LOS: Tell us a little about yourself.
Gini: My name is Louise Armitage, but everyone calls me Gini which is short for ginger. I’m 38, live in Yorkshire, England, with my partner of 19 years, my 2-year-old daughter and my bunny Suki. I’m currently a stay-at-home mum. I was a librarian, but when I return to work I want to retrain as a teaching assistant. I run my Etsy shop, Gini’s Boutique around my current lifestyle, making jewellery, accessories and home decorations, specializing in Dorset buttons.

LOS: What was the best moment of your day today?
Gini: Listening to my partner read The Gingerbread Man at story time before bed. He always make me laugh with his character voices. “I’m getting wet” in a squeaky voice, hilarious!

LOS: How do you express your creativity?
Gini: In my items for my shop, pretty and practical things for my home and clothing for both me and my daughter. I’m always making something, I never seem to stop and always have a list of things to do.

LOS: What makes you happy?
Gini: Sunshine and smiles. I love being outside on a sunny day doing my crafts in the garden with my little girl and rabbit playing around my feet. I feel very lucky that I have this opportunity to be a stay-at-home mum and enjoy it.

LOS: Who or what inspires you? Why?
Gini: Everyone and everything. Looking through a magazine, going on a nature walk, or even just having a rummage through my craft supplies. I love being inspired by my fellow Etsians too. I quick browse around Etsy and suddenly I have giddy enthusiasm to make lots of new things.

Thanks Gini!

For more inspiration interviews head here.

For more pretty pieces from Gini, click here.

Join Gini’s Boutique on Facebook here.

LOS: Tell us a little about yourself.
LA: Hello! My name is Lara. Average young lady, 23, who has an avid interest in everything beaded, metal and sparkly. I am from the English suburbia on the cusp of London and I love my city. I live half at my parents and half at my boyfriend’s family home. Who I also love. I’m often described as “kooky” “quirky” or “weird, but in a good way”. I was once told by someone that they think I see the world in different shades of pink. I smile a lot and like to dance (in front of anybody), sing (in front of nobody), wear bear hats and make things. Jewellery is my forte and I have an Etsy store and a blog and find nothing more therapeutic than to sit and make.

LOS: What was the best moment of your day today?
LA:  When my manager at “thedayjob” bought the most wonderful cupcakes from the farmers market in town and shared them out. Simple pleasures.

LOS: How do you express your creativity?
LA: Mostly through the jewellery I carefully create, but I also like to write and keep a private journal. My boyfriend and I share a similar personality in the way that we can find amusement in almost anything and we come up with a lot of imaginary scenarios which, I think, stimulates the creativity in both us.

LOS: What makes you happy?
LA: I find happiness in drinking tea. Nights out at the pub with my friends. Nights in with a take-away, a DVD and the boy. The boy in general. Reading a very good book in the bath. My kitten sleeping round my head at night. Blistering sunshine. Everything to do with dinosaurs. Photographs. Wearing Barney the bear hat. Making up stories. Making jewellery. The colour pink. Having naps on lazy days.

LOS: Who or what inspires you?
LA: Mostly, my boy. But I also find other creative people inspiring. Seeing how hard other people work and the amazing results that they achieve. Seeing the creative mind of someone else is kind of magical, don’t you think?

Thanks Lara!

For more inspiration interviews head here.

For more pretty jewellery from Lara, click here.

LOS: Tell us a little about yourself.
Susana: I am a journalist and my goal, as of 10 years ago, was to be an independent filmmaker. But my hands were always telling me to embroider, to draw, to make softies, so I steered away from making movies and focused more on crafts. Making plushies for children in orphanages was my main inspiration to keep on crafting.

LOS: What was the best moment of your day today? 
Susana: When my partner called me early in the morning from work. It is a ritual we have and always gives me the boost of energy I need to keep on going through the rest of the day, and it is a million times healthier and sweeter than coffee!

LOS: How do you express your creativity?
Susana: I believe in expressing my creativity from my outfits and my general sense of styling to endlessly being involved in needlecraft. I am quite multi-disciplinary when it comes to expressing myself: photography, film, softies, embroidery, drawings and illustrations, and lately, fanzines and mini-books. If it is a visual outlet for self-expression, more than likely, I will try it out.

LOS: What makes you happy?
Susana: The possibility of living in a better world in which we can all be creative, self-sustainable, gentler to the planet and to ourselves and the fact that I believe that each day more and more are joining in, that makes me very, very happy.

LOS: Who or what inspires you? Why?
Susana: Everything inspires me! Because I try to keep my senses open at all times, and finding inspiration in the least likely places is always such a delight. I enjoy approaching the world from every perspective possible and embrace the differences and the uniqueness of everyone and everything around us, broadening my horizons, perspective-wise, also broadens my inspiration sources to infinity: every single day I am in total awe.

Thanks Susana!

For more inspiration interviews head here.

For more embroidery and illustrations from Susana, click here.

LOS: Tell us a little about yourself.
Allison: Hi! My name is Allison. I am from out in the middle of nowhere Tennessee and now reside in Knoxville as my husband attends Law School at the University of Tennessee. We have a miniature schnauzer named Bailey and spoil her rotten every chance we get (which is every 5 minutes). I have a passion for all things creative whether it be arts and crafts, a good meal, an adventurous date, writing, music, or teaching (among a million other things). My husband, Andrew, and I love to be outside and spend lots of time at the park, backpacking, hiking, etc and hope to live out on a farm one day! All of this is my inspiration behind my etsy shop, hoop~da~loop (www.hoopdaloop.etsy.com) which is home to whimsical party decor and gifts.

LOS: What was the best moment of your day today?
Allison: The sun was shining and the air was crisp so I took my dog on a quick walk outside before work. The autumn flowers are starting to blossom here so they are beautiful!

LOS: How do you express your creativity?
Allison: In lots of ways! I have a blog and an Etsy shop that are more obvious ways for onlookers. But I like to sit outside and fold origami cranes, read, sing at the top of my lungs when no one is listening, learn new things, and take photos. I love colors, so any medium that deals with colors, I love.

LOS: What makes you happy?
Allison: My husband and dog, my family and friends, my faith, being outside, reading, writing, learning, colors, music, snuggling, tea, running, the seasons, parties, weddings, EATING, finding unique and tasty restaurants, traveling, learning about new cultures… I could go on and on…. I just have a natural craving for knowledge so anything I can learn always makes me happy.

LOS: Who or what inspires you?
Allison: My customers! I do lots of custom orders for people. They choose their colors and shapes and they always come up with such fun color palettes and funky patterns. I am always so inspired! Nature also is a HUGE inspiration for me. I grew up on a farm and loved the nature around me. The colors and the shapes are so inspiring to me. Going with that, colors really inspire me. I also love looking at other cultures for inspiration – the way they dress, the way they express themselves, their folk art….

LOS: Thanks Allison!
Allison: Thanks for having me!! I hope you’ll stop by the blog and shop.

For more inspiration interviews head here.

For more fun party decor from Allison, click here.

LOS: Tell us a little about yourself.
Nora: My name is Nora. I am a 24-year-old queer Stone Femme. I grew up in Los Angeles, and I lived and went to school in Montreal for five years before coming to Brooklyn in September 2010. I have a shop on Etsy that sells vintage clothing, accessories, notions, treasures, and some handmade goodies as well! I also have a blog at norasnecessities3.blogspot.com/.

LOS: What was the best moment of your day today?
Nora: Getting morning cuddles from my partner before they went off to work.

LOS: How do you express your creativity?
Nora: Very verbally! Ha ha. I have done everything from singing in a punk band to being a ballerina, but these days I express my creativity through my Etsy shop, my environment, and my outfits.

LOS: What makes you happy?
Nora: A cozy bed, little kisses, peanut butter and chocolate, very fluffy cats, making treasuries, studying queer theory, DJing dance parties, having long talks, being with family and friends.

LOS: Who or what inspires you? Why?
Nora: My friends inspire me…they are all so driven and fabulous and talented.

My family inspires me, my dad is so principled, and works for social change, my mom is an incredible artist who shows her interior self to the world through her art.
Los Angeles inspires a lot of my aesthetic: Rockabilly Pin Up Girl Calavera Beach Queen Weetzie Bat 50s Hollywood Glam.

Music always inspires me. I’m a musician, and a DJ and It gets the artsy side of my brain flowing.

Thanks Nora!

For more inspiration interviews head here.

For more awesome vintage finds from Nora, click here.

LOS: Tell us a little about yourself.
LC: I grew up in a small city in Canada were I attended university and married my high school sweetheart. I am currently a stay-at-home mom to a beautiful baby boy. In my spare-time, when I can find a few moments these days, I enjoy painting, drawing, and taking photos of whatever I can.

LOS: What was the best moment of your day today?
LC: The best moment of my day was making my son laugh.

LOS: How do you express your creativity?
LC: There is nothing I love more than drawing and painting, but I also enjoy playing the piano, dancing, photography and writing.

LOS: What makes you happy?
LC: Spending time with friends and family, and having the freedom to do what I love.

LOS: Who or what inspires you? Why?
LC: Music is often my inspiration. Specific forms of music will make my pen do different things. I think it’s the way that the notes invoke different feelings inside me.

Other artists and their work inspire me. I may see something that I enjoy and remember fragments of it that, in turn, enter my work. I think without the inspiration of other works of art, many pieces of art would not be in existence today. It’s layer upon layer of ideas.

Thanks LC!

For more inspiration interviews head here.

For more cute drawings and photography from LC, click here.

Yes, it’s another drool-worthy recipe I spotted on Smitten Kitchen this week. It has ingredients like mascarpone cheese, cinnamon, plenty of chocolate and of course, wine.

Recipe in the link above. If you make it, enjoy and report back (and save me a piece…!)

And then we saw Pamela Rojas, a Chilean muralist, hanging out with a friend by her van. Inside were buckets of paint and a rough plan for a new mural next to this one. She had come to touch up the faces that she painted a year ago and draw the outline for the new piece on the next wall.

She’s hoping to have the kids of Kitchener help her out with that one by marking numbers in the sections like a good old larger than life color-by-number.

We chatted for a bit. Both of them were incredibly friendly and creative people. I’m looking forward to going back to Kitchener when the new mural is finished!

I’ll leave you with a few photos I’ve taken in my backyard and around town since I’ve been home:

If you want to see more photography, you can always take a peak on my Etsy page and I love new Facebook fans!

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend and I’ll see you next week!

1. These pretty sparkling beaded sequin headbands remind me of something out of Anthropologie. Love that shop.

2. Some Autumn decor with my favorite shade of blue, this photograph is very festive, no?

3. Nights are getting colder. Feet are getting colder. These slippers are super cute and if I could I would probably wear them outside too…

4. Before the season changes completely, I’d like to get a few more margaritas in. Maybe with this pretty gold sugar round the rim!

5. I am smitten with the photography of Maximonstertje who I featured in yesterday’s inspiration interview. Especially her images of people.

6. A new bag, in fun Fall red, handmade in Thailand is in order. Love the shape of this one:

7. This pretty Autumn dress from one of my favorite Etsy shops calls for a big red belt.

8. If I had my own house these days, I’d definitely have a stack of these colorful dish cloths in my drawer!

9. Now that I’m home and have a bathtub, I can indulge in all things Lush-like and relaxing like this lovely looking lemongrass bath bomb.

10. For those of you making your own Etsy wish lists, I have to show off my new shop. It’s called Photo Larks. Here’s one of my favorite images that I took down on Brick Lane in my London days:

And your wish list this week? What are you eyeing up this season?