Dear Colleen has bright and cheery stationery for spring. Gotta love the wisdom in this print, “When life hands you lemons make a gin and tonic.” A woman after my own heart.

Bella Drummer art, gift tags, and other pretty things…

One Canoe Two has loads of letterpress goodness but this amazing DIY town blew me away when I read about it on Handmade Charlotte today.

Wicked Mint in Brooklyn has some wicked awesome pillows.

Gingiber prints are quirky and colorful and well, they just make me smile.

Spot any insta-faves? (images: linked to their source above)

I’ve talked about Susannah Tucker here before but have to share some of her latest photographs with you – I especially enjoy that some are mounted on boxes ready to hang and also that you can choose from magnets and cards, too. What a lovely section for spring!

Melissa Bombardiere is a graphic designer who prints her own fabric in bold, bright colorways that would be nice to transform into crafty things around the home.

Handmade Love is a shop run by a sweet lady named Dawn Tan in Australia who not only authors a beautiful blog but who creates sweet drawings and paintings – some with fun words on them, others with glitter, some with animals… and she has a beautiful fully illustrated zine called, Favourite Things Zine, that looks like something I’d love to own.

Christine Lindstrom of Mai Autumn is a shop that carries both the original paintings and fine art prints of this New Jersey artist. Her watercolors are so soft, ahhh. So pretty.

Claudia Kay Photography is another fantastic shop on Etsy where you can find beautiful photos and postcards. I just love her hearts and flowers photos – my favorites!

What caught your eye?

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Fox & Clover in Seattle has some truly beautiful glass plates, bowls and jewelry. Sabrina paints onto glass with glass enamels and when she heats these babies up her paintings fuse permanently onto the glass and never scratch or fade (her words not mine, I have no idea how this process works). She says that she learned this traditional glass painting technique in France and after seeing her photos I’m convinced that Sabrina has a steady hand and mad, mad skillz with a paintbrush.

I know that about half of you will start to squirm in your seats on this one, but Bug Under Glass is namely that, real (dead) bugs framed for your viewing pleasure. Hey, some people think it’s creepy, I call it fabulous. I’ve been wanting a vintage blue morpho butterfly in a gold round frame for ages but can NEVER find one in a round frame — always square, square, square! I guess I could transfer one into a round frame, but it’s equally hard to find a round frame that is deep enough to accommodate a butterfly. Oh the dilemma! Oh the stress! But Bug Under Glass is fab so if you’re scouting for creepy crawlies check this shop out.

Oh and if you don’t understand why I want a vintage blue morpho butterfly in a round gold frame, perhaps this tear sheet from a Scandinavian magazine will convince you. See, I bet you didn’t care when I said how great a butterfly in a round frame would look, but then I shared with you how the Swedes do it and you’re all about the butterfly now aren’t ya? Ha! I found it ages ago and think this photo is truly gorgeous and the butterfly makes it in my opinion. (photo by petra bindel)

Bonbi Forest is UK artist Lee May Foster who studied fine art painting at the University of Brighton and she screenprints paper goods, accessories, t-shirts and then she also works on her paintings that often become cards and prints. Her studio is a barn at her parents’ farm so obviously nature has a strong influence on her body of work. Pretty, don’t you think?

Sweet Petula is both an etsy shop and retail storefront in Seattle that seems to have a pretty loyal following given their volume of sales on Etsy! If you like to take baths and smell good (he he) why not grab yourself a few bars of soap — I mean, can you really have too many bars of nicely packaged soap? Made from vegetable oils, herbal ingredients, pure aromatherapy essential oils and botanical extracts you really don’t need to run around stinky. And check this out, the Bonjour Monsieur shea butter soap smells like black tea, tobacco, cedar, lemon, bay and clover. Doesn’t that sound delish, like the hottest man smells all rolled into a single bar of sudsy heaven?

Let’s add some bright color and whimsy into the mix today with Abigail Brown, whom I’ve talked about before but since she has some new things in her shop I thought you may need a reminder! With soft wall art and pretty greetings cards, why not take a peek?

Bonus shop: (because I love ya!)
Two Art Directors and a Photographer may be a real mouth full for a shop name, but what a curious selection they have. About this store, “We are a crazy group of art directors/stylists/photographers/creatives/home interior junkies that can’t shut it off. So, on the weekends we are scouring warehouses, estate sales and just about anywhere for the coolest finds. We sell only the things we love, so you will find a well-edited selection on our site. ” Definitely well-edited, there are some dazzling finds in this eclectic store.

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Gorgeous, colorful fine art photography by Mina Georgescu of depuis. I just love her in-situ shots, seeing them living in a space totally helps doesn’t it?

Cottage Farm in San Francisco has some lovely vintage finds in her shop, her French countryside sensibility makes me want to pack a cute little fiat and head out to a stone cottage ASAP. If only I had a stone cottage and it was about 900 degrees warmer!

I adore my leather bags but in the summer months I like to mix in fabric totes as I find them lightweight and easy to care for. These handbag goodies are designed by Creek Bed Threads in Pennsylvania. Her most recent designs and product shots are just great!

Sweet Beaker in Georgia has some sweet and simple handmade papers, and I even spot a little chevron action there, too!

And Plytextiles. Ah. Be still my beating heart, this is the good stuff. Handmade modern textiles for the home created from 100% recycled wool sweaters, made into felt, in Chicago. I’ll take… ten!

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I’ve talked about Leah Duncan and her illustrations before but I keep returning to her prints and tea towels because I really like her style. If you missed my review of her work before, here’s another chance to bookmark her site – she’s brilliant.

Whisker Graphics sells printable stationery and tags and big, yummy spools of baker’s twine in pretty colors which is all the rage and a bit hit when used on gifts.

Mélangerie Inc. is a Brooklyn-based design consultancy that specializes in one-of-a-kind gifts and other designs for both large and small events, like weddings and parties. These bags are so cute, a great way for guests to write down and air their dirty laundry at your party. :)

Mandy Lynne, also known as Skippy Designs, has such a fresh and whimsical view of the world. Looking at her light hearted work cannot help but inspire joy – a little vintage and a lot of color make her photographs very special.

Lilla Lotta is designer Anna Barrow in France who makes by hand cotton tapes and fabric in her little studio – she also accepts custom orders if you have a shop or special occasion for instance.

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Kiersten Essenpreis is an artist/illustrator living in Brooklyn who is quite imaginative with her whimsical prints. Some of her clients include GQ, The New York Times, LA Weekly, Paper Magazine, Nylon Magazine, and Coach Handbags so Kiersten’s work just may be familiar to you for a reason!

Studio Flower Power in Canada creates cards pretty enough to frame using digital imagery, hand drawings and real pressed flowers on each one.

I have a few girlfriends who are pregnant and I keep looking for something handmade and special to give to them… these knit hats and baby booties from Mama Rosa’s just may be what I’m looking for! How I love hats with ears…

Krize and her “smiling shop” as she calls it is a Lithuanian children’s book illustrator living in Spain and selling mostly her illustrations as prints and accessories. They are so sweet how can you not smile. :)

Indobay creates modern hand-printed textiles with a simple touch for the home. There is beauty in this work because it is not made by a machine but with love by hand — everything has unique character and one-of-a-kind charm.

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Love is in this air with Sarah + Bendrix from the UK. Don’t these look like something you’d find in some amazing London flat in Livingetc magazine or something? Love these. And best part, they look great on display long after February 14th.

Maranon is amazing! Her knit and hand embroidered accessories are edgy and bold. Imagine wearing this pom pom headband? I can’t, but it’s very cool, especially for fashion shoots, runway, or if you’re hosting a fun cocktail party at home – it would be a riot to see what your friends think when you answer the door with giant pom poms on your head which remind me a bit of a mouse. Really sweet. The necklaces on the other hand, I would totally wear. Some of these would be great with a black turtleneck, some skinny jeans and a pair of caramel leather boots.

On the prowl for fabrics that are sweet and colorful, perhaps for crafts or the bedroom of your little one? Scarlet Fig by fabric designer Laurie Wisbrun sells her own original designs available to ship worldwide — fabrics and pillow covers are available.

Littleclouds is from the UK but recently moved to Hong Kong on a little adventure where she crafts all things cute from paper and fabric. You can’t help but notice her slight nod to her English roots in her products — and I like that. Her tea bag coasters are screen printed onto cork and are a personal favorite of mine.

I haven’t shared work from Carving My Initials in awhile so in case you’d not read about him before, here is your chance to be exposed to some gorgeous lines and shapes – these are prints made from original paintings by artist Jim DeLucia in Rochester, New York.

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F2 Images has some of the best prints for the home, I love this photo featuring so many designs featuring insects… Aren’t they the best? Talk about an amazing product shot, this makes me want to own them all!

Next up is Claudia Pearson in Brooklyn who is an illustrator with an impressive portfolio – her work has been published in the New York Times, The New Yorker, Elle, Communication Arts and more, including books. In her shop she carries colorful prints and cards, the pink row houses are a personal fave because they are so very American to me even though they originate in England, and I love them because they remind me of some of my favorite neighborhoods in America. And funny thing is, I appreciate them even more now that I’m on new soil abroad because I no longer have exposure to them in Germany and things are always easier to see when you step back vs. when you look at them under a microscope.

Now let’s look at Nut and Bee in New Zealand. Oh my, the cuteness just kills me here! I love the bubble tea print, the tea looks so happy and that is nice because who wants to drink sad tea? It makes me miss going into Boston’s Chinatown for my monthly bubble tea boost. We have it here as well, but only in the summer months so I’m starting to crave it even though I have to wait until May. Nut and Bee has stickers, notepads, cards and prints along with other paper goods like sticky notes. Very sweet!

Cynthia Vardhan is a successful potter in Ohio with a degree in fine arts and a beautiful body of work that will have you swooning. Such talent! Her work is available in fine boutiques across America in addition to shows that she participates in and of course, her etsy shop.

Stuart Kolakovic is one to watch. He lives in Staffordshire, England and has some of the best work, the most unique, that I’ve seen in a while. Looks like he is closing up his etsy shop soon to reopen on his own website, so definitely check him out on etsy while you can. Great stuff.

See anything you like? I know, I know… it’s all good. :)

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Soap Studiooos designs fun silk-screened pillows — my favorites: the chair back cushions, so modern and unique!

Home Spun Ireland is another new favorite shop of mine featuring mixed media and textile art by artist Jessamyn Sommers in Cork. Can you handle the sweetness?

FINERI is the Icelandic word for all things pretty, lovely and nice and that is exactly what this jewelry shop contains – precious things by designer Ina in Reykjavik who also happens to write an inspirational blog, too.

I like the pretty pastel paper goods from Letter C Design, which reminds me, I really need a day planner!

Nora Jane in North Carolina makes rubber stamps and cushions, both are two things in which I personally enjoy having lots of! :)

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1. Be Still Shop mosaic linen cushion cover $56, 2. Sandra Suy Flora print $35, 3. Segment earrings by Lila Ruby King $18, 4. Pretty Little Thieves Not Quite Sure print $15, 5. My Wire Empire Houndstooth Chair print $12, 6. Ice Cream original pen drawing by The State of Things $120 and 7. Maramiki kitchen towels set of 3 $45.

1. Lizzy Stewart Russian card $3, 2. Shelly Klein pug pillow $98, 3. Stockton veggie print $12, 4. Septembear Together print $15, 5. Me Plus Molly petite purse $27, 6. Crafty Folk Beatrix brooch $35, 7. Wooden deer brooch by Enna $15 and 8. Irena Sophia Girl with a Fan print $20.

1. Sycamore Street Press La vie en rose letterpress print $30, 2. Amy Blackwell Portrait of a Badger print $18, 3. Slightly Grumpy original watercolor painting by Poppo Portraits $50 and 4. Little Love Blue mushroom $15.

1. Love Petit Zakka Japan stripes tape $15, 2. mud puppy vase $26, 3. Bec Winnel Statue of Eve print $25, 4. Oh Hello Friend hair pins $5, 5. Sooooound Motherhood print $30, 6. The Paper Apartment We Grew Together print $36, 7. Wren Handmade crochet necklace $65, 8. White Square teacup brooch $10, 9. wiyomu doily necklace $42 and 10. Naomi Murrell love necklace $40.

1. Paper Zoo Designs Doe print $28, 2. Vintage Jane green/blue stool $22, 3. Vlas Store my dreams journal $18, 4. Gemma Bear cat mart print $12, 5. Joanna Rutter little vixen fox necklace $80, 6. Under The Stairs Studio 3-D folding card $4, 7. Charmaine Olivia carnival print $20, 8. Tuesday Morning Love Is Spoke Here print $20, 9. Wren Handmade fabric flower hair clips $10 and 10. Pepperminte Bobby print $20.

1. Sarah Lucretia print $13, 2. Dozi 2010 pocket planners $11.50, 3. Miss Natalie apple box with lid $30, 4. Little Black Rabbit clutch $65, 5. Spoons I print by Amy Karol $18 and 6. The Vamoose pompom necklace $62.

Bonus item not shown: Vintage truck toy box from Ethanollie $49. Darling!

What are your favorites?

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