Keeping on the theme of inspiration this week I wanted to share this photo taken by another crafty lady with a Boston terrier named Jewels. My little Boston, Achilles, inspires me every day with his goofy smile and loving heart. Check out some of JewelzyBug’s great craft projects on Flickr or visit Café Press to see her designs for sale.
Oh, what the heck, we'll pick up Thrifty Thursday next week...Here is a little more inspiration from some of the letter press designers featured on 'Oh, Hello Friend' and Etsy. You can't beat these prices for an original piece of art!
8x10 print by Hijirik Studios $12.50
14x14 limited edition print by Roll & Tumble Press $20
Block print by One Canoe Two $25
7x10 limited edition print by The Permanent Collection $18.50
Over sized postcard by YeeHaw $13
8.5x11 print by Eight Hour Day $20
And here is my favorite for Mothers Day, card by Raw Art Letterpress $5
If you haven't seen it already, Oh, Hello Friend a craft and design blog I recently started following is having a letterpress give away contests in support of Letterpress Week. Lots of talented artist are giving away beautiful custom letterpress business cards, prints, stationary and even letterpress jewelry! I highly recommend you checkout the blog, its beautiful, and enter the contests but don't forget to visit the shops and leave them a comment or two for support:
Ruby Press
Bookhou
Chatham and Caron
Louella Press
Roll and Tumble Press
Gwen Delicious Jewelry
Tomboy
Pearl & Marmalade
Monki Vintage
Eight Hour Day
Snap & Tumble
One Canoe Two
Cut & Paste Print archival reproduction of the vintage WWII era poster $16
Laura George print of original ink illustration $20
Print Liberation screen print t-shirts $22
Made by Julene custom paper-cut artwork $65
Vintage Embellishment antique metal letters $13/each
Recently I’ve been dabbling with paper, putting a stack of old magazines, maps and newspaper to use making beads and artwork. I did some research online for inspiration that I thought I would share it with everyone.
With Paper Beads you can make any kind of jewelry...
Paper Bowls
Flower Vase
Lamp Shade
Wall Art
Paper Figurines
Paper Bird and More Fun Projects at Crafting a Green World.
One of my favorite things to do when I'm not feeling very creative is to browse the antique and thrift stores for fun junk. I usually find something that sparks my interest and I've found you can pretty much make something out of anything. My love for unusual garden decor started in high school when my mom bought a wind chime made out of silverware. It was simple but it made a beautiful sound. These wind chimes are made from various items I found everywhere from the darkest corners of an antique shop to Craiglist unwanted. All of them are currently available for sale at Etsy. 
The city was beautiful, the people were nice and the food was amazing!
Here are a few photos from my trip:
1- French Market, French Quarter
2- Somewhere in the Vieux Carre
3- The famous blue crawfish
4- Residence in the French Quarter
5- Lily Pads
6- Bourbon Street, look familiar?
Since it is Thrifty Thursday I wanted to present this great book, or I should say series of books, on how to find the best junk for decorating your home. The “Junk Market Girls” give great tips on repurposing or restyling thrifty finds as well as step-by-step project ideas. Their books illustrate various junk market decorating styles including urban industrial, country, cottage, retro and traditional. They showcase various projects with owner’s wishlists then illustrate with beautiful pictures the “Sweat Details” on how they accomplished the look and feel of the space. They present even more project details with their witty side topics including “Junkfo”, “Junkers JuJu” and “Style Tweak”. Although I own both decorating books I am particularly fond of this book for its project how-to’s on making a birdcage lamp, iron gate coffee table, corbel frame holder, and tiny tot storage out of potato crates and iron brackets. You can typically find this book used for under $10, it’s a great buy!
Book Description:
Decorating JunkMarket Style
By Ki Nassauer and Sue Whitney
Paperback: 204 pages
Publisher: JunkMarket Girls (March 8, 2005)
Price: under $10 used -$20 new
Other books by Author: 
Junk Beautiful: Room by Room Makeovers with Junkmarket Style
Paperback: 204 pages
Publisher: Taunton Press; illustrated edition edition (March 25, 2008)
Price: $8 used -$15 new
Junk Beautiful Outdoor Edition
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Taunton Press; illustrated edition edition (March 1, 2009)
Price: $14 used -$15 new
Other great books worth taking a look at: 
Flea Market Style
Hardcover: 144 pages
Publisher: Ryland Peters & Small; Later Printing edition (September 15, 2005)
Price: $15.50 used -$18.50 new
Recycled Home
Hardcover: 160 pages
Publisher: Ryland Peters & Small (February 2009)
Price: $16 used -$19 new
Thrift: How to Have a Stylish Home without Breaking the Bank
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Key Porter Books (April 27, 2007)
Price: $6.50 used -$13.50 new
With the summer almost in sight, this week’s Etsy Favorites are all about traveling! And since tomorrow, April 22nd, happens to be the anniversary of the first ever Earth Day event held in 1970 all the items have an eco-friendly theme.
The Wren Burlap Travel Bag$155 
Mary Ink Hand Printed Organic T-Shirt $28
Rare Turtle Watcher Jacket $89
Gaia Conceptions Hemp/Cotton Blend Dress $75 
The Generation Handmade Ballet Flats $50 
Uzura Eco Friendly Hemp Handbag $45 
Mama Made Reusable Snack Bag $7.25 
The Broken Plate Pendant Company Ceramic Bracelet $40 
Hippie Kingdom Handmade Paper Earrings $16 
I'm seeing RED...and WHITE! Oh, that's just my kitchen. These are a few thrifty finds I picked up at various antique and thrift stores for my kitchen. Each piece was under $20! 
TIPS FOR THRIFT SHOPPING: Start by picking out a color pallet and/or a general feel you want to accomplish in your space. Search through books or magazines and find images of spaces your fond of. Make a list of items you would like to find and start looking. Remember to keep and open mind because the best finds may not always appear to you right away.
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