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!

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 ... PHOEBE REID

Good morning!  Thanks for bearing with me as I neglected my blogging duties yesterday and took off for a country drive.  It ended up not being one of the most relaxing drives because I got lost, stuck in a major traffic jam, and was so focused on finding my way home that I didn't get any photos worth posting.  It was a "Murphy's Law" kind of day.  ;)

Today I want to introduce you to the lovely work of Phoebe Reid!  Phoebe is a former student of mine from my creativity e-course, Raining Umbrellas.  Although I'd love to take credit for her amazing talent, I have nothing to do with it.  She was creating these beautiful images before she even started the class!  Phoebe uses a special photography method called "Tilt Shift" to get that lovely blurry effect with her photos.  That's something I'd love to try with my photos in the future.  :)

To quote one of Phoebe's friends ... "Phoebe has a way of transporting a viewer into these magical worlds. Her images seem to be snapped not in our world but one where fairy tales and magic exist."

To view more of Phoebe's work, you can visit her Etsy Shop , her blog, or her captivating art blog!

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?