Fun DIY Coasters

I've recently stumbled upon some great DIY coaster projects online and I thought I'd share some of my favorites with you. The ones I'm featuring below are great because they each add a touch of fun and whimsy to their surroundings. Feel free to click on the links below each picture to be directed to their source, where you can find instructions to make them yourself!

86 lemons

I love the bold color and pattern of the DIY coasters above. How fun!

creme de la craft

The coasters pictured above are a great example of how much a bold print and bright colors can add some fun and interest to a space.

The Every Girl

Though the coasters pictured above lack a bright color or bold pattern, they're still a ton of fun! The polka dots and word "cheers"are just awesome! What do you think?

Alright, that's all for now everyone. See you again soon!

Lovely Paris Art Prints

Hey everyone! I hope you're all having a wonderful Saturday so far!

So, now that its been made clear that I have an obsession with pens, I'd also like to share with you another one of my great loves: Paris. I've visited the city twice in the past and absolutely loved it. It's a beautiful place with so many historical sites to see and visit, as well as amazing places to shop and eat wonderful food. I can't wait to go back! However, until then, I'll continue to browse the internet in search of lovely decorative items that remind me of Paris. Below are a few of my favorite Paris-themed art prints. Let me know what you think!

lauraamiss (on Etsy)

AmandaCatherineDes (on Etsy)

art.com

That's all for now, see you again soon!

Current Crush: Washi Tape Vases

Recently I've been seeing a lot of blog posts and pins featuring different ways you can use Japanese washi tape - a medium that has become quite popular among crafters and decor-addicts alike. I have to admit that I myself have a bit of an affinity for the stuff, especially since it comes in all sorts of fun prints and colors. During my time researching the various uses for washi tape, I was most impressed with the surprising touch of elegance it can add to things such as flower vases. Below I'm sharing just a few examples, I hope you enjoy them!

A Muse Studio

Meeha Meeha

Sweet Paul blog

Thanks for stopping by everyone! I'll see you again soon!

Pens I'm Currently Craving

Ask anyone who knows me really well and they'll all tell you the same thing: I love pens. I love them more than anyone in their right mind probably should, but I've learned to embrace that fact and now I'm sharing my passion for pens with you! I can't say I'm a big fan of those super fancy and expensive fountain pens or anything like that, as my taste ranges more towards gel pens along with a few ballpoints as well. A few years ago I was introduced to the world of Japanese pens. These pens come in all sorts of cute colors, oftentimes feature very small or sharp writing tips, and most notably write astonishingly smoothly. I actually think it's fair to say that I've become (somewhat) obsessed with them over the past few years. My favorite Japanese pen retailer, jetpens.com, carries the widest array of pens I've come across so far and they ship very quickly as well. Below I've pointed out some of their newest arrivals that I'm currently craving. If you like what you see, go ahead and check out the rest of their site - there's tons more to choose from! Enjoy!

Pilot Juice Gel Ink Pen - $1.65 (each) - Jetpens.com

Description from Jet Pens:

Juice up your notes with Pilot's Juice gel ink pens. This is a collection of brilliantly colorful pens, all of them containing pigment-based ink. Pigmented ink is water-resistant and fade-resistant, ensuring that your vivid colors stick around for a long time. The pens can write on most photographs, and the pastel colors are fun to try on dark papers. Attach your pen to your notebook using the sturdy spring-loaded clip. Or if you prefer, string a chain through the hole in the clip, then hang the pen from your bag or attach playful charms. (The chain in the photo is not included.)

Pilot Hi-Tec-C Maica Gel Ink Pen - $2.50 (each) - jetpens.com

Description from Jet Pens:

Pilot's Hi-Tec-C Maica pen has the Hi-Tec-C qualities we've come to rely on, including smooth, non-feathering ink. As a bonus, it's decked out in a jewel-like body. The metallic barrel, which is decorated with an embellished "M" logo, perfectly complements the transparent cap with multi-faceted top. Just like your favorite jewelry, the facets topping the cap bounce light for a sparkly effect. Add even more pizazz by stringing charms through the cap loop. When you're not busy gazing at your pretty pen, you will enjoy the water-based gel ink and the fine tip that is specially designed to ensure smooth writing. The pen comes in many colors, and the name "Maica" encourages you to choose your own "my color" and enjoy!

Colorful Buttons: Storage & Display

Many if not most crafters have at least a few buttons lying around in their their stash of craft supplies... but how to store and organize them in a convenient as well as aesthetically pleasing way? Well, the great thing about buttons is that the wide array of gorgeous colors they come in make them perfect for being displayed in craft rooms. The most common way of storing them is putting them into clear jars, canisters, or containers and placing them on shelves so that everyone can ooh-and-ah at your colorful collection. Below I've featured a few photos of some awesome button collections that are both neat and organized as well as pretty to look at. 

Studio Calico

Crafty Storage

Home Remedies

Jen Caputo

Craftaholics Anonymous

Below I've put together a collection of jars that are sold by various retailers that would be great for storing and organizing your very own collection of buttons! 

1. Heritage Hill Glass Jar 2 gal. 

2. IKEA Korken & IKEA Korken

3. IKEA Burken

4. Montana Mini Glass Jar with Lid

5. Bormioli Rocco Quattro Stagioni Jars Clear (12 Pc)

Thanks again everyone! See you soon!

A Celebration & Dog-Themed Stationery

The other day I heard some exciting news from my older brother, which I'm totally pumped about...he's getting a puppy! Yes!!! How awesome is that? I know that technically it's not going to be my puppy, but the fact that one of my close family members is adding a new furry and lovable member to our family makes me want to practically jump for joy. As you can probably tell at this point, I'm in love with dogs. They're really the best because no matter what, they'll put a smile on your face and be there for you when you need them. I'm very happy for my brother and so I've decided to celebrate this very special occasion by sending him a dog-themed card. I perused Etsy for a good bit of time last night and found some really great options that I thought I'd share with all of you. Below each picture is a link to the listing from that specific Etsy shop where you can buy the card yourself if you feel so inclined!

Fat Bunny Press on Etsy

FireHydrantPress on Etsy

Lennah Press on Etsy

Two of the three cards above are letterpress, while the other is a digital print. What I love about all of them is their simplicity and sweet colors. There's a lot of white present in each of them, which helps the bold lines and colorful silhouettes really stand out. I love how fun they are (not to mention adorable) and I'm still working on deciding which one of them I'll be sending to my brother, which has proven to be a difficult task!

Have a wonderful morning everyone and I'll see you again soon!

Welcome & A Craft Room of My Very Own

Hello all!

Welcome to my new blog, Jolies Fraises! My name's Missy and writing a blog has always been one of my biggest dreams and aspirations. I have a great love for all things decor, design & DIY and through this blog I hope to share with you the various inspirations that cross my path, the different crafts and DIY projects that I'll be working on over time, and the ideas and thoughts that come to mind along the way. Feel free to leave comments at the end of any of my posts. I'd love to receive them and I'll definitely respond!

One of my passions that you'll see a lot of here on this blog is doing various crafty projects. I love to make handmade paper goods (such as cards and gift tags) using papers of different colors and patterns, stamps, markers, inks, embellishments, etc. Later on I plan to post some photos of them so you can see what it is I work on and enjoy doing in my spare time. The creation of this blog has also prompted me to start some other crafty/DIY projects which I'll also post pictures of later on. Since I love crafty things as much as I do, I undoubtedly possess quite a few craft supplies that I've accumulated over the last few years. As a college student currently living in a less-than-spacious dorm room, I'm thrilled to announce that next year I will be living in my own apartment! Though I'm of course excited about having my own kitchen, living room, bedroom and (perhaps even more notably) my own bathroom, I have to admit that the first thing that popped into my mind when thinking about a new apartment was having a...craft room/space! Finally, a place to put and store and organize all of my craft supplies so that they are easily accessible whenever the mood strikes to start doing my crafty-thing! Though it's unclear how much square-footage will be available to use for my craft space, I am sure there will be at least some. So, recently, I have been scouring the internet for inspirational photos of real-life craft rooms/spaces that might give me an idea of how I'd like to set up or decorate my own space come next Fall. Today I thought I'd share some of my favorites with you and hopefully you'll also find some inspiration from them too!

Nichol Magouirk's blog features photos of her awe-inspiring craft room. The vibrant colors, the organization, the abundance of storage - it's a crafter's dream (or at least it's this crafter's dream, anyway). The picture above is great because it shows off all those great colors of her various craft supplies that add so much vibrancy and fun to the room.

The picture above shows off her awesome craft supply storage lay-out -- all tucked into a pretty and elegant bookcase!

(photos above) Nichol Magouirk's Craft Room

The two photos below are of Becky Oehler's lovely attic-turned-craft room and are featured on her blog, the Hemidemisemiquaver Design Blog.

I love the clean lines and beautiful features of this craft room, including the gorgeous hardwood floors and chandelier. The colors are also beautiful and work as a great backdrop to her various craft supplies on the shelves.

(photos above) hemidemisemiquaver design blog

This last craft room pictured below is stunning not only in it's pretty white built-ins and clean and neat lines, but also the unique chandelier that hangs above it all, giving the classic space a modern edge that's unexpected. 

Traditional Home Office by Houston Architect Collaborative Design Group-Architects & Interiors

houzz.com

Well that's all for now, but I'll be back soon with more posts. Thanks so much for stopping by!