"Vacation Mode" for the Studio for a While

Hi friends. I've been going back and forth on whether or not to write this blog post. I don't often share personal information here, but have decided I will today.

I'm putting my shop in "vacation mode" for at least a couple of weeks if not longer. My family suffered a great loss this past weekend. My sister, Melody, passed away quite suddenly. I've been in a daze, to be completely honest. I'm sure you can understand that basic response to such heartbreaking news. I've decided to put both shops (Etsy and EastonPlaceDesigns.com) on hold for a bit. I'm hoping to be ready to open within a couple of weeks, but I'm not going to rush things.

I'll also be fairly absent on all social media, so if I don't reply to a tweet, FB mention or Instagram shot right away, please don't take it personally. Thank you for all the kind emails I've received so far. I have "met" so many wonderful friends through social media. I feel the love and support.

Life is precious, and often too short. Give your loved ones an extra hug tonight.

xoxo
Patti

Latest Custom Work: Baby Ella's Announcements

I posted on Facebook the other day: "One of the many things I love about my work: getting to share in other people's sweet life events." Today's post is about the latest custom birth announcement I've designed. Friends were recently blessed with a beautiful baby girl and asked me to design the birth announcements! Here are the results.

  Love, love, love...

I'm also currently working on custom photo thank you cards for one of my favorite brides (to be revealed soon), and a set of really fun stationery and business cards for a client who's about to be published! So THIS is one of the many reasons I love my job... I get to be excited for people's fun life events, and design something special for them too!

If you'd like to work together on a design for your life event (birth announcement, wedding invitation, anniversary etc.), you can contact me here.

xoxo
Patti

Free Little Love Notes

As February comes to an end, I thought another free printable would be fun for my readers. You may remember the free "ABC I Love You" printable posted earlier this month. Feel free to get your copy if you didn't already.

This week I've created a set of Love Notes that you can share with your little someone special and even your big someone special! Slip a note in a lunchbox, place one on the bathroom mirror or maybe even leave one on the dashboard of your sweetie's car. Perhaps you'll even want to mail one or two for fun.

Click on the photo below for the printable image. Print on a regular 8.5" x 11" sheet of unlined paper and cut along the dotted lines. Enjoy!

(this printable is not for resale or mass production. for personal use only.)

xoxo
Patti

Photo Mojo (photo challenge 2013 edition)

I've taken a month off from the photo challenge and have come to a conclusion: The 2012 Photo Challenge fueled my creativity! It's as if my creative mojo vanished in the night and I need to get it back. After discussing this "loss of creative mojo" with my husband and oldest son, I've but one realization... it's time to start another photo challenge. So without further delay I present for your creative boost, the 2013 February Photo Challenge! Wahoo! Who's with me?

For those of you who are new to the photo challenge, the rules are simple. 1. Take a photo-a-day based on the themes listed in the above photo. 2. Post that photo on Twitter, Instagram and/or on my flickr group. 3. Be sure to let me know when you post on Twitter/Instagram by using the hashtag #FebPic. If you're not already following me on Twitter and Instagram, please do! Let's get social.

This is suppose to be a fun challenge... no stress here. If you wanna join but worry you'll miss a day (or 12), not a problem. Take one subject/day at a time. If you miss some, you miss some!

Let me know if you you're joining the fun so I can look for your photos online. Just leave a comment below. Here's to bringing back some creativity!

Anyone is free to copy this image for use on your own blog, just be sure to credit / link my blog, please & thank you.

xoxo
Patti

Happy Valentine's Day... with a printable

Hello, and Happy Valentine's Day friends! I've been celebrating Valentine's Day (so to speak) for the last two months. It started for me with new designs for the special occasion. This year I launched 4 new greeting cards in my etsy and my dot com shop. I also created a couple of color palettes here on my blog and I organized a Valentine Card Swap with several people via twitter & facebook. Today I'm capping off this "holiday of love" with a free printable for the kids (or kid at heart).

Do you remember making paper fortune tellers when you were a kid? I have distinct memories of sitting on the school bus with friends, making and playing with those little paper goodies. Well today I've created one with a Valentine theme. And in case you've either forgotten how to fold one, or never knew how to fold one, I've included step by step instructions. To download your own copy, simply click here. Print on 8.5" x 11" printer paper with settings on borderless.

I wish to thank all of those who participated in my Valentine Card Swap! I hope you had fun giving and receiving your Valentine Goodies. I'll be posting a Valentine's Day follow up Wednesday!
Hugs & Kisses,
Patti

Valentine's Card Swap - 2012

"The only true gift is a portion of yourself." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Valentine Gift Tags or Magnets by: By the Book Paper (etsy)

Ah, love... it's that time of year when hearts of pink and red are scattered everywhere you look! Valentine's Day. Okay. It's actually January 10th as I write this, but I've been thinking about Valentine's Day with the release of my new greeting cards! And I've also been thinking of ways to keep the handwritten note in fashion. One way to walk-the-walk is to send at least one piece of "snail-mail" each week of 2012. Another way is to organize a Valentine's Day Card Swap! Yay!!!

Running Heart, Love Vintage Postage by: Verde Studio

So here are the details:
If you'd like to participate in the card swap, email me: eastonplacedesigns [at] me [dot] com by 9:00 p.m. EST, Tuesday, January 24 and give me the following information:
-Your Name
-Snail-mail Address
-Email Address best to use for notification
-Would you be willing to mail internationally?
-Would you like more than one Swap Partner?
-Any blog or website you'd like included in my follow-up post

I'll then select a partner for you to swap with and email you the mailing details. I should have things organized by Friday, January 27. You'll have a more than a week to get your Valentine Card in the mail with plenty of time for delivery by February 14. If mailing to an international address, allow a few extra days.

Have fun with this! You don't have to be a "crafty person", nor a professional card maker to participate. Anyone can join the fun. Hand-made cards are fun to receive, so try your talents with a little glue and glitter! Need ideas for something different? Check out Pinterest. And if you really don't want to send a hand-made card of your own, there's always Etsy.

Please leave a remark in the comments below so I know to look for your email and address! And invite your friends to join the fun as well. And while I have your reading attention, let me know if you'd like to receive a card from me at some point this year. I'm still collecting addresses for my "weekly handwritten note" project!

photo & tag by Easton Place Designs

Wishing you all a very Happy Valentine's Day!
xoxo
-Patti

I'm Crashing the Party! #NellysBigDay

"And ... I said YESSSSS!"

It happened one November midnight, in Twitterverse, we saw this tweet from our dear Nelly @nella22. Without missing a beat, we all knew Nelly had “said YES” to her beloved “M, as she sweetly calls Brian Murray, her fiancé.

So here we are, Nelly dear, your friends in the food world (and paper lovelies world), wishing you and Brian, all the best. And with our wishes, a simple recipe with an easy formula for a life of bliss, rich with EVERYTHING in it!

Okay, I'm not really a "Foodie", I just happen to be friends with a lot of foodies. That's not going to stop me from crashing this amazing virtual wedding shower! Nelly surely knows me well enough to know I love a good party! 

As for what I would bring... Appetizers, of course! Finger foods are awesome! (Nelly, am I right?)

Brie and Fancy Plum:

Here is a quick and easy appetizer! You need three ingredients: Brie Cheese, your favorite preserves, and some mini phyllo cups.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Place the phyllo cups on the parchment and place a dollop of preserves in each. I use fancy plum and it's delicious! Cut the rind off the brie. Top the preserves with a piece of brie and bake for 7 minutes. Serve hot or room temperature.

My dear, sweet friend, Nelly...

I wish for you a life of great adventure, pure joy and continued sweetness. I am so happy for you and Brian. I look forward to the day we can meet in real life and toast your happy union! Until then, know that my thoughts and prayers are with you as always. As we say in our house: Mazel Tov!! L'Chaim!! To Life!!

xoxo

Patti

Love is in the Air...

"Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired."  ~Robert Frost


I have always loved Valentine's Day. I have fond memories of my childhood boyfriend who would buy me a book of Lifesavers every Valentine's Day and made sure to include a hand-made love note as well. I loved the smell of the small candy hearts with saying like "Be Mine" on them. And my best friend and I would make homemade cinnamon rock candy and hot toothpicks. Then we would challenge each other to see who could hold the hot toothpick in their mouth the longest. I never won.


Valentine's Day is a romantic holiday for many, but it's a terrifically fun holiday for kids as well. This year at Easton Place Designs I've created a candy alternative to give kids... Personalized Wall Art. That's not to say you shouldn't give your littlest sweetheart a little piece of candy this coming Valentine's Day, but give them something that's personal and lasting too! 

 

In the shop you'll also find fun, personalized labels that can be used for anything from book plates to Valentine  goodie bag labels. 


And for the tween/teen in your life I have several designs of personalized stationery that are a lovely way to say "I love you".


As always, if you're looking for a special card to write your own words of adoration in, my card shop is sure to have something just right for the occasion!

Wishing you and all your special Valentines a lovely day of adoration and sweetness!