New in my Etsy Shop: Lace Paper Bags

 

I don't watch a lot of TV, but when I do I hardly ever just sit and watch something. I always find something to do with my hands while watching some of my favourite shows such as Grey's Anatomy or The Big Bang Theory. Lately I've been making these lace paper bags in front of the television!

 

These delicate paper bags will add a vintage touch to any occasion! They are perfect to hold favours, treats, and so forth at weddings, baby showers, or other special occasions, but of course you don't need to host a special occasion before you buy them. They are also a perfect replacement for gift wrap, should you wish to spoil a loved one with a small gift. The bags look lovely as is, but you can also stamp on them or write on them. (Tip: write guest names on them and use them as placecards and hide the menu or a thank you card inside!)

 

The bags are available in white and kraft and may be purchased from my shop. Alternatively you may e-mail me directly at almostamsterdam[at!]gmail.com.

 

 

 

 

 

New in My Etsy Shop

I've just listed some fun striped paper straws in my Etsy shop. They are sold in packs of 25 of the same colour and come with a DIY printable file consisting of pennants/flags in a colour of your choice - an excellent way to add a personal touch in your colour scheme.

The straws themselves are made from paper, but nice and sturdy so you don't have to worry about them becoming soggy.  I'm still deciding which of the three colours are my favourite. I love the cheerfulness that comes with the red and blue, but the versatility of the grey will probably make them my favour. They will look so great with pink or yellow flags or even silver shimmer pennants for a more formal affair!

You may order the red straws here.

The grey straws can be found here...

... and the blue straws here.

You are very welcome to e-mail me at almostamsterdam{at!}gmail.com, should you have any questions!

Making It Personal

I'm a little behind on posting, so I'll try to catch up by sharing some of the projects that have kept me busy recently!

A while ago I've made these little 'planes for a lovely client in Scotland who is making her own wedding invitations. I've customised the wooden charms for her by engraving each aeroplane with a wedding date. I was quite pleased with the end result, and took a photo before preparing the 'planes for shipping:

In stead of a date I can also engrave these aeroplane charms with initials or two names (if they're not too long, because space is quite limited).

If you are interested in personalised or customised planes, please e-mail me at almostamsterdam{at!}gmail.com. If you are a member of Etsy you can also convo me via my Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/AlmostAmsterdam.

Moustache

I was thrilled when I saw that my moustache straw decorations were included in this fun treasury by Bérangère Lebon, Etsy PR consultant for France:

Thanks Bérangère!

Nine years ago ...

Today, exactly nine years ago, I married the most amazing guy in the world under a canopy of trees and an African sky ... It’s been the best decision I’ve ever made!

Happy anniversary, Konyntjie!

Let's Travel

In the last couple of days my wooden aeroplanes were featured in three more treasuries on Etsy:

Let's Travel is a lovely collection of handmade and vintage items all from Dutch Etsy shops by Ingrid Gussen from Het Bovenhuis. Ingrid makes lovely felt garlands, mobiles, magnets and more from felt. You will find Ingrid's treasury here.

The above treasury was done by Wendy A Ceasar from Tiflo Gifts. You fill find Wendy's treasury here.

Last, but not least is this lovely treasury called Global Love Wedding Theme, which was done by Elisa H. from ABandIG. You will find Wendy's treasury here.

Thank you to Ingrid, Wendy and Elisa for including my planes in their treasuries. I always love to see my goodies "out there"!

Sew Pretty!

A while ago I've mentioned here on my blog that I was planning on posting an amazing wedding cake that I saw somewhere on the Internet, but when I wanted to do so, I couldn't find the link Well, I am pleased to say: I found it! Yay! It took me a while, but better late than never!

I am pretty useless when it comes to sewing, although I am pleased to say that I am better at embroidery. Not only do I find embroidery very relaxing to do, but I love the supplies: ribbons and threads in pretty colours, bird shaped embroidery scissors, pretty pin cushions, needle holders ... the list goes on and on. Lately I've become a little obsessed with vintage sewing supplies. I've wanted an antique sewing machine for quite a while, and then, about two months ago, hubby bought me a gem of a machine  at a thrift store for practically next to nothing! Now I've got this little "still life" going in the lounge, but it still is a work in progress. I need more vintage buttons, lace and of course more wooden spools to finish off the new sewing corner in the lounge.

This is probably why this amazing cake (made by the very talented Roxanne Floquet from Cape Town, South Africa) appealed to me so much. It's got everything I need to finish off my little display! On top of that the absolutely stunning cake is a clever combination of the more traditional wedding cake and the more modern approach of cupcakes in stead of a wedding cake. Who says you can't have both! I am so pleased that I finally remembered where I saw this specific cake, so that I could share it with you here!

The cake was photographed by one of my favourite South African wedding photographers, Nikki Meyer, at the wedding of Tony and Wilmi. You will find more photographs of this beautiful vintage inspired wedding here.

Anywhere I Wander

We've had a few lovely warm days and I thought spring was here to stay, but lately it has been quite cold again, so I still need a bit of convincing that spring is in fact in the air! Hubby, alias the Plane Sanding Expert, and I have been daydreaming about taking a trip. It can't happen right now although we'll probably take a day trip to one of the nearby islands responsible for the plural "S" in "The Netherlands". There are quite of few of these islands that I haven't seen yet. Can't wait! Like Derek Shepherd from Grey's Anatomy I have a thing for ferry boats. Love the idea of getting onto a ferry - no matter how short the trip, or how small and silly the boat! It's probably because it's a relatively new experience for me, coming from a country with a lot less water and therefore no real ferries!Anyway, it seems as if we are not the only people dreaming of travelling to far away places! Lately a lot of people seem to have travelling on their minds, judging by the travel related treasuries on Etsy! Within a couple of hours my wooden airplane charms for invitations were posted on two travel related treasuries. I've already blogged about the other one yesterday, so I thought I wll do a post about the second treasury today!

This tribute to travel is by fellow Etsian Taara Portela from Printline. (Printline offers printable files for DIY stationery and decorative elements.) You can find the treasury here. I find it hard to decide on a favourite item, so you will have to go and see for yourself!

Up Up and Away Travel Time

I never get tired of seeing something from my Etsy store featured in a treasury. So thank you to Dawn from p1xie for featuring my planes in a lovely treasury and for making my day! Dawn makes the most amazing vintage inspired dresses, so a visit to her Etsy shop is an absolute treat!

You will find Dawn's treasury here. Definitely worth looking at!

Wood you travel the world with me?

Those of you who've read my previous post will know that I was in search of an image of a very specific cake that I saw ... Well that cake is still missing. I'll keep looking, but in the mean time I wanted to share this stunning treasury. I love it when people play with words, so this treasury with its clever title appeals to me on more than one level! Thank you to  Etsy member "Cynkit" for featuring my wooden planes for passport or travel-themed invitations in her treasury. I feel flattered to have an item of mine included in such a stunning collection!

You can view the treasury here.

DIY Cake Topper

I wanted to post a picture of a fun and unusual wedding cake that I saw on the web the other day, but when I started looking for the source I realised that I must have failed to save the link! (Time to start that cake board on Pinterest!) Fortunately my frustration with retracing my steps on the web through my history files completely disappeared when I stumbled upon this pretty cake idea on She Paperie's blog:

I fell head over heels in love with this pretty DIY idea for a cake topper: a sweet, romantic collection of smaller individual cake toppers in stead of one large topper is such a fresh idea! I love how you can use kebab or dowel sticks, and scraps of ribbon, fabric, lace,  and paper from your wedding dress, bridesmaid's dresses and wedding stationery, in combination with buttons, pompom trim and anything else that you are sentimental about, love or find pretty. "Easy peasy" to quote the talented Suzanne from She Paperie!

Time to make dinner now ... Will continue my search for that image of the cake afterwards. Hopefully I can share it with you in my next post! Take care!

Boonestaakjes

 

One of the things I love about Etsy is the fact that I often discover new shops or artists that I haven't seen before in unexpected ways! Boonestaakjes is such a shop. Saskia, the talent behind Boonestaakjes, featured my embossed tags in a beautiful white-themed Etsy treasury. (You will find the treasury here.) I was curious to learn more about Saskia, so I followed the link to her shop. What a lovely shop! Saskia sells shawls and bags made from new, vintage, recycled and upcycled fabrics and her work is stunning. My favourite from Saskia's shop is this beautiful cosmetic pouch, but why don't you pop into Boonestaakjes to see more of her beautiful bags and shawls?

Photo Props (Part 1)

I have this little list of ideas for blog posts (for those times when I just can't make up my mind or when I'm running a little low on inspiration). Well today isn't such a day, because I do feel inspired, but I've stumbled upon the first two photographs (with the pink frame) on the web and I just had to ignore my list and post them TODAY!

Maria Mack Photography via Elizabeth Anne Designs

The idea of a frame as a photo prop isn't new, but the way in which these ornate frames were hung from a tree are just so incredibly beautiful! A photobooth with a difference perhaps? Imagine all the fun pictures if you add a few other props with which your guests can pose behind the frames!

Maria Mack Photography via Elizabeth Anne Designs

 This same wedding with the pink frames also featured some bunting as a photo prop:

Maria Mack Photography via Elizabeth Anne Designs

Bunting can come in all shapes and sizes. I love typography, so bunting spelling out words are one of my personal favourites ...

... as are printing blocks ...

Photo by Millie Holloman via Style Me Pretty

... and oversized ampersands ...

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Photo by Melissa Prosser Photograhy via Pinterest

I still have so many images and ideas to share that I think I should follow up with a second post on the topic of photo props. So watch this space ...

Spring is Almost Here!

The daffodils and tulips in my garden will hopefully bloom in a couple of weeks and I've noticed that Duiwelina (hubby and I name the wild birds in our garden!) has started to collect twigs for a nest. The skies are still a little grey though, but when I saw this post by Amy Atlas I forgot all about grey skies! The styling for this summer tea party was done by Leo and Bella from Australia. With summer still a bit far away I think it will be ok to be inspired for your spring festivities too!

I just love the festivity of the beautiful floral fabric ribbon around the takeout boxes and  milk bottles.

Although I wouldn't consider orange a favourite colour I've always loved the combination of fuchsia and orange. Adding red makes the colour scheme even bolder, but I loooooove it!

And if you're into ribbon, like I am, what's not to love about this fun ribbon garland as a backdrop? I love how the lace softens the bold colour scheme, without making it overwhelming girly.

  

You can read about and see more photos here.

180 Strands of Marshmallows

This styled shoot by Wednesday involved 180 strands of marshmallows! "We brought the snow indoors by creating an installation with 180 strands of marshmallows to create an added space above the table and to serve as a backdrop for photos and a ceremony."

Although I agree that this could work for a lovely winter wedding, I think marshmallows might just be in style all year round ... don't you? Imagine a cloud of mixed pastel coloured marshmallows above your candy dessert table ...

Source: Wednesday Custom Design

Photography: Ely Fair Photography

You can read all about this styled shoot here. (Pop over for lots and lots of eye candy - not only marshmallows!)

Personalised Favor & Confetti Boxes

I've recently added some favour and/or confetti boxes to my Etsy shop. These boxes may be purchased as blank boxes for you to decorate yourself, or for an additional fee they may be printed.

Please visit my Etsy shop for details on size, shape and printing options.

All boxes ship flat, but they are super easy to assemble and fill with whatever you have planned for your special event - whether it is a wedding, baby shower, birthday party or other celebration. You can see more box options here.

Raspberry Cordial

My fuchsia pegs were included in this treasury on Etsy called Raspberry Cordial. This certainly brightened a very grey Dutch day! You can view the treasury and see more details here. Thank you Rosalind for including my goodies in your collection!

Double the Delight

As some of you already know I love being included in Treasury Lists on Etsy. Imagine my delight to be included in two treasury lists on the same day!

Thank you to Marta Pakovska for including my rustic confetti boxes in a lovely list of Dutch and Belgian wedding goodies. You can find Marta's treasury here:

 http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTMxNjI0MzR8MjI0OTcwMzEwNA/nl-be-bruiloft.

Thank you also to Brian Prenderville for including me in his treasury list about wooden aeroplanes and vehicles.  I love the clever title of this treasury list!  Want to see what it is? Then hop over and see Brian's treasury (and his clever play with words) here:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTQwNjE5NjF8MjI1MDQ3MTY2MQ/wooden-you-like-some-of-these

Squirrels in Love: Woodland Invitation

Earlier this week I've promised you more photographs of the lasercut invitation that was featured on the Dutch Arnhemsmeisje blog.

I must admit that this invitation is one of my personal favourites with lots of lasercut details, but I'll let the images do the talking so that you can see for yourself!

Please click on the images to see the detail.

Featured on Arnhemsmeisje

I am so thrilled to have been featured on one of my favourite Dutch wedding blogs! Thank you to Arnhems Meisje and the girls of Assepoester! You can read the blog post here. I thought I'll share a few close-ups and some details here on my own blog as well:

This invitation was digitally printed on a beautiful and luxurious gold shimmer cardstock and then cut into a vintage shape. Each invitation comes wrapped in a bright and cheerful Dutch fabric wrap with a wooden heart button. (The buttons are hand painted and then engraved with the initials of the bride and groom).

 The specific combination of the more formal gold cardstock with a more informal fabric wrap is quite unusual, but I was very pleased with the end result. The invitation was originally designed for a backyard wedding with loads of homespun details. It may be customised in your wedding colours and is also available as a semi-DIY option!

Please stop by again on Friday, when I will share the other invitation featured on Arnhemsmeisje!

Metallics and Naturals

Much to my disappointment I haven't found a supplier for kraft cardstock here in the Netherlands yet - which is a little frustrating ... So if you do know about one, please let me in on the secret! As a substitute for kraft paper I use a recycled paper/cardstock made out of 75 % post-consumer waste paper and 25 % twigs. The paper has a lovely rustic look and feel and, therefore, is a good substitute. To be honest I would have preferred a slightly heavier/thicker paper/cardstock for some applications, but, since this isn't readily available in my little corner of the world, I have come up with ways to work around the problem, such as using two layers of the recycled cardstock or combining the cardstock with another kind of (coloured) cardstock to give it more substance.

This is how I discovered the beauty of metallics and naturals in combination and now I cannot get enough of it! It is as if a bit of metallic gold or silver or a touch of a pearlised shimmer does wonders for the humble sheet of rustic paper or even the brown paper bag! It just glams it up a little. So, nowadays I often combine my kraft paper equivalent with luxurious metallics and pearlised pastels! The great thing is that this more unusual paper partnership could work both ways: the luxurious metallics could add some glamour to your brown paper projects, but rustic brown or kraft paper could also tone things down a little - the perfect solution if you love the shimmer of pearlised or metallic paper, but fear that it might be too glamorous on its own to work for a less formal event.

This favour box by Make Merry! is a perfect example of how pretty metallics and plain brown paper or kraft paper could look together. There is a step-by-step tutorial here.

I am so in love with this combination of gold mini bunting and natural paper. I also like the gold envelope liner detail.

Source: http://thecraftsdept.marthastewart.com/2011/04/party-invitation-tutorial.html

Gold foil letters on brown paper. Simple but stunning!

Source: http://bugsandfishes.blogspot.com/2008/12/gift-wrap-ideas-6-fun-with-fonts.html

Silver foil lace around a brown paper package. Pretty!

Source: http://papernstitchblog.com/2008/12/09/new-guest-post-from-lupin/

I was so inspired that I've added some more gold and silver items to my Etsy shop:

I've painted these gold and silver mini pegs/clips by hand. This is quite a time consuming process, but the end result is so much fun! I've immediately clipped some to a brown paper bag, just to see what it would look like!

Happy crafting!