Another product I am so happy to introduce is these beautiful Bridesmaid Invitation Banners!  This is yet another product that has been percolating on my mind for a very long time, but I wasn't able to put together my vision until recently.


I have always loved looking at invitations and seeing how unique some of them can get.  I didn't have a very large wedding so I only had my maid of honor, but, if I did have a large bridal party, this was exactly how I would have asked them all to be a part of my special day.

The outside of the 100% recycle kraft envelope hints at what's to come, using customizable colors that coordinate with anybody's wedding color scheme.


The coordinating envelope liner carries on with the color scheme and, on the back of the envelope, that special day is front and center.


Here's where it gets really fun.  Tucked inside these large envelopes is a large banner that spells it all out for your ladies.


The banner is crafted from quality heavy weight cardstock in the chosen color scheme.  Each piece is die-cut by hand and the main color is embossed with a pretty basketweave pattern.  The script letters are cut in glossy gold and look so pretty in person.

Such a unique way to ask those special friends to share your day with you.


And once they accept your invitation, ask them to take a photo while holding the banner.  This would make a great entry into your wedding album!  I am so in love with how they turned out and I can't wait to see what color combinations my customers choose.

P.S.  Future additions will include invitations for Maid of Honor and Flower Girl.

One of the coordinating add-ons for the monogram embroidered gift toppers is the 100% wool felt bows in white.


They come packaged unassembled in two pieces like this.  It's super simple to put together, but pictures do make things so much easier to explain.

How to Assemble the Felt Bow


1.  String your button onto the stretch cord.


2.  Starting with one of the ends, string the cord through the holes, putting it through the "legs" first before finishing up with the middle.

TIP:  It works best when you push the cord through the same side of the "legs".  It lays down nicely.  You can also assemble starting from the center first and then the legs, but the final product looks fuller when you start with the legs.



3.  Repeat with the second section.  Adjust both pieces so they form a circle around the button.


 4.  Tie a knot, joining the two ends of the cord together.  Hide the knot underneath the felt bow and wrap around your package.

Simple right?  Honestly, it's harder to describe the process than it is to actually do it.  Assembly takes maybe 2-3 minutes, and that's even after messing up the first time.


 Here's a photo showing the different sizes.  Pretty right?  You can also layer the two bows to make an even fuller bow, but they're pretty enough on their own.

I am so excited to finally be able to introduce my newest packaging product line...Handmade Gift Toppers!  Just to give a little background on them, I first had thoughts of this line back in 2013.  Over two years ago!  I spent a lot of time scribbling on paper trying to come up with designs and dreaming up accessories to make things even more fun.  I don't know exactly what was holding me back on finishing these up.  I knew this was something that was good because it was an idea I just couldn't let go.  Don't you every have one of those, a project of some sort that requires a little more extra work than you expect and it sort of intimidates you to really get started on it, but that idea just sticks around no matter what?  I finally gave myself the push I needed to finish the very last button in the first set and they turned out exactly how I envisioned them!


Welcome to my hand-embroidered monogram buttons!  They are hand-embroidered onto cotton fabric using monograms I have personally designed.  They are also mounted by hand onto buttons which include a small metal shank for easy attaching.  I include a length of cord in either silver or gold and in either 12 inch or 18 inch lengths.  Simply loop it through the shank and tie a quick knot.


When I wrap it around the boxes, I like to hide the knot behind the button instead of under the box so the box doesn't get all wobbly.  A 12 inch cord can wrap easily around small boxes, or stretch to accommodate a 21 inch circumference box.  An 18 inch cord can stretch to wrap around a 32 inch box.  If the cord is too long, simply snip off the excess!

I have also designed several coordinating add-ons that work great with the button topper.


First up are the Colorful Doilies.  You can choose from a large assortment of colors and, since they are made out of quality 110 lb cardstock, they hold up so well to all your handling while you're putting things together.  I love using doilies in my packaging, but they're always so delicate and typically only come in white.  Now you have a choice of 35 colors!


I offer them in small, large, or heart shape.  I really like how sweet they look by themselves, but they look even better layered.


Next are these sweet Wool Felt Bows.  They come packaged flat, but are super simple to put together.  Just string all the holes together onto your cord and they fluff up so cutely around the button.


Even better, since they are made out of 100% wool felt, they are very durable and can totally be reused again and again.  Right now, they are only offered in white and will complement any packaging color scheme.


And lastly, I have the Paper Rosettes.  These also come in the same number of color choices as the doilies so feel free to mix and match here!  Create a monochromatic scheme or use different color combinations.  They are also made from the same quality 110 lb cardstock as the doilies and hold up very well even under tightly stretched cords.  So simply and yet so cute!


I hope you enjoyed seeing my new products as much as I enjoyed finally being able to present them to you.  This was truly a labor of love.  Happy Wrapping!

Products featured in this post can be found at my Etsy shop, ink & scissors.

Since my entire life has changed by becoming a mama, I've been itching to do a little restyle of my branding.  I was happy with the ribbon style font of my main logo, but I wanted a little more color.  I am in love with the results!  Slightly different fonts with more romantic scripts and a soft color palette are what make up my restyled branding.


I used Corel Draw X7 to play around with the graphics and this amazing font and image bundle pack from The Hungry JPEG.  It comes with a bunch of different fonts and images and the best part is that it includes a commercial license as well.   


Creating stickers is my favorite.  I think this is my favorite part about packing up orders.  I get to put some pretty stickers on the products and packages.  I know I'm always looking forward to getting orders from Etsy because of the unique packaging that I can expect from handmade sellers.


I can't wait to start using these on all my new items in the shop!

Since one of my goals this month is to restart Project Life, I have been thinking of ways to make it more interesting.  I'll go into more details on a different post on how I'm changing up how I approach Project Life, but one of the things I pinpointed about what makes it difficult for me to continue at it was not enough creativity.  I loved scrapbooking because of all the tiny touches and embellishments I could add to it, but I had a hard time doing much of that in my Project Life album.




















So...I decided to come up with some inserts of my own!  Little snippets that can be added to the pockets along with purchased items.  I've been so happy coming up with ideas for mini collections using items I already own.






















The first set I've put together are Christmas Memory Cards.  I have created additional sets which can also be purchased at the shop.  Since these are items I plan in using for my own documenting, they coordinate with the patterned papers I was planning on using this year, namely the Wonderland Collection by Studio Calico.  I loved the colors used in this collection. 





















Each 3x4 card is die-cut and then hand-stamped with different fill-ins for a favorite Christmas memory. 

The fill-ins included are:

• Tradition
• Activity
• Decoration
• Recipe
• Ornament
• Moment
• Wish
• Movie
• Book
• Food
• Song
• Memory 

I am looking forward to filling these out as the month of December progresses.  I can't wait to see what my husband writes on the cards.  It's always so nice to see things through his eyes and this is such a great way to document it!

 

Good morning!  I'm getting started listing the limited number of paper house gift boxes that I have made for this year's holiday season.  Aren't they just so cute?  They are pretty roomy inside and can fit a bunch of little knick knacks.  One of the ways I used this box was to house a mini spa kit for my best friend.  I layered in some dried moss and nestled the tiny bottles and containers among it.  Very cute presentation.

The first house listed is the one above.  Festive colors always make me smile.

On another note, things around the blog may slow down for a week or so.  My husband recently had some minor surgery done and I've been busy taking care of him and making sure he's comfortable.  That doesn't leave much free time to make projects and post pictures on the blog.  So for now, some of my posts may focus mainly on shop updates.

The Nice List - Pure Poppy

The Nice List - Harvest Gold

The Nice List - New Leaf

All of the latest color editions of The Nice List are up in the shop!  I love how they turned out.  The final color I plan to add will be a cute pink which I also plan to send to three of my little nieces this year.

New items in the shop!  I was able to squeeze in some photo studio time before the sun went too far past the trees. 

I'm loving the color combinations of fall, as you can see.  They make me think of warm fireplaces, cozy sweaters, and cuddly blankets. 

The new gratitude journal is a great little something to bring along on your family trip this Thanksgiving.  Can you imagine all the pages filled up with your family's blessings?  That is surely something to cherish.  It may become a new tradition in my family to write a blessing every Thanksgiving.

I also added a new greeting card I made while channeling thoughts of autumn.  I purposely left it blank to give it several options.  It can be a birthday card, saying hello to a friend, or anything else!

Right now, I'm tidying up my little studio to get ready for crafting new holiday items.  Can't wait!   

It's been several days since I've had a chance to blog.  I find myself actually missing it.  Maybe that means I've gotten into the habit of it?  Right now, I'm looking forward to a weekend at home.  No social obligations, no errands to run...just a nice quiet chunk of time at home.  Now that the weather is starting to cool down, I find myself wanting to hole up in the house a little more.


And since I'm looking forward to staying home, I can now focus a little more time and attending to the etsy shop.  I've been neglecting the poor shop so much lately.  I have several ideas I've been working on for new standard lines of products, but first, need to list the ones I've already made.  I'm loving me these cute little paper houses.  They're time consuming to make, but the result really is lovely and cute. 

ink & scissors shop update

New listings are scheduled to go up in the shop today.  Still loving all those bright color combinations reminiscent of summer.  I'll be happy when cool autumn sets in, but I will miss the fun that summer brings.

On the desk...I'm working on a few new products for ink & scissors.  Cross-stitch designs and fabric button.  I love the results.

On the desk...I have rooms to clean and family to greet tomorrow.

On the desk...I have a Project Life album just waiting for an update and waiting to be blogged.

ink & scissors shop update 08.07.2013

Hello there!  I've got a few new items ready for putting up in the shop today.  As you can see, I'm really liking the bright and cheerful colors lately.  There's just something about making tags that I enjoy.  I think it's the perfect size for creative thinking!  Come on by ink & scissors to check them out!