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