Friday Feature: winter leaves

I'm bringing back one of my favorite leaf Friday Features today: winter leaves. Enjoy!

Winter Leaves necklace by traci02148

Black Friday Sale White and Brown rustic leafs, oil painting 22" x 28" Frosted Leafs, original painting oil on canvas by KatyaTrischuk

Fall Colored Chakra Leaves in Winter's First Snow Fine Art Photographic Print 5x7 by IntheWoodsStudio

3 Christmas Pattern Wafer Paper Sheets Bundle - Edible Image Textures for Cookies by CookiePixie

Stained Glass Suncatcher. Wild Forest Leaves In Winter Time. by jacquiesummer

Botanical Notecards - Willow Leaves - Set of Four Cards - Black Inside by emillepalmer

Fused Glass Pendant and chain: Winter Leaf SALE by KanYoFuse

C is for Chicago

Are you ready for another round of Alphabe Thursday? Let's go!

Sometimes I think of brand new Alphabe topics that I can't wait to explore. Other times I can't wait to revisit favorite Alphabe topics. This is one of those times when I'm revisiting. These photos are from the mostly working trip to Chicago that Jake and I took back in late October / early November. Enjoy.

 

Check out what the other Alphabe participants posted for the letter C this week right here!

December Color Combination Inspiration, Round 1

I have another great round of color combinations to share with you today. I hope that you're able to find something here that sparks a new idea of some sort for your creative endeavors. As always, I've done my best to mix up the subjects that I feature. You can pull color combinations from any source for literally any type of creative project. Click on the photos to visit the original sources. Enjoy!

Red / Turquoise from Paige

Because we haven't visited this combination in a color combination inspiration post in way too long.

 

Brown / Blue from Grace

Green / Yellow / Blue from Sharla

Deep Purple / Silvery Gray from Duni

 

 Red / White from Edi

Let's Keep It Going!

What color combinations are you loving right now? Have you experimented with any new color combinations recently?

Etsy Christmas Wish List

Is anyone else already doing some Christmas shopping on Etsy? Whether you've been hitting the Black Friday / Cyber Monday sales or are simply doing some window shopping, I don't need to tell most of you that Etsy is a great place to shop for gifts. Christmas is no exception. Here are just a few things that I wouldn't mind getting this year.

The Midwesterner t-shirt by OrchardStreetPress

I have lived in the Midwest my entire life and really can't imagine living anywhere else. So clearly I need this shirt. The Represent Wisconsin and 1848 Wisconsin State shirts from this shop are great, too.

Handmade Button Collection - Set of 4 - Rustic Brown Creamy White Emerald Green Golden Mustard Yellow - Rustic Chic by BackBayPottery

How can you go wrong with handmade buttons?

Eco Leather Camera Strap Applique Distressed Recycled Brown Leather by StudioWaterstoneBags

Lori recently started making leather camera straps. I already have a handmade camera strap, but you know, there's nothing wrong with owning more than one. (Also, Darby has multiple DSLR bags in turquoise and red right now. Go check them out.)

Custom Bokeh. Change the shape of the lights in your photo's background by CoolVinyle

Shape bokeh just got so much easier.

Mustache stamp set by deKrantenkapper

Typically when I browse / buy stamps on Etsy, I go to Mollie of norajane, but this mustache set from Janneke and Lotte is so darn cute.

Orange and Clear Swirl Lampwork Glass Disc Beads - Set of 6 by AlishaWhite

I haven't bought handmade lampwork glass beads or buttons in way too long. It's always so hard to pick just a few colors / sets. This aqua set jumped out at me, too.

Cherry Blossom Branch Adjustable Ring in Silver, Stacking rings, Spring Jewelry, MADE to ORDER, Twig ring, Bridal accessories by HapaGirls

This is one of those shops where I kind of want everything. The rings, bracelets, and necklaces are all calling my name, especially because they are so reasonably priced.

What is on your Etsy wish list this Christmas?

What's Up for December

It doesn't even seem real to be writing that subject. Moving on...

Hello, December! What's going on this month?

• Finishing up my 2013 holiday shows. Many of you already know that I've been up to quite a lot of things this fall, including the most holiday craft fairs that I've ever vended in a month and a half period. For the most part, it's been great. I'm excited to have a solid list of shows that I would vend again next year, a few ideas for new shows, and a wealth of ideas for revamping my booth and product lines. I'm also really excited to finish up the 2013 stint and have time to regroup and prepare for the new year.
• Getting ready for Christmas. Most years I have the Christmas letter written, the Christmas cards and stamps ordered, and the majority of my Christmas shopping done by the first week of December. I'm sure that it's not much of a surprise that all I've done thus far this year is buy a couple small Christmas presents. I'm glad that I'll still be able to give these tasks as well as other fun Christmas happenings (like decorating the house) the time and attention that they deserve these next few weeks.
• Regrouping and setting new goals. To say that I'm at a loss about my overall goals for 2014 is harsh, but for a handful of reasons, I'm struggling to put together a plan for 2014 as easily as I did for 2012 and 2013. The short of it is that I don't want to wake up in five years and realize that I've neglected personal projects and the chance to grow my passive income the way I would really like to in lieu of short-term pursuits that may be lucrative but are ultimately unsustainable long-term and are generally not as fulfilling. I haven't quite figured out how I'm going to find time for the projects that I want to pursue without giving up so much of what I've built these past two and a half years, but I'm getting there.

Blog sponsorship

I'm restructuring my blog sponsorship for 2014. It is now $12 to have a blog ad for the entire duration of 2014. That price remains the same no matter when you decide to join. The great news is that if you join up now, you get the ad and the social media and blog promos that it includes for the entire year. In other good news, if you decide to join up later, this price is still very reasonable, and you'll be sure to get your money's worth out of it. Whether you currently have an ad and would like to renew for 2014 or you're interested in joining up, contact me at randomcreative28 at gmail dot com.

Thanks for sticking with me during a truly crazy October and November! Here's to a great December.

What are you up to this month?