How About Orange

Free font: Trocchi

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Fri, 25 May 2012 18:00:00 +0000

If you're up for a Friday freebie, you might go grab Trocchi, a Clarendon-like slab serif type family by Vernon Adams. Bold and regular weights are available for download right here at Font Squirrel.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day holiday, everyone! I'm on vacation next week, but I've prepared some posts ahead of time. I'm designating it Orange Week. Prepare to feast your eyes on orange galore! I've scoured the internet for the best orange things to put on, carry around, gaze at, sit on, and decorate with.

Make a simple, stitched vinyl wallet

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Fri, 25 May 2012 01:35:00 +0000

My hubby Alex likes to carry around a slim, fold-in-half vinyl wallet sometimes, but his isn't quite the right size to fit a dollar bill folded in half. He has to perform some kind of weird origami quarter-fold to make cash fit, so I thought I'd see if I could make a better one.

Tragically the fabric store didn't have orange vinyl, but I made do. I used one color for the outside and another for contrasting pockets. (I folded the wallets a little bit crooked in the photo above so you can see a hint of pocket peeking out.)

These would be simple gifts to whip up as graduation presents or Father's Day gifts, and especially fun with cash or a gift card tucked inside.

The measurements I used:
Outer piece = 4.5" x 6.5"
Each pocket = 4.5" x 2.5"

Or adjust as needed to make business card holders, recipe card holders, you name it.

On the outer piece, get crazy with your sewing machine and stitch some lines using contrasting thread. I made some straight stitches on one version, then tried one of the fancy stitches on my sewing machine that I never use.

Instead of backstitching to secure the ends of the decorative stitches (that's unsightly!) pick at the last stitch on the reverse side until you can pull the thread from the front side back through and then knot the loose ends. Secure all the stitches this way.

Then sew on the two pockets by stitching around the edges of the wallet. When you're finished, slice off any overhanging bits with a rotary cutter and a ruler to tidy up the edges.

Free vintage printable images

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Wed, 23 May 2012 23:52:00 +0000

Vintage Printable is a fascinating (though difficult to browse) archive of vintage photos, illustrations, and page scans. Files vary in resolution and the usage restrictions are a bit murky; most state "image in the public domain believed to be free to use without restriction in the US." I wouldn't build a corporate ad campaign based on "believed to be," but you could certainly make yourself some wall art, desktop wallpaper, or fun projects for personal use. Via Curbly.

Free Photoshop and Illustrator tutorials

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Tue, 22 May 2012 20:59:00 +0000

Those who want to learn useful techniques in Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and photography might be interested in Nicole's Classes. Find an ever-growing series of free video tutorials, how-tos, and downloads. Or sign up for classes you can take at home in the comfort of your pajamas (one of my favorite working uniforms, I admit). New, helpful content is posted every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Here's an example of one of the goodies offered on the site: printable Summer Reading bookmarks in two designs. Help yourself right here and learn a couple of Illustrator tips along the way.

How to make party decorations out of paper

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Mon, 21 May 2012 20:22:00 +0000

There's something really satisfying about making your own... anything. And if you're throwing a party for someone, what better way to say "I like you" than to make the decorations by hand. Not to mention, it's cheaper. Not to mention, you can cut and assemble these while watching TV, so you'll feel productive and proud of yourself instead of like a guilty couch potato. Learn to make the paper flower centerpiece above at Santa Barbara Wedding Style.

Download free printable templates for mini candy boxes at Gi Det Videre. The PDFs have editable text fields so you can easily type in guests' names and use them as place cards or favor boxes. Check back at Gi Det Videre this week for more matching printables to add to the set.

Get a template and instructions from HGTV for making this party flag garland. Use paper in colors that match your plates, napkins and other party stuff, and you'll look like a pro.

DIY geometric felt bookmarks

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Fri, 18 May 2012 22:20:00 +0000

Remember the boxes I made with stiffened felt from the craft store? I found it was easy to cut the stuff by hand with an X-acto knife, so I used the leftover scraps to make bookmarks with geometric cutouts. Kinda like the laser-cut items that are really popular right now, but without the laser.

Summer t-shirt DIY projects

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:54:00 +0000

Have you heard? Gap and Threadless are teaming up for a series of "TIY" (T-It-Yourself) tutorials, with a new one posted every Friday on Gap's Facebook page. Photo instructions will demonstrate how to turn old shirts into fun accessories including flip flops, laptop sleeves, and beach bags. I'm curious to see what they come up with. See the flip flop project here.

The idea, according to the PR email I received, is for us to make crafts with our old t-shirts so we'll have more room to fit Gap's new Ts into our wardrobe. I'm not sure the campaign will cause me to buy t-shirts, but this photo is inspiring me to finally remove January's last remaining flecks of old nail polish from my toes and paint them pink.

Printable owl bookmark and card

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:33:00 +0000

Look at the printable owl bookmarks made by Irene at Gi Det Videre! You can print out a card with a branch on which to perch a little bird, just in case you want to give one as a gift. Completely charming and perfect for mailing to a kid. Or keeping for yourself in case you need a dose of cuteness.

Via I Share Printables.

Vintage illustrations as desktop wallpaper

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:26:00 +0000

Maraid Design, a small firm in York, England, regularly posts scans of vintage book illustrations blown up to desktop wallpaper sizes. Pick the design that fits your monitor and add some retro goodness to your office! The blue lady gazing lovingly at her refrigerator is keeping me company today. Via the Herman Miller blog.

Practical Origami book

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:03:00 +0000

While we're on the topic of origami, the publisher of Practical Origami: Folding Your Way to Everyday Accessories sent over a review copy the other day. Take a peek at what you can make! The book is full of instructions for folding boxes, bags, envelopes, containers, coasters, flowers and more. The illustrations and written directions are clear and simple to follow, and there's a guide to the symbols and types of folds at the beginning of the book. Find it here at Amazon.

Make an origami dress card

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Fri, 11 May 2012 22:18:00 +0000

A simple origami dress makes a sweet DIY greeting card. It's a good option for Mother's Day, bridesmaids and bridal showers, or birthday cards for fancy ladies. I made a quick chevron pattern in Illustrator and printed it on computer paper, then folded this little frock from a 4-inch square. I printed a greeting on plain cardstock and attached the dress with double-stick tape. Using a map or old book pages would be nice, too. Follow this video to learn how to fold the origami dress.

Fabric sighting at Decaf Plush

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Thu, 10 May 2012 22:22:00 +0000

Whew. The last couple days have been a whirlwind of client revisions and crazy deadlines. My poor blog collects dust when graphic design jobs take precedent. But I did want to pop in to share something that made me happy recently. Decaf Plush, a company that makes appliqued cushions and children's clothing, is using Outside Oslo in their fall line! It's fun to see home dec fabric used for dresses. Maybe I need to make myself a skirt— minus the applique. (Or better yet, cajole Mum into making it for me...)

Modern cross stitch patterns

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Tue, 08 May 2012 19:42:00 +0000

While browsing on Etsy I bumped into Tiny Modernist, a shop selling cross stitch patterns for little mid-century items. Make four-inch Barcelona chairs, Airstream campers, and more. Cute stuff! I'm not a cross stitcher, but if I were, I'd grab one of these PDF patterns for five bucks.

Free printable Mother's Day card

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Mon, 07 May 2012 18:19:00 +0000

Need a simple Mother's Day card you can print immediately? Download my watercolor freebie right here. The finished card is 5.5" x 4.25", sized for a standard A-2 announcement envelope. Be sure to print at 100% without a shrink-to-fit option checked.

Valentina typeface

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Fri, 04 May 2012 18:37:00 +0000

Valentina is a beautiful didone typeface designed by Pedro Arilla and named after his grandmother. It's available for use in personal or commercial work. So lovely! Download it here for free, or make a donation to keep Pedro going.

A handful of sewing tutorials

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Thu, 03 May 2012 19:17:00 +0000

New tutorials are constantly materializing on the internet. So if you like material, here are a few sewing projects you might attempt!
Retro travel bag by Melissa Mortenson at Riley Blake Designs
Sweet little coin purse from Sew Spoiled
Shoulder bag by Sew Christine
Simple envelope pillows at Teal & Lime

DIY stiffened felt boxes

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Wed, 02 May 2012 22:11:00 +0000

I love the thick wool felt that's increasingly popular, but man. Wool felt in the 3mm to 5mm range is really expensive ($130/yard or so). The boxes, bowls, and vessels made with it are very cool, though. So when I was poking around my local craft store, I found a poor girl's substitute: Eazy Felt. You know it's cheap when "easy" is spelled with a Z instead of an S on the product label. It's regular craft felt that's been stiffened into sturdy sheets, and cost me $1.78 per 12"x18" sheet.

To make felt boxes, I cut a 9" square for the bottom piece, then added four slits and four diagonal cuts to trim away some of the excess felt on the tabs. See my pattern here. (This diagram is not to size; use it as a reference to see where to mark points on your felt.)

I used a rotary cutter and ruler to cut out the main shape, then made the slits and diagonal cuts with an X-acto knife. The stiffened felt cuts quite eazily. I didn't trace a pattern onto the felt; just measured with a ruler, marked the points, and sliced.

The box top is similar, except the center area is larger to fit over the box bottom, and the sides are half the height. See the template here.

After the pieces are cut, crease the tabs against the edge of a ruler to make assembly easier.

Fold the triangular tabs inward and bring the sides of the box up. (To allow for the thickness of the felt, you may need to trim an eighth inch off the edge of the triangle tabs so they don't poke out past the sides of the box.) Then secure the flaps with a hot glue gun. Do the same for the box lid. All done!

Origami hugs-and-kisses garland

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Tue, 01 May 2012 21:48:00 +0000

Leyla Torres demonstrates how to fold a paper chain of hugs and kisses, fun party decorations. Watch the video to learn how to make the garland from strips of colored paper.

Fabric sighting on a chair makeover

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:07:00 +0000

Check out Beth's awesome Danish Craigslist chair, newly reupholstered in my Sticks print. A perfect combo! See the before and after at After the Dust Clears.

DIY projects for the weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:58:00 +0000

If you're itching to spruce things up a bit this weekend, take a look at these ideas for the home (via a Google image search.) That orange grid wall makes my heart beat faster.
Orange wall by Milo&Ben
Belted wall clock at Remodelista
Cardboard chandelier by Kayte Terry at the Etsy blog
Painted spoons from Little Bit Funky

Dali desktop wallpaper

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 20:45:00 +0000

This desktop wallpaper with a humorous Salvador Dali quote is an oldie but goodie by Brooke Francesi. It's from Design Milk's Designer Desktops series, and I just applied it to my monitor. It's like waving a red flag in front of a bull. I'm determined to prove old Salvador wrong. What did he know, anyhow? His floppy clocks would never function in the real world, and his skinny little mustache can't compete with the likes of Burt Reynolds or Ron Swanson. Surely he could have worked a little harder. Humph.

Make a coffee-cup paper calendar

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:47:00 +0000

Every month Scout Creative releases a free printable calendar you can assemble into a 3D paper toy. These always make me smile, and May's edition is one of my faves. Build yourself a coffee cup with a calendar sleeve. When the month is over, remove the sleeve to reveal a feisty face on one side of the cup and a happy face on the other. (You could rotate it daily to warn your coworkers about your emotional state.) Grab the PDF right here.

Doily-print fabric made with photosensitive dye

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 23:14:00 +0000

It's spring in Chicago, which means wet things no longer freeze outside and the sun actually shines. So I tried another project with Inkodye, the photosensitive dye tested in a few projects last year. I'd received samples from the manufacturer to play with, and I've been curious about using paper doilies as stencils.

I taped a piece of white cotton canvas to cardboard wrapped in plastic. With a sponge brush, I applied red-orange dye. (Fabric really soaks this stuff up, so this required over half a bottle.)

Next I arranged paper doilies on top. As I suspected, the doilies started to curl when they absorbed a little moisture from the wet dye, so I quickly poked some straight pins into them to hold down the edges. Then I placed the board in direct sunlight on our back landing and hoped our neighbors wouldn't step on it as they came down the stairs.

Ten minutes later, I removed the doiles and scrubbed the fabric in soapy water.

The white blotches are where the dye soaked into the doilies and they stuck to the fabric. A little bit unfortunate.

On the other hand, I suppose you could argue this looks like some sort of faded, distressed antique — a tea towel discovered in a French flea market, maybe. And since my decorating style is supposedly "Country French," along with 89% of you, we should appreciate this, right? I give it a B-. But it was fun.

Seamless watercolor patterns

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:22:00 +0000

If you're looking for pretty patterns to spruce up your blog or Twitter page, check out these watercolor seamless backgrounds from August Empress. Get circles and squares, a chevron pattern, a floral print, and more. Images are for personal use only; contact August Empress if you have any usage questions.

Make origami bows from magazine pages

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 03:42:00 +0000

Turns out it's oddly satisfying to make a bow from a single square of scrap paper. No glue or tape needed; just a scissors to make a couple of cuts.

These are folded from graph paper I stole from Alex's stash, a piece of origami paper, and a chopped-up Martha Stewart magazine. I trimmed the paper into 6" squares and followed the excellent instructions posted at Let's Create.

These will be handy at Christmas when we need to mail packages or stack boxes in the car for a road trip, since the bows can be squashed completely flat. Course by then, I won't remember how to make them anymore, or even that I posted this.