Florestry

I've recently received some photographs from the very talented and lovely Liz, who bought some of my wooden airplane charms on Etsy. Liz did a floristry course before getting married, so she could do her own flowers for her wedding in 2015. Nowadays she uses her skills to do flowers as a favour for family and friends. 

Liz sprayed the little airplane charms silver, in order to use them in floral arrangements for a retirement party. She then glued them onto skewers encased in green bamboo, so they looked like they were zooming around among the flowers. Liz received a lot of comments from guests on the subtle, fun touch the planes brought to her flower arrangements. And I thought she was brilliant to hide the skewers in bamboo! Liz was so kind to give me permission to share the photos on my blog, so be inspired!

Liz is a woman of many talents. She also sells baby gifts at craft fairs and has recently opened a little Etsy shop called OatOrganicBabyGifts. The shop is still brand new, but based on the excellent feedback from the first few customers, I think the shop is definitely worth a visit, for those of you with a baby somewhere in your life! The listings are still limited, but Liz is planning to list more items in the coming weeks, so do stop by!

Colour of the Year 2018: Ultra Violet

I just LOVE the vibrant Pantone colour of the year for 2018!

Source: https://blog.sampleboard.com/ultra-violet-pantone-color-year-2018-promises-hope/

Source: https://www.pantone.com/color-of-the-year-2018

Beautiful Invitation by Paperock and Scissors

I was so thrilled when Niki from London shared some photographs of her lovely wedding invitations with me. The design is by Paperock and Scissors, a design studio that operates from the UK and South Africa:

 

The combination of colours in the invitation immediately appealed to me, as hues of blue, purple and aqua are some of my favourite colours. I also love the combination of the travel theme with the floral graphics. It makes for a well-balanced invitation: simplicity and strong, angular lines in the shaped pieces, contrasted by the more feminine floral design. I am truly honoured to see my little wooden aeroplane charms as part of such a pretty design!

Please visit Paperock and Scissors on Instagram to see more of the designer's amazing work!

And thank you Niki for sharing your absolutely gorgeous invitations! It was so lovely to meet you through Etsy! May you and Tristan have a beautiful and blessed life together!

Airplane Pinwheels

A while ago I've received a photo of these lovely pinwheels that Lucy made for her wedding. The pinwheels had pins on the back so the guests could wear them! They've added such a festive element to the occasion! I just love Lucy's DIY project! Don't you? Thanks Lucy for sharing!

The airplanes used in Lucy's project can be purchased from the Almost Amsterdam shop here or here. Custom shapes and sizes are also possible if you don't find exactly what you need in my Etsy shop. You're welcome to contact me through Etsy, or via e-mail at almostamsterdam{at!}gmail.com.

Wooden Bird Decoration for Watercolour Invitation

I'm very excited about these little wooden bird decorations that I've just added to my Etsy shop! They measure 40 x 31 mm or approximately 1.57 x 1.2 inches, and are laser-cut from a light-coloured FSC approved laminated wood (3 mm thick), specifically chosen for the fact that it doesn't scorch as much as most types of wood during the laser-cutting process. (The reason why this is important is that the wooden edges won't make a mess of your paper, like laser-cut wood with blackened edges often does.)

I've designed the little bird embellishment to use as decoration for the watercolour wedding invitation in the picture, but the light colour of the wood makes the birdies incredibly versatile. I am sure DIY brides or anyone planning a special event will be able to use the birds on other styles of invitations and stationery too!

The little birds come with a hole, so they can be used with twine, or without a hole, so they can be glued into place. And of course they don't HAVE to be used for weddings or special events. The bird decorations will add a fun, decorative touch to gifts, gift bags, scrapbook pages and more!

You can purchase the birdies in my Etsy shop. To keep shipping costs as low as possible I have done separate listings for quantities of 10 to 50 and 60 to 100. Different quantities can be requested via Etsy or by e-mailing me directly at almostamsterdam{at!}gmail.com. I also do custom shapes for those who have something specific in mind!

Pantone Colour(s) of the Year

Although I've seen some awesome work in Marsala (the 2015 colour of the year), I must admit that it wasn't my favourite Pantone colour of the year thus far. Although I wouldn't say that it reminded me of rust or meatloaf it was a little too dramatic for my personal taste.

For 2016 Pantone has made the unusual decision to not celebrate one colour, but the blending of two, and it happens to be two of my personal favourite colors: Rose Quartz and Serenity! (Even the names are pretty, don't you think?)

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I have some really luxurious paper in stock that are perfect for anyone inspired by these beautiful Pantone colours. The paper is a shimmer paper from Italy and is available in 120 and 280 gsm.The colours available are rose quarts, vista blue and diamond white. I offer the paper in packs of 50 A4 or A3 sheets. Samples are available on request. It can also be die-cut, laser-cut or made into tags, paper sleeves, envelopes and more for you. Please e-mail me at almostamsterdam{at!}gmail.com. I'm looking forward to using these papers in a few creative projects of my own!

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Read more about the Pantone Color of The Year here.

Wedding invitations: Eva & Gary

Eva and Gary's amazing wedding invitations were truly a team effort. The invitations were designed by a friend, I made the airplanes and Eva and Gary put everything together. Their hard work definitely paid off. Eva shared these photographs with me after the wedding and I am finally sharing them with you: Don't you think these invites are absolutely stunning?

Thank you so much for incorporating my work into your design, Eva & Gary! You guys and your friend have reason to be proud! Thank you also for allowing me to share your images!

A Special Place

Just stumbled upon these images by talented South African photographer Nikki Meyer. I always have a soft spot for weddings attended by the whole family - including the dogs. But at this wedding the doggy babies were not only guests and witnesses to mommy and daddy's big day ...

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They also had a very special place on the wedding cake!

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Wedding Invitations: Hayley and Kevin

Every now and again someone shares photographs of how they've used something purchased from my Etsy shop in a stationery design. This time it was the lovely Hayley who shared some photo's with me. I just loved the idea of the names of the bride and groom in white on the map background in muted tones, so I was really thrilled when Hayley gave me permission to share the photographs with you! Thank you Hayley and Kevin! I love your invites and it was lovely to meet you through Etsy!

Want to incorporate these little wooden airplanes in a design of your own? You can buy them here. Alternatively you can e-mail me at almostamsterdam{at!}gmail.com.

Back To Nature Treasury

Nature lover Jamie from Wilderness Apparel on Etsy was so kind to include my squirrel invitation decorations in a Treasury. It's always fun to see my items in a collection put together by another Etsian.

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Jamie prints nature-inspired, hand-drawn designs on t-shirts and hoodies in beautiful vintage colours. You'll have a hard time choosing your favourite item!

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The Invitation Stand

I love collaborating with other designers! This week I've met the lovely Gretel from The Invitation Stand, a studio in Miami Lakes, Florida, via Etsy. When I realised that Gretel was a designer I immedately decided to check out her work. And then, much to my surprise, I stumbled upon this image on The Invitation Stand Facebook page!

I immediately recognised the wooden aeroplanes as ones that I've made, and, to be honest, I felt a little embarrassed about the fact that I could not remember working with Gretel before, but after investigating a little and talking to Gretel I was relieved to learn that my brain wasn't turning into mush! According to Gretel the airplane embellishments in the picture were given to her by her clients and she did not place an order with me directly, as she was completely unaware of my existence at the time!

Anyway: it was fun to see my airplanes in action and lovely to meet Gretel and to contribute to one of her design projects for 2016. If you're in the Florida Lakes area and in need of some stationery, why not contact her? You can see more of Gretel's work or get in touch with her via Facebook and Instagram.

If you need  some personalised aeroplanes to incorporate into a design project of your own, you can buy them here or e-mail me directly at almostamsterdam{at!}gmail.com.

Etsy Treasury

You will find this tresure here.

Thank you to Irina from Etsy shop Miracle from Threads, for including my squirrel decorations for wedding invitations in her fun treasury. Crochet is one of those things that I just cannot seem to master. After several attempts I'm not much further than a chain stitch and my crochet needle and I are definitely not friends! That's probably why I always admire anyone who is good with a crochet needle and thread.

Irina makes and sells safe and natural toys and beads for babies. Among her creations are these lovely little crochet hippo rattles, which caught my eye and are currently on sale!

Please visit Irina's shop to see more of her creations! 

Pins for Guests to Wear: Ralph and Rebekka

In my previous post I've shared the hearts that I've made for Ralph and Rebekka. Today I wanted to share a few photographs from their lovely wedding:

It was lovely to work with Rebekka. Ralph and Rebekka did a lot of DIY for their wedding, but their hard work certainly paid off and made their special day even more special. They had an idea to make a little brooch pin for every guest to wear at the wedding and Rebekka approached me to design, cut and engrave the hearts for the pins for them. They then sat down to turn every heart into a brooch for a guest to wear. I just love the end result!

What a beautiful couple! 

All the photographs in this post were taken by professional wedding photographers You Are Beloved, based in Lelystad, here in the Netherlands. "Van harte bedankt" Rebekka and Ralph, and Serah and Ruchama from You Are Beloved, for allowing me to share this amazing wedding day here on my blog!

More photos of the wedding can be seen on the You Are Beloved blog, as well as over here. 

Love is in the (ai)R

Today I thought I'll share some images of some fun wooden heart embellishments that I;ve made for the lovely Rebekka and Ralph. They've designed their wedding invitations themselves, but approached me about making little custom hearts for them.  I made hearts in two sizes: the smaller ones were used as decoration on their handmade invitations, while the slightly bigger hearts were turned into pins that guests could wear on the wedding day!

Source: Rebekka

 Next time I will share some of the lovely images from the beautiful wedding!

New in my Etsy Shop

These little deer heads are now available in my Etsy shop. They are laser-cut from a special FSC approved plywood that does not burn so dark in the cutting process that the burnt edges of the wood will mess up your paper. This makes them perfect for decorating invitations, favour boxes, napkins and so forth.  The dimensions are as follows:

Height: 50 mm

Width: 30 mm

Thickness:  approximately 3 mm

The deer embellishments will add a special touch to any nature-inspired, woodland,vintage, rustic or hipster wedding or event! You can order them here, or by e-mailing me at almostamsterdam{at!}gmail.com.

Love Actually

It's been a while, since I've been here on the blog and it is really great to be back! It's been a tough few months. I had complications during my surgery and needed much more recovery time than I expected. In fact, I am still taking things a bit slow, but I am getting back to normal, which is awesome!

To be honest I am quite sick and tired of being sick and tired, so I don't want to dwell on the last few months too much, but I do want to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who has been so incredibly supportive during my hospital stay and recovery at home. You guys were amazing! My friends and family made me feel loved by the way they took care of me - even when it had to be done through Skype! There was just always someone available to help me take my mind off things when I felt miserable and needed a bit of distraction from my discomfort and pain. Thank you so much to every single one of you for your patience and encouragement!

But support and encouragement did not only come from the people who know me personally. I was completely overwhelmed by the kind messages from clients and my Etsy followers from around the world. So many people that I've never met before and only know from our online interaction, took the time to write a few words of encouragement and to wish me well. It meant so much to me to know that strangers on the other side of the world cared enough to take a few minutes out of their busy lives to say hello and wish me a speedy recovery. Thank you for that!

The kindness bestowed upon me, reminded me a little of one of my favourite movies of all time: Love Actually. I'll leave you with a quote from the beginning of the movie:

Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow airport. General opinion started to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. Seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy but it's always there. Fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from people on board were messages of hate or revenge, they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling, you'll find that love actually is all around.

Out of Circulation for a While

Just a short post today to let everyone know that I won't be around for a while, as I will be undergoing surgery in the next few days. I will require quite a bit of recovery time (6 to 8 weeks) and will therefore not be able to take on new orders for the time being. My Etsy shop is in vacation mode for a while, and will only re-open when I am well enough to take care of orders again. I am using the last few days before the scheduled surgery to finalise and ship all orders received up to 14 May 2015 and to prepare for my hospital stay.

Thank you for your understanding!

Wedding Stationery: Wouter & Dorita

Photograph by Eppel Fotografie

I was so thrilled to collaborate with the lovely, and very talented bride-to-be, Dorita, last year. Recently she has sent me a link to her wedding photos and I fell completely in love with every little detail of Wouter and Dorita's wedding. The swoon-worthy wedding was photographed by the amazing Ralf Czogallik from Eppel Photography. You can see more lovely photos and read all about it here.

Dorita was from Canada, but at the time that we met on Etsy, she was already living in the Netherlands and planning her wedding to Wouter.

Dorita wanted to make her own wedding invitations, and she asked me to help out with the paper sleeve (or pouch) that she could not make herself.. She sent me a copy of the wedding logo that she designed for the wedding stationery and I converted the image into a digital design suitable for cutting into paper. The next step was to die-cut the paper sleeves for Dorita's invitations from her paper of choice and to then laser-cut the wedding logo into each die-cut. Once all the sleeves were cut out, they were sent to Dorita for assembly. Dorita took care of the graphic design, printing and assembly of the invitations. Below is a photo of her beautiful invitations!

These are the die-cuts that I've made for Dorita, before they were assembled.

I wasn't involved in the creation of Dorita's menu's, but I wanted to share a photo anyway, as they were really pretty too!

Photographs by Eppel Fotografie

I would like to say a special thank you to Dorita. She was such a lovely person to work with! And Wouter, thank you for patiently making sure that the paper was exactly where Dorita and I needed it to be at any given time! 

Bracelet

Don't you just love this photo? A beautiful, gentle moment between a bride and a doggy ... 

 I'm the mommy of a Miniature Doberman Pincher and I am always amazed at how Jolie's little matchstick legs can carry her weight! Perhaps my appreciation for Jolie's skinny little legs is the reason why I love this photo so much! Just imagine having to carry your weigt on little legs so thin that you can wear a ring as a bracelet! And what a great way to include a close-up of the wedding rings before the wedding!

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Animals and Weddings

This little fawn was the guest of honour at a beautiful inspirational shoot with a forest wedding as theme. Isn't she just amazing? 

If you are in love with the idea of a forest or woodland wedding, I suggest that you visit the blog of Calie Rose, who was responsible for the beautiful flowers. Kristina Curtis was the photographer. The whole post is worth checking out! You will find it here.

Found these photos here.