Happy Holidays Gift Store

The Happy Holidays Gift Store is filled with local artisans' handmade creations and vintage collectors' finds. Don't fight the crowds on Black Friday, get a jump on shopping small and supporting artists from the metroplex in this pop-up holiday shop. You will be waited on by some of the artisans whose goods are for sale so you can ask questions and get in depth information about your purchases. This shopping experience should be much more enjoyable and personally tailored to your needs than the hustle and bustle found in the big box stores.

You will find my photographic art and jewelry along with ceramics, mardi gras masks, fused glass, mixed media art, holiday decor and much more. The photos in this post (click to enlarge) are from this year's store so you can get a glimpse of some of the things that you will find. (It's been open since Nov. 8 and it will be at the Arlington Museum of Art through Dec. 28.) Whether it be for someone on your gift list or your own personal wish list, unique finds await.

Happy Holidays Gift Market 2013

The weekend of Dec. 7-8 at the Mitch Wilson Memorial Festival of Trees Exhibit at the Arlington Museum of Art will be a very special and fun weekend. In addition to the beautifully decorated trees and the Happy Holidays Gift Store (that my items are part of), Tom Newsom (the artist whose Santa Art is on display) will be there to sign autographs, live holiday entertainment will be going on part of the day and almost 30 additional artisans will be there with their creations as part of the Happy Holidays Gift Market. As a gift to the community, the Arlington Museum of Art will have free admission to the Festival of Trees for this weekend. (The first photo shows a decorated tree and a piece of Tom Newsom's Santa art. The second photo shows a portion of my favorite tree in the exhibit.)


The Gift Market’s artisans will be set up on three floors of the museum. They will have an exciting array of items from handmade dolls to creations made from wine corks to fairy house nightlights and much, much more. Some participating artisans are listed on the Happy Holidays Happenings event page in the Happy Holidays Gift Market section. Click their button to be taken to their online presence to get a preview of some of the items you can expect at the market. Others have Etsy shops and can be found on the Etsy Local listing for the Happy Holidays Gift Market.

Additional fun can be found in Downtown Arlington on Saturday, Dec. 7. Check out information for the Holiday Lights Parade festivities which include the Elf show at the Levitt Pavilion. Grab some friends and family and come out for a day of fun, including finding fabulous finds for those special people on your gift list. Maybe you'll even find something fabulous to treat yourself to. Remember, the Happy Holidays Gift Market is at the museum on both Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 7-8.

Where in the Metroplex will you find EclecticDesignChoices this Holiday Season?

About this time of year I begin sharing the locations of the different craft shows that I will be participating in case you want to see me and my work in person. This year I’m going to share a slightly different venue with you.

My alter ego to EclecticDesignChoices, 817ArtsAlliance, is partnering with the Arlington Museum of Art (AMA) to bring three different opportunities to local artisans and the public who like to support local artists. Two of these will also include opportunities for collectors and lovers of vintage items. Collectively, these opportunities are known as Happy Holidays Happenings. The Happenings consist of the Happy Holidays Gift Store, Happy Holidays Artisan Demonstrations and the Happy Holidays Gift Market and will be part of the museum’s Mitch Wilson Memorial Festival of Trees Exhibit.

EclecticDesignChoices will be part of the Happy Holidays Gift Store. The holiday store will be open during the entire Festival of Trees during regular museum hours. Several local artisans and collectors will have their wares available for purchase in the store which we will staff. This means that while you will be able to see my work in person for an extended period of time, I won’t always be there.

The Festival of Trees, including the Happy Holidays Gift Store, will open for the AMA member’s reception Thursday night, Nov. 7 but will open to the public on Saturday, November 2 and continue through Sunday, December 29. The museum is open from 10 am – 5 pm, Tuesdays – Saturdays and 1 pm – 5 pm on Sundays. I hope you get a chance to check out the festive trees and Santa art on display during the Festival of Trees at the Arlington Museum of Art as well as the Happy Holidays Happenings.

Happy Holidays Gift Market 2012

I will be at Happy Holidays Gift Market with over 50 artists, crafters and collectors presenting their creations and collections for your shopping pleasure. The range of fabulous finds is tremendous, from "rocking horse" dinosaurs to original artwork to jewelry and much, much more. You will find links to some of the artisans on the event page to be able to get an idea of the range of products that will be there.

You are sure to find unique gifts to satisfy even the most difficult person to shop for on your list. Unlike much of what you find in department stores, many of these items will be one or few of a kind, so don't delay. Come early to grab your gorgeous goodies before someone else does. Some of the vendors may even be able to create a custom piece for you, just ask. I'll be in booth 51, stop by and say hi while you are there.

Happy Holidays Gift Market - Friday (noon - 7 pm) & Saturday (10 am - 4 pm), Dec. 7-8, 2012
500 W. Nedderman Dr., Arlington, TX 76013

Happy Holidays Gift Market Vendor Applications

Earlier this year, I shared a post with you about how I was planning on helping promote the Arts in my area through 817ArtsAlliance. In addition to the listings and announcements that I described in that post, I am pleased to let you know that 817ArtsAlliance will be sponsoring a handcrafted and vintage holiday show this coming December.

Vendor applications are currently being accepted for Happy Holidays Gift Market (HHGM). Completed applications received by Sept. 9, 2012 and juried into the show will receive a discount on their booth fee.

HHGM will be held at the Maverick Activities Center (MAC), 500 W. Nedderman Dr., UTA, Arlington, TX on Friday and Saturday, December 7 - 8, 2012. The show will be open to the public on Friday from noon - 7 pm and Saturday from 10 am - 4 pm.

Information about Happy Holidays Gift Market, including the vendor FAQ, is found on the 817ArtsAlliance site. If you have any questions after reading the FAQ, please use the contact form on the 817ArtsAlliance site to ask your questions. After carefully reading the vendor FAQ, you will find a button to take you to the vendor application at the bottom of the page.

If you know anyone in the DFW area who might benefit from participating in this show, please share this post with them.

Vintage Items Featured in Etsy Treasuries Too!

A couple of my handmade items found their way into Etsy Treasuries earlier this year. Since then, three of EDC's vintage items have been featured also. Click on the images below to see enlarged views.

EDC's red enamel earrings were featured in the Black and White and Red All Over treasury.

EDC's vintage wooden toy rocking horse was featured in Accomplices For Your Inner Child.

Most recently, EDC's Santa Monica porcelain squirrel was featured in the Lone Star Spotlight treasury.