Festive Fridays :: Giveaway # 1 :: Handmade Christmas Cards (Set of 6)

It's FINALLY time for Festive Fridays! I am so excited to be partnering with four five excellent merchants who will be featuring their shops & a giveaway to help get readers in the Christmas spirit!

Now, the first giveaway: a set of 6 original handmade Christmas cards from Melody Hansen Art & Design, valued at $18. 

From Toronto-based designer Melody Hansen, a lucky reader will receive a set of SIX original one-of-a-kind handmade Christmas cards valued at $18, as you see above, including envelopes. CUTE, right?!

Melody has done a gorgeous job of designing these cards specifically for this Little Band giveaway (thanks, Melody!) and does excellent design work ranging from thoughtful stationary to menu arrangements and logo creation.

Melody is currently in the transition phase of re-branding, but is still open for business! Original Christmas cards (like you see above) sell for $18/set of 6 or $3.50 each and are customizable. Email her at info@melody-hansen.com to order yours and give a unique touch to your Christmas message this season.

You can find Melody Hansen Art & Design on Facebook: www.facebook.com/mhartdesign - it's fun to keep up with her creation process, check out the new work she's done, and find inspiration as she shares hers.

So,  why is Melody Hansen Art & Design the perfect place to find your Christmas gifts or entertaining accessories this year?

"I live in Mississauga, ON. I buy all of my supplies (envelopes, decorative tape, card stock. etc) from local paper shops, because I think there is something quite wonderful in creating an attachment to a particular place that becomes like “home”. This “home” then becomes a part of the product. 
Two lovely shops: The Paper Place (Toronto), and Oakville Paper Boutique (Oakville, which I’ve recently discovered, and provided me with all of the supplies for these cards)"

"This might sound silly, but I try my best to use every bit of white space my sketchbook provides when sketching out ideas. It can be so easy to waste paper in the drafting process, and wasting paper is the last thing I want to do. I also use my computer to work out ideas, so it’s like my second sketchbook – without using any paper at all. I like to be attentive to detail in my designs before they go to print and make sure everything (that I can control) is the way I want it to be – just so I don’t have to print unnecessary copies."

 Melody's facebook page is one to follow. It's pretty and it makes you feel that way. Sometimes, you'll log online and see something like this:

Photo by Melody Hansen.
Original caption: The simplest things hold the most beauty. ...Collected these a few days ago on my walk around the neighborhood...

She is INSPIRING by nature. She's always sharing beautiful mementos from daily life - the things we tend to miss - and encourages her readers to think about beauty in new, simple ways. Her design is an excellent example of her process.

Here's what Melody has to say about getting inspired:

"I get inspired in many different ways. I think most of my inspiration comes from nature itself. Whether it is the lines in a branch, or the structure of a leaf, creation holds the most perfect designs. You’ll find many elements of nature in my illustrations; they bring a more organic touch to the designs. I’ve also started to do quite a bit of illustrations by hand, and am inspired by the art of calligraphy – by the different line weights (thin/thick) and the movements of line.

Being a musician as well, I find that my mind thinks musically too when designing. I often relate white space to silence, and if an area needs to be “louder” than another, the illustrations or color will be bolder. Every part of a design works like a symphony; everything is balanced."

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Here's how to enter. 
1. Comment below on why you think it's important to shop locally, sustainably or with inspiration. (That'll get you 1 entry)
2. Like Melody on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mhartdesign & comment below to let me know about it (That'll get you a second entry)
3. Share the contest on Facebook & let me know (That'll get you a third entry)
4. Tweet about this contest and mention me (@_samanthabutler) (That'll get you a fourth entry)

For each entry I'll write your name on a piece of paper, stick it in a hat, and get a total random person on the street to choose the winner. The more entries you give, the more times your name will be put into my daughter's hat. The more chances someone will pick your name from it.

GOODLUCK! Contest closes Sunday November 25 @ 10 PM.