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One of my favorite daily things to do is check the mail. There is so much mystery hiding in that little box each day. Will I receive a favorite magazine? A card from an old friend? Something that I ordered? Unfortunately, most of the time it is a postcard for a new dental practice in the area and bills (boo!).  Since I am a big believer in putting into the universe what you would like to see and receive back, I am planning to make July all about Happy Mail! Since there are 31 days in July, I am going to focus on mailing 31 pieces of Happy Mail to friends, family and even a few strangers (see below for some “swap” sites that can be used to find some “strangers”). I’ve already bought my stamps for it. Check out these awesome Total Eclipse of the Sun Stamps commemorating the Solar Eclipse that will be taking place this August – the first to be seen from the US Mainland since 1979! When I send Happy Mail I like to make it look fun and interesting straight out of the mailbox. I like to decorate the envelope with washi tape, write their name/address in a fun way or more. Some people make their envelopes a true piece of art. Just check out some of these pieces of Happy Mail for inspiration. The two pictures of inspiration below have great tutorials posted to recreate the look - be sure to check them out! Look at these stunning envelopes, click here for the details and steps behind them.  If you are looking for people to send Happy Mail to outside of your normal circle of friends and family check out these sites.  Swap-Bot facilitates group snail mail and internet swaps, plus, it is also a community where swappers can connect, share, and have fun. There are swaps ranging from postcards to packages filled with specific items and themes. If participating in a swap be sure to read all of the details regarding the deadline for the item needs to be mailed, whether it is a domestic or international swap, etc. When you swap you may receive a truly fantastic swap and other times you may be disappointed that your partner didn't put as much thought into the swap as you did (In my experience, I would say I received great swaps from truly caring people about 85% of the time). Also, when swapping online use common sense and be careful with what information you share, etc.  Send Something is an on-line database of addresses and interests of people that have signed up with the “no frills” site. There are no swaps, and if you send something out you may not receive something in return. However, the nice things about the format include you can pick and choose who you send mail to, what you send and when you send it. For example, you can look for someone that has a shared interests as you (e.g. chihuahuas, hot air balloons, ATCs, traveler’s notebook, etc.). In turn, if something in your profile catches a fellow member’s eye they may send you a surprise in the mail. Upcoming "Happy Mail" Opportunities at P&P! If you like Happy Mail, Palette & Paper is offering a couple of workshops in July that may spark your interest. Kimberly is hosting a “Down by the Sea” Pocket Letter Page (PLP) workshop on Wednesday, July 12 at 6 pm (held during open studio). For only a $5 materials fee you will receive all of the materials to make a PLP to mail to a friend. Not sure what a PLP is? That’s okay, read here or just sign-up and come on the 12th. Kimberly will have several examples of PLPs she has made and received.  Martha is leading the Color Your Way Cards workshop on Saturday, July 15 at 10 am. For only $12 you will receive a pack of stamped images on paper of your choosing to color with your preferred coloring medium (Copics, watercolor markers, etc.) that you will then turn into cards. Check out all of the details here for both workshops, sign up and get ready to send some happy mail! Do you send Happy Mail? Participate in swaps? We would love to hear all about it!
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If you have been in Palette & Paper recently, you may have noticed one of the new items we have in stock are the 28 Lilac Lane decorative embellishments jars. These jars contain 3 oz of buttons, 50 Pearl Accents, 10 grams of seed beads, and 10 grams of sequins for only $5! They come in a great selection of colorways and are just perfect for crafting with.
Now, everyone, repeat after me, “Those are so pretty!” :-) There are so many pretty things you can make with buttons too! Seriously, so many cute things . . . look below for just a fraction of the “button inspiration” that I have come across. Button Art Just feast your eyes on the inspiration below. Creating a piece of “Button Art” would be a great craft night activity for you and the girls, a fun summer time activity for the kids and more.
Incorporate buttons into you card making You can use buttons in your card making to add dimension and pops of colors. In a lot of ways, buttons can be used the same way as enamel dots. Click here for more inspiration. It's pretty cool to see the many creations you can make with buttons. We will see you at P&P so you can pick up a jar!
This Sunday is Father’s Day, and we can’t let a holiday go by around here without sharing some great paper craft inspiration. Below find some of our favorite Father’s Day cards that you can make to give to your dad, stepdad, grandfather, uncle and all of the other gents in your life.  Create a masculine card using Art Impressions stamps and dies. Click here for a tutorial video.  This card is a great way to use up some of your paper scraps and use your embossing folders. It’s amazing the transformation a piece of paper can undergo when embossed!  Look at this little “shirt card”. I love the 3-D embellishments including the real stitches and buttons (Next time you are in P&P, grab one of the button and sequin assortments from 28 Lilac Lane. They are only $5 and come a multitude of color ways.)
I am a sucker for kraft paper and inked edges, so of course these cards caught my eye. Celebrate Dad with a wonderful washi tape embellished card!  Are you giving your “dad” a gift card for Father’s Day? Make him a “wallet card” to put it in.
Do you want to incorporate a little “sweet treat” into your Father’s Day gift(s)? Check out these adorable ideas.
This evening our studio will be taken over by lots of fun ladies for the Girls Night Out Globe Extravaganza with Beth Kingston. It got me thinking of hosting a crafty girls night out for my friends, and I thought I would share some of the fun ideas I’ve come across to help you host your own event.  Hosting your own crafty girls night out is probably a lot easier than you think! Here are some key points to give thought to. 1. Where to host? Do you have enough room, and more importantly, table space for your friends? You could set up card tables or other folding tables in addition to your dining room table. If your craft night is held on a day that has nice weather you could use your patio table and other tables outside (or keep the event exclusive to your closest friends to make seating easier). If you would prefer to not have it in your home, remember, you can rent out the Palette & Paper Studio. It is climate controlled, has lots of tables and chairs and more for your crafty night (details here)!
2. How to decorate? The main focus of the night will be the crafts and getting together with friends. Don’t stress thinking you need the perfect balloon arch or tassel garland (even though they are really cute)! Your friends will be more focused on the crafts and fun at hand. If you do want to decorate, make a little entry table showcasing a completed example of the featured craft project and chalkboard welcome sign.  3. Decide on food. Offer a few beverages and some light snacks that are easy to eat. Keep in mind you don’t want to serve Cheetos or other messy foods because that could lead to an orange smudge on your gorgeous new craft project, and no one wants that!  4. What to craft? This might be the hardest decision you have to make! There are so many fun ideas for a crafty girls night. Below are some easy fun ideas with links to their sources. Moroccan Candle Holders – Nuvo Crystal Dots and Ranger Enamel Accents would be perfect for decorating the outside of the containers (both available at P&P).  Tile Coasters – these can be created in several ways from the super easy way of using decals or pretty paper on the ceramic bath tiles to using alcohol inks and more. Don't forget to edge your tiles with some gorgeous Viva Decor Inka Gold (a metallic beeswax paste that comes in a variety of colors). Or make large tiles into trivets! P&P offered a class on this a couple of months ago and the creations by all the attendees were stunning! P&P has in stock many items that can be used on your coasters. Magnetic Memo Board – Burner Covers, some pretty paper (I know where you can get that!), magnets and ribbon make this craft simple and inexpensive!  Tote Bag – using paint, stencils and brayer you can create an awesome canvas tote bag. Have you seen the gorgeous stencils P&P has in stock? You will have a hard time deciding which ones to get!   Still can’t decide on a project? Or do you have an idea, but not sure of the specifics? Want to hire a leader for your craft night, so you can sit back and enjoy the creativity with your friends? Contact us and we can hook you up with one of P&P’s creative team members to talk to about your craft night. 5. Decide if you want to charge for the craft night. Keep in mind, your friends will love the idea of getting together to craft and won’t mind paying a small fee to cover the cost of supplies. Once you have determined these things, decide on your guest list, pick a date, send out some invites, gather your supplies and HAVE FUN! |
Palette & Paper's blog is written by creative team member, Kimberly.
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