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1,000 Cards milestone

Last weekend at Crafternoon Tea, The Little Card Factory hit a bit of a milestone, selling the 1000th card for 2012!  This is very exciting, and I am so grateful for all the support that has come my way over the past year.

To celebrate, we are going to have a little giveaway, (you may have seen this on Facebook earlier, but we are moving it to the blog now.)  All you have to do is comment below with a phrase or message you would like to see on a card.  The winner will have that card made, plus 5 other cards of your choice.  Packed up and posted to your door.  If you have already entered on Facebook, then your entry will still be counted.

Entries will be closed on Friday evening, so have a little think about it.... xx

Back to the classroom...

Last month, a lovely couple who I have come to be friends with through Crafternoon Tea, opened a cute little shop in Kingsland;  Love Vintage & Retro.  I popped in to say hello and see what treasures I could find, and one particular item took me right back to my childhood....

When I was younger, my brother and I both had one of these.  And just like this one, it was covered in stickers and pen marks.  We used to keep all our colouring books inside and sit at our little chairs colouring in and writing stories.  From talking to others about my find, it would seem a lot of my friends had these as their school desks. LUCKY!!  We were on to big open tables when I started school, and books were kept in drawers.  BORING!!  So I am glad that my mum had two for my brother and me at home.  


Anyway, needless to say, I ran home to pick up the car and bought the desk.  Daniel(you will find him at Love Vinatge & Retro from Wednesday - Saturday) and I spoke about turning it to in a card display for my market table and I couldn't wait to get started.  I loved all the scratches and dents it has gained over the years, but I did want to get rid of the stickers.  So with a bit of elbow grease and a metal brush, off came the stickers (and the legs!!)

All it needed now was a coat of matte varnish for protection and I would be ready to turn it in to a card holder.

I envisioned the cards being stacked in the desk, allowing customers to flick through and select the ones that caught their eye, and wanted a few pegged on the lid just as a fun way to display them.  So off I went to Mitre10 to find some doweling.  It was cut (wedged!) in to place and here we go...

And now, filled with cards with a little extra decoration to brighten it up, I have a beautiful childhood desk converted in to a card display.

One year on....

After umming and arring about whether to share this or whether to hide it in a box where it would never be seen again, I have decided to share it...on 18 March 2011 I played around a produced what was going to be the start of The Little Card Factory, here it is....

It didn't even have an envelope, so goodness knows what I was hoping would come of it!!   These are the 'tiles' that I originally produced to use as blocks to create a 3D effect.  I decided to experiment and add letters to the tiles, and do you know what, I was so chuffed with this card!! So chuffed in fact, that I decided to make some more.  Apologies for the photo; at the time of taking it I didn't realise that a year later I would have my own business making cards!! You get the idea though!

So that is how it all started!  Luckily, I quickly developed the tiles so they were all the same size and straightened them out a bit!!

Now, one year on, I am proud to have a growing collection of designs and some very happy customers!  This year has been fantastic, and I am so lucky to be part of such a happy arty crafty community.  So thank you to all of you that have helped me this year!  

As a special Thank You to everyone for their support, I am offering 40% off all cards on Etsy until the end of March.  Just enter Coupon Code TLCF1BIRTHDAY at the checkout to receive your discount.  xx

An extra special market..

Next Saturday 17 March is St Patrick's day, not only that but it also The Kingsland Festival, so what better way to celebrate and be part of it than bring two great markets together to join forces!  From 2-7 Crafternoon Tea AND Love Vintage & Retro will be teaming up to bring you a fantastic collection of arty crafty goodness from around Auckland.  Be sure to come and check it out.  

The Little Card Factory will be there with a growing collection of handmade cards, so come and say hello.  I leave you with this new, and very appropriate card for the summer we have had.  xx 

Taking a little break from cards

I have to say, the rubbish weather over Christmas was quite a blessing for me, as it gave me a lot of rainy days to make cards and increase my stock levels for the start of the 2012 markets.
  
Having lots of cards ready and waiting has given me the chance to enjoy a bit of painting.  I haven`t picked up a paintbrush for 3 years and had a craving to throw some paint around.


We have a blue signature wall in our kitchen that is in desperate need of some colour, and so on Saturday morning, I woke up early and got painting...and boy did I enjoy it.  

So that brightens up our kitchen a little!  My university work was always very abstract and I very rarely worked with colour so I really enjoyed creating something so vibrant yet simple.


So that's a little side of me that I haven't explored recently, but as I found it so therapeutic, I may well make a habit of it... xx


PS.  A busy weekend ahead for The Little Card Factory, on Friday evening, you will find me at The Silo Park Markets, followed by Saturday morning at the newest market to hit Auckland, The Titirangi Handmade Market.  And don't forget, you have 2 more days left to get FREE SHIPPING on your Valentines card orders.  

Is everyone enjoying the summer?

I sure am...better late than ever as they say!  This weekend The Little Card Factory is back in action with the first market of 2012.  Come down to the Wynyard Quarter for the Silo Park Market on Saturday 28th January from 12-5pm.  Not only will there be some beautiful arty crafty goodies from Auckland's finest, but also some bands to keep you entertained, and a beer garden too.  Throw that all in to a mixing bowl with a large helping of sunshine and I think you've got yourselves a pretty good Saturday afternoon!!  Valentines cards will be on sale, for only $5...and for those of you that can't make the markets, I am offering FREE shipping on all Valentines orders across New Zealand available from my Etsy shop.

See you all on Saturday xx