Gift Tags

It's definitely safe to say I am a paper hoarder. I'm obsessed with water colors and I'm a paper hoarder. I have a REALLY hard time throwing away any scrap paper. Even if it's the smallest sliver, I still think that 11 days from now I will get a brilliant idea and NEED that tiny piece of paper.

I needed a cute tag for a present I was giving the other day but I didn't want to do a whole card. I went to my scrap drawer and made a super simple tag just using a piece of kraft paper and scrapbook paper. I punched a tiny hole at the top and attached a burlap string and there you have it! How cute would one of these be tied to a mason jar for a holiday gift? Another great thing about using scraps is a lot of paper is double sided but with most of the products I make, you only end up seeing one side. This is a great way to stretch your resources!

I made this set and put them up on Etsy so go take a look!  

Personalized Card Set

How was everyone's weekend?? I was a busy girl. I got crazy with the paper. I just found way too much great stuff on sale this weekend and I can't wait to share it all with you! 

Can you believe we're almost halfway through September?? Where did this year go...It's almost the holidays! Everyone's getting cards from me this year :) I'm all about keeping the stress levels low and the crafting projects high. You should think about doing the same! Homemade gifts are the BEST and I feel like no one expects them nowadays so they are double special. Grab your 40% off coupon and head to Michaels. Let me know if you need any ideas! 

Anyways, one of the sweetest people I know is getting married this weekend and I wanted to make her something that had her new initials on it! I think for a girl, seeing her soon-to-be initials in real life is both scary and insanely exciting so I loved watching her expression when she opened the personalized cards I made her! Just FYI, the ones in this post are a set I made with my initials and put up on Etsy but hers looked almost exactly the same...sweet, simple and personally hers!

This would be a great project for the holidays! The best part is searching for paper that fits the recipients personality and from there it's up to your imagination to run wild. I fully support busting out the watercolors as well ;)  

Watercolor Card Set

HAPPY LABOR DAY WEEKEND!!! I hope everyone is doing something fun during these gorgeous days. I have lots of card ideas I want to bring to life but the pool is looking prettttttttty enticing right about now...Oh! And if you are a Jo-Ann fabric and craft store lover like I am, they have some GREAT sales this weekend so you should check them out :)

Here's another card set I added to my Etsy shop this morning. Holla to the watercolors! I just made a fun little pattern up the sides of each card and added this flower stamp in the middle for a fun everyday card. 

Alrighty, get off your computer and get outside and do something fun! Happy crafting and relaxing!

Oh, Hello...

Well, hello there! First things first, if you guys haven't liked my page on Facebook or started following me on Twitter, you need to do that because I am ALL over those things! You will be way more up to date on all of my new paper creations and more importantly, get to see pictures of Rudy doing his thing. I'm BAD at updating my blog. Bad, bad. 

Anyways, I'm not sure if you've heard but I have become OBSESSED with watercolors. I loved them when I was in elementary school and I have rekindled that love times a million. I can't put them down. Now, don't be fooled. I am NO artist. I can bust out some awesome polka dots and mayyyyyybe a sunflower, but that's about it. For now... 

I made some super cute and super simple fill-in-the-blank invitations showcasing my watercolor talents and they're up on my Etsy shop so go take a look! I also added the cute "hello" cards on this post and a bunch of thank you cards using the World Market paper since those have become super popular! The shop is FULL so check it out. 

Also, I know it's probably pretty evident but I highly recommend World Market for paper. I love their paper and I just buy the rolls and go crazy with them. It's a cheaper way to test out some ideas rather than buying the individual sheets of scrapbooking paper and the patterns are SO wild and different.

That's all for now! Make sure we become BFFs on Facebook and Twitter (click the links on the left side of the page) so you can be the first to know when I attempt a watercolor elephant painting ;)

Guess what, guys?! I'm going on vacation tomorrow! I haven't been on a real vacation in almost 2 years to the day. As much as I dislike packing my 56593849873 hair products and hoping they don't explode in my bag, I love seeing new places and I can't wait to get going tomorrow!

This blog is about cards, not vacations, so I'll get to the good stuff. My only child dachshund, Rudy, is getting some minor surgery tomorrow and I decided to make the vet a thank you card for everything she has done for him. To say he's a medical handful would be an understatement so the fact that she actually said "he's my favorite dachshund" was a BIG DEAL. 

I've been really into doilies lately. I wanted to find some colored ones because I think the white ones are a little harsh sometimes, but Michael's only had these so I'm working with what I've got for now. I folded the doily over the spine of the card so it carries on to the back which I really love. I showed it to Rudy and he seemed pretty interested in sniffing it out so I take that as a seal of approval.

With that said, if you want to see what happens to my hair in the humidity, follow me on Instagram (Richelle Hawley) and I'll keep you updated on my vacation adventures. If not, I will be back soon and I'll show you some great wedding invitations I've been working on!

I have really been jonesin' for some new stamps lately but when I was perusing my vast collection the other day I realized I completely forgot about this little beauty!

If you remember a while back I made a wedding invitation suite using this stamp and colored it in with a pinkish, reddish mahogany colored pencil. Well, given that I have a nice big box of colored pencils I knew this stamp was all too perfect for a new project.

I received an order for some simple everyday cards and in the past I've always used actual premade cards but for these I just cut out some kraft paper and made my own!

I didn't even bother messing with the embossing powder. Just good old brown ink and some colored pencils. So easy and cute! What colors would you try out for the flowers?

I can almost taste it. We're getting so close!

This is definitely one of my new favorites. I loooooooove the lace :)

Only 14 more days until my favorite "holiday!!!" Ok, so I know Valentine's Day isn't an actual holiday, but what's not to like about a whole day devoted to love?

I'm a huge fan so naturally I couldn't wait to get started on some Valentine's Day cards. The first one I made is really playful with the red and black contrast and the sparkly heart in the middle. I know just who I want to give it to :)

These next two weeks are going to be fun and busy! I can't wait to show you all my day of love creations.

I love it when I get a request for a set of cards and the buyer simply says "they love dogs!" I thought of all sorts of ideas I could do with that theme but I decided to stick with something simple that followed my card philosophy :)

I used thicker jute on this card and I really like how it turned out. I embossed the paw print and stamped the initials using regular ink to give it a contrast and I couldn't be happier with the way it turned out.

And the recipient loved them! So my job here is a success and I'm excited what else I can make with this great stamp!

I love making cards for my friends because they give me so much freedom to do what i want, and i get to add a little bit of their personality to the designs as well!

one of my best friends asked for an assortment of cards: thank you, "i'm sorry," just because...

I included some oldies but goodies in her set and also created a few new ones! The "you're the best" card is one of my new favorites! I laughed when she requested an "i'm sorry" card (and didn't ask for further details) and decided to take a happier approach on the message.

I definitely think the recipient will forgive her after getting that card. :)

I just realized that I forgot to share with you the last set of personalized cards I made for holiday gifts!

This particular set went to my aunt and I did my signature ribbon and jute bows, however, the stamp is really what makes this card. It's SO detailed and perfect for the wine and cheese lover in your life. She loved them. :)

I've been super busy lately working on some great invitations and card sets to put up on my etsy store so when i'm all finished you'll be the first to know!

I have another present for you to unwrap!

This card is one of my favorites! I made a pack of them for one of my mom's friends for Christmas. I love the contrast between the purple, black and gold.

I told you this flower stamp was one of my favorites :) I can use it for so many different cards (and I do!) and I think it works perfectly for so many themes. I promise this isn't the last time you will see it.

Happy Holidays and more to come!

Christmas is just around the corner and that means I can continue showing you the personalized card packs I made for some very special people! :)

It's hard to see the detail in this card on the computer, but there are so many great layers to it. I started off with a sparkly black paper and topped it with red patterned scrapbook paper, ribbon and finally an embossed cherry blossom stamp. Phew!

I can't wait to show you the other personalized cards I've made as they receive them. It's like we're all getting presents!

Check out this invitation I made!

I really had no particular person or event in mind when I made it, but it would be perfect for a bachelorette party or girls night out/weekend.

The martini stamp is embossed so it sits pretty off the paper and matches the bow perfectly :)

I'm going to play with some other papers and stamps and make some more invitations with this design because it's really simple but so cute and personal.

Check back soon for others!

I'm so excited to show you a set of cards I made for my aunt for Christmas!

I made a couple of special card packs for people for the holidays but my aunt was lucky enough to open her present early so I can share it with you now!

When I think of cowgirl, she comes to mind so I found this boot stamp specifically for her. I spiced up her cards with some sparkly gold paper to even out the rustic feel of the jute ribbon and gingham bow and finally embossed her initials in the corner to really make these one-of-a-kind.

I can't wait to share with you the other personalized cards! Only 11 more days...

My boss recently celebrated 10 years at our company and my co-worker and I gave her this congratulatory card to celebrate her accomplishment!

Does the flower look familiar? ;) I used it for my friend's engagement party thank you cards but it's so versatile it's perfect for anything.

I also think the "oh happy day" phrase goes a long way and can be used for multiple occasions.

Wishing you a happy day!

This is another one of the those great cards that can be used for ANY occasion.

Even if your special person is having a bad day, I guarantee they will start to "Love Today" after getting this card!

This is one of my favorites!!

I love it because it's so versatile and three dimensional. The flower practically grows from the paper!

You can use it to wish someone a fantastic birthday, congratulate the birth of a baby, a new job, a new house....pretty much anything that's cause for celebration!