Always Be Sure to Link with Love

Or as I like to call it, source your shit.

I love that people can share all the wonderful things they make and find on the internet, but too often, the image of the work gets separated from its original source. Posting images without linking back to where they originally came from hurts the person who made it. If I want to use an image in a post or share it with friends on tumblr or Pinterest, if I can’t find the source, I don’t use it.

There’s a new site trying to raise awareness of the importance of linking to original sources called Link with Love. While they are focused on making sure people add links throughout the internet, their main focus at the moment is Pinterest. I love using Pinterest, but often find myself getting frustrated when I can’t get to where the image originally came from. They are reaching out to Pinterest to help clean up the site now and reminding people to link when pinning things in the future.

Here is more information about their mission.

HOW it works.

LINKwithlove is EASY. It is an expansion of what we all do naturally. We watch out for the people we care about. We share things. We engage each other. More and more – our daily lives and social networking takes place on the internet. By looking out for the people we connect with via our social networks (blogs, Facebooks, Twitter, Pinterest, etc) we increase our watchfulness.

LINKwithlove is about :

1. ACCEPTING that it is your responsibility to know better, do better and leave a legacy of internet kindness. Share the knowledge of proper use of intellectual property online.
2. RESPECTING the intellectual property of your own AND OTHERS. Lead by example when posting or sharing. Retain links. Post credits.
3. PROTECTING the rights of yourself and others by being watchful as you surf the internet. Draw attention to uncredited or unlinked work. A watchful eye is good defense against theft.

When we know better – WE DO BETTER. – Maya Angelou

LINKwithlove IS NOT ABOUT:

1. Attending meetings, investing money or taking on extra responsibilities.
2. Vigilante patrolling of the internet. (LINKwithlove simply involves being conscious of how you share information)
3. Knowing who created every piece of intellectual property on the internet. All that is required is that you watch for the WAY in which things are credited. (A credit to the original source is FANTASTIC! Be sure you post respectfully and be sure that your social network knows that YOU RESPECT online property such as art, photography, words, etc.)
4. Only art or photography.  This watch-idea can be effective for all types of intellectual property – art, photography, design, typography, illustration, music, film, recipes, education, crafts, ideas, written word, etc.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. SPREAD THE WORD. Share LINKwithlove.org with your social networks. Display your badge. Post with respect and love. Lead by example.
2. Like us on FACEBOOK. Follow us on PINTEREST. Follow us on TWITTER. If you find a graphic without a credit link – post it to our Facebook page, Pinterest board – OR TWEET IT – by reaching a growing audience our hope is to find the original artist and provide the missing link.

For more information and to get a badge for your site, go to Link with Love.

Birthday in a Box

This is the sweetest idea from Melanie Blodgett of You Are My Fave. It’s a birthday party in a box, complete with a crown, candles, confetti and other birthday goodies.

Home Inspiration

While making the blog rounds today, I noticed this lovely ‘onward’ sign on Design*Sponge. It’s a sneak peek from Kate Durkin‘s home. I love how the palette matches the little drawers too. So pretty.

Aesthetic Outburts 20 in 20

I have been following Abbey Hendrickson of Aesthetic Outburst‘s 20 in 20 projects for a while now.

One of my favorites so far is this vintage darning sampler.

It’s so pretty and simple. Her projects always inspire me. I can’t wait to bust out my embroidery threads and give this a try.

To see more of Abbey’s 20 in 20 projects, visit Aesthetic Outburst or her flickr.

Here are a few more of my favorites:

 

New inspiration galleries from Creature Comforts

One of my favorite blogs, Creature Comforts, has created Inspiration Galleries.

The inspiration galleries are divided into categories of diy projects (shown in pictures, who wants to read about pretty projects?) including packaging, printables, fashion, and holidays.