Halloween Goodies

It's that time of year again, when we welcome the freaky characters and everything black and orange. Fairview Place has brought back the scary movie greeting cards and added Halloween themed Paper Parcels. For a limited time you can get the 30+ vintage paper packs at Kitsch for $7.50 each...make your own greeting cards, collage some scary artwork or just admire the old ephemera!

Monday Musebles: Cleaning and Organizing

Some people (ahem...Mike...) might say I'm rather messy. I personally wouldn't consider it messy, maybe just a little cluttered. Or maybe an organized mess (does that fit into the same category as a functional alcoholic?). Anyway, I've been waiting a while to get all my craft stuff organized. I had to find the right furniture, then sell my desk and buffet table - both of which sold on Craigslist in less than three weeks!

I found these new storage pieces at Garden Ridge in Chesapeake. Unfortunately they were too short for my existing bins so I had to buy all new ones. Wasn't too upset though, it gave me a chance to go through all my supplies and purge a little. I have space for all my felt food packaging in one place, along with organizing all my packaging and shipping labels. Guess that means Fairview Place (via Etsy) is open for business again!

This plant stand I bought when I first moved here at an antique store out on Granby Street. I had actually left the store and drove halfway home, only to turn around and go back and get this! It was $14! I used it for all my shoes (with canvas bins), but now use it for my buttons and packaging station.

Mike's dresser is still in need of its makeover. I had this in mind, but since almost everything in our house has some sort of distressed look to it, I'm thinking about going NORMAL. Maybe this or this. I'm using this piece for all my paper/sticker/stationery/paper parcels materials and for the finished products.

I also got the pillows (#86) made for the guest bed, I have to say I'm pretty obsessed
with the patterns (even if Mike thinks the blue pillow is actually Batman material)

I typically don't use a lot of ribbon, but this year I plan on making a whole slew of the holly-day brooches. This ribbon (plus what I have in storage) will come in handy then and so will this dispenser made from a wine rack and dial rods. I'm feeling pretty satisfied that I can finally cross off #64: Clean and #43: Organize.

I'm participating in the 92 Days of Summer challenge. To learn more about it, click here.

Cork Stamps

Imagine this... A Martha Stewart project comes out NOTHING like it is supposed to be. That's the case with this adorable cork stamp DIY project she has on her site. Last night I had planned for a night of cork stamping, wine and lots of new cards for Saturday's Town Fair. After messing around with the corks for an hour, experimenting with ink pads, acrylic paint and cutting shapes into the corks I ended up with 5 printed tags and cards. The ink absorbed into the cork so the shapes were barely visible. Paint was definitely the wa to go, but you have to be careful to not use too much, and blot it a few times before stamping on your card. I don't have a variety of paint colors either, so my idea for the little fruits and veggie shapes went out the window.

This might be a project I'll take another stab at in the future. Or maybe not. Regardless, #3 is off the list!

I'm participating in the 92 Days of Summer challenge. Read about it here.

I Spy...

Fairview Place cards at With Lavender & Lace...? That's right! The adorable vintage clothing (and local's favorite) shop is carrying Fairview Place greeting cards and tags. I stopped in to drop off some lace I received and saw my cards, they look like they're fitting well and liking their new home. Don't let them get too comfy though!

Recipe Cards Made into Gift Tags

I picked up a box of these 1970s recipe cards at an estate sale a month back. I sold a few of them as the plain recipe cards at Better Block, but knew that wasn't going to cut it going forward. The photos are great and the recipes themselves are hilarious, so I wanted to save as much of the card as I could. 

After many attempts I decided to add a little "to" and "from" tag, along with another contrasting tag for a little note (and of course my logo). They will be selling for $1 each and you'll find them online and at next month's Town Fair.

Funky Cards for Everyone!

I have to admit, I'm kinda obsessed with these wedding and shower cards. Earlier in the Spring I was thinking how I wanted to do some really funky brides or "will you be my bridesmaid" cards, but wasn't sure where I was going to get my hands on the artwork. I bought a huge Butterick pattern book at an Estate Sale for $1 and lone behold, illustrations of funky brides! The paper and tatted flowers came from Michaels.

More illustrations from the pattern book made the sweet cards on the left and a book titled "The Wonderful Era of the Great Dance Bands" prompted a series of big band advertisement cards (the book is huge, so the series will be ever-lasting).

Lastly, I created mini cards. The paper bag and blue are my favorites (there are also white and purple :), it makes the artwork more prevalent. I was also able to use a lot of scraps I had already cut for these cards (I love when that happens). If you see something you like, better head over to the Town Fair tomorrow to pick them up!

Thifty Thursday

I know Mother's Day was just last weekend, but when you're designing crafts to be sold for specific holidays you always have to be thinking a few months in advance. Last month at the Town Fair I was showcasing some cards and jewelry for Moms. This months Town Fair (on May 18), I'll be encouraging Father's Day cards.

I found these vintage automobile and train books at the thrift for $5 total. "The Lore of Trains." What a great name! I'm excited to get these more manly cards underway this weekend. Don't forget to mark your calendar's for the May 18th Town Fair at Town Center.

Monday Musebles

Newest addition for the craft shop section at Better Block...Paper Parcels.
Packs of new, vintage papers including scrapbooking, doilies, envelopes, sheet music, flash
cards, stickers, button cards, graph paper and more.

Lately I feel like I've been running a race and I just can't keep up (i.e. this post coming to you today - instead of Monday)! My daily to-do list has been more like a novel and at the end of the day I'm struggling to cross anything off - and you know how bad that irritates me!

Left, display case/china cabinet for $70. Top right, hanging white shelf was only $14! Needed some work, but what a steal!
Bottom right, baby crib that hangs from the ceiling. I am dying to buy this for my mini bolts of fabric!

This past weekend I felt like I did a lot of nothing. A few projects got worked on, but none completely finished. I cleaned messes to make more, of a different variety. I went and saw some really lovely display pieces for the Better Block project, but didn't actually purchase anything. 

We're only naughty when it comes to running marathons ;)

But, by the time Sunday rolled around, I wasn't actually feeling too overwhelmed. A few of us girls went to cheer on a friend running the Shamrock Marathon.We didn't end up lasting too long...the weather was definitely not on our side. I'm still in awe about how someone could run for FIVE hours in those conditions. Or any conditions for that matter! Kudos to you Susie!

Fawn Street Studios. Loved this space...that spiral staircase with the skylights and disco ball?
Sounds like my kind of place to have a wedding!

Mike and I checked out the new Art Design Craft Norfolk show at the Fawn Street Studios. Then we headed over to Belmont for a beer and some BBQ (seriously delicious food here).

Passed on the green Bud Light for a new Third Shift. Pretty tasty.

No lies, I would drink this stuff if it were socially acceptable!

I spent the rest of the night with some Dexter (yeah, back on this train again) and measuring fabric for my mini bolts for the Better Block. As you can see, a lot of nonstop randomness going on around our house. I guess it's not a terrible thing...for now.

Left, mini bolts of fabric. Right, "spools" of lace for sale.

Cards Galore!

I have been cranking out the handmade cards like a crazy woman. I've had a couple books I was stashing away for a while and finally broke them out. The new flower cards (above) are some of my favorites so far. The images come from a 1960s gardening how-to book and are just so vibrant and pretty to look at. I combined them with some leftover scrapbooking paper and think they'd be great Mother's Day cards.

These are the products of the children's books I bought a few weeks back. I was so tempted to keep some of the Pokey Little Puppy cards for myself! We always read that book when I was a child.

15 packs total, ready to hit the stores! I'm hoping to get into a few new stores this Spring, so keep your fingers crossed.

Happy Heart's Day

 

Got an early Heart's Day card from my most favorite baby of all time...Thomas! I suppose the card was for his Uncle and Aunt, but I know he gets all that creativity from me ;)

Handmade Shower Invites

Reason #137,485,092 I love my Mother? She gets me business! One of her co-workers is throwing a wedding shower for her daughter and couldn't find just the right invitation. So my mom mentioned how I might be able to help and within three weeks I was shipping her the final product.

Since only 30 invites were needed, I decided to print them at home on two-sided scrapbook paper. The shower is going to be decorate with potted herbs and is at the local Women's Club, so I decided to go with the floral paisley pattern, doilies and coordinating embroidery floss. The guests have been asked to bring the recipe card filled out for the bride-to-be. Instead of buying boring old white index cards, I used the same fonts and created three different designs. I'm so happy with the way they came out and would love to keep doing more of the same! If you have any interest, please shoot me an email at ashley.fairviewpl@gmail.com.

Thrifty Thursday: Valentines!

'365 Ways to Say "I Love You"' was a little treasure I found a few years back at Beacon Books. I thought it was a little overpriced at $5, but I couldn't haggle with Tommy, the owner of the dilapidated book shop. The little hardback book is filled of ways to profess your love to your husband in the most outlandish ways you could imagine, in a 1960s setting.

"Sharpen the pencils on his home desk."

"Buy yourself a sweatshirt and Magic Marker his name on the front and back."

"Be late on purpose and leave notes saying you're hurrying home to him."

"Find out the answers to those little bitty "trivia" questions he's been bugged about."

It's almost ironic I even own this book, but the illustrations are killer. And to think, women probably bought this book and achieved all 365 ways. Anyway, I've carried this book around with no particular reason in mind, until a two weeks ago.Valentine's Day cards! So, now you can find your very own vintage Valentines at Kitsch. There are only 6 packs of cards (4 cards per pack) and run $7. 

Thrifty Thursday

"The Monster at the End of This Book" and "The Poky Little Puppy." Two of my childhood favorites! I managed to score these two, along with "The Ugly Duckling" and "The Little Red Hen" for 50 cents a piece. Looks like there will be some new greeting cards in the near future!

Ask, and you shall receive!

I stopped in at Kitsch over the weekend and apparently someone specifically asked if Fairview Place would be making Christmas cards, like the Halloween cards. I couldn't bare the thought of a Christmas without Fairview Cards, so I made up several packs and dropped them off at Kitsch.

Last year I had found an old Frosty the Snowman book from the 50s that was in pretty bad shape. I took the usable pages and made into three sets of cards. Holiday sheet music made up several packs of the tag-shaped cards, but most of them sold last year at my craft show.

The newbies are from a Better Homes & Garden's Christmas Craft book. Gotta love those tacky 60s crafts and decor! You can buy a pack of 4 cards and envelopes at Kitsch for only $7, you won't find that kind of deal anywhere else...so go, while supplies last!

Thrifty Thursday Part 2

I bought these 1960s clown invites more than a year ago from a garage sale back home. I tried to sell them on Etsy, but no luck. I decided to upgrade them a little with some new vibrant cardstock and making them double sided invites, instead of the opening-card-type.

Now this is really a ONE of a kind invitation. Now you just have to persuade your son or daughter to have a clown-themed party... You can find these cuties at Kitsch, for just $10 for a set of 8.

Halloween-inspired Goods

I'm actually ahead of the game this October... My costume is 60% done (post to come on that next week). Plans for camping, Winefest, W&M Homecoming and our Halloween party are in order. AND I have my Halloween items already at Kitsch!

I sent five packs of greeting cards made from an old 1960s Zombie book. The book was actually taken by my sister's high school boyfriend in 90s and never returned. It's traveled around with me for ages and when I looked through it last month I realized half of the pages had been torn or ripped out. So, why not continue the process and make some sweet Halloween greeting cards.

I found the stamps at Michaels and AC Moore for $1 each. Now I need to keep my eyes out for Christmas and Chanukah versions.

From my stash of Halloween material I made some orange and green memory games. I dropped two sets off at Kitsch and have one online... Get them while you can, these are the only ones for this year!

The memory game pieces are approximately 2.5" squares, there 11 pairs and come with a little drawstring bag for easy storage.