Lilly & Louise: Handmade

Lilly & Louise has a Shop!

After a not-so-brief vacation from the online marketplace for handmade items, Etsy, we're excited to announce that we've taken some time to clean up, reorganize, and relaunch our Etsy Shop. In the Lilly & Louise shop we sell greeting cards made from hand-cut and hand-painted paper (all hand-cut and hand-painted and handmade by yours truly). We have cards for newly weds, new parents, birthday boys and girls...and just for fun. So the next time you're looking for a unique card for that special someone, remember our shop!

Holiday Boutique

We're excited to be participating in a Holiday Boutique at Montessori Center School in Goleta on Thursday, December 1. If you're in the Santa Barbara area and want to come check out our handmade holiday paper goods (unique hostess gifts?), we hope to see you!

A Tea Party Baby Shower

I recently had the pleasure of helping host a baby shower for a dear friend. We celebrated with a simple and sweet tea party (complete with crumpets and lemon curd. Yes, crumpets!!) To continue the theme of the invitation, I created menus with the tea and treat selections. As a thank-you, guests each received a set of Lilly & Louise Onesie cards. The shower was lovely, and now we all can't wait for the itty-bitty, teenie-weenie to arrive!

Hand-Stamped Bunting Shower Invitation

There's just something about do-it-yourself party decorations that screams fun, merriment, and good times shared with the best of friends. Inspired by this, we crafted these playful shower invitations using bright shades of pink, violet, and green, a mix of hand-worked and classic type, and hand-stamped hunting banners. Bring out the punch and get your game faces ready, ladies, it's time to celebrate baby!

Crazy, Sweet Love

It's not everyday I get a call from a giddy groom asking me to create a custom card for his bride to give to her on their wedding day. It was priceless! He'd seen our handmade Bride & Groom cards in the L&L shop but wanted to personalize it even more. On the front of the card I replicated their wedding day attire. Mr. Groom hadn't seen his bride's dress so he arranged for the bride's sister to send me a photo. He wasn't about to spoil his surprise, so he requested that I cover the dress when I send it to him (how sweet is that!!). On the inside I added a few more touches that were unique to the couple: plastic framed glasses donned daily by the groom, and green high heels to be worn by the bride. My favorite part of the phone call was when Mr. Groom said "I know this sounds cheesy, but what the heck, I'm GETTING MARRIED! Can we also include our dog on the card?" So, even their pup made an appearance.

Congratulations you two!

Brides & Grooms & Art

My friend Alanna recently contacted me saying she wanted to give bride and groom art as gifts to her friends that have married in the last two years. So she sent me the photos and I got to work. It was fun to see all the different dresses and tuxes, there was even a kilt! (not pictured, sorry). I affixed the art to a piece of watercolor paper and hand-wrote the couples' names and wedding dates. Alanna plans to frame them.

Semi-Handmade Stationery

I love to give handmade gifts. They're thoughtful, one-of-a-kind and fun to make...

This Christmas I wanted to make and give a gift that would allow the recipient to be creative as well. Enter: stamps.

I designed a simple initial stamp and found a few fun paper colors that work well together. Then, because I couldn't resist, I made a few samples for inspiration and found a box for all the piece. Then, voila! Blank Paper + Envelopes + Stamp + Ink Pad = Semi Handmade Stationery.

Custom Handmade Cards

These little beauties are headed to Canada where they will have a nice life of making five special bridesmaids happy! Each dress is a replica of the dress the bridesmaid will wear at the wedding. Bon voyage little dresses!

Want to have some of your very own to give to your friends or bridesmaids? Check out our shop!

A Lilly & Louise Paper Party

A few weeks ago, we turned our funky little house into a funky little shop for the first ever Lilly & Louise Paper Party. We featured our handmade cards and nursery art, showcased our custom design work, and launched our holiday collection. And, it wouldn't be a party without cupcakes, so we made sure our guests had a sweet treat to enjoy while they perused the goods.

The party was a hit and we're considering making it an annual event. If your not near Santa Barbara and you'd like to get your hands on some L&L goodness, check out our shop by clicking here--we try to keep it updated with the latest from the studio--or send us an email and we'll get you squared away.

New in the Shop: Handmade Wedding Dress & Tux Cards

Here are a few of our latest handmade creations at the Lilly & Louise studio: Wedding Dress & Tux Cards. These make great gifts or keepsakes for the bride and groom!

These cards are available as custom order, too! We can replicate your wedding dress & tux by a photo. Visit our shop to purchase one or e mail me to request a custom order.

Do-it-Yourself Paper Flowers

I recently stumbled upon this genius way to make easy paper roses...and now I can't stop making them.

Step 1: Draw a spiral on a 6x6" square piece of paper.

Step 2: Cut out spiral.

Step 3: Starting from the outside, roll the paper in until you reach the center of the spiral. When you release the coil the paper will spring back a bit. Dab a dot of glue at the bottom to the shape.

Check back soon to see what I've done with all the paper roses that I can't get enough of.

New in the Shop: Handmade Birthday Cards

This is one of our new creations at the Lilly & Louise studio (thanks to a special little 1-year old for the inspiration). Just a simple, sweet way to say 'Happy Birthday,' be they one or 82 years old.

Sets of four are available in our shop, or e mail me for a custom order.

Reasons to Celebrate: Giveaway!

A giveaway is a reason to celebrate, right? Well I think it's about that time again (time for a reason to celebrate)! Because I love beautiful mail, this week's L&L giveaway is a set of 4 blank, handmade cards + envelopes. These mini bouquets are gifts that keep on giving--give them with a one-of-a-kind gift, to brighten someone's rainy day or just because.

There are three ways to win (try all three for a higher chance of winning).
1. leave a comment in the comment section below
2. send us an e-mail here
3. leave a comment on L&L's facebook page

Just make sure to leave your e mail address so we can get in touch with you if you win! Enter before 1:00 AM PST, June 11th. Winner will be posted Friday morning!

Party Favors: Handmade and Homemade

The words "party favor" make me think of fond memories of decorated paper bags from elementary birthday parties, filled with plastic trinkets, cough-syrup-flavored hard candy, and Tootsie Rolls. I remember being excited that I got to go to the party and get a gift! My idea of a "party favor" has since changed. Now I enjoy being on the giving end of party favors because I get to unleash my creativity (and my inner Martha) and figure out how to leave a lingering impression of the event with my guests. For our wedding, we put together a CD we called "Music for the Ride Home" full of our favorite songs for guests to listen to as they made their way back to their homes over the following days. Favors are a great way to "complete" the look and feel and experience of your event. (Admittedly, I get a little giddy at the sight of well-packaged, personal favors at various events!)

For a recent Texas-themed get-together, I made homemade granola to give to guests for their "trail ride home." I found small canning jars and printed labels from my inkjet printer onto adhesive paper, and appropriately named it "Tex Mix."

I found the granola recipe in Texas Monthly (even more appropriate). It was my first time to make homemade granola, and it blows the boxed stuff out of the water...er, uh, milk. The recipe is below, of course.

Tex Mix Granola
adapted from Texas Monthly

1 cup pure maple syrup (not maple-flavored)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 cups old-fashioned oats (not instant)
4 ounces (about 1 cup) pecan halves
2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) raw unsalted pepitas (pumpkin seed kernels)
2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) raw unsalted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1/2 cup ground flaxseed meal
4 ounces (generous 1/2 cup) chopped dried peaches or nectarines
4 ounces (generous 1/2 cup) dried cherries or golden raisins

Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 300 degrees. Combine maple syrup, brown sugar, oil, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until brown sugar is dissolved, and stir in vanilla. In a large bowl, combine oats, pecans, pepitas, sunflower seeds, flour, milk powder, and flaxseed meal. Pour warm syrup mixture over dry ingredients and mix well with a rubber spatula.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spread the moistened oats evenly between the sheets. Bake for 20 minutes, then stir with a metal spatula and switch sheets to opposite racks to ensure even cooking. Bake another 20 minutes, then stir and switch pans again. Continue baking until mixture has a fragrant, toasty aroma, about another 10 to 15 minutes.

Cool the granola in the pans, breaking up any unwieldy clumps with a spatula. When completely cool, mix in dried peaches and cherries. May be stored at room temperature in an airtight container. Makes 11 to 12 cups.