CasaSugar

The Card Shop: A Botanical Bridal Shower

CasaSugar — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:00:40 -0700

I love this set of bridal shower invitations ($14.50 for a set of 12), in part because it reminds me a little of my recent trend alert. The design is simple, classical, and absolutely beautiful. Just send in the details of your bridal shower, and within a few days you'll have your invitation sent to you. You can specify numbers of invitations, and they'll be printed on 100% recycled card stock with matching envelopes. I have a bridal shower coming up myself, and I think I may have found the perfect card . . .

Etsy Find: Plantable Card Set

CasaSugar — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:00:28 -0700

Perhaps taking a note from the Blooming Wrapping Paper I wrote about, the Recycled Ideas Plantable Card Set ($10) is a set of pastel cards embedded with seeds that you can plant to grow your choice of flowers. The cards themselves are simple and blank, so you can personalize them with your own message, and of course, they come with germination instructions. Since they're handmade, they have the wonderful irregularities and texture that only handmade paper has. In the spirit of Good to Grow month, I say you send one off to a friend, and plant one yourself, and you'll soon both be growing your own hollyhocks, snapdragons, or marigolds. Take that, Hallmark!

DIY: Easter Egg Cards

CasaSugar — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 09:45:28 -0700

Although trading may not be her forté, Martha Stewart has definitely cornered the market on Easter. She's done it again with egg-themed stationery. While the golden age of egg-hunting has long since been over for me, I am digging her Easter egg card DIY, which makes use of leftover fabric scraps and trimmings. I'm thinking of trying it with another shape, perhaps a trendy skull, seasonal pear, or wise owl. To learn Martha's steps for crafting these cuties, and mine for crafting other shapes, read more

Supplies:

pre-cut photo frame cards with envelopes
fabric scraps
scissors
Elmer's glue or glue stick
rick rack or ribbon
decorative paper
personal paper trimmer (or just use scissors)

Here are the steps, from Martha Stewart Living:

"Make the Card: Start with a precut photo-frame card. The card has three flaps. One folds under the cutout flap. Measure flap that folds under; cut fabric or paper to fit, less 1/2 inch. Dot glue on wrong side of fabric; glue to flap. Glue rickrack or ribbon to fabric, if desired. Dot glue around fabric edges. Fold cutout flap over glue-dotted flap, and press."
"Line the Envelope: Measure an open envelope from the top of the triangular flap (not including the sticky edge) to the bottom of the envelope. Measure between sides. Cut a sheet of decorative paper to those dimensions. We used a personal paper trimmer, available at office-supply stores."
"Slide cut sheet into envelope. Fold both sides down at top, using the bottom of the sticky edge as a guide. Crease with bone folder. Take paper out of envelope; cut along creases with trimmer. Insert paper into envelope, and fold where envelope flap folds over; crease. Apply glue from a stick to back of paper, on the top edges only; press gently to envelope."

To make these cards in another shape (skull, pear, owl, etc.):

Buy standard blank note cards.
Draw or trace your shape on to the underside of the top flap.
Cut the shape out with an X-acto knife.
Cut a blank piece of cardstock to the dimensions of one side of the card.
Glue your fabric scrap (and ribbons, if desired) to the cardstock, a little larger than the opening of your shape.
Glue the cardstock to the underside of the top flap of your card.
Then, follow Martha's instructions for the envelope.
Send me one!

Source

The Card Shop: Hello!Lucky's New Site and Cards

CasaSugar — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 07:00:59 -0800

One of my favorite card shops, Hello!Lucky, is celebrating the new year with some new changes. The vintage-inspired letterpress stationery company has a new website , which is easier to navigate and looks darn lovely, and it's also introducing digital printing. Why digital printing? Well, for one thing, it's affordable (more important than ever in 2009), and digital printing also allows customers to choose expedited service. And good news: the quality of the cards is comparable to custom letterpress production.

To find out more about the ladies behind Hello!Lucky, and to see some of their cards, read more.

Hello!Lucky was started six years ago by sisters/BFFs Eunice and Sabrina Moyle. Since that time, their lovely designs have graced many a wedding announcement, been featured in national papers, blogs, and magazines, and last year, Eunice and Sabrina released the book Handmade Hellos. I'm thrilled with their new site, as well as the multitude of cards available through it. For some of my favorite designs on their site, check out the gallery, and then head over to the new site to see how easy it is to navigate.

View 10 Photos ›

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The Card Shop: Letterpress Wedding Card

CasaSugar — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 08:30:46 -0700

Shopping for gifts is one of my favorite activities; I even prefer it to shopping for myself (probably because I'm too easy to please). Finding the ideal gift for a friend is a challenge that I really enjoy. So, when it comes to shopping from a wedding registry, I get kind of bummed. The Sycamore Street Press Letterpress Wedding Card ($4) washes all those tears away with a nice dose of dry humor, reading, "Spoiler Alert. Someone got you a toaster." Its light turquoise ink and envelope, heavy card stock, and Victorian dancing lady add an elegance not typically associated with your average jokester card, making it the perfect fit for such a momentous occasion.

The Card Shop: Fold Cards

CasaSugar — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 05:30:03 -0700

Artist Miro Chun makes her Fold handmade cards sitting in her workshop surrounded by stacks of paper, lengths of wire, and spools of thread. Mini wire sculptures sit on colorful arrangements of paper, creating a motif that is both pared down and full of personality, be it a simple sailboat, a wedding cake, or any number of recognizable creatures including lobsters, frogs, and robots. Her inspiration for these meticulous creations includes her namesake Catalan painter and sculptor Joan Miro, as well as Alexander Calder, known for his wire circuses and mobiles. Send one of these charming cards to a friend, and suddenly "hello" can help someone collect art. I'm loving the Summer style of this five-by-five-inch Boat Card ($11).

The Card Shop: Paper Doll Valentine

CasaSugar — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 10:00:45 -0800

Je t'aime paper dolls. I always have and always will. So, ahem, this Wool and Water Paper Doll Valentine ($12) is pour moi. It comes as a print that you cut and assemble yourself along with six silver brads to keep it all together (and instructions, of course). Although it would be quite cute if my man put this paper doll together, I'd simply have too much fun doing it myself. Once it's made, it's a good idle desk toy for, you know, when my boss isn't looking. Although, there's no matching "Ken" paper doll, so what's the fun in that?

The Card Shop: Ski Love

CasaSugar — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 08:00:57 -0800

"Couples who ski together stay together." This Ski Love Card ($3.50) is woefully cute and full of good intentions and seasonal enthusiasm: it's a must have for any ski bunny couple. Its retro pink and brown diagonal stripes remind me of the ski suits my parents wore in the '70s - good thing? - and the genuine wood ski cutouts also add a charming touch of authenticity. Hoping to make a trip to the slopes this Winter? Maybe this card is just the thing to push your honey over the edge.

The Card Shop: Notes to Grow On

CasaSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:00:23 -0700

When sending a hand-written note, it always pays to have cute stationery. But, what about multipurpose stationery? Why just send a card, when you can send a small packet of seeds along with it? The Lizard Press Notes to Grow On Set ($25 for 7) features beautiful green illustrations of seven different herbs reproduced from Albert Schramm’s Der Bilderschmuck der Frühdrucke (Germany 1450-1500AD), and adhered to the back of each is a small packet of coordinating seeds. Handsome brick-red type reads the name of the herb, and script indicates the most common uses for each herb. It's a small but heartfelt token to send to your green thumb friends, but who needs presents anyway? Also, check out this plantable card set.

The Card Shop: Letterpress Birthday Card

CasaSugar — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 07:30:58 -0700

There's something whimsically beautiful about this LookyLoo Letterpress Birthday Card ($3.50). I'm not sure if it's the conch shell broadcasting birthday wishes, the "my darling" epithet, the seaweed feathers in the lady's locks, her flowing dress, or the pretty pink waves shooting out of the sea. But regardless, despite aging anxiety, I wish my birthday were just around the corner, and this one came in with the tide of utility bills and dentist appointment reminders in my mailbox. Really, who can argue with "darling"?