Sunday, December 05, 2010

An Etsy Shop for Christmas!

I am a bit of an Etsy addict and will admit to doing a lot of my Christmas shopping there. Etsy satisfies my craving for pretty homespun things, beautiful crafts, and odd vintage finds. I always have a long list of favorites, as my tastes ebb and flow from silver to china to animal prints and great photography. Etsy has it all! I even had my blog banner custom made for me by an Etsy artist.

One of my favorite all-time Etsy shops belongs to Amber Alexander, a gifted artist from Vermont. Amber paints fantastical watercolours of little animals, many of them funny and whimsical.

I love this Christmas cat:
I also love her more serious creatures, who look like they have something on their mind:
Amber also paints some very realistic animal portraits, which are my favorite of all. This nuthatch is gorgeous. We feed the birds in our yard and have plenty of nuthatches at this time of year:
These feathers are more abstract and I think they'd look so beautiful framed and matted in white:
I have always loved birds. Growing up with forest all around our home, I was very familiar as a child with all sorts of birds who wandered 'round the edge of the woods. This little grouse looks familiar:
We always had mourning doves too, which have a very distinctive song:
Amber sells both her original watercolors and prints made from them.

For Christmas, her art would make a beautiful gift for a child's room, for an animal lover of any age, or for a serious art collector of any stripe.

Her works of art are a quiet gift of beauty and joy!

8 comments:

  1. These are very beautiful.

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  2. I'm on etsy at least once a day searching for a vintage something or other that pops into my mind. And some of the handmade craft pieces are just unbelievable. These watercolors are very beautifully done. I love the feathers; and the cat with the little santa hat is adorable. I'll have to go look through all of them.

    There are some stuffed handpainted muslin dolls that are just mesmerizing. Check them out here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/61136579/tux-and-tabby-contemporary-folk-art-doll?ref=v1_other_2

    Hope you're well.

    Steve

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  3. thanks for pointing me in the direction of such a talented artist. i get overwhelmed at etsy and it's nice to be able to wade through and get to the best of the best. thank you terri.

    ~janet

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  4. Her work is beautiful, Terri. I wonder if she does custom portraits from photos--must visit her Etsy shop. Thanks for introducing us to this artist.
    Deborah

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  5. terri,
    these are just beautiful! i mean this artist is really, really wonderful. her use of water and color is stunning with the feathers and really everything.
    thank you for sharing.
    i would love to invite you to share this & your etsy gift suggestions in my gift-giving column at TLPC. i hope you can join in.
    have a wonderful Sunday!
    xo Lisa

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  6. I just ordered the polar bear print. It was so charming!

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  7. I lvoe etsy - always a new find just around the corner!! Thanks so much for introducing me to these!
    xx-Gina

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  8. Hi...these are so simple and beautiful! Thanks for sharing them...off to the etsy site : )

    xo kelley

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