Omiyage Blogs

Send Pretty Mail #22 - Mozaiq

2013-05-21T09:34:00.000-04:00

Continuing on with May's postcard theme, I'm reaching out and saying hello with one of Mozaiq Design's sweet postcards.

Designed and produced in Germany, and ever so cute, I'm totally enamoured with the colour palette.

How fun are these party animals? Best thing about Mozaiq postcards? (Other than total cuteness, that is!) They're so "green", you can even compost them - though, they're clearly too cute for that fate!

You can see our full selection of Mozaiq Eco-friendly paper goods in the shop.

Want to receive some pretty mail in YOUR mailbox? Send me a note at info@omiyage.ca with your mailing address and a little something about yourself. I'll be making a list and choosing new friends to send mail to each month. And don't worry if you don't hear back from me right away - if you send your info, you should find a pretty piece of mail headed your way some time this year!

DIY: Neon Polka Dot Tea Towels

2013-05-20T11:01:00.003-04:00

Whose kitchen doesn't deserve a jolt of fresh colour for summer?

Join Marisa over on Oh My! Handmade Goodness today for a step-by-step tutorial to make your own polka dot tea towels.

5 Minute DIY - Glitter Clips

2013-05-16T18:18:00.002-04:00

Here's a sweet & simple 5 minute DIY to try!

Fancy up mini (or even regular-sized) wooden clips with glitter tape. These cuties are perfect for attaching gift tags to presents or stringing up art/cards.

Eye Candy - Miyahara Hazuki

2013-05-15T10:44:00.001-04:00

Stumbled across Japanese artist Miyahara Hazuki's work on Pinterest and simply had to share!

I love how playful and colourful this work is. The fluidity - magic!

Miyahara creates under the name hacco - see more work here, check out hacco's blog or discover other artists in the site's excellent link section.

On Pinterest? Come see what's inspiring us lately!

Send Pretty Mail #21 - Cotton & Flax

2013-05-11T11:47:00.001-04:00

I have a pretty unabashed love for postcards - so, this month, Send Pretty Mail is putting down the envelope and embracing the simple (yet stunning) postcard!

I've actually been dreaming of a postcard art gallery for some time now. Art prints all in postcard form - perfect for framing, or for sending, or even for sending and then framing. Fun, right?

When I stumbled across these hand silkscreened postcards from Cotton & Flax, I knew I needed to include them in postcard month. The patterns are so wonderful - and the cardstock is 100% recycled. Love that!

Plus, I find it really hard not to love anything hot pink. It's a weakness!

Are you a fan of postcards too? At the end of the month, we'll be giving away a fantastic selection of postcards for your own collection. Stay tuned for that!

Want to receive some pretty mail in YOUR mailbox? Send me a note at info@omiyage.ca with your mailing address and a little something about yourself. I'll be making a list and choosing new friends to send mail to each month. And don't worry if you don't hear back from me right away - if you send your info, you should find a pretty piece of mail headed your way some time this year!

DIY: Pop-Up Bouquet Card

2013-05-08T14:55:00.002-04:00

With Mother's Day just around the corner, an extra-lovely handmade card seemed like the perfect thing to share.

Here's a little peek at what's blooming inside that oh-so simple exterior! A washi tape version of this gorgeous 7 flower pop-up card.

Start by spelling out your message in washi tape letters - apply your tape to parchment or waxed paper, cut out the desired letters and stick to the front of a blank card. Fiddly work but oh so worth the effort!

Cut seven squares of plain paper - each should be approximately 4" (10cm). I just used regular printer paper.

Grab a selection of washi tape and cover each square with the tape.

Take a washi-tape covered square. Fold in half. Fold in half again. Fold on the diagonal. Repeat with each square.

Cut one of the folded squares into a petal shape. Unfold - you should have an 8-petal flower. Cut out and remove one of the petals. Use this petal as your template for the remaining 6 flowers.

Once all seven flowers are cut and eighth petals removed, use additional washi tape to create the centres of the flowers. Then overlap and glue the two end petals together to form a cup-shaped flower. Your final flowers will have 6-petals. Repeat with all seven flowers. Allow glue to dry then fold each flower flat.

Here's where it gets a bit tricky (what? You thought it was tricky before?) as we glue the various flowers together to make the pop-up bouquet. Rather than reinventing the wheel, I'm going to recommend you pop over to Extreme Cards for a really great diagram on how to glue the pieces together. Find it here.

If desired, add washi-tape covered leaves before gluing the flowers to your card.

Attach the bouquet to the inside of the blank card using just a dab of glue (or glue dot) on the centre petal as per indicated on the final diagram over on Extreme Cards. Allow to dry thoroughly.

Then open up your card to find an instant bouquet in your favourite shades of washi tape.

The perfect way to say "Happy Mother's Day" or "Thank You" or for any day which calls for an explosion of flowers!

Inspiration - Gold!

2013-05-07T10:27:00.001-04:00

Ashley Calder - who blogs about modern scrapbooking over at Things That Shine and Scrapbook Update created this very clever birthday mini album using some of our gold & neon pink products - love the unique ways she's worked with our washi tape, glitter tape, stickers and tags. This is just a taste of Ashley's wonderful album - find many more images (and lots of inspiration) over on her blog.

Have you used Omiyage products in a project too? We'd love to see what you're working on!

Send Pretty Mail # 18/19/20 - In The Garden

2013-05-03T11:03:00.001-04:00

Who wouldn't want to receive flowers in their mailbox?

Pretty washi tape designs full of butterflies and flowers do all the hard work. Fold a bevy of origami butterflies for an extra surprise inside the envelope.

Cherry blossoms are (finally) blooming this week in Toronto - but a few weeks ago, in a fit of sakura jealousy as blossom pictures flooded the internet from Tokyo to Vancouver to Washington, I stamped up a storm to create a pretty blossom envelope. Perfect for a little springtime cheer.

A simple watercolour doodle from a DIY brainstorming session transformed into two pretty notecards. Simply fold and cut. Bonus points if you can find your bone folder & end up with a prettier fold!

Sometimes just a few strips of pretty washi and glitter tapes are all you need to take an envelope from humdrum to lovely! Oh, and if you're in the mood to craft up some paper cherry blossoms of your own, try our sakura kirigami tutorial.

Have you sent any pretty mail this spring?

Want to receive some pretty mail in YOUR mailbox? Send me a note at info@omiyage.ca with your mailing address and a little something about yourself. I'll be making a list and choosing new friends to send mail to each month. And don't worry if you don't hear back from me right away - if you send your info, you should find a pretty piece of mail headed your way some time this year!

Eye Candy - Buff Diss Tape Art

2013-05-01T13:27:00.000-04:00

How fantastic is this tape art? Buff Diss is an Australian street artist whose medium is tape rather than paint. High impact but impermanent (and not destructive). I like it! But then again, you surely know about my weakness for great tape by now!

Visit the Buff Diss website to see more, connect via Facebook or get inspired over on Flickr.

DIY Letter-Stenciled Drawstring Bags

2013-04-30T09:02:00.000-04:00

We're delighted to have gift wrapping expert Corinna vanGerwen visiting today with a fantastic DIY idea using our new drawstring bags.

While these little drawstring bags are cute as is, they’re also the perfect blank canvas for fun DIY projects. Here I used craft paint and adhesive letters (found at an office supply store) to stencil a light-hearted message onto the bags. This is a great way to make unique party favours or personalize a gift.

First, cut a piece of cardboard to fit snugly inside the bag. This will give you a smooth surface for attaching the stickers, and will keep the paint from bleeding through to the second side. You may want to tape plastic wrap or wax paper around the cardboard; I didn’t and found that the fabric stuck to the cardboard a bit after painting.

Next, attach stick-on letters in your choice of message, or try the recipient’s initials. To get the letters straight and evenly spaced, use a ruler and pencil to measure and create guides. Firmly press down to make sure the letters are securely attached.

When ready, squeeze a line of paint along the bottom edge of the bag, then use a brush to spread the paint upward toward the top of the bag, creating a fading, feathered edge. Brush in only one direction. Add paint as needed, and be sure to fill in all the corners around the letters.

Let dry, then remove letters and cardboard. Your bag is ready to fill!

Gift wrapping consultant Corinna vanGerwen provides gift wrapping services, training and workshops in Toronto. For more of Corinna's gift wrapping ideas, visit her over on the Corinna Wraps blog, sign up for her monthly Gift Wrapping Newsletter, connect via Twitter or get inspired via Pinterest.

Send Pretty Mail #17 - Upcycled Packaging

2013-04-25T17:24:00.004-04:00

Our love for this fun packaging only pales in comparison with our love for the flip flops that came in it! It simply needed to be upcycled into something else - so why not envelopes? That's the fun of having envelope templates on hand, anything can be turned into pretty mail!

Washi tape stripes & triangles for added interest.

Why send one envelope when you can send three?

Small Japanese "pochi" envelopes are perfect for slipping small treats into and can be reused by the recipient.

Into one I slipped origami cranes folded from packaging scraps.

And into the other, instructions for folding paper cranes and paper squares. Spreading the origami love! You can learn how to fold an origami crane here.

Want to receive some pretty mail in YOUR mailbox? Send me a note at info@omiyage.ca with your mailing address and a little something about yourself. I'll be making a list and choosing new friends to send mail to each month. And don't worry if you don't hear back from me right away - if you send your info, you should find a pretty piece of mail headed your way some time this year!

DIY Upcycled Dino Toy Necklaces

2013-04-25T09:11:00.004-04:00

Since it's Earth Week, I thought it was the perfect time for Jenelle from TrashN2Tees to drop by and inspire us to rethink before we recycle (or even trash) something. Here's a fun activity to use up those toys that are always underfoot. Wouldn't this be a fun family activity?

I want to thank Marisa for the invitation to come by Omiyage for some Earth Week fun! I'm Jenelle, a recycling & repurposing revolutionary changing the way we consume and create. I love coming up with creative and fun ways to upcycle or repurpose items we might otherwise throw away- in fact I'm developing a mobile app for that. Did you know that 70% of the items in our landfills today can be reused or recycled? It's sad but true.

Today's tutorial is Anthropology and chore chart inspired. You see, as a mom of 2 rascals, my boys know that if your toys aren't picked up they stand the chance to be upcycled by me. And that's exactly what happened!

Materials Needed:

small plastic animal toys
misc sewing trim, sequins, ribbons
jewelry findings (optional: I disassembled broken jewelry I had here and used jump rings, beads, and end caps)
E600 Glue or hot glue gun
craft paint
eyelet screws (available at your local craft store)
necklace chain

Does this make my tail look big?

I used the lace trim, folded in half, and used a basting stitch to cinch it together. Glue into place around dinosaur belly!

Here you can see how dolled up she gets, and finished off with an eyelet screw in the back. The necklace was made up of a large jump ring with silver (diamond) sequins, crowns consisted of small beads glued together or bead caps upside down. I didn't have any on hand but you could also use flower beads upside down with a seed bead glued on top to make party hats.

I love 3 things about this project,
1.) No more stepping on sharp pointy dinosaur booty
2.) Scrap busted fabric, broken jewelry, toys, and a gold bread tie
3.) My boys joined in and had too much fun helping!

Now I do like to spice up my wardrobe with some funky finds, and these might be a little 'too much' for you thats okay! I left a few naked dinosaurs alone. Maybe one day I'll spray paint them and cover in glitter but until then I triple dog dare you to wear a naked dinosaur too!

When I'm not rescuing abandoned toys, I'm found behind the sewing machine. I would love for you to find out more about my 100% recycled clothing designs at Trashn2Tees and learn more about my commitment to change the way we consume and create on the blog & through the Create Change Movement.

Handmade Find - Fashion. love, Africa

2013-04-23T09:25:00.000-04:00

How fantastic are these bags from Fashion. love, Africa?

Each bag is handwoven out of used plastic bags by women who live in the Gioto Garbage Slum in Kenya. $25 from each purchase goes directly towards sending children from the slum to boarding school and helps to break the cycle of poverty.

You can read more about the story and the people behind the bags here.

Earth Day DIY

2013-04-22T09:48:00.001-04:00

plastic bottles -> hanging herb garden - sweet paul / shipping paper -> basket - design sponge

t-shirts -> rug - my poppet / glass bottles -> vases - decor8

toilet roll -> crown - craft and creativity / cardboard box -> castle - mer mag

Happy Earth Day!

Shop Update

2013-04-18T17:56:00.003-04:00

Has it been really quiet around here, or is it just me?!

Thankfully it's just been a busy week prepping new items for the shop - pop over & see what's fresh!

A Peaceful Moment

2013-04-16T18:18:00.003-04:00

Fold an origami crane of your own.

Handmade Find - The Link Collective

2013-04-11T12:42:00.004-04:00

I have a bit of an obsession with furoshiki - Japanese wrapping cloths - and The Link Collective's are particularly fantastic. Great contemporary design combined with traditional Japanese craftsmanship is never a bad thing, right? The large sized furoshikis can be used as scarves, for wrapping gifts, for carrying all manner of objects. Add one of Link's leather straps, and you can even turn one of these multi-taskers into a purse!

Check out the full collection in their etsy shop. Discover different ways to tie a furoshiki. Connect via Facebook or Twitter.

Neon Triangle Patterns

2013-04-10T13:20:00.002-04:00

Here's another way to wrap it pretty - create patterns on kraft paper bags with neon triangle stickers.
Modern + crafty + fun!

The neon stickers are a great new addition to the shop and aren't just great for making patterns - they're also a perfect size for sealing a paper bag or envelope, or for use as labels!

Wonderful Washi Patterns

2013-04-09T15:54:00.001-04:00

Since we're all about pattern this week, thought we'd sneak you a peek of the new tapes heading into the shop shortly. They just arrived today but we'll let you know once they're in the shop. For more pics, visit us on instagram!

Which design is your favourite?

DIY - Playful Patterns

2013-04-08T10:14:00.002-04:00

Stencilled furoshiki - Hello Sandwich / Polka dot envelopes - Fellow Fellow
Stamped gift wrap - Cotton & Flax / Geo painted bangles - Kollabora
Hand painted mug - Wit & Whistle / Stencilled bench - The 36th Avenue

I'm loving print & pattern these days and these DIY ideas are a wonderful way to create your own patterned pieces. I don't play with paint too often, but I'm inspired to get painting/stamping/stencilling and craft something full of patterned fun!

Join me over on Oh My! Handmade for a round-up of handmade patterned items to buy and for our latest Oh My! Pin Party. This month's theme is Playful Patterns. #OhMyPatternPlay

Send Pretty Mail #16 - Neon + Glitter

2013-04-05T12:08:00.002-04:00

Neon is such a fickle beast when it comes time to take her picture - but rather than fight with the camera or spend eons editing these photos, these lackluster images of a pretty fantastic piece of mail are what you're going to get!

Shocking pink & turquoise & neon green glitter tape play on a basic white envelope.

Tiny triangle tape confetti add dimension to a bright pink bow. Insert address here!

Tucked inside, some of our new (well, soon to be new) neon triangle stickers and, my favourite, index cards glammed up with a little tape action.

The back of this envelope is having even more front than the back. All sealed up with more glitter tape and she's ready to fly off someplace far away!

I took a bit of an Instagram poll on neon love and it seems like neon in crafting is in, but wearing it is kinda out. But maybe that's the opinion of those of us who've lived through neon (and hyper colour) before?
How about you? What's your take on neon?

Want to receive some pretty mail in YOUR mailbox? Send me a note at info@omiyage.ca with your mailing address and a little something about yourself. I'll be making a list and choosing new friends to send mail to each month. And don't worry if you don't hear back from me right away - if you send your info, you should find a pretty piece of mail headed your way some time this year!

Eye Candy - Fric de Mentol

2013-04-04T12:18:00.002-04:00

Portuguese artist Ana Raimundo creates the loveliest things for her shop Fric de Mentol. Gocco prints and paintings and gorgeous embroidery and more. Heavily influenced by nature and her own nomadic lifestyle, Ana's works are full of quirk. How can you not fall (veggie) head over heels in love with her characters? I'm particularly enamoured with her Big Headed Women!

See more of Ana's work in her Etsy shop and connect with the artist via Facebook or Flickr.

Covet Garden & DIY Cards

2013-04-03T10:49:00.003-04:00

The latest Covet Garden is out today and I love everything about it from this month's home to the projects to the round-ups. L-O-V-E! Like these DIY pop-up cards. How sweet are they? You'll have to click over and read the issue to find the how-to.

Have you heard of Covet Garden? It's a monthly Toronto-based online magazine which features a look inside one home per month. Real lived-in homes vs the super-styled ones featured in regular design mags. It's a gem!

Happy Easter!

2013-03-29T12:25:00.003-04:00

Happy Easter from our family to yours!

We're taking the weekend to overindulge in mini eggs and hot cross buns. Shipping (and all other business-like activities) will resume on Tuesday. See you back here next week!

In the meantime, go enter our giveaway!

Handmade Find - Happy Piece

2013-03-26T17:13:00.000-04:00

How gorgeous are these bracelets & baskets from Happy Piece? The colours are so joyful - and I think you'll love the story behind the brand too.

Happy Piece works with women in Rwanda to design and create bright & beautiful accessories and housewares. Each piece is handcrafted from natural & sustainable materials and each purchase helps the women involved lift themselves out of poverty. You just have to love a product which not only looks beautiful, but feels beautiful too!

As for me, I can't decide whether I need a wall full of baskets or an armload of colourful bracelets. Maybe both?

Find your happy piece in the shop. Read more of the story behind the work here. Connect with Happy Piece via Twitter or Facebook.