customer appreciation week - giveaway #5

I thought there would be no better way to wrap up the Customer Appreciation Week giveaways than with the first product ever added to the found paper co. shop: found paper pack - edition 1. It is filled with 25 pieces of new and vintage paper, including some of my personal favorites. Edition 1 is limited to 12 packs, and I'm down to a handful. If you're interested, get Edition 1 before it sells out and Edition 2 is introduced!

To enter, simply leave a comment. Any comment you want - fun weekend plans, a movie you recommend, favorite shops you want to share, etc. Anything that comes to mind!

Entries will be accepted through Sunday, August 2 at 12noon. Winner will be announced on Monday, August 3.

friday favorites.

It was hard to narrow it down to just four, but I sure wouldn't mind any of these.

1. maryink
2. ouma
3. chromalab
4. SoSheSews

nyc.

My lovely mom (or Mama, as I call her) is coming to visit in a couple of weeks and we are taking a trip to New York for a few days. I started planning our itinerary and have a lot of the standard touristy places done - Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Times Square, and such.


I am hoping to fill the rest our time with some lesser known places - fun stationary or art shops, cute cupcake places, good vintage shops, yummy restaurants... I am hoping some of you might have a few suggestions. In exchange, you will have a chance to win this vintage travel bundle:

Included:
> vintage New England road map (beautiful inside!)
> vintage Aviation booklet with tips on dealing with flying nerves
> 2 vintage San Francisco postcards

To enter, simply leave a comment with:
> favorite spot in New York City (popular or not)
or
> best travel tip
or
> favorite vacation spot

Entries will be accepted through Sunday, August 2 at 12noon. Winner will be announced on Monday, August 3.

customer appreciation week - giveaway #3

Even though I've been out of school for a little while now, I still get excited for this time of the year when the bins fill up with back to school supplies. I always treat myself to a few, because you never know when you might need a new pack of markers or crayons!


Today's giveaway is a collection of school supplies, both new and old. Included:

>teal composition book
>vintage yellow ruler
>2 classic yellow pencils
>mini black composition book
>vintage yellow box of staples
>vintage gold protractor
>pack of vintage letter tabs

To enter, simply leave a comment with your favorite back to school supply. Are you a graph paper junkie? Do you scoop up the pens and pencils? Entries will be accepted through Sunday, August 2 at 12noon. Winner will be announced on Monday, August 3.

affordable treats.

The summer heat (and humidity!) has finally started to kick in out in Connecticut, inspiring sunny yellows and oranges. See anything you want to treat yourself (or a friend) to?

$5 and Under

1. onelatenight
2. TwoPoodlePrints
3. loverlyink
4. EliteElishi


$10 and Under

1. PrettyinPosies
2. lilE
3. shopkim
4. leilaanne


$20 and Under

1. goodbloom
2. PianoBenchDesigns
3. sweetshorn
4. erinjaneshop

my favorites.

Let me start by explaining this post was inspired by a trip to Target last week where I spotted these in the candy isle:It's FaveREDS - only red (and pink) Starbursts! Starbursts are one of my favorite candies (kid candy, as my Mom calls it), but I only really like the red and pink ones. For our first Valentine's Day together, my boyfriend gave me a vase filled with only red and pink Starbursts. I can only imagine how many bags he had to dig through to fill it. If you feel like me, I would suggest you hunt down these special Starbursts right away- watermelon, cherry, fruit punch, and strawberry.

My excitement over the Starbursts reminded me how the smallest things can make your day. A few other favorites that make me incredibly happy:

1. red and pink Starbursts
2. being surprised
3. digging through the ads in the Sunday paper
4. this quilted pouch
5. Sunday morning farmer's market
6. making lists - to do lists, shopping lists, idea lists
7. Regina Spektor
8. jeans / t-shirt / sandals weather
9. this half graph / half lined composition book
10. little "no reason" gifts
11. Blistex Silk & Shine lip balm
12. blog: Vintage Rescue Squad
13. aqua blue and kelly green
14. emmapardos' etsy shop
15. collecting scraps of pretty and interesting paper
16. Balboa Park in San Diego
17. drinking from a mug rather than a glass
18. owls
19. vintage buttons
20. How I Met Your Mother
21. picking up friends and family at the airport
22. pretty packaging
23. lunch at Whole Foods
24. little notebooks for my purse
25. getting up early (especially if it doesn't involve an alarm)
26. vintage maps / globes / atlases
27. these green sneakers
28. morning walks
29. broccoli (yup, I'm serious.)
30. Baggu reusable bags (I have persimmon, but love the new stripes.)
31. flea markets / tag sales / thrift stores
32. graph paper
33. black and white photobooths
34. homemade vanilla milkshakes
35. back to school supply shopping, regardless if I'm in school
36. Airmail envelopes
37. old bottles turned vases
38. plaid, especially red plaid
39. Potato Shack in Encinitas, California
40. the perfect white tee
41. vintage sheet music
42. Tori Amos
43. color combo: gray, yellow, and orange (check back tomorrow!)
44. Seattle, Washington
45. red baker's twine
46. Izze sparkling juice, especially Blackberry
47. birthdays, even if it isn't mine
48. joettamaue's etsy shop
49. stripes
50. sending and receiving mail

I wish I could giveaway one of each on my favorites list. However, I just don't know how to package and mail the perfect weather. Instead I put together a group of my favorites I can mail to one lucky winner.

You will get to experience each of my bolded favorites:

>red and pink Starbursts
>Blistex Silk and Shine lip balm
>3 greeting cards, including one made by me!
>dozen vintage buttons
>little vintage notepad for your purse (with the best graph paper pages!)

To enter, simply leave a comment with one of your favorites - person, place, product, whatever! Entries will be accepted through Sunday, August 2 at 12noon. Winner will be announced on Monday, August 3.

etsy nominee!

I just received an email from Etsy letting me know my 50+ Paged Mixed Paper Journal was nominated for the Back to School Supplies contest this week!


I would be oh so grateful if you took a minute to place your vote! All you have to do is go here, and click on the green button that says "Go Vote!". Thanks so much for the nomination (I think it was from one of my readers!), and for any votes you send my way!!

Update: You should be able to vote by going directly to this link!: http://www.etsy.com/voter_list.php?ref=voter&room_id=61

customer appreciation week - giveaway #1

Vintage flashcards are one of my favorite things to collect, so I thought they would be perfect for the first giveaway of Customer Appreciation Week. I picked through my flashcard collection and chose a set of 18 - all vintage and most not even available in the shop.


Here is a peak at some of my favorites included.


To enter, simply share something you collect. Perhaps you have vintage vase collection, or pick up every aqua green teacup you find. Entries will be accepted through Sunday, August 2 at 12noon. Winner will be announced on Monday, August 3.

customer appreciation week!

I am happy to announce this week is officially Customer Appreciation Week! I thought about putting together something special to celebrate found paper co.'s 100th sale, but it came and went before I had time to organize something. Instead the entire week will be devoted to:

I want to start with the free gift with purchase. All orders $10 and over (before shipping) placed between today and Sunday, August 2 will receive a:

Each pack measures a little over 4"x6", and can be used in scrapbooking, to make handmade cards, or to create your own mixed paper journal. To receive your Mini Paper Pack all you have to do is place your $10+ order. That's it.

new week, new shop - akka design

Happy Monday! I am so excited to introduce you to akkadesign, the next shop in the "new week, new shop" series. Let's get straight to some pictures:


Love it? The creative force behind akka design is Laura, who was born in Northwestern Spain and currently lives in Dublin, Ireland. Her shop is chocked full of textile jewelry created from gorgeous fabrics, ribbons, and yarns. Laura describes her style as "vibrant, colorful, and fun." I think her style suits summer perfectly. For the time being, you will find mostly brooches and hair clips, but Laura assures me you will find a series of necklaces and bracelets coming soon. I can't wait.


After becoming fed up with having to drag out her sewing machine and set up her supplies each time she was in the mood to create, Laura carved out herself a little craft corner in her bedroom. Regardless of its size, it keeps all of her materials in one space and allows her to focus. Because she is dealing with limited space, Laura keeps her supplies tidy and organized - employing plenty of containers and keeping things color coordinated. Here is a glimpse into where her lovely pieces come to be.


I loved her response when I asked her to describe her workspace. She said, "As for the tidiness, I always say that I am tidier with my ideas than with my things." I was a little confused at first because her area looked pretty clean to me! However, she went on to explain she allows herself to take everything out and make a mess while she is in the middle of creating one of her pieces, but cleans up and puts it all way when complete. Good advice I should probably listen to!


Do you love Laura's work, but worried about high international shipping charges? No worries. Laura is offering FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING for a limited time. Don't miss out.

coming next week!

>daily blog giveaway
>all orders put in grand prize giveaway
>free gift with purchase

giveaway winner!

The Random Number Generator always works, but isn't quite as fun as actually picking a name out of a bowl. I wrote down each entry on a piece of paper and picked from a fun pitcher I picked up at a thrift store last weekend.

(Yes, I am wearing more plaid...)

And the winner is...

Congrats, Mandaleighta!! You will be receiving an email shortly. Thanks to everyone who played, and Lisa for offering this gorgeous giveaway! Don't forget to visit whimsyandink if you haven't already!

friday favorites.

Is it possible to have a favorite set of favorites? If so, this would be it! It really is a lovely bunch.

1. Kreativlink
2. tuttistudio
3. 3squares
4. onelifejewelry

giveaway reminder

Enter here. It only takes a quick comment!

affordable treats.

It's already Wednesday again, which means only two more days until the weekend and more affordable treats! Even if you only have 5 bucks (skip your Starbucks drink, bring in leftovers rather than buy lunch...) you can pick up a handmade treat for yourself or a friend.

$5 and Under

1. wildanimus
2. KisforCalligraphy
3. CraftyDad
4. smutopia

$10 and Under

1. simplesongdesigns
2. boygirlparty
3. PomLove
4. theboldbanana


$20 and Under

1. Cabin
2. dalinda
3. smallstump
4. SweetLoveVintage

in search of wall art.

I have quite a few blank walls in my apartment, and think it's time to fill up a few. I always go back and forth because I will be moving in a few months and don't want to put too much time or money into something that's going to be coming back down rather quickly. But, I see no reason to not pick up a few pieces, and maybe get creative and make a few myself.

Here are a few of the contenders that I am considering:

from Ork Posters
(This one reminds me of back home in California!)

from hijirik


from dazeychic
(Make sure to click and zoom to read this one!)

from farouche

from rollandtumblepress

I think I may end up getting one or two prints, and mix them up with some framed vintage maps and personal pictures.

I'd love to hear any opinions on the ones I've chosen so far, or options I haven't see yet! Post any links you might have - either from shops or pictures of your own home if you're willing to share!

new week, new shop - whimsyandink

Sorry for the lack of "friday favorites" last week. I was under the weather, but back up and running after a few nights of going to bed around 8pm. Nothing a little sleep can't fix! You can be assured "friday favorites" will be back this week.

Next up for the "new week, new shop" feature is whimsyandink. Lisa Rios fills whimsyandink with clutches, rings and earrings, and lots of screen printed treasures. She describes her style as fresh, feminine, and eclectic and I compltely agree. What initially drew me to whimsyandink was the use of color - both bold and subtle. The rosette earrings come in a rainbow of shades, and her clutches are made from really fun patterns. The screen printed journals and sacks are black on natural cream and kraft for a vintage feel. Prepare yourself to want to make a purchase or two!


As you can see, Lisa incorporates screen printing in so many of her lovely products. I was thrilled when she offered to show some pictures from this process for crafters out there like me who love the look, but have never tried it themselves. It's a delicate process that involves positioning the screen, applying the ink, and lifting the screen without smudging the image!


Like many, Lisa doesn't have a bright, airy studio with perfect storage and perfect lighting to make her creations. Instead you will find her scattered throughout her Southern Californian apartment - her sewing station taking over her dining, her screen printing and jewelry supplies dominating her living room, and all of the rest stashed in her bedroom closet. Despite not having the ideal studio, Lisa proves you can still have a gorgeous work space. Take a peak into where she creates.


Lovely, isn't it? Now for the best part. Lisa was kind enough to offer one of her screen printed sacks with a beautiful silhouette to one lucky reader. I already purchased one last week to hold a special little present. I love them!


To enter, simply leave a comment on this post. Let Lisa know what you think of her work. Pass on any advice for an up and coming Etsy shop. Share your favorite product from Lisa's shop. Its up to you! Entries will be accepted up until Thursday evening at 9pm EST and announced on Friday.