Upholding my own tradition of handmade gifts, I’m proudly guessing that I have about an 80% lifetime achievement rate of giving. Starting this holiday giving season, I pledge my allegiance to the Dottie Angel challenge of the utmost kind. I have been enamored with Dottie Angel since I stumbled upon it back at the end of summer/beginning of fall. Any Boulderites or Knoxvillians who would like to join in have an opportunity to start with the Open Studios Holiday Market at Twenty-Ninth Street or Handmade Holiday on Gay Street, both going on one more weekend for your holiday shopping pleasure. The first day & opening reception of Boulder’s market went so well and I am honored to have been chosen to show & sell alongside some of Boulder’s great artists & craftspeople:

Jaala Jewels {pair of red ball earrings}· Feral Apparel · Greenleaf Design {reclaimed corduroy skirt with scrap fabric patches} · ali dejohn {wool felt barettes}· Antje Ryken · CarolAnn Wachter {haute couture hat}· Luscious Metals {copper nest earrings}· Adagio Art Glass · 11:11 Productions · Ru Fabricates · K Starr’s Homemade Goods · Lola Images · Pottery by Terry · Perlalu {yellow + guinea feather headband} · Pink Collar Studio {dazzling necklace}· Alison Blair Studio · Sue Puterbaugh · Dsenyo Handbags · Candace Newlove · Caroline Douglas · Sweet Letter Press · Artist, Ltd. · Natural Imagery · Leapnlizart · Haberkorn {flower woodblock print}· Swear Jar Designs {belt buckle}· TrueJune · Cannon Pottery · Dandy Social Club {toddler tie + ridiculously cute plaid cropped pants, size 3T}· Marcus-McKenna Studio · English Retreads {inner tube handbag}· Mary Scrimgeour Studios · Vita Verde · Ferally Normal Clayworks · Double Vision Photography · Spirit of the Grain · Basically Tweaked

I may have already spent all of the money that I made, see in {parenthesis} what I have my eye on from each seller. And, no, it’s not all for me.

a feedsack! It must be a reproduction, but look how adorable these dolls are by Sophie & Lili. The polkadot & daisy in green/black and pink/black is one that I have in my collection and it really caught my eye. Handmade with love and it shows!

You’ve probably heard of the CPSIA by now. It affects those who sell handmade items intended for children under the age of twelve. In theory, this is a good thing given all of the scares coming from things produced in China, however, the way it has been put together, it will kill any small business lovingly making handmade things for little ones and put second hand stores out of business. CPSIA needs your voice to be heard and a little amending. Now that we have bought a little more time, with a one-year stay, I encourage you to read this and take action. Otherwise, things like what I am showing in these photos, will no longer be available for folks like you and me to buy by next year this time. Let’s keep buying handmade!