Last week, I introduced you to Tara Bliven of Ephemera Press and her Elevated Envelope Exchange. This week, I thought I’d introduce you to my elevated envelopes!

The Elevated Envelope Exchange connects you with other creative souls – you create and send beautiful mail out into the world, and in return, your mailbox fills with awesome envelopes! What I love about this project, other than connecting with others, is that it’s an opportunity to try something new and to challenge yourself. As Tara says “You’ve gotta BRING IT! Anyone creative can join, and all confidence levels are welcome… But, you do have to be willing to put in some serious creative effort and work hard on it.”

So, I challenged myself, and these teacup-shaped envelopes were the result. And I love them so much, I thought I’d share how I made them with you! I think that they’d make pretty cute invites to a tea party, if you’re the type to engage in parties of that sort (I sure am!) And, if you’re not into tea, take it as a little inspiration that with a little creativity and some quality time with your sewing machine, you can make an envelope in any shape you please!

How To Make Teacup Envelopes

Materials:

• paper for envelopes (card stock / scrapbook paper – I used the backside of an old calendar)
• template <–click here to download teacup template
• markers / paint / your desired decorating medium
• twine or string
• brightly coloured 3″x3″ origami paper
• washi tape
• small glassine bags (I used these ones from The Wrappery)

Let’s start by making the teabag-shaped notes to go inside the envelopes!

Fold your note into a size small enough to slip inside the glassine bag. Place the glassine bag (with note inside)  so that the back is facing you. Fold down the corners of the open end, forming a point. Fold down the point (see middle image above for clarification.)

Cut a piece of twine about 6″ long. Take your piece of twine and glassine bag and head to the sewing machine. Tuck one end of the twine under the folded point of the glassine bag, then bring the twine up and over so that it extends over the flap and straight out. Using your machine, sew over the folded end and twine. (I went back and forth a couple times to make sure it was secure.)

To make the tag for the teabag, start with a piece of 3″x3″ origami paper in your desired colour. Cut in half – it will now be 1.5″x3″; then fold in half. Use a fine marker / pen to write the recipient’s name and/or any other message you desire on the tag. I drew a double border on both sides, wrote the recipient’s name on one side and the symbol for tea on the other.

Use your small hole punch to punch a hole in the centre of the fold (if you don’t have one, you can simply cut a slit large enough for the twine to fit through). Feed the end of the twine through the hole in the tag. Use a small piece of washi tape to tape into place on the inside of the tag. At this point you may need to trim the twine to your desired length.

Onto the Teacups!

Trace the teacup template onto your desired paper. For each envelope, you will need one front piece (with lid) and one back piece (no lid). You can cut out the teacups before or after decorating, whichever works better for you. In terms of paper, you can use plain paper, as I did, if you want to spend some quality time decorating. Or why not try cutting them out of some pretty scrapbook paper?

Decorate as desired. I used blue watercolour paint on my envelopes. A solid blue wash for the lids, roses on the fronts, and stripes or dots on the backs. After painting and cutting out the teacup shapes, I accented the lid, rim, bottom and handle with a paint marker in metallic gold.

Once your teacup is looking all pretty (and dry), head back to the sewing machine. Place your two teacup shapes back to back and sew around the edge – I think it looks great with a bold thread colour, but use whatever you have / whatever you are comfortable with.

Use your bone folder and a ruler to score and then fold the envelope flap over. You will need to mark and then cut a slit in the back of the envelope for the tab on the flap to slide into. Use your craft knife to do this, but first ensure you slip a piece of cardboard inside the envelope so that you have a surface to cut into!

Slip your teabag note inside the envelope, close the flap and seal with a small piece of washi tape. Make sure the string of the teabag hangs over the edge so that the name tag is visible. If you want to mail your teacups, make sure you slip them inside an outer envelope – I used A7 vellum envelopes.

Hope you find an occasion to craft up some teacup envelopes of your own!

Are you inspired by The Elevated Envelope Exchange? Do you ever send or receive mail art?

Huge thanks to Jessika for putting together the Teacup Envelope Template for us! Now go make some pretty mail already!

When I started my business I wanted to show that marketing could be done differently. That it could be authentic, relationship centred, based on engagement and interaction. I wanted to be transparent and for the business to be full of who I was.

Those are my values, an internal barometer to which I measure all business decisions. When I was deciding whether to delete my Pinterest boards, I went back to my values. Diversifying into teaching online classes? I went back to my values to create a course that I knew in my heart was the right thing, instead of what was expected of me. Whatever the business decision, I want it to be in line with what I personally believe to be right for me at that time.

Knowing what my values are have meant that I’m not swayed by what my competitors are doing. I can use my own voice and put my heart into my business without feeling pressure to be or do something different.

Customers will seek out people that have similar values to them. It’s becoming increasingly common to connect with a business first before making a purchase. The ‘about’ page on a website is one of the most visited pages for a reason. People want to know what you and your business stands for. The words you use and your brand messaging should communicate this consistently and authentically.

Your business values are not something you can copy from someone else or follow from a blueprint. The values must mean something to you personally, deep down, or it will come across as contrived or artificial.

A great example of a business using values to guide them is The Green Gables. Owner, Gabrielle Treanor has strong ethical and green values which she highlights on her website. She says it was natural to build a business on her personal values. It has also helped her to diversify into other products whilst keeping it authentic to her brand.

“Strong values can definitely be a driving force. I don’t just want to make and sell pretty looking stationery, I want to give consumers the option to buy responsibly produced stationery that shows there’s a market for recycling paper and gives them a great looking product without them compromising on quality or price. This ‘mission’ spurs me on and keeps me motivated.” - Gabrielle, The Green Gables.

So how can you identify your brand values?

Start with you.

What personal values do you hold at your core? What is important to you? Use these core values to build the foundation of your brand.

What is your personal mission for your business?

Why do you want to do what you do? Who are you trying to help and why?

How do you want your audience to perceive your business?

What are the most important parts of your story that you want to share with them? Show them that you fit into their lives and that you have a similar value system.

Wherever you decide to grow your business, these values should stay at the center of everything you do.

Do you have values that guide your business? How do you communicate them to your customers?

Tomorrow night (Monday, May 14) I’ll be visiting with Srini of BlogcastFM & the incredible Mayi Carles, April Bowles Olin, Tara Gentile & Megan Auman to talk about handmade business and our creative community! Come hang out with us live tomorrow to ask questions and hear our insight at 6pm PST. To sign up, visit here, and RSVP. I can’t wait to connect live and in person with some of my favourite creative superstars (that means YOU too!) to talk about some really juicy topics.

What we’ll be sharing: 

Mayi Carles and April Bowles Olin- Creating Killer Video Content
Tara Gentile- Running Your Blog Like a Business
Jessika Hepburn- Creative Collaborations
Megan Aumann- Pricing Strategies

Have any questions or thoughts on creative collaborations you want me to chat about? Let me know in the comments and I’ll make it happen! We can collaborate to chat about collaboration;) 

Special guest post & giveaway from Genevieve Brazelton of Lightbox SF

In our first two years of working with clients on strategies to better market their business, we noticed that no matter how long they’d been in business we always tended to start in the same place – clarifying our client’s brand story and defining their target market.

All of the businesses we worked with struggled to put into words how they were different from the competition and what benefits they were really providing for their customers. And when it came to target market few of them could describe much about their ideal customer beyond, gender, age and general income. It’s hard to really engage customers if you don’t know what makes you different or why your customers would care.

Ink Yourself: Using Story to Make a Bold Impression is a guided e-course designed to get you thinking about all the details that make up your unique brand story and help you define your ideal customer. The course is based on the idea that you already know everything you need to build a strong brand identity and stand out in the marketplace, but you need a guiding hand and outside perspective to dig into the details and shape it into your unique brand story.

“It’s challenging to step back from (our businesses) to gain perspective about what our work says and means. I felt really well supported during this course.”

The lessons in this 5-week e-course build on each other asking you to dive deep in the big vision of your business, realize your strengths, and get intimate with your ideal customer. Then we help you bring it all together into a guiding statement that makes showing off your awesomeness a breeze. You’ll also have unlimited email access to both Shelly and I and a live forum to get feedback and opinions from all the participants. We hope you’ll make friends as well as get clear on your brand message.

Registration is currently open and the course starts May 21^st. 

As a bonus we’re giving away one spot in the course to an oh my! handmade goodness reader. All you need to do is tell us your biggest marketing struggle in the comments below and we’ll pick a random winner. We’ll notify you by email on May 16^th if we pick your name. However if you don’t want to leave it to chance you can sign up right now!

About Genevieve:

Genevieve Brazelton writes about creative marketing strategies over on the Lightbox SF blog. She also works with creative entrepreneurs to brand their businesses by telling their stories and embracing what makes them unique.

Spring makes me so nesty! I want to hang clothes on the line, tackle home projects, and make my space pretty. Sadly, this year I am stuck in home renovation limbo as we finish getting our house ready to put on the market, so I can’t indulge my crow girl impulses.  I have packed up all my lovely things and most of my artwork in preparation for selling and moving so our walls have felt bare and sad.  Until I got the chance to play with a fun giant decal from our sponsor Veronica of CherryWalls! A wall sticker was the perfect option for us since we don’t want to put any holes in the freshly painted walls but still want our space to have personality until we leave.

I must admit to being a little intimidated when I unrolled the decal, it was big! But the instructions were easy to follow and once I got the decal taped up on the wall, the whole process took under an hour…minus interruptions by small children. Even though we have light grey walls and couch, the decal and my own handmade goodness, add a splash of brightness to make the room feel far more cheerful and springlike.

I am now sold on giant decals for an awesome alternative to painting for renters, home staging, and kids rooms-anywhere that you want to make a statement that isn’t permanent! View the whole collections of lovely designs and options on the CherryWalls website and connect with them by visiting them on Twitter and Facebook.

A special guest post by Julie Gibbons of http://tractorgirl.com.au.

I love pattern! My fabric stash is full of it, and one of my favourite things to do in my own applique work is to combine two or more fabrics to create fabulous contrasts. There is a definite skill required in judging which ones will work together, and which ones will not. In my years as an art teacher, I found a set of tools and methods, sometimes referred to as the elements and principles of design, that are a great guide in learning how to work with design. There are some crossovers in the ideas contained in it, and you will find that each element or principle rarely works in isolation. Nevertheless, they are outstanding guides.

In your toolbox, there are the elements of Line, Size (Scale), Direction, Shape, Texture, Tone (Value), and Colour.

The methods you can use with these are Balance, Gradation, Repetition, Contrast, Harmony, Dominance, and Unity.

Now I won’t get stuck down too much in the theory, but I will try and demonstrate how these elements and principles get used with some real examples. The patterns I have used are all fairly busy and distinctive, in order to get you to think about them, but of course you can combine one busy pattern with something much plainer to excellent effect. By the way, all these fabrics are either vintage or remnant pieces from my personal stash – so I have no idea who the designers are!

{Pattern 1 – red/blue stripes & red/blue/green paisley style}

A lot of the time, colour is the major element that will tie together two different patterns. However, it usually doesn’t work so well unless there is at least one other element (e.g. line, tone, or scale) that is similar in both patterns. In the above combination, there are similar colours used – red, blue, and ochre, but also the size (scale) of the patterns are similar – the paisley shapes relate to the stripe width. Tone is also similar, showing areas of flat colour with clean edges. With these things to tie together the two patterns, the contrast of the simpler geometric against the softer, rounded and randomly placed shapes works well.

{Pattern 2 – soft yellow floral & large blue/sage paisley}

You might think that because these two patterns use similar colours that they would work together OK, but they don’t really. The overall scale of each pattern is fairly similar, but the problems are mainly in the tone. The floral uses tone to create a semi-3D effect and a sense of depth. Further, the edges of the flowers are defined by their background, rather than any specific outline. The paisley on the other hand, uses flat colour, which is clearly defined by line. Line is also used quite a bit in the paisley to provide detail, and it therefore creates a much more detailed, denser pattern than the floral. Overall, you could probably push these two to work together, with other patterns/colours/textures to break them up, but it’s not my favourite combo.

{Pattern 3 – crimson/pink damask print & crimson/pink floral}

Again, the colours are fairly close, but the overriding elements in these patterns are scale and line, and they are very different. The visual textures are very different too – big flat areas of colour, versus lots of tight, curly detail. Definitely not a good match.

{Pattern 4 – Yellow/ochre damask style medallion & aqua/turquoise print with Moorish-inspired motif}

Here is a lovely example of quite different colours and patterns working well together. Colour is still important here – but because of the contrast, not the similarity. While the tones in each print are quite clear (i.e. not greyed or murky), the biggest two correspondences here are scale (the medallions in both are of similar size), and line (arabesques and geometry both play their part).

It’s important to understand that the elements and principles of design are not hard and fast rules; they are guides only. For every combination, it’s a matter of looking at each pattern’s most dominant features, and seeing what they correspond to or contrast with in the other pattern. It is also a matter of context – it depends on what purpose you’re using them for, and also on what else you’ve got to go with them and around them.

I hope this has been a useful introduction. If you want more information on how to incorporate the elements and principles into your designs, I have just started writing a series about them on my blog, looking at each in more depth. The first one published is about Texture.

Now go and have fun!

About Julie

Julie Gibbons is tractorgirl, a maker of homewares and accessories, and a lover of colour, texture and pattern. She completed her PhD Fine Arts in 2001, majoring in Silversmithing, and now she blogs about contemporary craft, surface design, food and books at http://tractorgirl.com.au.

Borrow this process for a minute. Inspect your business’ nest.  Is your foundation solid? Did you gather exactly what you need to create the life you want to lead? Or did you mistakenly pick up a few things along the way that don’t really fit with your grand plan.

Focus. Focus. Focus.

We may very well be the only animals on the planet who multi-task. More often than not, it gets in the way of individual and collective progress. It disables us into doing just enough to check something off a very long list of things to do. Mind racing. Fingers frantic. Who’s next? How can I help? What do you need?

Think about your list for a second. What would happen if you just picked up one twig at a time. Start to finish. Next. Start to finish. Next. Start to finish. Granted, this may be impossible with some tasks. May be: you won’t know until you try.

It’s worth trying. The power of attention is that you work with intention. This leads to less frazzle and more dazzle— a solid nest, fully developed and reinforced, ready to hatch new life.

Join Tracey at our #OMHG chat tomorrow, Thursday May 10 from 1-2EST, to talk about our business foundations and how we can strengthen our nests with intention. 

I’m thrilled that Tara Bliven of Ephemera is joining us on OMHG today. I first came across Ephemera last summer when I caught wind of Tara’s passion project, The Elevated Envelope, and I’ve kept her on my radar ever since. Because – free flowing letterpress, gorgeous calligraphy and the promise of a mailbox full of art, not bills – what’s not to love?!! Plus Tara’s work is full of character, colour, and plenty of love. Just how we like it around here! I invited Tara to swing by and tell us about her business, inspirations and why she wants to inspire to world (or at least YOU) to step away from our computers, get our hands dirty and send some mail already! Without further ado, let’s meet Tara:

Hi Tara! Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and Ephemera?

I live and work in a fixer-upper on a wooded acre about 20 minutes outside of Seattle with my awesome husband, Dave, and our 2 fluffy gray cats, Henry and Clementine.  I started Ephemera in 2006, and make a lot of custom stationery – everything from personalized note cards (my favorite) to creative business stationery and wedding invitations.  I also do calligraphy (mostly pointed pen), and a lot of my work features my own hand lettering.  Lately I’ve changed it up a bit – focusing on projects that are FUN (rather than formal) and feature only my own design and illustration.   My “official” business name is now Ephemera – Liberated Letterpress.  I like it when things are not so serious ;)

What inspires you?

Well I definitely feel inspired by all the beautiful mail in my mailbox these days!  There are too many ideas landing on my doorstep.  Literally.  Other than that, traveling always inspires me – I haven’t done as much of it in the last couple of years as I would like, but even a quick weekend trip really refreshes me and allows new ideas to pop into my head.  I get inspired by nature.

With running your own business, there are always highs and lows. What do you love / not love about being in business with yourself?

I do mostly love it – the autonomy, the ability to say no to work that’s not a good fit.  I like being able to just decide things.  With that said, it is a lot of hats to wear, and I’m not an expert at everything (shocking!), so I don’t know if I’m deciding the right thing a lot of the time!

What is the most important thing you’ve learnt so far in running your own creative business?

Working by yourself is hard.  Nothing exists in a vacuum.  And you’ll go insane without the occasional happy hour.  So don’t do it!  When you don’t have coworkers, you have to find a way to make a team.  Reach out to other creative people in your industry.  The Seattle wedding industry happens to be very warm and fuzzy, so I’m friendly with not only other letterpress / paper people, but photographers, florists, etc.  Find SMART people you LIKE, and meet up regularly to talk shop or just grab lunch.  You’ll be amazed at the ideas that flow and the doors that open. (Not to mention the friends you’ll make.) And when you talk with someone about a crazy idea you have (oh, like The Elevated Envelope!), and they get excited and give you feedback, it propels you to move forward with it and keeps you accountable.

Clockwise from top left: Teresa Banman, Tara Bliven, Debbie Osborn, Tara Bliven

My husband and I recently sold our 1920s bungalow that we’ve called home for the past 11 years. The process of selling our house and shopping for a new one has been really stressful, but one of the things that I’m most looking forward to, once we get settled into our new house, is the process of making it a home.

I’ve been thinking of our new house as a blank canvas, and I’m eager to make it our own and fill the rooms with handmade touches. This morning I took a break from packing to browse my favorite Etsy shops, and I thought it would be fun to share some of the items I bookmarked.

Above is a burlap bunting made by Heather Mattos, available in her shop, CMhandmade. I’ll never be as crafty as Heather, so I love that she’s sharing her handmade creations through her Etsy shop!

I love everything from Kiki & Polly, but the art print above, called The Swimmers, is my current favorite. Something about it takes me right back to carefree summers spent at the  neighborhood pool when I was a kid.

I’ve recently become more and more enamored with fun throw pillows, and this Flowers Pillow Cover by Sukan Art is one of my favorites. I think it’s perfect for brightening up a room in spring and summer.

I’ve had my eye on the distressed picture frames from The Sprig Framing Co. for a little while now – I just need to figure out where they’ll go in the new house so I can pick the right color – there are so many great options!

These Vintage Wedding Script Ampersands made from recycled wood by Oh Dier are another item I’ve had my eye on for a little while. I think one would be fun in my office since the name of my company is sarah + abraham, which is what I always think of when I see a decorative ampersand (I started out using an ampersand and then later changed it to a plus sign).

I also like these ceramic owl soap dish trays from Fruit Fly. It seems like such a fun little item to have around the house – completely unnecessary but beautiful and unique.

Please feel free to share your latest Etsy finds in the Comments section – I’d love to see what you have your eye on this spring!

With May comes sunny weather, warm hues, and wildflower blooms covering the ground. And I don’t know about you, but I love Summer colors and flowers. When I found out that the second week of May is National Wildflower Week, I knew I had to design something to help celebrate.

I grew up in North Alabama and remember how the Governor’s wife pushed heavily for wildflowers to be planted. As a result, I have fond memories of going on trips and being in the backseat, watching all the various colors go by from flowers planted in the median of the interstate. Then, my time in Tennessee was full of yellow-beaming buttercups and the promise of warm-weather. Lately, I’ve been able to enjoy the San Diego region, full of tropical plant life and made it a must to live in an apartment home that came with a view of their best landscaping.

My mom’s side of the family is full of greenthumbs. Though, the gene skipped over me, it doesn’t stop me from enjoying my favorite subject to paint on canvas, cover fabric-bound books with, and use as inspiration for all my bold colors in logo designs.

Designing these monthly wallpapers gives me something to enjoy while stuck indoors working at the desk and offers a quick pick-me-up on rainy days.

What’s been your fondest memory of growing up with wildflowers?

Download your wallpaper suite:

2560×1440, 1600×1200, 1280×1024, 1024×780, iPad Lock/Home, iPhone Lock/Home