Brooklyn wins the week...

This past week was a big one for Brooklyn and myself. I spent quite a bit of time in Brooklyns that I have not been to before, visiting friends and learning new things.

Thursday, I went to a workshop at Etsy Labs, in DUMBO. Speaking, was my favorite crafter, Becky Johnson of Sweetie Pie Press. The workshop was all about how to build a successful indie craft business. I am in no way ready or even really considering doing anything like this, but I am always inspired after reading the Sweetie Pie Press blog, http://sweetiepiepress.blogspot.com/ and thought I might find even more inspiration from the evening's events. After 15 minutes of awkwardly standing around the refreshment table and realizing that I was the only one there without an Etsy shop of my own, and that everyone knew it, I learned a lot of interesting business strategies that may come in handy one day. The most important thing I took away from the evening, however, was Ms. Johnson's unique and refreshing opinions on success and failure and the value of each.

Hopefully I will find further inspiration from the workshop soon. In the meantime I have made 0 cards this week, and though I spent a lot of time thinking about what I would like to do, I spent very little time actually doing anything.

While I have been not working on new cards and getting motion sickness in the back of cabs all over Brooklyn, I have been listening to exciting new music. In One Wind are an amazing band releasing an album on the label Primary Records real soon. If you have not heard them you should go here http://inonewindmusic.bandcamp.com/ and listen immediately. These songs are quickly working their way up to most played on my ipod and everyone should hear them. Thank you to Oren and Michelle for introducing me to the album.

Because a trend seems to be developing, I have decided to establish a, likely not regular, regular segment of the blog called "small things made of paper time".

This week in "small things made of paper time", I got another surprise in the mail!

Thank you to my longtime friend and neighbor, Bonnie, for sending me this letter with my favorite color combination of yellow and blue paper. It was such a surprise to open this letter and be met with tiny blue triangles running off the page. I am working on something as equally unexpected, or at least as creative, to send in response.

Finally, for west coast friends, (and east coast and midwest friends with the means to travel long distances), I encourage you all to go to the first screening of Film Knight at Visual Aid in San Francisco on Wednesday, June 29. Film Knight is a screening series that explores the themes in cult and classic films through art, music, and presenters, all to benefit the San Francisco based non-profit arts organization, Visual Aid. I know that I would go if I could teleport or if I had a private jet or hot air balloon. If you are challenged by time and space like me, and find yourself unable to attend the screening you should probably still "like" the Facebook page. It's a great page, I know I "like" it. Go here http://on.fb.me/mhLOoH to find out more and to "like" the page yourself.

With all of these inspiring things to fill my weeks, I am sure to have new cards to show you next time.

Like a Monet...

Today is my nephew's birthday and this card is still sitting on my bookshelf. Also, it is a little bit on the "really hand-made" side. So I fail on multiple accounts. I'm not even sure why I am letting you see it. Maybe because his sister's card appeared on the blog and I am trying to be fair. Also I just read an article about the importance of critique and being humbled. It builds character apparently.

From certain angles and in ambient lighting I sometimes like this card a lot. In situations like this one, when the pieces of foil paper are shiny and reflective:

Sometimes I will look at it from the corner of my eye from across the room and think it looks fantastic and I will be really impressed with my use of colored pencils, rivaling those of a small child. However, up close, as you see at the top of the post, this is a big ole' mess.

I have two July birthdays that I really need to get working on so that something like this does not happen again. I also want to start thinking of ideas for cards that are not birthday and not for people who I know. I want to make cards for strangers. And I want said strangers to be impressed with the cards I have made for them. As you can see I have my work cut out for me.

In more inspiring goings on, last week I received the world's teeniest letter in the mail.

That is a regular legal size envelope above the envelope that was found inside. Just look, so tiny! As you know I love small things made of paper and I love cards and correspondence in the mail. So you can imagine my joy at finding this little gem.

I did have some trouble reading the note inside, but I think it might be from a pixie, maybe a squirrel or a gnome...

Thank you to Rhiannon for making sure it got to me.

Weekend Things

I just sent this little gem to my favorite little gem, Izzie. Thursday, June 16, my niece Izabella will be 7 years old. This is very exciting as 7 is my favorite number.

Izzie's a big Tinkerbell fan and I am a big fan of silhouettes. Hopefully all parties will be happy with this birthday card.

Ever since I learned to make my own envelope liners at work, (thank you Alwyn) I just can't be stopped.

This week, I want to start working on more ideas for cards that perhaps the general public, and not 7 year old's exclusively, might find interesting.

In other news, this weekend was the Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn. While I missed my favorite makers, Sweetie Pie Press and Misanthrope Specialty co., I did find a few interesting things.

This is the work of Andrew Zangerle, in my opinion, the highlight of the entire fair, and it is my favorite purchase of the day I think. Ah Billy Joel.

Best Foot Forward

To date, this is my best. Last July, I made this for my dear friend Rhiannon's birthday. An aspiring shop owner and creative type, she lives in San Francisco. That is San Francisco and the ever-present fog in the background. The glittery glob to the right is the pyramid building. This Summer, I will be a busy girl alright, as I attempt to outdo last year's creation. I have some thoughts....I think.

Tree-pit Trolls

Thursday, on my way to work, I passed this note pinned to a tree. It reads: "To whoever left a birthday card for me yesterday -in the treepit- Thank you! Please tell me who you are?" There is nothing I don't love about this. What a lovely idea! Everyone should have a birthday card delivered to the tree-pit outside of their residence. In addition to my amusement at the writer's clever combination of an imperative and interrogative sentence, I love thinking about who this mysterious birthday celebrant may be. The possibilities are endless. Perhaps it was the Travelocity Garden Gnome, some sort of tree-pit troll, Ernie the Keebler Elf, Christa from Fern Gully, maybe even a talented and observant squirrel. We may never know.

This mysterious act of kindness and celebration is intriguing to me for several reasons. First I love greeting cards. I love mailing them, receiving them, collecting them, and making them. I have a growing collection of vintage greeting cards and I make my own as well. In general, small things made of paper are just my favorite.

Second, celebrating people's lives is something that I think there could be more of in this world. The surprise and discovery of finding an unsigned birthday card in a tree is something I think everyone should experience. We all want everyone to know its our special day. We want to know people care and are thinking about us. Having an unidentified person, taking no credit for celebrating you is something really special.

I have been wondering a lot lately about featuring some of the cards I have made and some of the ones I have found on a blog for quite a while now. I have had mixed feelings about the potential for the internet masses to see some of the things I have done. Coming across this thank you note in an unusual spot, in the middle of the work week on an uneventful and miserably warm New York City morning, however, has provided me with the inspiration to go ahead and share my passion and brave the unknown results of letting the world see things I have made.

Making cards is my favorite thing to do. As cringe-worthy as this sentiment is about to be, the truth is that I really like putting my limited creativity and skill into crafting little gems to bestow upon friends and family. I want to make people smile for a minute or two. I also wouldn't mind it if they were to think things like "gee-whiz, that Alicia is handy with the scraps of paper and glue stick".

Greeting cards add a little bit of specialness to the world. I think we all need to stumble across a random birthday card every now and then and celebrate a little bit more.

So here is my contribution to celebration.