Old School Notebook

I found this fun vintage student notebook at an antique collective on Wednesday and couldn’t wait to get crafting with it! I think a smaller version would make for a fun teacher’s gift, a fabulous high school reunion invitation, or just a cute notepad for your favorite little scholar. All the images needed are below for downloading.I created mini notebook graphics and printed out 3 letter-size sheets with the notebook paper images printed on both sides and one sheet of the inside folder graphics.I found a 25-cent black pocket folder with the perfect texture tucked away in my studio to use for the outside section of the folder. You can also use black or colored card-stock or construction paper.
After printing out the notebook paper pages, I cut the top and bottom graphic sections apart then folded all the pieces together before trimming off the non-printed margin areas. My trusty old paper cutter was perfect for this project, but of course, an X-acto knife works well also.
Using 3M spray adhesive, I laminated the trimmed-out inside graphic to a section of black and scored down the middle with the back of a butter knife for folding.Again, with spray adhesive, I added the spine section to the center back of the folder, folded it over, and returned to the cutting board for trimming out the whole piece.
I rounded the edges of the folder and notebook paper with scissors.
I flat stapled the opened notebook pages to the folder. Turning over and bending in the staple ends in, it’s important to create a generous curve to the bend of the staple ends to keep the bulk of the paper from pulling in and tearing the spine area. You may choose to punch holes and string bind your piece similar to the orgininal folder. And, finally, I added a name label to the front. Then I pondered, did kids really go to school on Saturdays?Click on the images below for the free PDF files to create your own old school notebook or other make other cool things with these fun vintage graphics.

sticviews Giveway Winner

Thanks for all your entries and fantastic ideas! The randomly chosen winner for the $50 worth of sticviews goes to Cindi of Tally’s Place. Congratulations Cindi, I can’t wait to see what you create!

Studios Magazine Feature

While my sister and I were in Colorado this last week, I remembered that the new Cloth Paper Scissors STUDIOS magazine was hitting the shelves and my studio is featured in it. So we popped into Borders for a cup-o-joe and hit the periodicals. There it was! I grabbed 2 copies, only to return home to 3 more sent to me by the editor. YAY! So, that means mini-giveaway!

Leave a comment with a way for me to contact you and I’ll draw a winner on Monday to receive their own copy of this fabulously inspiring magazine! Entries close end of this Sunday, Dec. 6.

Thank You.

As you may know, it’s been a tough week for me and my family, to say the least. Words cannot begin to express my gratitude to all of you that sent kind words my way in the form of comments, tweets, e-mails, and most importantly, for lifting my family and me up in prayer.

One thing I did not mention in my previous post was that my brother took his own life. I only say that now to bring awareness to the reality of hope. Unfortunately, he felt he had run out. But, I want to send the message that there is ALWAYS hope. If EVER you feel that you have run out of hope, please, contact me or someone you trust. There IS hope, I promise.

There were days of intense pain and grief (and many ahead, I’m sure,) but I felt great calm at times as a result of knowing that there were many arms around me, especially the Lord’s.

Thank you, thank you.

The sticviews Giveaway and the China Hutch

My recent discovery of sticviews has got my graphic designer/crafter head completely spinning with ideas. I think I could sit here and ramble off about one hundred different ways I would love to use this product, from custom laptop and itouch skins to canister decals and window decor. And can I tell you how perfect sticviews is for using in my home furnishings, such as my very dark antique china hutch. I won’t get into my thoughts on this particular piece of furniture, it’s never been my favorite, primarily because it is so dark, but (there’s a long story behind it...) but I know I will be married to this piece for a very long time. And since painting will never be an option, I decided that if I lightened up the window area I would enjoy it much more. I had, in the past, taped patterned paper from the back, but once I figured out I could use sticviews without any damage to the furniture, the real fun began!First, I took a photo of my cabinet and played around with digitally placing different images into the windows and also played with color. Of course if you’re good at visualizing, you wouldn’t need to do this, I was just torn between which image to use, so this was a good solution.I measured my windows well and then choosing the graphic scanned from a very old trade card, as-is, I placed areas of the card for the two window sections together digitally (I work in Adobe Illustrator, but most all image software programs can do this.) By placing them together as one full image, I saved a little money vs. ordering two separate shapes. I took into consideration the visual break of the wood door frames and cut that section out of my image before joining. I also added a cut line into the image.The ordering from sticviews was a piece of cake, once the image is uploaded you are able to see what you are ordering, make any necessary adjustments and finally purchase your sticviews for shipping.
Typically, when ordering for a window, I would have ordered the design right-facing on white stic (opaque), but because my window panels were beveled, I flopped my image in reverse and ordered it as a clear stic to apply to the flat side of the window from the inside of the doors.

My order arrived right away and came complete with instructions, suggestions, a spray bottle, squeegee and helpful little plastic razor for lifting corners and repositioning the stic.I trimmed apart my two sections,then folded back the tops of the backing.I aligned the top of the sticviews to the top inside of the window frame and using light pressure, smoothed it down as I gently pulled the backing down and away. I opted not to use the water installation option as to not damage the wood frame should the water run down into the cracks. Using the squeegie to smooth out the stic, I also removed any bubbles by sliding them out the edges. Even without the water this was easily repositionable and easy to apply.
Once the stic was applied to both windows, I taped the backing paper, that I had removed from the clear stic earlier, inside the window trim on the inside of the doors.The whole installation took less than a half hour.I absolutely love it!

Now, what can YOU do with sticviews?

THE GIVEAWAY!

Enter to win a $50 worth of sticviews!

TO ENTER: please visit sticviews website and blog, sign up for their newsletter either on the blog or on Facebook and come back here and tell me what you would make if you are the winner of the sticviews giveway! I can’t wait to hear your ideas. But be SURE you leave a way for me to contact you by either your blog or email.

BONUS: When you sign up for the sticviews newsletter, you will receive a 25% discount on your first order!
ENTRY DEADLINE: Friday, December 4, 2009 at noon (PST)
Randomly chosen winner will be announced Saturday, December 5.

ENTRY TO THIS GIVEWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

Here is the trade card image I used and a few others for you to download for creating sticviews or any of your projects.

Goodbye for now.

On Tuesday, very unexpectedly, I lost my big brother Tim.As you can imagine, there is much grief. I will be returning to my childhood town of Colorado Springs tomorrow to meet with my sister, Jennifer, who will be flying in from Missouri. Together we will do our best to handle all necessary arrangements. We would greatly appreciate your prayers and good thoughts.

I will be away until late next week and look very forward to returning to my family and my dear friends in blogland. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy my next post scheduled for Friday, a great giveway, that will run while I am away.

Thanksgiving

My favorite Thanksgiving decor: Jamie’s 3rd grade Clothespin Pilgrims

Wishing you all be in the company of those you love today, whether in person, thought or spirit.

Handmade Santa Plate

There used to be a paint-your-own-pottery shop in town when my kids were little and for Christmas I made Santa cookie plates for them and a few for friends and family. The shop is no longer around so I created a way to make one using a porcelaine paint pen for ceramics and some old-school type-curving techniques.You can find porcelain pens and paint in many colors. I only had black in my studio and because I love the syle of Emma Bridgwater’s Black Toast dishes, let’s just say that was the look I was going for here. The plate is a basic Home brand salad plate from Target, I think I paid less than $4 for it.For creating curved type around a plate, print out your type in two separate lines for top and bottom. If you want to also make a Santa plate, I’ve done the work for you. You may need to enlarge or reduce it depending on the rim of you plate. Using the concept of the template I made, create cut lines and base lines. Notice that they are different depending on whether the type will be curving down or curving up. For the type in the center, create your own by typing out the names or wording yourself or piece together letters from the template. A simple typeface such as Times works great for this type of lettering. I printed out the type in grey instead of black so that I will later be able to see where I’ve traced, or forgotten to trace, with my pen.Turn your template over and cover the back of the type you will be tracing with pencil. It may help to tape it to the window to see what area you need to cover.

Trim out the strips of type along the dashed line and be careful to cut around ascenders and descenders in your type, such as a dot over the i or the bottom of a p.
Cut between each letter or small word to separate, cutting only as far as the solid baseline.Beginning at the center of the top or the bottom, center your type strip and secure with tape. Fan out type, letter by letter, taping as you go and using the rim of the plate as a guide.Once all type is taped down, trace the letters with a ballpoint pen. As you trace, and later as you ink with that not-so-fine-point pen tip, keep in mind that this is supposed to look hand-done, not perfect. That’s what makes it so charming.When all has been traced, remove word/sections a little at a time to ink. Keeping template pieces taped as you go will help keep you from accidentally smearing the pencil lines as you draw.
Once all inking is complete, follow pen and paint manufacturer’s directions for curing the ink, such as allowing to dry overnight and then baking in your oven.

Add some fun holly sprigs and berries, or other details in color if you like. This style of type-written dish also makes for fun birthday plates!

Here’s the very first one I ever made (before Sarah came), winging the type freehand at the pottery shop. No doubt this one cost me around $30.Now that my children are older and in-the-know, we may or may not actually put out the plate on Christmas Eve, but they will always have fond memories of finding bits of chewed-up carrot in the fireplace and in the yard on Christmas morning.

Tea Towel Calendar

Blog friends. They are real friends. And I have been blessed to make a few very special ones. One of my blog friends, Heather Mann of Dollar Store Crafts, had this beyond-fantastic collaboration idea: 2010 calendar towels with exclusive graphics, dollar store materials and an easy tutorial. And because I thought it was a brilliant idea, I was more than happy to create the original digital illustration and design for a project we could both share with you.Click on the two calendar images below to download the PDF files and then go right over to Dollar Store Crafts for Heather’s tutorial on making sweet towels and wall-hangings using inexpensive materials. We think these will make the very best holiday gifts for your hostess, neighbor, kid’s teacher, and even for your own charming kitchen.
NOTE: When trying to download, if you get a “Google Bandwidth Exceeded” message, please try again, that just means the calendar download/image is getting too much traffic at once.Below is another image to download, print and fold to create a coordinating gift card.As I was working on this design, I thought it would be nice to finish off the fun with a sweet friendship graphic for your blog. Email one to your own special blog friends along with a link to this awesome post I found yesterday on EdieWadsworth’s blog, life in grace.

Vintage Family Number Christmas Cards

Remember my big find last Spring? A huge box of vintage Christmas cards. Sorting through them I discovered many numbered greetings, that is, the exact number of peeps in the family sending the holiday wishes. I thought you would enjoy seeing them and hope they bring some whimsical inspiration!

The 2009 Gift Making Guide

Everyone’s looking to save a little money throughout the holidays and time is so precious. So I’ve pulled some of the fun projects from my blog into one big post to make it easy to find just the right gifts to make. These are all fairly easy to craft and most have simple to follow directions. I know how much I would love to receive a handmade present this Christmas, and I’ll bet you would too. So consider making a little extra time to share in the form of a gift.

Click on text links below the photos.

Leather Card Holder • Painted Vintage Sign • Embossed Stationery
People Stationery • Name Kanzashi Flower • Framed Meat Cuts
Unique Pin Cushions • Custom Ball Cap • Arm Chair Organizer
Glass Window Sign • Luggage Tags • Leather Photo Frame Wallet
Box of Love • Repurposed Cuff Link Accessories • Leather Key Fob
Shrink Plastic Jewelry • Clip-Art Candles • Button Flower Bouquet
Mini Note Cards • Boxed Note Cards • Numbered Decor
Watch Case Jewelry • Rice Heating Pad • Button Boxes & Jars
Custom Poker Chips • Vintage Graphic Patches • Note Pad Holder
Market & Garden Bags • Game of Concentration • Kid Checkbooks
Wire Nest Accessories • Kid Self Portraits • Kid Stationery
Leather Mounted Pins • Quilted Card Holder • Decal Penny Pendant
Embossed Velvet Items • Top Ten Notebook • Car Accessory HolderVintage Globe Bowl • Custom Sketchbook • Quilted Candles

Recycled Greetings

My most recent blog post over at SC Johnson is all about making new holiday greetings from old holiday greetings! A perfect project for kids at home or in their classrooms. So, if you’ve stored up the last dozen-or-so years of holiday cards that you can’t bring yourself to throw away, this one’s for you.For more SC Johnson blog posts by yours truly, just visit the links over in my left sidebar. (And there’s several more to come!)

Crafty Tree Trimmings E-Book

First, check out this amazing line-up:
Susan Beal of West Coast Crafty
Diane Gilleland of craftypod
Linda Permann of Lindamade
Kayte Terry fo This Is Love Forever
Betz White of betzwhite.com
Patricia Zapata of a little hut

What could these fabulous crafty bloggers be up to? Holiday ornaments that’s what! Not just designing and making them, but sharing them in one fabulous e-book:

Crafty Tree Trimmings
Six Festive Ornaments to Make

I am loving the easy to follow directions and the excellent photo tutorials for each ornament. I was even able to print out my list of materials to take shopping with me on the ornament I chose to make. You can make your ornaments just like the photos or customize them to your liking. I’m planning on making lots of little Betz White felt houses in different colors and sprinkling them with mica flakes!

This e-book is so easy to order, is only 12 bucks and will arrive right away in your e-mailbox. And best of all, 15% of the proceeds from this book go directly to Project Linus, who’s mission is this:

“To provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer “blanketeers.”

“To provide a rewarding and fun service opportunity for interested individuals and groups in local communities, for the benefit of children.”

So, get moving and order your e-book now to get crafting on ornaments for your tree, ornament exchanges, Secret Santa presents, teachers’ gifts and more! You can also order the e-book as a gift for a friend, and support your fellow crafters while supporting a fabulous organization at the same time. In fact, I just sent one to my sister!

Custom Vintage Monograms

I had such great responses to my two Vintage Monogram Giveways and many custom orders since, so I figured it was time to set up shop and offer them for sale to everyone! I now have a Vintage Monograms website (ok, it’s a glorified blog, but it’ll serve the purpose) and Vintage Monogram Etsy shop. Please visit both and consider ordering custom monograms as the perfect personalized present for someone special. It really is one of those gifts that last a lifetime that can be used in so many ways.

Repost: The Thanksgiving Journal

This is a repost of a past blog entry, you know, back when I had about 12 followers. I though it would be worth sharing again!

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Do you go all out? Do you host dinner in your home? Are you the wonderful cook?

I can’t even make myself reach into a store-bought chicken to pull out the extra parts let alone be trusted with a turkey. But I can make a mean bowl of mashed potatoes or take on the crafty side of Thanksgiving, like decorating or making and sharing the holiday journal.

For many years we have shared Thanksgiving at my sister-in-law’s home in beautiful Napa, California. But the one year we did host Thanksgiving, I presented the family with this book. Words of Thanksgiving.
In lieu of going around the table and saying what we’re thankful for, (no one really wants to say the deep stuff out loud), this book gets passed around all day. Not everyone chooses to write in it and that’s ok. But the thankful entries of those who do, give history to the happenings in the lives of our family over many years of gatherings.

There’s a page of scribbles from Bennett at age 20 months. But my favorite page is the one that has an entry from each of my children:

“I im Thake for familys
Sarah”
This being Sarah’s first Thanksgiving with us since her mom, my sister, passed away and we adopted her.

“turkeys are what Iim I thankfol for
Jamie”

“I am thankfoul for frends and famley.
Bennett”
The book is a simple store-bought journal that I added a printed gold paper label to. You can get as elaborate or simple as you like, just be sure it’s not so overly decorated that it becomes too cumbersome to write in. Make a few extra for friends and neighbors. As with ours, yours can become a meaningful journal of the blessings in the life of your family.

So Blessed That We’re Sisters

Today is my sweet big sister Shelly’s birthday. It’s a day of bittersweet emotion as Shelly passed away nearly 7 years ago. Last year I celebrated her birthday by declaring a Hug Your Sister week. This year, a bit more subdued, I simply want to share a cute and cheery graphic that you can use to make something special for, or send via e-mail or blog post to your own sister, or to a friend you’ve always considered one. I will be sending it to my other big sister, Jenny, who lives far away in Springfield, Missouri but about one centimeter away in heart.

For more Hug Your Sister posts and free graphics click HERE.

Thank You, Veterans.

This small, tattered, flag-bearing lead soldier stands proudly in my studio reminding me daily of the men and women who serve and have served on behalf of my little family and this great, great country of ours. And to the many who have returned from battle changed forever, I pray for you. For what you have seen, what you have given and what you have lost, I will never know.

Please feel free to use the above graphic on your blog in your Veterans Day post or as a sidebar button (below).

“Thank You Veterans” Sign

Our wonderful town of Petaluma hosts an amazing Veterans Day Parade through the historic downtown every November. Many years, Jeff has driven the vintage fire engine escorting Veterans, city council officials, and our kids as they toss out candy to the crowd. This year we will be in the crowd waving to the brave men and women who have served our blessed United States.

I created an image to print out onto 3 sheets of paper (card stock would work best) to assemble and hold up as we give our appreciation to those who have and currently serve our country. Click HERE for your free PDF file of the three pieces you’ll need to create your own sign for holding up in a parade, for hanging in your work cubicle, attaching to your front yard fence or taping to your car. Simply print, trim the margin areas of the two end pieces, lay those pieces in place over the center piece and assemble with clear tape.
Below is an additional JPG file for use on your blog, website or store banner as well, just click on the image.
And here is one sized for your Etsy banner:

Ornament Exchange

Don’t you think THIS will be fun?! I’m in, how about you?
Click on the image to sign up.

Free French Postal Graphics

Why, as creative types, are we always drawn to so many things French and all things postal? Likely because both are known for dynamic graphic design. So, enjoy this collection of vintage French stamp cancellation marks that I put together for collage, graphic design, blogging images and all other garden variety crafting projects! (Not sure what those French graphics read? Click HERE to translate.) For the free JPG file, simply click on the image. To access the free PDF vector file, click HERE. And remember, I always love seeing what you create with the images I share!

Feel free to use these graphics in every and any way you can think of, with the only exception of selling the images as clip-art, digital downloads or reproducible art, such as rubber stamps for sale. Thank you.

Easy Organizer Project: Cabinet Cards and Napkins

There was a nice little feature about my blog the other day on The Vintage Moth, a fantastic site for free vintage images, (thank you Abbie!) At the bottom of the post was an image of the back of an antique cabinet card (look around, she has more!) ...and so my wheels began turning. That same day I was in an antique shop and one of my favorite dealers had a box of such photos. I picked up the box, turned it completely around backwards and began to thumb through the cards not by the photographs, but by looking at the fantastic 1800s graphic designs on the back. I bought 6 cards, scanned them into digital images and came up with an easy and inexpensive project for using their graphics.I found two square muslin dinner napkins at Kohls on sale for $.97 each.I laid out one, then the other on top scooted up some. It’s important to note that these pre-hemmed napkins don’t always line up evenly. I recommend you lay them out at the store to find a pair that mach up best before buying. I then folded the bottom piece up and over the top to create a section for sewing into pockets. I stitched along the side edges, across the center and up through the pocket area to create 4 pockets. (Stitching simulated in red as the stitching is nearly impossible to see in my photographs.)I reinforced the top stitched areas of the pockets with a zig-zag stitch in place. I flopped 4 of the card images and printed onto T-shirt transfer sheets as per the instructions. Cut out each card image and pressed one onto each pocket section.I peeled off the backing paper and hung the entire piece over the arm of my couch. For most all graphic design projects, I start in my living room with resource books, pens, and sticky-notes, from my my favorite chair in the corner, where I have access to my library as I sketch ideas. I now have an organizer that hangs over the arm of the couch within reach to hold my research supplies, reading glasses and more.Enjoy these beautiful free images for your own crafts!

Last Resort Costumes

I dug out these are BK shots (before kids, 15+ years ago) of Jeff and I dressing up for a Halloween party as, what else, each other. I’m a duck hunting uni-brower, and Jeff is, of course, Cathe the graphic artist (in my brunette days,) complete with portfolio in hand, and dare I mention: stirrup pants. I think this is probably the most fun we ever had as a couple, completely cracking ourselves up. We had to drive to the out of town party separate for reasons I don’t remember, making it even funnier with the looks we got along the way.
Here’s what we really looked like back then.
For more laughs, HERE is a link to our couple’s costumes two years ago.

Junior High Halloween

I drug myself out of bed at 5:30 this morning to get inking with Sharpies on my daughter Jamie for Halloween dress-up day at junior high. About an hour later, Sarah came out of her room, a ghost, having done her own make-up and wearing a repurposed angel costume from last year and a black wig. Scaaarrry-fun!! I ran her sweet-and-creepy mug through a Photoshop filter for extra drama!

Click on photo to enlarge.

Jamie got tats of school-pride lettering, the school mascot (a bantam rooster), her name and a cross with wings she designed and I copied. We attached pink hair extensions to her own hair and she wore a pink studded collar and (magnetic) lip piercing. Not quite sure what she is, but she was no doubt feeling pretty cool leaving for school, because it’s just plain fun to change your appearance completely for a day.

It will be interesting to see how the make-up, tattoos, and all that fake hair fare by the end of the day!

Blog Friends

How can I become so engrossed in our big wonderful blog world and not even realize that a fellow creative blogger is living right in my little town? Spectacular Kate, aka: CentsationalGirl, and I began corresponding lately after she alerted me to the fact that we are from the same town, and we agreed we should meet for coffee. So yesterday morning it was shop talk at Peets. What a wonderful visit, part one in a series of many more to come. We are both looking forward to keeping in touch every week or so over a cuppajoe. Check out her blog for some unique and amazing tips & techniques for decorating, refinishing furniture finds and exciting before & afters...and jawdropping photos of her own home.

And speaking of fabulous bloggers, one of my favorite recently discovered cool blogs is DudeCraft, by my new friend, Paul Overton. His blog is one you’ll be glad you bookmarked, as it is full of mind bending art brought to you from around the world on a daily basis. Today, Paul is sharing a Halloween freebie by yours truly! LINK

Mail Call! Free Vintage Images

A lovely JSIM blog reader, Amy, sent to me scanned images of letters that her great grandfather had written to her great grandmother in 1923 when they were dating. Have you ever seen such vintage sweetness in all your life? Just look at that gorgeous Spencerian penmanship! Amy knew that many of my readers use digital images for crafting and asked that I share them. It is my great pleasure, thank you very much Amy.
Click on images to enlarge and save.I have also included an additional sheet of envelope, parcel and label (Photoshopped) images from my stash of stuff. Enjoy!
If you happen to make anything using Amy’s images, I hope you’ll share a photo with us, just email me if you do.