This week I wanted to share with you my latest project that has been under construction now for a couple of months. It may be a little early for Christmas, but I want to launch my "Christmas Card Keepers" at the next Devonport Craft Market on October 3rd.
The idea for the Christmas Card Keeper came from my love affair with pinboards. As any regular reader of this blog will know, I am OBSESSED with pinboards. They are the perfect place for all those lovely little treaures like show tickets, birthday cards, small things children collect at kindy, not to mention funky photograph holders. I have one in every bedroom of my house.
I have actually spent the past five years slowly perfecting my recipe for the right shapes, sizes, ribbon lengths, functional brads, material choices, how to fix up the backing so there's no rough edges...now I sell my pinboards at the market and also in some of my boutique retailers like Holly Chic and Bay Bee Cino.
But I am also a little obsessed with Christmas, and with Christmas cards. Each year I lovingly and painstakingly spend time designing Christmas cards, and tracking down people's addresses, and then hanging my own ones we receive up on the blinds...only to get really annoyed at how often they blow off, or get pulled off by the kids.
So, combining my love affair with Christmas, and decorating in a tasteful, yet seasonal way (I am also fanatical about my tree decoration theme each year), along with the need to sort out my messy card issue...I came up with the Christmas Card Keeper.
I've changed my recipe for these pinboards to a MDF wooden backing, which is flat, rather than a thick profiled panel like my other pinboards - the idea being that they are flat and easy to pack away each year, in the box or cupboard, beside the tree. They are padded to allow extra cards to be pinned to the surface when you run out of pegs - but come with 16 mini pegs on satin ribbons, to look like the string people used to hang their stockings on in front of the fireplace. They have a hanging wire on the back, so you can simply take down another picture and hang the Keeper up for the month of December, then take it down again. Or just lean it on the mantle or kitchen bench!
I've also tried to use fabrics that use the colours of the season...but don't use naff silly Christmas characters. I've imported several fabrics that I think would work with a modern house interior scheme, and also included a retro/vintage Kiwi Summer fabric. I've made about three quarters of my stock now...what do you think so far?
And what do you think of my second idea - I thought I'd do a giveaway that encourages people to get back into letter and card writing for Christmas - especially with kids. A bring back Christmas cheer campaign!! Thought I could offer to send a free 'secret card from Santa' to the children of everyone who buys a Card Keeper, to start the board off. Thoughts?
When the range is finished, I'll be loading them up on my online store . www.lilypad.felt.co.nz ...
Also - a massive thanks to Songbirds Designs for the gorgeous Christmas cards (hand designed!) featured in my product shots. Sarah sells these in her online store - www.songbird.felt.co.nz closer to Christmas too!
For more creative inspiration, head over to Kirsty's Kootoyoo.com
