The envelobox: never fear of adding bows and flowers to your cards again!

When I receive a custom order for a card, or when I’m making them to give away {which is occurring less and less these days} I always have to consider if the cards are going to be mailed.  Not only is the weight important, but also the thickness.  Adding ribbon, bows, flowers and even layers of paper make the cards ‘thick’, which makes it harder to fit in a traditional envelope.  If you’re in Canada, you also know this affects the ‘slot of doom’ and the 2cm mailing rule before having to pay for an oversize stamp. But I digress.

I’ve finally found a solution- the envelobox!  A crafty combination of an envelope and a box, this allows the card to be ‘unsquished’ {yes, that’s a technical term} and won’t compress your embellishments.   The envelobox is made from 65 lb weight cardstock; it won’t prevent your card from being crushed, but your ribbons and flowers shouldn’t be compressed.

 

The envelobox has approximately 1/4” of space, much more than a traditional envelope.  I’ve often seen the stress on an envelope and worry that it might tear during shipping.  I’m not sure the envelobox can prevent it completely, but I’d guess it’s better.  It reminds me of a CD mailer, actually.

 

 

I cut, folded and glued the cardstock and used non-toxic envelope adhesive on the flaps, so they can be sealed like traditional envelopes.

The envelope can fit up to a 4.5” x 4.5” square card, and I plan to add some A2 size envelopes soon.

 

These envelopes are available in the A Paper Buffet Etsy shop and are sold in the set of 5 you see here. Custom orders are welcome if you prefer all the envelopes in one colour.

 

Happy Thursday!

 

Technorati Tags: handmade envelopes,handmade supplies,greeting card envelopes,envelobox,Etsy,A Paper Buffet

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Back to the grind.

Things have been a little hectic around here the past little while.

I had some sad news a few weeks ago; my dog Bailey, who lives at home with my parents passed away on July 19th.  Bailey was 13.5 yrs old, which was very good for the large breed she was (Labrador/Golden/Chesapeake Retriever Cross).  Bailey passed away peacefully in her sleep, at home.

I took this picture at Christmas time; she loved to be outside, sit in the snow and bury her face in it.  For anyone who has ever lost a pet, it’s a terrible thing.  It’s been tough, but I am getting better.

I travelled home to go to the cottage last week, it was very strange to be in the house without Bailey.  Terrible, actually. I kept thinking she was just downstairs, or outside, or around the corner. 

We went to the cottage for a week- a planned vacation every year- which turned out to be good timing.  I was busy visiting with the other families, reading, playing with paper and was occupied, thank goodness.

I finally had some time to make the mini envelopes  and I’ve got a few up in my Etsy store now.  I’ll be adding more, I was able to make over 200 envelopes at the cottage.

 

Cutting, folding and gluing the envelopes was surprisingly therapeutic.

The envelopes are available in a variety of colours and patterns, in matching sets of 8, 10 or 12.  I’ll also have some mixed bunches available too.  I’ve used envelope adhesive on the flaps so they can be sealed just like regular envelopes.

I hope all of you are doing well.

Ciao for now,

Technorati Tags: handmade envelopes

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Up cycled mini envelopes!

I decided to try my hand at ‘up cycling’ or recycling…which ever term you prefer to use.

Inspired by a paper shopping bag, I created mini envelopes! I was quite pleased with how they turned out, but my real challenge was making the envelope glue to seal them.

 

Envelope glue is available commercially, but alas, here in Canada, it’s quite hard to find.  A few internet searches resulted in recipes using vinegar and gelatin.  After two batches that were simply not sticky enough, I swapped the vinegar for water as per a new recipe and it worked! A few drops of peppermint extract made it minty fresh and voila!

 

I made some mini note cards out of Kraft paper to go with the envelopes, and scored some horizontal lines in them. I like the simple card and flashy lime-green envelope combo.

 

This set is available in my Etsy store and I’ll be adding some more mini envelope and card sets soon.

I’m working on a few more projects and still trying to get back into a routine.  I’ll be going to Toronto tomorrow night after work to see one of my new favourite bands- Marianas Trench.  Their song “All to myself” caught my attention last year, but I missed their two shows in London.  I finally got to see them perform at the Olympics, and found out they were playing one show in Toronto this week.  I was lucky enough to get a ticket in the 5th row, so I’m pretty stoked about getting some good pictures and practicing my photography skills.  I only wish my photography class started sooner! (another 4 weeks until it starts).

I’ll be sharing pictures once I get back, although not sure they’ll qualify for this week’s You Capture….which is “Quiet” ;)

Happy Wednesday!

Ciao for now,

Technorati Tags: upcycled,mini envelopes,mini cards,A Paper Buffet,Marianas Trench,You Capture

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