Pushing the envelope with trendsetting ideas

Pushing the envelope with trendsetting ideas
Elsje Designs creates fun & functional gifts, stationery and table decor with a true South African touch

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Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Notes from a bride...













Almost six months have passed since our wedding day.

The meringues are only sweet memories, the masses of once fresh roses have been pressed and the dress returned from the dry cleaners (a bit bruised, but still lovely). Life keeps moving along as if it never stood still, at least for a moment, on that special day.

But I simply have to open my lovely wooden box filled with wedding memories to feel all the joy of our Groot Partytjie (Big Party) of 28 November 2009 flooding back.

Right at the top of the box the purposefully left over wedding stationary, designed and made by Elsje Designs, lies wrapped in tissue paper. I page through these almost every week. I can't help it! It's simply too beautiful to keep hidden in a box (I've framed some too and have others stuck to the fridge!).

Apart from the photographs, this is one of the few tangible memories of the day and the months leading up to it. What better way to remember the planning, excitement and nerves than these precious paper keepsakes?

We never met Annemie, Linnett or any of the other Elsje Design-team members in person, but we might as well have! They understood each and every request. Captured the nuances of our personalities without laying eyes on us once and ensured that the spirit of our wedding day was captured in beautiful vintage-style postcards months before the actual event.

The anticipation of receiving the colourful, lovely designs for the invitations, ceremony programmes and thank you hearts for the reception, was one of the most thrilling parts of planning our wedding.

Thank you to the fabulous ladies of Elsje Designs for being excited, happy and creative with us and for creating memories that I'm sure my children and theirs, will be able to take from the wedding box, unwrap from the tissue paper and use as a launching pad for lovely, romantic dreams.

- Riëtte van der Wat (& my husband, Izak)

(Flowers and bride's bouquet: Designed and arranged by my mom Iolanthe Grobler and an army of aunts and friends)

(Photographs: Travis McNeill and Maike Backeberg from welovepictures, http://www.welovepictures.co.za/)



























A few tips, from this bride's experience:

• For fabulous free inspiration for everything from stationary to table decorations visit wedding blogs like Snippet&Ink, StyleMePretty and of course the Elsje Designs blog.
• Hold on to your dreams and ideas for the day, even if they are a bit off beat.













• We personalised our stationary with a quirky poem, not everyone's taste, but it captured "us". • We also added a personal reference - when we were still dating, we never talked about our "wedding" but of our "Groot Partytjie". This became the theme of the day, captured by the invitations.
• Stationary can be used as great decorations. The Elsje Designs thank you hearts added an extra splash of pink to our wedding tent and made the pretty brown chairs, pretty awesome!

We recycled our wedding day stationary as background to our hand written thank you notes. This saved money and added an extra layer of special!

Friday, June 25, 2010

More pics of the butterfly wedding

The hanging mobile combined with the table seating plan.





Some detail shots of the menu. The menu was written in copperplate calligraphy with a band of metallic translucent paper wrapped around it, giving it a glamour feel.

We have these awesome clear perspex table numbers to rent - numbers 1 to 26, for R25 per number.

Beautiful Butterflies





We created this beautiful butterfly mobile for an outdoor wedding - it was truly spectacular. The bride loved it so much, that she ordered a second one!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Laughter is the best medicine!

I absolutely love quotes and want to share this special one with you to start your day with:

Laugh at yourself and at life. Laughter is a remedy, a miracle drug, that will ease your pain, cure your depression, and help you to put in perspective that seemingly terrible defeat and worry. Laughter is freeing your mind to think clearly toward the solution that is certain to come. Never take yourself too seriously.
- Og Mandino


The many benefits of laughter

1. When you make fun of yourself, you disempower those who would make fun of you and disarm possible confrontations.

2. Laughter dissolves tension, stress, anxiety, irritation, anger, grief, and depression. Like crying, laughter lowers inhibitions, allowing the release of pent-up emotions. After a hearty bout of laughter, you will experience a sense of well-being. Simply put, he who laughs, lasts. After all, if you can laugh at it, you can live with it. Remember, a person without a sense of humor is like a car without shock absorbers.

3. Medical researches have found that laughter boosts the immune system. The study of how behavior and the brain affect the immune system is called psychoneuroimmunology. Though still in its infancy, this science is rapidly gaining much attention as mankind strives to understand the mind-body relationship.

4. Laughter reduces pain by releasing endorphins that are more potent than equivalent amounts of morphine.

5. Humor helps integrate both hemispheres of our brain, for the left hemisphere is used to decipher the verbal content of a joke while the right hemisphere interprets whether it is funny or not.

6. Laughter adds spice to life; it is to life what salt is to a hard-boiled egg.

7. Develop your sense of humor and you will find you are more productive, a better communicator, and a superior team player.

8. Everyone loves someone who can make them laugh. The more you share your sense of humor, the more friends you will have.

9. Humor brings the balance we need to get through the turbulence of life comfortably.

10. Laughter is even equivalent to a small amount of exercise. It massages all the organs of the body, according to Dr. James Walsh.

11. A sense of humor can help you accept the inevitable, rise to any challenge, handle the unexpected with ease, and come out of any difficulty smiling.

The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed. Don't wait until you are sick before you begin practicing laughter therapy. Start today by renting comedy classics from your video store, borrowing humorous books from the library, attending comedy clubs or watching comics on TV, and exchanging jokes with family members, friends, and coworkers.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery

Elsje Designs love to keep setting trends. We were pleasantly surprised when a previous client brought to our attention, that we have been copied once again! This lovely Order of Service was created for an Arniston outdoor wedding, March 2007. This wedding brings back beautiful images and memories. We were very excited that Visi magazine featured it later that same year. The focal point on this booklet was a vintage Roman Catholic icon with beautiful twirly artwork, printed in white onto the semitransparent overlay. To the creator of the 2009 version, thank you for the compliment!

Monday, June 21, 2010

Our New Solid Ink Printer: Part II


The first solid ink technology was introduced in 1991, and won numerous awards globally.

HERE ARE 5 GREAT REASONS TO LOVE SOLID INK:

1. It's cartridge free – no cartridge to deplete, discard or recycle!
2. There's no mess – no dust, and it's safe (non-toxic) and clean
3. Packaging for the planet – the packaging for our solid ink blocks is made from consumer waste, and printed with soy-based ink
4. It suits your pocket - less wastage means lower cost
5. Gorgeous print quality is guaranteed - even for heavier cardstocks

If you need green stationery for any business or special event - invitations, menus, brochures, business cards and more - contact us on 021 976 7111, or info@elsje.co.za. We look forward to creating a greener world with you!

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Eco-friendly Invitation Suggestions

Recycled paper
There are many beautiful and modern selections of recycled papers. By choosing recycled paper you are chosing an eco friendly invitation that will reduce the amount of virgin paper used, and save both water and energy. When buying recycled paper look for (PCC) High levels of Post Consumer Content, (FSC) Forest Stewardship Council certification, which assures that the fibers were harvested responsibly. Elsje Designs invested in an award-winning high quality eco-friendly printer that prints with vegetable ink – making it literally possible to eat your invitation! We will tell you more about our favourite printer in future posts.

Plantable Invitations
This is my all time favorite eco friendly invitation! Plantable invitations are imbedded with a mixture of annual and perennial wild flower seeds! No more feeling guilty about giving your friends and family one more thing that will eventually be thrown away or recycled. Now you can give them attractive invitations that will also make the earth more beautiful!

Evites or Electronic Invitations
Another option to help eliminate paper waste all together, send ecards or evites for your save-the-dates, invitations and thank you cards. Elsje Designs offer digital design options from R500. You can still enjoy all the creativity of a beautiful designs without all the paper waste. Furthermore, we can create an emailer with a "yes, we would love to join" and "no, unfortunately we can't make it" buttons - making the management of your RSVP's painless.

Be different
Get your creative juices flowing! Eco Friendly Invitations can be made out of almost anything! Go to a second hand store or flea market and see what you can pick up. Screen print on vintage handkerchiefs or laser print onto beautiful fabric swatches that otherwise would have gone to waste. The possibilities are endless.



We love the cut out paper work featured in this pic. Madebyjulene is the paper-cut art of British designer and illustrator Julene Harrison. She creates hand-cut custom paper-cut artwork for you. They make terrific gifts for birthdays, weddings and anniversaries (the first wedding anniversary is paper!). Elsje Designs can offer similar cut out designs.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Celebrate in style while preserving our planet!


I guess I'm on an eco-friendly-mode this month... For your wedding invitations, depending on how much you want to do yourself, be it all or nothing, there are definitely eco invitation options out there for you. Let me just say, I'm a traditionalist when it comes to paper, so I can be hard to please (hey, I am a stationer and graphic designer after all). I have to admit that I’m not a fan of the seeds and petals in the homemade paper thing. If you are, that's fine, it's your party...but we have numerous other options for you to consider.

Sending out earth friendly invitations is a lovely and subtle declaration of your eco conscious efforts. But just because you are eco conscious doesn't mean that your invitations shouldn't be attractive and reflective of your personal style. I’ll focus the coming days on more eco-friendly ideas.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

A Gift of Life


Our latest find for the Gifts4Guests catalogue are these gorgeous indigenous saplings!

This unusual gift will make a lasting impression on your guests. The trees are very decorative and will continually remind your guest of your special day as they grow in their garden. The bio-pot is a new concept, as the pot is made from bio-degradable material. This means that your gift is 100% environmentally friendly.

We have a selection of indigenous trees available in various sizes as well as a few flowering shrubs and aloes. We wrap the bio-pots in natural white fabric, and can also add a tag with the tree name, to match your wedding look and feel.

At a special introductory offer of R16.00 per tree (ex VAT), no eco-friendly couple can resist!

Contact Annemie on info@elsje.co.za, for more information.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Steps to a Greener Wedding: Part 3



Please join us...

Your invitation is the first impression guests will get of your green wedding. Look for:
recycled, handmade, or plantable papers processed chlorine-free and printed with vegetable- or soy-based inks. Elsje Designs are very proud to use a vegetable ink printer.
tree-free paper made out of hemp, banana stalks, bamboo, kenaf, or organic cotton
Elsje Designs have a range of email invitations to choose from – this is interactive and just as beautiful as a paper invitation.
If you do send out paper invitations, ask for a phone RSVP. Try to cut down the amount of paper used.
papers that aren't metallic or plastic-coated, characteristics that make them hard to recycle
opportunities to reduce paper use, like sending a postcard (instead of multi-enveloped notes) for your save-the-date, or using online invitations and a wedding blog to let people know about the bachelor/ette parties, rehearsal dinner, and gift registry
And don't forget to pick up some extra green paper products for your guest book, place cards, and thank-you notes. (You will be writing thank-yous, won't you?)

Confetti Alternatives
throw biodegradable confetti or organic rose petals.
birdseed is a good alternative to throwing rice ONLY if you are having a city wedding, or will be tossing birdseed in a manicured, non wild yard. Standard birdseed mixes contain invasive plants not native to your area, and throwing birdseed in a natural wedding spot, like in a nature preserve or state park, can cause havoc to that ecosystem.
Alternatives to rice and birdseed are throwing native wildflower seeds or petals, ringing handballs, or blowing homemade bubbles from recyclable containers.
Eat, drink, and be merry


Showcase green gustatory pleasures (and spoil your guests) by basing your menu around local, organic, and seasonal foods. Don’t forget the organic wine, beer, and spirits, and the free-trade, shade-grown coffee and tea! Some tips:
Ask the venue's preferred caterers and bakers if they can do your event organically.
Find a local organic restaurant that does off-site catering.
If your wedding won't be complete without a specific type of food, get married when it's in season.
Find a caterer you trust to pick the best seasonal selections (since you may not be able to taste those exact items ahead of time).
Consider vegetarian selections and seek out cruelty-free meats and wild, rather than farmed, fish.
Make sure the venue offers comprehensive recycling facilities, and ideally composting too.
Have your cake decorated with organically grown flowers or other natural materials instead of plastic toppers.
Rent real glassware, dishware, and linens instead of using disposables.
Go for a chic eclectic look by mixing and matching thrift-store plates and dishes (and donating them back when you're done).
Use biodegradable utensils and dishes made out of cornstarch, potatoes, wheat, or sugar cane--if your venue can compost them.
Make arrangements to donate leftover food to a local food bank or homeless shelter.
'Tis better to give...
OK, OK, giving and receiving are both great!

For your favors, give something your guests will really use and enjoy, not disposable plastic souvenirs. Some ideas:
gourmet organic chocolates or another organic or local food item
attractive bags of fresh or dried organic herbs
seeds in a commemorative container
reusable cloth tote bags
a small plant
natural soaps
soy or beeswax candles
a compact fluorescent lightbulb
a downloadable playlist of your favorite songs
a small charitable donation in each guest's name
place cards made of seeded paper that can be planted at home


For your helpful, loyal attendants, you'll want to up the ante a little, perhaps with:
gift baskets of organic skin-care products
recycled jewelry, wallets, handbags, or drinking glasses
selections of organic coffees, teas, and chocolates
recycled paper journals and stationery
great bottles of organic wine

Friday, June 4, 2010

Steps to a Green Wedding: Part 2




Steps to a Green Wedding: Part 2

More steps to having an eco-friendly wedding.

1. With this ring...

A green wedding begins where any engagement does: with a ring. Don't start off on a sour note. The beautiful alternatives to "blood diamonds" (those that are mined in war zones and fund conflicts) include:
vintage rings, whether a family heirloom or an antique find (you can even have old gold melted down and refashioned)
diamonds certified as "conflict-free" under the Kimberley Process, an ongoing effort to reform diamond mining in Africa (ask your jeweler the questions in Amnesty International's buyer's guide)
one-of-a-kind wooden bands (see the proudly South African Wild Pear Seed Ring on today's post)

2. Location, location, location

Your choice of venue sets the tone for your wedding day--and accounts for a big chunk of the money you'll be laying out. Spend it wisely!

Consider:
having the ceremony and the reception at the same place, or providing ecofriendly transportation between them
picking a unique local spot--like an art gallery, nonprofit space, organic restaurant or farm, green hotel, botanical garden, - that supports a cause you believe in
an outdoor setting that will infuse the whole event with a natural sensibility (and require less decorating too!)

3. Here comes the bride...

...in a gorgeous hemp-silk gown. When it comes to outfitting the bridal party, green options abound.

You can:
go vintage (and update your look as necessary with tailoring and modern shoes and accessories)
pick clothes made from hemp, bamboo, and organic cotton or silk--or find a dressmaker who will make a one-of-a-kind item out of these sustainable fabrics
buy something you'll wear again (and let your bridesmaids do the same)
accessorize with a unique recycled purse and/or jewelry
donate the dresses to charity after the event

4. Set the stage

Add beauty and style to your wedding décor, naturally.

Here's how:
find a florist who's diligent about recycling packaging and will source locally raised flowers
have bridesmaids carry matching purses or silk bouquets instead of cut flowers
decorate with branches, dried grasses, grains, greens, berries, or live plants (potted or dried arrangements can double as favors)
choose beeswax or soy-based candles over those made with paraffin, a petroleum byproduct
arrange to have decorations moved from the ceremony to the reception
use leaves or other natural objects as place cards
donate the flowers to a hospital or rest home at the end of the day

Green Theme: The Ring of Life



A ring is usually a gift you give to someone you love. Well if you love The Earth, then
this is the ring to give to it. Appearing in two natural colours, made from high-compacted,
shredded paper and worn as you would wear a standard ring. They have a secret however – inside are four tiny seeds of the hardy indigenous Dombeya or Wild Pear tree.

When you find a place which you feel needs ‘greening’, plant the ring in the ground.
The paper will retain water and form the perfect environment to germinate those seeds. The tree will grow and do what it does best – reduce the amount of harmful carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Love is all around.

This beautiful ring is available from Store 4332

Who are Store 4332?
They are a bunch of creative thinkers.
Part studio, part ad agency, part design shop,
part innovation think tank, part VC firm, part
...well, unknown.

For more info about this local talent, visit:
http://www.store4332.com

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Steps to a Green Wedding: Part 1


Part One: Steps to a Green Wedding

Every engaged couple wants their wedding day to be a special celebration that reflects who they are and what they care about. Going green is a great way to make the festivities unique and meaningful--and show friends and family just how fun, beautiful, and delicious a sustainable lifestyle can be.

Here's how to start planning your green wedding:

1. With this ring...

A green wedding begins where any engagement does: with a ring. Don't start off on a sour note. The beautiful alternatives to "blood diamonds" (those that are mined in war zones and fund conflicts) include:
• vintage rings, whether a family heirloom or an antique find
• diamonds certified as "conflict-free" under the Kimberley Process, an ongoing effort to reform diamond mining in Africa
• one-of-a-kind wooden bands (for a proudly South African indigenous beautiful ring - with a twist - please visit http://www.store4332.com)

2. Location, location, location

Your choice of venue sets the tone for your wedding day--and accounts for a big chunk of the money you'll be laying out. Spend it wisely! Consider:
• having the ceremony and the reception at the same place
• picking a unique local spot--like an art gallery, nonprofit space, organic restaurant or farm, green hotel, botanical garden, - that supports a cause you believe in
• an outdoor setting that will infuse the whole event with a natural sensibility (and require less decorating too!)

3. Please join us...

Your invitation is the first impression guests will get of your green wedding. Look for:
• recycled, handmade, or plantable papers processed chlorine-free and printed with vegetable- or soy-based inks. Elsje Designs are very proud to use a vegetable ink printer.
• tree-free paper made out of hemp, banana stalks, bamboo, kenaf, or organic cotton
• papers that aren't metallic or plastic-coated, characteristics that make them hard to recycle
• opportunities to reduce paper use, like sending a postcard (instead of multi-enveloped notes) for your save-the-date, or using online invitations and a wedding blog to let people know about the bachelor/ette parties, rehearsal dinner, and gift registry
And don't forget to pick up some extra green paper products for your guest book, place cards, and thank-you notes. (You will be writing thank-yous, won't you?)

4. Here comes the bride...

...in a gorgeous hemp-silk gown. When it comes to outfitting the bridal party, green options abound. You can:
• go vintage (and update your look as necessary with tailoring and modern shoes and accessories)
• pick clothes made from hemp, bamboo, and organic cotton or silk--or find a dressmaker who will make a one-of-a-kind item out of these sustainable fabrics (men's suits and shirts come in organic cotton or wool too)
• borrow an elegant gown from a stylish friend
• buy something you'll wear again (and let your bridesmaids do the same)
• accessorize with a unique recycled purse and/or jewelry
• use vegetable dyes on your shoes (or go barefoot for a beach wedding)
• accentuate natural beauty with all-natural makeup
• donate the dresses to charity after the event.
(Text from www.theknot.com)

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

In today's newspaper....


Kunsvlyt: Maak só geld uit jou stokperdjie

2010-06-01 22:16

Dit verg deeglike beplanning en hope passie om ’n onderneming van ’n kunsvlytstokperdjie te maak. Riëtte Grobler het by ’n paar suksesvolle entrepreneurs wenke gekry oor dinge wat jy in gedagte moet hou wanneer jy so ’n projek wil aanpak.

WENK 1: WEES UITERS PASSIEVOL
’n Passie vir jou stokperdjie wat alles oorweldig, is nodig voordat jy eers daaraan begin dink om ’n onderneming daarvan te maak, sê Elsje van der Merwe.
Sy bedryf die suksesvolle skryfbehoefte-onderneming Elsje Designs in Durbanville, Kaapstad.

“Ek was bevoorreg om ’n vriendin se troukaartjies te ontwerp en daarvandaan het dit soos ’n sneeubal aangegroei tot waar Elsje Designs vandag is,” vertel sy.

Deesdae ontwerp sy en haar span alles van trou-skryfbehoeftes tot sakekaartjies vir klante van Suid-Afrika tot oorsee.
“As jy regtig jou stokperdjie so baie geniet dat jy saans nie wil gaan slaap nie en soggens nie kan wag om op te staan nie, het jy beslis die regte grondslag,” sê sy.

Die Kapenaar Carole Nevin het 17 jaar gelede tekstiele in haar motorhuis begin verf en verkoop en het ’n soortgelyke filosofie.

“Ek wou ’n inkomste genereer uit iets kreatiefs en bydra tot die verligting van armoede,” sê sy.

“Ek is gedryf deur ’n oorweldigende passie. Dit móés eenvoudig werk.”

Dit het ook, want deesdae bedryf sy ’n florerende tekstielbedryf, Carole Nevin Designs ,met 45 werknemers in diens.

WENK 2: TREF DIE KOL
In Maak geld met jou handwerk (Metz Press) beskryf Jeni Halliday die produk as die belangrikste element van jou onderneming.

Kom daarom met splinternuwe idees vorendag as jy van jou kunsvlytstokperdjie ’n onderneming wil maak, sê Van der Merwe.

“Jy móét iets unieks doen. Probeer werklik uit die boks dink, selfs al vat jy iets alledaags en sit net jou unieke stempel daarop.”

Nevin meen die meeste kunsvlyt- entrepreneurs begin deur ’n produk te maak waarvan hulle hou.

“Jy moet egter aanpasbaar wees en luister na wat jou klante wil hê,” sê sy. “Soms wil hulle iets by jou bestel waaraan jy nog nie eens gedink het nie. Dis ’n geleentheid om jouself oop te maak vir nuwe idees en uit te brei.”

Moet kritiek ook nie kop toe vat nie. “Gebruik dit eerder om jou produk te verbeter,” sê sy.

Buigbaarheid wat materiale en die ekonomiese klimaat betref, is ook belangrik, meen sy.

WENK 3: VERSIGTIG MET GELDSAKE
“Moet aanvanklik nie te veel geld in die onderneming belê nie,” waarsku Van der Merwe. “Begin klein en brei geleidelik uit soos die onderneming groei. Hou jou geldsake met ’n arendsoog dop. Vra byvoorbeeld ’n 50%-deposito as iemand bestellings plaas.”

Lisa Bragge bedryf die afgelope agt jaar die Lisa B-kunsateljee vanuit haar huis in Weltevredenpark, Johannesburg. Sy bied klasse in allerlei kunsvlytvorms en doen veral mosaïek-opdragwerk.

“Sorg dat jy strokies van ál jou uitgawes hou en moenie presies soveel uitgee as wat jy verdien nie,” sê sy. “Stel ’n boekhouer aan as jy níks weet van geldsake nie.”

Wees ook daarvan bewus dat tyd geld kan beteken, sê Van der Merwe.

“Die fout wat kreatiewe mense maklik maak, is om te veel tyd aan die artikel te bestee en gevolglik nie hul koste te verhaal nie.”

WENK 4: VERSPREI DIE WOORD
Hoewel bemarking baie belangrik is, moet jy versigtig wees wat advertensies betref.

“Advertensies is ontsettend duur en dikwels nie die moeite werd nie. Dit was mý dure ervaring,” sê Van der Merwe. “Kyk of jy nie eerder jou onderneming van die grond kan kry deur word of mouth nie.

“Maak maar aanvanklik ’n paar gratis geskenkies vir mense en vra of hulle nie ’n paar verwysings vir jou sal doen nie,” stel sy voor. “Die beste advertensie is gelukkige klante.”

Bragge sê sy adverteer in skoolnuusbriewe en het die Lisa B-kenteken op haar motor laat aanbring. ’n Webwerf is ook nuttig, meen sy.

Marietjie Beeslaar, die baasbrein agter Skermunkil-juwele, het haar juwele aanvanklik veral op kunsmarkte verkoop.

Sy sê dit is ’n goeie idee om by sulke markte jou sakekaartjie uit te deel en belangstellendes se kontakbesonderhede te neem.

WENK 5: KEN JOU MARK
Beeslaar sê dit is belangrik om die regte mark vir jou produk te kry.

“Vind uit watter soort mense sal van jou kuns hou en sorg dat jy dit by hulle kry,” sê sy.

“Ek het al my werk in baie winkels uitgestal. In sommige verkoop dit nie; in ander verkoop dit weer baie goed. Dis moeilik om dit dadelik reg te kry, so ek stel voor jy probeer baie verskillende winkels in jou omgewing.”

Om jou ware op kunsmarkte uit te stal is ook ’n goeie idee, meen Beeslaar, wat sê haar betrokkenheid by die Biscuit Mill Neigh­bour­hood Market in Woodstock, Kaapstad, het haar ongetwyfeld ’n hupstoot gegee.

“Daar kom jy direk in kontak met jou ondersteuners. Dit is belangrik om te weet wie van jou werk hou.”

WENK 6: HOU DIT HANTEERBAAR
Goeie tydbestuur is ontsaglik belangrik as jy werk met klante en bestellings, meen Van der Merwe.

“Wees realisties en moenie wegspring en te veel wil aanpak nie.

“Begin eerder met klein, hanteerbare bestellings, maar sorg dat jy dit deeglik, netjies en betyds afhandel,” sê sy.

Hello Green World!




We are in love with our new award-winning eco-friendly printer! This special little machine prints with solid vegetable ink blocks - they are non-toxic, and with 90% less wastage compared to most other cartridges, no-one can object their green credibility. The inks are even packaged in recycled boxes and branded with soy-based ink.

With this fabulous find, the Elsje Designs team can create green stationery for any business or special event - invitations, menus, brochures, business cards and more - all printed onto recycled paper, with solid ink, and no sacrifice on style!