Rainy days are for new designs

It is a rainy day in Baltimore which means it is a perfect day for designing and crafting! The weekend has arrived and I look forward to the chance to do something creative that strays from the daily grind of the classroom. This week was especially hectic at it was the first full week of school in quite some time, but I was still able to find time to do a few designs. Today has already been incredibly productive. I dropped in at the post office this morning to mail a few orders-- one from a new customer and one from an old friend from junior high! It is amazing to reconnect with people in this way and have support from friends both new and old. I also spent the morning creating a Row House 14 Facebook page while I sat sipping my coffee.

This week was equally productive. I spent some time working on personalized stationery sets for several of the teachers at my school. One of them asked for another set that I will finish designing today. The new stationery designs are all quite different in style which is what I love about them. Everyone has their own style so to create something unique that suits an individual personality is quite fun! I especially love my new Tree Branches design in which I used my original photography to create an imposed image as the focal point of the card. The other thing that I love about these cards is the rich tonal colors that I used-- the dark gray is such a winter color, but the vibrancy of the orange, dark teal, and goldenrod add warmth to the set. I must say that these have quickly become a new personal favorite! Each of the designs are also now available on my Etsy site and they have each inspired me to create even more designs that are offshoots of these.

This week I also received a new shipment of envelopes. The envelopes are all 100% recycled paper and are made using wind power. They arrived just a few days ago and I am extremely pleased with the product! The envelopes have such a smooth finish and the paper is really great quality! I even ordered a few fun colors to add to what I already have so you can expect to see some of those popping up in my new designs. I am also excited about being able to offer quality products that are also environmentally friendly. Recycling is a huge deal for me so I am glad to continue the cycle with the hopes that the person receiving the envelopes will eventually recycle them again.

In addition, to my new designs and envelopes, I also finally purchased that paper trimmer that I was lamenting about earlier this week! Yes, I have finally entered the modern era of card making and paper design! The paper trimmer is the best tiny investment that I have made in quite some time. With it being so inexpensive, I laugh at myself for not having purchased it sooner! Now I am certainly safe from chopping off fingers! So now I am off to spend a relaxing Saturday doing nothing other than crafting. On tap for today are a few new things as well-- wine stoppers and journals. And of course, I will let you know how those turn out! Happy weekend to you all!