Upcycled Wrapping Paper

Upcycled wrapping paper was used to make these cards

I am often taken aback by the people who like my market stall because of its jewellery items, most of which I hand bead, create and put together myself. My heart drops a little because I am actually a 'paper crafter'. When they just keep going on about the jewellery items, I point out that I really don't specialise in it and that I love making cards and stationery. They're always a little shocked and then take a polite, yet disinterested, glance at the handmade cards on display. It's strange to me how some people love the self-adorning aspect of jewellery, but don't really value the encouragement and care that can be expressed when giving someone else a special card. I have had to accept that some people simply don't get it. Of course, I still do keep doing jewellery items, as it helps pay the stall costs, but it really isn't my passion.

The cards above were made using old wrapping paper (from Holland) as the background design. I just love collecting interesting paper to use on my cards. Being 'Green Gifts', I am always trying to reclaim, reuse and upcycle as many materials as possible in my cardmaking. Being a bit of a hoarder, I don't like throwing out beautiful things that I know will make a unique, one-of-a-kind card. Recently, a wonderfully generous lady I know gave me hundreds of old, used greeting cards from the 60's, 70's and 80's. Printed greeting cards were made so beautifully then (they're nice today too, but different). The dry embossed surfaces and wet embossed titles in gold and silver are just exquisite, and I almost don't want to part with these beautiful cards. However, I have been upcycling them into new handmade cards, and this will continue for many years to come! How wonderful it is to be able to revive old cards and convert them into new, fresh cards! I really enjoy this creative process and I encourage you to give it a go too ;)

Have a Handmade Christmas!

Christmas will soon be upon us, and I've begun making handmade cards, wrapping paper and gifts for a range of family and friends. Yes, I could just chuck money at it, but what would be the point? It's so much better to make something meaningful for people--I abhor the mass-production that taints the season. For example, last year, I made a $25 gift for someone, which took 3 hours, but was completely unique! How much easier would it have been to throw $25 over the counter at some chain store down in mall city? Very easy but, instead, I printed out a collection of this person's favourite photographs and made them into colourful, A6-sized greeting cards with coordinating C6 envelopes. Very pretty, and perhaps a slight abuse of my facebook friendship, but the recipient really appreciated the sentiment :)

As is customary at this time of year, I've updated my blog header/banner. Last year (2012-2013), I chose a photograph I took in Fiji in 2011 (shown below). Perhaps not very Blue Mountains-ish but an 'ode' to my favourite colour...green (and to my favourite part of the planet, the South Pacific Islands). People sometimes ask me, "Why Green Gifts?" (a number of my products are not 'green' in the environmental sense of the word, but I am constantly striving for this--it's just a matter of continuing to convince the Australian public to embrace it too...)

For the year ahead (2013-2014), I've cropped an image that I took in Paris of a lady beetle on a rose (blog header above). As people wandered past the rose garden in 'Jardin des Plantes', the main botanical garden in France, they stared at me as though I was crazy. What on earth is she looking at? The average passer-by took shots of the whole rose garden, and rarely ventured to the macro level (which invariably involves crouching, body twisting, stillness of hand, and a hell of a lot of patience!) I was happy with the few shots I was able to capture with my rudimentary digital camera and have created photographic cards from some of the better images.

So, "Why Green Gifts?" I love nature, trees, leaves, the colour green, and a number of my products reflect this. I'm always seeking to incorporate 100% recycled paper/cardstock into my cardmaking & stationery range and try to make use of reclaimed materials, especially in my cardmaking. Handmade, local production is also sustainable (i.e. less waste, minimal carbon impact) and doesn't have the same effect as mass-production does on the environment. I encourage you to consider both the direct and indirect impact of your purchasing choices on the global environment, as you prepare for Christmas this year :)

Blog Banner 2012-2013

Back from holidays!

Photos of French macarons I purchased in Paris

I've finally returned from being overseas to celebrate the 40th Wedding Anniversary of my Uncle and Aunt, alongside other relatives. It was a wonderful time and, in many ways, has fulfilled a lifelong dream to return to Holland, as well as visit Paris for the first time. 

I'm gradually getting back into the swing of things. Returning to doing my market stall began immediately and my online stores will be back up and running soon. Due to so many other commitments at present, I won't be doing my hobby business as 'full-ball' as I was. Making handmade, unique items gives me great joy, but it is also very time-consuming. I need to take some time out to complete home renovations, so will be aiming to merely cover costs in the near future (item materials, online store fees, PayPal charges, etc.).

Paris was a wonderful whirlwind of colour and design. I bought some lovely French papers and a few other gorgeous items which inspired me. I've already made a few greeting cards and look forward to creating more. Stay-tuned for piccies that will be posted on this blog. 

Photography, a great passion of mine, although I remain a novice, is something I experimented with further in Holland and Paris with my rudimentary digital camera. I managed to take a few unique shots, which will soon be made into photographic cards for my market stall. At $2.50 each, I hope they are well-received by my regular customers as well as visitors to the Blue Mountains.

At my market stall, I am trying to increase my range of handmade cards, so please pop in to check them out. Although I put a lot of effort into my handcrafted fashion jewellery items, cardmaking is what keeps the creativity flowing. Looking forward to seeing you soon :)

It's been a while...

Dry embossed, inked & hand cut lion motif adhered to folded A5 card

Thought I'd better add a post to let you know that I'm still here, busily making creative things. If you have seen something you would like to purchase in one of my online stores, or at my market stall, please feel free to contact me with your order enquiry. You can email me at the address listed on this site, via facebook, or via the contact form in my online store: http://greengifts.bigcartel.com/contact

It's been a very busy year and, at the start (I must confess), I allowed myself to be bogged down by mindless eBay enquiries. Although it is excellent that eBay has such an open messaging system, it does encourage empty, time-wasting enquiries. I was spending up to 2 hours per day responding to these messages, only for majority of them to lead to nothing.

I soon tired of this and closed my store temporarily. Of late, I have been putting a lot more effort into my market stall here in the Blue Mountains. This has been so much more rewarding, and I have been selling a record number of handmade cards, which absolutely thrills me to bits! A card is like a mini artwork to me--anything is possible, and I like to think that every recipient feels a little bit of joy when receiving one.

With my eBay store closed at present, I actually feel quite relieved. I'm now receiving genuine enquiries through this site and my other online store. It has also been wonderful to receive ongoing orders from regular customers and via word-of-mouth. These are the customers I really appreciate--they like my products & prices, and respect the time that goes into making everything. Some eBay members think it's acceptable to send up to 50 emails over a simple order. It isn't! (even 10 messages is too many!) I am getting better at filtering out this kind of buyer, so I have more time to spend on alternative orders :)

Thanks to all of my previous and current customers for your ongoing support & communication :)

It's been so busy!

Chervonne and Thomas Ah Kuoi,

100% Recycled "Thank You" Cards,

'Wishing Well' Advice Cards

Well, I'm not quite sure what has happened to this year! I started an online store earlier in the year and certainly never expected it to grow as quickly as it has :) A couple of weeks ago I had to 'shut shop' completely for a time--it was just too hectic! My sister's wedding was approaching and I was a bridesmaid :) I also made some 'Wishing Well' advice cards for the Bride & Groom. I was so pleased to see that many people took the opportunity to write on these cards throughout the night. They are an alternative to a guest book and are very versatile--no waiting in a queue or for the book to be passed around. Just grab a groovy coloured pen and go for it! I haven't heard back from my sister yet, as she has been on her honeymoon, but I will be interested to hear about some of the wonderful messages received by the newlyweds.

I opened my store again after one week, and the orders just came rolling in once again! It hasn't stopped since. I'm now starting to get some larger orders, which is ideal, as it's easier to do things in bulk and package one parcel, than many small orders.

Although my online store is not very creative at this point (lots of bulk stationery items), I'm hoping to inject a bit more vibrancy into it in the New Year. One aspect of my store that has been very encouraging, is the opportunity I have had to sell environmentally-friendly paper products. They haven't exactly taken off, but there is a small percentage of people out there who wish to consciously support sustainable paper production in Australia. I am describing my cards which are made out of 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper. They also come with matching envelopes--all made in Australia, unlike many 'kraft' paper products, which (in worst case scenarios) can be made overseas from old-growth forests!

Well, gotta go for now--so many orders to complete, and I don't think I can get away with asking my husband to man my market stall yet again this weekend!

Strange cardmaker I am...

"Happy Birthday to you!" stamp by Stampin' Up! 

I've just finished making two cards out of given, bought and reclaimed materials and have realised just how different they are! The first one is quite muted, made from wooden embellishments, a left-over tag from a wedding order and die-cut leafy branches from reclaimed designer paper. The second card has been made from die-cuts received as a free gift with an embossing folder. They have been further hand cut, dry embossed and embellished. And, of course, I am a little obsessed with doing some kind of simple drawing on most of my cards!

I haven't had a chance to make many cards lately as I have been busy with other ventures and, boy, do I miss it! It's the real reason I started markets but, sadly, it is too hard to sustain stall costs on handmade cards alone (even though my cards are quite popular). The other crafts (e.g. jewellery making) that I have had to do to substantiate my market stall have been a distraction from what I really enjoy doing...

Same goes for my new online store. I have been so busy making craft supplies, etc. for customers that my cardmaking has been put on hold, but only temporarily! It appears to be quite hard to sell handmade cards online but I am determined to give it a really good try and see what happens :) If you have purchased my handmade cards before, or have received one and find yourself curious enough to be reading this post, please take the next step and contact me. I'm itching for an excuse to list some handmade cards online (over the products that have been selling). Please place an order by emailing, texting or phoning me--click on the contact tab above :)

If you have been looking out for me at the markets, my attendance has been a bit sporadic of late. I will back regularly as of next Sunday and, hopefully, with plenty of new cards! See you there :)

Unique Handmade Cards by Green Gifts

I arrived home this week to a very waterlogged hollow! It seems that the rain hasn't let up, which makes the markets scene quite challenging up here in the mountains (due to fewer tourists). Nevertheless, I have continued to push on and have made some lovely beaded necklaces and a few cards, ready for this weekend's markets. The card above is a one-of-kind, never-to-be-repeated design, made using reclaimed embroidered fabric. I would have liked to photograph it outside but it was just too misty, wet and dark (like something out of LOTR--quite beautiful, actually).

This type of card is my area of specialty because it does get a little monotonous remaking my popular designs from week-to-week. When I come across an interesting piece of paper or fabric, my creativity kicks in a little and these often become the tactile cards I truly love. This card also incoportates some hand drawn elements to give it that rustic touch. Because this card is extra special in terms of materials and design, I will be pricing it at $5.00. My handmade cards range from $1.50 to $6.00 and roughly reflect the effort and materials that go into them. My more expensive cards often take up to an hour to make, and are geared towards the most discerning of handmade card buyers.

♥ Support your local handmade market ♥

It is always encouraging to meet Blue Mountains' locals, especially after two years of doing markets and festivals here. Sure, not all locals are necessarily interested in markets but it is wonderful when they visit and discover just how affordable and creative handmade craft can be! As tourism has dropped a little in the mountains in recent years, I would love to be able to cater to local customers better.

I predominately attend markets in Hazelbrook, Lawson and Leura. Some of my fellow stallholders include: Bron's Preserves (pictured below), Cindy Smith's one-of-a-kind Sterling Silver jewellery, Dianne's Bears (dressed with gorgeous fabrics and accessories), Bill's Books, and Peter's Bread (of which I am a great fan).

Although I sell a range of beaded and fashion jewellery, both for adults and children, my main love is papercraft. I sometimes get a little demoralised when customers zero in on my jewellery and totally overlook my cards. I wouldn't bother doing markets if it weren't for the cards and other paper products I sell. Next time you come across my stall, please have a browse through my cards. Prices start at $1.50 and include eco-cards (printed on 100% recycled cardstock), handmade cards, and photographic cards.

Most of my cards have an botanical, earthy or arty feel (example below), and are suitable for sending domestically or overseas, attaching to presents, popping into pigeon holes at work, or simply just giving to a special person. People really love receiving a handmade card due to its tactile and three-dimensional qualities. A number of my cards also incorporate hand drawn details, funky patterns and original designs. Please visit soon to check them out for yourself!

This card has been hand: stamped, inked, torn, glued and embellished.

It features dried skeleton leaves, brads (split pins), parchment and wallpaper.

The cards in this garden series (including tulips, parsley, rosemary, mint and sage) sell for $4.00 each.

Why Buy Handmade Greeting Cards?

This card is hand: stamped, torn, inked, drawn (e.g. swirls & dots), coloured, cut, glued and embellished.

As I interact with customers, I am sometimes surprised by people's hesitancy to buy handmade greeting cards. What with the glut of commercial cards available in shops, there seems to be an inherent trust in overpriced factory-produced cards. I am trying to challenge this notion by providing affordable gifts and cards, handmade using quality materials, unusual techniques and unique designs.

Handmade cards are not mass-produced by a printing press. Each one is hand constructed and designed. Common cardmaking techniques used include hand: stamping, drawing, embossing, inking, painting, cutting, gluing, mounting and embellishing. If you have ever dabbled in cardmaking yourself, you start to realise just how much effort goes into one card and the number of steps needed to create the finished product. Each card is a miniature artwork which reflects the creator’s passion for originality, aesthetics and design.

When you buy handmade cards, you have the opportunity to communicate your personal style and message to the recipients, which will ultimately hold a deeper meaning for them. There is something different about the way a handmade card looks and feels. The hand-embellished, multi-dimensional and artistic elements of a handmade card provide the recipient with something to treasure for many years to come, so it is unlikely to be discarded. I have known people to paste a favourite quote over the “Happy Birthday” sentiment on the front, for example, and frame their card.

People will genuinely value the thought you have put into selecting a creative handmade card for their special occasion whether it be a birthday, the birth of a baby, marriage, or simply a little note of thanks.

Handmade cards are great value for money and are often cheaper than mass-produced cards. Unsold and damaged cards are factored into the price of commercial cards. Why not consider buying an individually constructed product, which has been locally made with limited waste or environmental impact, and which has been made with great care and passion!

Text by Melanie © 2011

So Cute--Little Monster and Panda

I just couldn't resist posting pics of two of my latest handmade cards. Sometimes I get a little gaga over the lovely images available for cardmaking and scrapbooking, especially after they have been cut and altered to form a fresh image (as in these cards which contain self-made titles, and have been dry embossed, inked and 3-D mounted). For $3.50 each, I think they will sell quickly. If you would like to order some handmade greeting cards, I can make practically any design you're after with the large supply of materials and tools I've bought over the years. Please drop me a line...

Green Gifts Personified!

These cards truly represent my love of nature and style of cardmaking. The backgrounds are scenes reclaimed from an old calendar, brought to life by embellishments such as paper/silk flowers, brads, resin, diecuts and, my favourite, a ladybug. I love being able to create a visual image out of virtual garbage (as well as a few other pretty things). A reasonable amount of effort went into each card, so these are priced at $3.00 each. They're all one-of-a-kind, so I thought I'd take a few quick snaps before I put them out for sale.

Custom Orders

I've recently sent off a large order of handmade 'numbered' birthday cards. I don't normally make a habit of designing cards for different ages, or even for the most common birthday milestones, because I usually don't have the space to display them on my market stall (they are also less likely to sell). Themed, stamped or pictorial cards for children, adolescents, men and women are still the most popular cards I sell. The lady who made the order anticipated that her son and daughter would be attending a number of birthday parties this year and ordered multiple cards for seven and nine year-olds. If you would like to order an age-related card, please email me and I can create a custom order for you.

The cards above have been hand: cut, glued, stamped, dry embossed, inked, and embellished.

Merry Christmas!

Hi all! It's been an incredibly busy year and, in some ways, even busier than my previous job. Yes, I have come to view 'Green Gifts' as a job, even though the hours spent are not yet generating an income as such! It's a lot more time-consuming than I first thought, but definitely worth it. I'm very blessed to be able to explore my creativity on a daily basis and, the more I do it, the more I realise that I'm just scratching the surface. It feels very satisfying. On the flip-side, my house is totally trashed and I have let a lot of things slide during 2010. I'm optimistic that 2011 will bring more time to take care of basic household things, as this year has been spent building up so many ideas and concepts for my market stall and online shop.

Thank you to everyone who checks my blog from time-to-time, and to the random visitors from all around the world. If you like a design, please leave feedback by clicking on the Reader's Response boxes at the bottom of each post you read. Have a wonderful Christmas and a fantastic New Year. Keep checking back for new ideas and products throughout 2011.

Materials: Pre-printed cardstock by Grace Taylor, stamps by Stamp-It and Hero Arts, leaves die by Sizzix, water-based resin; This card is hand: stamped, cut, diecut, glued and embellished.

♥ the colour green!

Materials: Cuttlebug Cindy Loo embossing folder, inks, rubber stamps, foam mounting squares; This card has been hand: cut, torn, glued, dry embossed, inked, coloured and mounted.

One of my fellow stallholders was looking through my handmade cards recently and commented that my Christmas cards were rather unimaginative, as I had made them in the colours of red and green. She pointed out that 'Christmas' can be any colour. I do agree but I secretly like the opportunity to use the colour green in my creations! It's not a colour that is generally very popular, so Christmas gives me an excuse to go crazy with it! This card is a case in point. It's got it all--a spiritual theme (rather than a garish 'santa' or similar), dry embossing, leaves, my own handmade recycled paper, and many shades of green.

2010 - Year in Review

My primary aim this year has been to gradually use the numerous craft supplies and tools I've bought over the years! I've always had good intentions but never had the time to explore my creativity deeply (due to being a dedicated school teacher) .

The feedback received from customers thus far has been very encouraging, so I will continue to attend craft markets in the Blue Mountains and Sydney, as well as increase online ordering options. If you would like to purchase anything, please feel free to contact me.

It has been a privilege to teach some cardmaking classes in and around Sydney this year, and I would love to continue doing this in the future.

It has been an extremely busy year, with a lot of new developments, but I'm enjoying every moment of it and plan to continually improve the scope of my handmade products in 2011.

So Busy!

It's been such a busy week, and blogging probably doesn't help my cause, but I've been pretty excited by all the things I have been doing--new photographic cards, preparation for a cardmaking workshop I'm running and trying to get ready for upcoming markets. Thought I'd post a few of my recent hand drawn cards, as it's such a cathartic pastime.
 

Some of my latest designs...

It seems like all I do is feature greeting cards on this blog. Actually, I make a large range of products to sell at markets--but I guess it's just easier to photograph particular cards as I make them. Jewellery, for example, is quite diffcult to photograph well unless you have a model or similar. I have heard that some people use a light box in order the get the best photographic results. This would be worthwhile if I was to start an online shop in the future.

The cards above are quite feminine with their shades of purple and pink--a different style of cardmaking for me but very popular with my customers!

I ♥ lady beetles!

Whether you call them ladybirds (British), ladybugs (US) or lady beetles (scientific, as they're not technically bugs, and definitely not birds), they're just so cute! I'm not normally a great fan of beetles--I seem to have some sort of aversion to Christmas beetles and other larger winged beetles but lady beetles are adorable. Have you ever just been standing around and a lady beetle softly lands on you? This happened to me recently whilst I was at the markets. It was a moment of pure joy and then a rather assertive customer wanted my attention, so I had to forget about the lady beetle crawling on my arm.

My sister, very thoughtfully, gave me the handmade, recycled skeleton leaf paper which features on this card. The paper was a little pale and pasty, so I carefully dyed it to a vibrant green (♥ the colour green too, as you might have guessed!). The rest of the design just came together and I still have some more skeleton leaf paper left to make another card!

Materials: Wooden lady beetles, skeleton leaf paper, pattern paper, Stampin' Up! rub-on; This card is hand: cut, dyed, glued, drawn and embellished.

My Story

Isn't it crazy how many of us end up returning to what we REALLY love. I love teaching, and I love young kids, but I was always seeking ways to inject creative pursuits into every part of my teaching. Whether it be teaching Visual Arts a few periods a week, and begging teachers to let me do their classroom displays, or making every visual aid/flashcard a work of art, I would find a way to be creative. When I was a child, my dad would almost do anything to prevent me from beading or painting or drawing or taking photos. But it was what I really wanted to do...it's only now that I am having the chance to really pursue these activities.

My love of cardmaking started when I was young. A local newsagent agreed to sell some of my painted cards! I would take any free photography course that came up but, unfortunately, was not allowed to pursue it as a school subject :( In my late teens and early 20's, I sold a number of handmade goods in a craft shop in Marrickville, such as recycled paper, decorative picture frames, and handmade cards. Sadly, I couldn't keep up with making these things as teaching gradually took up more of my time. In my late 20's, I discovered scrapbooking. It was the hobby I had always been looking for. All my creative interests could be displayed on a 12" x 12" scrapbook page--photography, drawing, painting, cutting, designing, stamping, etc. I really haven't completed that many pages in six years, especially now as 'Green Gifts' is taking over a bit, but I certainly have a lot more time in my future than I anticipated when I was a full-time teacher. It's very freeing and liberating! Check out some of my scrapbook pages below: