Christmas craftiness & my Christmas saviour Liv!

Hi All,

I'm back - two posts in two days - look at me! I promised yesterday that I would post some of the Christmas craft that I had been working on for the last few months, so here are a few samples.

**Excuse the poor quality photos and the messy craft desk - you can blame iPhones and not enough time to make everything for Christmas**

All of these cards are made predominantly with Stampin Up supplies.

I am sooooooo in love with the stocking stamp and punch, and also the snow-shaker card (stamp and treat cup). Although a word of warning - mica flakes might look awesome in the treat cup, but they are less awesome when they are all over your craft room floor!!

Over Christmas I also got a little carried away with making chocolate sliders - I probably made about 30 over Christmas. I used them as voucher and money holders, as well as just general gifts. Here is a Santa belly chocolate slider:

I'm not really that into Christmas most of the time (and after making over 100 Christmas cards and sliders  recently I can really wait another year), so a lot of my Christmas inspiration came from my lovely friend Liv - a Christmas goddess who knows all things Christmassy and helped me out of many card and slider emergency! Make sure you check out Liv's blog 'A Little Bit of Green Sunshine' - it's a great read and I hear she will be updating it over the holidays! Oh, the things we do when we have spare time!

Also, Cards by Lauren has a new Facebook page (after Facebook deleted my old page - I'm not sure why) so make sure you 'like' it. In an attempt to get my blog linked and a blinkie on the side of this page, not only did I waste hours of my life (that's scrapping time I'll never reclaim) but I may have stuffed up my html coding. Nevermind! Just 'like' the page! Please! Lol.

Anyway, back soon with more creations! Well I had better considering that I am spending hours a day crafting while I'm on my break (and also spending hours watching Veronica Mars!).

L xx

I'm back - where have the months gone?

So, I am one absolutely slack blogger! Completely slack! Since I last blogged I have been insanely busy - working full time, travelling to the USA (San Francisco and Vegas), turning 30 (argh!), weekends away, wedding invitations galore, custom card orders (too many Christmas cards!), life and spending too too too much money on Stampin Up! These are just mere excuses though - but I am on holidays now so it will be blog blog blog!

So what have a been creating? Other than Christmas craft (which I can't even post because if I see another santa, chocolate sliders, snowflake or christmas stocking for a while I'll cry - pics will come eventually), I was creating crafty gifts for my crafty Tit-tastic scrapbooking ladies. We had to make each other crafty christmas gifts and I just got so inspired, I couldn't stop creating! I went with a coffee theme - using Stampin Up and American Crafts products. I made CD case calendars that were inspired by this fab creation and also coffee cup holders (I got the instructions from here).

Anyway, I'd better go and deal with Facebook, who have deleted Cards by Lauren's original Facebook page, so it is really lucky that I didn't have that many fans! So, I am creating a new one! Once it's done I'll post the links!

Anyway, 2012 for Cards by Lauren is all about building the business and keeping the blog up-to-date (so I am getting in early!).

Yours in double sided tape and glitter, Lauren xx

Cards by Lauren is on holiday!

Hi All,

Just letting all my readers (well all three of you and those that may stumble across my when googling something else) that I am on holiday for the next month or so - so I won't really be creating. But I can still accept orders through the madeit site or email for customs.

So, while I am away from the card world stay safe and I'll be back inspired, with new creations, supplies and excitement!

x

Vienna - the fonts, the patterns, the coffee, the creative inspiration!

The other day my gorgeous friend KT and I went to the Vienna exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria - it was absolutely gorgeous and really inspired me to see how i can incorporate this style into my cards.

The patterns were amazing, as were the structure of the pieces. Typefaces were incredible, so inspiring.

Can't you just imagine the 'succession' print as a card with triangles of patterned paper - gorgeous!! I bought some wrapping paper to turn into cards and I have covered my inspiration board next to my desk with incredible postcards. I will post some photos once they are created but i wanted to share the Viennese inspiration before i forgot!

Make sure that you go and check out the exhibition - it ends in October.

Hooray it's Friday - have a creative weekend - hope that you all craft up a storm! xx

Blast Off with some new creations!

Hi all, I can't believe that I have been out of the blog loop for over a week. Life has been happening, I've been sick and I'm busy busy busy (fun stuff and work). I have also been spending a lot of time crafting - including a great day with my crafty girls Liv and Shey!

October Afternoon have been giving sneak peaks of some of their new releases on their blog - so cute - I'm dreaming of the cards that I will make already! Check it out here. I have recently been spending a lot of time creating with their Rocket Age collection - so cute! Here is a peak of some of the cards:

I've also made some new cards that I will be adding for sale in the shop. Also, email me if you have a store and would like to stock my cards - I'd love to hear from you! These new creations are made with Graphic 45 and a couple of collections of American Crafts.

My friends and I have been drooling over the latest Stampin Up North American catalogue - amazing! Our wish lists just keep getting longer and longer!

Enjoy Friday - not long until the weekend and I'll be back over the weekend with some more creations, including some kids' room decor ideas and baby shower gifts! Loves xx

I am now known by the people at the scrapbooking shop by name!

Monday monday! At my day job today I was speaking to someone and we decided that it was a real 'monday' Monday! You know that feeling when you weren't quite ready for the week to start and that you had of had an extra day at home!

My weekend was great - lots of scrapping with my favourite Tittastic Scrappers, the fab group of ladies that I craft with on a regular basis. One of my scrapping friends, Liv, has started a blog - A Little Bit of Green Sunshine - so make sure that you go and check it out! Liv would have to be one of the things in my life that make my days easier and bring a smile to my face! She is a true inspiration, a brilliant mother and a fab crafter so head on over to her blog and show her some love!

So, what creations have been part of the last week you ask? Well even if you weren't asking, I'm going to tell you! So there!

Most of you know that Cards by Lauren sells custom creations - in fact the last fortnight has been full of creating - most of them from my lovely colleagues at my day job - but I also create invitations. If you are interested in having some invites, even styling and general advice feel free to email me or drop me a comment. Here is a samples of some invite display items that I created during the week. Gotta love the gorgeousness that is Christina Re products!

Loads of custom card creations this week plus some new cards for the Made It shop which will go online some time this week. I've also been experimenting with making brooches with paper punches, glossy accents and a pin and glue. Pics to come. I am thinking about selling them with matching cards for a nice little gift idea.

I bought some super cute paper with kokeshi (kimmi) dolls on them at the Picture to Page show last weekend - so I have made a series of cards. What do you think?

This week I also visited my favourite scrapping shop - Paper 2 in Mornington. I am now on a first name basis with the lovely ladies that work there. I don't know if that is great or incredibly depressing that I spend so much money in the store! They recently ordered in for me the Rocket Age collection from October Afternoon, so I will be posted some pics of my creation in the next few days. In fact - I might start making some things now!

Enjoy the week! xx

My first online sale ... and spending more money than I make on craft supplies!

Putting myself out there online and in the real world is starting to pay off! Custom cards, bulk orders and wait for it....my first online sale! Yahoo! It wasn't even someone that I knew - a complete stranger bought something that I created! This sale even lent itself to a dance around the loungeroom!

Here is a custom card order that I have been working on - it is a Frida Kahlo inspired mixed media creation.

Over the weekend my friend, fellow crafter and constant source of inspiration Liv and I went to the Picture 2 Page scrapbooking and papercraft show in Pakenham. We were totally inspired by all of the creations and enjoyed chatting with the lovely Flourish with a Bling girls. Beautiful supplies (that were too good to resist!) and lots of inspiration - which I will put into action later on in the week when I have a day off and then on Friday at scrapping with my girls. I'll be sure to post more photos soon.

If you want to join the stampede to buy Cards by Lauren online (well I have sold one!) make sure that you visit www.madeit.com.au/CardsbyLauren or if you are after a custom card design you can email me at cardsbylauren@gmail.com

Take care - L x

Some custom creations - housewarming, birthdays and babies!

This week has been absolutely flat out with my day job, plus I had a cooking accident and had to get part of my thumb glued back on! (more clumsy than dramatic!) But I am now back in the swing of things and creating. I have had a number of custom card orders thanks to my kind friends and blog readers. Some of my favourite orders have been for these baby owl cards (similar to the giraffes that I have listed on made it).

I have also had an order for a 30th birthday card for a vintage loving crafty girl (I finally used the gorgeous October Afternoon Modern Homemaker paper) and a housewarming card for a French expat using Collections paper and chipboard, with Kaisercraft flowers and pearls. What do you think?

I'll be back over the next few days with more creations, so stay safe and have a great week! xx

Featured as a Lovely Stationery Find on MADE IT!

Well, I know I have been a bit lax in posting this week but it has been fairly quiet on the creating front but as tomorrow is a public holiday I am expecting to have loads to show you all tomorrow.

As you know Cards by Lauren has entered the world of online selling through Made It - visit here to see the shop! While lots of people have been viewing the cards, no one has purchased yet - fingers crossed it happens soon! It has only been a week! Despite a lack of sales, a card I created was featured in the Made It weekly newsletter as a 'Lovely Stationery Find' so I am pretty excited! I must be doing something right.

The card featured was this baby card and gift tag. I am thinking about making some with owls on them tomorrow.

Anyway, I'm off to contemplate what to create next! xx

Cards by Lauren has MADE IT!

I have ventured into the world of online selling! I decided to begin with Made It - an Australian based handmade retailer. I thought start local and then maybe make the transition to the daunting world of Etsy.

I have a number of different cards listed for sale - many of them I have shown here on the blog - so if you have liked any of these cards they are now available for purchase. Just click the button to the right or click here to visit Cards by Lauren on Made It.

I've also been creating a bit this weekend, so check out the latest creation - Love (ohhhhhh)!

Guess what - I've even been keeping up with the 30 Day Journalling Challenge! I will definately post some pictures of my journal pages during the week.

Have a great week. Loves xx

New inspiration - a little bit of sass, online retailers and some art journalling on the side!

Hi all,

I know it's been a few days since blogging but I haven't really had anything new to show! I've also finally started feeling better - so it has been films,more films, coffee with lovely ones, cuddles with new babies, mexican breakfasts, wine time with friends and zine inspirations! Check out my sister's zine site here! And also my friend Vonny's Red Bubble site for more inspiration is here! I would love to be able use the inspiration I get from zines (and the zine style) into my paper craft - I'm also thinking about how I can get a bit more of me into my cards and OTP pieces. So I am going to spend a bit more time journalling and art journalling to get the creative juices flowing! So I am going to do the 30 Day Journal Challenge over on Janel's blog! Who else is in? Who knows I might even pop the odd journal entry on the blog!

I also thought I might post a bit of card eye candy - I recent card I made using Sassafras Lass paper - their paper provides so much vintage inspiration! I love the colours, the shapes, the stickers, the lot! Enjoy the card!

Anyway, I hope to back in a few days with some new cards (if I have time!) and maybe a journal page - who knows? Plus I am also considering stepping into the world of online retailing. While people can email me through the blog to order custom orders and I hope to get into a couple of real world retailers - I also thought that I would go online. So Etsy, Made It, both, neither?? Thoughts, advice? Is anyone even out there to help answer this question? Where do you buy? Where do you sell?

L xx

Graphic 45 - A little bit of wonderland...craft is the best medicine!

Craft really is the best medicine! I have had a virus for the last week and have felt really ordinary (so ordinary I even stayed home from work to rest - but I went back to work today to cure my boredom). I felt so plain that I didn't event create for the first couple of days but yesterday and today I created and I am feeling better! So craft is the cure - either that or the antibiotics - or the jelly beans from the chemist (they have medicinal properties because they are from the pharmacist you know). Anyway, I'm thanking craft for my recovery! Well actually I'm thanking Graphic 45 and their amazing range of paper - Halloween in Wonderland!

Graphic 45 have amazing papers - they have beautiful illustrations, tags and vintage themes. My friend Gab inspired me to use this droolworthy paper collection at a recent craft retreat - it's stunning.

The Alice in Wonderland theme was really inspiring and I thought that it went perfectly with my new Flourish with a Bling embellishments. I'd never used them before but I am now addicted! They are beautiful laser cut embellishments that add a spookyish element to the cards. I'm also using inking as a technique to add a vintage touch to my cards and handmade embellishments.

Well I hope that you are curiouser and curiouser about my cards! They ere so much fun to make!

Anyway, off to use a mountain of tissues and blog hop! Who knows what creativity awaits!

Hopefully I'll have more craftiness to update you with over the weekend! xx

My creative leap and it's craftastic at October Afternoon's '5 & dime'!

So I feel like a bit of a fraud - most cardmakers are stay at home mums, in the American suburbs, with a great life and wholesome smiles. I'm an inner-city woman, married but no kids, political interests, blah blah blah. But I guess craft knows no bounds! So I won't be filling this blog with pictures of my wholesome life (not that I am saying it isn't wholesome!) but rather what I craft.

If you are interested in buying or commissioning cards or invites just drop me a line through the blog. I'm also contemplating taking the step into selling on etsy or madeit - any thoughts - does it work? I'm knee deep in books about etsy selling and crafting your own business - but they are all pretty overwhelming! It's a big leap putting your stuff out there. I have been at home sick for the last few days and I had the time to create the blog and facebook page - I even ordered business cards and stickers! Either I am actually going to do this or I am absolutely delirious with antibiotics. It's six to one, half a dozen the other at the moment!

Anyway, on to some creations. So there are probably a few paper companies that I am absoutely in love with - American Crafts, Graphic 45 but the key to my heart is October Afternoon. Their collections are gorgeous, in fact there is one collection in particular that I am so in love with - Modern Homemaker - that I am too afraid to use so I don't spoil it! But I will be taking the plunge! Soon! I promise!

One of their newest collections is '5 & Dime' - it's got a fab retro feel to it and it so easy to make cards with it! All of the embellishments are gorgeous and I have been making my own too. Anyway, hope that you like them.

October Afternoon - thanks for the yummy papers (that are almost too good to use!) and to the other people out there in the blogosphere who inspire me! xx

American Crafts: what's not to love!

I absolutely love American Crafts. The paper, the colours, the embellishments (the remarks, the delights, OMG!) - they just make it so easy to make bright coloured cards, that can hopefully brighten someones day!

Here are some cards that I made with the new American Crafts City Park papers. I even made my own rosettes for embellishments using off cuts of paper and my own suns, complete with bling!

I'm pleased I mastered the art of the rosette (how daggy am I!) but they look great on the cards!

Baby love - new babies galore!

I have been paper crafting for a few years - it started with scrapbooking but then I realised I loved the craft more than preserving the memories! So now I make cards and invitations to help other people preserve their speciail memories!

There has been an enslaught of new babies in my life lately - three babies per week - they are absolutely gorgeous and all deserving gorgeous cards. Here is a little giraffe card and gift set I made:

I'm starting to get into little gift tags - it adds another element to the gift and looks super cute.

Plus these cards also show the love of my life - washi tape!!! I have more rolls than I can count - some of them I love so much that I am afraid to use! I'm like that with paper collections too - sometimes they are just too nice! I need to snap out of it and get crafting!! xx

A new adventure

So, readers out there in the internet abyss, I have decided to start blogging. I am a compulsive blog reader - I am constantly inspired by their creativity. I thought that it was about time that I put my papercraft out there in the ether and see where my creativity leads me.

I am a compulsive card maker but at the moment all they do is sit wrapped in plastic in my scrap room and get given to people on special occasions. Well I've decided that I am going to put my cards out there and sell them and show them.

What I love is the making of cards, the peacefulness, the fun of ideas rushing through my head. I get inspired by everything that is around me, the paper, the supplies, my friends, the world.

So here goes internet - I'm putting my creativity out there - let's see where it leads me. xx