Banner Day! with Earmark

Hear ye, hear ye! Earmark is today's 'banner day' feature, and is a wonderful shop run by husband-and-wife team Bridgette and Mike Berndt. Technically, I suppose, Earmark is the umbrella brand because these two have two Etsy shops - Earmark, their "mother shop" which stands alone as a traditional stationer, and Earmark Gatherings, their "new" shop "filled with fresh and fun party items".

Here are the two Etsy shop banners to start:




As I said, Earmark is a stationer, and a very talented and clever one. They design and sell most traditional paper products, e.g. cards, stationary, prints (like this one I bought), journals, invitations, announcements, etc. And, of course, they produce some terrific banners. Like these:

I may have featured some seasonal banners, but these are the tip of the proverbial iceberg for what Earmark creates and stocks; check-out this one:


Bridgette and Mike are lovely people who create lovely things. And they have turned their passions and talents into a lovely shop for the rest of us: "We have an obsession with paper products, and we cater to the customers that share our obsession."

Do they do custom orders? Yep. Wholesale? Yep. Are they available online? Yep - and not just at their Etsy shops, but also http://earmarkinvitations.com/ (and other online retailers). Bricks-and-mortar? Yep - look on their website for locations. Blog? Yep - http://eigreetings.blogspot.com/ Twitter? Yep - http://twitter.com/Earmark. Go on and click through any of these links to find out how Earmark "creates happiness", some of which looks like this:

      

That's is for today, kids. I'm off to either 'keep calm and carry on' or 'freak out and throw stuff'!

Make it a banner day!  tIO x

PS: Want to read more about Bridgette and Mike? Their interesting tale of life before and since Earmark was posted in May, 2008 as an Etsy "Featured Seller" Story: read it here.

Knee-deep in Stockings

Last night, The Grey Colt hosted its annual 'stocking competition' to a packed house of artisans, raffle-hopefuls, and various and sundry community notables:
    
Snap of my entry this year: (a chalkcloth, white-polka-dot-on-red oilcloth, and tartan ribbon stocking that, were I to make this again, would be pieced-together on the wrong sides and have the edges pinked)

Supplies via OilclothAddict

Wine was poured, hors d'oeuvres were passed, and a merry time was had by all!

Look for updates throughout the week as the voting continues. TTFN! tIO x

Banner Day! with ModernJune

Oh, happy day! It's banner day again! And I am so excited to feature a long-time Etsy 'favorite shop': ModernJune. The festivities begin at this kitschy site banner:



What a great start, right? But the cute doesn't stop there. Owner/blogger/tweeter/homeschooler and all-around cool SAHM, Virginian Kelly McCants has been sewing for 20+ years and selling on Etsy since 2006 "as a simple creative outlet for a semi-desperate housewife." Indeed! Kelly sews the things that we all use - or need to use - everyday: aprons, chalkmats, tablecloths, pillows, splat mats, and totes. And her banners - from celebratory to the 'happy holiday' varieties - are sweet and sturdy, made from oilcloth to "brave summer showers" or maybe even wisps of winter whiteness! Have a gander:

      
Aren't they wonderful?

In fact, as soon as I post this, I'm packing up the laptop and turning to my sewing machine. Guess who just got a package of oilcloth from Kelly? *grins sheepishly* Time to make the oilcloth stocking for the stocking competition at the Grey Colt! Wish me luck! (Or if you're in town on 2 December, stop by the shop. Katie Coulton and her crew always host a wonderful event for charity.)

TTFN, lovelies! And make it a banner day! tIO x

PS  Want more of Kelly and ModernJune? Find her here: http://modernjune.com/ and at her Etsy shop here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/modernjune and blogging here: http://modernjune.blogspot.com/ and here: http://oilclothaddict.blogspot.com/ and on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Modern-June/119464333979 and on twitter here: @modernjune. (She knows her social media!)

Banner Day! with LoveLetterCollage

It's another Banner Day on tIO! And today's banner comes by way of Jean Cody's wonderful Etsy shop, LoveLetterCollage.



First, I was drawn-in by the medium: gorgeous prints, decorative papers, and old high school yearbooks. (Hmmm... Clever!)
I was hooked, though, when I discovered that Jean would use your own photos to create something special:
    

Sweet! (This means, of course, that I have to get my act together and sort out which photos I want to include. Decisions, decisions...)

With her clever cutting and thoughtful choices, these little banners are sure to do just as she says in her profile: "I hope my work will bring an element of warmth into your home and provide a little nourishment for your senses."

TTFN, kids: Off to start sorting snaps!
And remember to make it a banner day!

Thanks for perusing this blog; blog you again soon!

BANNER BONUS! Also from Jean and coming later this month on Etsy: 

A Mover and A Shaker

Perhaps my favorite Halloween party (of my grown-up costume party years) was the year my little sister and I dressed as a 'mover' and a 'shaker' in college. As the 'shaker', I pulled my hair into a ponytail, wore all black, and pinned a rather large white letter 'S' to my sweater: little sis wore a ballcap and all yellow with a black-and-red "Ryder" sign pinned to her back. (As I recall, she wore very cute red flats, too.) We were awarded 'Most Clever' costume. And lots of free beverages.

Good times.

Wish I had a photo.


Today's conundrum: How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll tootsie-pop?

Future conundrum: If we only use them one night each year, how many years will the lights last that we use for the notorious 'red eyes' on Halloween?

Thanks for perusing this blog; blog you again soon!