from the studio of: ranjini malhotra

postale library drawer

by ranjini malhotra

7 gypsies supplies: Gaffer Tape - Nottinghill Librarie Drawer with Index Cards Librarie Drawer Naked Sidetabs Paper Tape - Postale Tag Envelopes - Postale Tag Inserts - Postale Index Envelopes - Postale Index Cards - Postale Petit Carnet - Rue/French 97% Complete Stickers - Always Lille Paperclip Dangles Avignon Paperclip Dangles 7 Gypsies Tags (Vintage & Victoria) Other Supplies: Mini Paris Envelopes (Zulio.com) Paris Stickers  (Cavallini) Trims: red seam binding, red/white baker's twine, blue/cream striped linen ribbon, red twine, eyelet lace trim (1.5") Vintage Buttons Photos, Ephemera, Index Tags Postale Librarie Drawer When I spied the Postale Collection from 7 Gypsies, I was so excited to be asked to create this project! I wanted to recreate the look of a cherished box of letters tied with ribbons, chock full of photos, ephemera, tickets, tags, memories, all tied up with pretty ribbons and buttons. The key for me was to work within the Postale palette. When you are pulling together supplies for this project, look for things you already have that will work with the palette - the addition of the vintage buttons, the trims etc. give an authentic feel to this project and is also visually pleasing. You'll love and cherish the finished project!  Instructions 1. Use a Phillips screwdriver to unscrew the screws on the metal handle of the Librarie Drawer. Remove hardware and set aside.  2. Cover the front of the librarie drawer with Nottinghill Gaffer Tape, trim to fit. 3. Replace the metal handle on the face of the drawer, the screws will pierce the gaffer tape as they are screwed back in.  4. Assemble the drawer contents adding postale envelopes, inserts and photos. Journal on some of the inserts, you can adhere photos directly to the insert or envelopes and add journaling as well. Address the envelopes if you like, add vintage postage stamps. Use your imagination - you're creating a letter box full of memories!  5. Add other ephemera from your stash - letters, tickets, tags.  6. Tie mini postal envelopes with red and white baker's twine, securing the centers with a vintage button.  7. For the very front portion of the drawer, layer the tag envelope shown on top of the postale index card shown. Use a circle punch to punch out a photo and center it within the circle on the tag envelope. Add the A sticker from the 97% Complete Stickers to the left side of the postale index card. Use a small circle punch to punch a half circle on the left side of the index card.  8. I wanted the drawer to look as if it contained stacks of old letters and cards, tied together with ribbons. To imitate this look, you can stack journaling cards/envelopes/photos/ephemera of similar size and tie them together with ribbon as shown.  Repeat this several times to give the drawer fullness.  9. Lots of little touches bring the drawer to life - add paper tape on the Naked Sidetabs, use paperclip dangles on the envelopes and inserts, fashion a rosette from fabric trim with a few stitches and a button for a center. The key is to add lots of color in the postale palette - look for the reds, whites and blues that make up the postale palette and bring those in through selecting trims and vintage embellishments in the same palette.  10. You can add a petit carnet from 7gypsies in the back, mine was from a previous project and it fit nicely in the drawer for storage.