GIVEAWAY: isavirtue

Kaitlyn Patience of isavirtue loves snail mail and crafts. Perhaps that is why she decided to begin creating items that encourage others to take time to send personalized notes. I really like the graphic black & white water stain writing paper & coordinating envelopes. The envelopes featuring cork board silhouettes are especially interesting & the rose is lovely. In addition to writing paper & envelopes, Kaitlyn also offers seals, journals & more.

*** GIVEAWAY - Closed - Congrats sw! ***

PRIZE: Modern Monsters Writing Set - Includes ten handmade envelopes & 20 sheets of stamped writing paper.

TO ENTER: Visit isavirtue & leave a comment on this post noting your favorite item(s).

Giveaway ends at 9pm EST, Saturday, July 2.

Wedding Idea & Inspiration

Spring & summer are always busy with weddings. Lately, I have come across so much great information regarding handmade wedding touches. I thought I would share some of the resources & ideas I've discovered around the web.

Crafting A Green World shares the Hottest Sustainable Wedding Trends for 2011 according to Recycled Bride.

Elsie Flannigan launched a blog, Le Wedding Party, dedicated to wedding inspiration.

The Austin Wedding Blog is full of eye candy & inspiration!

Crafting A Green World shows how to create an easy DIY bridal bouquet.

Craft Gossip has added a DIY Wedding category to their site. This is a great source for tons of wedding ideas.

Purchase a copy of Handmade Weddings - More than 50 Crafts to Style and Personalize Your Big Day from Chronicle Books

100 Layer Cake is another great site to find pertinent wedding info & ideas.

Etsy Wedding highlights exceptional handmade wedding items. (pictured: signs by Shandrus Creations)

Recycle Your Wedding - Buy & sell everything for your wedding via Recycled Bride or Ruffled who also has lots of inspiration on their blog.

Modern Wedding is an Australia-based website that has tons of wedding info, as does their blog. (pictured: cookies by Sweet Couture)

Craftzine posted a DIY Wedding Projects Roundup featuring a variety of how-tos.

Emmaline Bride also has great handmade ideas for brides.

K is for Calligraphy offers lovely stickers, including Save the Date stickers, perfect for soon-to-be-married couples!

If you're in need of paper and/or envelopes for your DIY invitations, Paperworks is a great source that I've used before with great results.

Planning a wedding is a lot of fun, but can also be stressful. Here's a few tips on how to stay calm before your wedding.

Augustina Finch

Augustina Finch is the creative endeavor of Samuel & Hanna Robertson. Like those on a faraway excavation, this duo scrapes, sifts & sorts through the archeology of paper to unearth stories to be retold in frames, folds & forms. Their products are essentially a collection of hand-sewn vintage paper envelopes & greeting cards that are made from the pages of old discarded books & magazines. Each unique & one-of-a-kind set of five is handsomely packaged, stamped & individually numbered by hand. There's such a wide assortment of images that there's surely something for everyone. This husband & wife team also makes up the Portland-based indie folk-pop band called The Woodlands. Their debut album has received international praise, press & film placement. Receive a free download of the song "Summerland" when you sign up for The Woodlands newsletter.

*GIVEAWAY - Closed - Congrats Very Married! Augustina Finch is giving away a set of five envelopes & cards. To enter, visit their Etsy shop & leave a comment noting your favorite set. For an additional entry, "like" The Woodlands on Facebook, then leave a comment on this post noting you have done so. Giveaway ends at 9pm EST, Saturday, January 15. Please leave a valid email address so I may contact the winner!

Couture Invito

Couture Invito features a wide range of products to satisfy all of your invitation and stationery needs. Perfect for the fast-approaching holiday season are a variety of customizable holiday photo cards. You will have fun choosing your greeting, color scheme and font ensuring your cards portray your family's style & personality. If you're looking for special gifts, check out the personalized stationery section that is filled with beautiful designs. I love the funky teen doodle stationery! Couture Invito also sells lovely custom photo jewelry created by Planetjill. And what could be more personalized than photo-lined envelopes?

*GIVEAWAY - Closed - Congrats Amanda Ann! Couture Invito is giving away one custom photo notepad. To enter, visit Couture Invito & leave a comment on this post noting one of your favorite products or designs. Please include your email address so we can contact the winner. Giveaway ends at Midnight EST, Friday, November 20.

Presents for Pirates

Presents for Pirates is a fun shop featuring handmade notecards & stationery embellished with pirate ships, owls, and (my favorite) gnomes. The pirate treasure map notecards coupled with handmade recycled map envelopes are very clever. And I really dig the heart's on fire design. This shop owner takes custom orders, as well, if you have something in mind. And, don't forget, pirates deserve presents, too.