happy holidays!

Can you believe it's mid-december already? I hardly can. I've had a really busy Christmas coaster season so far and have had orders for over 15 sets in the past 2 weeks. That, plus ornaments, plus the Water's Artisan Fair have kept me quite busy! I have designed a couple of really cute new holiday sets this year, plus my best from last year. I like the idea of adding a few new sets each year. Here is what i'm offering this year.


{joyeux noel}

{tartan}

{blue christmas}

{ikat}

{home for the holidays}

{holly jolly christmas}

Don't forget to order before DECEMBER 17th to ensure delivery by Christmas! Happy holidays!

inspiration.

Well, I've been a little low on inspiration lately, if you haven't noticed. Summer was crazy, bla bla bla. But now, fall is here in all of it's glory -- and I'm feeling inspired again.

There are lots of fashion influences that I am just loving now. My BFF friend over at gawdy does her best to keep in the loop fasionally speaking and I am forever grateful for her expertise. And in this day & age with pinterest, etsy, twitter (where you can virtually follow along with fashion week) -- what excuse to we have for a lack of inspiration? So I guess it's time to get back on the horse and be inspired.

I found this beautiful paper over at paper source which has an ikat look in person. And with all-things-southwestern being a huge source of inspiration these days, I can't wait to get this set made and sold to the perfect little hipster or wrangler.


And of course vintage. This will forever be my main source of inspiration because i love old things. I inherited hundreds of old postcards from my great grandmother. We're talking 1910's - 1950's here and they are amazing. I recently personalized a set (for myself, of course) of postcards from different places I've lived. My hometown, where I went to college, and of course where I call home now, Chicago. It's slightly worrisome to snip-snip away on the postcard to make fit perfectly on the coaster, but what better way to preserve an antique and incorporate it into everyday life. I love it!

more maps

Most of the fun in making a map coaster set lies in finding the perfect map. Here are a few examples of super vintage, super fun maps that I recently worked with.

a day in the city.

{h&m conscious collection dress}
{vince cambuto boot}
{dorothy perkins cape}
{prada bag}

which are my favorite sets?

I pretty much make things that I love. But these are a few of my most favorite of sets.


{the light as air coaster}


{the rosette coaster}


{the tartan coaster - technically a christmas design, but i love it!}


{the industrial initial coaster}

currently loving...

{boulder mug}
{and we're off clogs}
{didda jute rug}
{cooperative chevron sundress}

autism awareness month

Did you know that 1 in 110 children are affected by autism? This startling number is on the rise and autism the fastest growing serious developmental disability in the U.S. April is autism awareness month and 20% of sales from this coaster design will be donated to Autism One, a nonprofit organization, started by a small group of parents of children with autism. The headquarters of this wonderful organization are in my hometown of Chicago.

These would make a great gift for therapists, loved ones, or anyone else who's life has been touched by autism.






{to see more & to purchase, click here}

and the winner is...

emily!!

congratulations! you will be receiving your "a real hoot" magnet very soon. I loved reading all your favorites and was surprised at the variety! I am going to be doing giveaways every now & then so be sure to stay tuned.

And fyi -- the giveaway was oversaw by my trustworthy husband, who is an accountant and made sure my procedure was correct & fair! :)

thanks again to everyone to commented!

magnet giveaway!

I made these cute little magnets this week and I'm not sure how I am going to use them. They might be extra gifts that I include in orders, or I might sell them in sets of 4.

Due to my indecision, I am having a giveaway of one adorable magnet. Leave a comment telling me which magnet is your favorite and I will choose, at random, a winner. You can comment up until Sunday, March 20th! Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you for shipping info.

And... stay tuned to the blue eyed pearl to see how I use these little cuties. More to come!

Good luck! Can't wait to hear your favorites!

learning something new.

you've likely noticed this gorgeous picture that I use in my logo. It is a photo of my grandmother, taken sometime in the mid 1940's. I love everything about it!



So when I wanted to practice a new coaster-ing technique called a gel medium transfer, I immediately knew the photo I wanted to use.



And I think the end results were pretty great. Partly due to the urging of my BFF (who blogs here), I am planning on making a set of 4 using this photo. But I can also do any color photo, logo, or image.

Here is an example of a logo order I recently completed:



you can see more photos, info, & order here.

my 2 favorite boutiques

I am a lucky girl! I get to sell my coasters in 2 of chicago's cutest boutiques. SERIOUSLY -- every time I go in to drop off coasters, I can't help but make a purchase.



{visit inkling here}



&

{visit ravensgoods here}


{photo and great article found here}


hey chicago, stop in and check out all their cute stuff!

free shipping - today only!

why? because I love it when I get free shipping -- and you probably do, too!


{purchase here}


{purchase here}


{purchase here}


{purchase here}


{purchase here}

monograms & more

I love monograms & it seems now-a-days, pretty much anything can be monogrammed. i have made many a-monogram set for newlyweds or engaged couples. they also make a great housewarming gift for just about anyone. Here are some monogrammed treasures I found on etsy:



{monogram notecards found here}
{wedding invitations found here}
{wine stopper found here}
{baby spoons found here}

And here are some of my most popular monogram coaster designs:


{see more of my monogram designs & order here}

things i love.

1.small ash wood cutting board - terrain.
2.fawning over fringe heels - anthropologie
3. sandrine check dress - toast
4.full needle cardigan - banana republic
5.scrapwood wallpaper - piet hein
6.round french oven - le creuset
7. market tote bag - jil sander
8. bargello chamomile pillow - jonathan adler
9. nourishing lavender milk - terrain

inspiration.

a few of my favorite things.







record keeping journal 1888-1889
inside of journal
vintage half pint milk bottle
dietz lantern, circa 1940's
distressed stool

the cecilia coaster

The thing I love most about my ever-so-random hobby of coaster making is my ability to get creative with designs. This set really allowed me to channel my creativity and it was a ton of fun to create. Check out the Cecilia coaster here. Such a beauty!

the explorer coaster

This is one of my favorite sets --(warning: you might read that a lot around here)! There are a few special places that I will always hold dear - St. Bart's where we honeymooned, Knoxville, TN - where I went to college, Michigan, Chicago, the list goes on! This set serves as a little memento to those special places in our lives.

Where are your favorite places?

Prices are as follows, and you can order them here:
4 coasters- $22
5 coasters - $24
6 coasters - $26

Here are a few examples of some of the map sets I have made so far!

* * *
{knoxville, tennessee}




{south korea}



{san francisco}


{michigan}


{chicago}




{st. louis}