Stationery Lovers Xmas Swap

I recently took part in a fabulous stationery swap organised by Claire from Claireabelle Makes and Emma from Mab is Mab. What could be better than wrapping up a stationery filled gift and then receiving a surprise present back?!

I sent a bundle of goodies off to my swap partner Diane, including a few handmade items from my own shop. You can see Diane's blog about her gift here.

And I received a fantastic parcel from Diane. I love everything and can't wait to get myself organised with the to-do list notepad. Do I get to say "ta-da" when I've crossed everything off?! It was my very first swap and I shall definitely take part in another one as it was such fun. And it's so exciting to get happy post!

Jam J-ART Christmas gift

Think Money are running an upcycling challenge this Christmas and asked me to get involved. Their Jam J-ART project is all about re-using jam jars to create thrifty gifts. I'm always up for a creative challenge and love giving handmade gifts so I've spent the last couple of weeks thinking about all the wonderful things I could make out of my jam jar.

Sometimes you just want to give a little something at Christmas and really it's the thought that counts. Often a box of chocolates is all that's necessary. But even humble chocolates can become an exciting gift in the right packaging. So I decided to turn my jam jar into an elegant sweetie jar, that could be refilled and kept on hand for all emergencies (as we know, chocolate solves almost any crisis!). 

I decoupaged the jam jar with a lovely mulberry paper that creates a wonderful finish as you can see all the threads running through the paper. And I added lace to the top of the jar so that you can see the treats inside just peeking through.

The jar would look fab filled with chocolate buttons or smarties to make a really simple but effective gift. Or you could stack some homemade cookies inside for a truly handmade gift. 

There are some great ideas for turning jam jars into thrifty gifts over on the Jam J-ART pinterest page. I love the storage jars with blackboard labels, the pincushion sewing kit and the fun animal jars for kids.

Christmas gift guide: Gifts for the home

This week's gift guide is all about homewares and decoration. From unusual lamps to wall decor these gifts will brighten up anyone's home. Great ideas for those who have recently moved house, started university, redecorated or like stylish gifts for their home. Everything is handmade in the UK.

Looking for more gift ideas? You can see my other Christmas gift guides here.

LED uplighters in mixed woods by Aftertrees

Tree branches candle holder by The Way to Blue

Driftwood mirror by Julia's Driftwood Furniture

Personalised scrabble wall art by Claireabellemakes

Silver wooden vases by Solid Wood Shop

Mirrored bird wall decoration by Ava and Bea

Dandelion clocks cushion cover by And Shine

A new day tall lamp by A Northern Light

Notebooks for everyone this Christmas

Notebooks make great Christmas gifts. They can be used for so many different things that there can't possibly be many people who wouldn't appreciate receiving one. And as all stationery lovers know, you can never have too many notebooks!

So I thought I'd show you my range of handmade notebooks, including a couple of new ones that have only just been added to the shop. Who will you buy a notebook for this Christmas?

Recipe book with pockets    Personalised travel journal    Vintage sheet music notebook

Family tree research notebook     Personalised notebook         Personalised list jotter

Personalised travel journal    Square personalised notebook      Vintage map journal

See my full range of handmade notebooks in the say it shop. And if you can't spot one that's quite right why not get in touch and order a custom notebook designed just for you.

Christmas gift guide: subscription gifts

Why not give a gift that lasts all year? For my third Christmas gift guide I've selected my favourite subscription gifts. From cake to stationery why not spread the Christmas cheer throughout the year.

And don't forget that I've recently introduced a greetings card subscription box too. Perfect for anyone who loves sending snail mail.

If you're on the hunt for the perfect present, you might also be interested in my previous Christmas gift guides. 

Lucky dip box from Lucky Dip Club

Baking club from Cookie Crumbles

Sock subscription from Henry J Socks

Coffee club from Bean and Ground

Marshmallow subscription from Mello Mallo

Ace stationery box from Ink Drops

Cake slice club from The Cake Nest

Last order dates for Christmas

When buying handmade it really helps to be organised and get your Christmas orders in early, especially if you're getting personalised items that need to be made to order. If you're considering buying some handmade cards or notebooks from my shop and want the items delivered in time for Christmas please take note of the last order dates below. I shall be taking a proper (and well-earned!) Christmas break from 17th December - 5th January during which time the say it shop will be shut.

Christmas gift guides: for the kiddies

I've had fun putting together this week's Christmas gift guide. It's everything I would have loved to receive when I was a kid! All these Christmas gifts for children are handmade in the UK. See my other Christmas gift guides here and check back next week for another one.

Sockosaurus craft kit by Sock Creatures

Robot wall clock by Owl and Otter

Building block soap by Scent Cosmetics

Children's teepee play tent by LittleMe Teepee

Screen printed cat cushion by Robin & Mould

Colourful rainbow mittens by Stripy Kite

Children's apron by Beledien Handmade

Crochet rabbit by Owl and Wool

Animal map of the world by Art Pause

Christmas gift guide: DIY gifts

Well I'm finally having to accept that it is very definitely November and really not that long until Christmas. So I think it's time to start up my annual Christmas gift guides.

Every week between now and Christmas I'll be selecting my favourite Christmas gifts to share with you. Everything I choose is made in the UK, mostly supporting small businesses and especially focusing on handmade gifts. These are not Christmas gifts you will find on the high street.

This first Christmas gift guide is for anyone on your list who likes making things. From DIY pinhole cameras to knit your own reindeer there is something for all creative types.

DIY pinhole camera kit by The Pop Up Pin Hole Company

Ribbon flower loom kit by ffflowers

Make your own cheese kit by Sandy Leaf Farm

Knit your own reindeer kit by Made By Ewe

Three hooting owls sewing craft kit by Lou Brown Designs

Beginners calligraphy kit by CalligraphyStore

Make your own needle felted fox kit by Hawthorn Handmade

DIY electro dough kit by Technology Will Save Us

New in the shop: greetings card subscription boxes

Do you love sending snail mail? Are you addicted to stationery? Would you like to have a regular stash of birthday cards? My new greetings card subscriptions give you a bundle of stationery every month, so you'll never run out of cards.

I like to be organised and have a box of blank cards and a box of birthday cards ready to choose from at all times. You never know when you might want to write someone a little note and I'm trying to send more happy post this year. But sometimes making sure the boxes of cards get topped up can be a little tricky! Wouldn't it be great if that just sort of happened automatically...

So I've created my new greetings card subscription package for people like me who love to have cards on hand at all times. You can choose to sign up for three months to try it out or subscribe for a full year of happy post. Each month you will receive three beautiful handmade cards and you can choose whether you'd like birthday cards, blank cards or a mixture of occasions to create the perfect bundle for you.

Interested? Pop over to my Etsy shop to find out more and sign up to get your greetings card subscription box.

Top stationery trends: Letterpress

For my last stationery trends 2014 blog post I'd like to share with you my favourite letterpress stationery. I know that letterpress has been popular for a while now, but it's definitely been big this year.

I'm fascinated by it because I can't make it myself. Unlike my other top stationery trends for chevron patterns, bright colours and typography, I can't play around with this trend myself as I don't have a letterpress machine. Rather than just printing a design, letterpress creates an impression into the paper as well as using inks. And the result is so much more luxurious than a simple printed design, especially when it is combined with some thick or speciality papers. 

So here are my favourite letterpress finds, with links below so you know where to buy them if anything takes your fancy. 

1. Keep calm and make a list letterpress notebook by Little Red Press

2. Vintage swallows flat notecards by Print for Love of Wood

3. Letterpress awesome card by Crazy Bear Studio

4. Hello letterpress stationery set by Prickle Press

5. Personalised thank you cards by Kennington Lane Press

6. Little notes of positivity by PaperKitch

Where to buy handmade gifts

If you're looking for a gift that's more unusual and something that you wouldn't find on the high street you should consider buying handmade. You are also supporting small businesses that really value your custom and your money goes directly to the person who has made your gift. Plus you will often be able to get an item personalised or gift wrapped and sent straight to the recipient.

Since I love shopping for handmade gifts whenever I can I thought I'd share with you some of my favourite online shops that are great places to search out the perfect handmade present (or even a little treat for yourself!).

Handmade birthday cards

This month I've been making some new birthday card designs. It's hard sometimes to find time to sit down and work on new designs when I have lots of orders that need posting asap. But it really is my favourite part of my job. I have so many ideas in my head and I love trying them out and making something new.

I got a fantastic new silver ink pen from stamping up that gives the most wonderful shiny finish. You're meant to be able to stamp with it, but it didn't give a strong enough print so I tried stenciling and I think it looks fab on this new card.

Cards with ages on seem popular so I've added another one to the shop. This is made using my silhouette portrait electronic cutting machine. I think the purple pearlised card is my absolute favourite at the moment!

And a new range of birthday cards made from maps and a vintage dictionary print. I'm planning on adding a few more different shapes too, so check the shop soon for more designs.

All these handmade birthday cards are available to order from the say it Folksy shop. 

PaperLove Challenge

I'm taking part in the Paperphilia 7 days of PaperLove Challenge, celebrating papery goodness. Since I love paper and work with it pretty much every day I thought this sounded like the perfect challenge to take part in. Plus, I love the gorgeous Paperphilia blog and have had my eye on their PaperLove e-course for a little while now.

Each day for the next week there's going to be a PaperLove Challenge to take part in. And today is day one. A great little challenge to start off with - making freestanding origami paper hearts!

Above is the example made by Rachel and Beth from the Paperphilia team. I decided to make mine using a page from a vintage dictionary. I wasn't sure if it would work using such thin paper, but it seems to have turned out fine. I might try varnishing it to make it a little more robust. 

I'm quite pleased with my little heart and think it will make a nice ornament. 

Would you like to join in with the PaperLove Challenge too? It's not too late to start, just sign up here and you'll get the instructions for making your very own origami heart straight away. 

I can't wait to find out what the rest of the challenges will be! I shall be sharing them on Twitter as I make them, so follow me @sayithandmade to see how they turn out.

Say it turns three!

I cannot believe another year has whizzed by for my little stationery shop. Three years ago I made some greetings cards and popped them on Folksy to see if I could make a few extra pennies. 180 designs later and here I am sending personalised handmade notebooks round the world! Thank you so much to all my wonderful customers for allowing me to have the best job I could possibly imagine.

Happy birthday say it! To celebrate, all orders this week will receive a little extra gift from me. If you'd like to join in the celebrations simply place your order before midnight on Sunday 5 October. You can shop from any of the say it online stores - on Folksy, Etsy or Giggling Hedgehogs.

Top stationery trends: Typography

So far in my top stationery trends for 2014 I've shared my favourite chevron designs and brightly coloured cards, notebooks and paper accessories. Another trend this year has been typography. Everywhere you look there are wonderful fonts all mixed together in different sizes and colours. I love the way you can make something visually interesting using only words.

Here are some of my favourite typography stationery items. I could easily own them all.

1. Best things in life card from CecilyMae Handmade

2. Winter things greetings cards from Lola Hoad Design

3. Decorative metal magnets from Tillemint Loves

4. Plans for world domination notebook from Lovely Cuppa

5. Good things come to those who bake notebook from Steph Says Hello

6. Alphabet washi tape from The Crafterie

Family tree notebook

Researching your family history is becoming quite popular and finding out about your ancestors can be fascinating. If you're beginning to research your family tree you might like one of my new notebooks. The perfect place to gather together all your family research and make notes on your ancient relatives.

The family tree notebook has a personalised cover with one or two names and a matching silhouette, either male or female. So you could have 'Stephen's family tree' or 'Jane and Ben's family tree' or 'The Clark's family tree', making it a really special and personal notebook.

If you've ever tried writing out your family tree and kept wishing you could have a bigger piece of paper you'll appreciate the giant fold out page in the centre of the notebook. Unfolding like a map, the centre page opens out to an enormous 8 times the size of the notebook. So there is plenty of space for all your great great great aunts and second cousins twice removed!

If you would like a family tree notebook pop over to my Folksy shop where they are available for £14 plus p+p. It would make a unique gift for all budding genealogists. 

Handmade favourites - sweet treats

What's better than a gift you can eat?! This month's collection of my favourite handmade gift ideas is all about sweet treats. From homemade marshmallow to ice cream making sets, these are perfect gifts for anyone who enjoys a yummy treat or a spot of baking. Everything is made right here in the UK.

Large red velvet cake from Cake in a Jar

Honeycomb ice cream making set from Granny Gothards

Blueberry and vanilla muffin mix from Cookie Crumbles

Pick and mix sweet tree from Sweet Trees

Chocolate cake in a can from The Food Ministry

Afternoon tea party gift box from Crumb

Triple chocolate pancake mix from Little Pancake Company

Raspberry and white chocolate marshmallows from Mello Mallo

Weekend makes

Since I work with paper all week as my job, when I want to craft for fun I like to use other materials. This weekend I got my sewing machine out again. I was supposed to be making some more of these cushions, but after cutting out all the pieces out I got distracted...

So I made a drawstring bag out of some spotty fabric that I love. It makes me happy just looking at it! I'm going to use this as a travel laundry bag. I'm really pleased with it as I didn't have a pattern or any instructions, I just started sewing.

And I used an A3 clip frame to create this organiser. It's a super easy way of doing it. I sewed the two pockets and then simply wrapped the whole thing round the glass from the frame and clipped it all together. We are going to use this for post, as we are very good at dumping opened and unopened post on our coffee table and important bills get muddled up with the junk mail and forgotten about! So I'm hoping this will keep us organised. We just need to decide where to hang it so that we actually remember to use it!

If you'd like to see what other crafty folk have been making this week pop over to Handmade Monday where lots of craft bloggers link up their weekly makes.

Say hello with personalised notecards

How often do you get happy post? I mean proper nice post brought to you by the postman and pushed through your letterbox after travelling across the country from someone who has spared a few minutes of their day to think of you. Doesn't it just make your day to arrive home and find a handwritten envelope waiting for you?!

If you want to receive more happy post perhaps you should try sending some? You could make someone's day by choosing to write them a note instead of popping what you have to say in an email or text. And you could make it extra special by sending one of my new handmade notecards.

Each notecard is personalised with the name of the sender, saying either "hello from" or "a note from".

They are made with my new silhouette portrait machine, which makes me so happy every time I use it. I can cut anything. Amazing.

If you'd like a pack of 4 bright and colourful papercut notecards personalised with your name pop over to my Folksy shop and I'll get ready to start cutting. Or perhaps you could buy a set as a gift and hope they send one back to you!

Top stationery trends: bright contrasting colours

Next up in my favourite stationery trends for 2014 is bright contrasting colours. Last month I went zig zag crazy with my top chevron stationery picks and this month it's all about colour. Nice bright colour.

I feel that we've been stuck on pastels for too long and I'm so excited by the pops of bright colour that have been appearing this year. And in particular there seems to be a trend for mixing up contrasting bright colours. Love love love. Here are my favourite bold and bright stationery finds.

1. Thinking of you card with badge from Think Bubble

2. Personalised colourful leather journal from Begolden

3. Pink and lime washi tape from Ruby and Dig

4. Screen printed card from Rob Ryan

5. Foliage thank you cards from Louise Norman Studio

6. A5 notebook from Paperchase