Got the wallets I ordered on ArtFire :)

Since I just won't have the time to make ALL my Christmas gifts this year, I'll be buying about half of my gifts and making the rest.  Every gift will be crafted by hand and bought from individual artists.  I recently ordered two wallets from http://nicaeli.artfire.com and received them today.  I'm amazed at the quality and detail in these gorgeous leather wallets!  This beautiful black and red lady's wallet is a gift for my aunt.
I love the embossed design on the red leather, and the lining is just as pretty.  I know she'll love it, and I KNOW she doesn't have anything else like it.  For my uncle, who likes the outdoors and hunting, I chose  this camouflage billfold made from recycle leather.  It looks very woodsy, and the lining is so cool! 

This artist really pays attention to every little detail.  You just don't find stuff like this, of this quality, at place like Walmart. I may not be making each gift I give this year, but I will be giving lovely, high quality handcrafted items.  Another nice thing about the products in this shop is that they're very reasonably priced.  Make Your family and friends ooh and ahh this Christmas by giving handmade gifts crafted with care and creativity.
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Handmade Holidays

My Handmade Holidays

My holidays have just about always been handmade.  When I was young I had no money to buy gifts, so I made little presents for my parents and grandparents. Thirty years later, some of my first creations can still be found on Gramma's shelves!  I've always been a creative person, and as I got older I grew more skilled at sewing, sculpting, and crafting in general.  I was able to tailor the gifts for each person's tastes.  I even learned new art forms in order to create gifts for certain people.   For me, the joy of giving a gift I made myself just can't be beat.  Whether it's homemade cookies or an elaborate and meaningful sculpture, people appreciate something that comes not only from my heart, but from my hands.  This holiday season I'll be pretty busy, so I may actually break down and buy some gifts.  But every gift I give will be handmade.  That's become very important to me.  And I love supporting my fellow artisans as well- sales always make for a merrier Christmas!   When I buy on ArtFire, I feel like I'm buying from friends, and I've always been quite pleased with everything I've purchased on ArtFire.
Like many, I've already started making some of the Christmas gifts I plan to give.  My best friend and her family will be visiting for Thanksgiving, so we'll exchange gifts then.  She has a young son who loves dragons, and I'm working on a plush green dragon for him.  I may add a knight or wizard if I have time.  I really enjoy making gifts for children, and seeing that smile on their face when they open up their present.  I remember being a little girl and Gramma making dolls and stuffed animals for me.  Those were the most special gifts, because Gramma made them just for me.  I'd sit at her knee and watch her sew the pattern pieces together by hand, and just feel like I must have been so special for her to make something like that for me.  You know, that's what Christmas is about for me- the love of family and friends and the joy of being together with them.  And the gifts I give come from my heart and hands, not WalMart.
Here's wishing everyone a happy handmade holiday! 
-Michelle of CreativeCritters