Dipping my toes back into the maker pond
This year I prioritized creative things more than I did over the past few years, and it felt great! I made some new illustrations, redid some older ones, and tried out new ideas for needle-felted ornaments. I also got to participate in some local markets in Minneapolis, which was really exciting. This past weekend, I was a vendor at the Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center’s Red Hot Art market and met some incredible twin-cities artists.
I’m excited to make more art in 2025 and hopefully vend at more markets between Minneapolis and Chicago, assuming I get to move home over the summer (fingers crossed).
2024 Deep History Buff Gift Guide
As a paleo-inclined anthropologist, I take great joy in finding (and creating) unique products inspired by natural history, from trilobites and dinosaurs to hominins and mammoths. I’ve spent quite a bit of time procrastinating by online window shopping lately, and have stumbled upon a ton of cute products that celebrate the wonders of deep history.
As a paleo-inclined anthropologist, I take great joy in finding (and creating) unique products inspired by natural history, from trilobites and dinosaurs to hominins and mammoths. I’ve spent quite a bit of time procrastinating by online window shopping lately, and have stumbled upon a ton of cute products that celebrate the wonders of deep history.
Here are some delightful finds that I have not actually purchased (yet), but I think would make perfect gifts for any paleo-enthusiast:
Fossil Patches by Fossil Forager Shop on Etsy
These iron-on patches would be very cute additions to a jean jacket or backpack for anybody wanting to signal their affinity for fossils. I especially love the colors in the Cambrian Kids patch.
2. Hold onto your butts pin by Sweet and Lovely on Etsy
Everybody likes Jurassic Park, right? This enamel pin would also look very cute on a jean jacket or tote
3. Handmade paleo ornament by FROM HANDS OF SJR
This handmade, wheel-thrown ornament is hand-painted with gorgeous ammonites, trilobites, and other extinct marine cuties.
4. Downloadable cave painting art by Elegance of Ancient on Etsy
For the archaeologists in your life, these illustrations emulate paleolithic (Stone Age) cave art found in Europe. I want to add both of these to my gallery wall immediately.
5. Dimetrodon Skull Baseball Cap by Holly Simon Prehistoric Art
This very cute baseball cap was designed by a paleontologist-slash-artist, Holly Simon. Dimetrodon are synapsids (kind of like pre-mammals) that lived during the early Permian period.
6. Paleontology childrens book by actual paleontologist, Anjali Goswami
What’s better than a dinosaur book for kiddos written by a real (and really awesome) paleontologist?! Basically nothing. This book is all about children who set off on an adventure to dig up and learn all about different kinds of dinosaurs. It’s published by a UK-based company, and I’ve seen it available through Target and Amazon too.
7. Extinct proboscidean handkercheif by James Barker Draws on Etsy
This gorgeous little hanky is covered with watercolor paintings of various extinct elephant relatives. A verrry cute gift for your paleo friend who gets a little sweaty doing fieldwork or your ice-age fanatic father.
8. Vintage geology print by Cartographika on Etsy
I love the colors on this one, I just think this one is so pretty. This is a print of a 19th-century chromolithograph intended for geology education about stratigraphy and sediments.
9. Deep Time & Paleo prints by Felipithecus (Me!) on Etsy
Shameless self-plug here — I sell these prints and other fun things illustrations and needle-felted goodies on my Etsy shop. I tend to make things related to my own work and interests, including paleontology, paleoanthropology, and archaeology.
Anyways, I think my prints would look cute on your wall!
10. Death Implies Life Sticker by Earth Encompassd on Redbubble
This sticker, created by another fellow paleontologist, depicts the remarkable “fighting dinosaurs,” a real fossilized velociraptor and protoceratops pair that were trapped and fossilized mid-combat. Wild!
And it’s got a nice memento mori-type reminder to boot.
11. Scientist affirmation sticker by Designed With HARTman on Etsy
Who among the scientists and science enthusiasts don’t feel the need for affirmation from time to time. This sticker would fit nicely on a laptop or water bottle and serve as a nice note to oneself or anybody else who needs reminding.
12. 2025 Paleo Art Calendar by Levi Hastings
This calendar is chock full of gorgeous illustrations of prehistoric beasts like Suchomimus, Nothosaurus, and Ankylosaurus. It’d be a nice addition to any paleo person’s office space, and the images can be cut out and framed for longer-term enjoyment.
13. Thylacine Tee by Pip Tacla on Redbubble
I’m a big fan of the cheeky paleontology X-files crossover in this design. The Thylacine, also called the Tasmanian Tiger went extinct in the 1930s, but there are some who think a small population could still be alive today.
14. Mary Anning Art Print by Rachel Ignotofsky on Etsy
Finally, we have this tried and true print by illustrator and best-selling author, Rachel Ignotofsky, which she created as part of her Women in Science series.
Mary Anning was an English fossil collector and paleontologist who lived in the mid-1800’s. She is one of the unsung heroes of early paleontology and discovered ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs and pterosaurs!
Anyways, these are my favorites of the year!
If you’re one of these artists and you’d like me to remove your work from this post just let me know :)