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.

♥ 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.
 

Heritage Photo Restoration

Since having a break from teaching, I have discovered skills I have that could be used to produce some income. The hardest part is inspiring people and getting them to give you 'a go'. Unless I was to invest in advertising, many of my skills will continue to be used for personal projects only! An example of a service I offer is 'photo restoration'. Recently, I happened to be talking about restoring an 80-year old photograph in front of a fellow stallholder. She had paid a professional $25 to restore a 50-year old photo--the only childhood shot she has of herself. She was very disappointed with the result but paid anyway because she wasn't sure of what could be achieved. I offered to 'give it a go' for free.

Below is the original photograph which measures 6cm x 8cm. It is pretty typical of the quality I have encountered in older-style photographs (in terms of creases, scratches and blemishes).

My fellow stallholder paid $25 for this 6" x 4" print but had wanted it cropped and the original colours retained, rather than the rather dark tones on her face. I explained that the original resolution/clarity will always be lost when a tiny heritage photo is cropped, then enlarged to the 6" x 4" size. I was pretty confident, however, that a better result could be achieved.

Below is my attempt at restoring the photograph using a professional scanner and Photoshop. Given the limitations of the image, it's about as good as I can get it. I would usually charge between $5 and $20 for a complete photo restoration provided in digital form. As this lady preferred the actual print, I would have charged her $15 in total for this job. Pretty good value! Now...how do I get the word around?