Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Playing with cards

Over the past seven years of blogging, I have been blessed to receive many lovely tea-themed notecards. They're currently scattered in several different places around the house, but since I'm on an organizing kick I decided to corral these lovely cards in a way that I can easily enjoy them. When I found some unused book rings in a desk drawer, I decided I would take the simplest of paths and punch holes in the cards to make a book out of them. This way I can still read them and also have them close at hand for "tea art" inspiration. The one at front is from a new tea friend, Lori, whom I met earlier this year. Handcrafted cards are extra special to me since I know the work that goes into them!

This card with layered scrapbooking papers and ribbon on the front is from Sandy. I have that same polka-dotted teacup rubber stamp design, but I've certainly never created a card that pretty with it!

Donna sent this cute thank-you card after winning one of my Valentine's giveaways this year. I love that it's cut in the shape of a teacup.

Some of the prettiest tea-themed notecards are from Carol Wilson Fine Arts, and Linda sent me this "quilted" one last year.

Here's another pretty Carol Wilson card, from Bev, and I love the teacup design and also the embossed white edging. It reminds me of fine linens!

And another unique card came from Frances, who introduced me to the amazing artwork of Sasha St. John. I'm just getting started on assembling all my tea-themed cards, and I won't be surprised if I end up with so many I have to buy larger book rings to accommodate them all!

13 comments:

  1. Very nice collection. I have some nice tea themed stamps myself and should create a few cards. Perhaps a monthly card exchange might be fun?

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  2. That's a great idea, using the rings to make a "card book"! I'll look forward to seeing more as you add them to the book.

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  3. Aren't you the clever one! I keep my tea cards in a tin. Next stop, hole punch and rings. Thank you for the idea!

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  4. Absolutely brilliant idea.

    Too bad after I read them most of the time I use the pic and make a homemade card of them......I just try so hard not to keep everything....but oh boy do I have serious remorse now.

    This really is an EXCELLENT idea.

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  5. HI Angela! Great idea for organizing special-Tea cards! And I am so happy you loved the pink teacup card! I wonder if I have any of those clips around......so cute!

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  6. Love this idea! All the cards that I've received over the years are organized in chronological order in a giant bin. Only a handful of my cards are tea related but hopefully, my collection will grow so that I can create my own tea-themed card book!

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  7. I love your clever idea. I have framed some of my tea cards. Now you gave me a new way to save my cards. Thanks!

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  8. What a great idea! I have boxes of cards --- as I never throw them away. I hadn't thought of creating books like this from them. Thanks! Yours is beautiful!

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  9. What a clever way to keep your tea themed cards together. Right now, I have them all tossed in a drawer - might have to consider your idea!

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  10. Angela: do you have a post office box we could use to send you tea cards? I love to make cards, and have been meaning to ask. I've also been pinching myself that I didn't save the address I used when I bought your first department store tea book.

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  11. Another idea: a friend of mine, Pati Kachel, puts her cards in her tea themed scrapbooks along with photographs from teas she attends or hosts herself. She's a fantastic storyteller who often performs at teas and women's retreats: www.theparablefund.org/

    Since she likes to be able to read the notes in the cards, she makes sure to keep them on pages without page protectors so she can open them and peek. Her books are so lovely! It makes me wish I'd been doing that all along. I've scrapbooked teas I've attended, like the ones with Laura Childs when she's promoting her newest books, but they're in amongst the pages of the rest of my life instead of a tea book of their own.

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  12. I love this idea so much and must remember it. I never know what to do with all the beautiful cards that come my way. Thanks for the simple idea, it's a good one.

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