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OMG!!! I have found a new illustrator to add to my list of favorites. Illustrator Kathy R. Jeffords of The Dreamy Giraffe creates some of the most colorful, whimsical, and inspirational pieces! I just love them all. Each one of the portraits carry their own personality. here are a few of my favorites. Don’t you just love the hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil trio of fairies! Lovely! I have always loved art that incorporates inspirational words within it. These are all so fabulous that I don’t know which is my absolute favorite!

These have got to be the cutest handmade aprons that have seen thus far! there are lots of great designs to choose from, so head on over and visit Snappy Shop on Etsy to view more apron cuteness!

Alicia Bock takes some of the most beautiful and dreamy photographs. I love the photos of the ferris wheels. Her Etsy shop is filled with lovely imagery and are quite affordable!

I am beyond stoked about Lena Corwins new book entitled Printing by Hand: A Modern Guide to “Printing with Handmade Stamps, Stencils, and Silk Screens”. It is set to release on July 16th, but you can pre-order your copy now by Clicking Here. I am a big fan of Lena’s work, so I cannot wait to see what she has stored in this publication!

These watercolor and ink prints from midcenturyjo of Desire to Inspire over at Etsy are divinely colorful and pretty. I love the chair renderings and I am a sucker for peacocks, so I was quite charmed when I saw this one. These totally inspire me to pull out the watercolors. I am planning on opening an Etsy gift shop with various items in the near future and I hope I can find the motivation to include some watercolor somewhere in the mix. Also, if you are not a fan already, then be sure to check out her blog often over at , Desire to Inspire;…it’s filled with the charm of decor and design. I just love Jo’s desire to inspire!

These items from Boy Girl Party are so adorable. My favorites are the Squirrel/Bunny & Owl Recipe Cards and the To Do Lists! The illustrated Owl Notecards are fantastic too don’t you think!

I recently ran across textile and fiber Artist Tamar Mogendorff’s pieces and was I was instantly enchanted by her work. Her light use of color and neutral tones really compliment the natural elements in which she construct her pieces to represent. My favorite are these wonderful birdhouses and the fiber bird cages are fantastic. I would love to have one of those birdhouses adorning my wall, wouldn’t you? The pine cone is fabulous. Her pieces are made from linens, wool, mohair wool, cotton, vintage fabrics, tweed, antique embroidery, and pashmina; and are embellished with antique and vintage buttons, beads, thread, and old ribbons.

Need some paper? Need some soap? Then head on over to Soap & Paper to get them both! Soap & Paper sells handcrafted soaps, body care products, candles, and beautifully crafted paper and stationary. You can choose from their Verbena, Orange Blossom, Rosewood, Green Tea, Fig, or Cinnamon Clove collections. My favorite item that they sell besides their soap would have to be their scented drawer papers and stationary, which comes in the scents of their given collections. Yum…paper!

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Mixed Media Collage Artist Jennifer Gordon creates fantastic pieces that fuses vintage elements, vibrant colors, and random imagery of modern women in her work. Out of all the elements that make up her work, it is definitely the bold rich colors that she uses that attracted me to her work the most. This makes me want to go do a vintage inspired collage! She also makes some really cute journals and boxes with the same medium. Check out more of her work at her Etsy Shop.

I have totally become infatuated with this whole “Furoshiki” art form. I had never heard of it until I came across these lovely treasures from Jenny Wren Paperie while browsing for stationary. Furoshiki is an ancient form of wrapping items and packaging gifts with fabric. Talk about saving the trees! I am always looking for something crafty to do that does not involve a lot of sewing and I think it would be loads of fun to block print some fabric and make my own furoshikis! I am so excited about this and cannot wait to try it, I will keep you posted on the outcome! Here is a great video that demonstrates the folding techniques and this one too.

There is a very popular furoshiki shop in Japan called Kakefuda Kyoto and even though there website is in full Japanese, you can click on one of these photos and then click on the links directly underneath the larger photo and it will take you to a diagram on how to fold your fabric. I don’t thik that your fabric has to be any one particular size, but in most cases it should be a perfect square. You might want to also consider picking up the book“Gift Wrapping With Textiles” for reference as well! Happy folding!

The crafty lady behind In My Solitude is Evolyn Brooks, who is not only a crafty lady, but also a writer, reporter, anchorwoman, and Emmy nominated producer, model, and artist. “Her passion for fashion and beauty led her to help supervise the start up of the Tyra Banks show, and she oversaw the launch of 20th Century Foxs’ home invasion series called Design Invasions.

She has a lovely blend of cultural fabrics and modern design. The “Fresh Water Table Runner” is brilliant and a definite inspiration for all of those who love to quilt or at best do simple patchwork. The name In My Solitude is the perfect name, because it is there that you can appreciate yourself and what better way to do that than something special to adorn yourself with than a lovely quilt or pillow!