But even though I consider myself an interwebs search jedi, I wasn’t finding enough face value (or cheap enough), unused stamps, even on eBay. This how-to from 100 Layer Cake was helpful, but didn’t quite get me there. And then I stumbled on the vintage stamp secret! Search by sheet. There are zillions of stamps on eBay, but it’s significantly easier and faster to search by sheet. Stamps used to come in sheets of 50, 40, or sometimes 20. So if you’re buying nearly face-value, intact sheets, they’ll be unused and you’ll have lots to pick from. Jackpot.

Then you’ll see that many or most have “Scott Numbers” listed. For those of you who aren’t stamp geeks, that’s the catalog number. When you find a design you like (even if it’s not at a price you like), go to the main stamp sheet page here and then plug in its Scott number and search. Bingo. You’ll usually get lots of results with varying prices and are almost sure to find a deal. (For instance, here are a bunch of listings that vary widely in price for one of my fave stamps, botanical congress.) Just one warning: Once you figure out how to find them, it’s hard to stop. If you’re on a vintage stamp quest, I hope this helps!

Map of the world made from a stamp from each country. Awesome!

If you’re in New York and you want to score a TweeCard for your mamma, it’s not too late! Head to Williamsburg anytime between now and Saturday to 303GRAND’s Thanks, Mom popup shop. My “Dear Mom” card is for sale in three lovely colors (as seen in the photo thanks to my Perez Hilton-style photoshopping skillz). They also have other cool handmade gifts, so it’s definitely worth a stop! It’s at 303 Grand Street in Williamsburg, and they’re open from 3pm to 8pm during the week and noon to 8pm Saturday.

It seems like I’ve seen a ton of paper artists out there lately, but Su Blackwell must surely win the wow-factor prize. My friend Amanda sent me this link and I simply must share, because Su’s creations are brilliant. She uses books as a launching point for paper sculptures, with subjects like Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and The Secret Garden. (And then there’s also just general loveliness.) Wow. Go look at the rest of her portfolio!

PS: I don’t know about you, but for me Wednesday is such a bummer of a day–there’s still so much to do in the week, but you’re already worn out from Monday and Tuesday. I think we all need a little sunshine on hump day, so I’m starting a new Wednesday Inspiration column to share anything and everything that inspires me to keep creating. See you here next week for more inspiring finds!

It’s Friday and I’m a little (ok a lot!) fried. So it’s time for some menial labor: cutting these logo stickers out one-by-one. (Note to self: Must figure out a better sticker system!)

My first batch of sales, all packed up last night and waiting to ship. So exciting!

After weeks of designing and dithering, my first line of cards is finally up on Etsy! I promise you won’t be getting a play-by-play of every single card that goes up, but I’m so excited I just had to share. This first line is a fun one: I’m calling it Exclamation! Cards (mostly just in my head) and it’s all about modern sentiments both cheeky & sweet. I’ll be adding more cards asap (some lovely girly ones and stationery) and then I think the shop will be really representative of my overall style. Anyhow, go check it out if you’re so inclined!

Martha has some instructions if you want to DIY. (I read some of the comments first which is always helpful.) For small poms, loosely follow the instructions for the napkin rings. (No more than 4 layers of paper for the little guys! I learned the hard way.) I used string instead of floral wire because I didn’t have any and it worked just fine. Yay, spring!

Carved a trout for the boyfriend’s wrapping paper. Happy Birthday, Colin!

This is the work of artist Aoyama Hina, who makes her paper cut art by hand with just a pair of tiny scissors. Amazing. I can’t begin to imagine the kind of patience you’d have to have. Read more at Paper Forest, and check out the artist’s Flickr here.