A few months ago, I was lucky enough to win an $80 prize during the Canadian Planners Collective sale, which gave me $20 to spend in four different stationery shops (!!), and I canβt wait to show you the adorable goodies I picked. It felt like a mini stationery adventure, hopping from shop to shop with my little prize budget! π₯°
The four stores I got to shop at were The Prairie Planner, KD Makes Stickers, Planner Penguin, and Watch Me Washi. I knew most of them but had never stopped to shop, and one other was completely new to me! Here is a recap of my little discovery adventure along with an account of what I bought in each shop with my prize money! Let’s have a look!
- β¨ Shop-by-Shop Breakdown
- π¨ How I Worked With My Prize Budget
- π Final Thoughts
(Note: This post isn’t sponsored; just sharing the joy!)
(Note #2: All the shops featured in this post are Canadian.)
(Note #3: Please, forgive the clumsiness of my pictures; I am just learning how to use my brand new photo light box.)
β¨ Shop-by-Shop Breakdown
ποΈ Shop #1: The Prairie Planner
Iβve known about The Prairie Planner for a long time, but I never really shopped there because I didnβt think the art style matched my usual vibe. Winning this prize finally nudged me to push the door open and step insideβ¦ and honestly? I was pleasantly surprised! β¨π
π What I Got
β Shop Impressions
The Prairie Plannerβs style feels like stationery for cozy afternoons wrapped in a blanket with a warm drink βπ§£ β soft palettes, cute icons, and sweet seasonal-or-bookish motifs that gently whisper, βRelax and plan your week with calm joy.β
The illustrations are simple, hand-drawn (but I’m not sure by whom), and planner-friendly, but they still have enough little details to make each spread feel like a tiny moment of comfort. I love that their kits match almost any mood β while still keeping that warm, homey vibe. β¨
π¬ Quick, Honest Notes
β¨ Huge selection! Make sure you give yourself more than 10 minutes to look around β itβs a whole universe.
β¨ Weekly kits, monthly kits, Hobonichi kits, functional stickers, icons, die-cutsβ¦ itβs all there.
β¨ Subscription? Yep!
β¨ Rewards system? Also yes!
β¨ Unique sections like $2 Tuesday, Book Journaling, and Pay-It-Forward.
β¨ Iβd totally shop there again β especially for the holiday-themed book bingos!
β¨ I was happily surprised by how many of the die-cuts were book-themed ππ
π’ My only tiny wish: a little more cute/kawaii stuff!
π To Sum It Up
π Selection: πππππ+
π Packaging: πππ (packed with care in an envelope printed with the shop’s name)
π§Έ Cutie Factor: π (would love more kawaii!)
ποΈ Shop #2: KD Makes Stickers
Just like with The Prairie Planner, Iβve known about KD Makes Stickers for ages β but I never really stopped to look closely. The art style is soft, elegant, and so prettyβ¦ just not exactly βcute,β so I always assumed it wasnβt quite my vibe.
But thanks to this prize, I finally explored properly β and Iβm so glad I did! β¨πΏ
π What I Got
β Shop Impressions
KD Makes Stickers walks straight down the lane of classic charm and cottagecore aesthetics πΏπβ¨. If you love cozy florals, rustic textures, calming palettes, and gentle artwork, this shop will feel like stepping into a tiny woodland cottage.
The color range goes from soft, dreamy watercolors to deeper, beautifully contrasted designs that feel timeless and elegant.
And while there are lots of florals, thereβs also:
- βοΈ lovely winter scenes
- πΎ cute animals
- π a delightful bookish theme
- π whimsical gnomes!
β¨ And a fun tip: if you like creamy, buttery-feeling stickers, choose the Unicorn paper β itβs deliciously smooth!
π¬ Quick, Honest Notes
β¨ Huge selection β especially for planner folks!
β¨ Weekly kits, monthly kits, Hobonichi Cousin + Weeks kits, vertical kits, icons, die-cuts, scripts, and more
β¨ Subscription? Not that I could findβ¦
β¨ Rewards system? Yes!
β¨ Iβd absolutely shop there again β especially to complete some of the kits I just bought
β¨ I fell in love with the A5 Bottom Page Deco section (I put deco at the bottom of every page!)
π’ Like many shops, the very cute / happy / kawaii items were a bit tricky to find
π To Sum It Up
π Selection: πππππ+
π Packaging: π (packed with care, but nothing fancy)
π§Έ Cutie Factor: π (kawaii is rare β but the cozy vibes are lovely!)
ποΈ Shop #3: Planner Penguin
Planner Penguin was completely new to me, but with a name that cute and an adorable little penguin logo, I went in with very high hopes. π§β¨
Iβll admit β I was a teeny bit disappointed at first when I realized the shop leans heavily toward cottagecore and vintage styles again. But I kept browsingβ¦ and I ended up finding quite a few goodies that really caught my fancy! π
π What I Got
β Shop Impressions
If youβre a fan of cottagecore and vintage aesthetics, this shop will feel like a treasure trove. πΏπ
There are tons of:
- πΈ floral and nature-inspired designs
- ποΈ monthly & weekly kits
- π¨ watercolor splotch headers
- π journaling elements
- βοΈ torn-paper textures
And speaking of journaling β Iβm personally partial to their journaling kits. I donβt know what it is about torn-paper-effect stickers, but they just make my spreads feel so soft and artsy. β¨
Also: yes, the cute penguin exists in sticker form!
Youβll find it tucked under the Functional section β and itβs adorable. π§π
π¬ Quick, Honest Notes
β¨ Huge selection β especially for planner lovers!
β¨ Weekly kits, monthly kits, Hobonichi kits, journaling kits, deco, die-cuts, scripts, ink swatches, and more
β¨ Subscription? No
β¨ Rewards system? Yep!
β¨ Iβd absolutely shop there again β especially because theyβre so generous with freebies π
π’ Thereβs a bit more cute stuff here than in the previous shops, but stillβ¦ never quite enough for my kawaii-loving heart!
π To Sum It Up
π Selection: πππππ+
π Packaging: ππ (packed with care, but nothing fancy)
π§Έ Cutie Factor: ππ (a little more cute, but still mostly vintage/cottagecore)
ποΈ Shop #4: Watch Me Washi
Since Iβve been following (and shopping!) the CPC sales for quite a while, Iβd already received a couple of free samplers from Watch Me Washi β but they were always the same bow-design washi in different colors. Pretty, yes, but a bit far from the cute animals and little characters I usually adore. Still, I had a lovely $20 prize to spend in the shopβ¦ and, wellβ¦ letβs just say my cart expanded very quickly. πβ¨
π What I Got
β Shop Impressions
If Iβm 100% honest, the bright yellow backgrounds on every product photo caught me off guard. Iβm used to soft whites, gentle neutrals, and cozy pastels β and yellow has never been one of my favorite shades. But! Once I actually started browsing, I realized something amazing: Watch Me Washi is a treasure trove of small-quantity goodies!
If youβre like me and sometimes feel overwhelmed by full rolls of washi that could last until the end of time, this shop is a dream. They offer samples in tons of styles, at super reasonable prices, plus adorable grab bags filled with surprises. π
π¬ Quick, Honest Notes
β¨ Huge variety β so many styles to explore!
β¨ Tons of washi, but also die-cuts, tiny figurines, and fun little extras!
β¨ Subscription? Sadly nope.
β¨ Rewards system? Also no, since the shop is Etsy-only.
β¨ Would I shop there again? Absolutely β especially for cute finds and low-commitment washi samples!
π To Sum It Up
π Selection: πππππ+
π Packaging: πππ (packed with care in a bubble padded envelope)
π§Έ Cutie Factor: ππππ (yay!!)
π¨ How I Worked With My Prize Budget
I really tried to stretch each $20 prize as far as possible, so I focused mainly on sticker sheets and washi β the things I knew Iβd get the most use and happiness out of. I also peeked into every shopβs sale sectionβ¦ you knowβ¦ just in case something magical was hiding there. πβ¨
Of course, I went over budget in all four shops (some more spectacularly than others π), and I even added a few items to my wishlist along the way. Even though most shops leaned heavily toward cottagecore and vintage aesthetics, I actually struggled to pick items while staying within the prize amount! In the end, I chose pieces that showed off each shopβs range and, most importantly, items I was genuinely excited to receive and use.
π‘ Pro Tip:
If you ever need to shop on a budget, try this! Add everything you want to your cart first. Then go through the cart slowly and rate each item from 1 to 5 based on how much you actually want it. Keep your 4s and 5s, and save the rest to your wishlist for later. It makes decision-making way easier β and way less sad! π
π Final Thoughts
And thatβs my little four-shop prize haul! π§β¨ Exploring these shops with a tiny-but-mighty budget was such a delight, and I even discovered a few new sticker loves along the way. A huge thank you again to the giveaway organizer β this whole experience felt like opening a pastel treat box filled with surprises! ππ
If any (or all!) of these shops caught your eye, youβre in luck: the CPC Sale is happening right now until December 1st, and most these shops (and many others) are participating with discounts ranging from 20% to 45% off. Happy shopping! β¨ππ (I know I will…π )































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