A festive wrap tune

Forgive my absence, I have been happily baking up a festive storm after work each evening. No time for blogging between gingerbread men, almond bread, mince tarts, cherry and vanilla bean jam and Christmas spice biscuits with snowflake icing. Lots of photos to share but not until the the day draws closer to lessen the chance of ruining the surprise for any friends and family that check in here from time to time.

Lucky, all my gifts are wrapped so today I can proudly present my musical wrapping. Now this really has my heart singing. After a fossick through the books at Savers Footscray, I came across an old book of sheet music with pages yellowed just so without signs of mildew. After forking out $1.99 for the book, I was bursting to try this wrapping I'd only previously seen in magazines. Quick trip to a discount variety store for some red ribbon, a shipping label, some stamping with my kikki.k set and voila. Sweet tunes all round.

A few tips: some gifts are too big to wrap in the pages of the music book but it looked great on a solid square or rectangle (as above). Also, old books can smell musty. I posted two gifts wrapped this way interstate and was worried that they might not smell great after being trapped in a post bag, so just to be sure, I gave the gifts a spray of parfum! For this reason, this wrapping may not be for everyone. Keep some cartoon Santa wrapping paper on hand for those that may not appreciate your creative, gorgeous masterpieces (and for the kiddies that just want to rip into the treasure without a bow in their path). Save the delightful, vintage-inspired creations pour moi!

Stampede for handwritten letters

There is nothing more personal than a handwritten note and nothing more exciting than finding one in your letterbox. Receiving an envelope that has somehow made its way to your home after being pushed into a red box on the side of a street many miles away is miraculous in itself.

They say letterwriting is a dying art, and while I'd like to believe it isn't true, I've recently realised that it is indeed on its way out. I want to dig my heels in and revolt! Helping my mum sort through years of old cards and letters recently highlighted how much communication has changed. It was such a delight to read all the letters from her mum and gran who have long since left the earth. The letters were obviously written in place of expensive "STD" phone calls. They contained so many tidbits that it was obvious they hadn't had a telephone conversation in a number of weeks, if not more. There was always a plee to receive a reply to hear about one thing or another. Imagine only hearing sporadic updates on exciting family developments, like how your new grandchild is settling into life outside of the womb?! 

The thing I enjoyed most about trauling through boxes of letters from my ancestors was seeing their handwriting. I feel a little pang whenever I see the handwriting of someone who is no longer living. Handwriting is so personal and, to me, such a special reminder of a person. How can their writing "voice" and their unique letter formations remain, but they don't?

My answer to keeping handwriting and letterwriting alive is to get some rubber stamps. They give letters that vintage edge and they make sending letters fun. Back in my pen pal days, I used stickers to jazz up my writing paper and I dreamed of having an address sticker! It's been a long time coming, but I've finally realised my dream in the form of a rubber stamp. With some inspiration from vintage-look Cavallini & Co stamps and some much appreciated help from talented designer Ros, I now have this little gem that is a real highlight of becoming a home-owner:

Coupled with a wooden alphabet stamp set ($24.95) from another of my favourite shops, kikki.k, I've been able to make little cards to give to friends and family (see top photo). It even comes with four colours of ink, so I can match the stamps with my writing paper. Whoop!

Oh, the small joys. That's what life's all about, right?

Stockist notes:
I've seen Cavallini & Co stamps at the heavenly Zetta Florence stores in Fitzroy and Armadale, Victoria (a feast for your eyes and you must go if you live in or visit Melbourne), Dymocks bookstores and my favourite Castlemaine shop, Malmaison (no trip to the Central Victorian Goldfields is complete without a peek in this magnifique gift and homewares store).

kikki.k sells Swedish home/office products through their stores around Australia and New Zealand and online.

My address stamp is 21mm x 51mm and was made by Swift Rubber Stamps in the Melbourne CBD. Send them your artwork file by email and they can post it to you (handwritten envelope cannot be guaranteed :). Otherwise, Google "rubber stamp manufacturers" closer to home. As I was able to pick my stamp up, it came in a brown paper bag with the words "Ellise $25.99" handwritten on the front. Je t'adore Swift!