New Holiday Gift Guide

You may note a new feature here on My Hiding Place.
I have added an Etsy Mini application to my right sidebar. Each week I will feature a new selection of items from Etsy artists.
This week I have chosen a fabulous selection of gift ideas that are all under $20. You will find a little bit of everything - handmade coal (soap) for that naughty guy's stocking, an adorable onesie, a copper bird's nest ring, a beautiful art print, one of my favorite pillow covers, a felt garland, a sweet stuffie, gourmet jelly, and even a small messenger bag! A true something-for-everyone list!
This list is perfect for gifts for family, friends, or even as an office Secret Santa exchange present.

My Dolls

I realize that I have not posted many of my own projects here. In fact, I have not posted any of my own stuff since back in May or June.
Yikes!
I will remedy that now with my two most recent little men. They are such a joy to make, each one having such a distinct personality and style.

This little dude was made for my partner, ckchan, in the Craftster Invite Your Partner Swap 10. She wanted a "modern boy". He is wearing a Linkin Park tee (her fave band), trendy jeans, a faux suede jacket, mittens and a scarf. He has a tattoo on his right bicep (barbed wire armband style), has a silver stud earring in each ear and a "soul patch" goatee.
He was hard to part with. I miss him already :)



This little devil was made on commission for a customer who requested a doll in the likeness of his game character. He plays an online gangster game. This guy is wearing a genuine leather jacket (reclaimed leather from a thrifted skirt), a tee painted with the name "RETRIBUTE" and spattered "blood", dark jeans and has his very own little iPod (player sculpted of polymer clay, with real earbuds attached) that attaches to his hands and ears with Velcro.

Both boys are anatomically correct (they have "boy bits") and are fully jointed so that they can sit or stand and move their arms.
I apologize for the poor photos - these were not shot for the purpose of selling, but just for my own records and to show my fellow crafty friends :)

Bipolar?

Polar bears and penguins are two of the most amazing alive today. They thrive in the harshest of climates on opposite ends of the Earth.
Etsy artisans have found so many wonderful and unique ways to celebrate the beauty of these fine animals, so I thought I would share some with you in my latest treasury entitled "Bipolar?".
Etsy artists featured from left to right, starting at the top:
rainbowswirlz
VIZArt
Cuore
GumballGrenade
craftpaca
beadedbear
everydaylifestyle
RedLightStudio
ptitebaloue
dmhstudio
KittenInTheEngine
gfelted

Confessions of a Closet Holiday Ornament Lover

I have a confession to make. Or maybe 2.
I really don't decorate my home for the holidays.
Shocking, I know. I mean what crafter doesn't decorate for the big holiday season? This is our big chance to pull out the bag of tricks and attack the house without anyone thinking we are freaks.
The thing is, I do not have children. There is no big Santa Claus mystery in my home. We have figured him out. I am not a religious person, so nativity scenes and stars of david do not adorn my mantle (I don't even have a mantle!).
My home is surrounded by HUGE pine trees, so I do not feel the need to hack one down and display it inside my home. I do set up a small 3' WHITE tree for the sake of being a little bit festive, and a tiny silver metal tree in my office to keep me in the spirit of the season. I love trees though, so I use that as my excuse.
My other confession is that I have a secret love for holiday ornaments. Not the Hallmark character things you see in the malls, but the beautiful artistic orbs that you can hold in your palm and stare at. I would hang these in my home year round if I had the space. I love looking at them. I love the shape of the gorgeous globes. I love the cold feeling of the glass or ceramic, and the fuzzy softness of the felt.
So if you stop by my house this holiday season, you will not find a jolly Santa Claus doorknocker awaiting your visit. You will not be greeted by Three Wise Men (or even one remotely clever dude). But if you bring me a shiny round bit of prettiness, I will certainly break out the egg nog for you!
In the spirit of the holidays, here are a few of my faves from Etsy. Each image is clickable and will take you to the Etsians shop.

Drenched In White Giveaway WINNER!

Just to show that the early bird does still get that worm sometimes, the lucky winner of the Drenched In White art print giveaway is Celebrate Life . She was the first person to enter the giveaway, and the Random Interger Generator at random.org decided that she would be the lucky lady to hang a piece of gorgeous art on her wall!

Congratulations, CelebrateLife! I will be contacting you for your mailing information to get your print to you.
Thank you everyone for entering this giveaway and supporting a new fabulous Etsian!
Keep your eyes on this blog for more great giveaways.