Custom Christmas card: Beijing style

When our good friends Elise and Doug told us they were traveling to Asia this past spring for a little work and a lot of vacation, we were jealous... and then even more so when they shared a beautiful panoramic photo of rooftops in The Forbidden City to use for their custom Christmas card.

What I love best about how this design turned out is not only the the arrangement of the image, or the play-on-words with "up on a rooftop reindeer pause...," but rather that Myko - their beloved Siberian husky - "signed" the card.  Myko has amazing penmanship.

A nice idea, but not for me.

A few weekends ago, I mentioned that I attended a local craft fair.  Its been brought to my attention that there is confusion as to whether or not I was endorsing the toilet paper hat cover as an item I'd want for myself or possibly already own.

While I don't want to diminish the enthusiastic craftiness of its designer (who is unknown to me), I must point out that NO, I do not own that one, any one or anything decoratively covering extra toilet paper rolls in my home.  Case closed.

Tea and cookies with a side of felty goodness

Image source: Jar of Wonder

 

It's the little things that make us happy around here...like felt food.

I was introduced to Jar of Wonder by a good friend a few weeks ago and bought this cookie and tea set. I think it was the sweet little tea bags that sent me over the edge and helped me decide that it was a perfect holiday gift for Wavey. She's still talks about her tea party from several months ago and is already discussing when we're going to host the "boy tea party," because we've already had the "girl tea party." Sheesh!

Get your craft on: Stenciling with freezer paper

Image: How About Orange

How About Orange posted a great tutorial on stenciling with freezer paper which I'm now wanting to try. 

I usually avoid the craft store aisle full of naked little canvas bags that scream, "you know you want to embellish me!"  They often haunt me because the last thing I want to do is go down some crazy Bedazzler path.  Stud and rhinestone setting?  No, thank you.  But stenciling with freezer paper?  I just may be able to handle that.

Speaking of crafts, I'll end this week with this sign Wav made to "remind" her brother that no, he may not touch her arts and crafts box (that's a drawing of Griff on the left, so in case he can't read "no," he can easily identify his face):

Holiday baking ideas

In the grand spirit of pretending to be on top of things when it comes to my own personal planning, it is my mission this weekend to start thinking of the numero uno: holiday baked goods.  Because nothing says, "I've thoroughly enjoyed the holidays" like moving up a pants size in my book. 

On the consideration list:

  
Pie in a jar recipe from lloydandlauren.com.  I mean, come on.  Pie?  in a jar?  Packaging kittens in a jar would probably be the only thing capable of surpassing this idea's cuteness.

Black and white biscotti from King Arthur Flour.

Cheesecake pops from Bakerella.

Decisions, decisions...

Images from top: lloydandlauren, King Arthur Flour, Bakerella

Making a list and checking it twice

Whether you buy from Good Gravy! or anywhere else, December 5 is a pretty decent all-around deadline for ordering holiday corresepondence.

Meanwhile, I've been referencing Real Simple's handy holiday checklist to stay ahead before I get behind.  Can you believe that the holidays are just about here?!

Craft fair finds

It's that time of year where the crafty get out and the inspired like me start stocking up for the holidays.  

I admire craft vendors who brave the early morning hours to set-up and greet the hoardes that descend upon them.  Good Gravy! has participated in a few craft fairs and let me tell you: it's not for the weak.  So this year, it was great to be on the other side of the tables cruising through fun finds and meeting great people.

As of fan of stationery and paper goods, I was really excited to see items from The Paper Stork live and in-person at a recent craft fair.  Jessica, the designer, artfully handcrafts paper and layers them together for a one-of-a-kind collage.  I encourage you to check out her designs which are perfect for children's rooms and nurseries.

Speaking of paper goods, I had to take a photo of something I stumbed across at another vendor's table: a little hat for - what else? - your spare toilet paper.  Cracked me right up. 

And while it would have made a really great Yankee Swap gift, I held onto my cash and moved along.

He knows if you've been bad or good...

Let's face it: Santa has a real knack for making his handwriting look just like yours. 

Give the big guy a break this year (and hedge off any authenticity questions) with these personalized scalloped gift labels imprinted with the gift recipient's name and Santa's, too. 

Thanks to Jessica for the great idea!

Now I know my ABCs

One of our recent additions to the shop is a flat note card design called ABC.  Subtle and kind of quirky, this design has a vintage typewriter feel to it using slate inks on a sparkling ivory cardstock.

Wisdom from mom

Included in the pack of vintage greeting cards we picked up last weekend was a funny little birthday card. What I found funny about this card was not the exterior design or printed sentiment inside, but the note the written by the recipient's mother:

"Just a line with love and best wishes for your birthday. I didn't get out to get you anything so am enclosing one dollar. Perhaps you can get a pair of stockings with it. An extra pair usually comes in handy..."

Holiday tip: Buy your stamps now!

I hate waiting in long lines, especially those at the post office where time somehow rolls backwards.  So, here's a tip to get a jumpstart on your holiday planning: buy your postage stamps now (and online!) to avoid the holiday rush.  Your sanity will thank you.

Vintage child's birthday card

Near our house is a hole-in-the-wall antique store (a description that is nothing short of accurate).  Among the smokiness and the clutter inside is a treasure trove of neat little knick-knacks and other cool finds.  Last weekend, I came across a pack of stationery and greeting cards presumably having all belonged to the same recipient, a mother who kept her correspondence saved together for years and years. 


Among them were birthday cards from 1920s, 30s and 40s, including cards she may have held onto to give with her own gifts...like the one featured above.  Maybe it's because our Gravy Kid Wavey is also four, but I found this card to be really interesting.  For its time, the card is very intricate with die cutting, multiple colors, shimmery paper, and even a little cut out for a peek-a-boo cat inside:

More photos of my vintage treasure to come.

New items debut!

We're pleased to debut new items in the shop today, including holiday cards, address labels, and more!


It is also with great pleasure to welcome several designs from artist Julia Mann of Houston, Texas.  Her unique style is a perfect fit in the Good Gravy family of stationery and her images can be found in both our flat note cards and holiday sections.

Happy Halloween!

All we wanted was a nice little smiling group photo of the Gravy Kids together in their Halloween costumes as a fearless pirate and The Little Mermaid.  No problem, right?  Not so much.  Here's how it went down:

Okay, this is off to a great start...

Not sure what's going on here, but no one is looking at the camera...

Major meltdown in progress...

And now complete apathy has set in...

Hope your Halloween is fun and safe.  Be sure to check back on Monday to see the new items in our shop, including holiday cards and gifts!

Happy birthday...to us!

Okay, so maybe our first birthday was officially in September...but who's counting?  Clearly, not us.  We've been so very busy creating new and exciting products for the shop which is set to debut...ready?...ready?  ON MONDAY!  We're talking holiday cards, address labels, new note card designs, guest artists and more! 

We'd like to take a moment to express our sincerest gratitude to our loyal clients, friends and family whose extreme support, feedback and love we couldn't function without.  And a special shout-out goes out to our mail carrier who through sun, rain, sleet and snow has graciously hiked up our brutally long driveway (especially in the winter!) exclusively to pick-up package after package as we've sent the gravy goodness nationwide. 

xoxo!

Get your craft on: Ornament wreath

Image source: CB2

The holidays are almost here and our friends at CB2 (the ever-so-hip side of Crate and Barrel) recently published this tutorial for a DIY holiday wreath.

Since we love a good crafty project every now and then, we thought we'd pass along the idea.  Check it out!

Cotton candy monogram birth announcement

Welcome, Molly!  We designed this birth announcement with classic cotton candy and chocolate inks and topped it off with a scripty monogram. 

Personal information has been modified for privacy.

Red and black and cute all over

It doesn't get much cuter than this for a little girl's first birthday party.  And we really enjoyed designing this invitation suite complete with front and back envelope labels that really dress up the theme. 

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Princess tea party

Since we're in the celebration business, we recently had a party of our own...a princess tea party! And we laughed when around the same time as planning our own event, we received a request for a tea party invitation from another client (see below). 'Tis the season, perhaps? We'll share Waverly's invitation soon.

Our gravy kids were just delighted when Sleeping Beauty from Little Miss Princess Parties dropped in for a visit to play games, tell stories and just have some princess fun. Surprisingly, Griffin was all over Sleeping Beauty, so maybe he has an affinity for blondes?

Sneak peek: Personalized holiday gift tags

Coming soon are our new personalized gift tags, perfect for packaging your homemade holiday treats.

By the way, we are SO ready to bust open this jar of homemade peach pie filling. Yum!

Every doll deserves a tea party

What a delightful way to celebrate two birthdays by hosting a joint tea party! We love the way this invitation came together with the petal pink script paired with the fine lines of the graphite text.

Happy birthday, Caroline and Grace!


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The apple of their eyes

What child isn't the apple of their parents' eyes? We were pleased to design this green apple-themed baby shower invitation for a lovely couple in Houston, Texas, in anticipation of the arrival of their son.

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Sneak peek: custom address labels

One of the newest items we're gearing up to offer are these delightful little address labels which pair perfectly with our note cards. Feel free to contact us today to order these scalloped cuties now, or keep your eyes out for the complete new line coming to the online shop very soon.

No amount of wet wipes could stop them

As we gear up to present some new and exciting designs in the shop (so very soon!!), we photographed a few items with props, such as the lollies you see here. Once done with the shoot, we thought nothing would be better than to let to Gravy Kids have at 'em.

Bring the bling

We consider these the Bentley of wedding invitations, complete with rhinestone buckles to make a statement like none other. Contact us today to discuss these and other custom wedding designs to set the tone of your day.

Wedding invitation: Tara and William

A classic cream and navy monogram design highlights the elegant simplicity of Tara and William's quiet New England wedding.

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Now I know my ABCs...

We wish we could remember where we saw the inspiration for this design (darn your vastness, world wide web!) but we couldn't resist making a similar ABC name display for Waverly, one of our Gravy Kids.




We've been asked a few times where we picked up the artwork you see to the right of ABC frame. They are pages from a book Wavey tore apart when she was younger but we still loved dearly, so with a few inexpensive mats and frames, voila! Instant art.

Sugar and spice and everything nice!

Welcome, babies Francesca and Grace. Francesca's parents loved Persian blue mixed with dusty rose, while Grace's family preferred meadow green and bright pink. We also had the privilege to photograph Grace for her announcement (any excuse to visit a newborn is a great excuse).

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One busy summer

Its sure been a while since we've updated. But that's not to say that it's been a quiet summer. In fact, its been quite busy! Between shower invitations, birth announcements, birthday invitations and complete wedding design suites, we've been having a great time offering custom design.

Here are a few items we've been working on:

Baby boy birth announcement




Casino/Vegas-themed birthday invitation





Neutral baby shower invitation


But wait, there's more! Check back soon to see additional birth announcements, invitations and wedding designs.

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Shower favors... how sweet it is!

What's sweeter than bar of chocolate? One that's customized! These chocolate bar wrappers were created to wrap favors for a wedding shower and a baby shower, both personalized with 'facts' of the guests of honor.

Spidey invitation

Matted to a shimmery red cardstock, this Spiderman-esque invitation and matching thank you card had a four-year-old client beaming with excitement.

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Knick knack paddy whack

We went to town with a complete party set for Kaeden, a sweet little boy who turns one next month. The 'come, sit, stay'-themed party invitation pairs with matching thank you flat note cards, round address labels and - our favorite - a 'chow' party favor bag.

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