North Pole workshop's got nothing on us

Helen designed the invites, and the real ones—printed on some of her fuzzy-toothy handmade paper—make a great reminder of the unique wares we've rounded up for this year's Artisan Holiday. We hope to see you there.

With the prototypes done for my family history project (only 50 more copies to go, but that's winter work), I'm moving on to making even more goods for the sale Dec. 4. I'll also have some of my classics, such as the Postcard Writer's Companion:

a detail of the functional interior

tissue boxes covered in gorgeous Japanese chiyogami paper

the portfolio, useful for anyone from students to seniors


and of course the photo holders featured in a recent post. When was the last time you received real pictures you could thumb through again and again? The photo sheath, filled with a dozen 4 x 6 snapshots, makes a thoughtful, durable, and elegant gift—rare indeed.