mufn inc

sweetmuffinsuite.com

2012-01-26T16:41:00.000-08:00

My blog has officially moved! Go check it out at sweetmuffinsuite.com/blog

Or if you would like to go check out my work visit sweetmuffinsuite.com

tigerprint what is love competition

2012-01-10T09:11:00.000-08:00

These are my entries for the what is love competition for Tigerprint. If you want to enter, there is still time. The deadline has been extended to this Friday, January 13th. Good luck!

my new logo

2012-01-04T13:06:00.000-08:00

Oh I can hardly stand it! I'm getting so excited to share with you the new look of my blog and website, which will include a portfolio as well. I'm so pumped! I hope to have it up before Alt Summit which is January 18th. Woot woot!

Here's the final logo!

If you want to see more, go check out my new Facebook Page, Etsy store and Twitter Page. I'm also working on getting business cards ordered too. I'll make sure to post about those when I get them.

GiftCard Bäks Designs & a Giveaway CLOSED

2012-01-04T12:58:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to work with GiftCard Bäks this past year to create some stunning Gift Card Packaging for Walmart. Designs rolled into 500 Walmart stores in 41 states on Black Friday. I love that these designs can be used year round and make great boxes for everyday use as well.

I also think that the innovative design exceeds what competitors are doing as well. I mean, come on.... a flat box that folds up into this cute little box, and has a magnet closure. It saves on shipping too! How cool is that!

How many of us either receive or giveaway at least one gift card every year? I'd have to say almost everyone! Gift Cards are huge, so why not create some stellar packaging to go with it! I really feel that GiftCard Bäks has done that! Don't you?

The one above is the Stripe Box. My favorite one! The one below has glitter on it. And you can choose to use the bow or not. I love pull bows. If you've never seen a pull bow and how they work, check out this video.

This birthday box is my favorite because of the fun inside pattern. It's so fun seeing my designs in real life, not just in illustrator.

This Chevron box is fun. I love the black on black. It's a spot uv coating. Love.

My amazing friend Sharon took the photos for me and designed this box. I always love working with great friends who are great designers too!

I hope that some of you could use some fun packaging for your gift cards this year, so I'm giving 3 of my readers each a total of 5 GiftCard Bäks.

Here are 5 ways you can enter to win! Leave a separate comment for each entry.

1. Leave a comment on this blog post telling me who you'd like to give a GiftCard Bäks to? Must leave your email address so I can get in touch with you if you win!
2. "LIKE" me on my new Facebook Page and come back here telling me you did so.
3. Visit my Etsy store and tell me which product you like the best!
4. Follow me on Twitter and leave me a comment telling me you do.
5. Follow me on Pinterest

So there you have it! The giveaway will close ~~a week from today, so January 10th~~ ***CLOSED*** on Tuesday, January 17th at 12:00 noon. I'll announce the winners that day. Good luck!

••••••••••••••••••••••••••

WINNERS WERE LAURA, AGGIE AND CARLIE! THANKS FOR ALL WHO ENTERED TO WIN!

birth announcements for Shutterfly

2012-01-03T20:36:00.000-08:00

I had so much fun designing these cards. I really wanted to play around with texture. I made some watercolor/acrylic looking textures using original watercolor textures that I painted first, and then using photoshop brushes I finished it. I think they all turned out so cute. And they feel so FRESH compared to what was on Shutterfly's website previously. Way to go Petite Lemon!

The inspiration for this one was found on a felt baby shoe. Too cute huh? I wish I could cross-stitch as well as I can design.

This one took the longest. Do you know how hard it is to recreate lace! Whowza! I made each layer of the lace a separate pattern and then layered them on top of each other. And I also had to make a few different Illustrator brushes to make the lace as well. So difficult!

This one has a linen texture on it too. I found this awesome tutorial on how to make your own linen texture in photoshop.

And here are the baby boy announcements. Tapes are so in right now! Japanese Masking Tape is so fun. You can make so many projects using them too!

I love these next two because it feels so fresh and modern. Don't you agree?

Shutterfly New Years Cards

2012-01-03T19:02:00.000-08:00

If you missed sending out Christmas Cards like I did, it's not too late to send out a New Years card. Just welcome in the new year like I did and send out a New Years Card instead of a Christmas Card.

Here are a few I designed for Shutterfly a few months back. I think they're pretty fun! Plus you can post lots of pictures about all of the adventures you had in 2011.

Happy New Year

2012-01-03T13:04:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Everyone!

I am so excited for this year and am so glad that last year is over. Is that horrible to say? It was a rough year for me. But putting all of that behind me, I'm ready for a fresh start. It's time to see some major changes in my design career and I'm so thrilled for all that is to come.

May your year be filled with happy memories and exciting moments.

Day 24- Children's Coloring Page

2011-12-24T19:44:00.000-08:00

Well, today is the last day for our 24 days of free Christmas Downloads. I hope that all you have a wonderful Christmas Day! Merry Christmas!

Go here to get the free download!

Day 23-Last Minute Christmas Stickers

2011-12-23T07:11:00.001-08:00

This is a super easy and fun way to make a gift a little more unique. Simply add a sticker to your holiday package. These come in two colorways, red or pink. You will need Avery 2 inch Round Labels, product number 22807. All you need to do is download the pink one or the red one, push print and you're set.

Use these fun stickers to make sure your holiday cards make it to their destinations. My sister, Anna, didn't want to lick her envelopes and instead used a baby wipe....the result...an opened envelope when it arrived to me without the card. So sad. Make sure that doesn't happen to you by making these simple Stickers, or use them to brighten up a package.

Comes in either pink or red colorways.

Day 22-More Cards!

2011-12-22T11:22:00.000-08:00

Wow! We're on a roll for cards! I hope you are downloading all of them and using them this Holiday Season! Enjoy!

Aren't these cute! You have Sharon to thank for that!

Day 21-Graphic Patterns for Decoupage Clothespins

2011-12-21T17:03:00.000-08:00

Feel free to use these colorful and simple graphic patterns as gift tags or for their intended purpose, which is for decoupaged clothespins. I found a great tutorial here, but remember these must be printed on a laser printer if you want to do decoupage, otherwise they will smear. A laser printer has heat which sets the ink, and an inkjet (which is what most home printers are) does not.

If you just want to print them at home, like I did, you can put them on the easy way with double side tape. Done.

These also make a great last minute gift. Download the file here.

Below are a few more close-ups of the clothespins. I designed the "Joyful" card for Shutterfly this year and of course the "Merry Christmas" one is my Santa Matryoshka Card I designed for the 24 days of Christmas Downloads earlier.

6 years & a free card download

2011-12-21T13:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday marked being married to my husband, Christopher, for 6 years. And just as this card states, "Today is the Best Day Ever" and I added on the inside, "and so is every day I am with you". Cheesy I know. He is exactly what I could have ever imagined plus so much more. He loves me more than I could have ever dreamed and I am so thankful for that.

So, in order to make this post not just about how wonderful my husband is, I have decided to include a free anniversary card printable too. Just click here to download and enjoy.

What we looked like then.... (2005)

What we look like now.... (2011)

Day 20-Money Gift Holder

2011-12-20T22:04:00.000-08:00

There's nothing better than cold hard cash for Christmas! Then you can buy what you really wanted. Why not wrap it in this delightful houndstooth packaging from Sharon.

Day 19-Printable Holiday Gift Box

2011-12-19T21:01:00.000-08:00

Give your Holiday treats a much deserved surprise with some cute packaging via this template for a Chevron Gift Box. Simply print this pdf, cut it, fold it and glue it. Add one of my vintage tags and you've got yourself a super cute package worthy of anything you can bake. I made these delicious cake balls and put them in some equally as cute cupcake liners.

Day 18-Berry Wall Art

2011-12-19T08:46:00.000-08:00

Isn't this picture lovely. Definitely sets the mood for Winter doesn't it? Visit Sharon's blog to get the free download.

Day 17-Holiday Decorating

2011-12-17T18:32:00.000-08:00

This super easy candy banner will make any room feel festive. Want this same look. See instructions below for how to make this super easy candy banner.

You will need

1. Felt

2. Glue

3. Glitter

4. Embroidery Floss

5. Needle

6. Fuzz Balls

7. These FREE christmas candy banner printables

Step 1: Layer two pieces of felt on top of each other. Cut in 1/2 inch strips.

Step 2: Using hot glue, glue two strips together. Then roll them. Hot glue again. Cut off any extra felt at end.

Step 3: Using a paintbrush, paint felt rolls with Elmer's white glue. Dip in clear glitter. Roll around all sides. Let dry.

Step 4: Now that those are done, on to the next part. Print out these fun candy banner printables. Cut them out and punch two holes in the top.

Step 5: Now that you have all of the components. Simply thread a needle with embroidery floss and string your banner alternating between candy printables, fuzz balls, and rolled felt.

And what you have is simple FUN candy banner to decorate any room.

I used this tutorial for the paper lantern ornaments.

Day 16-Napkin Holder

2011-12-16T08:57:00.000-08:00

Look at this cute napkin holder from Sharon! Go download your free version now!

Day 15- Holiday Kids Printable Coloring Page

2011-12-15T10:09:00.001-08:00

Yet another freebie. This one is fun because your child, or you, can fill in the blank spots, color it, and give it to someone you care about. We colored a few of these for Char's friends. Then Char used some glitter glue and went to town! So fun! Download the free printable here.

Day 14- Holiday Wall Art

2011-12-14T10:45:00.000-08:00

An amazing piece of artwork for your wall FOR FREE!!! Unheard of! Ha ha! Enjoy this from Sharon!

Day 13-FREE Printable Vintage Christmas Tags

2011-12-13T15:07:00.000-08:00

This is a super fun way to spice up any holiday package. Just print this pdf, cut them out and put it on a package. Or you can use them as tags for delicious treats. String them together and hang them up as a banner. Holiday decorating made easy!

The calligraphy on the tags is my own. Not too shabby if I say so myself. Although I could definitely use some more practice.

Day 12-Placecards!

2011-12-12T07:27:00.000-08:00

I love these! Go get the free download for these placecards over on Sharon's blog!

Day 11-Another Free Christmas Card Printable! But this one has Santa on it!

2011-12-10T15:25:00.000-08:00

You can download the file right here . A Santa Matryoshka doll on a card. Cuteness!

Day 10- Card and Bookmarks Free Printable

2011-12-10T14:49:00.000-08:00

Check out these amazing printables over at Sharon's blog! Love the colors!

Day 9-Christmas Tree Desktop Wallpaper FREE

2011-12-09T12:40:00.000-08:00

I had this design come to me late last night. I love all of the textures. Download a 1680 x 1050 file right here.

Day 8- Card Download

2011-12-08T08:29:00.000-08:00

Hop on over to Sharon's blog to download this adorable Christmas Card Download.

Day 7-Mini Lantern Christmas Scene, Anthropologie Snow Globe Inspired

2011-12-07T07:24:00.001-08:00

After seeing this Anthropologie snow globe using a Mason jar I just knew I had to make one. But I didn't want it to be exactly the same, and I noticed that lots of others had made knock-off versions, probably because it is $25 and who has that kind of money!

So, instead I used a mini tea light lantern (FREE from an exchange), some faux snow ($1.99 at a thrift store) and 2 mini trees (50 cents each at a thrift store). Total out of pocket, less than $3.00! Can you believe it!

All you need to do is hot glue the trees down and sprinkle some faux snow in. Whaa la! Simple Christmas Decoration that hardly cost you a thing! Have fun!

Day 6- Santa Letter

2011-12-06T09:27:00.000-08:00

How stinkin' cute is this! Go get the free download on Sharon's blog!

Day 5- Snowflake Glitter Ornament

2011-12-05T12:59:00.000-08:00

This super easy craft would even be fun for the kiddos. Simply follow the instructions below.

1. Print out this pdf .
2. Cut out snowflake and trace the snowflake onto thin cardboard. Think cereal box thickness.
3. Using a paintbrush, coat the cardboard snowflake with glue.
4. Cover with glitter and let dry completely.
5. Hot glue on another snowflake on top. I used the ornaments that are at Target right now that are 4 for a $1. They look like these ones, but aren't that expensive.
6. Hot glue a large rhinestone in the middle.

It's as easy as that! You can even punch a hole in the top and put string to hang them from the tree or window.

Day 4-Dangly Gift Tags

2011-12-03T19:04:00.000-08:00

Hop on over to Sharon's blog to see her awesome Dangly Gift Tags! Isn't that snowman adorable!

Day 3- DIY Iron On Owl Transfer with FREE PRINTABLE

2011-12-03T09:05:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine asked me to design an iron-on transfer that she could use to make tshirts for her neices and nephews. So I got to work. This is what I came up with. Owls are still so hot, so I found it appropriate to do a neutral owl that could be used on boy or girl shirts. Use ricrac or tulle to make a cute tutu for a girl, or sew on a santa hat or candy cane from felt for a boy. The owl doesn't have any clothes so you can put what you want on it!

The steps for making this are super simple. Use a light colored shirt, white if possible.

1. Print out this pdf onto an iron-on transfer. You can find them at Walmart or Target. (Please don't sell or use this design for commercial use....personal use only. Thanks.)

2. Cut out the owl and place face down on a white shirt (or bag if you want). Iron on. I found this site to be the most helpful when it came to iron-on transfers.

3. Sew on ric rac. It's that simple! Have fun! I know my daughter sure is!

Day 2: Holiday Activity Cards

2011-12-02T09:13:00.000-08:00

Head on over to Sharon's blog for Day Two of our 24 days of Christmas Downloads! Aren't these fun? I think I'll do them all!

Day 1: Modern Christmas Advent Calendar

2011-12-01T12:43:00.000-08:00

The in-laws adore my daughter, Charlotte. She is their only grandchild. In fact, they love her so much they flew us out to see them 2 weeks ago. We had so much fun. My favorite part (besides them of course) is the Goodwill in their small town. Last time we went to visit I found a Serger for $80! How cool is that!

I had so much fun looking for Christmas decorations but couldn't find an Advent Calendar that I liked. I knew I wanted to make one, but wasn't sure how. I kind of liked some of the knitted ones I've seen online, but wasn't willing to fork out the $70 to get one. I was talking with my MIL, Leslie, about it and she told me that they had an Advent Calendar that I could have because all of their kids are out of the house now.

So, after some dusting off of Christmas bins in the garage, we found it! The coolest part about this Advent Calendar was that it was hand cross-stitched by Leslie's sister. And instead of pockets to put the gifts in it had rings. Brilliant!!! It got me thinking. I had this idea to make this Advent calendar and just had to sketch it out. It took me about a week to cross-stitch it all, but I think it was so worth it.

Total out of pocket was less than $10. I found the Burlap in the scrap fabric at Walmart and some of the embroidery floss at the thrift store. The rings were the most expensive. We found them at TrueValue, a local hardware store. They are mini key rings and cost about $6 for 25 of them. I'm sure you can find them at any hardware store like Home Depot or Lowes.

So, are you ready to get started. Here are the steps!

1. Cut out a piece of Burlap (or whatever fabric you want) approximately 44 in x 21 in. Remember, this doesn't have to be exact. This will fit a small door. Or you can make it bigger or smaller. Your choice.

2. Print out these numbers . Cut them out and then trace them onto your fabric. I used a Sharpie Marker, probably not the best solution, but it was the only thing I could see real well on the Burlap.

3. After tracing the numbers simply cross stitch them. I had no pattern and didn't really care if certain "x's" or "crosses" were bigger than their neighboring "cross". I'm somewhat of a perfectionist, but not enough that this would bother me.

4. Stitch on the rings.

5. Wrap presents and tie to rings. This year I got Char lots of different art supplies to put in a Project Box. So that way when I'm working on a project, she can be in my office working on one too.

6. Fold & sew on top of Calendar to hold wooden dowel. Hang with ribbon or ricrac.

And can I just say that this Advent Calendar is going to be a life saver. My 4 year old asks every day if it's Christmas yet. Yikes! Whoever invented this idea, BRILLIANT!!!

24 days of FREE downloads!!!

2011-11-30T16:37:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to announce that Sharon and I are going to do 24 days of FREE Christmas Downloads! We'll be sharing all kinds of exciting crafts and printables. So come on back each day to see what we have in store for you!!!

THREE new fonts!

2011-11-29T21:34:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago I attended a lecture from Jessica Hische (pronounced like fish). She was witty and exceptionally adorable! I enjoyed every minute of it. I have been secretly admiring her work from behind my computer screen for a while now. I wish I was as talented and as successful as her. Hopefully one day I will be.

Her work is beautiful and when I saw her newest font, Buttermilk, I fell in love. Not only is it beautiful but I've spotted it in several places over the past month, one of them being Target's new Christmas ad. Lovely. I love Target and hope to be designing girl's clothing fabrics for them one day, but that's besides the point.

The point it I could take it no longer! I had to purchase the font! I'm working on some Christmas downloads and wanted to have this in my font collection. That is one of the things Jessica talked about, purchasing fonts to pay the designers who have worked so hard designing the font, instead of stealing the font. I also recently read an article from her on pricing. I agree whole heartedly and am taking into consideration what I think my design talents are worth. If you are a designer/illustrator/typographer I highly consider reading this article!

I also purchased Strangelove and Miss Le Gatees. I decided it was high time I purchase some fonts and it's a business expense, so why not!!!

Well, come back soon because my friend and I have some amazing things planned for all of you for the month of december and it includes my favorite word, FREE!!!

Stationery card

2011-11-16T13:12:00.001-08:00

Be Joyful Christmas Card
Turn your favorite photos into personalized Christmas cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

I just ordered my own design for FREE!!! How fun is that!

shutterfly christmas cards

2011-11-16T12:42:00.000-08:00

I found a few more of my Christmas cards for Shutterfly listed today. Aren't these fun? I just love having creative reign. Paula Su of Petite Lemon is so fun to work with.

Also, right now, you can go here and get 10 FREE christmas cards from Shutterfly. And if you send the free code along, you'll get FREE shipping as well. Isn't this awesome!

I think I'm going to go and order a few of my own designs? Is that sad or what? Hee hee! I just can't pass up a good deal!

weeDECOR by Petite Lemon and ME

2011-11-03T20:10:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of working on some weeDecor for Petite Lemon. Aren't these adorable! They are vinyl wall stickers. They would look so cute paired with some PotteryBarn Kids bedding don't you think.

I just noticed they added some Christmas wall vinyl as well. I'm loving the ornaments I did (all except the reindeer that is).

caroline gardner christmas card WINNER

2011-11-03T19:57:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I'm typing this. I have entered so many design competitions and this is the first one that I've actually WON!!!! I am so excited to be able to support Caroline Gardner and their desire to help the Meningitis Trust Fund.

This is the card that won! I'm so excited to get copies of my own to send to friends and family. I'll try and remember to take pictures of it when it arrives. I think they added glitter, oohhh!

Merry Christmas everyone, a little early I know... But I went to a wreath decorating class today and it got me all excited for Christmas. If you live in Utah County, I highly recommend going to this. There are a few more days left. It is at Gatehouse No. 1 in Orem. Here's more details if you're interested.

I always get so many great ideas just by visiting the store. And can I say trends.....Here are two 2011 christmas trends that I saw:
1. Pink, candy, glitter (visit my Pinterest Board here.)
2. Vintage, glitter, pewter (I started pinning a TON of images. See them here.)

If you haven't joined Pinterest yet, I highly recommend it. It's seriously one of the best things ever invented!!! Even better than Facebook. I'm serious!

restoration hardware modern retro clock tutorial-FREE DOWNLOAD

2011-10-27T18:51:00.000-07:00

When I saw this clock I just knew I had to make one. When I repainted my office this summer I decided that it was time for a new clock as well. I tore apart my cheap clock and threw it away, except for the mechanics. It was rough not having a clock to look at for a few months, but I totally think it was worth it. I was just waiting for the right clock to pop up on the internet somewhere. I was browsing Restoration Hardware's site, when I spotted this clock! Isn't it fabulous!

I wanted a retro modern clock. This clock is a replica of a clock from the 1940's in the bustling train station in Britain. I think I did a pretty good job catching the whole feeling of the clock. Mine is a touch more modern though.

I started by finding just a plain circular clock with clean lines. I found this one at a local "new" thrift shop in town just down the street from me for only $2.99. I tore off the hideous bubble plastic front, and spray painted the wood black.

Then I just printed out the clock marks on a piece of card stock, cut it out and glued it on cardboard. The hardest part is cutting out the hands. Yes, those are paper too. I have this things with making clock hands out of paper. Funny huh?

Then I just glued the paper hands onto another sheet of card stock to make them extra thick. I used a black sharpie marker to color the sides of the white paper.

That's it. Hang it on the wall and you're done. Simple huh?

You can download the FREE clock here {right click to download}. I'd love to see pictures of your clocks!

leather scripture case

2011-10-19T15:59:00.000-07:00

My brother-in-law, Nick, asked me to make him a scripture case for his mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Instead of sewing him one with fabric, I decided to make him one from leather. I've never sewn with leather before. I went to Tandy Leather in Provo to get the supplies. I think it turned out nice. The best part is, is that both his hymn book and scriptures are each wrapped with leather and can be bound with the strap either together or separately.

This is Nick. Isn't he handsome! I'm so proud of him for choosing to serve a 2 year mission.

This is a picture of the side. You can see how the hymn book comes out. That's why there are 2 snaps.

Since I had all my leather out, and I needed to practice a snap on a scrap piece first, I decided to make myself a bracelet. I'll probably do a tutorial on this leather bracelet later. But for now, here's a picture.

I also made Charlotte one. Except I hot glued lace to here to make it more feminine.

a new name and website!

2011-09-30T15:27:00.000-07:00

Well Everyone!
I'm so excited to tell you the good news! I've been working on this for months now and hope to get a new website up and running around years end! But for now, you can bookmark the new web address (my old address will work too). I hope to show you the logo soon. The new website will be.....drumroll please...

This will be a website where I can show off my portfolio and a blog that I can talk about design stuff and lots of freebies and tutorials!

I hope that this website will be a lot easier to remember too.

Enjoy and don't forget to visit soon to see more updates on the progress of my new site!

vintage circus birthday invitations

2011-09-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

I designed these vintage circus looking birthday invitations for a friend of mine with twin boys. Amy and I have very similar tastes and style. In fact, more than once we will find out that we have both painted our bedrooms the same color or bought the same fabric. So funny! Her twin boys just turned one! So excited for her, and what better way to celebrate than with a party.

If you would like to know the fonts I used here's the list:Rosewood, Lucia, Clarendon, Captain Howdy (free), Falstaff, Chevalier Stripes, Bodoni Poster Compressed, & Plantagenet Cherokee (free).Oh, and on a side note, I got to hear Jessica Hische (pronounced like fish, but with an "h") last week, and she was simply amazing! So thank you Jessica for inspiring me to do better designs. One thing that she said that will always stick, is "Don't steal fonts!!!" How hard it is not to do that. You know the disc that get's passed around from design class to design class with the 1,000 free fonts! I know I still have many of those fonts on my computer. But, needless to say, we can all do better by actually purchasing the fonts that font designers actually spend so much time designing! Let's all support our creative community by making others pay for what we design as well!Good thoughts Jess and again thanks so much for traveling all the way to Utah to speak to us! Amazin

coin purses-artscow coupon code

2011-09-09T10:46:00.000-07:00

I decided to order a few of these mini coin purses from artscow. Aren't they fun. I had fun designing them and I hope that the quality is decent.... I'll let you know when I get them. I'm hoping to use these as gifts for my friends and family around the holidays.

Plus with the coupon code MCP499199 you can snag 2 customized mini coin purses fro just $4.99 shipped (reg. $6.99 each), through 9/21/11. And, each additional purse is only $1.99 each. I saved something like $70.00!!!! Awesome!!! And I ordered 8 of them!

fringe leather necklace tutorial with beads

2011-09-08T16:53:00.000-07:00

Here's a super simple leather necklace idea.

Supplies:
leather
beads
embroidery thread

Step 1
Cut a thin strip of leather, as long as you want, mine is about 28-32 inches

Step 2
Cut piece of leather that will be used for the fringe. Use free pattern download here {right click to download}. Then cut fringe.

Step 3
Punch holes in leather using a bone folder. And sew fringe onto leather strip.

Step 4
Put on beads. I used my daughters beads, a total of 6. Three beads on each side.

Step 5
Tie around neck using a square knot.

Now isn't that simple and super cute!

shutterfly christmas cards-Petite Lemon

2011-09-07T14:43:00.000-07:00

I just noticed that Shutterfly finally posted some of my cards that I designed for them......a long time ago!

Aren't these fun! I just love working with Paula Su of Petite Lemon. She really is a great art director! She speaks a designers language, which is hard to communicate especially through email, but she does it! Love it!

trying my hand at calligraphy

2011-09-07T14:34:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Melissa Esplin (of ISLY) and her amazing calligraphy, I decided to try my hand at some of my own calligraphy. Can I just say that it is really really difficult! I went to the library and got a bunch of books and have read some tutorials, but that doesn't make it any easier.

So, in order to make things a little easier, I have signed up for a calligraphy class from Melissa Esplin. I'm so excited. I can't wait actually learn what I should be doing.

I also got inspiration from Ashes&Milk. Isn't that calligraphy amazing? Anyone know who lettered it? There are so many amazing calligraphers out there, and I know I will never be as good as any of them, but hey, it's always fun to learn a new art!

leather journal book tutorial-recover a journal

2011-09-07T13:45:00.000-07:00

This is an easy way to recover a journal and make it look pretty unique! I made this one for my brother-in-law, Nick. I hope he likes it! It took me about 2 hours to make. Simple instructions are below with lots of pictures. Feel free to leave me comments if you have any questions.

I cut extra straps of leather and wrapped them around the book. I also engraved my brother-in-law's name "Elder Grayson". He's getting ready to serve a full-time 2 year mission for our Church.

I'm glad I could make him something that he will record his experiences in and have as a family history for the rest of his life.

a great deal on a photographer in utah

2011-09-06T09:59:00.000-07:00

My amazing friend Darby (who lives in Arizona by the way) is coming to Utah. She is hoping to get at least 4 people/families to do photoshoots with.

The photo session will be on September 17 and is only $130 (if she can get four families/couples/people) . The session will be a whole hour and includes a full disc of images with rights to print. Normal prices are $350, so this is a killer deal!!!

If you want in on this amazing deal, contact Darby at darby {at} darbyelizabethphotography.com

Shutterfly Wall Calendars

2011-09-02T15:17:00.000-07:00

I was looking at some of my past projects and realized that I never posted about these fun Wall Calendars that I did for Shutterfly a super long time ago.....

Here's a quick preview of some of the patterns I did. The calendar sets are called Garden Glow, Peek A Blue and Birds & Blossoms.

another design contest

2011-08-15T12:26:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Please go and vote for your favorite designs at the Connecting Threads Fabric Design contest.

You can vote for me here on page 8 of the floral/botanical section. The pattern is called chirp chirp.

Thanks so much! And spread the word!

final fiesta card design

2011-08-10T15:25:00.000-07:00

So, I totally forgot that I never posted the complete design of my husband's 30th birthday invitation! This was the complete invite. I had so much fun designing it.

a new design

2011-08-05T13:43:00.000-07:00

Go vote for your favorite shark designs at Spoonflower this week!

This is the one I entered in the contest.... so cute!

wainscoting in the bedroom

2011-07-28T08:44:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I found this amazing tutorial on how to put wainscoting up. And I just knew I had to try it in my bedroom. You see, my husband doesn't like things hanging over his head and I just couldn't ever find a headboard that I liked, so instead of buying one, we decided to just put up wainscoting and use that as a headboard instead. Plus our room is super small (like 11'x10') and a headboard would just make it smaller.

(this is the before picture)

We've lived in this house for 2 years and we finally got around to painting our bedroom. I've hated it since we've moved in. The paint was this nasty peachy creamy color, but the worst part....the previous owners had painted it with flat paint and then touched it up with glossy paint every where. So whenever I looked at the walls I could see the different finished. Lame, super lame.

(another before picture)

(and this is the after)

We were originally going to paint it greenish-blue and brown, but the brown I got, looked a little different then I had hoped, so we went back to the store and got the color, Zinc from the Martha Stewart line at Home Depot. Doesn't it look like 20x's better than it did before? I still have some more things I'd like to do, like pictures on the walls, a tall painted bookshelf and pillows for the bed, but I just had to post it! We're not quite sure about the curtains either. Do tall curtains make a small bedroom look bigger or smaller? Anyone know that answer. Have any other thoughts on what you'd do to make this bedroom POP even more? I'd love to hear your ideas!

Oh, and if you're wondering.... Bed Spread and Curtains are both Dwell Studio for Target. The curtains are actually a table cloth...

Lamp shades are also from Target. Mirror, antique....it was Chris' grandma's mirror. I love it!

she's crafty

2011-07-28T08:34:00.000-07:00

Do any of you watch she's crafty on HGTV? Well, she always has the most interesting projects and it got me thinking, why don't I use do more "crafty" projects? Sometimes I get so caught up in designing on the computer that I forget that I am crafty and actually love using my hands to make stuff. I used to say (when I was a kid) that I could make anything out of anything, even a pop can and a piece of tape. I used to make flour babies with my cousin and play house. That was fun.

I found this old piece of wood outside by our shed and knew exactly what I wanted to do with. I've been seeing a huge trend in the wedding scene for hand painted signs on old wood. So, I printed out my text using Chevalier. Then I simply cut out the letters, traced around them on the wood and hand painted them with a Sharpie Paint Marker. But, because the wood is unfinished the paint kept soaking through so I decided to hand paint it with white acrylic. I think it turned out pretty good. It looks much better further away, because I am in no means a calligrapher or painter. But decent any way.

What do you think? What words would you write? I thought about my last name, but decided on Welcome instead. So fun!

The next project I was inspired to make was inspired by something I saw at Target, but didn't want to pay $20 for it. I said, I can make that! So I set off to design a fun swirly pattern. Then I cut it our using a silhouette machine. Simple as that. Glued it to some paper and put it in a frame. I found these frames at a local thrift shop for a few dollars each. They were exactly what I was looking for and were exactly the right size. I made the swirlys and cut them out first before I had the frames, not the best idea. Do you know how hard it is to find a square frame! Ridiculously hard!

This next project was a super easy and fun one. It's a thread holder.

I found this pin board at a thrift shop for a $1. I think it sat in my office for a few months before I decided what I wanted to do with it. First I painted it white. Then I stuffed felt under the frame and over the pin board. Then measured and put in the nails with a hammer. I had to glue cardboard on the back because the nails pointed through, OUCH! So there you have it. A simple tutorial on how to make a thread holder hanger thingy. I'm not sure what you call it. But it works!

caroline gardner christmas card competition

2011-07-16T16:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, that was a long title...but that's what it is. I spent half the day working on these. If they don't make the cut, I'll probably make them into printable greeting cards for my etsy store. This is a contest in behalf of the UK Charity Meningitis Trust, and 100% of the proceeds from the sale of these Caroline Gardner Christmas cards will go to the trust! Isn't that a great idea!

Which one do you like best?

I took my color inspiration from the picture of the girl holding the balloon. It's a recent Gap photo. Aren't those colors so fun? I'm not sure how many of you have noticed the NEON outburst of color in the market right now, but I try to keep up with color and design trends when I design. This is my inspiration board for these designs. Fun huh?

a few projects

2011-07-11T14:40:00.000-07:00

So, I know I haven't written a post in like a month now, but I have my reasons....it's called SUMMER!!! Can I just say we've been to San Francisco and now Colorado and whew, I'm tired! In fact, we still have one more trip planned to Yellowstone this Summer too. It's been a fun one! I'm enjoying the warmer weather and swimming and picking fresh fruit and veggies from the garden. Isn't that great?

I designed this baby shower invite for a friend. This is her second, so we just wanted to do something to help her stock up for baby girl #2.

This is an invitation and wedding ceremony card that I designed for another friend of mine. She's getting married in less than a month. I got them printed online because they were less than half what a printer wanted us to spend on them. I'm hoping they turned out.

(names and places have been changed on both invites)

This is my brother-in-law, Nick. He recently graduated from High School and I was able to design his graduation announcement. I also took his pictures. I thought they turned out quite nice, don't ya think?

downtown provo

2011-07-11T14:20:00.000-07:00

My dear friend, Darby Simon, took these amazing photos of me and my family. Aren't they adorable? I just love her style. We've known each other for a few years now and the only sad part is that they live so far away......but when they came to town, we knew we had to get together.

This is one of my favorites. Wow! My husband is cute!

Isn't Charlotte adorable? I love those precious blue eyes!

I also had her take a headshot of me, so that I could update my blog. These are just a few of the images, hope on over here to view the rest. (All photos copyright Darby Simon.)

I let you in on a little secret.....I'm working on a fun personal project, a place to feature all of my work....hopefully I'll have that done in less than a year....ha ha ha!!!

Dental Commercial

2011-06-09T22:11:00.000-07:00

My amazingly talented husband illustrated and animated this 30 second Dental commercial for TunnelBravo (who commissioned him to do so).

Don't you think it turned out great? I think it looks so different from any other dentists commercials. He worked long and hard on it!

Way to go Chris! I think it looks great!

If you can't see the above video, you can watch it here.

a few new projects

2011-06-06T13:35:00.000-07:00

I've had the opportunity to make a few new things over the past month. One of them being this cute beenie newborn hat for a great friend of mine. She's having a baby...probably very soon. I love the flower. So cute.

Then another friend of mine asked me to make a wedding guest book for her cousin's wedding. She couldn't find anything like she wanted, so she hired me to make one. I was looking around a thrift store and found exactly what she wanted. So I just changed the direction of it (to make it more modern) and recovered it. I think it turned out super cute. What do you think? She was going to also put mini envelopes on each page that the guests could then right little notes and put in them. Isn't that a great idea.

(This is the before picture. Originally made in 1982-the year I was born)

(And this is the after picture.)

tutorials for fiesta decorations & free downloads

2011-05-18T16:22:00.000-07:00

Here's the tutorial and templates as I promised for the Fiesta Banner, food tags and party favor tags.

Instructions for the Fiesta Banner-you will need

• 5 to 6 different colors of plastic tablecloths from the Dollar Store (or anywhere--but why pay more than a dollar).

• 50 foot rope (again from the Dollar Store)

• Silhouette machine

• download the file here {right click to download}.

Total cost of project= $6-7

Step 1: Cut out about 5-7 rectangles the size of a sheet of paper (8.5"x11") of each color of tablecloth.

Step 2: Stick one sheet at a time to the Silhouette matte. Load in silhouette machine.

Step 3: Using the Silhouette program (or illustrator cs2) cut out the banner. Here is what the cut sheet looks like.

Step 4. Sew onto rope. I just used needle and thread and tied simple knots on each end of the banner, as well as the center.

Instructions for simple food labels

Step 1: Download the printable/editable file here {right click to download}.

Step 2: Using Acrobat Reader, type in the boxes provided. Here's a break down with screenshots.

A. In Acrobat Reader go to Forms, and then Add or Edit Fields"

B. Click on text field box and you can edit the font and font size. I suggest Warugaki. Warugaki is only $30. That's the font I used, but you can use anything.

Step 3: After typing your labels. Simply print them out, cut them on the provided crop marks and fold them in half length wise (or hot dog wise). Enjoy!

Instructions for Gracias Favor Tags

Step 1: Download the file here {right click to download}. It is a jpg and I hope it works with the silhouette. Let me know if any of you have problems.

Step 2: Stick one 8.5"x11" sheet of colored card-stock onto the Silhouette matte. Load in Silhouette machine.

Step 3: Send the jpg to the Silhouette and let it do all the work.

Step 4: Using string/raffia ribbon/ribbon tie it onto your favors. I used a simple hen & chick plant in a small pot I got at the local craft store.

I hope you enjoyed these tutorials and freebies! I'd love to see pictures of your next fiesta or party using these!

a fiesta!!!

2011-05-16T11:09:00.000-07:00

We had a fiesta this weekend.....luckily the rain held off for about an hour during the party so that we could enjoy the fun. This was the invitation. I added confetti to each envelope to make it even better!

Guests were greeted by a large sign telling them to "take a stache & smile." They then got their pictures taken. I hung a large sheet across our shed and snapped pictures when each guest arrived. I emailed each of them a copy of their picture. (unfortunately it rained and smeared my sign and I quickly had to rewrite it before guests arrived...sorry so sloppy. I guess you can't have everything perfect...)

I made these paper tissue pom poms using Martha Stewart's simple instructions. I borrowed a sombrero from a lady in my neighborhood. And I made the paper mustaches using a silhouette and bamboo skewers. Super fun!

These are a few of my favorite guest photos...

Me and my husband, Chris.

Tom & Judy (our neighbors---and may I add the best neighbors in the world!!!) He's the one that helped us build our deck and fence and put in pavers! Amazing!

Kyle and Maribah (my husband's cousin's cousin---true story. She's also my massage therapist.)

These are my sisters, Rose and Penny. Isn't it so funny how short Penny is? She's 5'3" and I'm 6'1". We call her Penny little for a good reason!!! And I know, we look nothing alike...

My sister, Penny and her husband.

Isn't she so photogenic, I love it!

More great faces!

Here's the delicious food. Most of the recipes are from the cookbook from Our Best Bites. Their recipes are divine!!! Chris and I spent 3 hours rolling the taquitos the night before and froze them. We made a total of 60 of those babies....Chipotle Beef Taquitos and Creamy Baked Chicken Taquitos. Then we had 4 different kinds of salsa, one of them being pineapple salsa. Yum!

I also made cilantro lime rice with crushed pineapple and margarita cupcakes (non-alcoholic, as the sign says....)

This is the cake which everyone told me was super moist and delicious. The secret is get a recipe that calls for a pudding mix in it. I used a chocolate chip one from the Cake Doctor. I didn't get a piece...it went so fast.

Here's my hot husband getting ready to blow out his pretend lit candles (there was too much wind).

And here he is taking a swing at the piñata. I let them use my broom stick handle, which eventually bent in half. (I secretly wanted it to break so I had an excuse to get a new one.....)

This is a banner I made out of Dollar Store table cloths and the silhouette. I'll post a tutorial later this week (I hope, no guarantees.)

These were the party favors. Super simple. I'm hoping to post the tutorial on these too. I just designed the tag and then used the silhouette to cut them out. Attached them with multi-colored raffia ribbon from World Market and the little pots were from a local craft store. I got all of the starters for the hens & chicks from a friend in the neighborhood.

Come back later in the week to get free downloads for these cute favor tags & the banner to use with your silhouette! That is, if I can figure out how to make it work with a PC...I use a Mac, so we'll see.

free printable mother's day card & last minute bouquet

2011-05-04T10:39:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for a last minute mother's day card and gift idea, you've found the right place. Show Mom you love her with this cute bouquet of tissue paper flower pom-poms.

First, you'll want to download the FREE Mother's Day card here {right click to download}. This card is for personal use only and may not be resold. Print out the Card and right a sentimental message inside. The pdf includes four different pages. One has a blank card with just flowers, one says "to my GRANDMOTHER", one says "to my MOTHER", and the last one says "to my MUM". Print which ever page you like.

Then, you will need to make the tissue paper flowers, but not finish them. (That's what your Mom gets to do).

I used the tutorial from Martha Stewart and just changed a few things.

Instructions:
1. Stack four pieces of tissue paper on top of eachother.
2. Cut out 10x5" rectangles.
3. Make 3/8-inch-wide accordion folds.
4. Wrap twisty tie around center.
5. Cut ends of tissue paper to be either rounded or pointy.

This is what your tissue paper flower should look like when you send it in the mail. You will want to mail it flat.

Then, print out this tutorial card here {right click to download}. Which is also FREE and for personal use only. Put the tutorial card in the envelope, along with the tissue paper flowers and FREE card!

Now you have an easy, quick last minute idea for Mother's Day, and the best part is....well, you decide!

knit fabric flower tutorial & a wreath

2011-04-28T16:15:00.000-07:00

My friend asked if I would help her to make a Spring wreath. She sent me a link to this wreath . I found it very cute and it gave me some ideas of what I'd like to do for my own wreath.

I wanted to use a foam wreath shape from my local craft store, but it was super expensive, so I turned to the dollar store. I found a willow wreath that I knew would work out great.

KNIT FLOWER TUTORIAL
I saw something similar to these knit strip florals at Target the other day and decided to give it a try myself. Here are the steps to this super simple floral.

1. Cut strips of knit fabric, about 1/2 inch in width. I used an old tank top.
2. Pull the knit strips length-wise, so that they curl.
3. Cut strips into 4 inches in length.
4. Layer on top of each other in flower shape.
5. Using needle and thread sew strips together in center. You can stop here and sew on a shirt or something, but I decided to take it one step further.
6. Wrap thread around all of the strips so that they flare out.

I used a few other tutorials for my flowers to make the wreath come together.
felt flower , loopy felt flower , rolled fabric flower , fabric yo yo's (I added a button to the middle of mine), and for the leafs I used this tutorial again.

fiesta party invitation sneak peek

2011-04-26T13:51:00.000-07:00

My husband is turning 30 this year. I know, so hard to believe. To celebrate I've decided to throw him a FIESTA!!! I first did a little research online in search of great ideas. I knew that the invitation would be the precursor for everything else, so I wanted to make them fun. Here is the inspiration.....

1. boden, 2. mexican sugar skull banner, 3. invitation via style me pretty, 4. amols party banner,
5. fiesta invitation via the sweetest occasion

In order to make them a little more unique I added some confetti. I just used my 3 hole punch to cut out circles from colored paper. I'm trying to do this party as festive and as cheap as I possibly can. I already scored some great party decorations at my local thrift store, and I'm going to be making a lot of the decorations and food myself, which will help to save some money.

I'll make sure to post some more pictures after the party!

black & white design contest

2011-04-21T08:19:00.000-07:00

This is just another design for Spoonflower .

rolled fabric flower button

2011-04-20T13:56:00.000-07:00

So, I couldn't find any buttons that I liked for Char's Easter dress, so I decided to make some cute rolled fabric flowers to go on an existing button. The tutorial is below. Super simple...

I started by using this tutorial for rolled fabric flowers. Cut a one inch strip, fray one side, and iron in half (length-wise).

Glue the rolled fabric flower onto a loop button (it has to have a loop, or else this won't be able to sew the button onto anything).

Continue to glue the fabric all the way around the button, twisting the fabric as you go.

Glue the fabric onto the back of the button, making sure NOT to glue the inside of the loop on the button.

Here's the finished flower. You can see the loop on the back of the button.

Then, sew the button onto your project. In this case, mine is my daughter's Easter dress.

Here's the finished dress. I'll make sure to take pictures of Char in it on Sunday and post them next week!

I also made a matching bow. So cute!

giveaway winner!!!

2011-04-07T12:53:00.000-07:00

The winner of the giveaway is Jenette who said... "I voted! Very cute!"

Congrats Jenette and thanks everyone for voting for me! I didn't make the top 10, but that's ok.....it was a good experience.

print and pattern

2011-04-05T10:08:00.000-07:00

Thanks Bowie for featuring my new chirpchirp patterns on your blog!

Project Selvage Spoonflower Fabric Contest & a Giveaway

2011-03-31T13:35:00.000-07:00

(Giveaway now closed!!!! Winner is Jenette who said, "I voted! Very cute!")

Here's your chance to make a difference!!!

Out of over 1000 people who submitted for this contest , I was chosen as a semi-finalist into the top 75. Now it's up to the consumers (YOU) to vote for your favorites!!

If I make it into the top 10, I will get to design 5 coordinating fabrics to go with my design. Then, there will be another round of voting (so you may be hearing from me again).....The collection that gets the most votes will win a contract with Michael Miller Fabrics and an all-expense paid trip to the Quilt Market in Houston! This is a chance in a lifetime.

Please take one second and go and vote for me AND ALL OF THE OTHER AMAZING DESIGNS!!!

THE GIVEAWAY!!!
If you vote for me (AND ALL OTHERS YOU CHOOSE), you will be entered into a giveaway for a completely FREE product from paper coterie . (including shipping).

PLEASE GO AND VOTE FOR ALL YOUR FAVORITES (NOT JUST MINE). In fact, I have a friend who is also participating in the contest!!!

Here's how to enter the giveaway! (there are 3 ways to enter the giveaway)
1. After you've voted, come back here and tell me you've voted.
2. Post this link on your Facebook page, telling your friends to go and vote, and then come and leave another comment.
3. Post about the contest on your BLOG, and then come back here and leave a comment.

This giveaway will close on April 7, 2011 (after this round of voting is closed).

I've attached a picture of my fabric for reference. Designs appear in a different order for each person who votes.

free Easter Card

2011-03-26T15:35:00.000-07:00

Hello again!
I've just designed a fun FREE Easter card, for all of you chick lovers. The card is made using a fun watercolor texture.

This card is for personal use only and may not be resold. Download the card here {right click to download}.

You may also be interested in my new chirpchirp patterns that coordinate the card perfectly. Use them to line an envelope or make some Easter treats and label them with one of my patterns.

ChirpChirp {5 new patterns}

2011-03-26T15:12:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends!
I hope you are having a good weekend. I know I am. I wanted to share with you my new paper patterns I designed for personal use. Most of the designs came to me in the wee hours of the morning when I got up to use the restroom. Seriously, the images just popped up in my head and I immediately found some paper and drew them, then attempted to go back to sleep. {which never happens because I'm a horrible insomniac}. I've been trying out the watercolors lately and decided to incorporate the watercolor textures into some of my patterns.

But other than not getting much sleep lately, I've had a terrific time crafting and using my new papers for Springtime fun! You can now purchase my new chirpchirp paper line on etsy . For only $10, you have unlimited personal use of these papers. Make pennants, cards, placeholders, name cards, party favors, notebooks or even gift tags out of these spring florals. Here are some fun ideas!

Cut out triangle shapes and glue them to string to make a pennant, then just add scrapbooking alphabet letters to make words. I also made tissue paper flowers using this tutorial. Cut out tiny tissue flowers and tape to branches.

Cut out paper and using a simple stitch sew the pages together, or just use staples. Cut out simple tags and use them on vases or for gifts.

sneak peek of spring

2011-03-25T21:03:00.000-07:00

paper coterie

2011-03-23T11:48:00.000-07:00

Paper Coterie has finally launched (well the Beta anyway)! My husband's company Rivetal created the website. And I helped create a few of their projects. I did a couple calendars and this Oh Baby book a super long time ago.

These are the original patterns and colors. It was so fun to create, because I had free rein on patterns and colors. So much fun! I used a wacom tablet to draw all the patterns. (click on images to make them bigger or visit Paper Coterie).

This is another calendar I did, probably 2 years ago. Wow, time flies.

These are my patterns, but in vintage colorways. I like it! It's totally different from the originals, but so cute!

This is a book that my husband created like 2 years ago as well. So fun to see it finally available to purchase!

wedding gift bag at TARGET!!!!

2011-03-23T09:37:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to see this at Target this weekend. I went with my MIL, who also happens to be graphic designer and loves it as well. I even signed one ladies bag....how silly huh?

project selvage

2011-03-21T16:26:00.000-07:00

I just entered the contest for project selvage . If I make it into the top 75 (which I'm sure I will), I'm going to host a giveaway for those who VOTE for me. The rules will be simple. Vote for me and you'll be entered into the contest!

I had so much fun designing this! Although, I must say, designing for a baby girl is much easier....maybe because I have one.

epic letterpress machine

2011-03-18T12:45:00.000-07:00

I just purchased one of these for my designer/nerd husband for his birthday that's coming up in 2 months from today.....

ok, so I may use it as well....hee hee hee.

You, too, can get a discount . Thanks to Jessica of howaboutorange (until March 22) and FREE nesting frames with purchase by March 20. So you better hurry before this deal is over!

growth chart

2011-03-16T10:23:00.000-07:00

Because my daughter cut up her other growth chart ( PetiteLemon sent me one of their testprints on heavyweight paper), I decided to order another one. I had recently designed this one and was waiting for it to go live on their website. I'm so glad that I got this one on CANVAS, so hopefully Char won't cut it up this time. Plus, it matches the decor in her room perfectly! Thanks Paula for the credits, so it only cost me for shipping! Nice! Plus it's nice to work for a company that makes such cute stuff!

I made that doll for Char out of vintage handkerchiefs when she was still in the womb. So fun! I also made the pennant to match her adorable bedding. I love having a daughter to sew things for!

And, here's a few more details!

spotted

2011-03-14T19:10:00.000-07:00

I spotted a few more of my designs over at Shutterfly today. I designed them for Petite Lemon originally. It's always fun to see what you can do in a 5x7inch space....

textures

2011-03-11T12:08:00.000-08:00

I've been inspired lately by the lovely artist Katie Daisy . I thought I was seeing a trend with watercolor and textures, but it's all her work. First I saw her work on etsy. Then I saw some cute Valentine's Day Cards at Joanns, and then a whole endcap at Target with bags, wraps and even plates. I loved it so much, I wanted to get out the old Watercolors and try some things for a client. So, I did. It only took me an hour to find all of my supplies, but I finally did. Hurrah!

This one below is made by lots of water and adding the pigment soon after and then running it (by picking up the page and moving the water around). I then added salt as the last step and the salt picks up the pigment and makes for some sweet texture! It's my favorite!

This one was made with lots of pigment and a dry brush swept across the page. Fun, too, but not as fun as bleeding the pigment with a wet brush.

Note: colors have been changed slightly with Photoshop on this last one, it's neater that way...hee hee hee. I'm always amazed what I can do in Photoshop.

design contest

2011-03-11T11:51:00.000-08:00

Just finished up a design for the josephjoseph kitchenware (worktop savers) contest. I stayed up way to late designing last night, but I had an idea and I had to execute it. Here are the two I submitted last night (since the deadline is today). Here's to hoping....

This is a pattern I used for an old sockittome design contest, but I thought I'd try it's luck one more time...

a few more designs

2011-03-04T09:42:00.000-08:00

There are a few more of my designs up on petite lemon's site. I'm so excited! I have so much fun working with Paula and Hillary! Thanks for the work! Can't wait to show you more!

Baby Hat

2011-02-21T12:57:00.000-08:00

Using this adorable pattern for a baby hat, I created four baby hats out of a XL woman's shirt I found at a thrift store. Isn't that fun?

valentine banner

2011-02-14T14:35:00.000-08:00

Just cut out hearts and circles and stitch them together with needle and thread. Super easy and super cute!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Char's Christmas Dress

2010-12-27T08:44:00.001-08:00

Char's Christmas dress was so much fun to make. I was inspired by a dress I saw at Gap....I'm not very good at following patterns, but for some reason, I can just make it up, and usually it turns out.

2011 Calendar only $8

2010-12-17T13:26:00.000-08:00

Looking for a last minute gift? My 2011 Printable Calendar is now only $8 until Christmas! So, feel free to go to my etsy store and purchase one!

Happy Holidays Everyone!!!

Christmas Card Glitch

2010-12-09T07:24:00.000-08:00

So, for some of you who wanted to type on the card instead of hand write it in, I have finally fixed the problem. Well, actually my husband did. He's the smart one. All you have to do is download the new card here {right click to download}.

Just open it in Adobe Acrobat Reader and type in the designated area. It's that simple. Thanks for being patient with me!

and the winners are....

2010-11-30T08:41:00.000-08:00

2 Year Anniversary Winners are!

2011 Printable Calendars
#6, Audrey {Crisp}
#16, Kütti
#19, Sarah @ Sugar & Shimmer
# 13, Sharon
#2, TKrusi [Please email me your email! mufninc {!at} gmail {dot} com]
#11, Johanna
#24, Our lady of Isham Street

Since all of you wanted the 2011 Calendar, you are all receiving it! Thanks everyone for entering! Have a wonderful Holiday Month!

i love u- wood block tutorial

2010-11-20T15:00:00.000-08:00

This is a great way to say "I love you" to any one that you may love! It's as easy as 1, 2, 3... well, maybe a few more steps after that...

Supplies:
12 kids blocks
scrap wood, to make the box
stain
ruler
wood glue
pencil
razor or scalpel
washcloth or scrap of material-to wipe off stain
paintbrush-to put on stain
letters- I, L, O, V, E, & U
white craft paint
crazy glue or hot glue

1. Start with kids blocks. You will need 12 of them. Then, using a razor or scalpel, cut them up and beat them up to make them look all grunge like.

2. Stain them. I used a darker brown and only stained one side. I did several coats, wiping off after each coat. Allow to dry.

3. Measure your blocks 4 across and 3 down. After measuring, you will need to cut out a box. Make sure that the box fits all around your blocks. I just used scrap wood and cut two pieces that were approximately 4 inches and 2 pieces that were approximately 4.25 inches.

4. Using wood glue, glue your box together. Let dry completely and grunge and stain to your liking. I stained the inside of my box as well.

5. Put blocks in box. If box is measured perfectly, the blocks should be kind of tight. I even had to hammer mine in. If your box is a little big, you may want to glue your blocks together first and then put them in the box.

6. Using a little bit of white craft paint smear it onto your letters. I used some sweet metal letters from We R Memory Makers metal alphabet letters but I noticed they were out of production. I had some left over from a different project. I smeared just enough paint to grunge it up a little, but not cover it. Then I wiped it off.

7. Glue down the letters. I used crazy glue. It was the quickest and easiest.

And, it's finished! Let me know if you have any questions! Enjoy!

happy 2 year anniversary to me!

2010-11-19T12:09:00.000-08:00

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!

Here it is folks! I'm giving away...
• 3 of my Printable 2011 Calendars
• 3 of my Printable Happy Birthday Girl Cards-set of 3
• and one lucky person gets a Custom Holiday Card, made just for them. You can send me a picture and I'll include it in the card, or it can be all text. I will suggest places to print them, etc.

All you have to do is LEAVE A COMMENT here telling me which one you would like to get!

Good luck everyone! Thanks for stopping by!

One more thing: Giveaway ends Tuesday, November 30th

TO SEE THE WINNERS....VISIT THIS POST!

a giveaway

2010-11-17T13:48:00.000-08:00

It's my 2 year anniversary!

Petite Lemon is LIVE!!!

2010-11-08T16:40:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to tell you about this! Petite Lemon is finally live! I told you I was busy all Summer. I've been waiting so long to show you these.

This one is my favorite. My husband, Christopher, and I collaborated on this project to make this fabulous style of princess. Isn't she cute?

And this is the classic Princess.

This is the Owl Growth Chart, in pink.

Night Owl.

Don't you love the mustache? I thought that was a nice touch!

Super hero monkey to the rescue!

I only drew the duck, flamingo, and monkey on this one. But I organized them all into this stylish stack... It comes in boy colors too!

Funny!

2010-11-05T13:27:00.000-07:00

I fit right in there!

Flowtown - Social Media Marketing Application

FREE Hand Drawn Christmas Card

2010-11-02T11:23:00.000-07:00

I've decided to design a hand drawn Christmas card that all of you can enjoy for FREE. For the free card just click here {right click to download}.

I've left the area on the bottom right for you to put you name. You can type it in or just write it in by hand.

Enjoy the card, but remember, if you download it please use it for personal use only. And if you want to blog about it, please refer your readers to this original post.

2011 Calendar Patterns

2010-10-29T13:35:00.000-07:00

Here are the close-ups of my 2011 Calendar Patterns. I'm thinking of turning some of the patterns into fabrics. I thought about putting them into coordinating sets. I can imagine making some ruffly aprons or place mats. Ohh, that would be fun!

I know what you're thinking, that was a long post.... well there was a lot to see. Enjoy! But please remember, all images are copyrighted! Thank! And if you want to post about these patterns, please contact me first. Thank you!

Owl Eye Mask Tutorial

2010-10-29T12:17:00.000-07:00

I'm an Insomniac. There, I admitted it. Well, to help me sleep I've decided to make one of these adorable owl eye masks. I lined it with flannel and it took me less than an hour to make. You are welcome to download the printable pdf directions here {right click to download}.

First, cut out 2 of every piece, except the beak. I used flannel for the inside and it is nice and soft. You will also need a piece of elastic long enough to stretch around the back of your head (10-14inches).

After cutting out the pieces, using Heat 'n Bond . It's a now sew interfacing that sticks things together. Cut out each piece and follow the directions to apply the Heat 'n Bond to each Eye piece and beak.

Then Iron them on. After ironing them on, you will need to zig zag around each piece.

Put right sides together and sew front to back, leaving opening on ends to sew in elastic. Put in elastic, hold with pins and sew a topstitch around the top of the eye mask.

Viola! As simple as that!

2011 Calendar

2010-10-23T16:45:00.000-07:00

My 2011 Calendar is now in my etsy store .

Each month features an original floral pattern on the back, ready to frame at the month’s end. Share them with friends or give them away as framed artwork. All of the patterns coordinate so that you can even frame them all and hang them on your barest of walls.

Size: 9.5in x 3.5in (24cm x 9cm).

Purchase it once and print it as many times as you want! Enjoy!

a new deck and kitchen

2010-10-18T08:03:00.000-07:00

This summer has been a long one! Tearing out our driveway and ugly back porch and putting in a beautiful deck, driveway and wood fence. It took all summer long, but we finally finished. I'm so happy and seriously couldn't be happier with the outcome. But we couldn't have done any of it without our amazing neighbor, Tom. He is the most amazing talented man. I give him the best neighbor award! He's so great! Thanks Tom!

Here is the before picture of the back porch.

This is during...

And this is after! Isn't it amazing!!!

We also put pavers in. Which I absolutely love!

This is one of my favorite small details. These adorable lights! I got them for my birthday and have just been waiting to put them up.

This is another before and after. Dave, my father-in-law found this at a garage sale for $10 in Colorado. He knew I was looking for one, so he drove this over just so I could fix it up. He put on some new tops, sanded it down, and then I painted it! Whad'ya think?

We cut out the vinyl stove tops at my sister, Rose's, house using her Silhouette vinyl cutting machine. It took some time to figure out, but we did it! Thanks Rose! I made the curtains out a piece of scrap material from JoAnne's.

The pots are from IKEA. Thanks again IKEA!

new photos of babies first year

2010-09-28T11:24:00.000-07:00

I finally got some pictures of my baby book, thanks to my amazing friend. I had been meaning to take some decent photos of the book, but just hadn't gotten around to it. Thank you so much Sharon!!! She is having a baby very soon and wanted a place to record her thoughts and accomplishments of baby Liam. This book is the place to do it! This book includes sections like: babies firsts, how we met, pop culture & events, babies family tree and so much more.

If you'd like to purchase one of these original books, just head on over here . The price is just $35 and you get to choose your own cover.

more cards for Shutterfly

2010-09-24T13:19:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to receive an email today from Shutterfly and two of my cards were featured in the email! (Mine is the one with the cute snowman) Whoo hoo! Plus I found two more of my card designs for Fall. I had forgotten about these ones.

petite lemon

2010-09-09T15:48:00.000-07:00

Can you tell I've been busy working....I just haven't been able to show you anything until the products go live. So, here's another sneak peek from petite lemon. All I can say is, get ready for cuteness!!!! All of the products on petitelemon's site are so stinkin' cute! I've helped with some cards and growth charts, so cute! Go check 'em out!