Life is what happens when we make other plans ...

I was hoping to launch my Etsy shop at the end of November 2010, but due to delays and public holidays I’ve received the paper and cardstock a few weeks late. Since I could not do much about Etsy without paper in stock I’ve decided to accept a major editing project to fill the time that I would have devoted to Etsy. (Yes, I also do translation and editing work when I'm not designing or "playing" with paper!)

By the time that my paper arrived I barely had the time to check the delivery, let alone time to make samples to photograph for Etsy! So Etsy had to be put on hold a little longer. Fortunately I have finally finished the project (and started catching up with everything else that had to wait!) and there is finally time to focus on Etsy and an impressive stash of paper that won't run out too soon!

Getting an Etsy shop up and running is still a bit of a learning curve for me, but I am slowly getting the hang of it! In the next couple of weeks I plan on listing a few basic, but really pretty stationery items in my Etsy shop that will make it possible for all you creative people out there to make your own invitations, wedding stationery, birth announcements and other special event paper goods.

The Almost Amsterdam shop on Etsy is specifically aimed at DIY. With the exception of a few supplies that I will stock in future because they match my products, all products will be handmade in my little home studio – a converted spare bedroom in our house! I have a few pieces of really cool equipment, so you don’t have to be worried about crooked lines and poor quality. I guess what I am trying to say is that you can expect high quality, but exclusive products, not readily available in shops.

The idea is to help you create really pretty, really professional looking stationery by combining my creative efforts with yours! I’ve chosen some beautiful Italian paper that isn’t readily available in shops here in the Netherlands, but that is fairly easy to work with and that is approved for use in both inkjet and laser printers.

I want to offer an alternative to those of you who aren’t that fond of ordering a mass produced card from a catalogue at a printer. You’ll be able to purchase the pre-cut cards and some paper or cardstock that you can use to design and print your own invitations and stationery on your home computer and printer. Personalisation of many products will also be possible.

In the next couple of weeks I will list products on Etsy, but in the mean time, please feel free to convo me via Etsy, or to e-mail me, should you want to know about specific possibilities.

You can find my Etsy shop here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/AlmostAmsterdam

Oh, and please check back tomorrow! I will do a post on a wedding invitation made from this pink pocket, some cardstock and a few tidbits all available right here in The Netherlands!