BlogHer Sponsor Love: Elephoto

Still searching for the perfect Father's Day gift? Elephoto has you covered!!

Everything from canvas wraps to capture that perfect fishing trip to photo books to remember when he first became a dad, you will find it at Elephoto...and there's still time to order and get everything squared away for Father's Day!

I particularly love the personalized greeting cards...and think that my Hubs would be a ball of mush if he received a whole set of cards with pictures of him and our son from day one right up until present {the little guy turns 2 on Father's Day weekend...not sure I can top that gift for my husband!}

Check out all that Elephoto has in store to make this Father's Day extra special!

Local Love Monday: A Paper Buffet

I am so incredibly excited to feature this Etsy shop today!!

I have had the pleasure of meeting Stephanie, walking the aisles of Angelo's and trying to find an elusive slice of pie or two. I've had the pleasure of sitting with her over coffee and chatting about Etsy, what makes us tick as artists and keep up to date with her {while only living about 8minutes away from one another} on twitter.

Now...I get to share that with you!

What will you find at A Paper Buffet? Only the finest paper creations, from beautiful handmade greeting cards to gorgeous bookmarks, tags, boxes and even nostalgic memory games for kids!

{Green Damask paper flower bookmark}


{handmade Mother's Day cards}

Seriously beautiful, right?! What I love about Stephanie is that she sources alot of her papers locally. There's a few great shops in town that she scouts paper at and then turns it into the most gorgeous cards and creations that I have seen in a very long time!

Catch up with Stephanie and A Paper Buffet on Etsy, Twitter and Facebook!

Wow-Me Wednesday: Custom Wedding Card

A couple of weeks ago, Heather from Forrat's Chocolate's {Richmond Row} asked if I could create a custom wedding card using the colours royal blue and cranberry.

Here's what I whipped up!



I used bronze brads in the corners to give it a bit of a vintage flair



And frayed the edges of the papers with a dull cutting blade

I hope it WOW's you! It's simple, but shabby-chic and was perfect for what Heather needed it for!

link up your WOW-Me project with Ginger Snap Crafts!

Whimsical Wednesday: Cup of Tea Photo Cards, Guest Post!

Good morning everyone!

Well...my YouTube video for yesterday was going to take 371minutes to upload...and then I had to get all of the supplies, ingredients, boxes and supports for the 3tier cake that I'm creating for this weekend's formal.

Busy busy!

So! Today, I've invited Andrea from Cup of Tea Photo Cards to write a guest column. She has some fabulous new products listed on Etsy, and I would be pleased if you'd check them out (and order!! The invitations are simply spectacular!)

~

I have been working hard on creating special custom wedding invitations and have been dreaming an extra special way of highlighting my designs. Wedding invitations are a special hybrid product I've been working on!

I took my digital wedding invitation designs and paired them with handmade pocket fold cards. The pocket fold cards are made out of acid free cardstock, which ensures that the high quality digital prints will be unharmed!

Some of the invites I used a nice shimmer cardstock, and lined it with a coordinating patterned paper for a little flair. Others, I used shiny cardstock and created a pocket fold to perfectly pair with the invitation. Wedding invitations can be made with a ribbon closure, embellishment closure, or both!

Each invitation comes with matching RSVP cards and standard A5 and A7 envelopes.

Use coupon code SPRINGSPECIAL to get 10% off your next purchase on anything from my Etsy shop!

~ Cup of Tea Photo Cards

You can check out the brand spankin' new Cup of Tea Photo Cards blog here, and her Esty shop as well!

MOMpreneur Monday: Andrea Jackson

Good morning! I hope that it is warm where you are! We are being faced with -20 Celsius right now, with blowing snow, gusting cold winds and ridiculous windchills....and all of that spells FLU SEASON! What started out as my husband having the stomach flu, has morphed into a sinus cold for him, a runny nose and scream-filled 7month old, and a not-so-hot feeling Mommy!

Anyhow! Without further adieu...here is your MOMpreneur for the week: Andrea Jackson!

What do you do?

I am a stay at home mom of 2 very active boys ages 5 and 1, the president of my local chapter of MOMsclub, and a MOMpreneur who is launching my dream come true - Dreamer Creations and Baby Laughs by Dreamer Creations. I offer completely custom works of art in the form of Diaper Cakes, Greeting Cards, Party Favours, Invites & Thank-Yous, Wall Art, Photographic Prints and more.Plus I create designs for products sold on Cafepress and Zazzle (in my spare time).

Why do you love it?

I have always been an artist of some form or another. My art has transformed over the years and the current theme revolves around things to do with my kids. Being a busy full time mom, and also active in my community, with a husband who works MANY hours, I quickly found I needed an outlet. So late at night, on the weekends, or during nap time, I squeeze in a few minutes (or if I'm lucky, hours) of ME time and let the creative juices flow. I love making something unique and different, beautiful and fun. I try to offer a little something for everyone, and offer custom work to anyone interested.

What advice do you have for other MOMpreneurs?

Being a MOM is hard enough, but trying to balance family life while running your own business? That takes super powers! It's not for everyone, but for those willing to try it, I say give it all you've got. Some of the most amazing products in the world have come from MOMpreneurs! Even if you think you might not have what it takes to go big, do it anyway. There's always someone out there looking for what you have to offer. And you'll never know just how brilliantly successful you can be if you don't try!

You can find Andrea and her wonderful creations on Facebook, Etsy (here and here), Cafepress (here and here), Zazzle and on her website!

And here's a sweet little button for your website, blog and fanpage, Andrea! Congratulations on being a Marvelous MOMpreneur!

Have a lovely day!