Remembering Kathreen

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

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

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

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

Itch A Skitch: My New Favorite Time Waster

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

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

Kid Craft: Washi Tape Friendship Pins

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

Supplies:

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

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

2.  Trim the bottom to make a decorative edge.

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

DIY Mother's Day Card

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Business and Legal Forms for Crafters

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

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

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