paper acorn

the cutest nut in the forrest

so i may be a little biased... i'm particularly partial to the little guys. what a miracle that one tiny nut can grow into the mightiest trees on earth. this miniature object can be held in the palm of your hand one day, and years later can create a magnificent stretch of shade. the acorn. such a beautiful color change from bright green to a lush brown as they grow over the season. and everyone loves the acorn's cute little hat, right? what personality! what beautiful symbolism! 

ok... before i get too carried away with waxing poetic about squirrel food, let's get right to the art. 

enjoy these fabulous acorn-inspired items fresh off the tree at etsy...

cutedesigns

isabellsumbrella

jennyleefowler

 

jFaith

kmwatkins

 

kylieparry

pinkingedgedesigns

SeptemberHouse

thetinyhouse

ThisTinder

well, hello!

soooo.... it's been a while. hi. how you been? apologies to my readers (all both of you) for falling out of touch. who would have thought that summer orders for custom wedding luminaries would have turned into such an endeavor?

anyway... i was just perusing my esty favorites and thought that many of them were too good to not share. so here youse go, no theme, no rhyme or reason... just good stuff:

Behappynow2

 

CurlyGirlCrafts

 

iamkathrynedwards

 

kattybarac

 

nerdnook

 

paperandstitches

 

PeachandPearl

 

tashamck

 

TobikoKitty

 

treasureagain

 

undiscovered

ok, etsy lovers. time to 'fess up. how much time have you spent on the pounce feature in one sitting? i must admit that i have withered away hours of my life clicking and re-clicking the "pounce again!" button. the time spent may be precious, but oh! the hidden treasures i've found while clicking around in the "undiscovered" category! take a gander at these wonderful pieces, all by newish etsians. and show some love; give some hearts, send a nice, complimenting convo (no spam), and even make a purchase or two! (when these fab artists get all big and famous, you can say you were among the first who realized their talent.)

Jamielyns hand cuts (yes, by hand!) these brightly colored greeting cards. i was struck by the bold, simple design in this hi! card.

 Manuinchina offers very festive ear-dangles. i especially love these japanese moon earrings!

BellyCeramics' pieces are some of the most beautifully glazed i have seen anywhere. fantastically original forms, and amazingly affordable! 

one-of-a-kind bags and jewelry can be found in LittlePort's shop. each piece is distinctly handmade and unique; and that's what etsy's all about! (maybe you'll beat me to these copper button earrings.)

louisiana-based crafter, Endoftheworldstudio, boasts a fine collection of "pillows that are single stitch 'relief' crochet designed to reflect my passion for color, texture, and imagination". check out the shop to find that one piece which will brighten up your living space!

who doesn't love a koala? find this super cute ipod case and other fantastic felt creations in Emerlina's shop. your phone will never be happier.

i just saw Chickslab on the front page yesterday, but i'm pretty sure that i discovered them first. ;0) here's a shop full of totally original pieces in bold colors that are sure to sell out quick!

 

want to show some more love'n'support to a newcomer to esty? leave a comment with a link to their shop and tell us why you love 'em!

happy shopping. :0)
 

fly, pig, fly

if you're a marathon runner, or just a cincinnati resident, then you probably know about the annual flying pig marathon. hundreds of crazy people get up early on a sunday morning and pump their legs for an agonizing 26.2 miles around the great queen city. i'm not a runner myself, nor do i have any ounce of desire to become one, but i've met a few. i've seen them around. runners. marathoners. crazies. 

a few years ago, i did the flying pig. well, i did half of the pig... ah-hem. i... uh... walked half of the flying pig. but i did cross the finish line! i wasn't out to break any records that day, save for my own personal record of number of (half) marathons completed: one.

and it's happening again this coming sunday. streets all over the city will be closed off to make way for masses of dedicated athletes. some will sprint, some jog, some fly, some walk, a few stumble, but all will be taking the best tour the east side of our city has to offer. they'll cross the ohio river (twice), run along it, climb hills, chase down inclines, and pass some of the most scenic spots of cincinnati. 

my own 13.1 mile experience was an encouraging and prayerful one. with this post i wish the same for all participating in this year's flying pig marathon. train well. rest well. and feel the love of cincinnati!  

 
 

post

when was the last time you wrote a letter? i mean an actual pen(cil) on paper, sent in an envelope with a stamp and the whole thing? to whom would you write a letter today? 

take a moment. send some love. <3

 

how it's done

just a little peek...

putting the pieces together for some custom butterfly placecards...

 

prepare

april craft shows are just around the corner and i'm getting excited! took a trip to goodwill yesterday and purchased this sweet little find:

this avon recipe box will be perfect for displaying my glassine envelopes of gifts tags...

also heard from a customer yesterday who was so happy with their mustache garland purchase and shared some fun pics of her friends trying on a few different looks:

 


haha! love it. this inspired the production of a new product, a fun and simple addition to the craft show spread... mustache on a stick!  

 so i've been makin' stuff, prepping promo items...

 and getting all my gear together...

see you in craftland, y'all. 

 

grey day

a grey, rainy day... and it's not so bad. a good sleeping-in saturday and quiet all around. the trees are dripping. the traffic is slow. the cats are sleeping in the windows. the coffee is brewing. 

studio

been workin' it, yo. doin' the job. makin' the stuff.

 

bird

i've been working on this design for quite a while, and think i've got it finalized... introducing a new item at paper acorn! little paper bird favor box. available here.