Blog - Page 5 of 19 - Cards and Gift Wrap

Posted on March 19, 2019August 12, 2023 by janet — 1 Comment

What’s Special about Flamingo Paperie

**UPDATE** As of June 2023 Flamingo Paperie has now closed. We are very sad at the loss of this fabulous company with its range of fabulous artists but we still have a good level of Flamingo Papaerie stock available on this website and will always try and find what you are looking for if you want to locate an old favourite. We are very lucky to be stocking products from many of the same artists via other suppliers.

Other than the quality and affordability, which Flamingo cards and gift wrap has in abundance, what makes them any different to other greeting cards on the market? In short – what’s special about Flamingo Paperie?

Recyclable

All Flamingo gift wrap and gift tags are recyclable, 100%! That’s quite something in a day where there is still a myth spread on social media that only brown paper can be recycled. The gift tags all have jute string ties and jute is totally biodegradable and therefore compostable.

If you’re still not convinced whether you can have pretty wrapping paper without harming the environment then read my guide Is gift wrapping paper recyclable

What about the cards? Good question! All the greeting cards without effects added are 100% recyclable. Until now the glitter on some of the cards wasn’t environmentally friendly but Flamingo have just launched the first cards with eco-friendly vegetable based glitter.

‘Happy Anniversary’

now with eco-friendly, vegetable based glitter!

It’s unclear whether foiled cards are recyclable or not. Many recycling plants won’t accept them but there is some research done by interested parties to suggest that this might be unnecessary.

Charity

ALL Flamingo Christmas cards, including the advent calendar cards are charity cards. If you want to know more about that then I wrote about it in a bit more depth here.

Woodman’s House

charity advent calendar card

shop advent calendar cards

Flamingo Partners, like myself, got to choose which charities would benefit in 2018 and we chose Macmillan Cancer Support, Together for Short Lives and the Alzheimers Society for UK donations.

Artists

Have you ever seen or bought a greeting card after liking the image on the front only to wonder who created it? You turn over the card and all you see is ‘Made in China’. Not so with Flamingo!

Flamingo are proud to promote each and every one of the artists who design for them. And if you read their profiles the artists are pretty pleased to supply Flamingo with their designs.

Flamingo Paperie are a design led company and are always looking for new artists. If you have something to offer, it could be your name on the back of the next new Flamingo greeting card.

You could be part of a very special Flamingo too!

Are you:

Running your own business and need to compliment your products with cards and gift wrap?
Needing a little extra income?
Looking for something flexible that you can shape to fit your lifestyle?
Someone who loves cards, gift wrap, stationery, Christmas and all things glittery!?

If you’d just like to get your hands on these charitable, ethical and desing led cards and gift wrap then you can buy them from my Flamingo shop. Shop now and find our what’s special about Flamingo Paperie.

Posted on March 8, 2019March 26, 2023 by janet — 1 Comment

Easter cards why do we send them?

When was the first Easter card sent?

According to Wikipedia people sent the first Easter cards just over 100 years ago at the very end of the 19th Century. At this time people tended to send postcards. Initially you could only write the address on the back of the postcard, along side the stamp. Postcard senders had to write on the front meaning that the illustration had to allow space for the writing. This changed in the early 1900s when the back of the postcard was split more like we see today.

Buy Easter cards here

What sort of cards did Victorians send?

Early images on Easter postcards and cards included the Easter bunny, sheep, flowers, eggs and often young girls who were a symbol of luck and hope. Easter carries a message of hope and new life so now we also might include butterflies and spring images, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere where Easter and Spring coincide. In Australia you might find an Easter Bilby instead of a bunny.

Where did the Easter bunny come from?

Flamingo Paperie Easter Wishes greeting card

It’s generally accepted that the Easter bunny originated in the 1700s in Germany. He was originally an ‘egg-laying hare’. German Lutherans took the tradition to America with them. Then, like so many things, once the Americans are doing it, we’re all doing it!

What are Easter cards all about?

There’s no doubt that Easter cards have their origin in Christianity. Relating to Jesus’ resurrection and the hope of new life, this is where most of our Easter images have their basis. It’s understandable that Easter cards were at their peak during the First World War. Then also the Second World War as people faced life and death situations and an uncertain future. Following the Second World War Easter cards declined and fewer are sent now than then. However, they are still very popular. With Mothers Day just 3 weeks before Easter it’s interesting to note that Mothers Day is the third largest card sending occasion in the calendar year, with Easter in fifth place.

Why send an Easter card?

Whether you are a Christian or not, sending any card at any time can lift someone’s spirits. There is a reason why the Greeting Card Association has as it’s industry tagline ‘send a card, deliver a smile’. That’s exactly what sending a card can do. While Easter may move its date each year it will always fall in Spring here in the UK. After an often cold, harsh winter here in the Outer Hebrides I know I love to see cards with flowers, animals, butterflies and eggs, heralding a new season with summer not far away.

Whatever your faith or none, an Easter card can bring hope and encouragement in tough times. Or perhaps just a reminder of what a beautiful world we live in.

Buy Easter cards here

So go on, make someone smile and send a few Easter cards this year!

If you’re looking for other ideas for Easter then I’ve made some suggestions here.

If you’re a busy person who’s a bit short of spare time to choose some Easter cards then I’ve put together a bundle for you.

Posted on January 23, 2019June 26, 2019 by janet — Leave a comment

Gift Wrapping Subscription Box

Posted on January 5, 2019January 5, 2019 by janet — Leave a comment

brochure

Posted on November 18, 2018 by janet — Leave a comment

Art of Gift Wrapping — Shiho Masuda

Last month, I was invited to have a live interview to talk about my career as a gift wrapping designer at a local TV show in Hawaii. We talked about how I started my career and what projects I’ve been working on, then at the mid-point of the show, the interviewer asked me, “Why is the art of gift wrapping important?”
Image 1.jpg

To answer this question was important to me because that’s where my passion lies.

The art of gift wrapping is important because it helps us build an emotional connection with others. If hiding the content (gift) is all you want, putting it in a paper bag will do a fine job.

You want to wrap your gift in a beautiful presentation because you care about the recipients and want to express your feelings of appreciation, love and/or joy for them. The act of gift wrapping maybe physical but the real reason of doing so is emotional.

The art of gift wrapping is about building relationships and keeping connections with people important in your life.

In the world of internet and social media in which everyone focused on developing online interactions, taking the time to create something beautiful with your hands is a meaningful and heartfelt way to communicate with others.

I’ve been creating the art of gift wrapping for years for my family, friends and clients and the reactions I get from them are always priceless. Imagine instead of just a cookie-cutter mall wrapped gift, your friends and family will get these…

And this is why I’m passionate about teaching and sharing ideas of the art of gift wrapping so that you can reconnect with your loved ones through the beautiful art created by hand.

Just in time for the holiday season, this is an excellent way to start preparing your personal gifts. There are some awesome ways that you can tailor-make how you present those gifts to the people you love.

P.S. My new online course will help you do just that and it’ll be available next week at a very low price just for you for the holiday season. 😊 It’ll help you to learn and create the art of gift wrapping for your friends and family so that you can really “wow” them!

via How to Create More Intimacy and Build Better Relationships through the Art of Gifting — Shiho Masuda

If you love the art of gift wrapping then you can now get a monthly deluxe box of coordinated gift wrapping materials delivered straight to your door from Cards and Gift Wrap.

Posted on November 14, 2018November 14, 2018 by janet — Leave a comment

Roll wrap

A lot of customers ask me for roll wrap. I do stock rolls and they are fabulous. Unfortunately with postage prices being what they are it isn’t cost effective to offer it for sale on my website as the postage would cost more than the wrap itself.

However, if you live in the Western Isles or round the Black Isle/Inverness area then I can probably arrange delivery for free.

With that in mind here is some of the roll wrap I have. If you’d like some please get in touch and I will do my best to sort you out.

It’s all fabulous, gorgeously designed and quality wrap that won’t rip or tear easily when wrapping.

If you see something you like please contact me to arrange delivery, or email me at janet@cardsandgiftwrap.co.uk.

5m jumbo rolls

patchwork nutcracker jumbo roll wrap — Patchwork Nutcracker

Red and gold stars jumbo roll — Red and Gold Stars

Christmas 3m Roll Wrap

Winter Wonderland roll wrap — Winter Wonderland

Forest Animals roll wrap — Forest Animals

Christmas Berries roll wrap — Christmas Berries

Everyday 3m Roll Wrap

Lime Trio roll wrap — Lime Trio (choose green spot, stripes or white flecks)

Posted on November 6, 2018June 13, 2023 by janet — 1 Comment

Is gift wrapping paper recyclable?

You’ve watched Blue Planet, you love turtles and you want to do your bit to be eco friendly. But you are a bit confused by mixed messages about whether you should be using gift wrap, brown paper, newspaper or even wrapping presents at all. Whether it’s for Christmas, a birthday or for any occasion you can gift wrap in style without costing the earth. I’ve put this little post together to help you answer the question; Is gift wrapping paper recyclable?

A really quick test is the Scrunch Test but it’s not quite as simple as that.

So which gift wrapping is recyclable?

Supermarket ‘cheap as chips’ wrapping paper

Probably not recyclable. Even if it doesn’t contain any glitter, foil or added extras, the thin wrapping paper that is often found at the checkout is unlikely to be accepted by paper mills for recycling as it contains few good quality fibres for recycling.

Gift wrap with foil or glitter effects

The paper might be recyclable but the glitter and foil effects make it difficult and too expensive (if it is even possible) to recycle. At least the paper will biodegrade if put in general household waste but the foil and glitter additives might not.

Recycled wrapping paper

Yes, most probably recyclable, providing no glitter, foil etc is added. You can get recycled wrapping paper. However, there is a debate as to whether it is better to produce recycled paper or use virgin pulp from FSC certified sources as the recycling process itself is expensive and energy consuming. Another alternative could be using paper from easily replenishable sources such as bamboo that grows quickly.

Brown paper

This shouldn’t be recycled but should go in the compostable bin along with brown cardboard but that’s ok. Good environmental option! Not so good if you want a pretty design as you’ll have to do one yourself and make sure any design you apply is also compostable! Check out my Pinterest board for some ideas. Use vegetable based inks to stamp the paper and add natural embellishments like twigs, flowers and berries that can also be composted.

Or you can buy coloured kraft wrap that is 100% recyclable.

Printed, quality wrapping paper

Yes, this wrapping paper is recyclable. One thing you might like to check is what inks are used in the print. Some companies use eco friendly vegetable based inks that do not harm the environment. Also check if the paper used is from FSC sources.

All of the gift wrap in my Flamingo shop is 100% recyclable, uses vegetable based inks and is from FSC sources.

We can confirm that all Flamingo Paperie gift wrap is recyclable. It is printed on Amber Graphic Material which is ECF (Elemental Chlorine Free). This is a technique which uses chlorine dioxide for the bleaching of wood pulp and does not use elemental chlorine gas during the bleaching process, so preventing the formation of dioxins, dioxin-like compounds and carcinogens. We also use vegetable inks with water rather than the alcohol damping process. Individual local authorities have their own rules on what they will and will not recycle, but we can confirm that our paper is fully recyclable. (statement from Flamingo HQ)

If you are a designer looking to print your own gift wrap then there are UK print companies that have a very high standard of eco friendly printing like Ashley House.

General tips on making gift wrapping paper recyclable

Before recycling or composting your gift wrap make sure you remove all sellotape, tags, ribbons, bows etc. Gift tags might be recyclable/compostable but the ribbon that they are attached often isn’t so make sure you remove it first. If in doubt, ask the company, they will know. Many gift wrap companies have an environmental policy like Flamingo Paperie. In fact all their gift tags, including the jute string, are 100% recyclable. Use washi tape or patterned kraft tape for a recyclable tape option.

For further information see Recycle Now

Also wondering what Christmas cards to buy? You might be interested to know that all our Christmas cards are charity cards as well as being environmentally friendly.

Posted on October 28, 2018June 3, 2021 by janet — Leave a comment

Nativity advent calendars

Are you a teacher looking for something for the classroom or just someone who likes to send a card with a true Christmas meaning? Whatever nativity advent calendars you are looking for there is a good choice here.

N ativity stable advent calendar

A full size advent calendar with both stand out and slot in pieces. This advent looks even better if you add a straw base (and it helps you stand the pieces up a little easier too!).

This is beautifully illustrated by Kate Garrett with all the nativity characters, animals, angels and a star to put right at the top.

This advent calendar is available direct from my Flamingo Paperie shop. Click here to go there.

Nativity advent calendars

This is a truly traditional advent calendar with 24 doors to open. The calendar opens out to a 3D scene of Bethlehem and the surrounding area. Open a door each day leading up to Christmas. Illustrated by Anna Cattermole.

This is available in my Cards and Gift Wrap shop. Click here.

Bethlehem advent calendar

Beautifully illustrated by Sarah Summers, this was a best selling advent from Phoenix Trading. Sadly discontinued and only a couple left in stock. With 24 slot in pieces you could use this advent calendar year after year.

Available from Cards and Gift Wrap. Click here.

Christmas Nativity advent calendar card

If you’re looking for a small advent calendar that will post for the price of a regular stamp then you can’t get better than this. Also illustrated by Sarah Summers with 24 mini doors to open.

This is a card with an advent calendar on the front. The greeting inside reads ‘Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year’ and this is available from my Flamingo Paperie shop. Click here.

Posted on October 27, 2018 by janet — Leave a comment

Notebooks

Posted on October 17, 2018 by janet — Leave a comment

Halloween Decor

Sometimes when you have young children it can be hard to find Halloween decor that’s not too gory or scary. So I’ve done the hard work for you and picked out the best costume ideas, props, decorations and activities suitable for all ages. You’ll find lots this Halloween on Etsy, and quite a few treats for yourself too. They have their own suggestions on their Halloween page but here are my favourites.

Monsters for your Mantlepiece

When it comes to Halloween decor you can go cute or gory. Maybe it’s because we have small people in our house that I like Halloween to be fun and decorations to be tasteful but not too ghoulish. These mantlepiece decorations are so simply spooky but stylish too.

If you want to have a go at making your own, or need to choose your colours to fit with your theme then these craft shapes would be a good place to start.

Spider Tattoos

How can you resist a trail of spiders scuttling up your arm?! Freak all your friends out when you show them your new creepy crawlies.

If spiders aren’t your thing then there are ghosts, witches and more too.

These children’s tattoos are great for younger monsters and for party bags or treat bags.

Photo Booth Props

There are three really great things about photo booths. First they don’t cost much to do. Second they can be enjoyed by all ages and lastly they mean lots of photos and fun memories of your party or get together.

These props will provide plenty of opportunity to be creative with your snaps. And if someone comes to your party and has ‘forgotten’ to dress up (you know there’s always someone) then you can oblige. After all we wouldn’t want them to feel left out would we?!

You can buy the props or you can print them yourself.

Small and Simple

Sometimes the simplest decorations are the best and these pompoms were too cute to ignore as well as being very reasonably priced.

If you’re more of a fabric person than a yarn lover then you will love this Halloween banner.

I hope you’ve found this useful in your Halloween preparations. Please let me know in the comments if you did and if you see something on Etsy that you think I should include here please let me know in the comments.