Inspirations from Vintage Greeting Cards

I love to make greeting cards using vintage papers from all kinds of sources. Sometimes an image is so beautiful I just cut it out of a book (a damaged or unwanted one) and use it in a card. Sometime I use book or music pages to make shapes and patterns to create designs. I also like to look at original vintage cards for inspiration...and here are some that I bought recently.

These wedding and engagement cards look to date from the 1960s and 1970s and feature gorgeous colours and interesting details. There's lots about them that I like and these are some of the details that will be inspiring some new designs from me.

Made with Maps...a new collection from Pink Flamingo

I admit it. I have an addiction to maps. And it's spilled over into another Etsy shop for Pink Flamingo - introducing Made with Maps.

Following the success of my 'I Love This Place ...Sheffield' range which are made out of vintage maps of Sheffield, I've now made keyrings, bookmarks and cards made with maps from around the world.

And there's more to come too. Ready to be made and become available are magnets, gift tags and badges so watch this space.

So far a few items have been listed in my new shop, but there are plenty more to come - I was just too excited to wait before they're all there to spread the news! And if there's a place you'd like to see featured, custom orders are welcome too.

 

Visit Pink Flamingo's new shop Made with Maps here - www.madewithmaps.etsy.com 

All Good Stuff in Sheffield

A couple of weeks ago I shared the news about All Good Stuff opening on Arundel Street in Sheffield and added some photos of the artists whose work would be available there. Well, now it's formally opened I've been back to take a look myself and I couldn't help but take my own photos to share with you!

There are lots of beautifully handcrafted and produced gifts, art, jewellery and more from a range of talented makers all connected with Sheffield and Yorkshire. It was nice to see some familiar items there from some of my favourite local makers but there was also a great variety of (new to me) work to discover. Here are some things I found...

All Good Stuff at Butcher Works, Arundel Street, Sheffield city centre

Opening Hours:
Tues - Sat 10.30 - 5.00

All Good Stuff on Facebook

Greeting Cards - A History...

I admit it; I'm addicted to greeting cards.

And I'm not the only one - they've become an integral part of our culture with millions of pounds being spent on them with the average person in the UK sending out 55 each year. The idea of taking the time in a busy, an increasingly electronic, world to write a heartfelt greeting for a loved one really seems to connect with people.

This piece of information got me (even more) interested in what it is that people like so much about sending cards, and how the custom started in the first place. So I did a little research into the history of greeting cards and this is what I found out...

And in the future? Industry figures suggest that the sending of cards is still increasing with more being sent every year. Cards featuring messages, quotes and greetings as the main focus are growing in popularity suggesting the need for communication and connecting with loved ones is as strong as it was back in ancient times.

Vintage Pages Collection - a new collection from Pink Flamingo...

I love to make cards using vintage papers. There's something special and pleasing about finding unique papers or rediscovering nostalgic patterns and turning them into something unique to share with loved ones. I often create cards using pictures taken from old books and either simply use them directly on cards with a few hand drawn details, or incorporate them into a design.

This lets me create true one off greetings that can't be replicated - an idea I love! But lately I've also been thinking about designs that can be reproduced to create a collection. So I took some designs I've made before and added some new ones into the mix to create my new collection - Vintage Pages.

What I love about my new collection is that although the designs are replicated, each one is still a one off.

That's because each one is handmade using original book pages so will feature unique details in its writing or pictures.

Sending cards is a way of showing that you've thought about someone and care about a special day, occasion or achievement in their life, so I wanted to put that same level of caring and thoughtfulness
into my cards. I've carefully chosen the texts I've used to relate to the images I've created, and where possible, the occasion they could be suitable for.

If you order of any of these cards online you can also add any personalised you'd like to make it extra special. Or look out for them in selected shops!