Cartolina at Cardstore

Here's something brand new for Cartolina this week. I've put together a little collection of pretty holiday cards for cardstore.com. As card sending habits change we think it's important to participate in all the new ways to send greetings. Cardstore is an online, print-on-demand stationery store - you can pick out a card, have them write your message and even send it for you. We chose to partner with Cardstore on this new venture because we recognize lots of our talented, stationery designer friends there and we're happy to hang with the cool crowd! I'm sure we'll have a few other dips into this new style of card sending. Take a look when you have a few minutes - you might find something that you like!

Shhhh, we've got a secret!

Sign up! Sign up!

We have some super exciting tricks up our sleeve for the next month - we can't wait to reveal all. Why don't you add yourself to our mailing list to be one of the first people to find out just what we've got going on :-) I've put a little sign up box in the top left corner of this blog - I'd love it if you would leave your email address there and watch for the news in a couple of weeks. If you've signed up before you'll get a little message - that means you're still on our mailing list. Thanks! Can't wait to spill the beans!

Gallant and Jones

I don't know about you but I love getting a deal at end of season sales. The lovely girls over at Gallant and Jones Handmade Furniture, from Vancouver BC, have an End of Year Sale which is really worth checking out. There is at least 25% off everything so they can make room for next years fabric stock. Prices start at $70. I love their wares - handmade outdoor furniture and accessories - and the fabrics are to die for! Take a look at their Etsy site.

Remember these? I featured them here a few weeks ago. Well guess where I finally found them? At Swan and Shears - of course! I think that these would make such a pretty and interesting gift for the vintage loving friend who has everything! For $5.99 - you can't go wrong.

Etsy seller, Sunny Buttons, has some very unusual vintage buttons for sale - check them out. Maybe you can find a fun project for them.

Random Loveliness for a Monday morning!

Pretty lamp shade from Anthropologie!

Inspiration

Here's something to kick start your Monday morning. How about some inspiration in the form of vintage Puffin Book illustrations by Grace Gabler. These are real stone lithographs from about 1945 - I wish they still litho'd kids books!

You'll probably think I'm crazy but I bought this cool, rusty, sculptural item in a great new shop in Spokane WA on Saturday. The store is called Artemis and I know you would all love it - brilliant vintage stuff beautifully merchandised by a very talented gal. Anyway, it's an old street sign without the pole. I had to have it as soon as I saw it. I just haven't figured out what I'm going to do with it yet. It's actually in the middle of my dining room table at the moment and, believe it or not, it looks great with our rustic decor. The colour of the turquoise enamel is great isn't it? It actually has a decorative finial on the top and consists of 2 signs, one on top of the other, just as it would be on a street corner!

Harlequin

These kind of pictures make me want to rip everything out of my house and bring in the brights - hot pink, bright yellow and outrageous patterns. I really shouldn't be looking at these images at all - I should be nesting - getting cozy for the winter - right?

Gorgeous textiles and wallpaper from Harlequin - don't go there, it will make you wish for spring!

New at Dwell Studio

Love these new arrivals at Dwell Studio. Fantastic oversized prints - really eye catching designs.

Haircut anyone?

Great barbershop sign from Tod Donobedian via 1st Dibs. Brilliant 3d lettering reference.

Thanks

I've been feeling kind of reflective over the last few days. We have been very busy - Doug and I are both working on really big (separate) projects and we are putting in long hours in the studio. But this weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving so I'm going to take a few days off, go and see my folks and relax. I'd just like to say thank you for all your comments in the last couple of weeks - the feedback on the new product has been very generous and kind and I am very grateful for your feedback.

I'd also like to share a little something with you that made me very proud this week. Cartolina was chosen as one of the top 10 small businesses in BC in 2011 by the government's Small Business Round Table - who report to the Federal government on the state of small business in BC every year. An annual report is produced and 10 businesses are picked. I still can hardly believe that, out of the thousands of businesses that they considered for the top 10, Cartolina was chosen. We work hard and we stay focused and we love what we do - I feel very lucky.

Fall in the Kootenays!

Random loveliness.

This wonderful, one of a kind piece of painted ephemera comes from here - where you will find as little information about it as I did. But we can still enjoy it.

Prints Charming at Purl Soho

These 2 stitched beauties come to you via Purl Soho! These pieces are part of a workshop next week held by Cath and Kristen from Prints Charming - sound like fun?

Post Office posters

Three great PO posters by Tom Eckersley - around 1940. Fantastically eye catching and effective - luv em.

Cartolina Holiday 2011

Christmas has been in full swing here at Cartolina for at least the last month. We start shipping holiday cards in August usually and, in some cases, earlier - Selfridges in the UK opens their Christmas shop in mid July! Believe it or not, these cards were designed and in the catalogue in January! But I've kept them pretty much under wraps - until today. So here is our holiday 2011 collection - for your eyes only ;-)