heart & craft holiday in a box

Friends, I am so excited to share with you the handmade gift I put together for the Handmade Gift Swap hosted by FreshlyPicked and ArdorBlog that I participated in this month. Besides getting wonderfully handmade gifts from five other bloggers, I got to put together and send out my own little creations.

For my handmade gift I put together the "holiday in a box" full of little treats for holiday decorating. I included a small glittery garland for wrapping around gifts, a large garland for decorating your walls or tree, shimmery cake flags for adding some sparkle to desserts, our 'this if for you' gift tags, a set of holiday banner greeting cards, and a golden-painted little deer figurine just for fun. In addition to designing the cards, inserts, packaging, and contents I had SO much fun packing and sending of these little gifts! I hope they brought a smile to someone's face and I can't wait until next year's gift swap!Find my greeting cards, gift tags, garlands, and flags all in my shop.

bright and lively

I have been finding lots of great things on etsy lately and since it has been awhile, here is a round-up of some of my favorite bright items this week.(clockwise from top left) color angles brooch by jewiseha, oh carmen by peggy wolf design, forever fringe banner by nice, at the races necklace by urban legend.

happy friday everyone!

fairyfolk

Acorns? From felt? In the loveliest colors? Yes, please!
From Fairyfolk on etsy. And they have beautiful photography as well. Nice job.

10 days in

10 days into September and I have nothing to show for it- on here at least. Work has been a whirlwind the past two weeks and I am hoping to settle in and refocus a bit this weekend. The cooler air seems inviting for some fall cleaning and studio organization. Other things on the list include getting my head around wedding decor and inspiration and making a good craft list to go along with that. I am thinking hundreds of garlands are going to need to be sewn and that seems like just the activity I want to get into this weekend. I am thinking some old road atlases are going to be dismantled for this project...
And what do I have to share with you today, you might ask? Why after 11 days away from here I am back with- more triangles! I am adoring these hand screened print samples by Caitlin Mocuin (one of my crafty girl crushes from here).

decorate it

Overwhelmed by all of the stunning wedding and party decorations I have come across this week on the net. I am constantly amazed at the creativity and craftiness out there.
you are my fave.

once wed.
one love photo.

primele stamps

I would love to have a personalized stamp from Primele made just for Heart&Craft. I can just imagine stamping all my gifts and packages with one of these before sending them off.

back to reality

Well I am back from a week of relaxation, professional development, long walks, and lot's of food. It was a much needed break and I feel really rejuvenated, even going back to work! The shop is doing well, I need to get back into the studio and get some items made, and the weather here is incredible right now. Flowers, herbs, and veggies are all peeking their little heads out and soon we will be eating out of our backyard! I have not yet edited photos from my trip so until I do, here is some textile jewelry I have had my eye on lately, from the etsy shop kjoo. I am already thinking about how I can fashion up something like this of my own this weekend. I'll keep you updated.

found

on etsy. The most adorable handmade cake stands by the adorable Olivia Rae James. I actually found her blog first and then traveled over to her shop. These stands are made from found vintage plates and antique candle holders, so adorable! Check them all out in her little shop.

wednesday wish list

As we head into spring I am craving the creamy pastels and soft neutrals of just about anything in Whitney Smith's etsy shop.

frazier and wing

Love, love love- these garlands from frazier&wing. If you know me well, you know my love for garlands of all sorts. I have used them on my deck in the summer, made them out of coffee filters for christmas, made and used them at various birthday parties, and even recreated a simple version of one of these for my birthday. I had my students help me cut out a ton of multi-colored green circles- they were not so amused- or good at cutting circles for that matter. Anywho- these are much nicer than mine and are handmade by Heather Frazier in Portland, OR and are just some of the sweetest things I have ever seen. I find the more simple and clean a design or product is- the more I am drawn to it. And wouldn't you just love to be at one of those parties set up in the last two photos?



Oh and most exciting news of the week!!! My mom found and gave me some polaroid film! Woohoo! It expired in '96 so it is bound to be amazing- I can't wait to use it!

cosmic leggings

crystalline.

I have been coveting these leggings by Brooklyn based shabd for some time now. All of their hand-dyed work is done in a variety in colors and resembles all of the cosmic beauty of outer space. After some site lurking I came across this great video of the designer, Shabd Simon-Alexander on the Martha Stewart show doing a great demonstration of how to recreate these looks. Don't have $120 to drop on a pair of leggings? Make your own! I think I am going to have to give it a try sometime. Add that to my HUUUUGE list of crafting to-dos....
rust.
eclipse.

There are also some amazing shirts, hoodies, scarves, tights, and even bikinis on shabd's site. Have fun dying!

an amazing polaroid makeover

via design sponge

urban accent home

In need of some new home decor items? Found some really beautiful handpainted duvet covers and pillows here at Urban Accent Home on the always glorious etsy.

wednesday wish list

Cute stockings and garland from Milkpod Studio on etsy. Rustic, modern, perfect.


Wouldn't these be just the perfect Christmas decorations? I haven't been able to get enough of the festive decor this year!

flickr:: handmade christmas

Some of my favorite finds on flickr this past week: handmade Christmas decorations::



Can't wait for Christmas to be here!

Links:

• saidos da concha (one and two)
• dottieangel
  
• domesticali
  

blah

Been feeling a bit uninspired lately. What is the trick to balancing work, personal life, and your desire to create??? Felt a twinge of jealousy, inspiration, and excitement when I spotted this handmade wooden wreath on design*sponge. Susie's husband made it as a surprise out of scrap wood!

Can't forget to mention those great paper ornaments as well!

UPDATE: I realized I didn't leave a link for this post- you can see the wreath on d*s here and the original here at Susie's Make Something Happy Blog. I also have to give a shout out to Susie for all of the helpful tips and advice she has been sending my way!

the wild unknown

I have been seeing this gorgeous Year of Feathers calendar by the shop The Wild Unknown all over the internet for the past week. It is just too great not to share here. Printed in a limited edition set of only 100, they are handcrafted in Brooklyn. Be sure to check out the rest of their shop as well for some more precious finds.

tuesday handmade

A fun project I have been working on over the past couple of days is our Christmas card. I made this paper-cut (while I was supposed to be working) and now I just need to make it into a card that I can duplicate and mail. If you know us, you know this is our little home!
I think I will be working in the media a lot more from now on, so much fun!

christmas 09

I have really enjoyed decorating the house for the first time ever for Christmas. Just having space for your decorations without everything feeling cluttered makes such a difference.
I am very picky about my decorations, though, and have been getting some slack from friends and family for not putting up mine and the mister's childhood ornaments and decorations. Is that awful? I just want everything to match my color scheme!! Ok, that does sound pretty awful. I'll let you be the judge...
The white tree!

A very special wire ornament my love made for me.


The garland I made from unbleached coffee filters (and a little bit of tissue).

The coffee table.

The gifts- with my handmade NC ceramic ornaments.


I am so excited for Christmas to be here, to actually hand out all of the gifts and to have everyone over to enjoy our new home with us. Speaking of home, I have a special handmade project to show you tomorrow!