I'm Thankful for "Shop Local"!

Shopping season is upon us, but don't go hit the malls! Those tired predictable gifts are feeding a boring economy. Support Handmade! I used the "Shop Local" feature on Etsy to bring up pages of people making awesome stuff in my own backyard. Here's some of my favorite picks in the colors of the season. Be sure you check out what's being made in your backyard!

Check out this sweet yarn creation from BeckyPotter! A warm fuzzy for these cold Colorado winters. An exciting design and nice colors you could wearthis in many ways and with many ensambles - casual to formal. Not to mention, nothing is more stylish than handmade!

How about some original Art for the food lover in your life? Bonus, it's technically christmas colors, but no one will notice that if you hang it year round! Sharonschock has a number of cute little original paintings just waiting to find a wall of their own. Art is classy, fun and will last a lifetime, a perfect gift!

Here's something to write down all those holiday memories in! Derrick from Disconsolator makes high quality beautiful hand bound books, in many colorful fabrics and styles. He'll even do custom work for you - how great is that?

How about something Eco-friendly? (I can hardly get through a blog post without one) Kimwhitecreations made this lovely sparkly cup cozy so you can say no to the cardboard sleeve in style. Extra points if you bring your own cup. Warm beverages and cute stuff... What a great way to celebrate the season!

Remember, when you shop handmade it allows us crafters to have a good holiday season too! No matter howmany gifts I give this season it's a great joy to know that some stranger is getting my goods with love. Cheers to all, and don't run up your credit cards too high...