given in the past and I can't remember a lot of them! I feel awful admitting that, but here's the truth...I remember almost every handmade gift I received, even from when I was little. The stuffed animals Country Mouse made me (as well as a big unicorn she surprised me with from a craft show one Christmas), sweaters and mittens from my grandma, photo collages from my friends... 

This year instead of searching department stores, Country Mouse and I along with a group of bloggers are vowing to support handmade. By supporting handmade you are sure to find a unique and meaningful gift as well as support real people in our community. 

Our friend Angela from The Artists' House (we met at the Creative Connection Event this Fall) is hosting a Crafty Holiday blog hop. If you follow along, you are sure to find the perfect gift for everyone on your list. Would you like to see my list so far?

1. Dog Collar Flowers by Mimi Green
our pups love to be stylish!
2. Antler Dog Chew by Antler Pantry 
better to chew on one of these than my shoes!
3. Blue Wool Capelet by BugDuds
my little Cricket would look so cute in this!
4. Pet ID tags by Make Your Dog Smile 
just in case the pups get lost!

 1. Soapy Sewing Kit by Love Lee Soaps 
fun soaps for the kiddos!
2. Printable Paper Calendar by Little Paper Dog 
 personalize it by writing in special dates for each recipient!
3. Fingerless Gloves by Skylark Dawn 
these were a hit last year for Country Mouse!
4. Tall Ship Wood Block Print by Wayfaring Art
  for those with a fascination for ships and pirates!

I'm taking over what used to be the "man" room in our house, 
it will now be my sewing room and I'd love to see all of these in my new space...


1. Cloudy Hand Embroidered Wool Felt Pincushion by Sea Pinks
2. Crest Mod Cabin Wall Clock by Nice
3. Neck and Shoulder Wrap by Home Grown Pillows
4. Ruffled Camera Strap by Eclectic Whatnot

Everything on my list is found on Etsy which is a wealth of handmade goodness. You can find gifts from artist all over the world! If you prefer to shop local you can even search for shops in your area.

Rather than fight the crowds at the mall, check out your local craft fairs. If you are in the Twin Cities area here are a few upcoming events you should check out:
November 13th 9am - 2pm Nokomis Urban Craft Fair
November 20th 9am - 4pm North Branch Arts Fest
December 3 (3pm - 8pm) Dec 4 (9am - 5pm) No Coast Craft-o-Rama 
(we will have a booth here!)

Hope you're inspired to start your shopping! The next stop for A Crafty Holiday is Prim and Propah
Happy shopping!  



14 comments:

  1. What a fabulous post! I love what you said about remembering handmade gifts more --so true!

    Congrats on getting a new sewing room. That's kind of how we met, lol, I was looking for an ironing cover for my new sewing room. I bet your space will be gorgeous when it's all done. Can't wait to see it.

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  2. Love the ruffled camera strap. Nice list!

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  3. As a dog lover, I just love your picks for dogs! And I couldn't help but smile at the product shot for the antler chew! Oh my gosh! They actually made an antler dog chew look sexy :)

    I need to get shopping!!!!

    -Kristen

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  4. Okay. I didn't get past the fingerless gloves before clicking on them and entering into inspiration on etsy! These are going to be perfect for me sis (and one for me too! - couldn't resist).

    Now I'd back and reading the rest of your post! thank you so much for sharing these awesome shops!

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  5. This is great my daughter would go bananas for that doggie cape and the sewing soaps are adorable. HOPE you get everything on your list:)

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  6. great list and so very true, I remember all of my handmade gifts, who & where they are from and for what occasions I received them. Normally I don't remember what I had for breakfast!

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  7. Great idea to include some local craft shows here! Thanks so much for sharing!

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  8. Excellent post! You've got two of faves of mine on there (I'm lusting after that camera strap) - we have good taste! :)

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  9. Great post & great finds! I love the pincushion... that needs to be on my own wish list!

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  10. I love the little doggy tag, so cute. And the woodblock print - gorgeous! Great post :) Have fun with your holiday!

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  11. thank you so much for thinking of my clock! it goes so well with the other finds! :)

    gotta also mention that i'm still lovin' my ironing board cover so much! it makes me happy every time i use it. so pretty!

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  12. Wow, great finds. Many new and coveted by me. Thanks!

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  13. Thanks for including us! Love your blog!

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