zakka life

Tapigami Exhibit at Maker Faire 2013

2013-05-22T09:47:00.002-07:00

"Tapigami"

Last weekend I attended the Maker Faire in the Bay Area, CA. The Maker Faire's tag line is "The Greatest Show and Tell on Earth. It's a family friendly celebration of the maker movement. If you've never heard of it before or want to learn more about it, I recommend checking out the official site, here. You can also read about it on past posts here and here.

One of the attractions that caught my attention was the Tapigami Exhibit. Tapigami (pron: Tāpəˈgämē) is a contemporary art form created by Northern California artist Danny Scheible.

The exhibit consisted of over 80,000 masking tape sculptures, with most made of basic cream masking tape. I overheard someone on the tapigami staff say this exhibit took ten years to make.

I'm not sure if you can tell from the picture, but the backdrop is hangers covered in tape.

If you want to make your own tapigami work of art, Danny has a new tapigami book available for sale which debuted for the first time at the Maker Faire. I'm wondering how this technique would look with some washi tape. What do you think?

Make a Washi Tape Village

2013-05-19T22:41:00.000-07:00

Any guesses what I used for the base of these houses? I'll give you a clue, you probably have one in your house right now. If you guessed a paper roll, you're correct! All you need is a few paper rolls and some washi tape to get started making your own village.

Supplies
Paper rolls
Washi Tape
Scissors

1. Fold paper roll into a rectangular shape.

2. Once you have it folded, cut on all four folds about 1/3 way down on your paper roll (refer to red dots). How far you cut down will determine how tall your roof will be. I trimmed some of the paper roll off the top to make a shorter house.

3. Fold the left and right side tabs in to make a point and tape together.

4. Trim the front and back tabs to match with the point you just made.

5. With your choice of washi tape, place strips all around the entire house. The tape should cover part of the roof.

6. Wrap tape around the front of the house roof. Flip over and repeat on the opposite side. Besides creating a decorative roof, the tape will also seal up the paper roll.

7. On the roof, place one or two pieces of tape on top to cover the paper roll. This will also cover up any unsightly edges of tape from step 6.

8. Last, add any details such as windows, shutters, doors, shrubs, etc with tape.

The house pictured above my 7 year old daughter made. I had to fold the paper roll and cut it for her. She covered the house with tape herself.

Changing subjects, I wanted to let you know that there's now information over at Whip Up on how you can donate to a trust fund for Kathreen's children. Click here.

Remembering Kathreen

2013-05-16T23:23:00.000-07:00

I had planned to post a craft tutorial today. But after hearing the news about Kathreen Ricketson and her husband Rob Shugg's tragic accident, it just didn't feel right. I am in disbelief and deeply saddened by this news. It was just a few weeks ago that we had talked briefly via email. I never met Kathreen in person. I wouldn't say we were especially close but I considered her a friend.

Many of you know Kathreen from her popular craft blog, Whip Up. When I first started blogging, Whip Up was one of the first craft blogs I started reading. I was even fortunate enough to be featured on the blog a few times. Kathreen contributed to the craft community in so many ways. I will miss Kathreen and her creative adventurous spirit. My prayers are with her family and children.

To keep updated on how you can help her family, visit whipup.net. Currently an education fund is being set up for her children. Once more information is posted, I will share.

UPDATE: There's now an email address posted to donate via Pay Pal plus and address to send checks. Click here.

Itch A Skitch: My New Favorite Time Waster

2013-05-15T22:04:00.000-07:00

Does this image look familiar to you? It's called Itch A Skitch but it's basically the online version of an Etch A Sketch. Just like the vintage toy, you move the knobs with the arrow keys to make a sketch. When you want to make a new sketch, you just click on the "new skitch" button and it shakes your image away. Click here to test it out and tell me what you think.

Did you ever have an Etch A Sketch? What was the best thing you sketched on it? I was never good at drawing with it. I always got frustrated that I couldn't make nice curved lines.

Kid Craft: Washi Tape Friendship Pins

2013-05-14T09:16:00.001-07:00

Do you remember friendship pins? Traditionally they were made with beads and safety pins. As a child I enjoyed making them and giving them out out to friends. Those memories prompted me to revisit the craft and give it a contemporary update with washi tape. I like how they ended up having a slight preppy look to them with the monograms. These friendship pins would be great for a craft party or just an after school project.

Supplies:

Safety Pins - I purchased some vintage brass style pins at Michaels
Washi tape
Scissors

1. Fold tape in half over pins so both sides of the print show.

2. Trim the bottom to make a decorative edge.

3. Add layers of tape for extra texture. Add letters or other embellishments.

DIY Mother's Day Card

2013-05-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

Today I'm excited to be participating in 100 Days of Tombow. One hundred bloggers across America are creating projects with Tombow products to celebrate the company's centennial year. But the best part is that for every blogger who participates, $100 will be donated to the Council for Arts Education. You may know that art education is very important to me. Often I volunteer my time to do art projects at my children's school. In fact, just last week I scheduled an outing for a couple classes to visit a pottery studio.

Tombow sent me a few of their projects to make a craft for this event. Today I will be working with the Tombow markers to make this Mother's Day Card.

Supplies:
Tombow Markers - two coordinating colors
White Crayon
White Cardstock
Scissors
Ruler
Piece of plastic - I used a disposable plastic pie cover. Any kind of plastic packaging should work. Check your recycle bin.

To make this card I'm using a wax resist technique. With a white crayon I wrote out the words "Happy Mother's Day". To get your letters straight and centered as best as possible here are few tips.

1. Work in a well lit room so you can see the white crayon on the card.

2. Place a ruler on the paper and use it as if it was a blue ruled line on your paper. This will keep all your letters straight.

3. A good way to write well centered and spaced words on a card is to start with the middle letter. For example, write the letter "P" for the word "happy" in the center of your paper. Then write the letters on each side evenly spaced.

Once you have your images written out, you're going to cover the entire card with marker. To give it a gradient look, use this method.

1. Write on your plastic with the darker color marker.

2. Pick up the color with the lighter marker. Just rub the marker brush on the ink and it will pick up the darker color.

As you color over the letters they will resist the crayon and show up. The marker will also gradually lighten in color as you draw due to the technique you used above, giving it a gradient style.

Make your card into any shape you want. You can also use this technique to draw images as well.

Business and Legal Forms for Crafters

2013-05-08T10:37:00.000-07:00

Once in awhile my husband will check out a book for me at the library when he sees something that he thinks I will like. Last weekend he brought home Business and Legal Forms for Crafters and I was pleasantly surprised at how informative and useful it is. The book comes with 30 forms from basic invoices to licensing contracts plus shares how to use the forms. Included with many of the forms are negotiation checklists to help you as well. The book was published in 2012 so the forms should for the most part be up to date.

I wanted to share this with all of you because when I started out as an independent designer, there were a lot of things I didn't know. For example, I didn't know how to write something as basic as an invoice. I can remember the first time a magazine requested one from me and I was a little overwhelmed by it. I ended up using Sage One to send out my invoices. And I should say, I'm still learning as I go. I don't have it all figured out.

If you get a chance, check this book out at the library. And if your library doesn't carry it, see if they will transfer it in from another library. I decided to buy a copy of the book and it was only $2 on Amazon. Click here to see the book.

Origami Tea Packet Favors

2013-05-06T15:46:00.000-07:00

Looking for party favor ideas? This simple origami tea packet folds up quick and is inexpensive to make. And if you're not into tea, you could place a candy or photo inside them instead. What's also nice about this project is you can change the style and feel of the favor depending on what paper you use.

Even though this project is quick and easy to make, I do recommend some knowledge or origami before getting started.

Supplies:
Origami Paper 6 x 6 - I purchased the flower print paper at Daiso.
Tea Packets - no more than 3" in height. I did have to bend back part of the package to make the tea bags fit. I used Good Earth teabags for this project.

Click on above image for a larger view.

Starting with the blank side up, fold paper for directions 1 - 7. For step 8 I've created some photos to make it a little easier to see how I got to step 9.

Grab paper at the center crease and fold towards center.

Continue to fold each side towards the center. The paper should naturally form into its shape from the previous folds you made.

Your finished piece should look something like the picture above. Now all you have to do is tuck a tea packet under the four corners and it will stay in place with no glue.

On the back, add a printed sticker label with the details of your event.

Origami Snack Container

2013-05-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, you can find me over at the Chronicle Books Blog sharing how to fold an origami snack container and talking about the first origami piece I folded. Hope to see you over there!

Lets Talk Camp Crafts

2013-05-01T10:06:00.000-07:00

Today I'm over at the Galileo blog sharing how to make this ammonite fossil that's pictured above. But before you head on over there, I'd like to talk a little about camp crafts.

As a child I went to numerous camps and made a lot of cool things. It was a lot of fun but I realize now, they didn't have a lot of substance. The projects were fun to make but they didn't teach me anything. And I'm not saying all crafts need a teaching agenda. You know most of my crafts that I post here are just for the sake of making. But if you're looking to teach children in a fun way, crafts can be a great tool. Especially for those children who flourish in the arts but not traditional subjects like math and English. That's why I like the craft projects at Camp Galileo.

Each week at camp Galileo there's a theme and the art and science projects coordinate with that theme. Pictured above are some of the projects kids will be making for the Amusement Park theme this summer at Camp Galileo. Here's a little information about the projects in Galileo's own words:

Art: Join Cirque du Galileo. Learn the art of mixing tints to make masks inspired by the elements. Use professional sculpting wire and tools to create performers and props for an Alexander-Calder-inspired wire circus scene.

Science: Design your own dizzying, hair-raising rides. Learn about centripetal force and torque to engineer a one-of-a-kind spinning attraction. Then use your electrical know-how to make basic series and parallel circuits to illuminate your rotating ride.

To find out more about the Camp Galileo and each week's theme, click here.

Click here for the Ammonite Craft Project.

Disclaimer: My children are receiving one free paid week of camp as compensation for this post series. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Bloglovin Post

2013-04-30T21:20:00.000-07:00

Many of you have heard by now that Google is retiring Google Reader on July 1st. So like many other bloggers, I'm suggesting you switch to Bloglovin. I've been using the site for at least a year now and I find it's really easy to navigate. They've even made it simple to transfer all your Google feeds over to Bloglovin with one little button, just click here.

DIY Instagram Sticky Notes

2013-04-29T10:34:00.000-07:00

I'm always looking for new ways to use my Instagram photos besides storing them on my computer. Because Instagram photos are square in shape, I got the idea to print them out on sticky notes. After a little trial and error, I got the process down so I'm sharing it will all of you today. This project is good for leaving a special note or using it as a unique gift tag. You probably wouldn't want to print out an entire pad on your printer (there are printing sites that will do that for you).

To get started, you're going to need some kind of photo editing software along with knowledge of the program. I used Photoshop for this project. Whichever program you choose, I recommend using one that gives you the option of layers.

1. The first thing you will need to do is make a template. You can copy this one if you want. You'll want your squares a little bigger than a sticky note. I made these squares 3.1" x 3.1". Once you have your template made, print it out on cardstock.

2. Attach the sticky notes to the inside of the boxes. I taped the sticky notes down with washi tape to ensure they wouldn't come off during the printing process. Trust me when I say, you don't want to fish a sticky note out of a jammed printer.

3. Using my Photoshop square template file, I added all my pictures in a different layer. The whole point of adding the pictures into the squares ensures your images will be printed on the sticky notes. For the photos above, I changed the opacity to 50%. I also had to scale them to size.

Now hide the "square box" layer so the boxes will not print, only the pictures.

4. Your project should look similar to the photo above, once printed. In the above photo I removed the tape. Once dry, your sticky notes are ready to use. Slowly pull your sticky notes off the paper so you can use your template again if you want.

Keep sticky notes on kitchen parchment paper until ready to use.

Another idea, use your Instagram sticky notes for special reminders. What would you use them for?

Party Origami in Mollie Makes Magazine

2013-04-23T20:49:00.002-07:00

Party Origami got featured in one of my favorite craft magazines, Mollie Makes! For those not familiar with Mollie Makes, it's a craft magazine based in the UK. The magazine features craft tutorials from sewing projects to knitting patterns. The magazine also features lots of craft artists and their surroundings. In this issue there's a wonderful interview with Brittany Watson Jepsen (designer behind The House That Lars Built). Another great article in the magazine shares about the best places to shop for handmade in San Francisco. There's so much more in this issue so if you happen to visit the bookstore, please check it out. The issues always seem to get to the US a little late. I just found the April issue at my local bookstore.

Page 50 of Mollie Makes

Changing topics, I never heard back from the winner of the Party Origami Giveaway so I've chosen a new winner. The new winner of the Party Origami book is Fashion Lights. Congrats!

Green Craft: Upcycled Bows

2013-04-22T08:54:00.000-07:00

Happy Earth day everyone! In honor of the holiday, I thought I would republish one of my green crafts from the archives. Enjoy.

Supplies:
Food packaging lined with foil - For this craft the package should be constructed with two sheets sealed on all four sides.
Double stick tape - I used tape that's pre-cut for scrapbooking.
Scissors

*Click on pictures to get a larger view.

Starting with a food package, cut strips horizontally. Next, turn all the strips inside out.

The strips naturally coiled into a figure 8 shape. The left "8" I taped the center together to make two loops. The right "8" has not been taped, it's just to show you how the strips naturally form. Next, take one loop and push it down in the center to make a bow shape and tape (refer to right picture).

Now push down the other loop just like you did in the last step and tape. Make three of these and one basic loop (refer to right picture).

Take two of the bows you made and tape them together in an "x" shape. Next tape another bow vertically down the center of the bows.

Last, tape your basic loop in the center.

Kid Craft: Sticky Note Monsters

2013-04-18T19:16:00.001-07:00

I debated whether to label this project a "kid craft" because I had so much fun with it. I could have easily wasted the day away making all kinds of sticky note monsters and the next day covering the house with them. Since they have sticky feet, they can walk up walls, hang upside down, and peek out from the computer monitor. Hmm, maybe I should call them mischief monsters instead.

Want to make your own gaggle of monsters? Here's the how-to:

Supplies
Sticky notes
Pen
Scissors

Make sure the sticky side of the paper is at the bottom where you draw the feet. Sketch out your monster (left photo). Cut out your monster (right photo).

Bend the paper at a 90 degree angle to make the feet. This also allows for your monster to stand up.

Japanese Craft Book: Motif Pattern of Origami

2013-04-17T13:34:00.000-07:00

Motif Pattern of Origami ISBN978-4-569-70773-0

If you read my last post, then you know I was in Japantown last weekend. And if you know me, you know a visit to Japantown isn't complete without a trip to the Kinokuniya bookstore. That's where I picked up this gorgeous origami book, Motif Pattern of Origami. The book is filled with flat modular origami projects. Modular origami is where you use multiple pieces of paper to make a more complex structure. Below are a few pictures from the book.

Here are some of the directions to the finished piece above this picture. If you're familiar with origami, the projects in this book are doable even if you can't read Japanese.

2013 Cherry Blossom Festival

2013-04-15T21:05:00.000-07:00

Ever have one of those days (or months) where you just need a change of scenery? That's how I was feeling last weekend so we ventured out to San Fransisco for the Annual Cherry Blossom Festival in Japantown. I didn't take a lot of photos due to the crowds. Plus I wanted to actually enjoy the event, not just document it. However, I did make an effort to take photos of things I've never shared before in past Cherry Blossom posts.

This year there was a Japanese sword exhibit. At the exhibit this sword diagram caught my eye.

Also in the exhibit were quite a few Tsubas (the guard part of the sword). I had never seen one separated from a sword before. I was impressed with how unique and detailed the tsubas were on their own. They looked like mini pieces of art.

While shopping in Japantown, we saw the new arcade Playland Japan for the first time. All the games in the arcade were new to me (not that I keep up on arcade games). Pictured above is a Pikachu game. I wasn't able to get a picture but the front of this machine looks just like a giant Pikachu.

I call this one the kawaii claw. Have you ever seen a claw machine so neatly set up? If any of the toys got knocked over after someone played the game, an attendant came and straightened them up.

In the back of the arcade I spotted this taiko drum game. We didn't get to try it out but it looked like a lot of fun.

Last, I give you the The Bishi Bashi. I looked this up and apparently you compete with others in a bunch of mini games. I'm not sure what the mini games consist of.

The festival offers so much more than what I shared here. There's plenty of good food, shows, crafts, and even a parade. To find out more, visit the official Cherry Blossom festival page here. The event runs for one more weekend (April 20 -21) so there's still time to check it out.

Makers Gonna Make

2013-04-11T20:32:00.000-07:00

"Makers Gonna Make" Tattly Design by Jude Landry

I was browsing around Tattly the other day when I stumbled upon this temporary tattoo, Makers Gonna Make. The quote just spoke to me and made me laugh. If you've never visited Tattly before, they have lots of designer/crafty themed tattoos.

Here are a few other crafty places I've been enjoying around the web:

Dewey Decimal System Inspired Journals by Lime Riot - I'm smitten with this idea of a dewey decimal system inspired craft project. Did you know "crafts" falls under 745.5?

Guest Post by Abby Glassenberg on Crafty Pod - Abby shares how she's been talking on the phone with some of her blog readers. I found this post intriguing and very insightful. For bloggers, would you call up some of your readers? For readers, would you want to talk on the phone with the authors of the blogs you read?

Washi Tape Crafts - Amy Anderson from Modge Podge Rocks just launched a new site dedicated to washi tape crafts.

Cut Out + Keep featured in Google Ad - Normally I wouldn't send you to an ad but since it features Cat and Tom from Cut Out + Keep I'm making an exception. I just watched the video myself, it's really well done.

I also want to give a shout out to Michele for helping me get a grip on the spam comment situation. Captcha is off once again!

Eye Candy

2013-04-09T20:18:00.000-07:00

and then there were two...

A while back I bought some candy eyes at the store. I had planned on using them for April Fool's day for my kids' lunches. I had it all planed out, I was going to place the eyes in their sandwiches and not say a word. Unfortunately the joke was on me because April Fool's Day fell on spring break. I suppose I could have used them anyways but it just didn't seem as fun. I guess there's always next year. That said, I thought some of you might enjoy seeing the eyes in action.

Here's what the package looks like. I purchased the candy at Target but I think I've seen this at Michaels as well.

I can't help but think of Heidi Kenney's plush toys when I look at this.

Changing subjects, I'm going to try and get rid of the Captcha to make commenting easier. I stress the word try because I always get tons of spam when I do this. Then I end up turning the feature back on. If you have the time, please let me know in the comments if you prefer no Captcha, thanks :)

*Update Captcha is back on. I had over 30 spam comments within less than 24 hrs :(

Secret Asian in Disguise

2013-04-07T16:46:00.000-07:00

Children can say the most unexpected and funny things. I decided to take some of those unexpected moments and work them into my art. Pictured above is an illustration of my son. When he was little he used to think "secret agent in disguise" was actually "secret asian in disguise". I feel like I need to give you a little background on this so you understand why we thought this was funny. First off, I'm Caucasian and my husband is Japanese. My son ended up taking more after me when it comes to looks; he has medium brown hair and fair skin. That said, he kind of is like a "secret asian in disguise".

Below is a little bit about how I created this illustration.

I started off with the photo above.

I cropped the photo and turned it into a black and white image. I used the "photocopy" filter in Photoshop to make it. If I'm making an illustration that's mainly black and white, I like to do this so I can get a better idea of how the image will look.

Next I sketched out the image on Bristol board. Once I had a good outline of the image, I started inking it in one section at a time. I recommend using Micron pens for this. They come in all different sizes. I used a 03 for this illustration.

Last I colored in the image with markers. Lately I've been using Copic markers for my illustrations. I also like Tria markers.

If you were going to make a piece of art from an overheard quote, what would it be?

Printable Bookworm Calendar

2013-04-01T22:22:00.001-07:00

You may recall me writing about the Scout Creative Printable calendars. Every month the Scout team would come out with a free printable calendar. At some point Scout Creative started posting the calendars on a new site called Crush, making it tricky to track down the printables. In case you were looking for them, click here to access the April calendar.

InstaThis Turns Photos into Art

2013-03-29T11:33:00.000-07:00

Not to long ago I was approached by InstaThis to review their wood or acrylic prints. This was perfect timing on their part because I was just sharing on Sulia how I never know what to do with all my Instagram photos. Usually there's not enough photos of the same event to create a photo album which leaves me with a bunch of photos hanging out on my computer/phone. Now I can say I've converted at least one photo into a lovely piece of art thanks to InstaThis.

How InstaThis Works

You can connect with Instagram to upload your photos or upload directly from your computer. I uploaded an image from my computer.

My daughter wearing her ewok hat.

Here's a close up of the image I had printed on 10 x 10 birch wood. InstaThis also gives you the option of printing on acrylic but I thought the warm tones of this picture would play off with the wood texture nicely. This brings me to an important point, printing on wood will produce slightly different results than printing on paper. My image came out a little darker which is expected. That said, I thought the printing quality was very good.

Here's a couple pictures of what the back of the wood looks like. I like how the edges are beveled to give it a more polished look. You'll also notice the groove in the back of the wood. That's for mounting your art. Each piece comes with mounting hardware that you place in the wall. Then you just slide the art onto it.

I don't have a picture to share but my print came very nicely and safely packaged. The print was neatly wrapped up surrounded by paper to cushion it and packed in a sturdy cardboard box. When I receive a neatly wrapped package, it tells me the sender takes pride in their product.

Thinking of converting some of your Instagram photos into prints? InstaThis is offering a 15% discount to Zakka Life readers! Just use the code KAWAII15. I do not receive any kind monetary compensation or commission from purchased products.

Free Easter Printables

2013-03-28T09:57:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I haven't shared one Easter craft tutorial this year. How did that happen? I blame that the holiday falls in March this year. Yes, it has nothing to with poor planning on my part (sarcasm). Since I don't have a tutorial for you this week, I thought I would share these adorable Easter printables over at Tiny Me. They're perfect for a little last minute Easter flare.

That bunny monster cracks me up. What does it have to do with Easter? I'm not sure but I like it.

Party Origami Giveaway

2013-03-26T12:32:00.000-07:00

Today is the official release date of my book Party Origami! Party Origami is a booklet with step-by-step directions for 14 party decorations. It also comes with 75 sheets of pretty double sided paper. To celebrate, I thought I would have a little giveaway.

On to the Giveaway. . .one lucky reader will win Party Origami. To enter, please share the first origami piece you learned to fold. One entry per household. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. The last day to enter the contest is Tuesday, April 2, 2013. I'll announce the winner Wednesday, April 3, 2013 on this post. If I do not hear back from the winner after two weeks, I will choose a new winner. Open to everyone. International friends welcome :)

Contest Closed

Congratulations to Fashion Lights who is the winner of Party Origami!

Thank you to everyone who entered. I was surprised to learn many of you learned to fold either a crane or boat as your first origami piece. For those curious, the first thing I learned to fold was a cootie catcher.

DIY Mini Paper Chain

2013-03-21T21:50:00.001-07:00

I never tire of the humble paper chain. It's simple, classic, versatile and in my opinion quite charming. When I look at it, memories of countdown chains from childhood come to mind. As a tribute to this humble craft, I decided to make a mini version of it.

This craft is pretty self explanatory so I'm not going to write a detailed tutorial but I will share a couple tips.

1. When making a tiny chain you will want to use a paper that is light weight and flexible. Card stock is too heavy and will kink when you bend the paper into loops.

2. Instead of glue, I found washi tape works best for securing each ring. This way you don't have to wait for the glue to dry or worry about part of the chain popping open. For the washi tape, I recommend choosing a color that blends in with your paper.

A few ideas of what to do with your paper chains:

decorate a dollhouse
use it in a mixed media art project
hang it around the edges of pictures on a bulletin board or inspiration board

DIY Card Keepsake

2013-03-19T22:12:00.000-07:00

I'm one of those people who have trouble getting rid of cards. I swear I'm not a pack rat, just sentimental. I feel like if someone took the time to write something thoughtful in a card or make the card, it's worth saving. The obvious downside to this is keeping all the cards nice and orderly. Currently I have them stashed away in a hope chest along with a couple other places. But soon they will all be neatly organized thanks to a simple card keepsake tutorial I found on Kayla Danelle's blog. I've already started organizing the cards. Pictured above are some birthday cards I put together.

As suggested by Kayla, I decorated some chip board for the cover of the cards. I tried to keep the cover relatively simple. I made a little origami cupcake to decorate the front. I purchased the metal rings at Staples. I couldn't find them at any of the craft stores.

Here's a cover I made for all the cards my husband gives me. For the cover I used some paper from the wagashi packaging. The tan paper is mulberry paper and the gold loop/knot is made out of mizuihiki cord. As you can guess, that's a wedding picture of my husband and I.

Craft: Clothespin Easel

2013-03-17T22:12:00.001-07:00

If you have a Pinterest account, you've probably seen myriad inspirational and funny quotes come through your feed. My question has always been what to do with them? Do I save them in a file to read when I need a little inspiration? Do I share them on my social media accounts? Maybe I select a few to make into posters? Well I finally came up with an answer: display the signs on a miniature clothespin easel. This way I can rotate the signs and keep them at my desk without taking up too much space.

Want to make your own miniature sign display? Directions below.

Supplies:
2 Clothespins
Cardstock
E6000 Glue
Glue Dots

1. Take apart clothespin. Save spring for another craft project.

2. Glue clothespin together.

3. Use another clothespin to hold it in place while it dries. Remove clothespin once dry.

4. Cut a piece or cardstock to measure 2" x 2 1/2".

5. Score two lines at the bottom and fold to make a ledge.

6. Using glue dots, attach cardstock to clothespin. I like to use glue dots because they don't warp the paper or leave any marks.

7. Print out a sign to display. You may have to scale the sign to make it fit your easel. The sign above comes from the blog Thirty Handmade Days, click here for poster.

What's your favorite crafty or inspirational quote? Please share in the comments.

Finding Vivian Maier

2013-03-15T10:55:00.000-07:00

A few years back you may recall the surprising discovery of the street photography artist, Vivian Maier by John Maloof. John Maloof purchased a box of photo negatives in an auction that he planned on using for a book he was creating. What he discovered was a collection of never seen photos by an unknown artist, Vivian Maier. After publishing some of the images on a Flickr page and his blog, the photos quickly went viral. From there, exhibitions of her work were being shown all over the world. Unfortunately, Vivian passed away before her photographs became publicly praised.

Just about a month ago the trailer was released for Finding Vivian Maier, a documentary about John Moloof's discovery and Vivain's secret life. I find the whole story so fascinating. What did you think of it? There's no date set when the film will be released but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's soon. To learn more, visit the Vivian Maier site.

Pretty Origami Bunny Envelopes

2013-03-13T11:17:00.000-07:00

I was looking for a little Easter origami inspiration when I stumbled upon a tutorial for these cute bunny envelopes by Paper Kawaii. They're the perfect detail to attach to an Easter basket or any spring gift. They fold up in about five minutes or less once you get the directions down. Hop on over to Paper Kawaii for the full instructions.

Here's what the envelope looks like when opened. I used 6" x 6" paper which will fold down to roughly a 3" x 2" envelope. The paper I used is from my book, Party Origami.

Craft: Felt Macaron Hairclips

2013-03-11T14:34:00.001-07:00

Don't you just love macarons? They're sweet, pretty and oh so delicate. I probably could eat a whole plate of them if I had the chance. Today I'm whipping up a pretty batch with zero calories. Use them for pins or hairclips.

Supplies:
Felt - white and purple
Embroidery thread - purple
Sewing needle
Scissors

Click on image twice, right click on image, copy, paste and print. Cut out each piece on the lines. Pin to fabric and cut out all pieces in purple felt except the white filling template.

1. Place back tab on the back piece. Sew where you see the dotted lines. This will be the tab for you to slip a hairclip on. Once done, flip piece over.

2. Place the white filling on the top of the back piece. Next place the top piece over the white filling. Last place the bottom piece on the white filling. You may have to do a little trimming to get your pieces to match up.

3. Pull out two strings from one strand of embroidery thread. Sew around the edges of the macaron (refer to picture). Make sure to hide all knots underneath the top layer.

4. Using one whole embroidery thread strand, sew the rest of the macaron (refer to picture above) onto the white filling only.

The left side of the picture is what the back of your macaron will look like when finished. All you need to do is slide a hair clip onto it.