Piper Photography DVD Packaging

Another Piper Photography project! This is the packaging you'll receive if you order photos on DVD from your session at Piper Photography. I love the way Lauren's company colors go with that gray bookcloth.

A definite bonus to having a great photographer as a client is seeing awesome shots of your work! Would you like to see them, too? Check out Lauren's blog post, here!

Custom Keepsake Photo Box

 My friend Lauren of Piper Photography in Alabama always comes up with great projects! She has multiple package options for her clients and offers one that includes a keepsake box filled with photos from their session. There were a couple special features that she was looking for, and the box in these photos is what fit the bill!

The lid, which opens like a book, doubles as a photo frame. One side of the frame is open and allows photos to slide out for easy swapping. A ribbon pull, secure on the bottom of the box, makes it easy to pull photos out for viewing.

Hallmarket 2011

Hallmarket was all day yesterday and it was a grand ol' time! About a hundred Hallmark artists presented their personal work for the public, and Josh and I got to be a part of it. He had some of his posters printed and designed a few patterns that we had printed on fabric to use on a variety of bindings.

It was fun meeting new people and being surrounded my such a great group of artists! We still have a few things left, so we're thinking Josh is going to open up shop and start selling online in a couple of weeks. For a closer look at the patterns, feel free to visit Josh's blog.

Introducing... Milk Mail!

Milk caps are like a perfect little slice of vintage pie. Each one reminds me of an intricate poster and what better to do than find two that match and sandwich a special note in between! I've started turning my growing collection of vintage milk caps into a delightfully functional series called Milk Mail.

 Once you have your note written just put it in it's milk mailer and send it on its way!

 A small collection of these sweet accordion books is currently available for sale at mash handmade in Kansas City. Leave a note or drop me a line if you'd like to know when they're available in my Etsy shop.

Book Butterflies!
Each self sealing mailer comes with a length of bakers twine to secure the book, and a perfect compartment for safe mailing. Your recipient will pull the ribbon to release their book.

Step by Step Instructions
1. Pick your favorite milk cap book.
2. Write a special letter or draw some dandy pictures.
3. Secure the book with bakers twine.
4. Place your milk mail in the protective mailer.
5. Address the envelope and send it on its way!
    Extra postage will be necessary for careful handling.

BBB for mash handmade

I am so excited to be selling some of my work in a real live shoppe! Especially this one. Lisa took me by mash handmade way back when Josh had his interview here in Kansas City. For me, it's one of those places that you walk into and try to move as slowly as possible because it just feels great to be there! It's a beautifully designed space filled (but not crowded) with delightful handmade creations. A mother and daughter duo own the shoppe and their kindness and enthusiasm for what they do make it an even more enjoyable experience (by the time I got to speak with them you can picture me in slow motion as I delay my inevitable exit!)

These photos are of the first boxes to make their way to mash. I have a set of folding boxes and some small books that will be joining them soon. If you live close by I definitely recommend heading over to Westport for a visit, otherwise enjoy their website! It has a similar effect on me. :)

 I thought it might be nice to make something that could be in a gender neutral gift-giving category. My enthusiasm for milk caps is at an all time high, and I don't see any lows in the forecast. A Burlington County Farms cap is inset on the top, surrounded by silk-like Japanese bookcloth, and complemented with green rayon bookcloth.

 Liberty London's Small Susanna comes together with Japanese and rayon bookcloths for a springtime look. A vintage transfer bumble bee eagerly approaches the sunflower (it must be blueberry flavored!). In person you'll be able to tell that it literally glitters with anticipation.

Here's the original box I shared with the ladies of mash, I've shared it here, too!

 Covered with linen and rayon bookcloth, this one might be my favorite because the ribbon inset on the top is some that I found in a fabric shop in Paris. The red and white buttons were selected from my button jar - that red & white striped button makes me happy all by itself!

A trio of bright rayon bookcloths makes this a cheery box, but a whistling teapot puts it over the top! The teapot and cup illustration is from a sheet of vintage Royaledge shelf paper. A piece of plain paper would have been attached to the top of the design and what you see above would fold over your kitchen shelves. Darling idea, isn't it? This box would still be great for a kitchen, perfect for tea bags, I'd say!

Bitty Binding

When I'm working on a project, usually I'm up and down, cut this here, press this there, rounding, backing, stamping, and various other -ings! It's not necessarily strenuous, but sometimes it's a nice treat to sit down and be able to make something from start to finish with all of the tools and materials at your fingertips! That's just what I got to do yesterday with this little Sweetheart book charm.

New in the Shop: Folding Box & a Few Words on Stamp Collecting

Another Liberty London infused box! This new box in the shop is covered in burgundy cloth and Liberty London's Small Susanna.

Lately my work has been accompanied by colorful vintage stamps. A few weeks ago I came across a box of stamps and stamp collecting books at the Crown Center antique festival. The gal selling them really wanted to get rid of them so she gave me a deal on the condition that I take the whole box!

 So, now I have a bunch of great stamps, some of which I've set aside to incorporate into projects, and others that I've bundled together in nice color combos to pass on as little gift with purchase treats. Along with the stamps, I now have a bunch of books about stamp collecting, which were fun to look through, but ultimately I'm not a stamp collector*, so I'm giving ebay a whirl. Anybody into stamps?

* I am, however, a major stamp user! I like having a variety of stamps on hand so I can match them with their recipient. That's normal, right? Lately my favorites are the new Love collection and the Pioneers of American Industrial Design stamps. I haven't even used the latter yet, I'm debating about keeping the pane pristine and putting in a frame. Wait a minute...maybe I am stamp collector!