Weekly Wrap #86 : Egg Carton Pretties

August 26, 2011 // kristen // 2 replies

Recycled egg cartons serve as surprisingly sophisticated gift packaging in this very clever how-to by Decoratrix. Simply paint your cartons (water-based paint) with whatever colors and patterns you like, tie with some cool twine, string or ribbon, and you’ve got a package with pizzazz. I’ll have to start stockpiling my empty cartons because this pretty craft is giving me lots of ideas. – via Cafofo Fino

Have a great weekend, everyone, and for all of you in the path of Hurricane Irene, stay safe! I’ve experienced many Nor’easters, blizzards, and the effects of tropical storm remnants, but this could be my first experience in the direct path of a hurricane. It should be an interesting weekend, to say the least.

photo credit : Decoratrix

Personalized Family Trees by EvaJuliet

August 25, 2011 // kristen // 3 replies

EvaJuliet’s beautiful new website and blog just launched, as did Eva’s absolutely gorgeous collection of personalized family trees. The new family tree illustrations are available in three styles: a Poppy Wedding Memory Tree (a wonderful choice for a wedding keepsake), as well as illustrated Pink and Olive designs. The 13 x 9 prints are printed onto heavy, matte archival paper with pigment inks.

Olive

Pink

images from EvaJuliet

Polli + Emma Van Leest

August 25, 2011 // kristen // 0 replies

I don’t normally post about jewelry here (unless it’s made out of paper), but there’s a paper connection in this collection by Australian jewelry company, Polli, so I just had to share! Polli collaborated with Melbourne based paper cutting artist, Emma van Leest, to create a series of paper cuts that could be translated into a line of stainless steel jewelry. Emma drew inspiration from explorers’ dreams of undiscovered paradise, and the ornate pieces in the collection are imagined as mementoes or talismans for loved ones that sailors left behind as they set out on their explorations.

I love the idea of translating paper art into another medium, and the translation of Emma van Leest’s amazing work into intricately cut stainless steel jewelry pieces works so well. I hope to see more of these kinds of collaborations in the future. There’s so much potential there!

images from Polli

Letterpress Super Scoop Sundae

August 24, 2011 // kristen // 2 replies

Letterpress pairs so perfectly with so many things, and it turns out that ice cream just so happens to be one of those things. This swoon-worthy die cut and letterpress printed super scoop sundae piece was created by Brisbane, Australia-based design studio, Oblong + Sons, and printed by the always amazing The Hungry Workshop.

Here’s what Gemma from Oblong + Sons had to say about this super fun project:

We designed this super scoop sundae as a direct mail piece for clients, in celebration of our expanding capabilities and brand new website. The piece was beautifully letterpressed on thick, uncoated stock by The Hungry Workshop. There’s a scoop for each new service, and it’s die cut so that the scoops can easily pop out. This cute and playful treat invites its lucky recipients to interact and create their own custom ice cream by mixing and matching the flavours. It was a fun job to work on (as all self-promo pieces are!) and has been very well-received so far.

images from Oblong + Sons

Copper Willow Letterpress Gift Tags

August 24, 2011 // kristen // 0 replies

I am such a sucker for a pretty gift tag, and these lovelies by Copper Willow instantly caught my eye. The vibrant, patterned letterpress tags are available in a number of styles and feature a variety of sentiments, including “Happy Birthday”, “Good Luck”, “Best Wishes”, and “Congratulations”. What a wonderful finishing touch for a prettily packaged gift.

photo credit : Kara Frans Photography