Catching up on Etsy treasuries

At the moment I still have a bit of catching up to do, after my holiday in September. I will share a few images from our trip to Italy in the coming days, but today I am catching up on two Etsy treasuries in which my wooden airplanes were featured.

First of all there was this lovely treasury by Imogen from Findimogenwilson, called "Fall Travel".:

I was still on holiday when Imogen published the treasury, but I loved it so much that I still wanted to include it in my blog - better late than never! Imogen Wilson, who runs her Etsy shop from New Zealand, makes colourful, fun jewellery with a Japanese theme.  I just love the originality of Imogen's jewellery pieces and I would encourage anyone to check out her Etsy shop, which you will  find over here.

My favourite piece from Imogen's shop is this ring featuring a tiny origami paper crane in a glass globe:

You can see more images of the ring over here.

The second treasury in which my airplanes were featured was this one called "Going Around" by Mademoiselle Chipotte:

Mademoiselle Chipotte is a lovely Etsy shop, based in Belgium, with a random, but very interesting collection of vintage finds, including anything from optical testing equipment to vintage buttons! There certainly is something for everyone! These Victorian paper stars for scrapbooking are my favourite from the shop:

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A sincere thank you to Valerie and Imogen for including my wooden airplanes in their treasuries. As a traveller myself, I always enjoy travel-themed treasuries!

Etsy Treasury: Get Your Geek On

Thank you so much to Kelly from Funktjunk on Etsy for including my moustache straw dcorations in her fun Etsy treasury!

Etsy Treasury: Delicacy

Thank you so much to Nel from Ronella's Jewelry Heart on Etsy for including my paper bags in this pretty Etsy treasury.

Nautical Invitations with Wooden Sailboat Charms

These invitations are the latest addition to my portfolio. The invitations are perfect for invitations to weddings or other celebrations with a nautical theme. The basic invitation consists of a digitally printed flat invitation card which comes with a kraft envelope. Twine is wrapped around the invitation card and a small wooden sailboat is used as decoration. Matching response cards with kraft envelopes, accommodation cards and so forth can be added at your request.

The invitation is also available as a digital design, should you prefer to do your own printing. Please contact me for pricing. The wooden sailboats are also sold separately on Etsy. 

Treasury List: A Ticket to Ride

My wooden airplane charms have been featured in this Etsy treasury by fellow Etsian, Lynne. Lynne is the owner of an Etsy shop called ClosetFull - a very interesting shop full of vintage books, antiques and ephemera. You should definitely pay her a visit!

Wedding Programs: Fans

  Just a quick post to share some ideas for wedding fan programmes in different shapes and sizes.

Shaped fan

Fan with ribbon

Madlibs fan

Bracket-shaped fan 

Peacock fan 

Pastel fans

Pretty Typography Fan

Fan shaped programme

Black and white fans

Heart-shaped fan

New in my Etsy Shop

As you may know already I am a firm believer in creativity. Yes, I am a stationery designer, but I also love to help others with their crafty adventures and DIY weddings and events. I therefore also offer some DIY supplies in my shop for those of you who would like to make your own wedding or event stationery.

Especially for my DIY clients, I have added some fun wooden craft sticks to the Almost Amsterdam shop. These are perfect for those of you who want to make anything from your own cupcake and cake toppers, to drink stirrers, table numbers and fan programmes (order of service).

I will post some inspiration of what you can do with these sticks later in the week, but for now a few pictures of the sticks themselves!

 Size: 200 x 25 mm - These large wooden sticks are what I use when I create wedding fans (fan programmes or order of service).

 Size: 140 x 5 mm. My favourite use for these sticks are to make cupcake toppers.

Size: 190 x 6 mm, perfect to make cake toppers for larger cakes and stirring sticks (swizzle sticks) for drinks.

You can find these items in my shop, or, if you prefer not to use Etsy, please send me an e-mail at almostamsterdam{at!}gmail{dot}com. Of course I can still design and make something especially for you, if you prefer not to do the work yourself!

Seating Plan

 I always love original seating plans and this one that I've found on 100 Layer Cake blog is no exception! I love the idea of little vases and jars with flowers and pretty tags. This could be a perfect DIY project for your wedding. Simply adapt the concept by using flowers, a sign and table cloth to match the style of your wedding. And, if you prefer a safer option, you can exchange the votive candles for LED lights or even a few fairy lights.

Photography: Jessica Lorren Organic Photography | Source: 100 Layer Cake

Lots and Lots of Handmade!

A few months ago I was contacted by a bride in need of some ideas for her wedding invitations. I was asked to design something romantic, but not overly feminine and with a vintage feel, and it had to have a photo of the couple and some actual lace incorporated in the design. These invitations were the end result:

In order to protect the couple's privacy I'm not posting images of the invitation card itself here, but I will mention that it was soft and feminine with pale blue flowers and some vintage ephemera to remind us of times gone by. Crochet-style lace held the cards together, but to steer away from too much femininity I've opted for hand-crafted paper sleeves made from kraft paper and wooden heart embellishments engraved with the initials of the couple. The hearts were tied around the sleeves with natural linen twine and each invitation came with a matching handmade envelope. 

With so many handmade details these invitations took quite a bit of time to make, but I loved the end result.

Books

Old books are still a major trend when it comes to wedding decor. We often see them stacked and tied with lace or pretty ribbons, but less often as part of the seating plan and table numbers. I just love the way in which old books feature at this beautiful wedding over on the Style Me Pretty blog.

Guest names and the numbers of the tables where they are to be seated are printed on bookmark-style tags with pretty lace details.

A close-up of the tags

Table number: folded book pages

Ring pillow alternative

Photographer: Clayton Austin | Planning & Design: A Good Affair | Source: Style Me Pretty

Thrifty Thursday

So you've splurged on the invitations and now the budget has become a bit tight as far as the day-of stationery is concerned? I've stumbled upon this very original seating plan that you can make for next to nothing. All you need is a permanent marker or two and some rocks!

Source: Drikus le Roux Photography

A Little Project

A while ago I've made some laser-cut paper birdcages for a bride in Italy. She was lovely to work with and even though we haven't met in person, I felt as if I had made a new friend. I was therefore thrilled when she contacted me again, this time in need of some of my little wooden pegs with the hearts on them. She was in a bit of rush, but I didn't mind. Loved making the pegs for her! I've mailed them last week, but I thought I'll share a picture:

The wedding will take place outside at a beautiful and oh-so-romantic venue, so I'm praying with my Italian friend and her fiance for some perfect weather for their special day!

Best Wedding Cake Ever?

Want a wedding cake with a difference? Then why not make your own from Rice Krispies and Marshmallows? I'm no genius in the kitchen, but I think I might just be able to manage this, if I had the right cake tins! Unfortunately I don't know who made this cake, but I found the image here.

Moody Monday: Shades of Pink and Glittery Gold

I've recently discovered The Perfect Palette, a blog by the incredibly talented Chrissy, dedicated to exploring colour palette possibilities for weddings and parties. If you're looking for some colour inspiration for your wedding or party, The Perfect Palette is the place to go. You will find loads of inspiration boards and fun and creative colour ideas, as well as colour tips. I fell in love with this beautiful inspiration boards in shades of pink and glittery gold:

Source: The Perfect Palette

Catching Up

Early evening in Salzburg.

As I've already mentioned I have some catching up to do. One of the things that I would like to mention is a wonderful week of travelling with Hubby and the Doggies. We didn't really plan the holiday. At first our intention was to stay at home and just relax, but then we realised that it would be better to take off somewhere. Working from home makes it hard to really take a break, relax and forget about e-mails, clients and everything work-related - especially when half-finished projects and your laptop haunt you from the dining room table! So, in order to forget about it all we got into the car and drove to Germany. Our next stop was Austria. From Austria we took a day trip to Liechtenstein and another to Italy and then we headed home through France, Luxembourg and Germany. 

As a South African I used to have to get on a plane and literally cross a continent to visit a European country. That is probably why I will never lose the feeling of excitement every time we cross a border to visit another European county! On the day that we went from Austria to Italy the road that we thought we would take was closed due to road works and we had to take a detour through Switzerland! Five years ago this would have been completely unreal to me! 

This was my second visit to Austria. Hubby and I aren't really city people, but we do try to always include at least one day in the city when exploring a country. This time we've been to Salzburg, which is a beautiful and friendly city full of culture, beautiful gardens and stunning architecture. The Alps however, remain my first love when it comes to Austria!

About 2 km above sea level.

Although the composition isn't perfect I love this photo. Taken from the car while Hubby was driving, I love how this photo shows how high up in the mountains we were. It really made me feel on top of the world!

Treasury List Featuring Almost Amsterdam's Wooden Airplane Charms

Etsy Treasury list by Alisha from Baby Bunny Creations on Etsy.

Printed Paper Bags

New in my Etsy shop: Custom Printed Paper Bags! These kraft paper bags are available with or without the lace border. They are perfect for weddings, showers and other celebrations. I have listed a few font options, but these bags may also be customised to match other stationery items for an additional design fee.

You can purchase these via Etsy or e-mail me directly. You will find the Etsy listings here and here.

Airplane Treasury

Thank you to Masha Baranets from Majesty Hobbit, who featured my wooden airplane charm  in her treasury on Etsy! You can view the treasury here.

Sneak Peek: Lasercut Invitation Cut from Recycled Cardstock

I usually publish designs for my Etsy shop on Etsy before I share them here on the blog, but today I will be doing things differently. I have quite a few people waiting for these images and since a blog post takes less time to publish I've decided to give you a sneak peek of a new invitation/save-the-date, while I still get my ducks in a row for the Etsy listing!

This invitation will be available in two sizes: a taller card to fit a DL envelope and a shorter card to fit a C6 envelope. The taller card will be perfect for wedding invitations with a longer text while the shorter card will be perfect for those who want to keep the text on their invitations short and sweet. The shorter format is also suitable for a save-the-date card. The same design can also be converted into table numbers and menus. I recommend the taller card for a menu and the shorter card for table numbers.

I am in the process of streamlining my paper options for my invitations this year, but I will talk more about paper in a follow-up post. What I can tell you so long is that I've added a stunning natural white cardstock to my standard stock and the good news is: it's recycled! The paper was delivered yesterday and I am over the moon! The paper is eco-friendly, but so pretty and versatile! I love the fact that I can use recycled paper without having to sacrifice quality and style! 

The recycled natural white paper is matt with a little sparkle! It's not a shimmer paper as such: but rather a matt white paper sprinkled with delicate flecks of silver. The silver isn't really noticeable, until you tilt the paper at just the right angle to catch a beam of sunlight. The paper reminds me of those pretty white pebbles with the flecks of mica that you will find in nature. The paper looks beautiful with kraft paper too: rustic chic personified! If you do prefer shimmer paper you can still choose your favourite from quite a few pretty shades!

I hope to have the Etsy listing for these invitations ready within the next day or two. In the mean time you are welcome to e-mail me with questions: almostamsterdam{at!}gmail{dot!}com.

New in my Etsy Shop

These map sleeves/pouches are now available in the Almost Amsterdam shop on Etsy. They are perfect for boarding pass or travel-theme celebrations and will convert the simplest of flat invitation cards into something special. You will find them here.

I make these sleeves by die-cutting them from quality artist's paper, digitally printed with an antique map of Europe. Each sleeve is assembled by hand and has a lovely vintage look and feel. Need help with the creation of your invitations? You are welcome to e-mail me or convo me via Etsy.

Dutch, Naturally

I've stayed up quite late last night. While watching Grey's Anatomy I was cutting and folding some of these mini envelopes for my Etsy shop:

These little envelopes are made from quality recycled kraft paper and very versatile. The paper that I use has a lovely natural look and feel and is eco-friendly. This makes these mini envelopes the perfect choice for those who love quality stationery and the planet! Despite the fibers which brings the paper to life, the paper has a lovely smooth surface which is easy to write or stamp on. The envelopes are perfect to hold a love note, small gift, a business card, escort card, or other little treasure. My favourite use is to fill the envelopes with a few bird seeds or paper confetti for weddings.

I was still in "envelope making mode" this afternoon when my little envelopes were featured in an Etsy treasury called "Dutch, Naturally". There is something special about seeing your items as part of a collection put together by someone else, so this really made my day!

You can find the Etsy treasury here. Thank you for including my paper goodies in a lovely treasury, Miellyn!

Snow and Carnivals

Since this is my first post for 2013 I would like to start off today's post by wishing all of you a happy new year! May you be blessed with health, love and the things that make you happy in 2013!

Those of you who know me will also know that I love snow! This winter we had to wait a while and I was beginning to think that we might not get any snow at all - much to my disappointment! A while ago we had a few lost flakes, but these were almost instantly melted by the rain that followed. Then, last night, when I took the doggies out just before bedtime, there were a few tiny flakes - the kind that is only noticable to those who are looking very hard for and waiting almost desperately on this beautiful gift from nature. I told myself to not get my hopes up, but of course I wasn't listening! In bed, before I fell asleep, I lay there in the dark, wondering if it was perhaps snowing. So this morning, when the alarm went off, my first thought was of SNOW! I ran to the window and there it was: our neighbourhood covered in about a centimeter of snow on the ground and more flakes dancing down! I was instantly taken to my happy place! And, while writing here, I cannot help but staring at the window more than at my computer screen!

But snow wasn't the only good thing that happened to me today: one of the items in my shop were also featured in a bright and cheerful Etsy treasury, called "Colorful Carnival".

This fun treasury, full of fun and playful items (a beautiful contrast to the white outside my window) was done by Orsolya Springer from Hungary. Orsolya's Etsy shop, called SILHUETTE, is still relatively new, but definitely worth a visit. I especially love the tatted ivory necklace and earrings available from Orsolya's shop. These are SO perfect for a wedding!

Thank you Orsolya for featuring my straws which are sold with a custom digital file so you can print your own personalised flags: