Introducing our “Curious Travellers Collection”

Today I’m excited to finally reveal that we have a new range of lifestyle products available in our web shop! Our “Curious Travellers Collection” features four cute animal characters in some of my favourite European cities and all the artwork has been lovingly illustrated by myself these past few months. It has been a true delight putting this collection together and I can’t wait to show you…

Meet Fifi the Fox, Murphy the Meerkat, Rita the Red Panda and Gina the Giraffe! These adorable characters are featured in Santorini (Greece), Barcelona (Spain), Paris (France) and Tuscany (Italy). I chose these locations because they truly are absolute gems and I hold them very close to my heart.

So if you’re creatively curious, please visit our exciting online shop:

https://www.gracefulavenue.com.au/curious-travellers-collection

We currently offer Free Worldwide Shipping, too. Please let me know – what are your thoughts on our newest collection?

xx Naira

Founder of Graceful Avenue

Spreading Joy Through Illustration

14 Illustrated portraits in 35 days…

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. It has been quiet around here for these last few months for as some of you may know I set out on a trip of a lifetime last September. Beginning in Prague and through Austria entering Italy, it was in many ways a dream come true gap-year so far (I promise to share more about it soon) but right now I am living alone in a small flat in a Tuscan beachside town in a state of lockdown. It hasn’t been easy to put it mildly. There have been so many emotions and moments of pure defeat but little by little I’m pushing through. At the beginning of Italy’s tough quarantine measures over a month ago now I decided to connect with my most engaged Instagram followers in a different way. If I was going to survive this new lifestyle there had to be something creative for me to do within these four walls and I knew that I had everything available to me to undertake a new and creative project unlike anything I’ve ever done before. So I asked a select few followers to send me a photo of themselves that I could turn into an illustrated portrait of them. In an effort that spanned over 30 days I took up the challenge of sitting behind my laptop daily, stylus pen in hand, drawing tablet at the ready and Adobe Illustrator at my fingertips to create something meaningful for them to cherish and something that I hoped would take all our minds off the news headlines. Today I completed this project and I’m super proud of all 14 portraits I managed to create. It has been a true labour of love. The hashtag for this project was #spreadingjoythroughillustration and if you would like to head over to Instagram you’ll find lots of cool things about this project including a funky new process video I just uploaded. In reality I had so much fun bringing joy to people all around the world and I would consider myself truly blessed to have had this opportunity. Just as musicians are continuing to take to social media to entertain us during these difficult times with their voices, this was something I felt I could contribute to the world to hopefully bring a smile to someone’s face.

So here are all 14 portraits for you to see. Stay safe, keep thinking positively and together we will get through this. Lots of love to everyone.

DIY Washi Tape Swatch Sheet

I have been loving putting pen to paper for a few years now and really enjoy making beautiful friendships through the disappearing art of letter writing. With each letter I send out I simply love including a few extra things in the envelope such as stickers, die-cuts, gift tags, little cards or notes but have never really included washi tapes (since they are so bulky) until now.

For this mini DIY project you’ll need:

• Polypropylene sheets
• Washi tapes
• Cutting mat
• Craft knife
• Corner cutter
• Scissors
• Permanent Markers (for optional decorating)

Step-by-step Process:

• Cut the polypropylene sheets to the size you want. If you’re planning on sending this in your snail mail make sure you make it small enough to fit into your envelope!

Round off the corners to eliminate sharp edges. Scissors may also be used to cut the corners.

For this next step you can decorate the swatch with markers that are smudge-resistant for a creative touch! This is optional of course.

Now the fun part – choose which washi tapes you’d like to stick on the swatch and wind the tape around as many times as you like. The more tape, the heavier your letter will be.

And there you have it! Get as creative as you like, there really are no rules for this DIY.

InCoWriMo Challenge Completed

The idea of handwriting one letter for each day in February actually really scared me in the beginning but I’m proud to report that I’ve now completed the InCoWriMo challenge as of yesterday, and really enjoyed myself in the process. International Correspondence Writing Month connects hundreds of people from all around the world with a passion for the written word. You choose 28 people from the list to write to and post one letter each day. There was just something so relaxing about writing, engaging my mind with thoughts, and of course the creative part of decorating the envelopes and picking out which stationery to send alongside the letter.

I waited until I had a whole bunch of letters written before posting them so that I could take some cool photos first then release them out to friends and strangers in all corners of the world.

So let’s take a photographic look on the experience I had writing and sending 28 letters in February.

I’ve had an absolute blast taking part in this challenge and would like to thank everyone that sent me some snail mail as well as the incredible postmen and postwomen who work so incredibly hard in all weather conditions to get our mail delivered. Thank you!

 

AliExpress Stationery Haul

As a stationery designer it’s always such a treat to be able to order some cute stationery for my own ever-growing collection. I love to shop on AliExpress as there’s always a great variety of products at a great price, usually with free shipping to Australia. In recent years I bought lots of different items from this popular site that offers everything from technology to clothing, homewares to beauty and everything in between!

Just the other day an order arrived from the “house of novelty Official Store” in China and got me all excited for the totally adorable stickers I received. Let’s take a look:

These are probably my favourite stickers of all time and I just adore them! I’ll definitely use these to decorate my letters and envelopes as well as sending a bunch to snail mail friends.

These travel-themed stickers are giving me major wanderlust! Their small size makes them ideal for inclusion in my outgoing letters and their quality is simply great.

Cute animal stickers anyone? I can’t wait to send some of these to my friends with young children who are going to love them!

So there you have it. You can click on the images of these products to be taken to the ordering page on AliExpress. Happy shopping!

Disclaimer: I was not paid to post about these products. All opinions are my own.

Introducing “Mail my way”

Snail Mail has truly experienced a comeback in recent times and we’re so thrilled that more and more people are putting pen to paper in our technological age. So today we’d like to showcase our newest product range called “Mail my way”, a series of illustrated letter writing sets to encourage you to send more mail and write on some very cute paper and envelopes. This first one is the “Mishka Edition” and features our signature panda.

Design process: Mishka is always hand-drawn first to start the ideas flowing. Then we use a bamboo stylus pen and create illustrations directly in Adobe Illustrator, add a pop of colour and the result can be seen below!

What is included in this pack:

• 6 x A5 lined letter writing paper
• 2 x envelopes
• 2 x envelope seals
• 1 x paper clip

All this for $10 AUD plus shipping.

“Mail my way” packaging is professional and our product is of a high quality.

Visit our online shop to get your “Mail my way” kit today!

We’ll be at The District Makers Market this Sunday, 17th of June so you can shop directly from us then if you’re in Melbourne!

Snail Mail Challenge

I participated in a letter writing challenge as part of International Correspondence Writing Month (aka InCoWriMo) where we had to mail out a postcard or letter every day in the month of February.

I wanted to share some of my outgoing mail with you and say I really enjoyed taking part but feel like we really have become a society too dependant on technology. It felt so great to pick up a pen and write to a stranger or friend. I look forward to trying this again next year!

Happy snail mailing!

Christmas Events

Sorry for the lack of updates on here, dear friends. Somehow time just got the better of me.

I’m excited to share that this month, the very last in 2017, we’ll be at two Christmas events in Melbourne where you can buy our products. The first is happening this Sunday December 10th, at Sir William Fry Reserve in Highett. The event is called Carols by Kingston and for the first time we’ll be selling from inside a marquee!

We’ve been super busy getting everything ready for what promises to be a very exciting night filled with handmade goodies, gourmet food, cheerful carols and celebrity appearances. Please come along if you can! We’ll be there from 6.30pm until 10pm.

These are just a handful of products that you could expect to find when you shop at our stall. Your support means the world to us and we always get such a kick from interactive directly with our customers.

The second event this month is happening at Clarinda Community Centre on Friday 15th of December from 5pm – 9pm as a twilight Christmas market. We’re just as excited to be part of this smaller event.

Hope to see you at one of these great events soon! Have a lovely weekend!

Naira

Best Stationery Shops in Melbourne

When travelling, I make sure to research the best stationery shops in the cities I’m visiting. As a paper lover and stationery addict I simply can’t resist walking into a HEMA store in Amsterdam, a Paperchase outlet in London or a Papyrus boutique in New York. When it comes to stationery shops in my hometown of Melbourne there are 4 major chains dominating the marketplace – Officeworks, kikki.K, Typo and Kaisercraft. These multi-million dollar brands stock all the latest pens, notepads, greeting cards, stickers, tapes, planners and more! If however you’d like to support smaller businesses and shop locally, here’s a map of my favourite stationery shops in town…

(Click on the map for an interactive view)

1. Zetta Florence

Stocks a large range of papers, maps, cards, portfolios, stamps and posters, all with a feeling of nostalgia and illustrations from the bygone era of travel. Just beautiful!

197B Brunswick St, Fitzroy VIC 3065

www.zettaflorence.com.au

2. Mag Nation

This is a very popular store right in the heart of Melbourne. Spread over two floors, there are lots of greeting card designs, gifts and of course magazines. You can watch the hustle and bustle of city life from the top floor windows overlooking Elizabeth Street.

88 Elizabeth St, Melbourne VIC 3000

www.magnation.com

3. Paperpoint

My go-to destination for paper! It also stocks all the latest stationery designers and anything you could possibly want from the world of stamps, stickers, cards and envelopes.

259/261 Coventry St, South Melbourne VIC 3205

www.paperpoint.com.au

4. Avenue Bookstore

This delightful bookshop is always very busy on the weekend. They have a great range of books on all sorts of topics, spread across two floors. Located very close from the beautiful Albert Lake, this is my favourite bookshop in the city.

127 Dundas Pl, Albert Park VIC 3206

www.avenuebookstore.com.au

5. Co.Co

If you’re after beautiful gifts and homewares, then look no further. While the stationery selection is a lot smaller, this shop is simply a joy to visit every time.

59/59 Bay St, Port Melbourne VIC 3207

www.cocoxo.com.au

6. kikki.K

This Swedish brand owned by Kristina Karlsson needs no introduction. Filled with everything one could possibly want from the world of stationery, it’s no wonder how successful they have become, even opening international stores.

The Colonnade 524-564 Chapel St, South Yarra VIC 3141

www.kikki-k.com

7. Paper Republic

This is a beautiful gift shop in the heart of Camberwell. Here you can find a lovely selection of cards, posters and children’s gifts.

638 Burke Rd, Camberwell VIC 3124

www.paperrepublic.com.au

8. Coco and Chloe

Maling Road should be on any gift-lovers list when visiting Melbourne. While this shop is tiny it stocks some well-known international brands such as Rifle Paper Co.

120 Maling Rd, Canterbury VIC 3126

www.cocoandchloemelbourne.com.au

9. Daiso

This Japanese chain is full of lovely stationery including envelopes, stickers, notebooks, letter-writing sets and everything for your household. Most things cost only $2.80.

66/17 Market St, Box Hill VIC 3128

www.daisostore.com.au

10. The Paper Empire

They cater for the wedding market by supplying beautiful wedding invitations and stationery printed right in the store. Not only that, there’s a great range of top-notch washi tapes, stickers, papers, envelopes, paper clips and more! Highly recommended.

1234 High St, Armadale VIC 3143

www.thepaperempire.com.au

11. Typo

This brand owned by Cotton On has just exploded in Australia recently and has also gone international. They sell all sorts of funky cards and gifts, mostly catering to the young and young-at-heart demographic. There’s always something new happening at Typo.

4/112 Acland St, St Kilda VIC 3182

www.cottonon.com

12. Handworks Nouveau Paperie

This is not their only store but this one is my favourite. There’s everything you could possibly want to buy from the world of stationery and gift wares plus the shop is always decorated beautifully.

80 Church St, Brighton VIC 3186

www.handworks.com.au

13. Page 8

With another store in the beautiful Mornington Peninsula, Page 8 has always been a favourite of mine. They sell gorgeous coffee table books as well as jewellery and cards from well-known brands.

543 Hampton St, Hampton VIC 3188

www.page8shop.com.au

14. Boxes and Bows

This small but cosy gift shop is just beautiful and packed with excellent selections of gifts and cards. There’s a lovely range of Australian souvenirs as well as clothing to buy.

15 Waltham St, Sandringham VIC 3191

15. Card and Caboodle

What feels like Chadstone Shopping Centre’s tiniest shop, here you can buy cards for any occasion as well as invitations, stickers, gifts and more.

Shop B136A/Chadstone S/Centre 1341 Dandenong Rd, Chadstone VIC 3148

www.cardandcaboodle.com.au

16. The Paper Place

This shop is just lovely! They stock a great range of papers, ribbons, embellishments, cards, stickers and more. The owners are very friendly. Definitely worth a visit if you’re planning a wedding as well.

197 Blackburn Rd, Mount Waverley VIC 3149

www.paperplace.com.au

17. Kaisercraft

Recently this brand has had a makeover and now they sell stunning gifts as well as soaps, homewares, paints, papers and everything for scrapbooking. Everything is quite affordable and Australian owned.

Shop G46/172-210 Burwood Hwy, Burwood East VIC 3151

www.kaisercraft.com.au

Entering beautifully decorated stationery shops always gives me such a thrill! I should also point out that there are some great gift shops in greater Victoria. Take a trip to the Dandenong Ranges to towns such as Olinda and Sassafras or drive down the coast to beautiful Rye and Sorrento for some great local shops. They are slightly overpriced due to the seasonally higher numbers of tourists who visit these towns but they shouldn’t be overlooked.

Cute Parcel of Birthday Love

We’ve shown you our other two themes for “Cute Parcels” and today we’ll showcase the Birthday-themed goodies you can choose from to make your very own cute parcel. Remember, you choose one item from each category (four items in total plus we include a special FREE GIFT), then securely checkout with PayPal. We’ll create a lovely package of your selections and ship it to you worldwide. It’s very simple!

For the “Cute Parcel of Birthday Love” we have these products for you to pick from…

Greeting Cards:

Stickers: 

Mini Cards:

Gift Tags:

Has something caught your eye? Don’t forget that you can add a “Cute Parcel” to your shopping cart and mix it up with other products from our Online Shop before checking out! We sell stickers, postcards, greeting cards and wall prints on our website too.

Take me shopping!