$20 and Under Gift Guide

Times are tough and the holidays are coming. Friends, family and co-workers all need to be bought for. What's an art lover to do? Browse the following gift guide to find great hand made items for a variety of folks. Designed with skill and handmade with pride, these gifts are all sure to strike the right cord with the right recipient.

ACCESSORIES

Fingerless gloves, $15 by Jen-A-Fusion Fashion Accessories


Fun polar fleecey fingerless gloves keep you warm while you text, drive, walk the dog or go to the farmers market. Available in a range of colors and designs.

To see more, go to jenafusion.etsy.com or visit Jen at any of her many December market days. Check at the schedule at left.


On The Go pouches, $15 by oblinaknit


Toss one in your tote and go - fill them with makeup, id, or even knitting notions ....the list is endless!

Find this and more at www.oblinaknit.etsy.com


Wire-wrapped Key Chains, $12 by Reinvented Elegance


Each key chain features a wide variety of wire-wrapped novelty beads, from dogs to chickens to mushrooms!

Joyce Wagner, of Reinvented Elegance, will be the featured December Artist of the Month, so there will be much more on her next week. For this week, you can find her at Santa’s Craft Show in Ellicott City, MD, November 28 and 29, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.


ART


Holiday Portrait, $5 from Joanna Barnum Portraits & Illustration


On special until December 15, you get a 4" x 6" quick portrait sketch from your photo in graphite, ink, and marker on paper.

For more details about this special for ordering information:
joannabarnum.livejournal.com/49168.html
There is also information in the post about larger portrait options.
Visit www.joannabarnum.com or jbarnum.etsy.com to see a portfolio of other work available.


COLLAGE/DECOUPAGE

"FUKITOL" Box, $16 by BoxBoy Demented Decoupage


Wooden 3.5 x 2.25 x 2.25" Trinket Box ... BoxBoy's all-time best seller!

BoxBoy will be at Eastern Market on Sundays, Nov. 29, Dec. 6, 13, 20 and the Downtown Holiday Market, Dec. 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19. More boxes can be seen at www.boxboyboxes.com or emailed to boxboypab@aol.com.



Robots Decoupage Piggy Bank, $20, by This Little Piggy


Hand-decoupaged robot-themed ceramic piggy bank

Jessica sells little piggies online at www.ThisLittlePiggyMarket.net & www.thispiggy.etsy.com and at A Show of Hands in Alexandria (Del Ray) & PetMac in Arlington (Virginia Square). She will also be around town doing the craft show circuit!



Pressed Flower Greeting Cards with Coordinating Envelopes, $4 each or 3/$10 by Reinvented Elegance


Happily designed with local flowers and leaves; no two are alike!



JEWELRY

Unique polymer clay pendants, Prices range $10-20, by Jennifer Judd Designs at Jen Judd Rocks!


These are handmade polymer clay pendants with one-of-a-kind patterns that'll work with just about any choker or chain you already have.

You can see more work at www.jenjuddrocks.com and you can shop for these pendants at www.jenjuddrocks.etsy.com.


From The September Artist of the Month~Red Tape Earrings, $17.95 by Jenny's Pretty Things


These earrings are handmade with a piece of the original red twill tape once used to bind U.S. Government documents.

They are available online on the National Archives eStore.


Crocheted Earrings, $15 by Reinvented Elegance


Whimsical, lightweight, and a treat to wear; no two pairs are exactly alike … and, yes, they really are crocheted!


Black and Gold Felt Cut-Out Bracelet, $18 by ShesSoCrafty Art & Design, the August Artist of the Month


Hand cut black felt cutouts, hand sewn and blanket stitched with metallic gold threads.

Find this and much much more at www.sunflowerexpress.etsy.com.


MOSAIC


Jumbo Pressed Flower Magnets, $6 by Reinvented Elegance


Bring the beauty of nature indoors to bloom on any magnetized surface; outstanding stocking stuffers!



Potomac River Orbs, $10 by Reinvented Elegance


Created featuring recycled river glass and shells happily collected from the shores of the Potomac River; equally great as desk accessories or unique holiday ornaments.


PHOTOGRAPHY

Various Photos, including cards $4-15, by Love to Create



Greeting Cards - $4.00 each, 3 for $10.00 or 5 for $15.00
5x7 matted prints - 1 for $6, 3 for $15.00
8x10 matted prints - 1 for $10.00

Love to Create will be selling at the Del Ray Artisans Holiday Market, 2704 Mt. Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA Friday, December 4, 7-10pm, Saturday, December 5, 10-7pm, Sunday, December 6, 12-4pm. For more images, check out www.lovetocreate.net.


Thanks for taking a peak and supporting small business people and talented artist. Hope to see you at a show or two in the next month!~Jen

Mt. Vernon Unitarian Church Holiday Shop

Come for the whole day, for the whole family at the Mt. Vernon Unitarian Church Holiday Shop. For the 48th year, this happening encompasses baked goods, handmade crafts from well know regional artists, hot lunch to buy, fair trade items, a quilt raffle and more.

A beautiful drive down the George Washington Parkway and a cute little setting create a great day out!

What: Mt Vernon Unitarian Church Holiday Shop

When: Saturday, November 21 9:30-am-4pm

Where: 1909 Windmill Lane, Alexandria, VA

Website: www.mvuc.org

While driving there today to set up, yellow leaves sprinkled through the air and caught the light. They looked like glitter in the air. So beautiful! What a perfect idea to do some holiday shopping and go for a drive down to Mt. Vernon....~Jen

Trash to Treasure: A Green Craft Fair

I love when people have grand ideas, all encompassing and inspirational. Take a great theory and run with it. Add to it and round it out. And, go public with it.

This is my excitement for Trash to Treasure: A Green Craft Fair. A simple idea: have a market of artists and craftspeople who use recycled materials. Build it bigger: ask that visitors think of others and offer a clothing drop off for charity. Make it smarter: have a book exchange table to pass knowledge on. Create some fun: Throw this party at a nature center, where folks can also learn about animals and plants and how to live a life that doesn't harm them.

The Low Down~

What: Trash To Treasure: A Green Craft Fair

Where: Walkins Nature Center, 301 Watkins Park Drive, Upper Marlboro 20774

When: Saturday, November 14, 10am-4pm

Website: www.pgparks.com


This looks to be a wonderful, nature and earth filled day. Join in by bringing clothing to donate and books to trade in!

See you there~Jen

Top 3 Handbag Styles Always on the Fashion Trend

The style of a designer handbag is one of the main reasons why this particular fashion accessory is fun to shop for. There are so many different styles of handbags to choose from that is why it's so hard to choose just one handbag. Every outfit calls for different style of handbag so this gives women more reasons to buy a minimum of three handbag styles to match whatever their outfit is. To help you out which types of handbag to buy, this article covers the Top 3 Handbag Styles that never come out on the latest fashion trend.

1. Tote Handbag



Tote Handbags are very popular because they are casual yet very practical to use. These bags usually fall in the middle of the body, around the elbow. They are usually big that's why they provide a lot of space for women's essential things that are too large for a purse. They usually only have one or two compartments and are available with a number of images on them or a simple solid color.







2. Clutch Handbag

A clutch is a handbag which does not have handles and is meant to be carried in the hand. That said they are usually quite small and only provide enough space for the personal small belongings of women such as make up, cosmetic products and other girly things. These bags can be casual or dressy and are often worn to an evening gathering and other formal occasions because they are so small and convenient to carry.





3. Satchel Handbag

A handbag that has one, sometimes two, large straps that goes over one shoulder and across the body. This type of handbag is best appropriate in most women who are working in an office. They have to use this handbag because they need to carry their important files whenever they have a meeting or if they need to bring their paper works in their home. It is also often used by most students to help them carry their books and other school stuffs. Using satchel does not only help women to hold their bulky files and things in a more convenient way but also enhance their fashion outlook.

Watches as Essential Fashion Accessories

Watches are simply no longer a time piece and they are now used for many other important purposes as well. One of their most common uses is as essential fashion accessories for both men and women.



Watches have always been included on the latest fashion trend because of their several purposes in fashion. One of these uses is that they add style to everyone's outfit. No one can deny this fact, because watches are really important fashion accessories in defining everyone's style. No outfit can look complete without wearing a trendy and fashionable watch. So if you don't have at least one by now, you should have to buy your own watch to add style and complete your outfit.

Hot Celebrities with their Stylish Designer Handbags

Paris Hilton with her Chanel Flower Flap

Ashlee Simpson with her Louis Vuitton Designer Handbag

Lindsay Lohan with her Pauric Sweeney Designer Handbag

Photo Courtesy of their Respective sites

Beach Handbags: Here's Your Right Way to Choose

Summer is in and of course most women would love to go to beach as their main summer destination. When preparing to go to the beach, you'll surely have lots of necessary summer stuffs to bring including bathing suits, towels, flip flops, sunglasses, food and snacks and a lot more. And with these loads of stuffs, you need an extra large accessory that can accommodate all of them in a convenient way and that's a "Beach Handbag".



There are various styles and sizes of Beach Handbags to choose from depending on how much load of stuffs you'll be bringing. For choosing the right size of handbag, you need to base it according to how many days you'll be stayed on the beach resort. If your vacation will last up for several days, you have to choose an extra large beach handbag for you to bring more essential stuffs and can have a roomy space for souvenirs and other things that might be added when you're on your way back home. But if it's just a short trip and you're a type of person that only brings the most basic essentials, then you may only consider a smaller beach handbag that is more comfortable to carry.

In selecting beach handbag, you also need to consider its number of pockets. As much as possible, it's more useful if it has lots of pockets for you to manage and sort out your personal things in a more organized way which makes it easily for you to get them right away when you need them.