All of these items are cute, reasonably priced and – best of all – made or collected by independent artists. Sometimes I just can’t remember what it was like to do holiday shopping without Etsy..

1. 22k gold rim dish by lovedaniella, 2. Vintage Swedish wood tray with gold stripes by smallvictoriesshop, 3. Vintage gold bamboo flatware from vintagequeen, 4. White and gold faux deer head by LucyHaus, 5. Dottie handprinted hemp pillow in gold and black by melongings

1. 10k gold-dipped geode by eringotz, 2. Gold-lined snakeskin cuff bracelet by UNEARTHED, 3. Gold-dipped geo rings by amerrymishap, 4. Asymmetrical gray and golden leather pendant by underanewlight, 5. White leather bangles with gold tube accents by LeatherWraps

1. Gold leather mask by NonDecaffeinatedArt, 2. White and gold scalloped buttons from BonitaBellitaEct, 3. Gold and white nautical stripe passport cover by Jenni20, 4, Gold anemone screenprint from printsbyamandajames, 5. Heart of gold sequined confetti from duskandbloompaperie, 6. Vintage Brass Squirrel from PineandMain

Design Work Life had a post last week about the work of artist Lulie Wallace. Her still life paintings are too cool — colorful, dynamic and a little retro, infusing energy and style into a potentially dull subject. I got caught up for a while this evening flipping through her portfolio, but the image featured above is one of my favs. I can’t be too sure, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the striped vase has something to do with it!

While I save up to hoard a few originals from her shop, I’ll hold myself over with a little dress-up inspired by Lulie’s bold, vintage vibe.

Clockwise from top left:
Tunic dress in old rose from Mango ($79.90)
Black and white polka dot foulard from Mango ($29.90)
Cosmic thread copper and walnut wood necklace by Goldlyn ($161)
Pastel pigments earrings by Modcloth($17.99)
Opaque tights in green wood from Nordstrom ($11.99)
Portola Valley Kaley handbag in mauve by Kate Spade($295)
Fuschia wool knit pencil skirt by Nina Ricci on MyTheresa ($765)
Orange “Oh My Darling” wedge from Modcloth ($54.99)
Essie nail polish is “Wife Goes On,” “Carry On” and Luxedo
Chartreuse vintage cat eye glasses on Flickr by Vintage Eyewear
Gray and navy stripe Breton top by Beth Graham via FarFetch ($87)
Bronze blaise flat moccasin with metallic dot studs by Loeffler Randall ($325)

This photo from the nümph brand news feed is a real treat!  The bold and retro mosaic pattern jumped out at me for obvious reasons, but the artist here has introduced enough “busy” elements to keep things interesting and balanced.

I’m a sucker for a good geometric pattern, and while I used to be a die-hard polka dot enthusiast, I’ve recently found my tastes graduating to triangular tessellations. Lucky for me, triangles are everywhere these days–from art to fashion, triangles are downright trendy.  Is the triangle the hippest shape out there right now? Check out some of the inspired pieces below and weigh in on the debate!

Clockwise from top left:

Cassette Society metallic gold triangle tee on ShopBop.com ($58.50)
1960 tribal triangle necklace by House of Harlow on Bloomingdales ($80)
Geometric beams dress with bead embellishment from Beyond the Valley via Asos ($450)
Cropped triangles top from Fred Flare ($33.99)
Geometric pop earrings by nomilktoday on Etsy ($9.50)
Multi triangles heather grey tee by jessalinb on Etsy ($36)
Converse triangle-print hightop Marimekko sneakers via Saks Fifth Avenue ($80)
Occult triangle badges from PandaEyesPendants on Etsy ($5 for 4)
Beaded geometry bag from Anthropologie ($228)
Geometric mosaic cuff by American Apparel ($24.50)

Uh-maz-ing. It’s like this bag is speaking to my soul. Maybe it’s because today’s high was only 20-something degrees, but these pieces from Mara’s resort collection are looking especially good right now. The colors and the patterns are spot-on trend, and I’m kind of wishing there was a beach in my near future!

I first stumbled upon this image from Peter Freitag’s “Private Stages” on Today and Tomorrow, and felt an instant attraction. A bit of reading revealed this work as one of many collages that was conceived with some creative editing of amateur nude photos found on the Internet. Say what? I know, crazy, but each of the lovely pieces in this series was painstakingly crafted by layering hole-punched dots from several copies of the printed photo until the provocative content was obscured. As a girl who has spent many an hour cloning, patching and healing in Photoshop, I find his handiwork especially impressive. Check out the full series on Peter Freitag’s portfolio site for so many more beautifully transformed photos.

Besides the fact that this work is absolutely stunning, the colors and the playful layering of dots in this particular collage got me dreaming of other things.. fantastically feminine pieces inspired by the white and pink hues and the pattern of the circles, reminiscent of cascading bubbles from a freshly opened bottle of champagne. My mind has been known to wander..

Clockwise from top-left:
Cream pom pom scarf found in melelim’s Etsy shop ($10)
Hand-crafted rings bracelet from bluehourdesigns on Etsy ($60)
T-Los Angeles circle tee in off-white on Boutique To You ($110)
ASOS DARE studded hightop sneakers ($55)
Circle jelly flats from Marc by Marc Jacobs
Mesh teardrop crop top from Topshop ($40)
Champagne bubbles ring by Kate Spade ($55)
Marc Jacobs polka dot mini-skirt in rose and cream on MyTheresa.com ($660)
Scalloped shift dress by Robert Rodriguez on Shopbop ($594)
Sequined fold-over clutch from BCBGMAXAZRIA ($43)

This piece titled “Plastic Eden,” by Francesco Simeti really caught my eye when I saw it on Moon River the other day.  Simeti, a Brooklyn-based artist from Palermo, Italy, has been known to remix classic wallpaper patterns with images from news and modern art. Upon first glance, I didn’t even notice the owl, hawk or duck that Simeti magically transported into his tropical collage. With or without the displaced birds, I’m loving this quirky pattern and it’s making me yearn for some more vintage prints!

Clockwise from top left:

Long-sleeved tropical tee by French Connection ($98)
Felted cashmere flower headband by bigbrownhouse on Etsy ($24)
Vintage leaf post earrings by Givenchy, featured on Ruby Lane ($10)
Oversized tropical barkcloth tote from janiesofmiami on Etsy ($80)
Women’s faux-leather sandals from Old Navy ($24.50)
Louis Vuitton Stephen Sprouse leopard print shawl
Vintage toucan bird brooch by 1928 Jewelry ($60)
Two tickets to paradise dress from Mod Cloth ($64.99)
Gerard Yosca’s long coral necklace on Shop Twigs ($62)
Vintage tropical short-sleeved top on Mod Cloth ($34.99)

This post is inspired by an artist whose work was featured last month on Design*Sponge.  Kristen Wicklund’s doilies, shown here on exhibit at Greenwich House, are hand-crocheted, dipped in porcelain and fired. The cotton yarn burns away to leave behind a hollow porcelain shell, taking the beauty and delicacy of lace doilies to a whole new level.

I love doily patterns and hope to one day have the skill and patience necessary to make my own. In the meantime, I’m thinking of picking up one of Kristen’s creations from her shop on Etsy, called Forest Clearing. If you’re more of a fashion fiend than an art collector, the pieces below might fulfill your need for some doily-inspired fun.

Clockwise from top left:
Stone color wavy sequin blouse from Topshop  ($90)
Crushed glitter minaudiere by J. Crew  ($49.50)
Marc by Marc Jacobs faux bow glitter ring on Zappos ($54)
Black Silence & Noise sequin tee from Urban Outfitters ($48)
Sequin brooches by jeweler Joanna Campbell featured via Fingers
Black stingray cuff bracelet in luluka’s Etsy store ($40)
ABS sequined shift dress at Saks Fifth Avenue ($360)
Sequin scarf in iron from Ann Taylor Loft ($29.50)
Christian Louboutin Fred Flat glitter in anthracite at Barney’s ($595)
Glitter shimmer pot in silver by Sephora  ($8)
Silence & Noise sequin skirt from Urban Outfitters ($88)
Marni glitter flower necklace on Brown’s
Nude glitter pump by Christian Louboutin at Bergdorf Goodman ($595)

Yesterday we tweeted about a cardigan-centric post from You Are my Fave, which featured this photo of an embellished sweater from J Crew . The ruffled beauty is unfortunately sold out, but that shouldn’t stop you from re-creating the style with pieces from your existing wardrobe!

This old tank and cardigan have fallen out of  normal rotation – the tank is a little short, but I love the pattern and couldn’t bear to part with it in my most recent purge.  The sweater? Just a big bored with it.  Feeling inspired, I decided to combine the two into something new!

I thought this shirt would make a great ruffle for two reasons: 1. it’s a cute, neutral color and pattern and 2. the soft jersey knit material will hang well and can live without a hem. First, I split the shirt down it’s side seam. Luckily for me, the lace trim was only on the front, leaving a nice open area on the back for me to trace my first ruffle.

The first strip I cut was for my larger, bottom ruffle. I measured the fabric out to remain 5″ wide from start to finish. The second ruffle was cut out of the front of the tank, on the bottom half. This second strip  started out at 3 1/2″ and tapered off to 2″at its end (about 18″ long). I wanted this strip to have a narrower end so that my top ruffle would have more defined layers. 

Thread a needle through the top hem of your ruffle, folding the fabric back and forth (like a paper fan) as you sew. As you pull the thread, the fabric should gather and start to ruffle. I used a regular thread, but I’m assuming this would work even better with an elastic.

With a steam iron, I carefully pressed my pleats to form sharp creases in the fabric. Easier said than done, but the results came out great! Now, lets fold these bad boys into their final ruffly state…

1. Start with the small tapered ruffle, laid out flat

2. Fold the top half of the ruffle down over the bottom half, with the reverse side of the fabric showing

3. Fold the remaining bit down, print side up, to form a wedge shaped piece for your top ruffle

4. Next, lay the larger 5″ ruffle out on a flat surface

5. & 6. Fold ruffle back and forth in a zig-zag to create alternating layers of patterned and reversed fabric

7. This is what my completed bottom ruffle looked like when I was done folding.

8. Once you’ve laid out both ruffles, pinch the folds and discreetly sew each layer to secure.

9. Here are the finished pieces! I decided not to sew them together, in case I wanted to use the top or bottom ruffle separately on another garment.

10. Use a safety pin to secure the bottom ruffle to your cardigan. You can also sew them on, but I wanted the option of removing them before laundering as well as using them as embellishments elsewhere!

DONE! Pin the top ruffle in place and VOILA! A magical creation, all your own.

Only took 2 hours, and it didn’t cost $118 from J Crew. Score.