best mail week EVER!

I had an extraordinarily lovely batch of mail this past week!  I thought I'd share my delightful packages with y'all.

First up is my photography print arrival from the uber-talented Danny of Maximonstertje Photography!  Danny was one of my "photo swap" partners for the holidays (an idea cooked up by the brilliant Carrie Gault) and Danny had the good sense to contact me first to see which print I wanted (a favor I reciprocated to her as well as to my other swap partner in Los Angeles!).  I selected the breathtaking "A Long Time Ago" and it's even lovelier in person than it was in Danny's shop!

Danny sent me the print in lovely packaging with a sweet note.

I scored an autograph and everything!  :)

Next, I got some decadent goodies from none other than Traci of Sampler Village!  I contributed a handful of my photographs to Traci's December sample boxes (get one before they sell out!).  Anyway, I bought my own box o' treats and was rewarded with earrings, paper crafts, and TONS of deliciously-fragranced body care!  Just a peek at some of the fun stuff that greeted my mailbox:

And this is only about half of what I received in my Sampler Village box!

Last but CERTAINLY not least, I received my highly-anticipated, anxiously-awaited delivery of photo pendant necklaces from Polina & Sergey of Beauty Spot.  I've been working with Polina for at least a month to create custom-made necklaces with MY photographs on them!  I've ventured this before on my own, but Polina and Sergey are professionals, and it shows in the jewelry I received!  I can't wait to start selling them.

New to Anna Delores :: photo necklaces!  My favorite is Eerie Twilight on a locket.

That's all for now, folks!  Back with the most fabulous Etsy seller features on Monday.

free cameras?!

Diana F+ Daybreak camera GIVEAWAY

I'm so darn excited about these giveaways I can hardly contain myself!

I am just so inspired by these two lovely blogs that are so generous and awesome that they are giving their readers such fantastic gifts!  I might be moved to such a giveaway in the near future... (foreshadowing, perhaps?).

In the meantime, check out pretty little mustache and Ivelisse's giveaway of a Diana F+ Daybreak 120 film camera ($65 value) and the amazing Alli of One Pearl Button for her Polaroid starter kit (yes, a whole kit!) giveaway!  WOO HOO!

A free Polaroid, you say?

abby berkson ceramics

One of my favorites from Abby Berkson!

I keep telling myself I should probably have kids before I can justify splurging on the (albeit breakable) super-cute designs of Abby Berkson Ceramics, but it's not mandatory, right?  I might let my inner child do the talking this December with the whimsical creations Miss Abby whips up!

"I am very inspired by children's book illustrations, especially older illustrations from the first half of the 20th century," Abby tells me.  "I am also very inspired by vintage textile design, especially juvenile prints and florals." (What a coincidence: ME TOO!)

Could this little sugar pot be any sweeter?

Abby works hard on making sure her pieces are a treasured addition to your family: "Ceramics are a bit complicated to package and ship, so I focus on making sure they are well-packed and always arrive safely at their destinations.  I sometimes wish I could package more beautifully, but I do put animal stickers by the address labels to make the boxes look cute when they arrive!"  LOVE this!  She's also operating under strict space limitations.  "I currently rent a very small space in a communal ceramic studio; it gets really tight in there!  I spend a lot of time moving things around to make space for new pieces."  This is Abby's way of encouraging us to take some inventory off her hands.  ;)  Happy to oblige!

Giraffe juice cup and bowl set for the kiddos (or grown-ups) in your life!

Abby is looking forward to the next stage in honing her craft: turning the basement of her home into her new work space.  The way she describes it makes ME want to take up pottery and score such a studio myself: "It is a walkout basement with nice windows, so it will be open to the backyard in nice weather, and have some natural sunlight."

Abby's top recommendation for gift inspirations for her shop?  "Mugs!  Any and all mugs, from tiny espresso cups and teacups to big soup mugs and extra-large, 22-ounce coffee mugs--they all seem to be very popular as gifts."  True story!  Aside from the decidedly limited capacity of my tiny apartment cabinets, I adhere to the firm belief that one can never have too many mugs.

Handmade ceramic soup mug

Learn more about Abby and her craft on her website, www.abbyberkson.com.  She loves to do custom work, too, and although custom requests are on holiday hiatus, I have no doubt you'll find something to love among the bunnies and owls and bears (oh my!) of her current collection.

mishmash thursday.

I have a little bit of A.D.D. today and it's going to come across in this blog post.  I apologize in advance, but I promise that it's compelling stuff!  ;)

First, I came across a photo gallery of Stanley Kubrick's photographs of New York in the 1940s.  I knew I'd like the photos even before I saw them, based on link description alone! 

Some stunning black-and-whites, courtesy of Mr. Kubrick.

Next: congratulations to Kim Wedlock, winner of the 8 Days of Treasures giveaway!  Kim gets to select TWO images of her choice as 5x7"prints from photographer Stephanie's shop.  Another congratulations to Lyudmila, who won her choice of jewelry baubles from J.Danger Jewelry!  Congrats, Kim & Lyudmila!  We're all very jealous.

Reminder of current ACTIVE giveaway :: Regan Daniels' photography!  Chance to score big, people.

Going to snatch this one for myself from Regan Daniels.

Another chance to score?  My Etsy photographer friend Shannon Clark is currently featured on Heartsy, which means you can get up to 64% off her STUNNING photographs, mostly of the intoxicating city of San Francisco!  Shannon took some nighttime photos of the Golden Gate Bridge recently that are to die for.

One of my faves! Grab a sweet deal at S.S.C. Photography on Heartsy.

Finally, I've got a current giveaway at the moment, hosted by the lovely Lesli of "Put a Little Umbrella in Your Drink."  THREE winners will get an 8x8" or 8x10" print of their choice.

Phew, I think that's it!  Come back tomorrow for a much more focused blog post about the next featured seller for your holiday shopping list: Abby Berkson.

GIVEAWAY from regan daniels !

"Harbor at Dusk" by Regan Daniels

{Pop back in tomorrow for the WINNER of the giveaway for 8 days of treasures!}

Featured on this lovely Wednesday is the equally-lovely photography of Regan Daniels.  Regan has a beautiful collection of fine art photography on Etsy and also offers portraiture and wedding photography for those of you in the Bay Area (DEFINITELY consider her for your wedding -- her images are breathtaking!).

"I try to be inspired by my daily life and constantly aware of what's around me," Regan says. "There is beauty in the every-day, and trying to live in each moment definitely helps me be inspired all the time. I am lucky to live in a beautiful area (Half Moon Bay, California) which definitely helps!"

Wedding photography by Regan Daniels

Regan also mentions that with three young kiddos, it's often a challenge to stick to a firm work schedule or office hours (here, here!).  "Trying to steal a moment away for work is sometimes a challenge!  I am usually working in utter chaos.  I do usually get to steal a few quiet hours after bed time to really focus. What I really need is about 10 more hours in each day!" (Don't we all?!)

"Up and Away" by Regan Daniels

Asked what she recommends for holiday shoppers, Regan one of her best-sellers: "My photo 'Up And Away' has been a favorite gift this holiday season -- this image is soon to be published in the forthcoming book, 2010 Worldwide Photography Gala Awards (coming soon).  It looks great in a frame but my favorite way to display it is on canvas."

Regan is also offering FREE SHIPPING (coupon code 'freeship') to help you out with your holiday shopping: "Anna Delores blog readers can take advantage of free shipping in my Etsy shop for the rest of November and the first week of December!"

www.regandaniels.com

You can also enter the giveaway for a chance to win an 8x8" or 8x10" print of the winners' choice from Regan Daniels' Etsy shop!  Regan is giving prints away to TWO (2) different winners!  Sounds even better now, right?!

To enter, become a fan of Regan's Facebook page and leave the comment "Anna Delores sent me" and Regan will choose two winners at random from these comments.  For an extra entry, add Regan's Etsy shop to your favorites.

Giveaway entries will close at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, December 7, 2011.