Hello! December approaches, and that means, for many of us, it’s gift season! Since I am all about celebrating creativity, I thought I would share a few shops run by people I know and have purchased items from.

If you are looking for a special something that’s made with care, I can personally attest to the quality of all of these shops! This is not an affiliate marketing thing, by the way. None of the shop owners even knew I was planning to recommend them. I just genuinely love these products and the people who make them!

The Peculiarity Shop

This fun jewelry shop is run by Hillary Monahan and Becky Kroll. Hillary is also an author with several books out. She’s multi-talented! I’ve ordered items from this shop for myself and for others, and every time they’ve been a hit. The jewelry usually looks even better in real life than it does in the pictures, which I saw when looking over my Etsy review history is something I say every time I buy something from them. Here’s hoping no one accuses me of self-plagiarism in my reviews!

The Peculiarity Shop offers a bunch of different styles of things, and they come in at a variety of price points. This is a great place to look for both stocking stuffer type small gifts and bigger, more intricate ones. Here’s a sampling:

Image description: 6 items in The Peculiarity Shop as of this morning: Almost Black Opal earrings ($10.00), The Copper and Teal Dragon Filigree necklace ($25.00), The Aurora Borealis… OF AWESOME… necklace ($25.00), Celestial Bangle ($15.00), Blue Moon Ear Cuffs ($30.00), Bells and Beads Labradorite pendant ($75.00). Every item is unique and stock changes frequently, so I am not linking to individual listings, but this is a link to the store.

Feed Your Face Vegan Caramels

Nicole Kornher-Stace, the maker of these delicious caramels, is another author with awesome books out! She’s a vegan and makes caramels that are always a crowd pleaser for vegans and non-vegans alike. They come in a variety of delicious flavors, and if you just can’t choose, you can order an assortment!

Here are two of my personal favorites:

Image description: two items from Feed Your Face. Vegan Organic Lavender Brown Sugar Caramels ($13.00) and Vegan Organic Mulled Apple Cider Caramels ($13.00).

If you have a vegan in your life, or really anyone with a sweet tooth, these caramels are an awesome gift! Here’s that shop link again!

The Faerie Market

Betsie Withey is an AMAZING textile artist. She makes these hair flowers, headbands, scarves, and brooches all by hand, from initial sketches to final embroidery. In each item description she lays out the processes and materials, and it’s all done with enormous passion and care.

Image description: Item listing: Light Turquoise Icelandic Poppy ($62.00) modeled by Betsie herself. I wore this at my wedding! It was my first ever Betsie piece, and a gift from the also amazingly talented author, C. S. E. Cooney!

You may also recognize the orange lotus below from my author photo:

Image description: Orange Lotus Headband ($72.00) and Leaf Scarf- Golden Olive with Citrine, Moss, Peridot, and Olive Green Embroidered Leaves- Fiber Art Scarf ($165.00)

This barely scratches the surface, but here are a few more items:

Image Description: Blushing Pink Icelandic Poppy Flower Headband ($62.00), Emperor Gum Moth Hair Clip ($155.00), Oak Leaf Headband ($29.00), Fern Leaf Headband ($32.00)

You can also find other flowers and moths and a delightful Venus flytrap in the shop, along with Betsie’s giant art installation piece, Perelandra, a dress so epic it has to be seen to be understood.

That shop link again!

That’s my featured recommendations for today. If you have handmade items you love, or if you make things yourself, please do leave a comment! I would love to hear about them!