Countdown to Christmas, eeek!

With the holidays fast approaching, it has been non-stop crafting for myself and the kids. I learned a technique a few years ago for making these cute triangle treat boxes. So, I thought they might be perfect for my princess to pass out Christmas treats to her little friends at school.






Each one holds 2 small chocolates and in lieu of Christmas cards, we decided that making little tags might be easier and less time consuming (which is great when your under a time crunch).



I really should have taken pictures along the way to create a tutorial, but as I said, we were in a hurry.

Taking Risks

I'm not a Salesperson. Never have been, can't imagine ever being one. However, this holiday long weekend, I took a chance. I felt brave.

And so, I headed into a shop in Chase, BC, to see just how brave I could be. I had heard very nice things about this store and how they seemed to always have unique jewellery, clothing, and gift items. Well, I showed my cards and the new altered notebooks and address books. They showed great interest in the books! They are already carrying a line of greeting cards and don't wish to change that. Fair enough. But, the exciting part is that they purchased the few books that I took in, and ordered several more.

I will share their information, when I have their permission. But, I am doing the happy dance!

I think perhaps that the market for greeting cards is very competitive. However, altered and customized items are a different story. Much of what I do get in custom orders are usually for items that can't be mass produced by the giant companies. This is something that I will have to consider over the summer, as I work on expanding my product lines.

So, I have a lot to work ahead of me......but it's work that I'm so happy to have!

New - Grande Tags and Altered Notebooks

Just a quick one to share some pictures of what I'm working on this week. I've been busy getting ready for a road trip for this long weekend, but of course, can't stay out of the studio for very long!

Custom Pregnancy Journals - SR

Here's a great gift for yourself or friends who are on the 9.5 month journey, also known as pregnancy. Here are 2 that I've just finished for a fabulous customer:

(Click on the photos for a larger view)





Price starts at $55 Cdn or $52 US, final price determined by style, embellishments and size of journal.

The examples above made to accomodate 4 x 6 inch photos, have hard covers, and are binder styles so that pages can be removed for ease of writing. For each month of the pregnancy, there is a page for journaling some things that may be happening, such as food cravings, mood, selections of nursery decor, etc. There's also pages to record doctor's appointments, names chosen, Mom and Dad's thoughts, and plenty of pages for photos.

And hopefully, these will be filled in throughout the pregnancy and will eventually become keepsakes for baby.

Father's Day

Dad's day is coming next. See my Etsy store for my newest Accordian Folded Card / Mini Album! It's sure to bring tears to even the most stoic of Dad's.

It can be used solely as a greeting card, but to really make it a personal gift, you can add little pictures of you and good 'ol Dad. And it looks great on display. Please click on the link to the right to get a better look!

Mini Album - Custom Order for LA

This is a fabulous mini-album if I do say so myself. It is a 5 x 5 inch square accordian folded scrapbook. In this case, it will be used as a guestbook at a baby shower. Closes with a ribbon that wraps around on the outside.

Click on images for a larger view.

Gift Box and Album

This is a gift box and baby gift album all-in-one!

The box measures 4"x4"x4" and when opened, reveals 12 flaps/pages for the new parents to add photos of their precious baby. But, this box is also ideal for birthdays, weddings, etc. when you have a small gift to wrap.

The box closed up and opened

You can add a quote/poem on the inside bottom of the box OR photo. This box is easy to customize with different colours, textures, ribbons, etc.

I can also create a matching gift tag or card! ($16 Cdn includes small gift tag approx. 2.75"x2.75")

Custom Pregnancy Journal

A pretty journal for the mom-to-be.

There are pages for her to record doctor's appts with weight, heartbeat, etc. plus month by month pages. There are 10 pages for monthly photos of the expectant mother. One of the pages has pockets to hide the names selected for a boy or girl. At the back section of the book, there are blank pages ready for photos of the newborn with parents, siblings, grandparents, and more. This example is coil-bound with chipboard covers. Pattern paper can be changed to suit the expectant Mom's personal style.