I can't believe it's December!! Are you busy pulling out all of your holiday decorations, trimming the tree, and checking gift recipients off your list? This year, inspired by my wintry environment here in Colorado, I embroidered a few snowflakes. These intricate snowflakes take quite a bit of time to stitch - creating a symmetrical design is always a test of patience, plus the designs incorporate metallic embroidery floss and were stitched with only one to three strands of floss.
Small Blue and Silver Snowflake (2.25" in diameter)
Red, Green, and Silver Snowflake (3.125" in diamter)
Blue and Silver Snowflake (3.125" in diameter)
I also just released a limited edition hand embroidery photo card featuring my "doodle tree." A high resolution image of my stitch work is printed on thick matte (non-shiny) card stock. The folded cards are blank inside and are sold in sets of 8. You can find them in the shop here.
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Looking to spruce up your embroidery stash? I've pulled together a rundown of my favorite hand embroidery products that may be something you'd like to find under the Christmas tree, too. Share this URL with those asking what's on your gift list and hope you end up happy!
My Favorite Fancy (and Very Sharp) Embroidery Scissors
Studio Carta Crane Scissors // Gingher Design Series Scissors
DMC Cotton Floss Packs - the more skeins, the merrier!
DMC Embroidery Home Decor Floss Pack // Popular Colors Floss Pack
A High Quality Floor Lamp - not the fanciest gift, but sometimes practical is best!
Lavish Home Sunlight Floor Lamp
Top Notch Hand Embroidery Books to Teach Yourself - never stop learning!
Mary Thomas's Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches // The Stitch Bible by Kate Haxell
Pouches to Hold Your Embroidery Tools - I have a serious pouch addiction. I can never have too many! Perfect for traveling with your embroidery.
Baggu Leather Stash Pouch (in Copper) // Loeffler Randall Pouch
Madewell Leather Pouch // Truffle Clarity Clutch
Want more of my hand embroidery tips? You can find them here.
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I've released a handful of brand new holiday cards and gift tags just in time for card-sending season. You can purchase single cards or boxed sets of 8 cards. And just a reminder, orders over $60 ship free! You can find all of the cards in the holiday collection here.
Merry Merry Card // Merry Christmas Stockings Card
Happy Hanukkah Painted Menorah Card
I've also included a sample sale grab bag to the shop which includes a fun mix of discontinued designs.
Christmas Card Sample Sale Grab Bag
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One of my favorite parts about the holiday season is wrapping gifts. Some people love it, some people loathe it. I fall into the former category. I love scouring Pinterest for some unique gift wrapping ideas. Here are some favorites I have come across!
via Mondo Cherry
via Design Mom
via Bright Bazaar
via Country Living
via Martha Stewart
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Just a heads up - Tuesday, December 15 (tomorrow!) is the last day to place orders for the holidays. This is to ensure that your orders arrive in a timely manner since we all know how slammed the USPS is right now! Order boxes of Christmas cards so you can send some fun mail to your friends, gift tags to dress up your holiday presents, notepads and art prints for the cactus or flower loving friend or family member in your life, or thank you cards for all of the notes you'll be writing post-holidays! Thanks so much for shopping small and supporting my business this holiday season!
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The majority of my works, both paper goods and hand-embroidered artwork, are inspired by gardens, those I've visited and those of my imagination. Here's a round-up of some favorite gifts for the gardener in your life!
1. Happy Cactus Designs hand-embroidered floral artwork
2. Diptyque Geranium Rosa candle
3. Modernica small white pot with stand
4. Rockins Flora printed scarf
5. Hunter boots
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I prefer baking to cooking, but I love perusing gifts for the kitchen. Here are my top picks for your top chef.
1. Amanda McAulay walnut cutting board
2. Happy Cactus Designs What's Cooking notepad
3. Normann Copenhagen craft rolling pen
4. Le Creuset Cast Iron Dutch Oven
7. Max & Moritz Beehive salt cellar
9. Hedley & Bennett Adele 2.0 apron
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I adore the Postal Service's new Christmas stamps for this holiday season (read about them here), but there is something so wonderful about the holiday stamps from years past. I love the colorful vintage designs and sweet sentiments that graced these stamps. My go-to resource for sourcing unused vintage stamps is Etsy. It takes some searching and reading reviews, but I take such delight in discovering stamps from previous holidays. Here are a handful of my personal favorites.
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Now that I'm living in Colorado, I'm even more excited to get a freshly cut Christmas tree this year. I have a handful of Christmas ornaments I've acquired over the years, but have been doing a lot of online browsing to add some new ornaments to my collection. Here are my favorites.
Clockwise from top left: North Polar Bear via Sundance, Bottle Brush Animals via West Elm, Little New York via Net a Porter, Llama via Leif, Miniature Bulb Set via Terrain, Peppermint Ornaments via Wisteria, Mittens via Leif, Rudolph via ABC Home, Ice Cream Cone via Sur la Table
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One of my favorite holiday activities is wrapping gifts. Some people loathe it, but I love picking out a paper and ribbon and strategizing how to best wrap a gift. You can't forget the gift tag! Here are Happy Cactus Designs' best selling tags. They are sold in sets of 10 and come with red and white bakers twine!
I've already written about Happy Cactus' newest holiday cards, but also wanted to share our best selling Christmas cards! These designs are especially special to me because I love imagining all of the different mailboxes they have arrived in over the years and the good cheer they have brought to customers' friends and family members. Here the the top sellers:
Happy Holidays Snowflakes Card
The cards are all sold as singles or as boxed sets of 8 with white envelopes. You can shop all of our holiday cards in the holiday shop here.
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I am SO excited to share that I'll be returning to Dallas, my hometown this weekend for the Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash!
When I lived in Austin, I was fortunate enough to participate in a handful for Etsy Dallas shows, including the Spring Bash and Jingle Bash, and can't wait to take part in this year's event. The show is exceptionally well done and brings together a great variety of artists under one roof. It's a great opportunity to shop small and support small businesses while also getting unique gifts for everyone on your Christmas list! I will have Christmas cards, thank you notes, stocking stuffers (think notepads, art prints, and calendars), and the very popular gift tags on hand in my booth. I'll also have a handful of my hand-embroidered artwork on display for sale! If you are in Dallas, I hope to see you there!
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