I must tout about spring again! Yes! I have to. Because I just spent the whole day yesterday outside playing in the dirt, you see. And I feel so rejuvenated by the experience!
Gardening is hard work. Hard, sweaty, dirty work. But you know? It's always so worth it. The fresh air and feel of soil between your fingers is just so recuperating. Like a mini vacation.
That's what I thought of, too, when I first saw Karen Faulkner's watercolor paintings and prints. That wonderful, vibrant feeling of rejuvenation that comes with being outside and bursting feeling of joy as the first flowers begin to bud and bloom.
All of Karen's paintings speak to me so strongly of emotion and joy and a true love for color and nature that it was no surprise to me at all that she paints with her emotions. It's all right there in the artwork.
She uses only professional artist quality pigments too, and acid free, 100% cotton water color paper, so you can be sure that with proper loving care, these pieces are going to last forever.
TO VISIT KARENFAULKNERART'S SHOP ON ETSY, YOU CAN CLICK THE PICTURES ABOVE OR, IF YOU'D RATHER, CLICK RIGHT HERE!
If there's one thing that those that follow this blog have gathered from it about me over the time it's been active, it's that I'm a huge sucker when it comes to good pictures. And that's exactly how today's feature shop caught my attention.
I can't remember how I stumbled across this shop, but I have to admit that I was captivated by the very first picture I came to. I actually, at first, thought they were selling prints! And honestly? I was considering buying one.
Then I opened one of the listings and was even -more- delighted to find out that it's not prints they're selling at all... it's the clothes. And I have to tell you. Clothes and shoes are both big weaknesses of mine, especially the simply, whimsical type clothing they're offeringg over at Plum Pretty Sugar's shop.
They also offer home decor and accessories too, both of which are displayed with the same beautiful, dreamy flare that you see in the photo in this post. In fact, I absolutely love this paragraph in their shop announcement and have to share it with you.
"Plum Pretty Sugar features lounge wear, bedding and accessories borne from the idea of breezy happiness, cozy comfort and easy-living chic. Dreamily imagined, Plum Pretty Sugar lingerie features gift-able, gorgeous silhouettes in whisper-soft fabric in enchanting garden of Eden-inspired palettes."
They certainly accomplish this with their photos and their product, both of which are absolutely beautiful, so be sure to stop by and check them out!
YOU CAN CLICK ON THE PICTURE ABOVE TO VISIT PLUMPRETTYSUGAR'S ETSY SHOP AND TAKE A LOOK AROUND OR, IF YOU PREFER, CLICK RIGHT HERE.
My first reaction when I went into today's shop was a very girly squeal of "oooh pretty!!" followed rapidly by a sulking pout.
Why the pout? Well, because today's shop is filled with beautiful yarn and I don't do a single craft where yarn is used. How unfair is that?
There's tons of others out there that do use yarn though, and if you know someone who does, this is the shop for you to find a perfect gift.
Dizzy Dragonflies is full of vibrant, cheerful colors that you just won't want to miss out on. All hand spun and hand dyed and each one is absolutely beautiful! How anyone who knits can possibly resist this shop is beyond me. I absolutely love it and enter the shop the colors immediately lift my spirits and make me smile.
TO VISIT DIZZYDRAGONFLIES' SHOP ON ETSY, YOU CAN CLICK THE PICTURES ABOVE OR, IF YOU'D RATHER, CLICK RIGHT HERE!
Today's shop is Stil Novo Design, whom I first discovered through an Etsy treasury when the stool featured here in this post caught my eye. I immediately fell in love, of course, which is how it ended up here!
Stil Novo Design specializes in 
Eco-friendly elegant home decor, custom furniture and 'green' gift ideas that are made out of recycled solid white oak French wine barrels. As a family business dedicated to creating the finest wood-crafts, specialty pieces & custom furniture they take care to make every piece a 'one of a kind' original.
They have a wide variety of items and price points too. From tables, chairs, stools and benches to beautiful candle holders, platters, key chains and more. They're all elegant, unique and just completely drool worthy too and each piece is completely hand-painted.
The Stil Novo philosophy has always been “Artistry and attention to detail" and it shines through in every piece in their shop.
If you're looking for a gift for yourself or someone else that's environmentally friendly, this is a shop you don't want to miss because each piece offered isn't just created by artisans dedicated to the highest quality of wood crafts... they're materials are also recycled from raw material to be turned into beautiful objects of practical elegance.
YOU CAN CLICK ON THE PICTURE ABOVE TO VISIT STILNOVODESIGN'S ETSY SHOP AND TAKE A LOOK AROUND OR, IF YOU PREFER, CLICK RIGHT HERE.
You know, the first time I saw these on display in a picture, it was just a set of cuffs sitting on a table, and I puzzled. I had one of those, "ummmmm, okay?" moments. I just didn't get it.
Then I saw this picture and that great big light bulb in my brain clicked on! NOW I get it! And I LOVE it.
Which just goes to show... sometimes you have to show a product being used in order for your customers to "get it".
Ruffle cuffs is a good example of this because they look absolutely awesome worn, but not so intriguing or interesting all by themselves sitting on a table. NOW? I want a pair!
So what's the wonderful shop that turned me on to this very cool style? It's Crochex on Etsy. This shop is relatively small but definitely worth visiting and you won't want to miss it!
Their prices are reasonable and their items are absolutely terrific. They carry a wide variety of items from little cozies to amigurumi animals (VERY cute) and fingerless gloves to wrist cuffs.
TO VISIT MEOWKERNAUT'S CROCHEX SHOP ON ETSY, YOU CAN CLICK THE PICTURES ABOVE OR, IF YOU'D RATHER, CLICK RIGHT HERE!
You really have to excuse my absence for a the couple days that I was gone because for me, the beginning of spring is a time of great celebration.
I love spring. It's my absolutely favorite time of the year. (Okay, so I say the same thing about Autumn when it comes around, but at the moment we're talking about spring!) The Equinox was yesterday too, which means spring is officially here! Long anticipated and finally here!
By the end of winter, I'm usually 
suffering from a pretty hefty bout of cabin fever and winter doldrums and what this means is, as the weather shifts, I find myself outside more and more. Working in the garden, primarily, because I love flowers and herbs and I grow a variety of them each year in large pots out on my back deck.
When I came across today's shop, it was a week ago and what I found there made me smile because like the Equinox, this shop is in my opinion, a full on celebration of spring and summer.
Bomobob is an award-winning, exhibited photographer that's even been seen and/or mentioned on lofty amazing venues such as the ABC-TV series "Cupid" and CBC Radio.
He offers a wide variety of prints from garden flowers to carnival visits and much much more. The artistic angles and finishing touches on these photos make them truly unique too and just absolutely beautiful.
He's definitely me inspired to shake off my winter doldrums and do something fun outside to celebrate the season change... how about you? What do you do or what are you looking forward to doing to escape the winter doldrums?
YOU CAN CLICK ON THE PICTURE ABOVE TO VISIT BOMOBOB'S ETSY SHOP AND TAKE A LOOK AROUND OR, IF YOU PREFER, CLICK RIGHT HERE.
