The little birds...

If you watch little birds you will see they are busy and happy! Using whatever they can find they create the most gorgeous little nest.
I would be the little bird with some glittery thread in her nest!
We can be like this. Happily working away with the things that are available to us to create a beautiful and happy home.
All the while with a little song in our heart.

Banner by Free Pretty Things for You.

Sunday 27 September 2015

Cards as gifts.

Once you start card making it is kind of addictive! I have posted plenty on card making before. It is a huge money saver, great fun and easy.

I have a simple tutorial to get you started if you are not already making your own cards... here.

My personal favourite cards are pretty ones with layers of additions lile lace, flowers, butterflies etc.


And ruffles! Learning to make simple ruffles is good as they are so cheap to do. Paper is so inexpensive and makes the most lovely things!


Later I made angel wings for Christmas with ruffles. I would happily ruffle everything!




Once you start you see potential card making components everywhere and you wonder why you ever threw these things out... you will see!

It is quite easy to make all your cards for the year plus spares. I tend to use cards to write letters as well as for occasions like Birthdays. Also thank you cards and "I'm thinking of you" type cards.
But I can't seem to stop at "enough" and often I find a whole book of gorgeous roses or something like that and it is easy to end up with fifty more cards!

One of my favourite things in the world is boxed stationary. I have even found some vintage boxes complete with a pale satin ribbon and scented pink paper! ooh!
This made me realize that stationary, cards, tags all make lovely gifts. Everyone uses and needs cards. They are expensive. This adds up over a year. These are a welcome and lovely gift.
Now I just keep making cards and make up sets of six or a dozen and present them in a box or in cellophane tied up with ribbon.

For gifts I tend to make cards that could be used for several things ie for a letter, birthday, thank you or whatever by keeping them message free. Then they cover a lot of occasions. I usually wrap each one and use cellophane bags for this. It makes them look like the ones in a store. (well, MORE like ones in a store!)

I try and give cards in a theme or colour I know someone likes. And sometimes I will add something to go with them such as a small address book, stickers, stamps, a pen etc.





For my Aunt I make either garden or cooking themed cards. I always end up making lots of flower themed or rose themed, shabby chic, bird... all my favorite things!



My friend Ethel used to make a wonderful gift. It was one of the best ideas! She would buy a folder filled with clear plastic pockets. Inside she would put twelve cardboard dividing pages then mark them with the months of the year. Behind each month of the year was a plastic pocket.
So on January's page she would write that persons family and friends birthdays and the dates. And in the plastic pockets she included a card for  each occasion.
Appropriately she added Easter, Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Christmas and the plastic pocket behind those had cards as well for those celebrations.
Ethel made these at first for her older relatives and it helped them with organisation and the costs of all the cards for the year. But friends saw them and loved the idea and handed over their birthday lists so she wold make one for them as well!
It was such a good gift! A whole years worth of cards!

This is a gift you can really personalise. There are so many possibilities.




So apart from saving you from buying cards all year you have a series of gifts to give.
I also make gift tags. These can also be made into little packs as they are so handy. Or you could do a combination pack and include some of each.
This is really good fun. Once you get going they are quick and easy to make and you wonder why you ever bought them!

When I see how much lovely cards are from the news agent I know that my six card packs are worth around $50. It seems amazing to me but that is what they cost to buy. Last week I made myself a fresh supply and five packs for gifts. One was a boxed set, the others cellophane and ribbon. I am really pleased with them. Into my present cupboard they go!

I would like to collect more boxes as I think a boxed set is extra special. Also I watch out for stickers and little accessories to add in.

Between making my cards, tags and gifts I must save a huge amount of money. It is a pleasure to do and sometimes working on a craft project is so enjoyable.
You do not have to be artistic or talented to make cards. Find something you like and copy the idea.

Have a wonderful new week!


29 comments:

  1. Dear Annabel, you have such a lovely way with things. I agree that it's a shame boxed stationery went out of style. It used to be a regular on my wish list for birthdays and Christmas when I was young. I love your idea of bundling cards with especially chosen motifs for people you know. How gorgeous. And the ruffles are swoonworthy. Embellished butchers paper or brown paper as gift wrap, premade and folded like 'bought' gift wrap can be another good addition. I scribe mine with oversized writing and a fat felt pen, or finger paint it or paint splatter or spray paint with paper doileys as a stencil. As you say, once you start, your imagination runs wild with the possibilities. I think these are always very welcome as a gift, and isn't it funny that few people think of it! I hope you have a lovely week with your family and that more photos of you and sweet little Harper are forthcoming. Love, Mimi xxx

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    1. Dear Mimi, Thank you! I adore your script parcels... when you sent me one I took photos of it! It was a shame to open it!
      Your writing is better than mine. I should try to learn some calligraphy letters or something as I love the antique script look.
      Also I love plain paper especially brown paper. In fact the idea of paying dollars and dollars to wrap something drives me mad. Between us with plain paper, tulle etc we have come up with so many lovely ways to wrap things for cents!
      I did find some luxury paper in January for 50c a roll marked down from $8 or something and I got that! But thats an exception!
      You have a great week too, with love and thanks, Annabel.xxx

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  2. Annabel ... I ... love ... this idea!!!! Enough said!

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    1. Thanks Patsy. GIfts just dont have to be expensive but they can still be lovely. Seeing what the ladies were saying today on AWP I am thinking to do a blog post just on inexpensive gift ideas. But really most things we make ourselves are a huge saving as far as gifts go! Thank you!xxx

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  3. DITTO! your packing is beautiful as are the cards.

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  4. Dearest Annabel,
    You cards are works of art! I love cards and stationary so much! Truly if you posted a post like this daily I'd never tire of it! It is such a joy to make and receive cards. This post has me smiling.
    Love, Colette xxx

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    1. I'd love a post about Annabel's cards each day too.

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    2. Dear Colette, You are a stationary girl like me! And paper... all things lovely.
      The idea for an older person, to supply their cards and stamps etc is a really good gift. Saving this knowing you scrap book etc ... so many possibilities! With love (have a wonderful week) Annabel.xxx

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  5. Annabel,
    I agree with Patsi! These are gorgeous! You always amaze me at how creative you are and how beautiful everything turns out, some people have that touch and your one of them!
    XOXO
    Vicky

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    1. Thanks Vicky! I want to tell you that due to your idea today I got a shoe hanger/organizer/pocket thingy for in the cellar on the wall. I am so pleased with it! It didnt cost much and will give me spaces to stash all sorts of things. Thank you for this idea! Will show a picture sometime soon. With love Annabel.xxx

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  6. Such lovely cards Annabel I'm drooing over them. The ribbons look great too. Last week I bought an embossing machine. It takes my cards to a whole new level. I sold four cards today to one of my cleaning clients.

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    1. Dear Wendy, ooohh I will be looking forward to seeing what you do with the embossing machine! You continually add new things and are getting better and better! It is so much fun, apart from everything else!
      Selling some cards is great also! You are very enterprising and always inspiring me. With love, Annabel.xxx

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  7. Absolutely beautiful, Annabel. You are very gifted I must say. Anyone would be thrilled to receive one of those cards.

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    1. Thank you Nanna Chel. With the simple image ones it is all down to finding gorgeous pictures. I found a book of owls once and made a heap for all the boys who like Harry Potter etc. And I found another book of Harley Davidson motorbikes and made those for Andy! Just a matter of finding pics that are lovely or right up someones alley!
      Hope you are having a good week. Love and thanks, Annabel.xxx

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  8. Hi Annabel,

    Your cards are unbelievably beautiful, especially the top one. You have a lovely stash of ribbons too. I love the way you have presented them. You inspired me to a whole new dimension of card making. Thank you ever so much for this post.

    If you don't mind my asking, from where can I buy those cellophane bags, please?
    Thank you,
    Millie

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    1. Dear Millie, Thank you so much! I am so glad you feel inspired!
      I get the cellophane bags at Spotlight. They have several sizes. Also sometimes cheap shops have them. If you have any trouble places that sell supplies for packaging or confectionary keep them. They are really good and give a crisp clean look to things. For larger items an oven bag looks exactly the same. They are also great for presenting biscuits etc.
      I hope this helps. Love Annabel.xxx

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    2. Yes, your tips were very informative, Annabel. Thank you very much for your time and kindness. I'm so grateful to you. Will keep an eye on those next time I go shopping.

      Thank you,
      Best regards,

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    3. Sorry, it went. I'm Millie.

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  9. Thank you for all of the details and inspirational photos! Now I must plan a trip to the thrift shop to find a book to cut up.

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    1. Magazines with heavier paper are wonderful too. Like the English country magazines... they are good for beautiful flowers and gardens. My best finds are thick books of roses! Sometimes if lucky I might buy a book like that for three or four dollars and get a hundred or more cards from it!
      I watch out at garage sales, secondhand book sales etc. Mum also gets a particular English magazine and gives me those. Some cook books are beautiful too for luscious photos. I hope you have success! xxx

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  10. Your cards are so pretty and anyone who received them would be grateful. I love the gift idea that Ethel does and I'm thinking of doing something like that for Mum for Christmas or a big bundle of cards for Men, Women and kids done up with pretty ribbons etc like you have done. She is so hard to think of presents for as she ' really need anything.
    Thanks for the idea.
    love Debbie xx

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    1. Dear Debbie,
      This is a lovely gift... its a gift of saving money and help. I agree mostly people dont need stuff. But helpful things and useful things are wonderful. Cooking is another. Really what could be nicer? Im glad if you can use this idea. Ethel made the folders pretty too, she was very creative.
      I hope you are having a good week! with love, Annabel.xxx

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  11. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!!

    I love Ethel's idea, I might just have to borrow that one.

    Your cards are just gorgeous Annabel!

    xTania

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    1. Dear Tania, Ethel decorated the folders too so they looked lovely. It was such a nice useful gift that also lasted a whole year. I'm glad you like it.
      Hope you are having a good week. It's going to warm up! But really it was so cool today you'd never think the weekend will be so warm. Lots of love, Annabel.xxx

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  12. Dear Annabel, The cards are just lovely!! And I love the idea to add embellishments as a gift set! So pretty!! :) Love, Teri

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    1. Thanks Teri! I a, always on the look out for little stickers and things that are nice additions. But I love stationary so it's easy to get carried away! With love, Annabel.xxx

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  13. I love this idea of gifting handmade cards. We make gift tags but not cards... YET!!! :)

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    1. Dear Jes, I love tags too. Plus lovely tags can also be saved and used as bookmarks. But I see cards in your future! Many thanks, Annabel.xxx

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