Crafting: Finding ideas for inspiration!

Some days I could spend hours making buckles and never stop to take a breath, but other days I just sit and stare at the piles on my desk. What's the difference? Inspiration! 

Here are some of my favorite ways to get inspired and things that I find inspiring...

- I'm a frugal person (that's the nice way to say it  :)  ), so I always keep old greetings cards and fun scraps of paper around - you just never know when they'll be perfect for a project.  So take a look through your piles of saved scraps.

- When my husband and I want to think about adventure, the first thing we do is pull out maps. We have piles of them. So why not create fun items from the maps I love to look at. What do you love to browse through? How can you use that item in a project?
The beginning of a new buckle...

- Around town I keep my eyes open for things I like and that are eye-catching. All the beautiful colors at the paint store - put them to use!

- Borrow from one craft to give to another! Besides making buckles I also love to sew. Turns out there are a million fun fabrics with great designs. Why not borrow from my sewing stash for my other favorite craft? Blanket or buckle...

And, finally, there's always inspiration to be found online...

• Browse the amazing crafts and great photos at craftgawker.com
• Look at the beautiful treasuries on etsy.com
• Find a few blogs that have a great aesthetic. My choice today is elle.mnop - a pleasingly simple website with beautiful photos, fun ideas, and a mishmash that's fun to explore.

What items inspire you?