Etsy LOVE Blog Hop

Valentine's day is my favorite holiday and it is approaching fast.  I start looking forward to Valentine's day immediately after Christmas.  This year as I was taking down the Christmas tree I was already thinking of what Valentine treats the girls and I would be making for their teachers and classmates.

Since discovering Etsy I now have a huge shopping venue to look for special and unique gifts and Valentine themed inspiration.  This year I've been on a Woodland animal kick.  I'm not sure what Valentines and little spiny hedgehogs and fluffy squirrels have in common, but they just seem to go together.  One of my hedgehog cards was featured in a treasury over Christmas and also included was an adorable hedgehog mug.  I of course had to check out the shop and I found a large variety of cuteness. 



Photo taken by the artist (Abby Berkson Designs)



The studio is Abby Berkson Ceramics and contains assorted bowls, mugs and pictures with Abby's cute little hand drawn animals creations.  There are squirrels, penguins, hedgehogs, foxes, and more.  All the pieces are handmade by her and start from a lump of clay.  She hand draws each of the designs and everything is fully functional and one of a kind.  I have seen her work first hand, and it is awesome!  Sturdy, smooth and safe to use in the microwave and dishwasher.

  

Photo taken by the artist (Abby Berkson Designs)

She has an "animals in love" series in her shop right now.  Any of these pieces would be perfect as Valentine's day gifts.  Guess what?? Most of her little animals are woodland themed!!  I absolutely love her little hedgehogs, but these little squirrel and chipmunk caught my eye as well as the adorable foxes (as you know from my previous posts are my newest obsession.)

So as part of the blog hop we were supposed to pair gift item from Etsy to one of our own Valentine cards.  Well why not stick with the woodland theme?  My set of 6 mini Valentines would go perfectly with any of her woodland mugs and bowls.  They are small enough to tuck into gift bags and boxes and you can match up the the little creature with whatever animal you choose to put on your mug or bowl.   

 

These mini Valentine's are 3 inches square and come 6 or more to a set.  If you'd like a more personalized message I can change it to whatever you'd like it to say. 

So take a little time this week and browse the Valentine selections in this Etsy Greetings blog hop and on Etsy.  You're sure to find a special creation and card to spread the Etsy LOVE this Valentine's.

 



A new favorite woodland character

After finishing a large order of baby shower invitations this weekend I needed a break from umbrellas I finally sat down to take some time to create the character I've been thinking about for a while.... Mr. Fox.

Fox Hoodie for kids - elisehooperdesigns on Etsy



I love woodland creatures.  The owl and hedgehog have been a favorite for a while, but I've also been seeing some inspiring work on Etsy focusing on the fox.  How can you deny the cuteness?



Freddy Fox stuffed toy - Squishybee on Etsy



The fox has just been begging to become a focus on a card or two. 

I took the opportunity to sit down and design a few more Valentine's.  I wanted to share them tonight while I had the kids in bed early.

These first cards are a set of "woodland" themed Valentine's great for children to pass out to their classmates or for Mom to tuck into lunchboxes or backpacks.  I can change the wording and use them in my girls' lunch boxes throughout the year. 

(Products: Cricut Hoot n' Holler, Create a Critter, and Give a Hoot, Bazzill cardstock)

This afternoon I decided I loved that little fox design so much I made a similar version in a larger size to send to a friend for Valentine's day. 

(Products used: Cricut - Give a Hoot and Hoot n'Holler, Bazzill cardstock)

This one is also being submitted to a couple challenges:

Anything Goes Challenge Blog - Challenge #58/anything goes
Get Hippity with Ippity - Challenge #13 / It's all about hearts.

So the question remains... Is the sly Mr. Fox slipping in to replace the owl as a new popular trend?  Who knows??  I'm just glad there are such great projects out there to inspire us.