Hi Friends!
Change is in the air. Can you feel it, too?
On the first weekend of October,
I always look forward to slipping off my gardening gloves
and heading downstairs to my little Paper Garden studio.
It’s time to celebrate… and get inky!
Although I worked alone in my craft studio on Saturday, it felt heartwarming to know that paper crafters across the globe were also experimenting, growing, and having fun in their creative spaces! It was a treat to chat with a dear friend as she worked in her craft loft. Cardmakers just love to discuss very important things… like ink, paper, stamps, dies, stencils, and all the tools we use. 😉
My little papercrafting studio is not fancy at all, but everything in my creative space inspires me! Rustic, antique boxes hold my supplies and meaningful artwork decorates the walls. Dried flowers and herbs from my cottage perennial gardens hang from all the ceiling rafters. It truly is my Paper Garden!
Oldies were playing on the radio on Saturday morning as I happily selected stamps, dies, paper, and ink. I was excited to have a whole day devoted to this heartwarming hobby! To celebrate World Cardmaking Day, I decided to create with favorite supplies from The Greetery.
The Greetery released their first collection in April 2019. This new company already has a large following of devoted papercrafters! We have been enjoying Betsy’s designs for many years. So very proud of her! ♥
I love everything about this new, family business owned by designer, Betsy Veldman. All of the products are made in the U.S.A. Betsy’s philosophy at The Greetery ~ Where Making and Giving Meet truly mirrors my own heart! Betsy says, “What better way to provide meaning and purpose for our creative endeavors than to be able to bless others through handmade cards and gifts!”
Our orders from The Greetery always arrive quickly, wrapped as gifts. Several of Betsy’s gorgeous, layered stamp designs are created from her own watercolor paintings. Multi-layered stamping allows us to create a watercolored look on our cards, tags, and gifts.
At The Greetery, Betsy thoughtfully designs a new collection every other month. It’s fun to choose unique stamps, dies, and stencils that are ‘just my style.’ I love carving out a bit of time to experiment with these supplies and savor the time spent creating special cards for loved ones. This feels very comforting and nurturing… a bit of an oasis the fast-paced papercrafting industry where new supplies are typically released every month!
I’ve been having great fun experimenting with Distress Oxide inks and favorite stamps from The Greetery’s “Get Cozy, Get Crafty” collection. Aren’t these the perfect stamps for my little Paper Garden? It’s beginning to feel like Autumn in the studio already!
Just playing with sprigs of bittersweet, eucalyptus, and wheat to fill vintage bottles in the Paper Garden!
It’s so lovely that the design elements from all of The Greetery collections work just beautifully together. Betsy’s videos always offer helpful, creative tips for using her stamps, stencils, and dies. She has a very talented Inspiration Team who share unique ways to use all of The Greetery’s stamps, stencils, and dies. If you are curious to see more from The Greetery, take a peek at their inspiring ‘Lookbooks.’
During this extra-busy season in my life,
I felt so blessed to have a whole day devoted to creativity! ♥
‘Bottled Up’ and ‘Budding Beauties: Autumn’ stamps/dies from The Greetery
‘Just Mason Around’ and ‘Budding Beauties: Autumn’ stamps/dies from The Greetery ♥ ‘Words to Live By: Gratitude’ stamps/dies (designed by Betsy Veldman) for Papertrey Ink
‘Just Mason Around,’ ‘Lemon Blossom,’ and ‘Simple Things’ stamps/dies from The Greetery
‘Budding Beauties: Autumn’ stamps/dies, ‘Halfsies Oval’ die, and ‘Knit Wits’ stencil from The Greetery
‘Simple Things’ stamp/die from The Greetery ♥ ‘Penned Elegance’ and ‘Scallop Stackers: Small’ die from Papertrey Ink
♥ ♥ ♥
As World Cardmaking Day came to an end, I couldn’t resist a bit of stamped watercoloring using Art Impressions Watercolor stamps. They are among my very favorite cardmaking supplies! Artist Bonnie Krebs designs tiny, natural elements, garden containers, arbors, birdbaths, fences, gates, buildings, cobblestones, and so much more. I met Bonnie a few years ago at a stamping event in Arizona and spent hours watching her create the most wonderful, little, watercolored vignettes. There were tears in my eyes as I watched Bonnie transform a tiny piece of watercolor paper into a work of art! Now I adore stamping blossoms and foliage to fill containers and create little gardens of my very own! 🙂 So relaxing… and the possibilities are endless! ♥ (Take a peek at the You Tube ‘Watercolor Wednesdays’ tutorials!)
Whenever I have a chance to create on-the-go, I always fill my backpack with Art Impressions Watercolor stamps, tiny acrylic blocks, watercolor markers, paintbrushes, and lots of watercolor paper. I have created tiny works of ‘heart’ in so many different places. 🙂 Each time I travel, these tiny supplies always have a special place in my carry-on!
I used watercolor stamps from Art Impressions Watercolor to create the vintage watering can, bookmark, and the watercolor wreath. (below)
World Cardmaking Day helps us to celebrate this wonderful hobby!
I love the chance to experiment and grow in exciting new ways.
I’m so very grateful for all of the wonderful friends
this pastime has brought into my life.
However… my very favorite part of being a cardmaker happens today
as I write heartfelt notes in each card,
add a pretty postage stamp,
and send them off to brighten someone’s day!
It’s all about sending love…
♡
Paper hugs,
♡ Dawn
P.S. Do you still enjoy sending cards? ♥ What types of cards do you send most often?
Petals. Paper. Simple Thymes 
These are absolutely beautiful cards, Dawn. I absolutely love the last one. Your color choices, layering, and attention to detail is truly inspiring. I can envision the satisfaction you find while working in your studio creating these beautiful cards that become true gifts to your family and friends. They must look forward to any date that even ‘might’ result in receiving one of these beautiful hand crafted cards.
You are too kind, Judy! I feel so blessed to be able to be creative in my TWO gardens! I think you would enjoy these tiny Art Impressions Watercolor stamps, too. It’s so lovely to create colorful, little gardens… with no weeds at all!😊
I create each card with someone special in mind. So, the entire time I am working, it feels like a little ‘visit’ with that person! 💕
Sending you lots of good gardening vibes, dear Judy! Hope the sun is shining in New Hampshire this week. I’m heading out to cut the grass now. My reward will be a sweet evening of writing notes to loved ones and mailing these off! Paper hugs!💗
What a lovely, lovely post. Thank you for sharing your creative and craft goodies. I’m not a cardmaker much these days, but I sure can appreciate the artistry of others.
Wishing you a beautiful week ahead…
Brenda
Heartfelt thanks, Brenda! I truly love sharing handmade kindness. It takes me such a long time to make each card! The number one craft supply on my Wish List is ‘extra time!’
This week, I’m hoping to make some cards by creating Chlorophyll Prints using herbs from my garden. It’s harvest time in my Herb Garden… and the sun is finally shining here! Wishing you a beautiful week, Brenda! Thank you so much for visiting today!💗
Dawn, it’s always lovely to visit you and view your current creative endeavors! With Autumn just beginning your lovely cards will delight your recipients. I’m so glad you are able to spend an entire day exploring your passion.
I must tell you how lovely you express yourself here. It’s always a pleasure to read your writing. xoxo
Your words just warm my heart, dear Martha Ellen! It was a rare treat to have an entire day in my little studio. Creativity is an important part of my Self-Care and truly soothes my soul. When I looked at the cards in the sunlight today they surprised me! (It wasn’t the best lighting when I photographed them on Saturday evening.) So, I do hope they will make hearts smile!
Thank you so much for visiting today! Wishing you, Grayden, and your family happy, healthy Autumn days!💗
I love your cards and the sweet things that came in pretty packages. I love sending cards but I no longer make them myself. There isn’t a square inch of space left here to work in. And I’m working on so many other things already. I love such pretty things and occasionally am the recipient. I save every one of those beautifully crafted creations. I was happy to see rainy weather come too so I could stay inside and work on quilts and other things for a while. It’s been a very productive summer but it’s time for gentler work. I hope you are doing well and getting plenty of time to play.
Oh, Marlene! Thank you so much. Playing with paper and ink and all the tools does take up space! I’m so grateful to have room to spread out and get messy downstairs. My work in progress creates a colorful mess, but I try to tidy up and put things back in place after each card.
Marlene, I’m so happy to know that you are quilting again! Cooler weather and stitching (and a cup of tea!) go hand in hand. You said it perfectly ~ “gentler work.” Take extra good care of yourself, my friend!💗
P.S. Perhaps you could send me your address using the ‘Say Hello’ page on my blog! 😊
I am so happy to see your beautiful card making post! You had a productive day for WCMD! And yes, I love sending cards- for many occasions- birthday, just because, happy mail, fall, Christmas, valentines etc.
Thank you for your beautiful blog. I do not have a blog, but my Instagram is chrislawlor2005
I’m so happy that you stopped to visit and joined in the conversation today, Chris! I just peeked at your beautiful cards on IG. You’ve been really busy creating! We both share a love of Papertrey Ink. Have you been soaking up Betsy’s inspiration at The Greetery? Let’s keep in touch, Chris! Autumn blessings!💗
I’m so happy to see the fruits of your time in your paper garden. This feels such a good fit for you. Your cards and photos are beautiful. I can feel how addictive it must be. I think writing cards has been bit of a dying art. Good to see there are people bringing it back. So precious.
Enjoy your autumn. Down here we’re in full Spring and I just love the warmth and longer days. Everyday I can see growth in the garden from the day before. Love and hugs to you my friend xox
Such lovely words, dear Vicky! I guess I have been a cardmaker, on and off, throughout my entire life. I know just how important cards can be to their recipients. My dad recently gave me a card that I made for him when I was only eight years old! It was a paper cutting of an antique car. To this very day, I still try to create one-of-a-kind cards with the recipient’s interests in mind. 😊
Last Autumn, as my parents were preparing to make their cross-country move from Arizona, they presented me with a cherished gift ~ all of the handmade cards that I made for them for many, many years. What a treasure! This special box of cards holds my journey as a cardmaker. One day, I plan to put all of the cards in date order and make a video of my growth as a cardmaker! Vicky, those cards are such a treasure that I hand-carried them on the plane with me!😊
Would you believe that I love sending cards even more than creating them? It’s true! Cards and letters feel like ‘visits’ when loved ones are apart! The clerk at our post office knows that I am a cardmaker. She understands when I ask to see all of the postage stamps before I decide which ones to buy. (Years ago, as a calligrapher, I would mix inks to create the perfect color to complement the postage stamps.) So, for me it has been a lifelong love affair with paper and ink! I truly hope that I will be able to continue ‘sending love’ for decades to come…
Happy Spring, dear friend! I think of you every day and wonder what’s happening in your garden. Spring is my very favorite season because I find so much joy in all of the daily changes in the garden! After a very rainy stretch, where my only garden task was emptying the rain gauge, we are having a week of glorious Autumn days here. I have been doing a bit of garden clean-up, but I’m not ready to put my garden to sleep for another week or two. Today, in the midst of running errands, I stopped to take a lovely walk in the park. We are all soaking up the mild, Autumn sunshine… for we know that cold weather is just around the corner!
Sending love and sunshine all the way to New Zealand!
I cherish our friendship, Vicky!💗
You are reflected in your art work and always bring such joy! Thank you.
Oh, Anne! What a sweet thing to say! You are one of my inspirations in my Renaissance, my dear. We must carry sunshine with us everywhere we go. I think of you so often, my friend! Sending sunny thoughts all the way to California!
Big hugs!💗
What a wonderfully uplifting post, Dawn, and your cards and artwork are wonderful. I love visiting your paper garden and all that it produces here on your blog. Enjoy these beautiful, crisp sunny days of October.
Oh, Penny! I’m so glad that you can feel the joy that my little Paper Garden brings me! 💕Cardmaking is such a happy hobby. Making, giving, and sending love is such a meaningful pastime. Although my creative time is very limited in this season of life, it truly brings me so much joy! It feels like the sun is always shining in my Paper Garden. (Lots of task lighting with daylight bulbs 💡!) As we put our perennial gardens to bed for the Winter months, I always look forward to ‘gardening’ with paper and ink. So good for the soul!
Hope you can enjoy this lovely Autumn day outside, my friend! Yesterday, after a visit to the library, I treated myself to a long walk in the park. It was so lovely to see the colorful zinnias in full bloom, just filled with butterflies!! Peek at the garden just south of the Conservatory and at the Veterans Memorial, Penny. So many butterflies that it made my heart sing!
Sending sunny thoughts and much love!💗
Dawn, I was “hearing” your voice as I read your words. It’s so nice seeing your post and hearing about your special crafting/card-making day. Life has been too busy here as well. I’m looking forward to some slowing down as the days hopefully cool down, though for us that is still weeks away. It must be nice to be able to tuck your garden away for the winter, only to retreat to your paper garden instead. I love making cards, sending and receiving cards and I always have fun reading about others making cards. Like you, I try to find that special postage stamp and enjoy dropping the note into the mail. Thanks for this lovely post. I really like this line, so I’m off to explore your thoughtful links. Hugs. xo Alys
Kindred spirits, dear Alys! I think you will fall in love with Betsy’s designs at The Greetery just as I have. It’s very exciting to watch a new company grow and blossom! I’m so impressed with the way Betsy’s stamps, dies, and stencils work together so beautifully from one release to the next. I’m also very grateful for her tutorials that continue even after the release! So much to love about The Greetery!
Hope you are enjoying your favorite month of the year, my friend! 😊Your California garden must still be in bloom. Tomorrow night, our temperatures will dip into the 20s. Such a big change so quickly!
Wishing you happy October days!!
Huge paper hugs!!💗
Hugs to you, too, Danw. And yes to all you’ve said above. I hope you’re bundled up and enjoying your paper crafting. xo
It’s more challenging to find creative time these days… but that’s when I need it most of all! It has been such fun to meet up with a sweet, talented friend at the Maker Space in our library for some Crafternoons. Last time we played with stencils and texture paste together to create some fun backgrounds. We just love setting aside a few hours to get inky and chat about important crafty things together!
Paper hugs, dear Alys!💗
I’m back! That site was a lot of fun, Dawn. I filled a cart, but sadly several of my favorites are out of stock (the mason jar is drool-worthy). Hopefully, she’ll have more soon. I love the botanical vibe of all the dies, stencils and stamps. The birds (also sold out). Be still my heart. Thanks for the introduction.
Oh, Alys! I thought you might love these beautiful designs! Betsy restocks her shop quite quickly. The stencils that fill the Mason jar are really versatile. They include both sprigs of wheat and lavender. All of the same botanicals will work with the vintage bottles, as well. So thoughtful and well-planned! I’ll be happily creating Autumn projects until Thanksgiving. But my order of Winter stamps, dies, and stencils from The Greetery arrived yesterday. Can’t wait to play with them! We’ll have to plan a crafty chat across the miles soon, Alys! It will be such fun to see what you create!
Much love!💗
I would love a crafty chat one day, Dawn. Life won’t slow down! I just received my first Greetery order: a mason jar stamp and die set and a flower stamp and die set. Be still my heart. Thanks once again for your suggestions. xo
We will definitely plan a crafty chat, Alys! I’m really looking forward to it! So happy that you have your first order of new stamps and dies from The Greetery.😊 It will be such fun to create with them all year long! We will have a snowy day here on Monday. So, I’m hoping to spend a few creative hours in my little Paper Garden after shoveling.
Sending warm, cozy hugs, Alys!💗
Dawn, Im so happy to be back visiting YOU at your blog. You write in such a way that I can picture you, almost as if you are writing me a letter. Your cards are so very lovely, I’m happy that you’ve shared about my favorite stamp company, The Greetery. Love the Friend card best, where you added texture with the stencil. And the quote is a KEEPER!
Your kind words just melt my heart, Cindy! It’s always a joy to have you visit! I think we connected through Papertrey Ink years ago. Such fun that we both found our new stamping ‘home’ at The Greetery! Betsy Veldman continues to inspire our creative hearts. Her new Winter’s Song collection truly has me inspired at the moment!
Cindy, I’m delighted that it feels like I am writing you a letter. It truly FEELS like I am writing a letter to a dear friend with each post! Writing letters has always been one of my very favorite things. (Even my texts sound like letters from the heart.💕) Thanks so much for stopping to chat today, Cindy!
Sending Thanksgiving blessings across the miles!💗
Well, thank you so much! Hope your Thanksgiving is wonderful!
I LOVE making cards with watercolor stamps, I use ones from Rubbernecker Stamps. The cards you made are gorgeous. I love to send out any type of card but I love doing encouragement cards, just a little something to brighten someone’s day. XOXO|| Cardstock Queen
Hi, Emma! It’s lovely to meet another cardmaker! 💕 Thank you for your kind words. We are BOTH inspired by Jennifer and Kristina! Have you seen the beautiful artwork of Sandy Allnock? She really adds a painterly style when working with Art Impressions watercolor stamps! I am smitten with Betsy Veldman’s stamps at The Greetery. They are truly lovely! Winter days are just perfect for cardmaking… and mailing them off to make hearts smile. Thanks for stopping to visit today and saying “Hi.” It will be fun to follow one another’s creative adventures! Warm hugs!💗
Emma, there is an easy way to find all of my cardmaking posts! Just visit my blog archives and search the Paper category. My favorite, small stamp companies are linked on my Favorites page (not affiliate links). Perhaps you will discover a brand new stamp company! Happy reading!💗
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