Happy Holidays!

As the year 2018 is coming to an end, I thought I'd show you some highlights from my year:

The first Father's Day in my household

Commission to make thank-you cards for the dancers of "It's Raining Men"

Etsy Pop-Up at Evergreen Brickworks with my mini sales assistant

Wedding cards

Makers Market at the Withrow Farmers Market

The popular "Get well soon" cards got a sibling: "I'm so sorry"

My little guy celebrated his first birthday!

Holiday Market at SickKids last week

Another Etsy Pop-Up at the Brickworks ... in colder temperatures

Holiday cards

And how was your 2018?

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From my family to yours, have a wonderful holiday season filled with love, joy, peace and laughter, and an amazing new year! 

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Happy Holidays!

2017 has been yet another amazing year for PaperTurns, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support, interest, custom orders, and your many purchases.

Enjoy the holidays, have a wonderful Christmas, a happy Hanukkah, 

and a terrific and very happy new year!

 

Open Secret: The Trinity Bellwoods Flea is one of the best markets in Toronto

As a firm believer in what is usually labeled handmade, craft, or artisanal, I love local markets. You know that I make greetings cards, and you may also know that I bake with sourdough, but I also love shopping for handmade gifts for my loved ones from other local vendors. After all, I can't make everything myself! Knowing that the wares have a small carbon footprint, and that I'm contributing to the salary of a local artist gives me a lot of joy. My husband's birthday is in the fall, so I did my gift shopping in the late summer. I know, not usually a time when there are tons of craft markets around. But there is one market reliably popping up every month that has an amazingly well-curated assembly of vendors every single time: the Trinity Bellwoods Flea. It's been so successful as a monthly market that it celebrated its first anniversary, i.e. its twelfth(!) incarnation in August. And needless to say, that's where I got some of my husband's gifts. My husband is a member of Postcrossing, i.e. in constant need of postcards; he is also a history buff and an American, so getting him Hamilton Musical colouring postcards by Justine Fisher was a PERFECT gift. Justine is really young and only just starting out, and without the Trinity Bellwoods Flea, I would have never found her! And that was just one of many cool moments from my own experience as a mere visitor or local shopper. The market takes place at the Studio Bar, which not only has a great vibe but is also really spacious. With its two rooms, it fits a ton of vendors, which is great for visitors, because the event has something to offer for everyone -- adults, kids, pet lovers, stationery enthusiasts, foodies, fashionistas,... The flea provides a really welcoming atmosphere for everyone, and you'll want to linger before, between and after your shopping. There is a different selection of new and seasoned vendors every month, so it's well worth making a monthly visit part of your routine. That's what I've done, and it's been very rewarding. The Studio Bar is located at 824 Dundas Street West, in the heart of the always beautiful Trinity Bellwoods neighbourhood, so you can combine your visit with a stroll through the park, or a meal in one of the neighbourhood's great restaurants. Sounds awesome, doesn't it?

For it's Pre-Holiday and Holiday editions, the market runs Saturdays AND Sundays to double the fun, and I'll give you another good reason why you should attend the next two Sunday pop-ups of the Trinity Bellwoods Flea: I will be part of it as a vendor, and you can get all your greeting cards without having to rely on Canada Post. Have you stocked up on holiday cards yet? You haven't? Well there you go, what better reason is there? For your card-loving friends and relatives you can buy giftable card sets that range from cute ("Panda Love") to elegant ("Four Seasons - Floral"), and from multicolour "Birthday" set to "Thank You" set. I also got you covered for the next few birthdays, weddings, funerals, births, anniversaries or "just because" moments.

I will be in the company of awesome crafters that will make your shopping experience totally worth your while. Let me introduce you to a few who will be sharing the room with me on Sunday, November 20:

• FoldIt Creations: You've got to admit that it's practically impossible to find a better gift to pair my Santa Crane card with than a necklace that features an origami crane in silver or gold. Right?
• The Otter Potter: My miniature paper creations are one of the things that draws people to my cards. What if I told you that there was a potter who has as much fun with the minis as I do, the only difference being that we're using two different mediums? Yup, that's the Otter Potter. 
• Elixir Chic Designs: Remember the jewellery designer who interviewed me for the Toronto Etsy Street Team Blog this summer, and who got interviewed by me in return? She'll be there too with her funky, spiky designs.
• Citchen Candle Co.: 'Cause who doesn't love the smell of Christmas or pumpkin pie when you're merely lighting a candle? The candles have a long burning time and come with the added bonus of a reusable mason jar at the end. Genius!
• YYZ Imports: If you've seen me perform with PushPULL Dance, you will have seen one of their models with me on stage. Dancer-supporting jewellery designers for the win! Get starstruck or reminded of your favourite PushPULL moments by association. Hehe. But in all seriousness, their line includes some stunning pieces. 
• Island Oysters: Because oysters. 

So, yeah, totally worth attending the Trinity Bellwoods Flea for, n'est-ce pas? And that's only a TINY selection! Imagine how awesome all the other vendors will be -- you can find the full list on the Event Facebook page. It shouldn't come as a surprise then that the Trinity Bellwoods Flea Pre-Holiday Edition has been listed among the markets that are a MUST for local holiday shopping. How could BlogTO, Narcity, Style Democracy, AND Daily Hive all be wrong? Basically a mini-version of the One of a Kind Show, except it's all FREE!

Here are all the remaining chances of visiting the Trinity Bellwoods Flea in 2016:

• Saturday, November 19, 11am-6pm
• Sunday, November 20, 11am-6pm -- PaperTurns will be there!
• Saturday, December 17, 11am-5pm
• Sunday, December 18, 11am-5pm -- PaperTurns will be there!

Live demo of how I make my cards... Coming up on Saturday, November 12

When people look at Paper Turns greeting cards, one of the first things I hear from them is often, "Wow, these are so intricate. How long does it take you to make one?" (Answer: It depends!) Or they ask, "How do you do origami with such tiny pieces of paper?" (Answer: It takes a lot of practice.) But with every art and craft, it's so much more useful to show, rather than tell. And so here is a unique chance to watch me fold origami and see the magic that goes into my cards live! Thirteen unique artists and crafters will be at the Gibson House Museum next weekend and demonstrate their work processes. On top of that, each artist will also have a vending table where you can purchase gorgeous handmade goods. Organised by the Toronto Etsy Street Team, this "intervention" has been included on several lists of not-to-miss holiday markets this season, including those on blogTO, and Narcity. So what are you waiting for?


If you have never heard of the Gibson House Museum, let me tell you why it's a really cool location for this event. The Gibson House is one of 10 historic museums operated by the City of Toronto. It was built in 1851 and is an elegant farmhouse with Georgian-style exterior. Scottish immigrant David Gibson and his family were the original inhabitants, and today visitors can travel into the past and experience what living there was like. The Etsy vendors will be set up throughout the house, which gives you the opportunity to take in both the historic grandeur of the museum and experience ancient crafts such as embroidery, sewing, jewellery making, and paper folding in their modern artistic reincarnations. On top of that, the museum has a tea room where you can enjoy festive treats and of course plenty of tea.

Event details:

When: Saturday, November 12, 11am-4pm.

Where: Gibson House Museum, 5172 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario M2N5P6.

Participating Etsy Vendors: Check out this LookBook featuring all participating vendors. 

How to get there, admission etc.: All available on this website.

Facebook Event Page: Confirm your attendance, set event reminders or invite your friends on this page.  

I looking forward to seeing you there.

My November Craft Markets

The days are getting shorter and colder, and Christmas and Hanukkah are a mere two months away. If you follow Paper Turns, it is probably safe to assume that you send at least a couple of seasonal greeting cards each year. It takes time to write those, and then there's the time it takes for the postal service to deliver them... Guess what? This year, you can buy them early, and you can write them early, and if you get a bunch of card sets on top of the holiday cards, your gift shopping and holiday mail will be done in no time! A whole lot of holiday cards are already listed in the online shop, and I am busy as ever creating lots and lots and lots more cards for the upcoming holiday markets. That's right, if you're in Toronto you don't have to order online; you can just visit me at one of the markets! Here are three of them, for a start.

1) The Etsy Team 416 Hustler Holiday Market 

Sunday, November 6, 10am-5pm, at the Great Hall on 1087 Queen St. West.
Find more information here.

2) The Roncesvalles United Church Christmas Arts & Crafts Market 

Saturday, November 19, 10am-4pm, at the Emmanuel Howard Park RUC on 240 Roncesvalles Ave.
Find more information here.

3) The Trinity Bellwoods Flea - Pre Holiday Market

Sunday, November 20, 11am-5pm, at the Studio Bar on 824 Dundas St. West.
Find more information here.

I look forward to seeing you at one (or several!) of these markets.

The new 2016 holiday collection will be officially launched at the Etsy Market on November 6, but you'll find a sneak peek over the course of the next two weeks on Instagram and Facebook.

Impressions from the Winter Village

It was the first really cold day of the Winter, so the Local Maker Market, which arose out of converted shipping containers right beside the skating rink at Evergreen Brick Works truly deserved to be called "Winter Village". At least the fire pits and the hot apple cider kept us warm, and the food from all those gourmet food trucks supplied the energy for a full day of interacting with Christmas shoppers. Card sets were popular among those who still needed a gift for a friend or a mom-in-law, and lots of last-minute shoppers picked up a Christmas card or two. Many customers were also drawn to the origami magnets. Thanks to everyone who stopped by despite the cold! Here are a few impressions from December 19.

Merry Christmas & 

a Happy New Year!

Holiday Market with Paper Turns

Paper Turns is pleased to be one of over 50 local artists and crafters to have set up shop in the Evergreen Winter Village. I'll be selling holiday cards, card sets (need a gift for a stationery lover?), origami magnets, cards for a whole year's worth of occasions and more at my little booth inside a converted shipping container. Join me and all the other talented vendors for an exceptional shopping experience on the final weekend before Christmas. At the other vendors' booths, you can find home decor, stationery, jewellery, accessories, skin care products, and many other beautiful and carefully hand-crafted gifts. Just look for the Local Maker Market inside the Winter Village.

When: Saturday, December 19, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Where: Evergreen Brick Works, CRH Gallery, 550 Bayview Ave, Toronto ON, M4W 3X8

There will also be a variety of different foods, cold and hot drinks, live music, activities and games, a skating rink, and lots of places to warm up by the fire or indoors. Entry into the Evergreen Winter Village is free.

There's also the Saturday Farmers Market (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.), and a matinee production of the play Tails from the City by award-winning Toronto playwright Marjorie Chan at 4:30.

Check out the Evergreen Winter Village picture gallery on Facebook!

I look forward to seeing you there.

The 2015 Holiday Collection

Paper Turns is proud to present the 2015 holiday collection and it includes lots of new takes on old favourites. You will be pleased to hear that I listened to your request for more reindeer cards. If you loved last year's poinsettia wreath, you might like this year's wreath with charms. For those of you who have loved the owls-with-shades summer card series, I have a little surprise: my owls have swapped the sunglasses for Santa hats and delight in the dazzle of sparkly snowflakes. This year's Hanukkah series features the star of David in different forms. Whether you prefer origami or wire, I'm sure there's a holiday card for you. Also, many models from the 2014 collection continue to be available. Check out the Christmas and Hanukkah card shelves in the Paper Turns Etsy store.

Please note:

• All cards are BLANK inside.
• All cards are sold with a matching envelope and are placed in a transparent plastic wrapper for protection before they are shipped.
• The wooden dreidel in the Hanukkah card pictures is not part of the product.

Christmas Cards

The Origami Reindeer

Article no.: 05GO-A6-LAT15101

This card features a modular origami reindeer folded from two different shades of brown origami paper. The background motif is a German print with a moose and fir-tree woodcut design. The brown accent strip is cut from fibred silver-speckled Japanese paper. The wish, "Merry Christmas", is handwritten in gold. Dimensions of the folded card: 10.8 cm x 15.7 cm.

 The Origami Wreath with Charms

Article no.: 05CH-A6-GOL15101

This card features a modular origami wreath, folded from two different types of green fibred Japanese paper. Attached to it are three different gold metallic charms: a candy cane, holly, and a small heart, engraved with "Merry X'mas". Each charm has a little red satin bow tied to it. The card stock is gold with a fibre pattern and is decorated with strips of white and red Japanese paper. Dimensions of the folded card: 10.7 cm x 15.7 cm.

 The Origami Owl — available in two colour combinations

Article no.: 05GO-A6-TUR15101 (turquoise card)

This festive winter card features an origami owl with a Santa hat, sitting on branch surrounded by big, sparkly snowflakes.
The card comes in two different colour combinations.

• The turquoise card is decorated with turquoise/silver snowflake paper and features a brown owl. The brown owl's Santa hat is decorated with small white pompom. No lining paper. 
• The black card is decorated with white/silver snowflake paper and features a black owl. Inserted is a sheet of Japanese lining paper to write on. No pompom.

Article no.: 05GO-A6-BLA15101 (black card)

The branch on each card is cut from a textured Japanese card stock in dark brown. Dimensions of the folded card: 10.8 cm x 15.7 cm.

Hanukkah Cards - SOLD OUT

 

The Origami Star of David with Dreidel (SOLD OUT)

Article no.: 06JO-A6-SEA15101

This card features a star of David and a dreidel made from Japanese papers in shades or blue, silver and shimmery turquoise. The origami star of David is folded from chiyogami (precious silk-screened Japanese paper) with a blue and silver print pattern. The same chiyogami forms the basis of the dreidel placed at the bottom of the card. The sides of the dreidel feature the Hebrew letters ש ["shin"] and ה ["hay"]. The wish, "Happy Hanukkah!", is handwritten and underlined with velour ribbon. Contains a loosely inserted sheet of Japanese watermarked lining paper to write on. Dimensions of the folded card: 10.7 cm x 15.7 cm (4 1/4" x 6 1/4").

The Wire Star of David (SOLD OUT)

Article no.: 06WI-A6-WHI15101

This card features a star of David ornament folded from blue wire. The star is tied with black thread to a silver bow at the top of the card. If the card ever gets recycled, the silver bow can be untied, and the star ornament can be easily removed from the card and used as decoration. The card stock is white obonai (i.e. with visible fiber) and adorned at the top and bottom with two layers of silver and blue Japanese paper, cut in a zig-zag pattern. The wish, "happy hanukkah", is handwritten directly onto the card stock in silver. Dimensions of the folded card: 10.8 cm x 15.7 cm (4 1/4" x 6 1/4").

Upcoming Etsy Market with Paper Turns

Impression from the Etsy Market in August 2015

 

A market hall full of Etsy vendors... including Paper Turns!

Paper Turns is returning to Evergreen Brick Works for another Etsy Market on the last October weekend! Just like in August, there will be over 40 craft vendors who will sell their unique and locally crafted wares. You can find anything from ceramics and knits to toys, home wares, and greeting cards! The Paper Turns table will feature the new 2015 holiday greeting card line (Christmas & Hanukkah), some autumnal/Halloween cards, a broad range of birthday, wedding, new baby and thank-you cards, greeting cards for many other occasions, blank cards, card sets, and origami magnets. If you're looking for seasonal gifts, why not consider buying a card set or some unique origami magnets made from gorgeous Japanese paper? 

When:  Sunday, October 25, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Evergreen Brick Works, The Pavilions, 550 Bayview Avenue, Toronto ON, M4W 3X8.

Close-up of the Paper Turns table at the Etsy markt in August

For more information see http://www.evergreen.ca/whats-on/event-details/11613/

The Etsy Market is hosted parallel to the Farmers' Market, and there are several other events for kids and families as well as a free Yoga class taking place during the same time, in case you need an additional reason to come out and browse the craft market...

I look forward to seeing you there!

All I want for Christmas...

You know what would be a really, really awesome Christmas present for the Paper Turns card-crafting venture? Winning $300 worth of card-making supplies from my main paper supplier. And guess what, you can help me! The Paper Place, my main supplier of card stocks, envelopes, chiyogami and many other decorative papers, is currently doing a photo contest that asks their customers to show what they have crafted using their stock. Paper Turns entered with two pictures showing cards from the 2014 Holiday Collection. Now it's your turn to vote for your favourites. Would you mind doing Paper Turns a huge favour by voting for my creations?

Here is how you do it:

1. Go to the Facebook page of The Paper Place (that’s my main paper supply store), and click on the “Win $300 gift certificate!” tab. This is the direct link. 
2. Click on the button “Vote” at the top.
3. "Like" The Paper Place if you're not a fan already. (If you like my cards you will definitely like their store.)
4. Find the two entries from the Paper Turns holiday collection (the number of votes will hopefully have risen from 8 and 5 by the time you vote): 
   

   

   Paper Turns entries in the #paperplaceholidays contest

5. Click vote on each of these two photos. 
6. Done! (Or you could ask your friends to do the same...)

Thank you so much for your votes! The more votes my cards will get, the greater my chances of winning the gift card. And imagine how many awesome cards I will be able to make with all those supplies… I will keep you posted on how this turns out.

The 2014 Holiday Collection

December is here, and it's about time to introduce the Paper Turns Holiday Collection! This brand new collection includes a range of cards for Christmas and Hanukkah -- each of them handmade with exquisite papers and card stock from Japan and Canada, and with lots of attention paid to detail. You'll see when you click on the photos.

I look forward to your orders! As previously announced, cards will also be for sale at the Pop Up Market at Smiling Buddha - Holiday Edition.

**The decoration in the photographs is not included in the offer.**

CHRISTMAS CARDS

The Christmas card collection

(1) The Classic Gold Star

Article No.: 05JO-A6-BUR14111

The Classic Gold Star Card features an origami eight-pointed star, folded from beautifully textured Japanese gold-coated paper. This paper comes in five different textures/gold shades, and each card features a different texture/shade. The card stock is andaria burgundy, and the green stripe a soft obonai feather paper.

• Card dimensions: 10.8 cm x 16 cm.
• Blank inside. Includes a loosely inserted sheet of white watermarked lining paper.
• Comes with an A6 metallic-fleck light red envelope.
• Text options: "Season's Greetings", "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas", handwritten.

(2) The Classic Silver Star

Article No.: 05JO-A6-SIL14111

The Classic Silver Star Card features an origami eight-pointed star, folded from beautifully textured Japanese silver-coated paper. This paper comes in five different textures, and each card features a different texture. The card stock is almic silver, and the red and green stripes are cut from metallic fleck papers.

• Card dimensions: 10.7 cm x 15.7 cm.
• Blank inside. 
• Comes with an A6 gold-and-silver-speckled ivory envelope.
• Optional: a piece of white card stock with a holiday wish/greeting text can be glued to the card as well.

(3) The Christmas Wreath

Article No.: 05OR-A6-IVO14111

The Christmas Wreath Card features a modular origami wreath, folded from green obonai feather paper and an elegant chiyogami (Japanese silk-screened paper) with a bright red-and-gold pattern. The bow is made from red satin ribbon. The card stock is ivory linen. The inspiration for this card came from the scrapperia blog.

• Card dimensions: 11.3 cm x 15.3 cm.
• Blank inside.
• Comes with an A6 ivory envelope.
• The text, "Merry Christmas", is handwritten on white card stock, framed by green obonai feather paper.

(4) The Santa Crane

Article No.: 05CO-A6-GOL14111

The Santa Crane Card features a traditional origami crane, folded from chiyogami with a colourful wave print in red, green, gold and light blue tones. The crane wears a little Santa hat made from velvety red momi paper and white Japanese tissue paper. In its beak it carries a parcel on a black string. The parcel is made from red metallic fleck paper with ivory silk thread serving as ribbon. The card stock is matte gold and the stripe is cut from a light green metallic fleck paper.

• Card dimensions: 10.7 cm x 15.8 cm.
• Blank inside. Includes a loosely inserted sheet of white watermarked lining paper.
• Comes with an A6 ivory envelope with a gold-fiber pattern.
• The text, "Merry Christmas", is handwritten directly onto the card stock.

(5) Baubles

Article No.: 05JT-A6-WHI14111

The Baubles Card features two baubles cut from simple-but-stunning chiyogami prints. The bauble on the left is red with silver dots and topped with a silver paper cap; the one on the right is green with gold dots and topped with a gold paper cap. A small piece of wire is affixed at the top of each bauble, and the baubles are connected to a green branch with black thread. The evergreen branch is cut from a dark green fiber-rich paper. The card stock is white obonai.

• Card dimensions: 10.7 cm x 15.7 cm.
• Blank inside.
• Comes with an A6 fibery green envelope.

(6) The Reindeer

Article No.: 05GO-A2-MIX14091

The Reindeer Card features a modular origami reindeer folded from a light matte-gold-patterned chiyogami and brownish grey washi paper. Gold and silver stars (plastic with a metallic sheen) are glued to the card. The card stock is a German print with a moose and fir-tree woodcut design.

• Card dimensions: 13.8 cm x 10 cm.
• Blank inside.
• Comes with an A2 white envelope.
• The text "Happy Holidays" is handwritten in gold.  

This card is unique, i.e. there exists only one.  

HANUKKAH CARDS

The Hanukkah card collection

(1) The Dreidel on Navy

Article No.: 06CD-A2-NAV14091

The navy Dreidel Card features a dreidel made from an array of beautiful papers in blue tones. The base is cut from shimmery blue ungeishi paper, and the sides are made from dark blue momi irobiki paper and a white-and-navy chiyogami. The dreidel features the Hebrew letters ש ["shin"] and  ה["hay"], cut from lightly speckled white paper and blue glitter paper. The card stock is navy.

• Card dimensions: 10.8 cm x 14 cm.
• Blank inside. Includes a loosely inserted sheet of delicate Japanese lining paper.
• Comes with an A2 navy envelope.
• The text, "Happy Hanukkah!", is handwritten directly onto the card stock, framed by two stars of David, cut from shimmery blue ungeishi paper.

(2) The Dreidel on White

Article No.: 06CD-A2-WHI14111

The white Dreidel Card also features a dreidel made from an array of beautiful papers in blue tones. The base is cut from shimmery blue ungeishi paper, and the sides are made from velvety blue momi paper and a white-and-navy chiyogami. The dreidel features the Hebrew letters ש ["shin"] and  ה["hay"], cut from shimmery white momi paper and blue glitter paper, each rimmed with a marker pen to create depth. The card stock is white obonai.

• Card dimensions: 10.7 cm x 13.9 cm.
• Blank inside. 
• Comes with an A2 white envelope.
• The text, "Happy Hanukkah!", is handwritten directly onto the card stock, framed by two stars of David, cut from shimmery blue ungeishi paper.

(3) The Hanukkah Menorah

Article No.: 06CM-A6-NAV14091

The Hanukkah Menorah Card features a classic chanukiah, cut from shimmery blue ungeishi paper. The candles are made from a shimmery white card stock, and the flames from gold paper. The card stock is navy.

• Card dimensions: 15.5cm x 11.4 cm.
• Blank inside. Includes a loosely inserted sheet of delicate Japanese lining paper.
• Comes with an A6 navy envelope.
• The text, "Happy Hanukkah!", is handwritten directly onto the card stock, framed by two stars of David, cut from shimmery blue ungeishi paper.