These are a few examples of the designs we came up with and they are available for purchase in our store.  I can also make them with Dad’s favourite sports team or other designs, just contact me with your ideas!

And of course if you need a card for that special guy we also have plenty of those too!

And don’t forget all the “Grandfathers” out there too!

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.

I’ve used a couple of her quotes in my new card range Motto and then chose this for my niece’s 18 birthday gift.  Perfect words for any young lady and still true today. I especially like the line “The prettiest girls are the happiest girls”  I believe in Pink!

This print is now available in our shop and makes the perfect gift for any pink loving girl out there.

Things got a little messy, but we had a lot of fun.

It was an inexpensive way to make a unique giftwrap for my son’s presents.  To finish the look we added letter “J” gift tags tied on with string.

I also made up some bunting by stringing a bunch of paper triangles onto some embroidery thread and hung them around the kitchen to surprise him when he came down the next morning

Here’s a few of the colourful birthday cards he received this year, including the one we gave him in the centre.  Of course after this brown paper project we had to chose this one from our new RAINBOW range.  The other cards he received from his Aunts compliment it so well too.

A pattern seems to be forming in my work too.  So far this year all the custom projects I have are for wedding stationery.  This is a bridal shower invitation I’ve just finished for a lovely bride getting married later this year.

The bride’s colour palette was purple and she wanted shoes and or a purse and of course a touch of bling!  I’m not so great at drawing so enlisted the help of my very talented daughter Holly who sketched this image for me. Together we make a good team and the client loved it!  Below is an email from her.

Thanks so much Karen. The invites and thank you card look great! I

will certainly keep you in mind when I need more cards. These look

great! Service was also wonderful!

Diane

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

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!

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.

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)

I’ve been making these shortbread cookies since I was a little girl, its my grandmother’s recipe, and so simple.  All you need is butter 4oz, sugar 2oz, and flour 6oz.  First you beat the butter in a bowl with a wooden spoon until its soft and then beat in the sugar and then the sifted flour.  You need to use your hands to bring the mixture together, the kids love this part.  Sprinkle a little sugar on the counter and roll out the mixture, start cutting out your shapes.  We chose hearts and then bake in the oven on 300F for 25 mins.

Once they had cooled we covered them with icing and added pretzels for the antlers, a red smartie for the nose and chocolate chips for the eyes.

As a variation we sprinkled some of the cookies with smashed candy canes.  To keep mess to a minimum, place a candy cane in a ziploc bag, making sure its sealed, and then hit with a rolling pin – this was Ruby’s favourite part!!

I had to take this photo really quickly as they disappeared fast.