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I saw this on pinterest. Needless to say, I have my gift wrap scheme figured out for the season! Think how quick and easy these would be with Glübers. I love the look on the kraft too!!!
(seen on fadedwhitelinen.blogspot.com)
In other news, I am taking my dad back to his home tomorrow. If any of you have any advice on how to make a 5 hour car drive easier on someone recovering from having a broken pelvis put back together let me know!
(For the project, skip down below. If you want my life drama, begin at the beginning.)
My mother, bless her heart, had imagined the most wonderful family Thanksgiving ever. She called each of my four siblings and myself about six months in advance to ask us to come to her house. We all made arrangements and last week began arriving in southern Utah.
I think Lori was the first to get there from California. I haven't seen her for a couple of years. Becky (the photographer) was there early too. They helped my mom bake rolls and pies and get ready for when the rest of us would arrive. It was going to be just perfect!
My sister, Emily and I got there on Wednesday evening just after my mom's dreams for that perfect family get together came to a crashing halt. LITERALLY!
Earlier that day my dad was in an accident. He was thrown several feet off his ATV and landed in just the right way to break his pelvis. Somehow, he managed to crawl back to his vehicle, ride it back to his truck and be driven to the emergency room. Later that night he was flown to a better equiped hospital in SLC.
You know all those trite thankful comments that get passed around the Thanksgiving table. You know how sometimes you try to think of something original, just to be different, but can't quite think of anything unique because, honestly, you are just too dang spoiled to appreciate how much you have. Well, this Thanksgiving was different. I guess in a way my mom got her wish. We truly did realize how lucky and blessed we are to have each other.
I have some fun projects to share that I thought you all may be interested in for the holidays. But, my blogging may be a bit spotty now. I will be taking my parents back down to their house on Wednesday and we'll see how long I need to stay.
In the meantime, here is a great project for those of you with girls (you may have seen this on my facebook page). Simply go to the fabric store and get some "tube-top" fabric. Sew it up the back and attach the neckband and gem with hot glue. Embellish with Gluber flowers if you like! Kate and Abby made these all by themselves. But, for pennies, you could make them for those Barbies that Santa is known to deliver on occasion.
Happy Friday everyone. We have made it through yet another week. YEAH US!!
I had planned to get a lot of crafting done yesterday, but all I managed to do was this one single card. Do you know the story of the Three Trees? Well, isn't this perfect to accompany it for a gift?
(Please be kind with my poor photography. I won't have sunlight until May from here on out. UGhhh!)
Regarding yesterday's post, I should have included some fun lunchbox ideas to combat Chester Cheetoh and have your kids thinking you're the coolest mom ever! Don't get me wrong. I've packed many a PB&J with carrot sticks on the side. But, when your kids start complaining..... OK when they start throwing a major fit.... pull out a few of these tricks and they'll settle back down, at least until dinnertime.
Fun Bananas: Cut the stem slightly for young children to make opening it easier. Then write a note with sharpie right on the skin. We like limericks and a game we call Banana Anagrama. This is particularly fun if you do one to read outloud including friends by name.
Craisens. Because raisens are so 1981.
Baby corns. My kids love these just because they are so cute. No other kid will have them!
Pancake sandwiches. We like all kinds of pancakes including pumpkin, wheat and oatmeal.
Baby pickles. Another thing my kids love.
Unusual fruits. Think kiwi, starfruit, pomegranites, etc. Pack extra for your kids to share.
Baked sweet potatoes. Bake a little shorter than usual and cut into sticks. Add some honey for dipping.
Grape tomatoes. There's something about things being little that my kids love.
Banana and apple chips. These are particularly yummy with peanut butter to dip in.
Yogurt parfaits. Layer fruit, yogurt, granola if you have it and repeat.
Olives. Be sure to include 5!
Trail mix.
Popcorn.
Have a great weekend everyone!
(Vintage container found at a second-hand store makes such a cute gift for Christmas!)
When I was a kid I loved the song Second Hand Rose. I think it was partly the humor of the plumber already having been married and partly because I could relate to owning a lot of second hand stuff.
I have an older sister and so "new-to-me" meant "too-small-for" her. My mother is also an avid garage-saler (it's slightly different than a yacht sailor). As a result I was the recipient of many a "great-find." I even learned to play the violin after my mom found one at a second hand store. In fact that's why I learned. I was the child who was the right size for the one my mother found.
Now, as a grown-up I love second hand stuff. I think it's entirely wonderful to find the beauty in something somebody else didn't want. I frequent the thrift store all the time. I come across tons of junk interspersed with an occasional "great-find" and I get really excited with my good fortune. I guess I have a bit of my mother in me afterall and I'll bet that now my kids would relate to "Second Hand Rose."
If you love making folded flowers, this is your project!
My very favorite part, the Gluber flower nest. Why didn't I think of that?! Thanks for sharing this with us Natalie McRae, you are awesome!
Part two of today's entry is an interview I did for Laura McAllister. Laura is a student studying design. She was given the assignment to interview a designer that she admired in the field and somehow, she picked me. I was very flattered.
Anyway, I read my answers to Eric after I filled it out and he thought you all may be interested. So, I asked Laura for permission to share it with you.
QUESTIONS:
SCHOOL/WORK
1. Where and what did you study?
I went to school at Utah State University. I studied design and graduated with a Bachelor's of Fine Art.
2. Why did you decide to study graphic design?
I really enjoy being creative and design is a great outlet for that.
3. While you were studying, did you already know what area of design you wanted to work in? Did you end up working in that area or did you end up doing something totally different? What kind of places have you worked in (doing graphic design) or have you worked as a freelancer?
I planned to work as an art director at an ad agency. I did just that for one year after I graduated at a firm called Scopes, Garcia, Carlisle. Then, I had my first baby and quit to stay home. I did freelance work off and on until I started designing for Cosmo Cricket.
4. What do you love about design and being a graphic designer? And what is your least favourite aspect?
I love coming up with the ideas. My least favorite part is production work.
5. What do you need for your work environment? Do you need peace and quiet, or must you have music blaring? Is your desk full of different things, or is it totally empty (no distracting things *smile*)?
My desk is always a crazy mess of doodled on papers and sketchbooks. What I listen to depends on what I'm working on. A tedious project calls for music I can sing too. Something difficult to do, like a complicated repeat, calls for quiet or soft background music.
6. If you had to relocate your studio, what would be the most important thing you would take with you? i.e. what would you make absolutely sure you didn’t leave behind?
I guess I have to say Eric, since he and I work together. But I love my mac and wacom too.
7. How would you describe your work style? Are you structured and organized, or do you tend to wing it and see what happens?
I always have a clear vision of what I want when I start. Sometimes better ideas come along as I am working and I am taken in a different path, but I never try to design without a good vision.
8. Do you use any software tools beyond the Adobe range? What tools do you spend the most time with?
I stick to Adobe and use Illustrator the most.
9. Do you think that quirkiness in a designer is a good thing, and if so, how/why?
Well I hope so, because I have been called quirky more than once. I think being right-brained makes one different than the mainstream. Being different is often perceived as quirky.
10. How big a role do you think self-confidence and people skills play in being a successful designer?
I don't think they are as important as design. I don't have great people skills. I'm nice, but I'm awkward in social settings. I can't help it. As for self-confidence, this is necessary for an artist to be true to their work. An artist without self-confidence may cave to the criticism of others and forget their inner voice.
11. Are you good at drawing/illustrating, and do you think that this skill is essential to becoming a good designer?
I am OK at drawing. Eric is much better at it than I am. It is definitely an asset and if I didn't have him to rely on so much, I would spend more time improving my abilities here.
12. Since I started studying graphic design, I seem to be looking at ads everywhere and analysing them. Is there something that always annoys you about ads or something that you think that is way overused?
I appreciate good design and creative thinking. I hate ads that don't offer either. I really hate ads that don't have a point... nothing to say, nothing to think about, nothing to enjoy looking at. Such a waste!
INSPIRATION
13. Do you have a favourite book or website etc that you refer to often when you need inspiration?
I like several sights including designsponge.com and printpattern.com
14. What book(s) should be on every graphic designer’s bookshelf?
A sketchbook. Really, I don't look at design books all that much.
15. What do you do when you can’t come up with an idea? Are you ever scared of running out of ideas and never being able to come up with something new and different again?
I never worry about not having new ideas. I do worry about not having good ideas. When I don't have any ideas, I take a walk. Then I try again. If it doesn't work I repeat.
16. Do you switch off from design when your work day ends, or do you still notice lots of design around you?
I notice design 24/7. Eric and I are ridiculous together. We go to the coffee shop and comment on the colors of the woman's scarf sitting behind us. We go to the library and comment on the design of the book covers. I even posted some typography I noticed in a parking lot once.
17. Do you ever find inspiration at ordinary times, say when you are at the supermarket or doing laundry? – And what do you do if a great idea hits you?
I am most likely to get a really great idea while doing something mundane. I have a pretty good memory for them. This is probably because I tell Eric right away and saying it out loud makes me remember it.
COSMO CRICKET
18. How did you make the jump from full-time employment (ok, I don’t even know if you were working full time before this, but anyway… :)) to running your own business? Was there a particular catalyst?
Before Cosmo Cricket, I was a stay-at-home mom with an occasional project. It was a difficult transition which I'm not sure I ever fully made. I am constantly trying to manage and juggle everything and more often than not I feel like I am failing at that.
19. After working for yourself, do you see yourself ever going back to working for someone else?
Yes. I work for other people with all our license partners. I actually really enjoy working for other people. I like to make people happy.
20. I think I read that you recently sold Cosmo Cricket to Advantus, right? I was wondering if that was very much a win-win situation as does that mean that you have now less of the ‘business’ stuff to deal with and you can just concentrate on the creative stuff?
That's exactly what it means and why we did it. I will be designing for them just like our other clients.
21. You work with your husband… when you work on a line, do each of you have clearly defined roles as to who does what? If releasing say two lines, does one of you focus on one, the other on the other?
We overlap very much and it can be very hard to tell where I end and Eric begins. However, we each have our own strengths too. Eric is a better illustrator. I am a better pattern designer. We compliment each other nicely.
22. When you start designing a paper line, how do you go about it? Do you start with colours or themes, perhaps an inspiration board or photographs?
We never use an inspiration board (although there have been times I've put one together after the fact for sales presentations and things). I usually have an idea in my mind and Eric and I are so close that he can see it when I explain it to him. He starts with some sketches that will become elements for chipboard and maybe patterns. We both do color so that just depends on the line. I do most of the pattern work, usually incorporating a few motifs from Eric's sketches. Then we come back to filling in the rest of the embellishments and icons.
23. Do you create pen/pencil sketches first, or do you do everything at the computer?
We almost always start on paper first.
24. Do you usually have a solid idea of what your design will look like or does the idea evolve as you work on it?
It's usually pretty clear in my mind when we begin.
25. Ah, this is a question I am so eager to get an answer to: how do you pick up your colour combinations? Is it by colour wheel, experience, just off the top of your head or simply trial and error? There is one Cosmo Cricket paper that has been my favourite since I saw it, because I loved the colour combination. It was the stripey paper from Jolly by Golly line. Oh yes, it was called Sweater weather.
We just pick colors we like. Eric picked the Jolly By Golly color pallet and I had the hardest time working with it. All those bright colors are hard to place next to each other and not cause a headache. I was glad when that line was finished. It's one thing to use them in small work like Eric was doing for the chipboard. It's quite another thing to place them next to each other in repeating patterns!
26. I read in an interview that you love designing patterns. When you’re designing a pattern, how do you get it started? What format is it in at that stage? What scale/how big is it? Are there any main principles to pattern design?
I always start with a 12.5" blank square in Illustrator. I usually have something in mind and begin building the pattern in the upper left corner by drawing out the shapes. Then I play with the shapes for quite a bit to determine their arrangement and scale. I just play with it until it feels right. I may do 4-6 different versions of the same or similar pattern before I am done.
27. What is your favourite Cosmo Cricket paper line?
Right now, it is Circa 1934.
28. I think you design fabrics now, too. Is that something that you really love doing? Is there something that you secretly wish that you could design one day?
I always wanted to design fabric because I love sewing. I would love to see my designs on handbags one day. That would be awesome!
29. Any tips you might have for someone just getting started?
Respect criticism from people in your industry. Learn as much from them as you can. Try, try and then try again. When someone doesn't think you're work is good, don't feel bad, don't cry, don't complain. Just prove them wrong by trying harder the next time. That's what I do. And believe me, even now there are lots of times I have to pick myself back up and try harder.
For 11-11-11 I was invited to a crafting party. There would be treats, there would be friends, there would be visiting. You would think since I love all these things I would be excited to go, but I wasn't.
Here is a little quirk you may not know about me. I am a home body. I don't like leaving the house and I especially dislike it when it is dark and cold outside. Adding to my stress, I happen to have a hard time fitting in... especially with women. I know, you can hardly imagine that right?! Someone as completely normal as me and all. I mean, I am just your typical girl, nothing weird to see here. No unusual quirks. Sure she's afraid to leave her house at night, so maybe she's a bit more right-brained than average,..........
Wait just a second. I just read the above to Eric and asked him for one more weird thing about me to add.
Julie: Give me one more quirk.
Eric: People aren't going to believe you don't fit in, you're quirks are likeable.
Julie: Only to people that don't really know me.
Eric: They're not going to believe you.
Julie: Give me a reason I don't fit in already.
Eric: You're not as weird as you think.
So, to finish off the above sentence, let's add my last quirk. According to Eric, I think I am weirder than I really am.
But, despite my weirdness, or lack of weirdness, or perceived weirdness or whatever, I went to the party. I was so nervous that my body temperature was at least ten degrees higher than normal and partway through the evening I had to put a sweater on just to hide the ineffeciency of my deoderant.
In the end, I survived. I had some nice conversations, some awkward conversations and second guessed myself the whole time except when I was making this project.
Look how cute it turned out. I took Kate's plain-Jane lamp and paired it with some chiffon fabric Gluber flowers and tah-dah, it's not plain-Jane anymore!
Do you have any mason jars laying around that you're not using? Did you know, at least in my area, you can get used mason jars for 25¢ a piece at the thrift store?
Look how super cute they are decorated for the holidays. You could fill these with all sorts of fun stuff. And, you will have officially given a second life to a lonely little jar. It's thrifty and gifty, just the sort of thing I love!
Let's start with the scrapbook layouts. I was emailed these beauties by Janete Stella. Wow, did she rock our Clementine collection. If you have a project to share with us, send it our way. We love people who share!!
Ok, random thing number two. Bathtubs.
I have a really deep tub and ever since a common friend of mine and Lindsay's told him he needed a long soak with a couple cold beverages I have been offering. It seems it's awkward to use your business partner's bathtub... especially when it's in the master bathroom. But after two more painful days with a kidney stone, people become less inhibited.
I cleaned the whole thing with bleach because I know Lindsay is a germ freak. I put out a fresh towel, some Barbie bubble bath... just in case... and taught him how to lock the door and double lock it by pulling out a drawer... to make it totally kid proof in an effort to protect the innocent.
He said he didn't like baths. He said he wouldn't be longer than 10-20 minutes.
He was in my bathroom for almost two hours. We could smell essence of Barbie through the upstairs. We could hear man singing! We got some good laughs at his expense!! But, I don't think it helped him pass the stone. Well, you can't say we didn't try to help!
Random thing number 3. Austin.
We are considering re-locating. If you know anything about Austin, let us know. We'd love to hear your thoughts. And, a special thanks to Jim and Cathy Heck for all their help, showing us around and snapping this pic!
Hang in there everyone... tomorrow's FRIDAY!
