Shopping advice please!

I'm going to San Francisco this week for a couple of days. It's mostly a work trip but I do have a few hours for shopping. Do any of you have favourite boutiques in SF that you'd like to share with me? I really need to add a few key pieces to my wardrobe and I'd love some advice from my lovely readers :-) I need some fun, chic/stylish clothes that I can wear to trade shows and to speaking engagements. Advice please!

Super size me!

Big bus tickets on the wall - well what do you know! Of course I love these! I guess almost all ephemera looks great when it's super-sized. I fantasize all the time about enlarging some of the vintage scrappy engravings I have in my collections and plastering them all over the walls. I think that's why I love looking at vintage prints under magnification. These are from here.

Background art.

Wow. I love this 'mural' that I spotted via Nicole Balch on Pinterest.

This is so up my alley - as you can probably imagine. It would look amazing at the studio. It looks remarkably like some of the background imagery we use at Cartolina. Great find!

Tiny treasures.

I like these tiny paintings from Stephanie at Milady Productions. I like how rustic and honest they are. Stephanie has a wonderful portfolio - I think you'll enjoy it.

Morning inspiration!

These bags are made from vintage Kantha textiles from India. Love the two in the first image - especially the yellow. Just thought you might like a colourful break in your day :-)

These bags are from One Kings Lane - which you have to sign up for but it's worth it!

Movin' and shakin'

Hello everyone. Sorry I've been gone so long. I really took a long break this Christmas and it feels great to start the new year feeling fresh and inspired. We have lots of new things happening in 2012 and the first one I'm going to tell you about is really big for us and also big for our retailers. As of today Cartolina has a new US distributor. I'm excited to start working with the Nelson Line this year. They have been in the stationery and gift business for a long time and I am thrilled and honored that Cartolina will be part of their collection which includes some very big names in the industry. And the other part of this news is that we are excited to be back at the New York Gift Fair this year in the Nelson Line's booth. So if you're going to be at the fair I'd love to say hi. I'll be there for a couple of days and I'm really looking forward to it. And for all of our US retailers we are delighted to be able to do business with you at the Nelson Line and you can email them right here to set up an account or have a rep call on you.

These are so sweet! From Jayson Home. These are simple gift tags but so tastefully done - don't you think?

I like these - now :-)

Really interesting designs on these tea towels from Anthropologie. I probably wouldn't have given these a second glance a year ago but it's amazing how our tastes change in a few short months, isn't it?

Random vintage!

This vendor has some really nice pieces of Victorian ephemera which caught my eye yesterday - including these. . . .

A little treat for non iPhone users.

Happy Holidays everyone! Here's a little holiday Cartogram for those of you who don't use an iPhone. Click here and drag it to your desktop and send it to your friends this weekend. Have fun everyone - see you next week!

This is a page from a 1960s 'lettering' book - thought it might inspire you to make something pretty today :-)

You can have this print for $4 from ArtPhoto Girl.

Another great idea!

You know I like to make sure you all have a good crafty project on the go. This week I think it would be nice for you to make some of these booties to wear when you go out socializing this weekend - just take your boots off at the door and slip on a pair of these . . .

And this pattern can be all yours - from here.

Go on, you know you want it!

Love this over the top decorative fabric. This pillow is from Homemaker Movement - very nice!

I absolutely love this styling from West Elm - this would chase away the winter blues - wouldn't it?

Don't hate me for this - I'm a total sucker for these pseudo vintage, flocked bambis. And I have sneaky suspicion you might have a soft spot for them too. You can find lots of them here at Pop Stars Crafts.

I saw these on Print and Pattern and thought they were very interesting. These are from a super cute looking store in England called Blackbird - full of all our favourite things.

There are so many amazing patterns to covet at Royal Design Studio - most of which you would never guess are stencils! I am so impressed with the variety and quality of their designs - I think you'll like them too.

This is such a great tutorial for a cute gathered clutch. Of course it's all about the great fabrics that you choose - and I bet that lots of you have hoards of vintage fabric, just perfect for this project!