Free Downloads: Christmas Gifttags!

Aaarrgghh....! Is it really Christmas Eve tonight?
Yikes! Where did the holidays go?! How is it ending so fast?! I was just beginning to get in the mood! (Slow, I know.)

One thing that got me in the Christmas-y mood was giftwrapping.
I usually procrastinate terribly in this, but not this year, thanks to all the wonderful gift wrapping ideas floating round the handmade blogland and shops :) While making gift tags is one of my favourite parts of wrapping, I didn't make any of my own this time round. There were too many lovely ones from amazing illustrators on the internet! When I first saw them, I thought, "How nice - but I'm not going to use them since I love making my own...". But then again, how could one resist such pretty work (that would look 100x better than what I would create anyway...). So I succumbed to all the wonderful goodness and printed all my gift tags this year!

Here are some free downloadable gift tags I found online, in case you're the last minute kind (cough, like me) and need something pretty to jazz up your gifts :)


By Abigail Halpin


From Delicious Days


By Julia Rothman from Design*Sponge


By Amy Moss via mimpimurni

Merry Christmas, dear friends!

December Sale!

I can't believe how quickly 2010 has flown by.

It was just May... how did December get here so quickly?

Not that I'm complaining, really, since this is my favorite month after all!

Oh December, you bring with you so many happy memories and things to look forward to, all at once. My birthday, holiday baking, Christmas gift shopping, time spent catching up with friends and family.... *contented sigh*

Dear blog readers, I want to celebrate this month with you by offering you a special 20% discount on all items in my Etsy shop!

All you need to do is key in "ILOVEDECEMBER10" under the coupon code section at the checkout page. This sale ends on December 31st, 2010.

Happy day to you! :)

Mail Art by Roben-Marie Smith

I can't remember how I stumbled upon Roben-Marie's blog, but I was in awe while scrolling through her posts on mail art that she makes. So, so lovely...

Can receiving mail be any more appealing?
She uses file folders as envelopes!





Woolen mail art someone sent her!



Source: Roben-Marie's blog

Christmas Packaging Idea

Loving this gift wrap idea from the kikki.k blog
What a fun way to creatively jazz up recycled paper!





Via: Kikki.k blog

My favourite month, December, is approaching...

Christmas is a' coming...!
And I'm (slightly) giddy with excitement!

Gingko & Butterfly

Giveaways are super fun.
Most of the time I don't win anything, but it's always exciting to discover a new artist and admire their creations through my 13.3" screen. You can imagine my delight when I received a convo from Sally of Gingko & Butterfly saying, "You are the winner of my giveaway!".

Sally has a small home workshop in London, England where she creates beautiful handmade silver jewelry. Her exquisite designs are inspired by nature, and as you will see in her shop, many leaf and floral motifs grace her dainty metal work.

Needless to say, I was thrilled when a package with a Queen Elizabeth stamp arrived a week ago!


Brown boxes are one of the best ways to package things, imho!

A pendant of a gingko leaf - how unique is that? Total love!


Thanks for the gorgeous gingko pendant, Sally!

Hop over to the Gingko & Butterfly shop to view more of Sally's wonderful creations.

Apologies for missing yesterday's *Good Reads* post. My mind hasn't been quite focused these past few days and it's been rather frustrating. Anyhow, I love these illustrations by Rifle Paper Co.- there is always hope for better days ahead. :)

Carl Kliener is a Swedish photographer who takes some pretty awesome images.
Interestingly and unlike many photographers, his subjects vary widely, from portraiture to food, and even fashion.
I've noticed a couple of blogs featuring shots he took for Ikea's new cookbook, "Homemade is Best".

He updates his website frequently with latest pictures of what he's been working on.
I wonder what this project was about-

Countdown to Christmas: Packaging Finds

It's exactly two months to Christmas!
My does time fly by... It seems like I was just celebrating the beginning of 2010!
One of my favorite things about Christmas is deciding how to wrap presents because to me, that's part of what makes the gift special. :)

Packaging Finds on Etsy - "A White Christmas"


Decorative Edge Journal Tags by ShoeBoxMemoriesDLuxe


Recycled Paper Snowflakes by barefootkitchenwitch


Pom Pom Cord
by cresentplace


Jute Twine by olivemanna


Scalloped glassine bags by sweetfindings

For more picks, have a look at this treasury I made (Click here)

**Good Reads** – Etsy Sellers, You May Find These Useful

Hel-lo, everyone!
Wahooo... Monday is here again! Hope you had a good weekend!
Here are some good reads I found last week. Not all of them are the latest, but just in case you missed them earlier (like I did), check them out!

1. How to Make a Facebook Fan Page: Ultimate Guide
2. Branding by Ittybiz.com
3. Tips for Selling Online by Mayi Carles on the Papernstich blog
4. Promoting Your Business (Tastefully) Online by Grace of Design Sponge
5. Beginners Guide to SEO - I got this link from a Virtual Lab session. Haven't actually read it, but it looks pretty comprehensive!

Got a good link to share? Do share in the comments section :)

You know, October isn't even over, but I'm already in the Christmas mood...
Have a wonderful first-working-day-of-the-week!

Just a little shop update today.

Inspiration Friday

How original is this?!




Illustrated resealable bags by babalisme
I love how she took something so ordinary and infused her creative interpretations on them.

Makes me want to grab some markers and start doodling too!

Stationery Finds: Upon A Fold

Upon a Fold is based in Sydney, Australia. They showcase and sell beautifully created paper products, from pop ups, paper vases, and even jewelry - my favourites being their stationery items.

Illustrated brown paper bags

Folktale noteobook & file

Animal adventures sticky notes

Grid style tracing paper pockets

Postcard set

Lovely, no?

**Good Reads** – Etsy Sellers, You May Find These Useful

Etsy Holiday Bootcamp - are you doing it?
Sounds like it’s helping many sellers keep on track! :)

Although I’m not officially taking part in it, I’ve found the Reading Lists very helpful and practical. If you haven't already, its definitely worth checking out.

Apart from Etsy’s recommendations, here are a couple more blog posts/ articles that I've read recently and found useful:

1. Danielle’s take on making FP worthy treasuries
2. SEO Optimization Tips for Etsy Shop Owners by Kelly of Wave of Life Surf Studio
3. Sarah B.’s post on Etsypreuner
4. "Buy Handmade" Doesn't Work by Tara Gentile (Scoutie Girl)
5. Crafty Connections- more helpful links compiled by April

Have you read them before?

If not, I hope you’re able to glean some good stuff from them!

If so, which did you find most helpful?

Happy Monday!!!

Golden Wednesday

If there is one element in photography that I can never get tired of, it is warm light during the golden hour.

It makes everything, even the ordinary, look so beautiful.

****

"People are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be." ~ Abraham Lincoln

(via @iheartquotes)

"The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved;

loved for ourselves-say rather,

loved in spite of ourselves." -V. Hugo

(via @mikedonehey)

10 Things I Loved About Beijing

1. Watching the way people live: bicycles, late nights, mahjong, toy dogs & pet birds, tai chi in the park, calligraphy on the sidewalks




2. Learning the meanings behind the symbolism and “lucky” numbers

3. Big, open spaces

4. Yashou “fake” clothing market

5. Yogurt



6. The highly efficient subway system (and how they had murals about the location at every metro station)


(This was at the Beijing Zoo station)

7. Beautiful, lovely picturesque parks with those dreamy willow trees




8. Art in every form, in every place: architecture, sculpture....



9. Fresh peaches that were in season


10. Tobogganing down the Great Wall (yes, you can do that... and even take a cable car up!)

"B" is for Bicycle

My goodness.... time flies way too quickly!
I've been meaning to blog again, but the weekend slipped by before I could even type a word!
Gotta brush up on my time management, I suppose~

Buck on Bike silk s... utilitarianfra... $60.00	the bicycle pocket ... barberryandlac... $38.00	The Bicycle - Postc... rememberdecemb... $4.00	leather billfold wa... inblue $
Large - Vital Bicyc... vital $28.00	Vintage Black and W... ladygreenjeans $5.00	Screen Printed Orga... ohlittlerabbit $18.50	Your Brass Bicycle ... averymarydesig... $12.00
red bike button. se... 1byliz $7.00	A Bicycle History M... theboldbanana $12.00	Lets take a bike r... LittlePinkKang... $2.50	retro revival bicyc... uncommon $20.00
Vital Bicycle, scre... vital $20.00	Bicycle mini hardco... Lalasloft $15.00	Mouse Pad - Road Bi... SureAsBlue $	Collecting Flowers ... AForestFrolic $4.50

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

My postcard, "The Bicycle" was recently featured in SweetNSassySewing's lovely treasury, "B" is for Bicycle".
Such a neat theme, don't you think? I love taking pictures of bicycles. There's such a nostalgic air about them (apart from mountain bikes, that is).

Do take a look at the rest of the picks in this treasury. I think they were great finds!

Gotta love the bicycle screenprinted glassware & the gift tags! :)