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 :)

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.

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

Customised Scrapbook Albums

6" x 6" scrapbook layout

12" x 12" scrapbook layout

Recently, I was contacted through this website to create a customised Wedding Scrapbook Album for a couple whose photos have been sitting in a box for 25 years. What better way to revive these older-style photos than to bring them to life with scrapbooking tools and techniques! I have been a 'scrapbooker' for about 8 years now, and have probably completed more pages for others than myself in this time, but all the classes, layouts and completed albums have certainly helped in honing my design skills and visual techniques.

It is hard to define my scrapbooking style. I use an eclectic range of tools and materials to suit a variety of styles. I believe that the addition of text to most scrapbook layouts is important. A textual, as well as a visual story must be told, providing your photos with that unique edge.

If you have a story you would like to tell through photos, text and other visual elements, but lack the time, tools and techniques to complete the project yourself, please contact me via the 'Contact' tab above. I will do my uptmost to present and preserve your precious photos in a truly unique and visually-appealing way.

Below is a brief outline of the cost of customised scrapbooking projects. Copies of photos are generally provided by the customer, so these costs cover my time, tools and materials:

6" x 6" scrapbook layouts - $6.00 each

8" x 8" scrapbook layouts - $8.00 each

12" x 12" scrapbook layouts - $12.50 each
12" x 12" deluxe scrapbook layouts - $15.00 each

An album would generally contain around 20 layouts. The cost of the album and sleeves is in addition to the layout costs, and differs according to the size chosen. Only the actual cost price is passed onto the customer.

For the Wedding Album described at the beginning of this post, the customer is edging towards the 12" x 12" deluxe scrapbook layouts as he wants the best layouts I am capable of producing with the photos provided. To give you an idea of cost, the album would be approximately $50 (including sleeves) and the pages (around 16) would be $240. So, for $290 in total, this couple will finally have an aesthetic album of their wedding memories to share with family and friends. Great value for the amount of care and thought that goes into such a project!

New Photographic Cards

I'm always adding new photographic cards to the collection, and hope to have some fresh designs ready for Christmas (yes, people have already started thinking about it!) I took this picture at The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah earlier this year. It was a gorgeous day after a rainy week and I thoroughly enjoyed the cool climate atmosphere. It's well worth a visit if you love botanic diversity and aesthetic views.

Mounted photographic cards are $2.50 each (professionally printed card designs are $3.00 each) and come with a coordinating envelope. If you are interested in purchasing any, please email me and I can send you attachments of some of my most popular images (or check out images on this blog). These cards are perfect for sending to loved ones overseas as all of the photos have been taken in Australia and the South Pacific. I accept bank deposit and PayPal (the same options offered on the 'online markets' madeit and Etsy).

Business Products

Ateca's Travel Services, Lautoka Hotel Foyer, Lautoka, Fiji

Whilst staying in Lautoka, Fiji, we wanted to do a few adventurous things. However, it was difficult to find any Tourist Information in this town (actually, it's the second largest city in Fiji!) On the third last day, we thought we would approach the one person who seemed to know anything, a lady named Ateca, who rents a space in the Lautoka Hotel foyer. She was more than happy to organise a trekking tour for the next day and it turned out to be quite an adventure (expect the unexpected when visiting Fiji and you won't be disappointed).

The city of Lautoka has quite a bit to offer the tourist, but there is a lack of information available. Soon, I will be posting a review about the trek because I wish to promote this sustainable eco-tourism initiative. Ateca also gave us some helpful information about the best and cheapest way to get to the Port Denarau Marina, so I have offered to send her some business cards and a banner, designed and printed free-of-charge.

Green Gifts' design services include: all design needs for personal use and small business (business cards, banners, flyers, stationery, etc.), wedding and event stationery, and photo scanning/digital photo restoration services. Please feel free to contact me if you are interested in using any of these services and I will be happy to help :) Don't forget to contact Ateca if you are planning to visit Fiji in the near future. Ask her questions and she will do her best to organise some interesting local activities for you to do during your stay in Lautoka.

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.

Fresh new designs for the New Year!

Little Leaves Cutting Die and Happy Birthday Stamp by Stampin' Up!

It has been a while since my last post. I've spent some time with family in Sydney and have been working on a range of ideas for my market stall and online shop in 2011. Thought I'd post a couple of cards that I made last night. If you have any questions or comments about anything you see on this blog, please click on the 'comments' link below. You can choose to be anonymous if you prefer!

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.

One of my favourites...

Just thought I'd do a quick post of one of my favourite cards. Besides my love of leaves and everything green, I also like retro-style designs. A card like this is a little funky and, admittedly, doesn't appeal to majority of my Blue Mountains' customers. I usually sell cards like this to Sydney-siders from suburbs like Newtown or Bondi! I'm not sure why this is but it sure would be interesting to try a few markets in the city. The only problem is the stall costs they charge--as high as $100 for a trestle table. I can't perceive how I would be able to cover costs, let alone make any profit, and wonder how other stallholders are able to do it?!

P.S. I'm love that the blogger software let me insert images at a larger size today! I'm assuming that this is their new browser for uploading images--they look really effective at this size :)

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.

Photographic Cards - Aussie Images

 
Customers are already starting to ask me about Christmas gifts and cards! (I guess some people like to get organised early--I've always been one of those people who leaves everything to the last minute!) So, I have been designing some photographic cards with an Aussie flavour. I have just received an online order for photographic cards from a customer today. If you are interested in purchasing any, please email me and I can send you attachments of some of my most popular designs (or check out images on this blog). Professionally-printed photographic cards are $3 each. For every $20 you spend, you will receive a free photographic card up to the value of $2.50. Please mention this post.

Love the Bling!

It's been a bit longer than usual between posts because I had quite a few whole-day markets in August. I'm really enjoying it, and try to use the time productively while I'm there, but never seem to get as much done as I'd like! (That's a good sign--it means I'm dealing with customers rather than sitting around!) I still have so many ideas for 'Green Gifts', which I'm gradually actualising but I have to be patient--I'm only one person!

There are actually a lot of retail opportunities for a business of my kind--it's just a matter of choosing what to focus on. Good planning will build a financially-realistic foundation, whilst poor planning will just suck 'Green Gifts' dry!

I've posted a couple of pictures (above) of a wedding card which was lots of fun to make. I love hand drawn designs, but I suspect that most of my customers don't even notice them until they remove the card from its sleeve and take a really close look (click on the card images for a closer look yourself). Talking about customers, I have been getting some great feedback, many commenting that my cards are "different" from the norm. But I'm not really sure what they mean!
By the way, this card sold during August. Cost: $4.00; Materials: pattern paper, self-adhesive rhinestones, Stampin' Up! rub-ons, Kindy Glitz (applied to parts of the pattern paper), various acid-free pens.

Hand Drawn Cards

Quite often, I put the stamps aside and draw my own designs. It takes longer, but there's more love in it! I usually charge $4-$5 for a hand drawn card because each one's a unique mini work of art! I will be posting more hand drawn and coloured cards in the future. This notecard is priced at $2.00.

Cute Little Notecards!

It's been a while since I've sat down and made a whole batch of notecards. I've had an increasing amount of people requesting them since my last batch ran out, so I've spent the last couple of days in a super creative frame-of-mind. At 10.5 x 7.5 cm each, they're relatively small designs, but lots of fun to create. I price them between $0.50 and $2.00. I have been extremely fortunate, in that my sister sourced the matching envelopes very cheaply for me (she's a great bargain hunter!) Out of the 50 notecards I plan to make before my next market, ten designs are pictured below. Please let me know what you think!

New Photographic Cards

Today, some of my new photographic cards arrived back from the printers. I was really happy with the clarity and effectiveness of each design. As I'm just starting out, I tend to be responding to customer demand and what sells. But, over time, I would really like to reproduce my collage designs as commercial cards on 100% recycled cardstock. Handmade cards are still really my passion, but it would be great to reproduce some of the more intricate ones as greeting cards in short runs.

Popular Photographic Cards

Besides handmade, 'crafty' cards, I also sell photographic cards. I find that they appeal to a wide range of people. Some cards are photos adhered to quality cardstock, which cost $2.50 each, whilst the majority are printed cards which I have designed online from photographs I have taken. Most photographs are digital, some are from scans of older photographs and some are scans from 35mm negatives. Currently, produced photographic cards cost $3 each. For every $20 you spend on photographic cards at my market stall, you will receive a free photographic card of your choice up to the value of $2.50.

And about time too...

For someone who has been mucking around on computers for well over 20 years, this marks my very first blog entry... ever! I had a 'geocities' webpage many moons ago, but it was so difficult to create and alter back then - you had to know html in some depth (which I knew, but the internet speeds were the worst problem!) I love the online community, but have never become an active part of it. I'm quite a private person who finds it difficult to put myself 'out there' and self-promote. Recently, I have been concentrating my energies on expanding 'Green Gifts and Cards' as a business concept. I first registered this business name in 2003 but never prioritised the time to do anything serious with it. I chose it because I love nature and have always been aware of living sustainable lifestyle. This involves promoting nature, as well as protecting it. I originally started out by making recycled paper by hand. Although I haven't yet got back into doing this, I'd love to one day. My creativity is just starting to be unleashed. I have so many ideas for things to design and make, and I've started selling them at local Blue Mountains' craft markets. At this point, I'm just a hobbyist but would love for this venture to become a viable business in the oncoming years. Please visit if you're interested in updates and photos of my latest creations...

~ Melanie