Hello everyone! It's time for Etsy Take Five Tuesday... are you ready? First let me say that I've been a busy beaver over the past few days with my e-class that kicked off yesterday and today a mountain of paperwork to do in addition to an open house to go to as we're still on the prowl for a new place to live. It's been one thing after another, I feel like a little hamster in a wheel! Oh wait, I'm a busy beaver... well you catch my drift. :) I'm so glad to finally sit down before I start recording my podcast for tomorrow's class to talk to you and let you know that I've been thinking about you. How are you doing? Good? Bad? Just okay? Blah? I've been feeling a lot of chaos and nervous energy around me lately, especially online, people seem to be a bit unfocused and even uninspired and I want to tell you straight up that it's the beginning of a new year, this is common and shall pass. Now let's look at some beauty, shall we? These etsy stores have been on my radar over the past week or so, some you may know already, others not but all are equally beautiful and lovely to look upon. I hope that you enjoy my picks!

F2 Images has some of the best prints for the home, I love this photo featuring so many designs featuring insects... Aren't they the best? Talk about an amazing product shot, this makes me want to own them all!

Next up is Claudia Pearson in Brooklyn who is an illustrator with an impressive portfolio - her work has been published in the New York Times, The New Yorker, Elle, Communication Arts and more, including books. In her shop she carries colorful prints and cards, the pink row houses are a personal fave because they are so very American to me even though they originate in England, and I love them because they remind me of some of my favorite neighborhoods in America. And funny thing is, I appreciate them even more now that I'm on new soil abroad because I no longer have exposure to them in Germany and things are always easier to see when you step back vs. when you look at them under a microscope.

Now let's look at Nut and Bee in New Zealand. Oh my, the cuteness just kills me here! I love the bubble tea print, the tea looks so happy and that is nice because who wants to drink sad tea? It makes me miss going into Boston's Chinatown for my monthly bubble tea boost. We have it here as well, but only in the summer months so I'm starting to crave it even though I have to wait until May. Nut and Bee has stickers, notepads, cards and prints along with other paper goods like sticky notes. Very sweet!

Cynthia Vardhan is a successful potter in Ohio with a degree in fine arts and a beautiful body of work that will have you swooning. Such talent! Her work is available in fine boutiques across America in addition to shows that she participates in and of course, her etsy shop.

Stuart Kolakovic is one to watch. He lives in Staffordshire, England and has some of the best work, the most unique, that I've seen in a while. Looks like he is closing up his etsy shop soon to reopen on his own website, so definitely check him out on etsy while you can. Great stuff.

See anything you like? I know, I know... it's all good. :)

(images linked to their sources above)