December 8, 2009

Enveloped

I found Christmas cards I liked today, but then realized that the envelopes were not lined and needed a bit of heft to make them a little nicer.

I remembered that my clever blog friend, Courtney from Style Court has shown examples of how she has lined envelopes with interesting papers to make a more elegant presentation. So I took a page (or really, a piece of paper) from her book and embellished my own envelopes.Mary McDonaldSince the cards that I selected have silver on them, I thought about using some of the joss paper I had on hand to line the envelopes. When I am in New York, I frequently stop by Pearl River Mart and pick up a packet or two of joss paper, which is traditional Chinese paper. pearl river 017 Each square of paper has either a thin piece of square foil glued to its center or it may be endorsed with a red ink seal from a traditional Chinese character. The foil is either silver or gold, and both are equally beautiful and spare.

I made a template and cut it out of card-stock, and then traced the outline on the back of the joss paper and then cut it out. 12-8 005 I placed the paper inside the envelope, and then glued the top of it onto the flap. I tried gluing the entire sheet, but it wouldn’t go into the envelope. 12-8 003As Courtney shows in her post, you can use almost any decorative paper that complements the envelope’s colour for a nice custom envelope!

19 comments:

  1. I love the idea of lined envelopes-must be sure I have time to address them first. I have jump on several of Courtney's suggestions too. GT

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  2. The result is completely beautiful! I'm not so sure I can be trusted not to make crooked envelopes though!

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  3. How clever! They look terrific. I've been very remiss about sending Christmas cards for a few years now. I think they're nice to receive, but only if the sender bothers to write something more interesting than the seasonal greeting and their name. News is important. I used to send out masses, but then began to evaluate the process, and that's why I've arrived at this new juncture. I'm in frequent contact with those I love and who are true and dear, so a huge element of the process has been eliminated! I'm afraid the commercial aspects of Christmas, (of which card sending must be one), are removed from the point of the festival. Oh dear...I'll go and put my scrooge costume on.

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  4. Meg, love the lined envelopes. You make it look easy enough that even the craft challenged, such as myself, could do this.

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  5. Gorgeous! And you were so smart to make your own template. I bought mine at Paper Source. Not brain surgery.

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  6. The gold lining is just beautiful. Who doesn't appreciate beautiful cardstock--and now, even better with your lovely lining!

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  7. Lovely envelopes....how is it I didn't know about Pearl River Mart? I must head there this weekend - don't know what I need - but I'm sure they have it!

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  8. Wow! It looks so great. You (and Courtney) are so clever.

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  9. very clever idea, very creative, I had forgotten how Courtney had posted on this....so many special ideas and details to remember!

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  10. Meg -- your version is stunning! I love the metallic. It's a fun project.

    BTW: your gift tags are great too!

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  11. You are clever Meg. Lined envelopes are just so darn elegant. Thanks for your tips!

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  12. What a coincidence! I was just reading about how to line envelopes in the Daily Telegraph this morning (or maybe it was the Independent -- now I can't remember). I love doing pretty crafty things with paper and will definitely add this to my list (I also like making envelopes from scratch, from magazine pages, colorful ads, etc.).

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  13. It looks great! Well done! Courtney always has great ideas!

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  14. I love your tips! Thanks for thinking of us! Trish

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  15. Here is a lol and I promise I am not making it up. I once worked with a man who had a great sense of humor. Every Xmas when he received cards he would draw a line through the person's name and sign his name and put the card into a newly addressed envelope and mail it to a friend. Everbody loved to get his "re-cycled" Christmas cards! Laughter is good for the soul.
    nancy www.rivieraboardwalk.blogspot.com

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  16. What a super idea. Probably beyond my skill level, so I'll just enjoy your results.

    All best,
    Kathleen

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  17. very very beautiful looking! i am all thumbs though. seriously - I could never do this as nice as you did. unfortunately!
    how is the painting coming?

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  18. Since I often make my own cards, include a letter of several lines and some photographs, and carefully select interesting postage stamps, lining the envelope seems to make the process that much more time consuming. That said, it would have exceptionally beautiful results and I know I'll end up doing it anyway.

    A birthday card envelope lined with the same paper as the accompanying gift is wrapped in would be very attractive.

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