January 2011

Dear Readers,
Christmas is over and, it's almost a new year, and life continues to be very busy!  This month's newsletter is a bit shorter than usual since we've been spending a lot of time visiting friends and family and trying our best to stay away from the computer.  So, sorry, no D.I.Y article this month, but you can look forward to Cecelia's next tutorial in the February edition!

Though I haven't been spending as much time as usual on making and designing, my brains have been awhirl with new product ideas, which I am looking forward to working on once the holidays season is over and things calm down a bit around here.  Read on below to hear some of my brainwaves...

We are also having a wee bit of a boxing week promotion for our New Leaf Wear shop; you'll find a coupon code below. 

Works in Progress
 Plans for a New Year
Inspired by a table runner I saw in another Etsy shop, I made a LOT of table runners for Christmas gifts this year.  After a few traditional long rectangle ones with a birch tree design, I started creating some round table runner/hot pads, with layers of cotton batting for heat protection.  Since my mom has a round table, I thought it would be nice to have a centerpiece which could double as a place to rest hot dishes.  The photo on the right shows one I made for an aunt and uncle.  Soon I'll make some more and add them to our site.

I also recently figured out how to use the laminator I inherited last year, which feels like the beginning of all sorts of opportunities including new notebook cover designs, bookmarks...Why do I find the aspect of coating things in plastic so exciting? 

I really love coming up with new ideas to explore, now if only it was that easy to follow through with these plans!  

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Boxing Week: Save 25%

It's Boxing Week in Canada and we're offering 25% off our entire inventory in our New Leaf Wear Etsy shop.  Just enter the code BOXING25 in the Message to Seller during checkout and the 25% will be discounted automatically!

Check out our necklaces and upcycled clothing in our New Leaf Wear shop now.

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We've enjoyed this first year in business so much, especially connecting with our customers.  Happy New Year all, hope it's bright and beautiful all the way through.

Sincerely,
Maria & Cecelia
New Leaf Handmade Goods