Holiday Surprises Inside!

Hi, Art Lover!

The studio’s busy this week—snow is falling, holiday orders are being packed up, and I’m trying my luck with a new printing setup that was inspired by…a pasta machine? More on that soon!

Meanwhile, my new small plates are out of the kiln, and I’m mostly happy with the results. Working more with sgraffito (especially with my new amazing tools) has brought me so much joy. I’m still experimenting with glazes, but I’m loving the way the black underglaze looks with the creamy off-white of the stoneware. I wanted to find a way to decorate my ceramics in a way that resembled linocuts, because apparently I can’t stop carving things. I’ll be working on more of these through the winter (plus some other functional items), so look for a shop update in February. 💕

Paper Ornaments - Getting Festive

I got a nice message through my Etsy shop last week from Ann from All Things Paper who put together a list of beautiful paper ornaments that are sure to spark joy in the crafty part of you—some are for sale already assembled, and some are available as downloads that you can use to make your own creations. She included my paper bird download that’s available in my Etsy shop, which utterly delighted me. But y’all, then I clicked the link and there are STUNNING ornaments in this roundup. If you like to make your own paper ornaments, don’t miss this collection—they’re sure to brighten up your holiday decor and bring a little creativity into your holidays, too.

A Gift for You, From Me

Just to say thank you for subscribing and following along with me, I created a set of Scandi-inspired gift tags that are very easy to make yourself. You can print on your home printer, cut them out, and add string or ribbon if you’re feeling fancy. Available for a limited time, you can grab your free download here. (I use Dropbox to deliver these, but you don’t have to log in or sign up for the app to download your tags. Just click ‘download, ignore any login prompts, and click ‘continue to download only.’) I hope these little critters bring you a little cheer this holiday season. 💕❄️

I chuckled a little as I drew these gift tags, thinking of how when I was a kid, these were often that one last thing my mom and I needed to wrap gifts—we’d go up into the attic and unearth the stockpile of wrapping paper that my mom held onto like it was gold. Then we’d search for the big shopping bag of bows—mostly full of the ones we recycled from years past. Then we’d scrounge for tape (why is there always only one inch left on the roll when it’s wrapping time?) And once we started wrapping, we’d realize what we were missing… the gift tags.

So if you’re like me and my mom, and you always seem to need emergency gift tags, maybe these can be your tiny heroes. 😁❄️🎁

That’s all for now, friends! Thanks so much for meeting me in your inbox and bringing my art into your home. I hope this holiday season brings you peace, joy, and love.

Until next time,

Lauren