Whisker Graphics

It's Moving Day + FREE DOWNLOAD

2009-05-05T14:06:00.000-07:00

After this post, I will no longer using blogger for my blog. I'm moving over to WordPress. I've tried to figure out how to have this blog forward, but it's waaaaaay over my head. So, if you would be kind enough to change me in your Google Reader or bookmark my new site or visit my new site and sign up to follow I would greatly appreciate it. (I couldn't figure out how to transfer all you kind people who follow this blog to the new blog. Sorry about that.)

I want to give a BIG shout out to Brooke Hall who is working with me to get the new site up and going. I could not have done it without her! If you're ever in need of someone who knows design + all the web tech-y stuff and who emails you right back and is a pleasure to work with, then Brooke is the web guru for you. Thanks Brooke! She also has a delightful blog.

Click HERE to visit my new home.
There is a Free Download of Mother's Day Cards waiting there for you. :)

The Queen of Crepe - Ann-Denise Anderson

2009-05-04T12:38:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend Little Cat A and I attended the Art & Paperie Show where we met The Queen of Crepe, Ann-Denise Anderson of Whim & Fancy Desig ns. She was hosting a Make & Take craft of a "cupcake" made from crepe paper. You know, the stuff that comes in rolls that you hang from the ceiling for party decorations. I just loved the concept, the creativity and the cuteness of the "cupcake"! She was generous enough to give me crepe paper tips even though I did not participate in the craft. When I thanked her for the info, she said, "It's all about inspiring!" What a great attitude! Check out her blog and her shop. Inspiration abounds! (my apologies for the blurry photo.)

Ann-Denise Anderson with her crepe cupcake

Great Mother's Day Gift & Tutorial

2009-05-01T09:21:00.000-07:00

Cathe Holden over at Just Something I Made has a great (and as usual, extremely clever) gift you can make for Mother's Day. It would also be cute themed for a baby or wedding shower with bits of advice written on the cards for the mother or bride-to-be. Take a look here.

photo from Just Something I Made

City Chic Country Mouse are in Etsy's Storque!!

2009-04-30T08:19:00.000-07:00

My etsy pals at City Chic Country Mouse are in Etsy's Storque! Click here so you can enjoy the article too. It's so fun to see and learn about etsy friends!

Jamie and her mom, Carmen, with some fabric goodness.

photo by SLGDesigns

I'm still loving all the goodies I got from them and use them on a daily basis. They make me smile.

A heart-felt thanks to Jamie and Carmen for the nod to Whisker Graphics and me in their article. So very kind of you.

Editable PDF Recipe Cards - New Design - So Handy

2009-04-29T15:04:00.000-07:00

I've added a new editable recipe card design to the shop (with a couple more designs coming in the next day or two). The set comes with 4 editable cards, 4 lined fill-in-by-hand cards and a coordinating mini file folder.

As I've mentioned before, I'm not a baker, nor a cook, but these just came in so handy for me today. Our son is turning 15 tomorrow and the LOML and I are going to make him a cake. I'm in charge of the frosting. I remembered Martha Stewart had a great buttercream frosting recipe in one of her recent issues and when I found it, the pages were stuck together with previous baking supplies (food, ick). So I quickly went to her website, searched Basic Buttercream, copy and pasted it into my pdf recipe card. While I was on her site I found 3 cookie recipes that looked yummy and copy/pasted them too. Next time I need the Buttercream Frosting recipe I can quickly find it in my recipe box.

So simple.

these are some recipes I printed out a few days ago

Maker Faire is Coming - A Creative Mojo Jump Start

2009-04-27T17:24:00.000-07:00

Last May my family and I attended one day of the Maker Faire. It was a lot of fun. We're going this year.

In case you're near San Mateo, CA at the end of May, check it out. You can buy your tickets early on-line and save some $.

Click on the photo to go to their website.

Easy Peasy Way to Keep Up on Your Blog Reads

2009-04-27T16:42:00.000-07:00

I'm not tech savvy. I don't get the appeal of Twitter (for those interested, I ate a bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats for breakfast) and I'm barely getting the hang of blogging. So you may already know about this handy tool to help you keep up on all your blog reading. It's Google Reader.

I love this thing! I keep a tab open in Firefox dedicated to Google Reader and I can see any new posts that come in on any of the blogs I like to read. No more bookmarking each blog I enjoy and then remembering to go check and see if there is a new post. It's all at my fingertips now. And it's so easy to use. Maybe I'm the last person to know about Google Reader, but just in case I'm not, you can go get it here.

a sample screen shot of my Google Reader in action.

Design Greatness = Eye Candy

2009-04-26T16:46:00.000-07:00

A couple months ago I bought a copy of Design for Mankind's digital magazine. Inside was a link to the website graphic-exchange. There is nothing on this site but design greatness. Eye candy indeed. Go take a look.

photos from graphic-exchange website

www.muccadesign.com

www.paulleedesign.com

New for the Shop - Printable and Editable PDF Templates

2009-04-22T11:21:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited about these!

I just finished updating the PDF templates in my etsy shop to be editable. So now, rather than printing generic paper goods, they can be personalized, customized or easier to fill in.

With the editable Recipe Cards you can type your recipe right into the PDF or copy/paste recipes from the web and print. No More Handwriting!! You can edit the recipe in the PDF too. Add your own notes or substitutions. Of course, you can still print them blank to use or give.

These 2" square tags/labels I created with the hobbyist or etsy shop owner in mind, but they could be handy for anyone (personal calling cards or address labels). They come blank and the text can be formatted in MS Word or such and pasted into the PDF. The above Crown tags all came from one sheet. Print them on cardstock or label paper. So MANY possibilities!

I'll share new designs as I create them.

A BIG THANK YOU to those who were kind enough to do the testing for this process. I really appreciate it!

Whitney

Out of Boredom Comes Art

2009-04-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

Little Cat A has been on TV and computer restriction. This has caused her to look for other sources of entertainment. Lots of painting and reading have been happening in her life. Last weekend she focused on 3-D art. She rummaged through my ribbon stash, got inspired and went to work. I thought what she came up with was so clever I told her I'd blog about it. She blushed.

You can click on photos to enlarge.

She searched the web for a dog outline. Enlarged it on our printer. Glued eyelash ribbon like crazy. Coiled bits of pipe cleaner for the eye and nose. Added blue ribbon and bit of tinsel pipe cleaner for the collar and tag. Such a clever girl!

The finished pooch! (It's a West Highland Terrier)

Cute Free Downloads

2009-04-18T16:13:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of cute free downloads for you to enjoy.

Click here to get these wickedly creative gift tags from Gina at Doe-C-Doe (discovered via How About Orange). Great for the sewer in your life.

And the ever creative Miss B over at Bla Bla Blag is offering this fun mini notebook download. I want to make my with grid paper inside.You can get the notebook covers and directions here.

Enjoy!

Better Photos?? I'm trying - Here's a Few Tips

2009-04-16T14:07:00.000-07:00

I'm not a photographer. It's very evident if you look at my product photos in my etsy shop. I've been going crazy the last few weeks trying to learn how to take better photos. I've read again and again how natural light and no flash are the answer. But that is not always (read:hardly ever) convenient. I think I'm making some progress, so I thought I'd share a few of the things I've learned so far.

#1 - Get to know your camera. Read the boring manual. I have a Pentax Optio S60 - Point and Shoot. I can't change too many settings, BUT I did learn about changing the White Balance. Very important to set it to the correct lighting.

#2 - Lighting - Miss B over BlahBlahBlag found some great lights here, but they were out of my budget, so I found these. You can get them here. $15 each. I put 2 in lamps with clamps (from my garage, but you can buy them at a hardware store) and 1 in a desk lamp from IKEA

Heres what my "photo studio" looks like. Swanky, no?
I clamped the lamps onto some overhead cabinets. Sometimes I use a light tent, but I'm finding with these bulbs, I don't need need it. Got bigger stuff to shoot like aprons or ironing board covers? Take a look at this article.

I also wrapped two pieces of scrap cardboard; one in tan linen fabric (left over from the bottom of my bedroom drapes from IKEA) and one in robin's egg blue kitchen towel (from Target - Easter clearance - $1.25). I secured the fabric by hot glueing it in the back. These are backdrops.

Here's an un-retouched photo with the bulbs and the correct camera settings and my new backdrops.

It's a big improvement over what I've done in the past. I still need to get LOTS better at staging the photo. I'm on the search for props and such.

#3 - Retouching - If the correct camera setting and lights still don't deliver what you want, there's Photoshop. There is this very helpful article from The Switchboards.com. I learned a lot from the article, but I was still having trouble getting my whites white without messing up my other colors. Well, last week, my son's friend showed me how to fix that. With your photo open in Photoshop click on the "Image" menu, go down to "Adjustments" and select "Selective Color". You can then play with each color independently of all the other colors.

Here is the original photo...
Here's the same photo after using the Selective Color controls in Photoshop. No, it's not the best photo in the world, but it is more accurate of what the product looks like.
I hope this information helps someone. I've so appreciated others who have given tips. There is Pioneer Woman's blog which is incredibly generous and knowledgeable.

Now if I could just figure out why all my photos are a tad hazy!

How Easily Influenced Are We? a.k.a Dressing Like a Tissue Box

2009-04-16T13:50:00.000-07:00

Apparently I'm easy, or at least easily influenced.
My dressing routine each morning involves gathering parts of my "outfit" from various places (the closet, the dresser, the armoire) and setting them on the bathroom counter while I take my shower. This morning, as I set my clothes down, I noticed I would be matching my tissue box!

I wonder what else is influencing me that I'm not even aware of?!

Check out these lovelies!

2009-04-13T20:50:00.000-07:00

These beauties arrived in my mailbox today. I haven't stopped smiling since.

A darling apple tote/shopping bag that is sturdy and roomy. The tree is stitched and the apples are cut out of fabric, then stitched on. Too cute!

A snappy oven mitt made from two coordinating fabrics. There is something crinkly and magical in between the layers so hands stay nice and safe.

An ironing board cover. Mine is not in this fabric, but in the floral fabric of the oven mitt. But, I like this one too!

Jamie and her mom, Carmen, of City Chic Country Mouse create the most charming items that make your domestic tasks a much prettier experience. They offer all these goodies and more (some dang cute half aprons) in their etsy shop. And if you are the sewing type, visit Jamie's blog and see her tutorial on making napkin rings right here.

I'm still smiling. Thanks Jamie and Carmen!
xo
Whitney

A Mention on a Beautiful Blog

2009-04-13T10:58:00.000-07:00

Last Friday Whisker Graphics got a mention from Wanwisa on her beautiful blog, Modern Vintage. Her site was a new discovery for me and now I have it safely bookmarked so I can visit often. I got blissfully lost in visiting all her posts! She featured some of my PDF template designs. (After seeing my product photos compared to other photos on her site, it is glaringly apparent that I really must get better at taking photos. I'm trying, really I am.) Go take a look here.
Thanks Wanwisa!
xo
Whitney

Two Exercises to Get You Thinking (the start of Nurture Network)

2009-04-06T17:23:00.000-07:00

I received the nicest email over the weekend from someone wondering how I got started in my "career". While responding back to her, I realized the thing that prompted me to start Whisker Graphics might be of some use to others. I've been thinking of sharing this for some time, so here goes...

Early in 2008 I was feeling frustrated with the conversations I was having with other women. I thought I would pull my hair out if one more conversation focused on a home remodel, kids, or kids sports activities. I started wondering who were these women in my community BK (before kids)? What did they do? What had they aspired to? What was laying dormant in them now while they were meeting the day-to-day needs of everyone else? I'm no leading-edge thinker, so I figured if I was having these thoughts, so were other women. Maybe we just didn't feel comfortable venturing beyond the safe/average/normal/boring topics. Who knows. But, while at a kid's birthday party (of course) I expressed my frustrations with a few other moms. Lo and behold, they felt the same! I made a few phone calls to see who wanted to play and Nurture Network was born.

I wanted Nurture Network to be about supporting (nurturing) each other into thinking beyond day-to-day tasks. To help each other expand and explore what "lights us up". To share resources. To help each other stay on track of our dreams. To inspire each other. So far, I think its working. :) We meet the first Monday of each month (it used to be every 2 weeks, but that was a bigger time commitment than some members wanted) for approx 2 hours. We rotate hosting with the requirement being minimal effort expended (we each bring our own beverage and there is no pressure to provide snacks) because this is not about entertaining or one more thing to do, but about taking a couple of hours with women we trust and focusing on ourselves. We've been meeting for about a year now. The group is about to grow to 6 members. We feel this is a good size to provide enough time, intimacy and variety.

If you want to play along, grab a notebook/journal.

Here are the two exercises I assigned at our first meeting. Best done in order.
Exercise #1- Rampage of Appreciation -- See this post here for guidelines. This is to get you in a good feeling place to do Exercise #2.
Exercise #2- At the top of a page write "Wouldn't It Be Nice If..." and then write 50 things.

On my "Wouldn't It Be Nice" list was "I had a successful line of stationery". (Also included was "I had new pots and pans" and "I lived in the present moment more often". I don't have new pots and pans yet, but I am much more present than I used to be.)

The following meeting I told each member to pick 2-3 things from their "Nice" list and see what they wanted to put into action on those items. I didn't tell anyone that their "Nice" list was going to be an action list (so act like you don't know). The purpose was to have each person feel free and dream.

Anyway, that's how my current "career" of Whisker Graphics started. But the real purpose of this post is to see if you'd like me to include future Nurture Network blog entries so maybe we could create a virtual Nurture Network. Though we couldn't really meet and talk, maybe I could share exercises (of the mental variety) we are doing or books we are reading or info on how we run the meetings in case you would want to start a local Nurture Network of your own.

Leave a comment and let me know if you want more of this stuff. In any case, I hope you have fun making your lists!
xo
Whitney

A New Blog I'm Groov'n On

2009-04-04T12:13:00.000-07:00

I received a nice etsy convo on April Fool's Day. It was no joke or trick, but a note to let me know that two of my stationery designs were featured on the sender's blog. Of course, I had to immediately go take a look. (You can too right here.) What a treat I discovered! A new blog to groove on and the talented Marta is having a give-away right now for one of her mini diaries. Go on, go enter. It ends Sunday night, so hurry.

Easter Bunny Card, Envelope & "Bag" - FREE Download

2009-03-29T14:59:00.000-07:00

I was completely inspired by Jessica's tutorial over on How About Orange last week. Check it out here. She cleverly showed how to make a bag out of an envelope. I literally grabbed an envelope while I read her post and tried it. It works beautifully! I started thinking about how I could use this idea and Easter goodies came to mind. Here's what I came up with. I thought I'd share. I'm going to put some candy in the bags and give to my kids for Easter. I had to use tissue for the photo because if I bought Easter candy now, I'd eat it all before Easter. No lie.After you've looked at Jessica's tutorial, download this PDF template formatted for an A2 envelope. You CAN CHANGE THE NAME in the template and print it out. Just open the PDF in Acrobat 8 or later (download for free at www.adobe.com), click in the text box and type your info. I printed on light blue envelopes. If you're using a different size envelope or a store-bought bag, print the pdf on paper, cut and glue to your bag. Label paper would work too.

You can also download this PDF template of a 2" square envelope and coordinating card. You'll need a color printer, 8.5x11 card stock and scissors. No glue needed. The envelope folds to interlock in the back. So simple. You don't have use the card with the bag. Tuck one in a bouquet of flowers or at place settings and write trivia questions on them. If you don't want your card to say "happy easter", cut 2" squares from any paper and write your note.

Have fun and leave a comment on how you'll use these freebies!
Thanks Jessica for the inspiration!

New Look

2009-03-26T15:31:00.000-07:00

I don't know if its all the trees starting sprouting new growth or the flowers blooming, but I've been feeling that my business identity needed to grow/change too. Something cleaner. Something fresher. So I did a little overhaul on my blogger header. Knowing me, I'll probably change it again in 6 months!

Pretty and Cheap Flower Vases

2009-03-26T11:03:00.000-07:00

Spring is in the air and I couldn't be more ready for it! My yard is currently offering up a few pretty flowers, some of which were begging to come inside and live. As I was digging through my "vases" I realized some of my favorite containers were really never intended for holding flowers. But oh my, how I love how they look.My all time favorite "vases" are balsamic vinegar bottles from Trader Joe's. After the vinegar is all gone, I run the bottle through the dishwasher and then use Goof Off to get the label completely off. Over the years I've collected about 8 of these guys. They are so pretty all lined up down the center of a table at a dinner or party.

I have only one of these pretty blue bottles. I don't know what drink came in it. Someone must have brought it with them when they came for a visit. I couldn't bear to throw it away. So, out it comes each spring working as a bud vase.

And of course, there are the hard-working canning jars. I like the blues ones the best. (The daffodils did not come from my yard. My pal, D, gave them to me yesterday.)

I hope spring is finding it's way into your home. If the flowers aren't out yet where you live, I hope you enjoy the photos. :)

And the Slacker Mom of the Year Award Goes to...

2009-03-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

ME! Everyone has a natural talent. Some people can sing, some can write, some look good, some are funny. Me, I'm a natural slacker mom. It comes easy to me. I don't mean to brag. Really, I don't. But, take today for instance. It's St. Patrick's Day. Little Cat A has been dropping hints for days wondering what the leprechauns would bring or do on this special day. Well, last night at about midnight it dawned on me that I needed to do some "magic". I put a few drops of green food coloring in the kids' potty. Ta da, magic (it was the least I could do, literally). Well, the toilet got flushed in the night, in the dark, without anyone noticing.

Never one to give up hope, this morning Little Cat A wondered out loud directly AT me if perhaps the leprechauns might be planning on coming during the day this year instead at night as in previous years. Smart girl.

While at my pal's house this morning (where the leprechauns did some serious magic with cookies and necklaces and treats), I was lamenting on my lack of effort in the magic department. So, I asked if I could have a couple of the treats the leprechauns left at her house. She graciously shared. I did try and make them a little special, but come on, who uses recycled holiday treats? A slacker mom extraordinaire, that's who. I'm a natural. (humble bow)

Recycled treats in baggie. I dyed some string a light green with food coloring.

Printed and punched out some shamrocks tags.

Wrapped in parchment paper and ready to leave on their pillows.

Testing. Testing. 1, 2, 3 -- I Need Some Help

2009-03-15T15:27:00.000-07:00

I apologize for my lack of posts. I've been busy, busy creating some invitation designs to enter in a contest here, trying to figure out how to take better photos for my ad here, working on a web home page for Whisker Graphics and last but not least, working on a new product for my shop. The new product is where I need some help. I'm looking for a few people to help me work out any kinks.

Here's what it would entail:
-I will email you a PDF set of paper goods with instructions and a questionnaire. You follow the instructions and fill in the questionnaire.
-What you'll need: color printer, MS Word (or something like it), paper, scissors, ruler, x-acto knife.
-Time commitment: less than an hour.
-What's in it for you: You can select any 2 PDF sets from my shop for free.

If you are willing to be a tester, leave a comment (with a way for me to contact you) or send me an email (click on my mugshot) and let me know your level of craft skills (i.e. from "Craft Goddess" to "I Know What Scissors Are"). I will email those selected.

Thanks in advance!
**** UPDATE***** Thank you all for your responses! I have enough volunteers now and will be contacting you shortly.
xo
Whitney

MORE Mini File Folders

2009-03-09T18:43:00.000-07:00

I'm lovin' the mini folder concept so much, I can't stop myself from designing more. For this set, and those in the future, I made a right-tab folder, a center-tab folder and a left-tab folder so they can be used in file boxes/drawers/containers just like grown-up folders and you'll still be able to see all the tabs. I just put this Geometric Set in my esty shop today.The second photo shows one printed out at 60%. Just the right size for a business card. Might be fun to print some out in tiny sizes and use them for scrapbooking or use some uber-cool Japanese masking tape on the sides to create a pocket.

Oh, my aching back... No more!

2009-03-09T12:17:00.000-07:00

I started Whisker Graphics last June on a shoestring budget. That budget has not changed. My "studio" is our 4th bedroom. It's not fancy, nor beautiful. My computer workspace is a "desk" (a plastic folding cafeteria table from Costco, ugly but roomy) and my laptop.
My laptop sat too low for me. I constantly hunched over to look at the screen and that made my back ache in the worst way. I wasn't sure how to remedy this. Then, I saw a photo of Marty Stewart in her office and she had this nifty stand for her laptop. "I want one of those," I thought to myself. With my budget in mind, I set my spending limit at $0.First I asked friends if they had an old keyboard I could have. They did. Then I did a trial run with a folding breakfast tray to make sure the height and keyboard would work. (That ugly legal pad to the right is my mouse pad.)The LOML made the stand out of some scrap plywood we had in the garage. Not up to Martha's standards for sure, but then again, Martha's budget is bigger. I had some white craft paint (bought when it was on sale 2 for $1), a foam brush (bought when on sale 10 for $1) and my trusy paint tray (an old frozen dinner plastic tray) and leftover paint from our bathroom.
A coat of the white craft paint first to act as primer.Then coat of Gossamer Blue paint from Benjamin Moore and my backsaver was finished. Both my back and my budget are satisfied!

FREE Download of Mini File Folder

2009-03-04T16:48:00.000-08:00

I'm just so excited about these little file folders that I wanted to share. Click right HERE to get your free pdf template download. Cutting it out with scissors seems to work best and if necessary do a little clean up with an xacto knife on the curvy parts. I printed it out on white and kraft cover stock. Read here for some ways to use this petite organizer. Enjoy!

If you like, leave a comment on how you are going to use your folder(s). I'd love to hear! :)
Whitney

Plain Stuff in Pretty Packaging

2009-03-04T11:59:00.000-08:00

Take a gander at this.
I found it while shopping at Trader Joe's.
It's rice. Just plain old white rice.
But, oh my, what pretty packaging.
I'm leaving it out on my kitchen counter to enjoy for a couple of days.

Mini File Folders

2009-03-03T13:11:00.000-08:00

I love when regular things come in small sizes. Dogs, cupcakes, baby shoes, cars. Even as a kid I liked little stuff. When my grandma took me toy shopping for my birthday one year, I picked out miniature boxes of food that were for display in miniature doll houses. I didn't have a miniature doll house. I just grooved on the teeny, tiny food boxes. Anyway, when I saw that Paper Source started carrying these Mini File Folders I wanted some. But I wanted them with a little more umpf. So I created my own version. This is the first PDF template set I've created for the shop.

They are only 4.75 x 7 in size. Just right for so many good uses:
- Store recipes from magazines
- Print a out and give as gifts
- Keep one in your purse to wrangle receipts
- An invite's handsome carrying case. (They fit nicely in a A7 envelope.)
- Put photos in them to give to family and friends
- A pretty place to keep your to do lists

I'm really excited about these little guys. I hope they find a place in other people's live who like little stuff.

Mailing Labels

2009-03-03T12:50:00.000-08:00

Something different for the shop. Mailing labels.

I ALWAYS like to receive stuff in the mail (bills and junk advertising being the exception). When its personal and packaged in a unique or fun way, it makes me smile as I walk from my mailbox to my front door. I think of the person who sent me the special something and feel a warm fuzzy that they took the time to do something they knew I would appreciate. That's how the mailing labels came to be. My first design is this little birdie. (click on image to enlarge it)
I love the idea of the label wrapping around the envelope. I made them generously sized at 3.5 x 5 so they can work on packages too. I learned I have to flip the address around to make that work. I'll work on more designs over time .

Cheering Up from My Family

2009-03-01T21:47:00.000-08:00

I've been MIA for a couple of weeks. The first week my mom came for a wonderful visit and the LOML and I went away for the weekend (sigh of contentment), and then the second week, I had a complete melt down (origin unknown) and went to a very dark place. (It had nothing to do with my mom's visit, honest.) I don't know what happened. I'm going to point the finger at hormones and leave it at that.

Hanging on the wall, in a location I can see while laying in bed if I turn my head to the left, is a big (3'x4'), linen-covered bulletin board. I tack images on it that make me happy. You know, shoes, lake houses, travel destinations, etc. During my ugly time last week, I took everything off and just left the assortment of tacks scattered randomly. This is what my 14 year old son did with the tacks to try and put a smile on my face.

My husband added the "tongue" the next day. It's a piece of paper from the top of a business form. In other words, trash. Clever boys.

They love me.

Valentine Treats for my Family

2009-02-13T11:50:00.000-08:00

This morning I TRIED to make something special for my family for Valentine's Day. I saw a yummy recipe in Marty Stewart's Feb issue for heart-shaped Ginger Sugared Cookies. I'm not the baker in our family. The LOML is. He likes to bake. He's good at it. I like to eat what he bakes. A match made in heaven. But, I thought he (and the rest of my family) would enjoy being on the receiving end of some baking love. So I tried.Here's what the little pretties looked like going into the oven. Not bad. I was already starting to pat myself on the back.

Here's what they looked like coming out of the oven! What!?? They are official Valentine blobs! Seriously, I could have just thrown the dough at the cookie sheet and gotten equal or better results.

After having spent the time making the dough, refrigerating it, rolling it, cutting it, sprinkling it, re-refrigerating it and then baking it, I was invested in this little project and was not going to give up.

So, I scrounged through my stash and found some glassine envelopes. I packed 5 little "hearts" (the bigger hearts will need to be used in blind taste tests, ephasis on blind) into each envelope, sealed them with some labels I made and wrapped them with baker's twine. I'm hoping the packaging will work as camouflage and distraction for the cookie-blobs.

Nothing says love like an envelope of Valentine's blobs. :)

Featured in a Treasury!!

2009-02-06T17:17:00.000-08:00

Stacey over at Shubey created a VERY lovely treasury on etsy and was kind enough to include my Bird Silhouette flat notes (they are the 3rd photo down on the left). I think she put together a pretty palette and made great choices. I'm always amazed at the talented people who play/work on etsy. I'm liking those magnets on the bottom left! Thanks Stacey!

Cheap Wall Art (I mean frugal)

2009-01-30T14:41:00.000-08:00

The walls at Print Possible (my other, other job) are bare. Have been for 2 years. We keep meaning to put something up, but time keeps moving on and the walls haven't dressed themselves. Well, no more naked walls! These will be hanging very soon. (click on photos to enlarge)

The 16 frames all laid out on my floor. I'm going to try and hang them with sticky-back velcro so they will (hopefully) be easier to align.

I bought some 5.5 x 5.5 Nyttja frames at IKEA ($24 for 16 frames!), scoured my clip art books, did a little printing and cutting and voila, instant art.

The frames still wrapped up and some trial images printed out.

I created a template in Illustrator so I could print the images 2 at a time. I printed the trim marks as solid lines for easier cutting and because the picture frame border would cover any cutting mistakes.

A closer look.

I printed the "border" on kraft paper and the butterflies on white. I ended up changing the corner images to include some of the border because the corners on their own (see photo 3) were to overwhelming when they were bigger.

Thrift Store Gold (or Silver in this case)

2009-01-30T10:26:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Little Cat A and I went to a local thrift store. It's been a very long time since I've been on the thrift store circuit. Back when I was an owner at Room With a Past, I hit thrift stores and garage sales weekly to gather inventory to revamp for the shop. After a few years of weekly hunting, I was burned out and had to take a couple of years off. But, I'm ready to get "back in the saddle" and hunt again. I was rewarded on my first time out by finding this silver toast holder.

I've been wanting/needing a file folder holder (say that 3 times fast) and did not want another black plastic one from the office supply store. I love the font, the patina, the look, the everything! about this toast holder (I mean folder holder). All this enjoyment for only $3! (contented sigh...)

Some Free Love

2009-01-28T21:53:00.000-08:00

Ok, I've been wanting to do a free download for quite some time now, but had no idea how to do it. Once again, it's Cathe Holden to the rescue. She gave me some pointers (ok, she told me exactly what to do). Let's see how it works. Please click here for a download of this:

It's an 8.5 x 11 pdf of Valentine's gift tags/lollipop holders. I created them for my daughter to pass out to her pals in class. Just print, cut and attach a goodie to each tag and spread the love. Little Cat is is going to punch two holes in the center and "weave" a lollipop stick through them.

Please let me know if this download works for you and how they print for you. I'd really appreciate any feedback. I want to get it right so I can do more freebies in the future:)

Happy Valentine's Day!!
Whitney

New Designs for the Shop - Scooters, Scrolls and a Bird

2009-01-28T16:25:00.000-08:00

I've been eager to sit down at my computer and work on some new stuff for my etsy sho p. Having to get year-end bookkeeping stuff done at my "other" job and having to get a new laptop and transfer everything over to it has kept me in a very left brain place lately. I needed a creative fix and I got one. Two glorious days (while the kids were in school) at home, alone (except for the dog that loves to sit in my lap and rest her head on my keyboard, which makes it challenging to type) to play and create. Oh the joy!

A modern scroll do-dad sort of thing.

The color ways the modern scroll do-dad comes in.

A different modern scroll do-dad sort of thing.

The color ways the different modern scroll do-dad comes in.

A little retro scooter for her.

A retro scooter for him.

Technicolor sound wave? Party Streamers?
Who knows, but I liked it.

I know, I know, birds , birds, everywhere birds,
but I can't seem to get enough of them.

Look What "Oh So Beautiful Paper" is Sharing

2009-01-15T14:29:00.000-08:00

Haven't picked out your Valentine's Day card yet? Take a look at Nole's, Oh So Beautiful Paper blog. I think she has got WONDERFUL taste and always showcases the most lovely paper goods. She was kind enough to include my Book of Love in her first installment of Valentine's Day cards. I did submit my entry to her and I'm honored she chose to include it. Take a peek here.This is my favorite. It's a print. I just love it!

Another Valentine After All

2009-01-15T12:17:00.001-08:00

I THOUGHT I was only going to create one design for Valentine's Day, but I came across a couple of cupid graphics that inspired me. I decided to do a PDF Valentine Set for the etsy shop. I tried to make them flexible to use.

The PDF files all printed out.

Everything cut up and ready to give.

Each little Love Note is for writing something you love or appreciate about someone. Similar to the Bucket of Love concept, but instead of having all the notes in one place, I like the idea of hiding them all over the place so they can be found for days on end.

The Petite Valentines are for using as gift tags (maybe with a Hershey Kiss taped to it?) or punch a couple of holes in it and "weave" a lollipop through.

The labels are just for fun; sealing envelopes, decorating a package or making Valentines with.

When Good Dogs Do Bad

2009-01-09T16:58:00.000-08:00

Would you think by looking at this

I would ever need one of these?

Well, my furry pal, Lola, and I went visiting yesterday to my good friend Denise's house to meet the newest addition to their family. Cookie, a Malti-Poo puppy. We thought it would be so nice for Lola and Cookie to become friends. Well, not only was Lola less than patient with the pup (a tad snippy, actually), but she went No. 1 on a cool, round mattress that D has (of course, it was new). So, not only will I be replacing the mattress, but sending this apology card. I designed it last summer when I found the dog graphic and thought it was hilarious. Who knew it would come in handy! I hope it's the last time I have to use it.

A Great Way to Start a New Year

2009-01-07T14:54:00.000-08:00

I came across this blog the other day called Simple Mom. It's fantastic! I was most intrigued with a posting she had called "20 Questions for Planning New Year's Goals". I promptly downloaded the pdf and printed out a couple sets. One for me and one for the LOML. I just love the way the questions are worded. Very gentle and yet thought provoking. Look at the questions here and see if they speak to you.

If you have the time, this is another great article from her site about setting goals or making changes without the pain.

My First Advertisement!

2009-01-07T14:48:00.000-08:00

If you get a chance, check out my first advertisement. Stephanie over at StephModo contacted me about advertising on her blog. I checked out her blog and promptly said YES!. Her blog is just wonderful and has a bit of everything; some design, some food, some personal, some everything! Take a peek here. Thanks Stephanie!

Valentine for the Shop

2009-01-04T17:55:00.000-08:00

The Book of Love

I don't do a lot of designs for holidays. Just a few for each one (at most). I just finished my one and only nod to Valentine's Day for my esty shop. The idea came from the Christmas gift (The Bucket of Love) I made for my husband. That project was loads of work. It was worth it, but I wanted to come up with something a little more user friendly for the shop. Enter "The Book of Love". All the giver has to do is decorate the heart (if they choose), fill in the pages with the things they love about the person, pop it in the envelope and voila, instant valentine keepsake. I have enough supplies to make 10 (my first limited edition!).

The heart and envelope are red pearlized paper.
The heart works as the to/from tag and to keep the book closed.

Once the heart is removed, the book opens.

The inside front cover (on right) and the first page to write on.

Samples of the pages to write on.
They alternate in the book. 10 pages total.

New Year - New Face (kind of)

2009-01-01T15:29:00.000-08:00

Here's to 2009 being a year of prosperity, love, kindness, appreciation and laughter! (And on a personal note for me, here's to being more patient and creative. Well, and organized too.)

With a new year I thought it time for a new approach . That approach being one of not hiding behind my computer. If I were in the entertainment business, I wouldn't want to be an actor (no lime light for me, thank you very much), but a set designer/builder. I like the creating, the behind the scenes. I'd much rather put a party together than attend one.

But, I've noticed loads of people put their photos on their blogs and I really like it. It's so much more personal to me. More friendly. SO, I've officially left my comfort zone and put my mug on my blog page. It's GINORMOUS!! I don't know how to make it smaller. If anyone knows how I can make it smaller, I beg of you to leave a comment or email me and tell me how. Quickly, so I can stop the cold sweats. Oh my, I miss my comfort zone already!

Happy 2009!!

UPDATE: 1-28-2009 Cathe Holden over at Just Something I Made came to my rescue and told me how to make my mugshot smaller. She actually sent me a smaller photo for me to drop in and emailed me the steps she took to make the photo smaller. It had to do with Photoshop Elements and making the photo 125 pixels. THANK YOU CATHE!!

A Sweet Mouse All Dressed Up

2008-12-31T14:52:00.000-08:00

Ok, this little mouse is not ALL dressed up. I mean, she is lacking attire, but she's got it going on in the accessory department.

This is the newest stationery set for my etsy shop. It came about when Jamie at City Chic Country Mouse (click here to see the seriously cute stuff in her shop) wrote that she was having a hard time finding cute mouse graphics. I thought Hmmm... if she was having a challenge, then perhaps other mouse admirers were also. So I set to work and came up with this little gal.

She travels through the mail with her sister
who likes to ride on the envelope.

This is the three color combinations she comes in.

The Final Handmade Christmas Gift!! -- A Bucket of Love

2008-12-24T14:39:00.000-08:00

Finally finished the last of my handmade gifts for this holiday. Whew! It's a Bucket of Love for my husband.

This idea started in November of 2007. I was going to make a daily calendar for Christmas with each day stating something I loved about him. Well... that idea turned out to be more than I could take on (365 is a lot to think of, not too mention making the calendar!). So, I shelved the idea for last Christmas, tweaked it a bit and came up the "Bucket of Love" for this Christmas.

The Bucket of Love ready to give.

The idea for the paper fortune cookies came from the For the Love of Paper blog, click here to see how they're made. I printed the "loved things" on the paper directly (not a fortune slip), cut out the 3" circles (bigger would have been better) and folded them. I had a heck of time keeping the cookies from popping open (even with permanent sticky). I ended up heavily creasing the fold. They don't look near as nice as Kimberly's, but I was running out of time!

I put them in a clear paint can/bucket from the Container Store, made a label for each side of the bucket and voila, I was done. A Bucket of Love for my Love Bucket!

I wonder if he will read them all at once or spread his reading out over time? Either way, I hope he will feel the love.

A Birthday Shout Out

2008-12-24T14:28:00.000-08:00

My pal, Cathe Holden, over at Just Something I Made is celebrating her birthday today so...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
CATHE!!

Handmade Goodies for Me!

2008-12-23T13:31:00.000-08:00

My little elf self has been working hard on making some handmade stuff for this holiday season, but little did I know there was another elf in my midst who was also working quite hard.

My pal, Cierra, at work bestowed these beauties on the LOML and myself yesterday. Well, knock me over with a feather! I mean, just look at the details! She did some shopping at Paper Source and spied these plain boxes and then just let her creativity go.

Inside were a couple of homemade truffles. Sweet!

She didn't stop there. She also made us a beautiful card that becomes an ornament. Truly, my poor photography skills do not do it justice.

It's dated and she wrote a lovely sentiment on the back.
The tree pops out of the card, ready to hang.

Cierra admits she may have an slight addiction to Paper Source and all the inspiration and supplies they offer. (She's not at the intervention point yet, but we are keeping an eye on her :))

I so appreciate the care and creativity that went into these goodies and I will have good memories each year we hang the ornament on the tree!

Handmade Gifts

2008-12-19T09:45:00.000-08:00

I haven't been posting much lately. Trying to make this holiday a hand-made one is taking loads more time than I thought it would. Here's a few more things I can check off my list...

Little Cat A is a snuggler. She loves plush/soft stuff (blankets, stuffed animals etc). I thought I would knit her a scarf for Christmas. I haven't knitted in about 20 years and I was very much a beginner when I stopped knitting. I have to give a big THANK YOU to You Tube and all the kind, generous people who post knitting videos. Without them I would have ended up giving Little Cat A a ball of yarn! Thankfully the yarn I chose was VERY forgiving. I initially started out with 25 stitches and after 1.5 hours of knitting, realized that would be way too wide and I unraveled all my hard work. After all, I wanted the scarf to keep her warm, not strangle her! I started again, this time with 12 stitches and somehow ended with 14 in the end! I don't know that happened. Anyway, here's what Little Cat A is receiving.

Little Cat A's Christmas scarf.
I thought it worthy of two photos since it took me forever to make!

Next up may seem like a cop-out, BUT my peeps will need to write thank you notes after Christmas. So they will each get a set of flat notes with return address labels designed just for them.

Little Cat B appreciates the Steam Punk style,
so the gears work for him.

The LOML would appreciate something simple.
Manly yes, but I like it too.
(Does anyone remember those Irish Spring soap commercials??)

Little Cat A likes cute things; puppies, kitties and of course, butterflies.

I have only one more hand-made gift to make. I'll post it when it's done. I'm excited about the concept, I hope the execution of it meets my expectations. Fingers crossed.

Gifts for the Neighbors

2008-12-15T09:22:00.000-08:00

Each year at Christmas time the LOML (Love Of My Life) bakes up several varieties of yummy cookies for our neighbors. He puts a LOT of work into these babies. He scours the internet for new and different recipes and no recipe is too time consuming or difficult for him. I always encourage him to keep it simple, but he's all about the taste, no matter the effort. Then, after all his efforts, he's perfectly fine with putting his creations on a cheap paper plate and covering them with ugly plastic wrap for delivery to the neighbors. He's been doing this for 15+ years and each year I suggest he kick up his presentation a notch or two. He's never interested. This year I figured, if it was important to me, then I should do something about it. So I did. Here's what we co-created together. He was responsible for the cookies and I was responsible for the marshmallows and the packaging.

A package of wrapped cookies and the supplies I used to make the cookie tags.

Here's the Hot Cocoa packaging before I cut them out.
Props to LollyChops for coming up with the great hot cocoa packaging idea.
Thanks Lolly!!

Contents:
Carmalitas
Iced Citrus Crackle Cookies
Lemon Meringues
Ginger Cookies
Cappuccino Flats
Homemade Marshmallows (little hearts - cut with a cookie cutter I bought at Bake It Pretty which I discovered from Miss B at Le Blahg. Thanks Miss B!)
Hot Cocoa Mix (store bought, but packaged with love)

The filled boxes before they get all wrapped up!

All wrapped and ready for delivery!

I like how they turned out and they were worth the hours and hours of work!

Teacher Gift

2008-12-09T17:01:00.000-08:00

My sister, who has been a 2nd grade teacher for years, knows a thing or two about teacher gifts. She's been on the receiving end of many and written a thank you note for every one of them. Well, this year it's her turn to give a teacher gift. It's her daughter's first year of pre-school and her class is the caterpillar class. Here's what we came up with for Gianna's teacher to use as thank you notes to her class. We did a little play on my Learn-to-Print stationery and added an extra personal touch at the bottom.

We hope she likes them. We think they're funny!

Gifts, gifts, and more gifts!

2008-12-09T16:29:00.000-08:00

This holiday season I'm trying to make as many gifts as I can. Of course, I see loads of things that my peeps would love to receive and I have bought a few of those too (especially since I feel I'm running out of time!).

I believe the wrapping of a gift is just as fun as the gift itself. So, though a number of the gifts pictured are store bought, I did try and put my lovin' touch on the wrappings and used some of my just received 3" round labels to make gift tags.

It doesn't show up in the photos too well,

but the font on the gift tags is striped like a candy cane.

This next little pretty is my gift to me. I bought it on etsy at dottyral's shop. She has soooo many cute pin cushions, I had a hard time deciding which one wanted to live at my house. But, I can't say no to a cupcake (real or felt), so now she is living with my other sewing supplies and looking scrumptious. Maybe this will get me to sew again...

My 2009 Calendar

2008-12-03T11:13:00.000-08:00

Timing is everything they say and though calendars are all about time, I blew the timing of creating a calendar for my etsy shop this year. I'm learning as I go and it looks like the beginning of November was the time to introduce this time sensitive item. Next year I'll know. I still wanted to create one because I thought it would be fun and a good learning experience. It was both. So this year there will be none for sale, but here's what I made to give as gifts.

Family Fun Week - Day 9 & 10

2008-12-01T08:39:00.000-08:00

Day 9
The "fun" part of Family Fun did not actually include my family for Day 9. My friend, Jan, over at Room With a Past invited me to visit Wendy Addison's shop, Theatre of Dreams, in Port Costa for one of Wendy's openings. We were joined by pals Rosann and Sherry. We went on the second day of the opening and Wendy mentioned that Day 1 was tres busy with many items sold out. I still scored a glittery bird that I'm planning to hang in my "studio".

Rosann, me, Jan & Sherry outside of Wendy Addison's shop.

My newest glitter addition.

Glitter Bird -- $8
Discovering a new place and being inspired -- $Priceless
Total -- $8

Day 10
We headed into San Francisco for our last day of Family Fun. To the Presidio to be exact. The Presidio was once a military base, but is now run by the National Parks Service. It is so very charming. We toured the Visitor's Center and right next door was a small exhibit of Andy Goldworthy's nature art. He is a fantastic artist. Click here to see photos of his work on flickr. We then drove the the Golden Gate Bridge and walked half way across and back. It was a great experience. I wouldn't mind doing it again on a crystal clear day. We had a bit of fog/smog happening when we were there.

We were all hungry after our walk, so we drove back into the Presidio and lunched at a semi-fancy place called La Terrasse. We all enjoyed our food and Little Cat A claimed it was the best French Toast she had ever eaten!

We tried to geocache a little, but realized we were too pooped to give it any real effort, so we called it a day and drove home (taking the long way through the Presidio to look at all the cool buildings). On the way home we stopped at Katrina Rozelle's and each got a piece of cake. I had the Almond Vanilla and was happy as a clam!

Parking -- $1
2 bags of pretzels to keep from starving -- $3
Fabulous Lunch -- $65
Fabulous Cake -- $15
Enjoying a beautiful location with my family -- $ Priceless
Total -- $84

Family Fun Week was fun and I'm ready to return to our regularly scheduled programming!

New Design for the Shop

2008-11-29T08:56:00.000-08:00

Family Fun Week has been great AND I've been longing to create something again. Alone. With no one around. Just by myself. Ok, I think you get it.

I've always loved that paper that kids use when they first learn to print their letters. I love the feel, the colors and the crisp, clean appearance of it. Not to mention the hope this paper gave me, when I was a kid, that one day I could have crisp, clean, well organized, beautifully formed handwriting. Well, I don't, but I still appreciate the hope the paper gave me.

Anyway, here's what I came up with.

Family Fun Week - Day 6, 7 & 8

2008-11-29T07:52:00.000-08:00

Day 6
Day 6 of Family Fun Week was pretty mellow. Little Cat A assured me that she was healthy as could be, but I didn't want to travel too far from home just in case. We enjoyed some fine dining at In-n-Out Burger (Little Cat A's choice) and then off to bowling. In the evening Little Cat B went to a friend's for a sleep over and the rest of the gang watched the movie, Enchanted. Little Cat A and I made some Meringue Cookies. If you use this recipe feel free to substitute the chocolate chips and nuts for 1 Cup crushed-up mint M&Ms, we did (you can only get these at the holidays). Tres, tres tasty!!

Lunch -- $15
Bowling -- $20
Movie -- $2
Everybody Healthy -- $ Priceless
Total -- $37

Day 7
Thanksgiving Day -- The LOML made a great dinner with all the traditional foods. The rest of the crew was responsible for making desserts to serve in the evening when some guests came over. My dessert pick was the Meringue Cookies mentioned above. Little Cat A chose Lemon Poppy Cake (recipe not included because I didn't think it was tasty) and Little Cat B chose homemade Moon Pies. The Moon Pies turned out fairly decent. We made Homemade Marshmallow and sandwiched the goo between Costco chocolate chip cookies. I think if we make these again, I would put the Marshmallow goo on ONE sugar cookie, wait the goo to set up and then dip the goo side into melted chocolate and let harden. In our Thanksgiving version, the ratio of cookie to marshmallow was off. Just too much cookie. The LOML also made some Gingerbread cause he just can't help himself.

Day 8
The weather was a bit gloomy and overcast and we wanted to avoid post-Thanksgiving crowds, so we decided to stay in the "hood" and try our hand at geocaching. Here's how geocahing is described on their website "Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment." We had never done it before and the LOML had been figuring out how to use the hand-held GPS all week. We set out on foot from our home and walked to two cache sites. But alas, we discovered we are not such good seekers! Yet. We didn't find the caches. We still had a good time and the dog got a walk in, so all was not lost.

Went out for lunch at Back 40 Texas BBQ. We love their sweet potato fries! Had a lovely lunch and then tried one more geocache site. Still no luck in finding the cache. We learned that it's VERY helpful to print out the clues from the website when you go out searching. We'll do that next time.

We watched the movie, Iron Man, that night and snacked on leftover Thanksgiving desserts.

Geocaching -- $0
Lunch -- $15 (we had a $40 gift certificate)
Movie -- $2
Total -- $17

Creative Customer - Marcey

2008-11-26T09:51:00.000-08:00

I received an email this morning from Marcey Stone over at Happy Stones sharing with me some photos of her paper goods she created from a template set she purchased from my etsy shop a little while back. She added some sparkle with rhinestones and glitter. And you know, glitter always makes me smile. I was excited and delighted to see what she came up with. I always wonder how my designs are given and received. Thanks for sharing Marcey!!

Family Fun Week - Day 5

2008-11-26T09:49:00.000-08:00

Family Fun Week had to call in sick for Day 5. Little Cat A had a fever and felt yucky. :(

Family Fun Week - Day 3 & 4

2008-11-25T09:05:00.000-08:00

Day 3 - Sunday
Well, we laid low on Day 3. Some chores around the house (no fun in that) and then in the afternoon we went to Gianna's, our niece, family birthday get-together. Got to catch up with everyone. For all you crafters out there, my brother told me about this website that is closing out a bunch of stuff www.pedlarsretail.com. We ate some tasty BBQ chicken with fixin's. My brother-in-law is the BEST BBQ-er! He could open a restaurant. Really. In the evening, we came home we had Movie Night in our family room and watched Wall-E and ate our candy from Powell's Sweet Shoppe.

Movie -- $2 (Netflix)
Family Memories -- $ Priceless
Total -- $2

Day 4 - Monday
We decided to go into San Francisco for Day 4. Little Cat B (14 year old son; does that make him Medium Cat B??) had been wanting to go to the SFMOMA for some time. On the way, we stopped in Berkeley at Zachary's for a slice of their delicious pizza and then another pit stop at Bake Sale Betty's to pick up some of her mouth-watering Ginger cookies for the car ride to the SFMOMA.

The SFMOMA was fun, but it's safe to say I don't get modern art. I tried, really I did, but after viewing 3 of the 5 floors, Little Cat A and I went to the gift shop and had a fine time looking around. Little Cat A bought a very cool, clear bouncy ball that is filled with superfine blue glitter. It's mesmerizing.

We then decided to head on over to the Ghirardelli Ice Cream Shop at Ghirardelli Square where we proceeded to gobble up 2 giant Hot Fudge Sundaes. Our tummies felt a tad woogley after the treats, so we walked around and peeked in some of the shops to give our stomaches a chance to settle before getting in the car again. There were a couple of shops that spoke to me and I had to explore further.

First, there was Kara's Cupcakes. I adore cupcakes! The petiteness, the sweetness, the flavors, everything about them, I love. I bought a Sweet Vanilla and a filled Meyer Lemon cupcake. I ate the Sweet Vanilla in the evening. I savored it. I don't like to be rushed with a cupcake. It was the best tasting cupcake I've ever had. The frosting was tres vanilla-y and the cake had a bit of an almond taste to me. YUM!! The Lemon cupcake is still waiting to be sampled. Here are a couple of photos of the cupcakes in their natural habitat..

We then strolled over to Lola of North Beach, a very cute paper goods and baby gift shop. We poked around a bit, had a few laughs at some of the cards, bought a card that sparked an idea for a Print Possible holiday card and had a lovely chat with the woman who was working there.

Then off to home we went. I made chicken noodle soup for dinner and we popped popcorn and watched Bee Movie (a very clever movie in my opinion).

Zachary's Pizza -- $14
Bake Sale Betty treats -- $5
SFMOMA -- $32
Parking -- $9
Ghirardelli treats -- $18
Card -- $3
Kara's cupcakes -- $6
Movie (Netflix) -- $2
Time with Family -- $ Priceless
Total -- $89

Family Fun Week - Day 2

2008-11-23T10:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, the first whole day of Family Fun Week, we went to Petaluma, CA. Though it's FAMILY Fun Week, this trip was solely my desire because Cathe Holden of Just Something I Made blog was participating in a vintage craft boutique. Cathe posted some sketch books on her blog that she would be selling at the boutique and I wanted to own one the moment I saw them.

The weather was beautiful, sunny, clear and in the 70's. We enjoyed the lush, green rolling hills showcasing the mama sheep and their baby lambs on the way there.

Here's what we parked next to. I couldn't resist snapping a pic. Wow!

The boutique was absolutely fabulous!!! There were about 15 vendors and each one had beautiful items. It was so nice to meet a fellow blogger and especially someone who is so creative and talented. Cathe couldn't have been nicer!

Here's Cathe surrounded by all her lovely goodies.

Here's the newest addition to my things-that-make-me-smile-and-bring-me-joy cache.

Cathe wrapped up my new sketch book in such a cute way with some red and white baker's string tying a pair of scissors to the bag along with her business card. It felt like a gift to myself.

The LOML, Little Cat A and Little Cat B were extremely patient while I visited and shopped. Here's another little goodie I bought. Glitter makes me smile...

Next we were off to The Tea Cafe for lunch. It was OK. I think the next time we visit Petaluma, we will try a place new for eats.

We then walked over to Powell's Sweet Shoppe. This is just a wonderful place. It's filled with every candy imaginable, pleasingly displayed and they have Charlie and the Chocolate Factory playing on a TV with theater seats to sit in. Little Cat A bought a DOTS lunch box that she has been pining for since August, and we all bought some candy, of course.

Then it was time to drive home. Fun was had by all and I will enjoy my sketch book for years to come!

Boutique goodies -- $28
Lunch -- $45
Candy -- $15
Inspiration received from seeing so many beautiful creative things -- Priceless
Total -- $88

Family Fun Week - Day 1

2008-11-22T15:51:00.000-08:00

Well, the kids have the whole Thanksgiving week off from school and with feeling the need to conserve finances, we decided we would not be doing any grand destination vacation. So, I came up with what I thought would be a brilliant idea (so far, I think I'm the ONLY member of our family that thinks so) of staying local, but acting like we are on vacation. We all contributed to a list of places we would like to visit/experience. Our budget is $100 a day for a family of four, not including gas and bridge tolls, but including food.

And here we gooooooooo...

Last night went to the The Paramount Theater in Oakland to see Singin' in the Rain. It was so much fun! The theater is art deco beautiful (of course, I forgot my camera) and the movie was great! (Nobody in my family had ever seen it.) And the Paramount doesn't just show you a movie, oh no my friend, they give you an experience. At 7:30pm a man sitting at an elaborate organ rises from below the stage and proceeds to play some oldies until 8pm. After each song the audience claps and cheers. Next they show an old cartoon and some previews of old movies. At 8:15 they turn up the lights, and rising from the stage once again, the man playing the organ PLUS three men in tuxedos, one woman in a vintage fancy dress and a very cool retro spinning wheel with 3 turning dials/wheels. It was time for "Deco-Win". Each patron received a numbered raffle ticket when entering the theatre. The Paramount's "Carol Merrill" (Vanna White for you younger readers) spins the wheels/dials, one of the tuxedoed men calls the winning number and, ta da, the lucky ticket holder wins a gift certificate from a local food place. They did this 3 times and no, we did not win, but it was still great fun! Then the movie begins. After each great dancing scene the audience applauds and cheers!

It was a great time and I would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who is near enough to partake!

Movie entrance fee -- $25 (5 people, Little Cat A took a friend)
Food Treats -- $23 (4 bottles of water, 3 bags of popcorn and 1 box of Milk Duds)
Parking -- $10
Experience -- Priceless
Total -- $58

Party Invites for my Niece

2008-11-17T14:13:00.000-08:00

Time flies! My niece Gia is turning 4. Seems like last week she was born...

Well it's her first "little friends" birthday party and I offered to create the invites. She decided on a princess theme and my sister and brother-in-law were kind enough to just trust me to come up with something.

Here's what I came up with...

Of course she would need some Thank You notes too!

I hope they like them. I think I will make some into birth announcements for my etsy shop

What a Pretty Treasury!!

2008-11-16T16:14:00.000-08:00

Jen over at Paper Wren put together a very pretty Treasury on etsy called Tipetty Tap Tipetty Tap and was kind enough to include my "Hello" / Typewriter gocco-ed flat notes. I love the subject matter and colors she focused on! Thanks Jen!

What an Honor!!

2008-11-14T11:18:00.000-08:00

Miss B over at leblahg.com invited me to do an "On the Download" on her blog today. "On the Download" is a weekly (on Fridays) free download of an creator's artwork. I've put together an assortment of gift tags just for the download.

I was so honored by her invite. I adore her blog! It's beautiful, informative and so fun to read!

So scamper on over and get yourself some free gift tags! And of course, check out all the great things on her blog (not to mention her beautiful paper goods in her etsy shop)!

Enjoy!

Wine Glass Name Tags Demo

2008-11-08T15:40:00.000-08:00

My good pal, D, is part of a wine tasting group. This group meets regularly with the hosting of each meeting/dinner party rotated through the group. When it was D's turn to host, she and I had a little visit and came up with these tags so everybody could have fun tasting without fear of swapping cooties. :)

the supplies: embroidery floss, 1/8" hole punch, scissors, 1 1/2" scallop punch, 4 x 6 chartreuse card stock (really any size card stock would work, I only had this size in the color we wanted to use.)

On the computer I set up a layout with 1 1/2" circles (that didn't print) on my size paper and then centered each name in the circle. If you printed the names out on 8.5 x 11, you could just sprinkle the names about with a bit of space between them.

I centered each name in the 1 1/2" scallop punch area.

I punched each tag with a 1/8" hole punch.

Measured about 6" of embroidery floss.

Folded floss in half, threaded through the hole, put ends through loop and pulled.

Tied around the base of the wine glass and trimmed ends.

I also created menus (her last name begins with P) that she slipped into these napkin holders from IKEA that have a little slit at the top to hold such a thing. That tall brown item behind the menu is a wine bottle wrapped up in craft paper (so know one knows what they are tasting). I made a bunch of numbered labels, one for each wine bottle.

A cootie-free good time was had by all!

A Sweet Co-Creation

2008-11-08T14:03:00.000-08:00

I just love when a good idea springs forth during the hum drum moments of the everyday. The newest pdf template in my etsy shop, titled "Sweet" happened just that way.

Little Cat A (10 year old daughter) and I were at the grocery store on Wednesday when I heard a rather loud gasp. Little Cat A had spied the Hostess rack of treats sporting a sale sign that read 10 for $10. After spending $1 of her allowance on some firm vanilla cakes with plastic-type frosting, we were driving home when she said, "Too bad you don't have brown labels. You could make some to look like cakes." I thought that was a fab idea!

Here's the final result...

the set of 4 note cards

Little Cat A wanted one that said "Hostess with the Mostess". What a clever girl!

A Crafty Rainy Saturday Afternoon

2008-11-05T08:46:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday it rained all day which made for the perfect day of staying inside and doing a little crafting. I decided to try something I suggest in my pdf template listings in my etsy shop with the envelope seals, which is "take some string and make a garland". Here is the process and the results...

My supplies: Scissors, ribbon/string and a sheet of printed labels.

I pulled some ribbon out, placed a sticker face down, put the ribbon in the center and then placed a second sticker on top of the first.

I used the side of the label sheet as my "ruler" to space the stickers along the ribbon, so they ended up about 11" apart.

I tried several ribbon styles. Here's one I think looks very un-lovely. It's just too wide.

Then I tacked a couple of push pins in the wall and tied the ends of the ribbon to them, used some petite clothes pins (double stick tape would work too) to hang the cards and, volia, a holiday card display. It being the beginning of November, I haven't actually received any holiday cards, but you get the idea.

Here's the garland created using string instead of ribbon. The idea is to use it as decoration around a Christmas tree. Again, this being the beginning of November, I don't actually have a Christmas tree yet, but you get the idea on this boxwood who was kind enough to model.

Tried it on a gift too. I rather like it.

I think it would be fun to do several rows hanging straight down in a doorway. (Think beads from the 60's style.)

Well, that was my rainy Saturday afternoon.

Feel free to leave a comment and share ideas.

Another Treasury!

2008-11-03T13:08:00.001-08:00

It's always exciting to know that someone has looked at my work and then liked it and then shared! Well, Stacey at bipsy on etsy did just that with her darn cute Treasury titled "Ah Nuts". Those are my squirrel note cards in the top right.

Here it is... (sorry for not showing the whole treasury. I still can't figure out how to capture the whole screen. My apologies to the artists who I cut off.)

Are those squirrel booties cute or what?

Rampage of Appreciation

2008-11-03T10:45:00.000-08:00

Fall has officially started in my neck of the woods. Last Saturday it poured most of the day, some sun on Sunday and rainy and cloudy today. I like the sun. Actually, I need the sun. I get grumpy and schleppy when the sun hides for too long. So, I started thinking of how I'm going to get through this cloudy season that's just beginning and I remembered a little process I learned from Jerry and Esther Hicks called a "Rampage of Appreciation".

It goes something like this...
1. gather a pen and paper
2. find a quiet, comfortable place where you can be uninterrupted for say half an hour
3. write down 100 things you appreciate

By the time 100 is reached, you can't help but feel better. My list has run the gamut from appreciating flushing toilets and the internet to the ability to take a deep breath with ease or the way my husband make me laugh.

I just thought I'd share this in case cloudy days get anybody else down too. Really it works any time, like when I'm in a nasty, grumpy, negative, poor-pitiful-me sort of mood. Cause that's not pretty to be around. Luckily this exercise helps snap me out of it.

Woo hoo, the sun just peeked out of the clouds!

Featured in a Treasury!

2008-10-30T16:15:00.000-07:00

Elena at Tickled Pink Knits (take a peek at her shop, down right beautiful pieces) has put together a very lovely treasury called "Oh Honey Brown Bear" (super cute title) and included my "New Hive" moving announcements.

Here's a look at it...

Elena did a fabulous treasury and I love the mellow yellow vibe! Thanks for including me!

For the Do-It-Yourself People

2008-10-27T10:53:00.000-07:00

Something new and different in my esty shop. Stationery you can print at home. I love the convenience of this idea! You'll always have a note card or gift tag on hand or a last minute gift! Print any time you like. As much as you like.

Everything is formatted to print out on 8.5" x 11" sheets.
This photo shows the gift tags on top, the folded note cards at the bottom and the envelope seals to the left.

This is a shot of some folded note cards and gift tags cut and ready to go.

This is of a folded note card and some gift tags.

The envelope stickers/seals in action.

Holiday cards and gift tags.

Most of the designs can be personalized too.

I had a great time creating these and looking forward to doing more...

Good Fortunes

2008-10-23T08:24:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love cracking open a fortune cookie and seeing what's in store for their future or reading something nice about their personality? Well, I do, especially when it's something good, plus you get to eat a cookie.

A month or so ago, I read an article in Cottage Living (I think) about a woman's cute cottage decor and she had a big post in her home with tons of fortunes tacked up all over it. That sparked the idea for my fortune cookie card. I thought it would be fun to give a card that the receiver interacted with a bit. I did a mock up and had it resting on my desk for several weeks. Each person in my family mentioned in passing that they really liked it, so I thought I would put it in my etsy shop and give it a go.

Here are some photos of it. It comes in a package of 5 cards with 1 list of fortunes to cut and insert in the cookie and 1 blank card to create your own fortunes.

Feel free to leave a comment if you have any good fortunes.

Always Learning...

2008-10-21T11:13:00.000-07:00

This last week, Thursday, Friday and Saturday to be exact, I received a great business lesson. My friend, Marcia at Cottage Jewel, invited me to participate in a craft boutique. Though I had just 3 days to prep, I jumped at the opportunity because I've wanting to be in a couple of boutiques this holiday season. Since most all my creations are personalized I just needed to put together a display board or two, set out my portfolio and business cards and I'd be good to go.

Here's my little display.

I did some cards to hand out so people could shop on line if I didn't the chance to talk with them at the show.

So far, so good...

I had a nice time. Met some wonderful people. Had many laughs with Marcia. And sold one pack of $3 gift tags. Oops! What happened?

This boutique has been going on for 20 years with many of the same sellers. Why such dismal sales for moi?? Here's the lesson part. I forgot to ask who the target market was for customers. Here are a few photos of other sellers' goods.

All perfectly nice items, handmade from lovely women and all in a completely different style than mine and all ready to be bought on the spot.

Lesson learned: Research, research, research the venue before committing.

Tasty Art!

2008-10-17T15:22:00.000-07:00

I saw Alice Waters' book, "The Art of Simple Food" in Costco about a year ago and was intrigued. But, I was not in the book-buying, food-making sort of mood at the time, so I passed on buying it. Well, I kept thinking about it here and there over the year and then saw it again in a shop in San Francisco's Ferry Building (aka a foodie's paradise) and again, it called to me. But this time the $35 price tag stopped me from taking it home. My good friends at Amazon.com came through at $23 and change and it was mine!

Let me start out by stating I am not a cook. I make food in order to survive (my family, I'm sure, wishes it were different). Don't get me wrong. I love good food. I just enjoy eating good food, not making it. So, for me to recommend a cook book it pretty high on the WOW-o-meter.

Things I love about this book:
- the way it feels in my hands (the paper and cover are a great smooth texture)
- the beautiful illustrations (done by Patricia Curtan)
- the variations on each recipe giving them a new twist
- the simplicity of the recipes
- the knowledge imparted about the science of food and cooking
- the way it makes me crave nutritious food (and for not-quite-recovered junk food junkie, that's saying a lot)
- the way it reminds me to support my local food growers and to eat healthy
- the way it actually makes me want to cook!!!!!

It's part cooking and food education, part cookbook and part art (in the recipes and the actual book).

I figure if something has such an impact on me, I should share.
Check it out...

Wow! Featured in a Treasury!

2008-09-22T07:22:00.001-07:00

What an honor! I always love looking at the Treasurys on etsy.com and what a lovely surprise to wake up this morning and find one of my designs shown in one. Debra Linker put together a beautiful Treasury called Morning Fog. Here it is:

New Design for a Gift

2008-07-23T16:35:00.000-07:00

The book assigned at our last Book Club was "Feather in a Storm" by Emily Wu. It was a wonderful and yet disturbing non-fictional account of Emily's childhood growing up during China's Cultural Revolution. The author is kind enough to visit our next Book Club meeting to discuss her book. As a thank you, I decided to create some stationery for her. It's based on part of an image from the cover of her book. I took a little creative license and I liked how it turned out so much that I'm adding it to my esty shop.