Fall is in full swing! We had our first frost a few days ago…this is definitely my favorite time of year. So I’ve put together a lil’ collection of my favorite hand-made Etsy finds for the occasion.
(As always, click on the photos to enlarge them!)

Even though I don’t paint landscapes very often anymore, I can certainly appreciate superbly painted scenery when I see it! Jean Vadal Smith uses such wonderful hues in her work, and the color combinations are genius. She sells prints as well as original paintings. In Red Fall Stream here, I particularly love the “chemistry” happening between the cool and fiery colors!

What can I say, I just love Hide N Seek! Every new creative work in the shop inspires a different daydream in my mind…pictured here is a detail of Envy. Hidden Eloise has such a wonderful way with colors and stories, and often will push me to get off the computer and go create something of my own! (Plus, her shop has stickers, prints, cards, and much more!) The style of her illustrations is just right—a wonderful balance of shading and outline, with no “cartoon-ish” feeling. I want them all! 🙂

This original 18 x 24 Fall Colors painting by Sherri Marranca of JMJSTUDIO‘s shop is bold, energizing color at its purest. In our backyard, the sun sets behind a stand of trees every evening, and this painting captures the essence of the daily beauty we get to see! It also reminds me of the paintings we used to do in grade-school…using only a drinking straw and the air in our lungs to push drops of India Ink across the page. I find myself just staring at the image on my computer monitor, wondering how many hours I would spend mesmerized by it if it were actually on my wall! Amazing.

I’ve always loved those old-fashioned silhouette portraits, but the work of Le Papier Studio gives me the same feeling with a more updated twist. The Falling Leaves Silhouette Print here is just one example of many themes…and you can choose from pre-designed silhouettes, or email a photo for a one-of-a kind piece. I’ve always wanted to try this with my own photos, but now you can have it done FOR you…All of her work is clean and classy!

I recently stumbled upon an Etsy shop called Savor, and found myself salivating over soaps. Originally I considered trying the Caramel Apple soap (and I hope it will be available again soon!), but there’s no lack of choices concerning sweet, unique confections for cleaning yourself. Mmmmm….sugary bubbles. This photo here is of the Pumpkin Pie Soap, or you could try S’mores, Pecan Pie or Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. The flavors and photos of these soaps are stunning!
*Oh yeah!*—and if you mention my blog at the time of your order, you can get 10% off your item total! How cool is that?! (Do it now!)

This lil’ beauty is called Beginnings of Change, a miniature oil-painting by Madelaine Fedorowich. This particular painting is only 4 x 3 inches, and the artist’s shop is full of similarly sized oils and watercolors. I love the idea of smaller paintings, especially ones which are very detailed, as are Madelaine’s here! As she says in her shop announcement, miniature paintings are indeed a great (and affordable!) way to brighten up any space, and they make it easy to start collecting or giving works of original art. I especially like the way she paints shiny, reflective surfaces (like in the Midnight Marbles ACEO)…it makes me remember how fun and challenging it is to paint chrome and glass 🙂

As a person who loves miniature anything, I have collected many dollhouse-sized objects over the years. (And fall is also the time for apples, right?) So naturally, I almost giggled out loud when I saw these apple cutter earrings. CuteAbility has a good selection of cute (duh!) wearable miniatures, including another favorite of mine, the S’mores dangle earrings. Adorable.

Continuing along the apple theme is this darling hand-made, reversible Pinafore by Lassiegirl. These look really cute over top of jeans, too. The shop also has some great diaper-covers/bloomers to go underneath dresses. If I had a little girl to dress up (which I do not, T.Y.V.M…) I would definitely go the “matching bloomers” route! Heck, if I could get away with it, I’d make some for myself. Seriously.
And, the *reversible* factor is something that I really love. Why can’t ALL of our clothes be reversible?!—it just makes so much sense.