There’s finally a use for that tumbleweed of pet hair you keep finding under the bed. Well, there is if you’re Paul Hazelton. He makes sculptures out of the stuff. I just wonder how he keeps from sneezing them into oblivion.

Artist Vanessa St. Laurent paints nothing but candy. Which is, I suppose, the next best thing to eating it and requires a lot fewer trips to the dentist.

I have never been technically inclined, but I couldn’t help being complete intrigued by these prints of ordinary objects disassembled and artfully arranged by Etsy seller Brittny Badger.

Each 13×19″ print is $50.

I recently attended the Etsy Dallas Spring Bash where I discovered some wonderful photographs (many taken in Texas) from husband and wife team, Karl and Kathleen.

Their store is called Seen Studios. Each image they sell is roughly 8″x10″ and printed on a 13″x19″ sheet with a white border ($35 each). But custom sizes are available upon request.

Here is a very cute start to an animal alphabet series by Etsy artist, Jennifer Hewett.

She also has “G for Giraffe” and will be adding new letters regularly. Check out her blog for sneak-peeks at her works in progress.

These prints by artist Evan B. Harris would make a perfect, if somewhat quirky, pair. “Garden Grows Piano Keys” and “Salt & Sea Piano Keys” are available at Charmingwall, along with a lot of other cool prints priced at $20.

Etsy continues its reign as my absolute favorite place to shop for art and home decor. I only wish I had more time to peruse their many fabulous stores.

Luckily, there are plenty of bloggers out there posting wonderful Etsy picks. Here are a few:

From More Ways to Waste Time, a print of "Whale and Innards" by Evan B. Harris, $20.

From Decor8, the "Horse Bones" tray by lbegley, $16

And from Josh Spear, a collection of animal themed prints called "the Little Zoo," by Elizabeth Soule. They range in price from $25-$70.

It’s the last day of 2007, so I can’t help but reminisce about some of my favorite finds of the past year. Here they are in no particular order:

Favorite Furniture Steal: The Hemnes collection at Ikea.

This stuff is classic, simple and striking. I recently checked out a few pieces in store, and they were sturdy and well-made, no screws showing or peeling veneer.

The collection includes a bed, side table, this fabulous mirrored dresser, and a beautiful chest of drawers. Pieces range from $49.99 - $349.99.

Favorite Artist Discovered Online: Linzie Hunter

I’m completely infatuated with Linzie Hunter’s collection of Spam One-Liners. The handmade typography is striking and the messages are a fascinating snap-shot of online life. Prints of the one-liners are available at Thumbtack Press for $30 a piece.

Favorite Online Gift Source: Etsy

It’s handmade, it’s quirky, it’s the perfect place to find that thing that you can be sure they don’t already have. I love shopping on Etsy. From toilet tank decals to mean bags to cute, swear-word embroidered bunnies, I found most of my holiday gifts right here online.

Favorite Source of Decorating Inspiration/Frustration: Zara Home

The images from their catalog are soul-crushingly gorgeous and they have no American retail outlets. And even though cruising their site makes me want to rip my hair out from frustration, Zara Home is one of my favorite sources of decorating inspiration.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Check out these eclectic plates that Give Simple is featuring! They were hailed in Daily Candy  this year and after taking a closer look I can see why!

Made of melamine, these plates are  shatterproof,
dishwasher safe and kid-friendly. This material offers the versatility we adore, without sacrificing the ultra-stylish look and feel. Give Simple says,

"Everything about these bold,
colorful plates is unique. The Wrought Irony dinner plates and Royal
Farce side plates are perfect to mix and match for fun, eclectic dining
(outdoor or indoor). They work especially well for entertaining."

These works of art are truly just that;  a product of student artist at the Savannah College of Art and Design. So enjoy your beautiful dinner table and support the arts at the same time!

Shop for Melamine Dinnerware
starting at just $6.00!

An artist who’s work is designed to captivate and calm, Michael Hoffman has taken some very rich colors and bold graphic compositions like circles, grids and stripes to
create a universal appeal that not only pulls the viewer in but holds them there to explore their subtle details. 

I noticed a common theme in his paintings to be the relationship between rigid linear form and the organic flow of nature, order and disorder.  Mr Hoffman makes the comment…..

"I feel this is reflective in many ways of our society and peoples’ longing for something more than the sterility of technology in our modern lives."

My favorites are the "Take Me Home" above and the long "St. Tropez I" panel. Simply stunning.  His work can be seen this summer at the Byron Roche Gallery in Chicago or go to the Byron Roche website to view more of Hoffman’s work.