ETSY FAVORITES: MOTHERS DAY GIFTS

Because I live a long distance from my mom and my family I have to be somewhat thoughtful of what I buy and how I have to ship it. I love Etsy.com because it allows me to shop a large selection of beautiful handmade crafts that I can purchase and have shipped directly to my family. These are a few of my favorite custom Mother’s Day, birthday, or any day presents!

Custom Silhouette Brass Pendant by Le Papier Studio $24

Personalized Family Charm Necklace by Wise Gal Designs $67

Personalized Family Dishes by Mud Hutt Studio $38

Custom Photo Charm Necklace by Tickle Me Pink Boutique $20

Custom Whimsical Portrait by Dana Laymon Photography $20

Personalized Bottle Cap Bracelet by Betsy's Drawers Boutique $35

ETSY HOW-TUESDAY

Etsy's How-Tuesday Blog has some more great Mother's Day craft projects I couldn't pass up sharing. My personal favorite is this handmade necklace. It is simple and personal. Click HERE to find more great Mother's Day How-To projects including parchment flowers, garland, hand painted tea cup & saucer, origami and much more!

MOTHER'S DAY CRAFT PROJECTS

Since it is the week ramping up to Mother’s Day and we’re already talking about gardening today, I thought I’d start by sharing a few easy projects from Kaboose. These are really simple, eco friendly, kid friendly projects that can be as basic or intricate as you make them. Almost all the materials are things you might find laying around the house.

Tin Can Herb Pots

Egg Carton Bug Mobile

Lady Bug Garden Pets

Milk Jug Flower Pot

Egg Cup Insects

WEEKEND PROJECT UPDATE

This weekend I finished planting my seedlings outside. I am hoping they will grow big like the basil I planted a few weeks ago before it gets too hot. My weekend project I completed was a barn wood planter for herbs I made out of scraps left over from another project, a bookshelf. I also had some spare wheels from an old project that I reclaimed and used so I could move the planter around once it was filled with dirt. Before I filled it I sealed the inside and out with an orange furniture wax that will help prolong the life of the wood from water and weather. The wax also helped to intensify the red and other colors present in the old barn wood. This particular barn wood came from our family back in Idaho so it will be an enjoyable greeting in the mornings when I have my coffee on the patio. I hope that it will soon fill with lovely herbs and flowery scents.




The matching bookshelf in the entrance:

Photo of the Week

Adorable Sleepy Jewels (4), originally uploaded by Jewelzy Bug.

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, HELLO INSPIRATION

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

Letterpress Contest at Oh, Hello Friend

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