BlueBird Card

I have designed a card for you all to download, print and send off to a friend with nice things written in it. It's a 5x5 square with a fold in the middle. I have added a die line for you to cut around on as well as small indications where to fold it.

I love sending cards (I'd better, seeing as how I make my living by designing them!)

To satisfy my love affair with blue and white I am working on an entire line of blue and white cards and paper things which will post for sale on my ETSY shop very soon.
Actually, I already have one card there already. It's a close up of a beautiful Regency lady with her necklace highlighted with crystals and glitter and a slight rose hue to her cheeks.
I'd love for you to look!
Just go to ETSY.com and type in LilyOake under the seller search on top.

I also have my new line of Jane Austen cards posted. In the meantime, enjoy this card and I hope you send good thoughts to a friend today with it.

Beautiful Dishes

This is my most favorite dish pattern in the entire world!
It's Danish.
Royal Copenhagen's Blue Flowers Curved.

It comes three ways. One is "curved" with the scallop edge, like pictured here.
And also with a plain smooth edge.
Or fluted, which is discontinued.

The white is a very clean, soft white (no yellow tinge) and the blue is a soft cobalt that I team up with the now discontinued cobalt blue of Emile Henry bakeware. It's a lovely floral pattern - very European.

Despite it's delicate appearance, it's a work horse! It is fired so many times it is microwave and dishwasher safe - even the oldest pieces you can find!

It has a delicate scalloped edge and soft embossed swirling pattern beneath the hand painted blue flowers.

I love the look year round but do have hopes of beginning to collect the version with the gold edges for the holidays or very special events. I can only imagine how wonderful in person this pattern can be with a touch of gold.
I don't have too many pieces yet but pick one up here and there when I see a good price.
And yes, pricing can vary wildly - some import online stores are twice as expensive as others. I find the best prices through:
http://www.replacements.com/webquote/RCOBLFG.htm

An Inspired New Year

It's a new year and a new you (why not) and a new start to things.

New years can be a wonderful way to begin again, recharge your enthusiasm for a project, get back on track with a goal or project. This new year, for me, means hunkering down to take care of some house and design projects. To keep myself on track, I am surrounding myself with beautiful things that make me sigh. One of those things is the color blue and romantic interiors and objects that are blue & white.

So, to kick off the new year, here is my collage of blue and white beautiful "objects of desire". I will try to post more blue & white things this year - including my new line of greeting cards and paper goods I'm designing right now called "Blue Hydrangea".

Thanks for stopping by!

3D Star Ornament

Merry Christmas everyone! I have at last produced the 3D star template for you to download and create with. I made mine with a blue toile pattern on paper cardstock - choose any pattern you like and decorate any way you choose. I scanned a piece of wrapping paper, colorized it in Photoshop and reprinted it on to my choice of paper. In this case I used Conqueror's Diamond White 80# card stock. It is a clean white, smooth surface to show off colors and the paper folds and creases without cracking or splitting. You can buy reams of this paper at The Paper Zone. I kept my stars simple with some white glitter edges and rhinestones on each star tip and in the center. The pattern/template needs to be copied on to the back of your paper because t involves quite a few score lines. Where the score lines follow to the tip of each star point, these get folded as mountain folds (when the fold sticks skyward) and the scores between the points get folded valley-style (dipping in). Follow my photos for reference if you get confused.

Enlarge/reduce the template on the copier to suit the size you desire. The tabs get folded inward and glued to the inside of the other piece. You will have to cut 2 pieces to complete one star so it has a front and a back. I also used a thin white silk ribbon embroidery ribbon to hang the star but you can use any kind of ribbon or even metallic thread. If you do not choose to hang them, but perhaps display them in a dish, etc., don't use anything. Enjoy and have a wonderful holiday season. As soon as I change out of my jammies, I'm off to a party at a friend's house and I intend to take these stars as a gift for her tree.

Favor Boxes

I would like to share these small favor box die lines with you. They can be any size you want, as long as you can fit them on to a sheet of paper through your printer. I made mine 2x2x2 in 4 patterns: a Blackwatch tartan, a Stewart tartan, a red and white plaid and a Swedish folk art pattern in red and white. I also included the plain die line in case you want to print in on to your own patterned paper.

For best results, print it on to the reverse of the patterned paper so you can easily see the score and cut lines. Have fun with it - use it for party favors or small holiday gifts.

For an added festive touch, I edged mine all with a gold leafing pen.

Score lines and slit the "U" shaped opening on the 2 bottoms so the tabs can slide into them to close the bottoms.
Do a sample one first so you understand it's construction.

Let me know if it was useful and I can then provide some newer ones for Valentines Day coming up.

O Christmas Tree!

O Christmas tree! O Christmas tree! Thy leaves are so unchanging! (could it be because you are an artificial tree?) hahaha O Christmas tree! O Christmas tree! Not only green when summer's here, But also when 'tis cold and drear. O Christmas tree! O Christmas tree! Thy leaves are so unchanging.