HAPPY BIRTHDAY WILL
Calling all Shakespeare fans!
New card designs featuring quotes from his famous plays and sonnets are what I have been working on recently. As it was Shakespeare’s birthday yesterday to celebrate (a little belatedly I know) I’m posting a few images to show you.
Since reading Macbeth at school I have been in love with Shakespeare and we force take the kids every year to the outdoor production in High Park, Toronto, with picnic, blankets and mosquito spray at the ready! At Stratford this summer they are performing another of my faves – Much Ado About Nothing – I feel a family day out coming on!
This quote from Much Ado makes a great anniversary card, or note to a good friend. And below another great saying from the same play which could be sent to celebrate a birthday or new baby.
This range also includes quotes from Jane Austen, Eleanor Roosevelt and Picasso and will be available soon in stores and also from our website.
WORDS OF LOVE
Happy Valentines Day to everyone out there!
I design and create cards everyday so this year for a change I made bookmarks for each of my kids. As a family we love to read so this was the perfect choice. I simply raided my scrapbooking drawers and cut and glued the papers onto precut bookmarks, then wrote a personal message to each of my kids on the reverse, just to let them know how much they are loved XOXO
Even our breakfast wanted to share the love!
Maybe I’m taking this valentine theme a little too far!
Adam’s away in the UK on business at the moment but I slipped this card into his bag before he left, with instructions not to open until today. If he hasn’t already lost it!
I love this quote, it pretty much describes our first meeting all those years ago!
Love and Hugs to all
Karen
XOXO
LOVE … LOVE … LOVE
Most of our retail orders for Valentines are out the door right after Christmas but I still like to make something special for my hubby and kids. To get me in the mood I’ve been looking around the web for craft ideas we can make together and here are a few of my favourites. Adam’s away this weekend and Holly has a sleepover planned so with a total of 7 kids in the house we may need something to do!
1. Valentine Garland – Courhome.net A free printable so easy to do
2. Crayon Hearts – Martha Stewart These are an old favourite we’ve made before but I still love them.
3. Framed hearts – LittleBirdieSecrets
4. Valentine heart pins – Purlbee.com
5. Valentine Mittens – Womansday.com
6. DIY Paper Heart Garland – Myownlabels.com A great idea and easy to add your own special messages
7. Valentines Day Banner – mymommatoldme.com
So now there’s no excuse to spread the love in your home too! Enjoy the weekend everyone!
MOST UNUSUAL VALENTINE CARDS
Kate Harper, artist and greeting card designer extraordinare ran a competition on her blog GREETING CARD DESIGNER to find the most unusual valentine cards and I submitted a few designs and forgot all about it, until I received an email from her yesterday to say I had been named as a finalist.
I’m really chuffed as the winner and finalists were chosen by Kathy Krassner, a longtime stationery-industry veteran. Check out this link to her blog to see all the winning designs. For anyone involved in the greeting card industry Kate’s blog is a wealth of information and a must read
Our “unvalentine” winning design.
Christmas Countdown!
The best part about Christmas for me is the anticipation. Each year, ever since we were kids, we’ve had an advent calendar and dutifully opened it each day counting down to the Big Day. With our busy lives we usually buy an advent calendar but a couple of years ago we made this one and so we decided to try it again this year. I’ve been searching the web for ideas and narrowed it down to these favourites.
matchbox advent tree from the happyhomeblog.com
This is such a great idea to use glass topped metal tins with magnets on the bottom, arranged on the fridge for everyone to admire. Read how to make it here
This colourful advent calendar is available as a kit from Sew Unique.
A cone-iferous advent! This is a fun new twist on the traditional advent calendar, a forest of paper cones that hide tiny treasures
We chose this year to make an advent tree using matchboxes bought at the dollar store The whole lot cost $5.00. This was a great sunday afternoon craft with my girls, we put on christmas music to get us in the mood and simply wrapped the outside of the boxes with scrapbook paper and then decorated with stickers and cut out images and numbers
I hot glued a magnet onto the back of each of the boxes (a couple on the big one) and then arranged them on the side of the fridge in the shape of a tree. Of course we first had to take down all the other notes and reminders etc that were on the fridge and store them carefully in a drawer until after Christmas!
I slipped a little note inside each one with a treat or fun activity to do each day, trying to come up with ideas that were mostly about spending time together and pretty much free. Santa’s on a budget this time of year! Here are a few examples but you can do whatever you like, start some new traditions.
Cut out paper snowflakes and decorate the windows; Choose some festive foods and deliver to the food bank; Make popcorn and watch a holiday movie together; Make christmas cookies; Make a treat for the birds; Go for a walk and see the christmas lights; Watch the santa claus parade; Wear something red today; Wish at least 3 people merry christmas (not including your family)