happy st. paddy's day!

thought my blog could use a little green today! this pretty little print is from OhSmile. man, that would look good in my kitchen or anywhere in my house really...

well friends, 'wedding season' has officially started! i am receiving quite a few orders for guestbooks... so if you need one anytime soon let me know now! you can always view past books at my other blog here. i should have a few new ones to post photos of soon. and there are some interesting, but beautiful, color schemes in some of my upcoming books... so exciting! i love it when i get to play around with color and design a little more than the usual :)

sign love.

kerning brings us together. (smile)

ever-changing billboard from Something's Hiding in Here...

sweet stamps.

i must admit, i love stamps, labels, tags... not really the generic ones that you buy at the craft store... but i've seen some pretty neat ones over the years, and i love making them myself. found this shop, sweetpaperie, through a blog i stumbled across called heart of light (lovely blog, btw).  sweetpaperie has some pretty fantastic stamps that would be great gifts for anyone with a new home, the bookworm or the cook. or just for yourself. i am so very tempted to purchase one for us (even though we already have a really cute self-inking stamp from threedesigningwomen). but... since we really don't know much about the future right now, i think i'll have to hold off for a little while on a new stamp. oh well. i can think of a few people that these would be great gifts for...

oh and another great thing about these? you can get them self-inking or not... so if you have some dark envelopes (say invitations or announcements) that would otherwise need a label, you can just buy a silver ink pad! hmmm, i can think of some uses for that...

reuse.

i'm sure most of you have already seen these images on d*s, but i can't keep them out of my head. 'going green' is the hot new thing, and but david stark has gone to a whole new level of recycling. and why not? these pieces are made almost entirely of cardboard or shredded paper - things most households have on a pretty regular basis. did you ever think cardboard could be so beautiful?

while i might not be up to putting together a full blown cactus or tall vase, i could see making a few bowls to house random items around the house. they would even be great gifts for those who enjoy receiving diy/handmade. the clocks are pretty awesome as well... and since i already have quite a collection at home, why not add a few more?

i'm not saying we should all go home and start tearing up old boxes and shredding paper for craft projects... what i am saying is that next time you start to throw something away, think about other uses for it if it can't be recycled (or even if it can). i am also not suggesting that you hoard stuff and clutter up your home. i have been battling this for awhile myself, and need to clean some things out that i really can't use. but, what if someone else can use it? post it on craigslist or freecycle! can you make something useful out of it? i made our christmas cards with leftover paper, a few stray envelopes, and small bits of decorative paper that otherwise would have gone in the trash (the same size pieces i use to make my glass magnets). and i have often tossed stuff only to realize later that i could have really used it... 

etsy birthday.

i can't believe that it's already been a full year since i opened my etsy shop! i started off selling leather jewelry and then quickly moved to my custom guestbooks after a few friends suggested that they would be a big hit... and they have been! just in this year, i've made over 100 guestbooks for weddings (and a few birthday parties too!) i can't imagine how many more i would have created if i had been doing this full time...

i wanted to just say thanks to all those friends and family who have supported me and given me their kind words of encouragement. i certainly wouldn't have been able to do all of this without you. especially doug. i can't begin to tell you how many nights were spent running to the store for more bubble wrap or cardstock. or freaking out because something had gone wrong. thanks, babe, for always being there and always believing in me.

selling your handmade product online isn't always easy. if you are thinking about opening an etsy shop, let me know! i would be glad to help out in any way i can and answer any questions. 

nothing?

was browsing through the art section on etsy, looking for some inspirational words, when i came across these pieces by SuspectShoppe. i really love the handwritten type (of course) and the playful little elephant. how cute would he be in a baby's room?

for some reason i have become obsessed with collecting art lately. i already have quite the pile that needs to be matted and framed... so why do i need to buy more? because i do. 

sorry for the lack of posting this week. really had my mind elsewhere lately... hopefully i will be a little more focused this next week...i hope you all have a lovely weekend!

2009 addy's

the addy's were saturday night, and we had a great time! there was a 'smoke 'em if you got 'em' 40's theme, so i wore a cute vintage dress that i decided on at the last minute. who knows how many little beads i lost...

doug left a little early because he's had some sort of stomach bug pretty much all week, but here's the rest of the group after it was all over. we came home with my 2 silver addy's and brandi's 4 gold (and judge's choice award). too bad brandi couldn't make it!!! we had lots of fun... if you can't tell from all the bottles on the table...

from left to right: Sandra (frankie's wife) and Frankie, me, Richelle, Kelly, and the boss Mark!