Spring is here! The snow is starting to melt and birds are merrily singing as they collect shiny things for their nests. What about the rest of us? We're preparing to collect a few shiny things of our own at indie craft fairs and flea markets! Yay! Want to know where I turn to find the best flea markets and indie craft fairs? C'mon let's go...

A display of fiestaware at the Brimfield Show held in Massachusetts 3x per year and one of my favorites in the country.

I've been a fair and flea market shopper since I was a kid because my mother and grandparents were BIG into it. I love the thrill of the hunt so I continue this family tradition with my husband Thorsten. He usually doesn't scout for the same things as I do so we bring our cellphones and stay in touch as we both venture off to booths we enjoy meeting up later to lay out our loot and play a little show 'n tell. This year, we're preparing to hit a few events and here's where I go to find the best of the best. 

FLEA MARKETS: Recycling is a good thing, especially coupled with fresh air, friendly vendors, and rare finds.One site I refer to often is The Flea Market Guide, a website that lists all shows held throughout the year in the USA organized by state. It's very helpful, especially when you travel and want to hit a few fleas you've never shopped before. Another site I like is Craigslist because you can find some flea markets listed there. Under Search I usually type Flea and in the drop down menu below that I select Community.   Country Living magazine is another terrific resource for finding all the good fleas. They list them in their magazine and on their website monthly as they refresh their calendar of events -- here's their guide for March. In addition, they have a listing of antiques shows here. My final tip is the obvious though some forget that they're advertised here -- check your local newspaper under Yard Sales.

A pair of vintage Heywood Wakefield chairs that I snapped up at Brimfield in May 2007.

INDIE CRAFT FAIRS: Ah, the joy of handmade. These craft fairs are not only a lot of fun, but a great way to find new and interesting things that are often one-of-a-kind and priced right. Plus you can usually meet the maker at these shows, a huge perk for me because I love to see the face behind the product. I enjoy making meaningful connections with others so when I take my treasure home, I enjoy it even more because often I had a conversation with the maker so there's a special memory attached to it. My home is filled with things that tell a little story which is why Indie Craft Fairs are a big hit with me. I visit the South End Open Market in Boston (especially on opening weekend, this year it is May 17-18) and the Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn. For a list of indie craft fairs held in the USA, visit the Indie Craft Fair Guide. I think that may be one of the best guides on the web, there's even a separate zine fair listing here, but there are others like Indie Craft Shows, Festival Network Online, Where It's At, and Fairs and Festivals.

What events are you attending this year in your local area? Any tips you'd like to share on how you find your local shows?

(photographs taken by Holly Becker)

It's Friday, who wants to read with a holiday weekend here? So I'll make this post image heavy and text light, how's that sound? Eye candy here we come! But of course, I have to give you a little intro so here goes...

Littlest Flower: King of Castle $10

I could go on and on about affordable art (mostly prints) maybe even devote an entire blog to it (or book) because I'd never run out of content. It's a sickness, my design crack. If I showed you the plastic bin in my work studio filled with prints I've purchased over the years from artists I follow, you'd call me a total junkie. I need prints because I have to live around things that visually stimulate me. And when I have children, I will follow my own advice here and decorate their rooms with lovely art prints at least until they are old enough to tell me that the giraffes have to go because the Transformers or babes in bikinis are going up. While I can control what's on the walls, I'll no doubt be shopping at some of these fine stores below. Then again, I've already shopped at many of these stores so I'm living proof that some of these aren't just for the tots. If you click around the links below, you will no doubt find more grown up friendly designs by the many artists featured here.

So enough talking, let's look at some art!

Binth: Numbers Poster, $55.

Full views of work not shown above, you'll need to click on these links to see entire images. GUIDE: 1. Tootsweet Shop: Barometz print $50,  2.Sarah Jane Studios: Summer Tea Party $24, 3. Shirae: Hoola $18, 4. MikieP: Girl Power $20, 5. Lab Partners: Birds and Squirrel Field trip $20,  6. Blanca Helga: Animal Tower $3, 7 & 8.Kiki and Polly: Hippity Hop to Bed $20 and Pink Fabric Eared Bunny $20.

Paul Chung: 123 Bird Series $15 (each print shown grouped in 3 framed above), and A Sitting Boy $18, also by Paul Chung. He's pretty amazing, by the way.

San Fran 67: Freddy $70. This artist makes the most intricate paper cutouts and frames them, what gorgeous displays for any kids' room.

Molly Jey is another great artist doing work that is very beautiful by cutting paper to form beautiful storybook-like three dimensional scenes. Shown here is Mystical Forest, $120.

GUIDE: 1.Sasha Loots: Meg and Pelly $40, 2. Axel Honey: The Trip $20, 3. Sammy Dog Productions: Fish $15, 4.  Bumble Belly Designs: Trains and Planes $56, 5. Joseph Blake: I'll Be $26, 6. Paula Birdy: Alpha-birdy $35, 7. Aja Vu: Monsieur Poo Arctic Explorer $20, 8. JMC Designs: The Dance $50, 9. Tamba Toys: Can You See Me $14, and 10. Nuria73: My Secret Garden Rouge $40. 

e.soule: The Little Zoo series, $70 each.

GUIDE: Charlie Motel: Somebody Loves You $20,  Creative Thursday: Peep Peep $35, Seaspray Blue: The CountUp $17, Margin: Laurence $20, JRitter Designs: ABC Illustration Girls $20, Wren and Chickadee: Paper Doll $18, Fox in the Woods: Forest and Fields $20, Corid: Miss Britta and Her Goose Goes to Market $18, Geninne's Art Store: Craft Bird $30, Calobee Doodles: Alphabet Soup $32.

Sandy Mac and her PEZ dispensers are fun, especially if you love a little retro!

GUIDE: 1.Witty Workshop: Alice's Flower $25, 2. Monster Gallery: Godzilla $4.50, 3. Goobeetsa: Ice Cream Monster $15, 4. Paint and Ink: Kingdom of Imagination $7, 5.Ubiki: Forest $25, 6. Cathy Nichols: Santuary $28, 7. Ink and Wit: Sour Grapes $35,8. Plants and Animals: Owl Tree $12, 9. Yumi Yumi: These Are For You $20, and 10. Belle and Boo: Freedom $30

Stephanie DosReis: 178 Ochre Street, $28.

GUIDE: Jenn Ski Art: Bird $25, Anne's Illustration: Mustang $20, Bee's Knees Industries: Robot Love $20, Marmee Craft: Monsieur Hedgehog $16, Shelby Healey: Bathtime $18, Carla Sonheim: Tire Swing Play $18, Claudine Hellmuth: Out Shopping $255 (cute for pregnant mom),  Pequenio Craft: Paper Doll $16, Terese Bast: Swing $25, The Black Apple: Wolfbaby Vs Foxbaby $18, Michelle Caplan: Coney Island $25, Matte Art: Weather Vivienne $60.

And of course, you can always frame cards that you like. Sweet Beets has some of the best I've seen for framing for only $5.50.

What about displaying a few of these pretty masks on the wall from Abigail Brown? $9 each.

Happy clicking and have a wonderful weekend everyone! Erin the Queen of Organization and I, Holly the Decorating Diva, will see you bright and early on Monday morning! :)

(images are all linked to sources above.)

Do you shop Etsy? Not eBay, Etsy, ya know it rhymes with Betsy? Etsy is a virtual marketplace filled with mostly handmade items created by both male and female crafters, artists, and designers worldwide. I say mostly because there are stores that specialize in flea market finds or arts and crafts supplies such as how-to books, fabric, notions, equipment, etc. Outside of a few exceptions, one-of-a-kind is the norm, prices are affordable, and my favorite, it's auction-free so no one is battling for the item you've just fallen in love with. On Etsy you see, you love, you purchase - period. And there's a lot to love, from furniture and art to fashion and fabric, the selection is hard to beat.   

Prints & original artwork by Michele Maule, Jennifer Davis, Donna Compton, and Lush Bella.

On Etsy, each seller maintains their own storefront where you can view what is currently in stock, along with others details such as product photos, price, dimensions, color, materials, and the store owner's profile so you know who you're dealing with. Most contain links to blogs or websites so you can see more examples of their work. There are many great features on Etsy, I encourage you to click here and learn the basics so you can get started and set up your free user account.

Why Etsy? I shop Etsy because it's my way of showing support for the independent crafts movement, it's important to support those engaged in work that they love. I've purchased over 100 items over the past two years and never had a bad experience. My purchases arrived on time, in flawless condition, and often exceeded my expectations. Whenever I am looking for a unique gift, I visit Etsy first.

Globe from Wren and Chickadee, Wreaths by Haru, Tags from Elfrida, & SusyJack Journals.

Would you like to view a few of my favorite stores? Here are some helpful links to get you started:

• Read about more Etsy stores featured on decor8 right here.
• Catch my weekly columns on decor8, Etsy: Take Five Tuesdays where I highlight 5 of my favorite stores for the week.
• Visit these great blogs: Indie Finds on Etsy, and Men of Etsy.
  

Do you have any favorite Etsy stores that you'd like to share with Real Simple readers? Please comment below because we'd love to see where you're shopping!

(images all linked to original owners above)