The birthday season

One of the things I love about this time of year is that it's the birthday season!  Not just mine but those of many relatives and friends. Obviously (!) I''ve lots of lovely furoshiki for wrapping all those presents - here's one I did earlier this week, a simple blue wrap for a 15 year old boy.

As well as enjoying experimenting to find the right wrap for a gift, I'm always on the look out for eco friendly and original cards to add to my stock.  I have some great re-usable Cloth & Card cards like these made by my sister, Oli;

 
Dig the Earth is another favourite for his bright, zingy designs;

Aleximo Croissant's alien is a big hit with my nephews;

and I was really pleased when I finally got round to visiting The Gift Tag, a gem of a shop in our village, to find a great selection of handmade cards and photo cards with local views.

Recycle, recycle

A special piece of recycling for today - a return visit to a previous post on how we recycle when making furoshiki and their accessories.

We try to recycle in various ways, using recycled fabric (such as ex-display curtains) for furoshiki bags and using fabric remnants for patchwork, ties and pom poms. My favourite though are Oli's card creations, made from left over fabric and old packaging. The cards are in themselves reusable - simply replace the paper insert - and come with their own message for the recipient:

"Please reuse me again & again. A gift for the planet, as well as a friend."

A selection of cards is available on Etsy - with free shipping!