How About Orange

To wrap up the week

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Fri, 24 May 2013 13:20:00 +0000

I'm happy to see my paper bow template being put to good use. Check out Jessica's nifty chevron version here.

Have a great holiday weekend, everyone!

Edelweiss Post vintage stamp stationery

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Thu, 23 May 2013 23:06:00 +0000

Want to know what my latest favorite Etsy shop is? Edelweiss Post. It's a store selling notecards and envelopes that come with postage stamps already applied— unused vintage ones, carefully selected and arranged by theme or color. Edelweiss Post is run by Patrick in Minneapolis. His grandpa collected stamps, and Patrick is carrying on the tradition by constantly adding to his own collection, and then making them available to everyone. I think it's brilliant.

Of course I bought an orange set. And sent my dad a manly-themed card and envelope for his birthday. If you're going to buy somebody a card anyhow, why not go for something totally unique with vintage appeal? These look and feel really special.

You can choose sets by color.

Or by theme. Mad Men Manly Mail?

How about guys with beards? The US postal service seems to favor facial hair.

Visit the shop to see more themes. Holidays. Owls. Nurses. Hot air balloons. There's even a Great Gatsby set.

Every pack comes tied with baker's twine and packaged so beautifully you'll hate to tear it open.

If you need a custom-themed set, Patrick will do his best to make it happen. Maybe something for wedding announcements or party invitations? One customer used an orange set to send thank you notes to the people who interviewed him for a job. He got hired. Keep that in mind, friends. You can't go wrong with orange, especially in the form of stamps.

DIY printed tote bag using the sun

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:42:00 +0000

I added a design to a blank tote bag using light-sensitive Inkodye and a stencil cut from freezer paper.

Inkodye is a water-based dye that works on natural materials like fabric and wood, and develops its color in the sun. It dyes fabrics permanently, and I like it better than fabric paint since it soaks into the fabric and keeps it soft and flexible, unlike fabric paints that can be stiff and sit on the surface of a textile. Plus, it's really fun watching the color develop!

To make a similar tote, you can create your own design or download the Big Fun stencil I made.

Print the design and trace it onto the dull side of plastic-coated freezer paper, available at grocery stores. Or, save yourself a step and print directly on freezer paper cut to fit through your printer. Tape a piece of freezer paper, shiny side down, to a sheet of copy paper and print on it. It will come out a bit curly and lightly fused to the carrier sheet if you use a laser printer like I did, but it should peel off easily.

Cut out the letters and shapes. Remember that any empty hole will get filled with color, and no dye will go where the pieces of paper sit.

With an iron set to the appropriate temperature for your fabric (likely the cotton setting), iron the paper pieces to the tote, shiny side down. The iron will very slightly melt the plastic coating, sticking the paper to the canvas. Give the pieces an initial quick, light press to make sure they're where you want them. If not, peel them up and reposition. Then press down firmly with the iron and make sure all the edges are sealed so no dye will seep under them. Once they're stuck down, the pieces are really stuck, and will probably tear if you try to peel them off.

If there are any areas you're worried about getting dye— you know, if you tend to lose your mind a little and start painting outside the lines— mask those off with painter's tape. Place a piece of freezer paper inside the tote to prevent any dye from soaking through to the back side.

Then, in a dimly lit room, brush on Inkodye with a foam brush. Or any kind of brush or roller will do the job! Try for even coverage. The fabric doesn't have to be completely saturated; you just need a nice even coat on the surface of the textile.

(You can mix Inkodye with water to make it go further, if you like. A 1:1 ratio of dye to water will still yield maximum vibrance. Add more water to make pastels, or mix colors as you would paint.)

Blot off any excess dye with a paper towel.

Place the tote in the sun. The color will start to develop instantly! Here's the tote after 30 seconds, a minute or two, and fully exposed after 10 minutes.

Peel off the paper, my favorite part.

If you like, you can wash the tote with laundry detergent to remove any excess dye. Or just let it air dry and call it a day.

Another origami fox

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Tue, 21 May 2013 20:17:00 +0000

I tried folding another origami fox model. There was something about the tail I couldn't figure out between steps 22 and 23, but I like him anyhow. Find this Fox Baby diagram here, designed by Daniel Chang and diagrammed by Marc Sky.

Etsy pop-up shop at West Elm Chicago

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Mon, 20 May 2013 21:43:00 +0000

Announcing a fun event for Chicagoans and visitors! West Elm asked for my input as they host a pop-up shop of local Etsy sellers inside their Lincoln Park store. The event will be Saturday, June 22 from 1pm – 6pm at the North Avenue location. Come hang out with me and browse through lovely handmade jewelry, art, home decor, stationery, and more. There will be delicious refreshments, plus I've heard rumors of a DJ and a photo booth...

For a complete list of the participating Etsy sellers, visit West Elm's blog. Find the event on Facebook here to RSVP or share with a friend. Grab somebody and come on out!

Here's sampling of the wares below. Better start planning right now where you're gonna hang that chipmunk.

A plant I can't kill

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:22:00 +0000

Check out my new house plant. It's healthy and thriving because I'm giving it the perfect amount of water and sunlight.

I made it from the cardboard kit, Port-a-Plant, sent over from Chronicle Books. It contains punch-out parts for three different paper succulents. The leaves can be a bit challenging to slip into their slots, so I think a child might have trouble with this. But a grown-up will conquer the cacti. Fun, right?

Below is the photo from the cover of the kit, which is available here.

Lots of free, printable notecards

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:09:00 +0000

Caravan is a shop full of digital downloads created by Alma and Mike Loveland and Melanie Burk. And they've just made all of their printable stationery free! Find notecards for teachers, grads, birthdays, and more right here, including a bunch of chalkboard-style designs which are super trendy right now. Save yourself a trip to the store!

Framed origami animals

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:16:00 +0000

I amused myself the other day by making some little origami foxes using this diagram by Mark Leonard, and a whale using these traditional instructions. (The website where I found the fox is apparently no longer active or I'd link to it.)

I thought maybe these animals need a place to live, so I made them each a habitat.

You can download and print these backgrounds, then glue your own origami animals onto them if you like. Framed, they'd be cute in a kid's room.

Download the woods.
Download the sea.

Print out the sheets and leave them 8 1/2" x 11" or trim them a bit to 8" x 10", a more common frame size. The animals were made from 6" standard-size origami paper. A full square for the whale and a half sheet for each fox. You could also shrink everything to mini size and make some little cards if you have nimble fingers.

Make large-format wall art from engineering prints

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Mon, 13 May 2013 21:53:00 +0000

Engineering prints (also known as draft prints, blueprint copies or architect prints) are currently all the rage with home owners looking for cheap DIY wall art. The grainy, photocopy-quality prints have a sort of vintage-looking charm, and you can't beat the price! It appears that most folks are outputting their large-format photos, quotes, and chalkboard-inspired art at Staples for a cost of $3-$7. To make your own posters, check out these projects for tips:
Above, giant photobooth wall art at Luxe Chandelier
Below, blown-up photos of photos by Jabaay Ave
Also see how to send images to Staples for printing and make a big frame by Dear Lillie
And don't forget my favorite: Designs Editor's free camera images.

DIY geometric art with simple stamps

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:41:00 +0000

The minimal, geometric designs that Fellow Fellow is sharing lately make me happy. Reducing objects to their most basic shapes is very satisfying, and these are great examples of what you can do with rectangles and triangles. Head to Fellow Fellow to see how to make your own stamps and create a village print.

Or grab the kids and stamp some animals together. Abstract patterns are pretty, too, when they've got that nice, stampy texture. Lovely work, Claire!

DIY stitched Mother's Day Card

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:16:00 +0000

Need a last-minute Mother's Day card idea? Stitch one! Chronicle Books has offered us this tutorial from Jessica Marquez, author of Stitched Gifts. The book offers 25 simple embroidery projects for weddings, holidays, baby showers, anniversaries, or just because. Here's one for mums.

Stitching this card should take 30-45 minutes according to the directions, so you don't even need to start until about 10:30 PM on Saturday night, right?

Download the how-to PDF (4 MB, so give it a minute)
Download the stitching pattern

Only a couple types of stitches are needed. These steps are also included in the PDF, but if you need quick refresher...

How to backstitch:

How to make a French knot:

Happy stitching! For more projects, get the book Stitched Gifts right here.

Decorating ideas using wallpaper

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:30:00 +0000

I've had wallpaper on my mind ever since Chasing Paper licensed one of my designs for their self-adhesive, removable wallpaper collection. I tried out one of the sample pieces on this TV tray. I might stick a chunk on the back of my iPad, too.

It's fun to think about ways to add wallpaper to a home without the cost of doing a wall or an entire room. The panels at Chasing Paper are 2 ft. x 4 ft., so perfect for smaller projects like these:

Source: Chris Everard

Frame out a large section of wallpaper with some crown molding.

Source: BHG

Cover a cart (or bookshelf on wheels) with wallpaper.

Source: House to Home

Stick wallpaper inside a bookshelf for a graphic patterned backdrop.

Source: BHG

Wallpaper a headboard.

Source: Chez Larsson

Give your stair risers some extra oomph. This is a Chasing Paper print.

Source: Aunt Peaches

Wallpaper your fridge. This is Chasing Paper, too!

Source: Waverly ad via More Design Please

Add pattern to the laundromat you manage.

Removable wallpaper from Chasing Paper

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:52:00 +0000

I'm pleased to announce a new print on a new product: removable wallpaper! Chasing Paper has just launched my Sunburst print in nine— that's right, NINE— colors in their shop.

I'm super excited. This stuff is like regular wallpaper, except it's self-adhesive and no paste is required. It's low-tack, so peeling it off won't harm your paint. (Or your 70s wood paneling.) Renters, rejoice! It's repositionable, so if you stick a piece on crooked or start putting it up on one wall and then decide it would look better somewhere else, no problem. Just move it. It's not contact paper; it's actually printed fabric and has a visibly woven texture so it looks richer than a wall decal. And it's wipeable!

Chasing Paper's wallpapers come in 2 ft. by 4 ft. panels, so you can buy a little for a small project, or a lot for a big project. Cover an accent wall. Or the inside of a bookshelf, or the top of a TV tray.

There's a bit of satin sheen to the paper.

I covered a plain white cabinet in my dining room.

Since I'm always skeptical about claims of durability, I decided to find out how easy this stuff is to clean. Let's pretend you accidentally throw some chocolate sauce at your wall.

It wipes off easily, leaving the wallpaper unharmed.

Let's pretend you accidentally run your wallpaper under some water. No problem. The ink doesn't run and you can dry it right off.

You know what that means. I have to put a wallpaper backsplash behind my sink.

Buy this design from Chasing Paper right here, or browse their other fun patterns!

12 May desktop wallpapers

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Mon, 06 May 2013 20:03:00 +0000

There are a ton of pretty, floral May desktops out there, free for the taking. If your screen needs a May calendar or quote, consider one of these springy items from designers around the web:

1. Enchanted Woods
2. Emily Ley
3. Ruche
4. Sarah Hearts
5. Regina F. Silva
6. Grown-up Shoes
7. Caroline Johansson
8. La boom!
9. Jonathan Woodward
10. Pimpelmees
11. Love Creative
12. Rebekka Seale

Printable Mother's Day card

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Fri, 03 May 2013 19:19:00 +0000

Mother's Day is coming up, so I made a little freebie you can download and print for your mum. It's a greeting card that fits in a standard A2 envelope. (4.25" x 5.5" after folding.) And it won't use up much of your ink cartridge. You could output this on linen-textured cardstock to make it really nice, and pair it with a red or green envelope. And a pie.

Download the card right here.

Design your own stamps

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Thu, 02 May 2013 21:58:00 +0000

A package came in the mail today.

A stamp I designed! It's from Stamptitude, a shop offering custom-made, self-inking stamps. Run by a husband and wife team, the little company just opened their doors. They agreed to make me a complimentary product sample to review, so I simplified the design I'd put on those foil cards and sent it over. Voilà! It has been magically reincarnated as a pre-inked stamp! When the ink runs out someday, I can just pour in more. No need for a stamp pad.

This thing is going to be really useful. On envelopes and packages, at the top of note paper, on post-its, gift tags, wine bottle tags, treat bags, business cards... I might go around stamping everything. I totally love it.

Some of the first impressions I made with it were pretty patchy, but I figured out I needed to press harder and leave the design depressed against the paper longer. According the website's FAQ's, you can also adjust the amount of ink flow by using the "lift & twist" mechanism at the base of the handle.

Stamptitude's custom stamps are quite affordable; prices start at $12. Just create your design, choose a shape, size and ink color, and upload your artwork. They ship globally. Order here.

Creative Market: resources for designers

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Wed, 01 May 2013 21:57:00 +0000

Graphic designers, have you come across Creative Market yet? It's an online shop full of useful goodies.

Some examples from the store: textures for adding flavor to your images. Product mockups, like the vector iMac shown above ($2)— useful for showing off websites or desktop wallpapers. Also find fonts for sale, plus a selection of templates for everything from business cards to WordPress blogs. Personally I'm most interested in the Photoshop actions. Get automated processes that turn average photos interesting, like the 42-action set below ($10).

It's a good resource to keep in mind for projects, since there's lots of stuff that will save you time. Buy something for $5 that would take you three hours to make. Or if you've already spent those hours, consider selling your own digital products over there!

Build your own paper globe

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 20:10:00 +0000

I just came across Joachim Robert's Le Paper Globe, a free papercraft model you can build. Download and print the pieces in English or French, A4 or letter size. Click through the step-by-step assembly instructions on the website for how to construct this terrestrial ball.

The PDF is editable in Adobe Illustrator, so feel free to make any customizations you like. See globes made by others on Le Paper Globe's Facebook page. Globes shown here are by An-Magritt Moen, Georgia Polo, and A Merry Mishap.

DIY paper banners for Cinco de Mayo

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:43:00 +0000

Several blogs offer instructions for making simplified papel picado (perforated paper) banners. These would be fun to whip up for a Cinco de Mayo shindig or birthday party. Find directions here:
Papel picado streamers by Studio DIY
Papel picado in purple and pink at Green Wedding Shoes
A downloadable template for papel picado from Happy Thought
Arrow-inspired garland by Lovely Indeed

Also see instructions for mini papel picado-inspired cupcake flags and straws. Consider succulents planted in cans for table decorations or party favors, too— like this or this. Little cacti are usually quite cheap at Home Depot.

A Friday high five

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:01:00 +0000

You should applaud yourself for making it to Friday. Why not give yourself an award, compliments of designer Jessica Hische? Fill in your name and occupation to generate a fancy certificate adorned with cats wearing paper bags. Make your "Officially Awesome" award right here. (Via Swiss Miss.) Have a great weekend, all!

iPhone and iPad cases for Uncommon

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:12:00 +0000

I'm delighted to announce that Uncommon, a manufacturer of protective cases for Apple devices, is now offering Jessica Jones patterns on their products! If you've seen my fabrics, you'll recognize a couple familiar prints in there. Cases are available in the Uncommon online store right here.

The coolest part is that you can customize your own device case: pick from a variety of iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch models, and then choose a design to place on the case. You can scale the print up or down, move it around, and even add text if you're feeling crazy.

One of these might make a nice Mother's Day gift or a present for somebody. I mean, can your phone really have too many outfits? It's like shoes or scarves. The more the merrier! See all six prints at Uncommon.

Free font: Cherry Swash

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 21:22:00 +0000

Need a pretty little slab serif typeface? Check out Cherry Swash, designed by Natalia Kasatkina. It's available right here from Font Squirrel, free for commercial use.

Make bookmarks with tape

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:22:00 +0000

I'm still waiting for TV producers to create Hoarders: Washi Tape Edition, because I bet there are enough of us out there to make an entire series. Why in the world is it so satisfying to collect decorative tape?

Here's a way to put some of that stock pile to good use (unless you're one of those people who uses an electronic gadget to read books. Me, I prefer paper pages.)

I used some Jonathan Adler paper tape, plus a bit of orange washi tape, to make some easy patterned bookmarks.

I placed three strips of tape side by side on a sheet of cardstock and trimmed it into a rectangle. Then I printed up a little Groucho Marx humor and attached the quote with more tape.

To make your own, download the Groucho quote right here. Print the page, cut out the little rectangles, and attach them to patterned paper or taped-up cardstock.

Jonathan Adler tape!

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 22:37:00 +0000

Lifeguard Press just sent over samples of their new printed paper tape by Jonathan Adler. I love it. Jonathan Adler is one of my all-time faves— those mod, geometric designs always float my boat.

The tapes come in a pack of three inside a dispenser. This stuff is not as sticky as washi tape, so it's easy to reposition. I got a little tape-happy around the office.

A boring gray bookend became patterned.

Edges on a bookshelf became patterned.

A desk lamp became patterned.

Tea lights became patterned.

Grab some Jonathan Adler tape right here. I'll post another project tomorrow!

Camera pencil sharpener

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica Jones) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:22:00 +0000

I just bought a pencil sharpener that looks like a camera. I keep buying and throwing out cheap little sharpeners that break my pencil leads off, and the one I have that actually grinds nicely requires three hands to operate it. The suction-cup bottom that holds it to the desk won't stick, so I practically need to hire an intern to hold it down so I can turn the crank. Electric models are too big, ugly, and seem like overkill, so don't even suggest them to me.

But THIS little number, in addition to looking pleasing on my office shelf, actually works. It has a clever mechanism for clamping the pencil in place, and then you hold the box down with one hand and turn the crank with the other. A little drawer full of shavings pulls out at the bottom. I adore it. It's made by Kikkerland; you can grab one at Amazon.