IKEA...Paper Shop?!

We all went crazy when IKEA started offering textiles in their stores, but now there's something new to go gaga about: the IKEA Paper Shop! Gift bags and gift wrap, ribbon, tags, stationery, notebooks, stickers, journals, paper lanterns, and coveted decorative tapes...get ready to have your mind (and budget) blown! The shops are currently only in Sweden and UK stores, but will hopefully come to the US and other areas soon! Pictured are some of my favorite items, but you can view the whole range here.

It's Thank Your Mailman Day: A Preview of 2013 US Postage Stamps

It really is "Thank Your Mailman Day" today, so I thought we could celebrate by taking a peek at the new stamps that will be issued this year by the United States Postal Service. These are just a few that stood out for me, but you can view them all at the USA Philatelic "Beyond the Perf" website. Some designs won't be released until later in the year; buy those available now here, or keep an eye on the ones you like by following USPS Stamps on Facebook. Which one is your favorite?


Emancipation Proclamation, designed by Gail Anderson


Sealed with Love, designed by renowned letterer Louise Fili


Just Move!, designed by Eli Noyes


Kaleidoscope Flowers, designed by Petra and Nicole Kapitza [LOVE!!!]


Johnny Cash, designed by Greg Breeding, and made to look like a 45rpm record picture sleeve

Favorite Links Friday

Here are some fun holiday-themed DIY links to get your holiday craftiness in gear. Don't forget to enter my latest contest to win a penny candy tea towel! Come up with a name for my vintage sewing machine...or vote for a favorite that has already been suggested (see details here).

1. DIY advent calendar boxes
2. DIY vintage Christmas card bowl
3. How to marble or swirl royal icing
4. DIY felt garland
5. Origami paper stars for garland or gifts
6. Fridge magnet advent calendar

Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

Sweet Swedish Sippers

You might recall I did a Friday Finds post a few weeks ago that featured some really cool mugs. Well, at the time I hadn't yet seen these. What little beauties they are! Littlephant bone china mugs are designed in all their '50s splendor by Swedish illustrator Camilla Lundsten. You can find them here.

Favorite Links Friday

Gearing up for the holidays. Loving the new Spoonflower gift wrap. Planning a contest/giveaway (stay tuned!). Listing some interesting links.

1. How to make an infinity scarf the lazy way
2. Party marshmallows
3. Beau coop
4. Vintage sheet duvet cover
5. Making a reversible bag (includes freebie PDF pattern)
6. Literally the best thing ever: Madonna

Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

Friday Faves: Geek Week

1 NPW Make Money Kit at Creative Kidstuff || 2 LEGO Cuff Links from QA Create || 3 Spider-Woman Lamp from Lamp-in-a-Box || 4 Star Wars Comic Book Wallet from Patricia Garcia || 5 NuOp Designs Pizza Pi Cutter at 3B Scientific || 6 Rubik's Cube Pepper Mill at Perpetual Kid

Friday Fotos & Faves

Some things I saw this week: cheeseburgers and fries, not-baring-his-midriff (!) Morrissey on Jimmy Fallon, a pumpkin that looked like a three-lobed brain, a pocket volcano, and "virgins"... What did you see?

1. Scrappy felt iPad cover
2. The dramatic transformation of Hong Kong's skyline
3. DIY Tea Towel Tote Bag
4. Handmade fabric deco tape
5. DIY cross-stitch chair
6. Secret style icon: Lady Miss Kier

Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

Aloha!

After a lovely week in sunny Hawaii, and then a week nursing the come-to-be-expected cold virus caught from the airplane, I am back just in time for the holiday gift season to start. Thought I would share my favorite purchase from the trip (and probably the least expensive item on the island!): a $1.99 reusable shopping bag from the local grocery store. Loved these so much I bought a couple more as souvenirs for family back in the Midwest. I also made sure to bring back a handful of sand from the beach where we stayed, to add to the collection.

There really is something about Hawaii that makes you want to go back again and again...or dream of all the possible ways you could afford to live there. Check out my Instagram feed to see some photos!

Friday Faves: I Want a New Mug

The cooler weather here in the Pacific Northwest has made me start drinking more coffee in the mornings. I think I need a new mug to add to the rotation. Here are some I found recently.



Left to right, top to bottom: Pantone Universe Mug in Pumpkin 1505 at amazon.com || Mixed Messages Mug from Perpetual Kid || The Original Lionel Richie "Hello" Mug by LennyMud on Etsy || Eames House of Cards Pen/Pencils Mug at Pop Deluxe || To the Letter Mug at ModCloth || Orla Kiely Car Print Mug at dotmaison.com || Face Mug from Uncommon Goods || Marimekko Rasymatto Mug from Marimekko (Vancouver) || Emma Bridgewater Happiness Mug from One Brown Cow

Enjoy! I'm actually on vacation this week, so I'll be back next Wednesday, September 26th. Have a nice weekend!

Friday Fotos & Faves

This week all free time has been spent planning my son's birthday party. Late at night, though, I've found a few things while de-stressing at the computer...

1. Pleasantville (via Dear Sukie Gets Crafty)
2. Flowerprint Shirt
3. DIY glitter sneakers
4. Flower Construction
5. Barbie Doll Anatomy
6. DIY Macaron Coin Purse

Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

Friday Faves: Kids' Stuff

1 Gummy Candy Letters from Sugar Plum Chocolates || 2 Fabric Sun Art Kit from Think Geek || 3 Tetris Link Game at Amazon || 4 Pac-Man Cookie Cutters from Suck UK || 5 Penny Boards by Penny Skateboards || 6 Stache Straws by Gama Go || 7 Eco Stars Recycled Crayons by International Arrivals || 8 LEGO Mini Storage Boxes at Think Geek

Friday Fotos & Faves

Summer is slowly coming to a close here in the Pacific Northwest. This week there's been a slight hint of Fall in the air, and the days are certainly getting shorter! So since I've had to start cutting a couple of blocks out of my nightly walk, I've had a little more time to sit down and surf the Interwebs. Here are some interesting finds.

1. DIY Day-Glo shirt using neon fabric spray paint
2. Living letters
3. A little zine inspired by traditional Japanese crafts
4. Things you can make with vintage paint-by-numbers
5. Are we all crafters?
6. LEGO realism by Bruce Lowell

Enjoy, and have a great holiday weekend!

Back to School: Favorite Finds

1 Rainbow Mechanical Pencils from Kikkerland || 2 Camera Pencil Sharpener from Kikkerland || 3 Video Tape Ruled Notebook by Monkey Business || 4 Calculator iPhone Case by Zero Gravity || 5 Sticky Tapes Sticky Notes from NPW || 6 Birdie and Polka Dot Tissue Packs at NPW || 7 Index Fingers Page Markers at NPW || 8 Double Sharpener Desk Tidy from Suck UK

Back to School: In Glam & Groovy Style

No school supplies list is truly complete without a check box for the mega-pack of 24 Sharpies in a rainbow of colors! Check out these awesome '80s Glam colors to add to your set. Five limited-edition, retro-inspired colors: Jellie Pink, Leg Warmer Orange, Valley Girl Violet, Banana Clip Yellow, and Argyle Green. Haven't decided yet if I'd take them out of the gloriously New Wave package.

And have you ever been to the Sharpie website? Incredibly, doodle-y inspiring. Plus, if you click on the Sharpie By Color tab on the left, you can see life-size pictures of every type of Sharpie available in that color!



And while we're talking about pen love, check out this groovy 1970s ad for Paper Mate Ops 'n Pops! It says they cost $1.59 apiece, which seems like a lot of bread for back then, but hey, the price you pay for fashion!

Friday Finds: Rainbow Connection

1 Paperthinks Recycled Leather Notebooks from Kate's Paperie || 2 Color Burst Temporary Tattoo by Tattly || 3 Color Wheel Umbrella from Karma Kiss || 4 Handy Bookmarks and Numberclips by NPW || 5 Rainbow Stacking Toy Necklace from You gNeek || 6 Tracing Rainbows Pencil and Eraser Set at ModCloth

Friday Fotos and Faves

I've been complaining all summer that it's been too cold, but this week we finally received a blast of summer heat, with unseasonable temps in the mid-90s. Finally! Fortunately here in Seattle we have no humidity, which makes the heat a little more bearable, but we also have no air conditioning, so after a couple days of extreme weather, the house is a bit hot. Here are some links I found while sitting in front of the fan!

1. Craft fads through the decades
2. Fat quarter wrap skirt
3. The amazing miniature world of Christopher Boffoli
4. DIY floppy disk planters (via Poppytalk)
5. COLORS Magazine now available online for free
6. DIY swing made from a skateboard

Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

Friday Finds: Music to My Ears

1 Boombox and Retro Cassette iPhone cases by Zero Gravity || 2 Yellow Submarine Tea Sub by Monkey Business || 3 RE Record Collection home accessories from Target || 4 Turntable Bloc Ring and Keyboard Brass Knuckles by Plastique || 5 William Kellogg Graffiti Cocktail Shaker from Kikkerland || 6 King of Disco Washing-Up Sponge by StoreBound

Friday Fotos and Faves

It was a whirlwind week, what with our local town fair and Thomas the Tank Engine chuffing into town to take us for a ride. Here are some loved links I found in the down time. Phew!

1. DIY tabletop biosphere
2. Trick my kicks!
3. Embroidered newspaper pictures
4. How to make tiny pom-poms with a fork (via Poppytalk)
5. Big display ideas for Instagrams
6. Downloadable papercraft alphabet (via How About Orange)

Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

Friday Faves: The White House

1 Moustaches Mug by Unemployed Philosophers Guild || 2 Chill Pill Ice Tray by Fred || 3 Offer Hand Hook (reminds me so much of the hand hooks in the original "Willy Wonka") by Areaware || 4 Aromatherapy for Your Pup from Sniff Pet Candles || 5 Roller Stop Rollerskate Door Stop by Areaware || 6 Dinner Party Napkins with games and puzzles to keep guests busy, from Luckies Gift Shop || 7 Cassette Tape Lamp from Target

Friday Fotos and Faves

With summer here, it has been hard for me to stay indoors. But I did manage to find a few things online I thought were fun...

1. Watercolor paper flowers
2. Stitch your own iPhone case
3. Paint swatch wall
4. DIY Washi tape storage box
5. Candy sprinkles resin bracelet
6. DIY laced cement votives

Enjoy, and have a great weekend!