Alli of One Pearl Button shares her 10 cold weather essentials for 10 Things . If you have your own idea for a great 10 Things list and want to put one together, send me an email.

I don’t know about you, but when temperatures start to drop, the style of my clothes becomes a secondary concern to how warm they keep me. I get so cold in the wintertime that I’ve been known to ditch my bathrobe and instead wander around the apartment with a down comforter wrapped around me like some sort of arctic toga. Luckily for me and any other cold-a-phobes out there, creating a winter wardrobe that is both warm and stylish is easy with the help of a few key pieces. I consider these ten items (compiled in no particular order) cold weather essentials: mix them into your closet to make even your summer clothes wearable on dark winter days. As a bonus, most of the examples given here, all of which were found on Etsy.com, are handmade of recycled materials. Now drop the snuggie and prepare yourself for fashion that’s as good for the earth as it is for your core body temperature.

1. A Warm Cardigan — Ruffled Lace Sweatshirt by Supayana

Cardigans are my ultimate layering tool – I don’t think it’s possible to have too many. Of course you’ll get the most wear out of your neutral cardis, but a pretty embellished cardigan like this one would be a fun way to make a simple outfit pop.

2. A Cozy Sweater Dress or Skirt — Sweater Pencil Skirt by Peeko Apparel

Who said that sweaters should only be worn on the top half of your body? Sweater dresses and skirts look sophisticated, but are as comfy as PJs. The curvy front seam detail on this skirt would flatter any figure, while pockets keep fingers toasty.

3. Great Tights – Stems Bamboo Tights by Sweet Cheeks Panties

Tights are the perfect cold weather item: you can layer them to stay toasty in any temperature, or put them on under your pants when things really get frosty. Find a pair as unique as these and enjoy the practical benefits while making a fabulous fashion statement.

4. A Sophisticated Wool Skirt — Wool Fishtail Skirt by Janebonbon

When temperatures really drop, every girl needs a wool skirt. Pair it with thick tights and you’ll be even warmer than you would be in jeans. A skirt with a special detail, like this gorgeously appliquéd fishtail, will make you stand out in any crowd.

5. A Wear-Everywhere Scarf — Maggie Wrap by Tamily

What’s a winter wardrobe without handknits? I love a scarf that’s big enough to be worn as a shawl or a hood. This one looks amazingly soft, in a gorgeous natural brown that could work with anything in your wardrobe.

6. A Cute Jumper — Dalby Jean Jumper by Makool

Not just for schoolgirls, jumpers are perfect for layering in cold months. Wear it over or under a sweater for two totally different – but equally warm – winter looks. The neutral denim fabric, cute button detail, and roomy pockets set this one apart from the rest.

7. A Casual-but-Unique Sweatshirt — Spearmint Hoodie by Mungo Crafts

We all need a comfy, easy sweatshirt to shrug into on casual days. Casual doesn’t need to be boring, however - look for a sweatshirt with a fitted shape and flattering details. I would love to run errands in these gorgeous shades of green.

8. Flat Shoes - Green patterned ballet flats by De Bonis Orquera

Winter walks can be treacherous, so flats are essential. These would look as cute with jeans as they do with a dress.

9. A Perfect Wool Coat — Custom Vintage Wool Coat by Stephanie Teagu

As the ultimate winter accessory, you should absolutely love your overcoat. There’s a good chance that you’ll be wearing it everyday for the next few months, and you don’t want to be bored at the sight of it by the time March rolls around. A beautifully shaped coat custom made out of vintage wools might be just the ticket for making your heart flutter every time you pull it out of the closet.

10. A Lovely Capelet — Embroidered Leather Capelet by Jessamity

Finally, while they aren’t the most practical outerwear, who can resist the sweetness of a shoulder cape? I doubt this one would do much to keep off the chill, but the gorgeous recycled leather and embroidered details could warm your soul, if not your limbs. Maybe some things are worth shivering for!

Nicole Docimo of Blue Bicicletta (& blog) shares a wonderful list of 10 Ways to Be Everyday Creative for today’s 10 Things .  If you have your own idea for a great 10 Things list and want to put one together, send me an email. Extra brownie points if you draw your list like Nicole!

Sandy from Mythdemeanor! put together a list of 10 great crafty supply shops for today’s 10 Things. If you have your own idea for a great 10 Things list and want to put one together, send me an email.

I love shopping on the internet, and coming from a fairly small town it’s my greatest asset when shopping for unusual or specialized craft supplies. In no particular order here are my top ten internet craft supply shopping spots:

Meadow handspun yarn from Yarmee

1. Etsy - You had to know it was coming! Etsy is not only a site for handmade finished items, but handmade supplies as well as vintage items. Why use generic plastic buttons when you can use handmade buttons that have as much love and care in them as you put into your project?

2. Dharma Trading Company - This great company out of San Rafael, CA has been supplying tie-dyers and crafters since 1969. They have the best customer service I have ever encountered anywhere and will go above and beyond to help you select items that will be perfect for your current project. They offer a variety of shipping options, an easy to use website and have items for everything from traditional fiber arts like tie-dye and batik to screen printing, print-your-own fabric and professional heat transfer. They even have un-dyed yarns and fabrics! My favorite product is their fiber-reactive dyes, which always turn out brilliantly. They also offer bulk discounts to everyone, which really go a long way for those of us with small budgets.

3. Fire Mountain Gems -Out of southern Oregon, this company has been around since 1979. They offer huge bulk discounts and have a very large range of products. All my jewelry making friends and family swear by them as the best online source for findings and beads. Keep an eye out for group orders to save even more money.

4. Dick Blick - This is another site with a large assortments of products. They have at least a basic line of products for every craft imaginable and a hefty amount of items geared towards fine artists and classroom settings. I get most of my screen printing and basic art supplies here.  The best part - they almost always have some kind of special going on, and they’re clearance section always has some useful odds and ends

5. Ebay - Okay, so I know all of us have probably had at least one bad experience on feebay. Yes, there are a lot of downsides to it, but it’s worth the hassle. It’s an invaluable resource for low priced antiques and findings like lace, buttons, silk flowers, and fabric. Just about anything you could ever want is available and you choose what you’re willing to pay for it. Bulk auctions are the best way to get bang for your buck, but make sure you don’t get cheated on shipping. Some sellers will hike it up to cover losses on what they’re selling.

6. Denver Fabrics -  This used to be the premier site for finding theatrical and unusual fabrics like powermesh, fishnet and faux leather. They’ve been taken over by new management since then and no longer have these great finds, but they do offer a large selection of low priced fabrics. While the site can be hard to navigate, the search feature could use some improvement, and shipping is often slower than on other sites, I find it’s often worth my time.  If you’re patient this site has some wonderful fabric gems.

7. Jerry Artarama - Similar to Dick Blick, this website has all kinds of basic art supplies and studio furniture. They offer awesome back to school deals every year and have a good line of budget products. I love the Pelikan travel watercolors they carry - they’re great quality and very cheap. I’ve been using my set to paint design sketches for years and they’re still as good as the day I bought them.

8. Cheep Trims - Probably my favorite notions store in the universe! They have a wide selection of bulk trims, notions - pretty much anything you could ever want. They have a minimum order of $65, but you’ll probably find 3 times that much.

9. Farthingales - Originally out of Canada, this corset supply shop has everything you could need to attempt your very own corset. They offer kits and patterns, grommets, fabrics, tapes. They even offer finished garments if you’re to skittish to try this complex craft out for yourself. If for nothing else I would love this shop for the German Plastic boning they offer. It’s much stronger than the poly-boning you can find at Jo-ann’s or Hobby Lobby and holds up much better over time.

10. Fabric.Com - This ever expanding online fabric store has one of the most extensive collections online. They carry all the big designers and have basic collections of most fabrics. I’ve been using them since they were a fairly new site (about 8 years) and have had nothing but good experiences. The now offer a large selection of notions and patterns and just added sewing machines and some basic craft supplies to the site.

That’s it for me, but feel free to share your favorite shopping spots in the comments!

Molly from Charlotte’s Fancy  came up with a list for 10 Things featuring ten things that she just can’t resist…a few of my can’t resist things made it to her list. If you have your own idea for a great 10 Things list and want to put one together, send me an email.

Top Ten Things That I (and Maybe You) Can Never Resist - by Molly

Letterpress notecard from Sweet Beets

1.Letterpress notecards - Etsy is an amazing place to find letterpress cards. Some of my favorites are Sweet Beets, Tara Hogan (Ink + Wit), and Dutch Door Press. My three all-time favorite letterpress designers are Hello! Lucky, Snow & Graham and Egg Press. Receiving a beautiful, letterpress card in the mail is as good as receiving a gift.

2. Soap in pretty packages - I rarely leave Anthropologie without some ridiculously expensive (but beautifully wrapped!) soap.

3. Rick Rack - Rick rack just makes everything cuter, like these cloth napkins by Chez Beeper Bebe.

4. Cupcakes - I’ve never met a lemon cupcake that I didn’t love. Or vanilla. Or chocolate. Or red velvet. Or strawberry. Or - well, you get the point.

Rainy Day print from Cosas Minimas

5. Small art prints - Again, Etsy is an incredible source for beautiful, affordable art. I adore Cosas Minimas and Three Sisters Ink, and I recently bought Cindy Tomczyk’s “Girl and Guitar” print at the Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn.

6. Desk calendars - My ironclad rule: I’m not allowed to look at the next month, until it’s actually time to change the calendar to the next month. It’s nicer to have 12 surprises throughout the year. This year, I bought Snow and Graham’s desk calendar, but I really loved the calendar by ilee (who also makes beautiful letterpress cards on Etsy).

7. Big jars of colorful candy - Besides being attracted to really pretty, bright colors, I have a wicked sweet tooth (see “Cupcakes” above, if you don’t believe me), and I just want to dive in headfirst whenever I see a beautiful candy jar, like these ones from Amy Atlas.

8. Zinnias, tulips and gerbera daisies - They just make the world a better place.

Doily wrapped packages from  Martha Stewart

9. Wrapping presents with thick, bold wrapping paper and a cloth ribbon - Martha Stewart is the queen of all wrapping.

10. Hanging globes/lanterns - Romantic, breezy, dreamy. Right? Like these pretty papercut lanterns from Hannahnunn.

A fun music 10 Things list from Lee May Foster of The Bonbi Forest Indie Emporium. Lee shares her top ten list of music she likes to listen to while creating. She also shares a cute little illy she made while listening to some of her faves. What do you like to listen to while working? Leave a comment below. 

Here is my top ten list of bands and musicians I like to listen to when I am drawing and making things. I find that the abstract narrative of the lyrics and music of my choices help me conjure up some creativity. They are very inspiring and help inform the content and patterns in my work…It was really, really hard to stop at just 10 (It really could have been a list of 100!), so I ended up picking 10 artists that I find keep coming back to the top of the CD pile the most

I have to say they are in no particular order (it was hard enough picking just 10), but they are as follows:

• Nancy Elizabeth - I have recently fallen in love with her debut album Battle and Victory
• Bon Iver
• Grand Salvo - Particularly the album “Death”, which doesn’t sound very cheery but it is a wonderful story about the adventures of some forest creatures and a man.
• Bat For Lashes
• The National
• Bjork - I always stick on some Bjork if I can’t make up my mind what to listen to and am always reminded how much I love her!
• Sigur Ros
• Mark Kozelek - A grand master song writer if ever there was one…
• Sufjan Stevens
• The Sea and Cake - A (mostly) upbeat old fave

Leigh Morlock of Constant Cravings shares a list of her ten favorite illustrators for 10 Things (which is also doubling as today’s TGIF: Thank God for Illustration Friday post). For the feature 10 Things, I invite Indie Fixx readers and indie artists to share a fun list of ten things on a theme…any theme. If you have your own idea for a great 10 Things list and want to put one together, send me an email.

Favorite Illustrators  -  by Leigh Morlock

Here’s a list of  some of my favorite illustrators (in no particular order):

1. Miss Capricho - Barcelona girl with a penchant for whimsical fashion illustrations.

2. Yoko Furusho: fantastic pieces I want tattooed all over me!

3. Bec Winnel: sensual, sumptious, tantalizing, pastel & dreamy.

4. Felicia Atanasiu - Canadian-bases Romanian dreamgirl. Decorative, exquisite, fashion + editorial illustrations.

5. James Gulliver Hancock - Have you seen his work for Lenka? I originally mistook it for Rob Ryan’s papercuts, then was amazed to learn it was JGH. Stunning.

6. Art & Ghosts - spectral, dream-like, macabre & beautiful.

7. The Black Apple - the second shop I hearted on Etsy and it’s still a favorite! Emily Martin never ceases to amaze me.

8. Tollipop - little girls who look like curious gnomes in a children’s fairytale.

9. JKLDesign - a fellow Leigh who does it all: art, illustration, photography + design. Adore her work to bits.

10. Liza Corbett - prepare to be haunted.