How About Orange

Quiz: Name that corporate logo

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:25:00 +0000

Consumers everywhere, see how many corporate logos you can identify in six minutes in this quiz. I got 31 out of 36, then came to a screeching halt. Americans will have a distinct advantage in this game; sorry, international friends.

Printable cup wrappers

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:15:00 +0000

Download and print these pretty paper cup wrappers by Amy Moss at Eat Drink Chic. "La Dolce Vita" is Italian for "The Sweet Life," and you can fill your cups with candy or treats and give them as party favors.

Tutorials: small, soft, cute edition

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:38:00 +0000

A collection of projects for babies and people who like small cute things. If you like big ugly things, these are not for you. And I should clarify that the recipient of some of these projects might be a baby; it's not that I think a baby could actually make that monkey. I don't have kids, but I'm pretty sure about that.

Felt rabbit keychain (above left) at Daily Cute
Crocheted mini monkey with fez (above right) by Christen Haden
Cashmere baby hat and animal friend at Chez Beeper Bebe
Fleece baby mittens at Canadian Living
Argyle onesie by Lu Bird Baby
Felt stuffed piggie at Dollmaker
Crocheted owls with big eyes by Brigitte Read
Piece of toast keychain at Deviant Art
Felt cake slices at Better Homes and Gardens

(Images from Daily Cute and Chad VanPelt)

Charley Harper high res images

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:45:00 +0000

While poking around the internet, I came across artwork by Charley Harper, modernist designer and illustrator. Cincinnati's Contemporary Arts Center has a bio on Mr. Harper, along with a few high resolution images of his work you can download. Not to be used commercially, of course, but you might put a bird on your desktop or make yourself a print. I'm a fan, and use my Charley Harper plates almost every day.

Free papercutting templates

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:11:00 +0000

If you've got nothing to do on All-Hallows'-Eve Eve, try out these Halloween papercutting templates from Cindy Ferguson's Scherenschnitte blog. Get the wolf here and the witch here. Cindy does amazing work and generously offers plenty of free templates to download. Some samples are below. Go get some Band-Aids and have fun.

Quiz: What's your interior personality?

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:01:00 +0000

Here's a short quiz that will determine for you which colors and qualities you would most like reflected in your home. How does the magical quiz determine this? By asking you which colors and qualities you would most like reflected in your home. Not rocket science, is it. My completely non-surprising result is above.

NaniBird paper toys

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:51:00 +0000

Created by Josh McKible, NaniBirds are 3D paper models of birds based on a series of his paintings. "Nani?" means "what?" in Japanese, and it's the word Josh uses to summarize his experience living in Japan. Since the project began, dozens of artists and illustrators have added their own NaniBirds to the collection. Download them all here and construct your own flock.

Printable moving announcement

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:56:00 +0000

Another free printable goodie at Love. Obsess. Inspire.: a "We've Moved" postcard, designed by Adrienne at Dingbat Press. It makes me want to move somewhere, just so I can send out these cute little numbers. Head over here to download and print.

Orange illustrations

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:26:00 +0000

At Share Some Candy, a delicious smorgasbord of illustration and design, I stumbled upon Brent Couchman's work. Brent is Senior Designer at Fossil, and has posted a few work samples on Flickr. I hope he won't get mad because his foot is now on my desktop. I borrowed it for wallpaper. See his retro-flavored art right here.

DIY projects to keep you busy

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:45:00 +0000

Try one of these craft ideas this weekend:
Vintage-look button earrings at Grosgrain Fabulous, above
Faux bois bookend from Tenth Muse Studios
Modern vases from recycled containers at P.S. I Made This
Wood clock by Mufn Inc
Decorative switchplates at Mod Podge Rocks
Soda can flower magnets by Tenth Muse Studios
DIY wall art with silhouettes at Time Out New York

(Image from Grosgrain Fabulous)

Beautiful initial caps

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:44:00 +0000

Typographer and illustrator Jessica Hische has created the The Daily Drop Cap project. Each day she posts "a new hand-crafted decorative initial cap for your enjoyment and for the beautification of blog posts everywhere." Or the loveliest ransom notes ever assembled. A great resource for design-savvy kidnappers.

Free notecard download

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:54:00 +0000

Help yourself to this lovely orange printable notecard, compliments of Pauline Grayson. Pauline is a 6'1" graphic designer who grew up on a dairy farm. I'm a 5'11" graphic designer who grew up on a dairy farm. I think this means we are twins separated at birth. Except I drank more coffee, which stunted my growth.

Skeleton papercraft project

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:44:00 +0000

I printed out and assembled this little skeleton-zombie guy just for kicks. At 2 1/2" tall, he's a very threatening presence. I believe he might enjoy hiding in the medicine cabinet or the cereal cupboard. To make him (he's part of the "Halloween Night" set), and other Halloween papercrafts, visit Canon's Halloween printables site.

Update for those having trouble finding the template: Click here. Scroll down to "Halloween Decoration" and find "Halloween Night." This printable document contains many characters (cat, pumpkin, etc.) and a house you can build. The skeleton is on one of the pages. Click A4 or Letter, depending on what your country's standard paper size is, to download the PDF. When the template is downloaded, print page 3, the instructions, and page 8, the skeleton body parts.

Giveaway: Epershand necklace by Isette

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:42:00 +0000

Always an admirer of typography-related accessories, I love this "Epershand" necklace by Isette. According to Jennifer Putzier, the artist behind Isette, "Epershand" is the Scots and Scottish English name for ampersand. How about that?

And now you can win your own Epershand necklace! To enter the drawing, leave a comment on this post before midnight CDT on Thursday (10/22/09), and one winner will be selected by a random number generator. Be sure to include a link or way of reaching you. The winner will be announced on Friday in this post and contacted.

Isette is also offering free shipping on all purchases by How About Orange readers through the end of October. Mention "How About Orange" in the "note to seller" field on your order, and your shipping cost will be refunded (including international orders.) To see Isette goodies in person, visit their booth at 1154 LILL Studio's Holiday Market on November 14.

UPDATE: Giveaway is now closed. The winner is commenter #96, Esha. Congratulations!

1000 Markets

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:08:00 +0000

1000 Markets is an online storefront for buying and selling artisan goods. You can search the entire site or browse within specialty collections. Some of my faves from the Modern Simplicity market: cherry and ash frame by Solidio, designer chair pencil pouch by Byrd & Belle, and the Chocolate Splat wall clock by Keith1000. Note to self: bookmark for holiday shopping.

Printable mailing labels

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:14:00 +0000

Add a little zest to your correspondence with free printable mailing labels by Oh Smile, available at Love. Obsess. Inspire. They look summery to me, so maybe I will print thousands of them and paste them over my windows so I don't have to see the gloomy fall day out there today.

V&A Pattern series

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:51:00 +0000

I'm enjoying a review copy of the V&A Pattern Set, a beautiful little series of picture books with patterns from different eras and artists: William Morris, Indian Florals, Digital Pioneers, and The Fifties, all from The Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The best part: each book comes with a CD of all the images. The digital files are about 6" x 8" at 300 dpi. (Images are for personal use and enjoyment only; commercial applications must be approved by V&A Images.) The books are available as a set or individually. Guess which one is my favorite volume.

Painted pumpkin ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:14:00 +0000

Check out the cool painted pumpkin ideas over at Parents magazine. I like the white versions for their untraditionalness. Untraditionality. Nontraditiation.

(Images by James Baigrie for Parents)

20% off at 1154 LILL Studio

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:43:00 +0000

The folks at 1154 LILL Studio were thrilled with your comments on the bag giveaway. Alas, there could only be one winner. So to cheer up everyone who didn't win, they've decided to offer a 20% discount on any one item purchased between now and this Friday, 10/16/09. Enter “How About Orange” in the notes section at checkout. (You won't see the discounted amount reflected on screen, but it will be deducted prior to charging your card.) This offer doesn't combine with any other discount or promotion. Enjoy!

Quiz: Spot the fake logo

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:55:00 +0000

As a graphic designer, I get a kick out logo quizzes. Sorry; here's another one. Your job is to choose the logos that have never been official marks for various companies. After taking the quiz, my conclusions: 1) Are you kidding? They actually used some of those? 2) I stink at this quiz. 12 out of 20.

Spooky packing tape transfers

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:49:00 +0000

Here's a quick and easy Halloween project: votive candle holders with packing tape transferred images. You'll need clear packing tape and access to a laser printer to make these.

First, select the image you'd like to apply to your candle holder. (Check here for scary vintage clip art, like this spider, bat, crow, skull, aardvark, or search the database for other illustrations.)

With a laser printer, print your images out 2" high (or to fit within the size of the clear packing tape you have.) An inkjet printer won't work, so don't even think about it.

Laminate the front of your image with packing tape. Use your thumbnail to burnish your image onto the tape, making sure the parts with toner are stuck down well. Then trim the picture down to size. You can either cut carefully around your image now, or just cut out a square and trim it later. Doing it now is probably easier.

Soak the image in a bowl of warm water for ten minutes. Then rub the wet paper fibers off the back until you're left with just packing tape and toner.

The tape will still be slightly sticky, so you can directly apply it to a candle holder, or for a more permanent solution, adhere it with Mod Podge, acrylic gel medium, or other glue.

Craft Social time again

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:35:00 +0000

Sign up over here for the next Chicago Craft Social, holiday edition, on Friday, Nov. 13. Come eat treats and make handmade gifts and ornaments. We could also use some more project leaders, so if you haven't led a table before and would like to, email me.

Giveaway: 1154 LILL Studio hobo bag

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:45:00 +0000

1154 LILL Studio is a custom handbag boutique that allows you to design your own handbag, purse or tote—online, in one of their shops, or at a handbag party in your home or office. LILL is generously offering How About Orange readers a giveaway: a trendy hobo style NIKKI bag in "G is for Giraffe" fabric (a $120 value). To enter, just leave a comment here before midnight CDT on Friday (10/9/09), and one random winner will be drawn. Be sure to include a link or way of reaching you. The winner will be announced on Saturday in this post and contacted.

Here's LILL's nifty online design room. Kind of like sewing your own bag, without doing any of the work. Try it out; it's fun!

UPDATE: Giveaway is now closed. The random number generator choose #258, Rachel. Congratulations!

1154 LILL Studio Holiday Market

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:21:00 +0000

1154 LILL Studio is planning their first-ever Holiday Market booth event. They're looking for 20 local designers, crafters and artisans who want to show off their wares and boost sales heading into the holiday season. The event will be held in LILL's warehouse headquarters (it's a cool old building; I've been there). It's $50 to reserve a booth. And the rest of us get to shop! Click here to learn more.

Date: Saturday, November 14th
Hours: 9am-5pm
Location: 1511 W. 38th St., Chicago, IL 60609

Make a gift bow from a magazine page

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 20:03:00 +0000

In gift wrap emergencies when you've got the present but need some wrapping, here's an idea for turning a magazine page into a bow. (There may be better ways to stick this thing together, but I used what I had on hand: staples and adhesive glue dots)

Cut a magazine page lengthwise into 9 strips, 3/4" wide. Leave 3 of the strips full length. Cut one inch off 3 of the strips. Cut two inches off 2 of the strips. Cut the last strip down to 3 1/2" long.

Twist each strip to form a loop at both ends and staple it in the center. Shape the last, short strip into a circle and secure it with a glue dot.

Layer the 3 longest pieces on top of each other, spacing them evenly and securing each with a glue dot. Add the next two groups of pieces, doing the same. And finally, stick the loop into the center.

Use other papers, like a map of your city. Here's Chicago. Anybody see your street?