Hi Friends!

Happy Holidays to the best customers a printmaker could ask for.  In celebration, of the season, I made y'all a curated (and slightly silly) Holiday Gift Guide. Read on to see my gift picks!

I also made y'all a discount code to say thank you for opening this newsletter. (And to encourage you to get those holiday orders in ASAP!)

Get $10 off your order of $50 or more with the code YAFILTHYANIMAL from now until 11:59 pm on Wednesday 12/17/25.

I'll still be processing and shipping y'alls orders after the 17th, but the earlier we can get everything shipped, the better! If you get into a time pinch, don't forget that I also offer local pick-up options, and digital gift cards on my website! 

-Katie 

I was recently working at a show in Durham, NC, when a client came up and told me a story about a white elephant gift exchange. She's an entomologist, and took one of my 8x10 Periodical Cicada block prints to her work gift exchange. She said it was the most stolen item in the gift exchange! I loved this story, because my goal in making this artwork is not to make something generic with mass appeal, but rather to make very specific artwork that REALLY APPEALS to a certain type of person. Here are the types of people that I think will really love my work, and some gift ideas I have for them.

These are Belted Kingfishers. Your bird loving friend will know that this is one of the rare species where the female is more colorful than the male. I just did the final print run from these carvings, and I have 10 more sets in stock. If you're looking for something smaller, your bestie will also love this bookmark.

Gifts for your gardening friends: 

These notecard sets feature a native plant and the butterfly that depends on that plant as a host. Your gardening friend will love them because it has the scientific name of the species on each card.  I've got three designs in this series: Milkweed, Paw Paw, and Spicebush.

I also have an ongoing series of art noveau inspired wildflower block prints that are in the perfect giftable size.  Eastern Columbine is a great choice, as it is easy to grow from seed and your gardening friends will know that it attracts hummingbirds.  Another good option is my newest print, "Bloodroot in Spring". Anyone who has ever transplanted this wildflower into their garden will recognize the brighly colored roots 

The musician in your family knows what a "sunburst finish" on an instrument looks like and will appreciate the inkwork I put into this mandolin piece. (It was really hard to do!) They will also love this little banjo bookmark if you're looking for sticking stuffers for them!

Your sister's baby won't actually appreciate this yet, because they don't have object permanence. Your sister however will appreciate your thoughtfulness, because it's a bear and bears are objectively adorable. Also, it fits in a standard 8x10 frame, which is easy to shop for, and that's good because your sister is very busy. 

Your wife wants to wallpaper the bathroom. Trust me on this.  I have talked to thousands of wives across the state of North Carolina, and nearly all of them are shopping for wallpaper. So, here's what you can do. Buy her some of these wallpaper samples, and write her a handwritten note talking about your feelings for her. Then, write the five most romantic words a woman can hear. "Honey, let's wallpaper the bathroom."   

These little handmade journals are affordable, thoughtful, and just the right size for your kids teachers. These have been wildly popular with my own kids' teachers. Click here to see a process video for how we make these here in the studio. 

I don't know why I waited so late in this gift guide to mention this friend, because people-who-love-possums are actually a very important demographic for my business. You've got a friend to who loves possums. I've got high-end art nouveau inspired possum journals and notecards.  it sounds like I've got your gifting this year covered, and you've got great taste in friends! 

Thanks for letting me send my artwork, wildlife photos, and occasional silliness into your inboxes each month. I'll take some time in January to wrap up and reflect on the highlights of this past year, but for now let me just say how honored I feel that y'all let my artwork be a part of your lives, homes, and gifts to loved ones. 

Happy Holidays from the New South Pattern House Team!